They went out of the cinema after the movie ended. They decided to eat lunch first at a western restaurant.

They went into the restaurant and they chose a table at the corner of the restaurant. There were not a lot of people in it. Jisoo sat on the opposite side of Sanghyuk. Beside her was Jaehwan. They ordered food and drinks.

Jaehwan was telling jokes while waiting for the food. His jokes were so funny that she laughed out loud for the first time. The others were laughing too.

“Wow. She never laughs like this when I tell a joke,” Sanghyuk rested his chin in his hand while staring at Jisoo.

Her face was red and she was still laughing. She hid her face in her arms on the table. Her shoulders moved up and down from laughing. After a few minutes, she settled down, face still red.

“Ya! Was it that funny?” Sanghyuk asked.

Jisoo nodded, “Your jokes are not this funny,” she felt like laughing again thinking about Jaehwan’s joke.

“Are you dating Hyuk?” Suddenly Wonshik asked. The atmosphere turned awkward. The others were looking at Jisoo. Sanghyuk was looking at her too. Waiting for her answer.

Jisoo glanced at Sanghyuk, asking for help. But Sanghyuk was laughing at her. He is not helping at all.

“I-am-not-dating –with-Hyuk,” she said it in a weird tone. Like a robot.

“O-kay,” Hongbin mimicked her. They laughed and the foods came.

 

Wonshik’s phone vibrated. A message. He read the message and rolled his eyes. He replied and continued eating.

“Who was that? Your girlfriend?” Hakyeon said while munching his food. Leo beside him was quietly enjoying his food. His cheeks were plump. Jisoo giggled and Sanghyuk caught her.

“What are you laughing at?” he whispered. Jisoo shook her head while smiling. Sanghyuk shrugged it off. “Who was it again?”

“Lee Hyerin,” five of them chorused. Sanghyuk’s eyes widened. Jisoo was just watching them. She had no clue who Lee Hyerin is.

“She arrived already?” Sanghyuk asked. They nodded.

“She’s going to join us. She’s on her way,” Wonshik said.

“That means we are going to shop with her,” Jaehwan sighed.

“Who is Lee Hyerin?” Jisoo asked, clueless.

 

Lee Hyerin. Same age with Sanghyuk and Jisoo. She was wearing a white shirt in a denim jacket and a black short skirt. She wore black stockings and a pair of high heels. Her hair was wavy and she was taller than Jisoo.

Jisoo awed by her looks. Her skin was smooth and her lips were full. Her lips coated with a red lipstick.

She just got back from Japan. Her parents sent her there to study. She was back in Korea as it was semester’s break.

Hyerin looked down at Jisoo, “Who is she?”

“She is my friend, Sung Jisoo,” Sanghyuk introduced her.

“Friend?” Hyerin glared at Jisoo intensely. Jisoo was backing up, scared.

“Stop it, Lee Hyerin,” Sanghyuk stood between them. “You are scaring her,”

Hyerin crossed her arms, “I was just looking at her. She is so short,” she giggled but no one laughed.

She slipped her hand into Sanghyuk’s arm. She leaned her head on Sanghyuk’s shoulder. “I miss you,”

Sanghyuk rolled his eyes, “It has been months,”

“Months feels like ten years!” she looked at Sanghyuk pouting her red lips. “Anyway, let’s go shopping,”

She dragged Sanghyuk away. Jisoo looked at them, confused. Someone patted her shoulder. She turned her head to the right and it was Jaehwan.

“She’s a close friend of Sanghyuk,” Jaehwan said. “Don’t worry,”

Jisoo smiled, “Worry about what?”

“I thought you like him?”

“No! He is just a friend,”

“That’s not what your heart says,” he said. Jisoo was taken aback for a moment. “Let’s go,” he patted her back.

 

Hyerin and Sanghyuk were in a clothing shop. The others were standing outside waiting for them. Wonshik and Hongbin chatted about their girlfriends. Jaehwan was playing games in his phone and Jisoo just watched him play. Hakyeon and Taekwoon stared blankly at the wall, bored.

Hyerin was choosing winter clothes while Sanghyuk waited behind her. She asked Sanghyuk’s opinion with the clothes she chose. She would ask if she is pretty wearing this and that. Sanghyuk just nodded his head telling she is pretty. That was because he wanted her to choose faster.

Sanghyuk glanced at Jisoo outside when she was not looking. He was worried that it would take too long for her. He saw her sitting beside Jaehwan smiling like a little girl every time Jaehwan joked. He wished it was him instead.

“They look close with each other,” Jisoo said to herself when Sanghyuk smiled to Hyerin. They were poking and laughing at each other. They looked very close.

Hakyeon heard her. He stood beside her, “They are. They’ve known each other for as long as I can remember,”

“Their parents know each other,” Wonshik suddenly appeared beside her with Hongbin.

“They were paired up by their parents. They might get married after graduating,” Hongbin laughed. They looked at him. Judging him although they knew he was joking.  

Wonshik pretended to choke him and whispered, “Saying that in front of Jisoo is a little bit inappropriate,”

“Aigoo Hongbin,” Jaehwan said it in an old man’s voice. We laughed at him and he started to tell us more jokes.

Taekwoon approached Hakyeon whispering something in his ear. Hakyeon frowned and said ‘no’ coldly. Taekwoon glared at him and then went to Jisoo.

“Do you want to eat ice cream?” he whispered.

“Jung Taekwoon! When will you stop eating?” Hakyeon slapped his back.

“I want ice cream,” Jisoo smiled.

Taekwoon glared at Hakyeon again without saying anything. He pushed Hakyeon and walked away. Jisoo was confused as he didn’t say anything. He stopped walking and turned around. He looked right at Jisoo.

“I thought you want ice cream?” he said.

“Ah! Right,” Jisoo grinned and ran to Taekwoon who was already walking away.

 

Taekwoon and Jisoo walked to an ice cream shop quietly, not talking to each other. They ordered the ice creams and Taekwoon willingly to pay it for her. She thanked him and took the cup.

“Ignore what Hongbin said,” he suddenly said.

Jisoo who was about to enjoy her ice cream, stopped, “I- I don’t really care because Hyuk is just my friend. Just a friend,” she mumbled the last sentence.

Taekwoon scoffed, “Liar,” he walked away leaving Jisoo dumbfounded.

They went back to the clothing shop. The others were waiting for them in front of the shop.

“What the- You guys went to buy ice cream without me!” Sanghyuk walked to Jisoo, staring at her delicious looking ice cream.

“You didn’t ask us to buy,” Jisoo blinked innocently and fed a spoonful of ice cream in .

“I didn’t know. How am I supposed to ask you to buy it?” Sanghyuk pouted.

Jisoo shrugged and scooped another spoonful of ice cream. When she was about to put it in , Sanghyuk grabbed her hand and fed it into his mouth.

“Ya…” Jisoo looked at him. He used the same spoon. He used the SAME SPOON.  He was still holding her hand as he smiled.

‘Indirect kiss’ that statement lingered in her head.

He noticed her frowning, “What? Can’t I use the same spoon?”

Jisoo blushed and pulled her hand away, “You eat MY ice cream,” she pressed the word ‘my’.

Hyerin frowned at both of them, “Hyuk-ah, I’ll buy you ice cream,”

Sanghyuk shook his head, “I’ll just share with her,”

Hyerin bit her lower lip in anger. She stomped her feet to another clothing shop. They followed her. Jisoo and Sanghyuk argued about the ice cream while they walk.

 

“Hey,” Hyerin said while looking at Jisoo.

Jisoo pointed at herself, “Me?” The boys were confused as Jisoo did. They thought Hyerin didn’t like her.

Hyerin nodded, “Come here,”

Jisoo walked inside the shop leaving the boys outside. She stood beside Hyerin and she could smell a strong fragrance of perfume around her. Her aura was really different.

“Yes?” she hesitated.

“What do you think of this coat?” Hyerin showed her a black long coat. It looked expensive.

“It’s pretty,” Jisoo smiled giving her honest opinion.

“Well then,” Hyerin smiled back and called the worker to purchase it, “I’ll take this,”

The worker took the coat and brought it to the counter. Hyerin looked back at Jisoo, “What’s your relationship with Hyuk?”

Jisoo was slightly shock at her question, “We are just friends,”

Hyerin smirked while flipping through the clothes, “That’s good to hear. You see, our parents set us up since high school,”

“Okay,” Jisoo felt like leaving that place. She didn’t want to hear the rest.

Hyerin crossed her arms and glared at her, “So, don’t go anywhere near Hyuk again. You and him are not in the same level. You are just an ordinary girl,”

Jisoo furrowed her eyebrows, “I don’t understand this,”

Hyerin lowered her head, leaning closer to Jisoo, “I thought you are friends with Hyuk? You don’t know about him?”

She laughed, “His parents own a big company. They are probably the richest people in Seoul,” she paused and smirked at Jisoo, “Like my parents,”

Jisoo lost for words. She was too shocked. Sanghyuk didn’t tell her about that. She felt a presence beside her. A tall figure she recognized. She didn’t dare to look up his face.

“It’s getting late. Let’s go home,” his voice filled the air. Jisoo silently walked out of the shop.

Sanghyuk was confused but he shrugged it off.

 

They reached the car park and separates with each other. They waved goodbyes and went to their own car. Jisoo and Hyerin went to Sanghyuk’s car. Sanghyuk promised to send Hyerin home.

Hyerin walked to the car and ‘accidently’ shoved Jisoo aside. She opened the door of the front seat and went inside. Jisoo sighed and sat on the back seat. Sanghyuk went in too and started the engine. He buckled his seatbelt and helped Hyerin with the stuck seatbelt. Jisoo was just watching them quietly from the back.

Sanghyuk turned around to check on her. He noticed her eyes. They were filled with tiredness and somehow sadness. She was looking outside with her chin in her palm.

“Are you okay?” Sanghyuk asked.

Jisoo glanced at him, “I’m fine,”

“Worried your brothers would scold you?” Sanghyuk joked but she didn’t react to it. She didn’t even look at him.

She was still in shock.

“We are going to be late for the dinner tonight. Our parents are going to scold us,” Hyerin purposely said that. To make Jisoo realize that they are different from her.

Sanghyuk turned back in disappointment as he drove off to Jisoo’s apartment.

 

“Thanks for the ride,” Jisoo wanted to pat his shoulder but stopped, “Um bye,”

Sanghyuk looked at her and smiled. He waved his hand, “Say hi to your brothers,”

Jisoo smiled and went out. She waited until the car drove off. She breathed in like she was not breathing this whole time. She finally felt free and relieved. She looked far and sighed. She walked into the building still thinking about Sanghyuk.

She went into her apartment and saw her brother Junhee on the couch watching the television. Junhee pushed back his spectacles and looked at his sister.

He grinned, “How was your date?”

Jisoo plopped on to the couch next to her brother, “It went well,”

“Oh really?” he smiled.

“But not until his friend- no, his girlfriend told me about him,”

“Girlfriend?! He has a girlfriend? What did she tell you?”

“Sanghyuk’s parents are the richest people in Seoul!”

“Oh my God…” he gasped. “But why are you upset?”

Jisoo looked at his brother, “She said we are not in the same level and their parents already set him up with her,” she buried her face in her hands in despair. She was disappointed and sad.

“Then, make him yours.” Junhee blurted out.

Jisoo scoffed, “Easy as that?”

Junhee nodded, “Easy as that. You said you like him. Make him like you too,”

“It’s not that easy,” she let out a breath. If she confess, will Sanghyuk accept her? She is just a girl who is not pretty or rich. The answer left hanging.

“I don’t want to talk about this,” Jisoo got up and walked to her room with heavy footsteps. She closed the door and threw her bag on the bed. She went into the bathroom. She wanted to wash away all the negative thoughts.

 

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Yay! I was excited to write so yea heheh Thank you for reading. Comments are welcome \o/ -hugabuga