I just got my licence. I can finally drive myself whenever and wherever I want to but it’s not like I haven’t driven before. The only difference now is that shiny new licence burning in the back pocket of my jeans. Yep, legal is legal. Being nineteen and a law breaker is scary but exciting. Not to mention, awesome. Plus the fact that dad already gave me his Volkswagen Beetle Convertible for my birthday. Kickass.

                But that’s not what I’m really excited about.

                A guy can be happy all he wants because of cars and all that but this one’s different. This excitement and happiness can only be cause by someone.

                Sitting beside me is the prettiest girl I’ve ever known since Son Yejin, the girl who can push and pull me without her even knowing, the same girl I’m secretly in love with for the past six years,

                Jung Soojung.

                I can break traffic laws whenever I want to but I’m a chicken when it comes to my feelings for her. We are best friends so I should act as one, not another one of her lovesick fanboys who just wanna lay their filthy hands on her body. I always have this scary image of her laughing off to my confession because no matter how smart that girl can be, she’s still a 5 foot nothing that’s too oblivious for her own being. Even to her best friend’s, as Sehun terms it, “obvious affections that’s not too best friend-ish.”

                But… feelings can’t be helped, right? I don’t know. Never been an expert in this area of human interactions and emotions. All I know is that I want to be with her all the time, see her smile and be the reason behind it, hear her laugh, kiss her, love her. No matter how cheesy that sounds. But Sehun said that it’s normal to have cheesy thoughts when you love someone and you won’t even be aware of it because you’re also enjoying it. That little knows a lot but I think he’s right.

                As we sped through the night air with the car’s top down, I can’t help but think that maybe I’m not much of a lovesick loser after all. Having her to agree in this spontaneous little get away is a smooth success. First step in accomplishing “Mission: Confess to Soojung now OR NEVER because hashtag:YOLO,” is off the list.

                “Jongin? Why are you—did you drive again? What did I te—” I waved my freshly claimed licence in the air and her eyes lit up in recognition. Yes, girl that’s it. I smirked.

                “ohmigod Kkamjong, finally!” she immediately left her porch and magically appeared in front of me in a span of 4 seconds and someone help me because I wasn’t able to prepare myself for this feminine attack.  She’s wearing a loose white shirt and jean shorts, her hair wild and damp behind her and oh boy I’m about to pass out ‘coz she smell so ing good. I swear I could hear beeping sounds and this is not good. I have to be sane for the rest of the night if I want to succeed in my Mission Impossible.

                “You can legally drive me now.” She said as she moved her hands up and down the hood of my car. Tell me it’s not wrong to wish I was that car.

                “I can still smash your skull into someone’s bumper if you’d still nag me about how delicious mangoes are. Really,”

                “Then we’d be seeing your sorry for a face behind bars if you do that. Not that I’d mind though and HEY! Mangoes are really delicious.” She smiled wistfully to herself. That pretty smile I’ve been seeing for the past six years but still weakens me into a bundle of nerves. Okay, mangoes can be the world’s best tasting fruit if it means Soojung would smile like that forever. Hey hey get your straight up Kim Jongin, you’ve got a mission! Damn this is harder than I thought.

                “Whatever mango princess. S-so you—”

                “Hey, can we get mango slurpee? Like celebratory drink for you ‘coz it’s not every day that a like you get their licence.”

                “What. Who’s dumb you lit—”

                “Okay! I’ll be down in a minute,” she immediately ran up back her house, probably to put on more clothes thank God, disappearing from my radius as fast as how she popped up earlier. Sweet.

                We stopped to get something to drink, my mind pounds and I can’t think because this is it. I finally found the balls to confess and my palms are excessively sweating from nervousness. I don’t really know where we’re going. After getting her favorite slurpee, we’re endlessly wandering around and generously contributing to global warming. Half bickering about nothing, half piercing the night with our loud guffaws while the wind swept us up as I hit the gas. My heart thumping painfully inside my ribcage faster than the car’s speed because of the sight beside me.

                Her hair blowing in the open window of my car and I silently thanked the Gods, wherever they are, for blessing me a precious moment with this girl.  I can’t keep my eyes on the road knowing that she’s inches from me.

                I glanced at my watch, it said 11:26 and I felt the need to do it now when the mood is still perfect. We gave up on bickering about Michael Jackson and Freddy Mercury and just contentedly listened to Jason Mraz on the speakers. A comfortable kind of silence between us helped me slow my erratic heart and plan my next move. I stole a look beside me and she’s looking out to the scenic Seoul night life, watched them glimmer in her eyes in the darkness of the evening. She’s breathtaking wearing nothing particularly fancy but a simple black jacket and faded jeans and I promised from that moment that I will make sure to be the one she’ll ever need.

                “Soojung,” I’m scared to death,

                “Hmm?” I pulled the car over and said

                “I love you,” in a voice too low for her to hear but she did and I can’t ing believe what happened next. It was a blur of Soojung and floral and smiles and kiss. She kissed me.

                Her soft lips against mine, her hands on my face, and I don’t know how but my hands managed to slip from the steering wheel to her thin waist. This is not what I had in mind but definitely what I wanted to happen. I needed to blink for a couple of times to make sure this is all happening, that she kissed me. Is that a yes?

                “What took you so long?” a smile crept up her face and it’s a big YES.

                I was caught off guard by her, again. God this girl will be the death of me.

                “didn’t know you like me that much,”

                “Let’s not forget you were the one who confessed first,” now my smirk slowly turned into a grin because she’s right. But no, I do not regret what I did because I’m holding Jung Soojung, my best-friend-now-officially-girl-friend, too close to me and I know those words will probably be the best words my mouth will ever say. And I’d probably say it again for a million times a day but I also need to hear it from her.

                “So..”

                “So?”

                “Will you tell me someth—”

                “I love you,” she said. In a voice so sweet and low yet I managed to hear it like she used a microphone. I guess being in love heightens your sense of hearing and feeling or whatever. So I kissed her, slowly this time, ‘coz I want to etch this moment in my memory forever.

                And just like that, my “Mission: Confess to Soojung now OR NEVER because hashtag:YOLO,” is a thundering success with flying hearts. We sped up through the night wind again, only this time I’ve got her hands on my other free hand and a promise of better days together for the both of us. And I’ve got all that I need right here in the passenger’s seat