“What am I watching right now?” I mumbled unhappily at the scene showing on TV.

“They’re confessing their love for each other!” Sanghee squealed in happiness as I stared at her, completely appalled. “Doesn’t it make the tips of your fingers tingle or flutter your heart?”

I took a second to think even though there was only one answer to begin with. “My heart doesn’t do that.” My heart wasn’t capable of doing that fluttering.

Her smile vanishes as she rolls her eyes. “Your heart is made of stone.”

“Aren’t you like, sick of watching these things?” Since it’s the weekend, Sanghee invited herself over to force me to watch these sappy dramas with her one episode after another. And right now, I don’t see any end to her plans yet.

“Not really.”

“I am.” I added.

She clicks her tongue. “Jiwoo come on, these dramas are so popular right now!”

“I don’t see how.” It’s absolutely ridiculous. The main male character didn’t do anything but hold her hand and the female lead looks like she's going to burst from happiness. Holding someone’s hand can’t be that satisfying, right?

“You’re just being cynical. I am enjoying this.”

That makes one of us. Sanghee turns her attention back on the TV and I had no choice but to also.

It eventually gets better, right?

“There’s no more mochi ice cream!”

I heard Jiyoon yell from the kitchen. “Because you finished it, unnie.” I answered mindlessly as I watched the main characters in the drama continue on their date – clasped hands swinging between the two and endless smiles shared.

What mush.

Sanghee sighed beside me. “I wish I had a boyfriend to hold my hand.”

I don’t. I can happily hold my own hand. There was no shame in that.

“I wish I had a boyfriend that looked at me like that.” She added with her attention still on the characters.

I tried to see what she was seeing but all I saw was the male character just looking at the female character. I didn’t see anything special about it.

“Jiwoo.” Oh no here it comes. “Can you go buy me some more?” Jiyoon stood at the doorway into the living room with that familiar smile on her face. The type of smile that was supposed to make her seem pleasant and likeable. The type of smile that is supposed to somehow persuade me to go out and get the six-pack ice cream that doesn’t last her for more than three days.

“But unnie, I’m so comfortable.” The sofa I have been sitting on for the past two hours had already molded to my body. I didn’t want to leave the warmth or the softness. The Japanese dessert wasn’t worth it.

“Please, Jiwoo?” And she proceeds to repeat ‘please’ numerously until I give her the answer she wants.

“Fine.” Well, it seems I didn’t have a choice since the beginning. I looked down at Sanghee to see her completely absorbed with the lovey-dovey drama. Since it was like that, I decided to leave her. I grabbed a sweatshirt off the back of the couch and Jiyoon held out the money as I passed by her.

Maybe this time, I’ll get her two boxes. It should hold her over for at least a week…just kidding, maybe I should make it three boxes of the ice cream.  

***

I stepped into the small corner store and headed down the freezer section. My eyes automatically land on the row that held the dessert. Sadly, it has become a habit since Jiyoon always sends me out to fetch the snack for her.

After making sure to grab three boxes and mentally praying that this would be enough, I headed up to the cash register.

“Jiyoon sent you out again?” The ahjussi sends me a knowing smile as he scans the boxes.

I nodded. “Yup, is it anything new?”

He chuckles. “Well, I get good business as long as she keeps eating them.”

A small smile tugs at my lips. “She’s single-handedly keeping this mochi company afloat.”

The comments sends him laughing as I pay him. He hands me the change and the plastic bag. “Be careful on your way home, Jiwoo. It’s going to get dark pretty soon.”

“I will. Have a good night, ahjussi.” With the plastic bag in my hands, I start walking home.

Jiyoon seems to always like to send me out during this time of day. The sun was starting to set and the streets were getting emptier and emptier. Even though it was the weekend, no one was out and about. I wonder if they’re stuck inside watching sappy dramas too.

I pulled the hood over my head and took my time getting back. It was still decently light out so there wasn’t a rush to get home.

I’ll take this as a break from all the love dramas Sanghee has been putting me through. Any normal person should get sick of them at one point or another, right? Why does that not apply to Sanghee?

I honestly didn’t know what was so great about them. The storylines clearly exaggerate the love between the characters. Characters magically running into each other, some wacky incidents happen, and suddenly they love each other. That obviously doesn’t happen in real life so why does Sanghee wish for such an unrealistic love like that?

Though the more I think about it, the more I don’t blame her. Who in their right mind would want a love that would bring hardship and pain? It’s better to hope for an easy love.

…But is that kind of love more worthwhile than a love that knocks you down once in a while?

Why did I even care?

One second, I was lost in my deep thoughts, questioning the nature of love and the next second, I was on the ground feeling the hard concrete beneath my palms and a stinging pain on my forearm.

I gathered my thoughts and looked to the side to see what knocked me over. Where did that come from? The hard force nearly knocked the breath out me. This wasn’t what I had in mind when I said ‘a love that knocks you down once in a while’…or any love, to be clear.

The boy groaned and slowly got to his feet. I didn’t know who he was until he looked my way.

It was the same boy from that night.

Not again. You’re kidding, right?

I figured he recognized me by the way he returned my stare. “You’re – “

“You okay, long hair.”

Well, I should have known. If someone was pushed, that meant there was a pusher.

“Didn’t know you lived around here. Isn’t this a pleasant surprise…” Mino and his band of troublemakers walked out into street where the boy and I was. A smirk makes its way onto his face.

Wish I can say the same.

I slowly pushed myself up on my feet and a small nervous laugh left my lips. “What a coincidence.” I brushed the loose pebbles off the palms of my hands and fixed my sleeves.

I carefully glanced at the boy, who is trying his best to be calm in a situation where it was five against one. This boy really knows how to get into trouble.

I bend over to pick up the plastic bag with the ice cream boxes and straighten up to see Mino still