When Tao gifted Sooyoung the bicycle, this is not what he had in mind for her to do.

‘Pedal harder, we’ll never make it on time!’ The girl behind him encouraged, urgently. Why did he agree to this again?

Unfortunately for him, even after having learnt how to ride it, she never felt safe enough to ride it by herself. But she also hated the idea of leaving her gift behind. That left only one solution: Tao had to tie her bike to his own and practically drag her around.

He would never understand women.

As expected, this had proven to be even more dangerous, because it increased the possibility of falling off to two people, which happened once or twice when Joy forgot herself yet again and started pedalling faster than their link allowed her to. Since then she had deemed it safer to just sit on the bike and not do anything, letting Tao do all the work instead.

He wished he could go back to when she was sitting behind him on his own bike – but now the weight he had to carry doubled because of the metal frame of the girl’s bike.

He mentally sighed, but couldn’t be too mad, watching her happy face. Every day he would decide that he had to voice his discomfort seriously, but then one look at his friend would quickly take that resolution away. He did repair the vehicle for her to enjoy. If her enjoyment was making Tao slightly miserable, he had to cope with the aftermath himself.

‘Why are we here again?’ He took a deep breath and tried his best to disregard the weird glances tat people were sending their way. After all, not everyone would roll around gracelessly, much like they just did.

‘To make you a little more civilised, Pandao. You’ve never been to a poetry reading, have you?’ She elbowed him lightly, laughing. She unpacked the lunch boxes that she had prepared from the back basket she ended up installing on her own bike. Tao reached for the blanket on his side.

‘I’ve no interest.’ He admitted truthfully.

‘Well, I’ll make you interested. This one is particularly good, you’ll see.’ He followed her, without much conviction.

When she suggested a Saturday outing, he just shrugged and agreed easily because at first, he didn’t seem to understand what she meant. A little after it finally sank in, Tao started wondering how boring it might actually be for him – listening to tradition poems in the language he could not properly comprehend. But he did turn down an invitation from Sehun just so he could hang out with Sooyoung in this god forsaken place, at a recital which would most probably make him sleepy.

He could not understand himself sometimes.

They left their bicycles in the nearby shed and walked across the narrow street, only to discover a small secluded park with an even smaller stage on one side. Tao noticed groups of people, mostly well above his own age, seated here and there, awaiting the recital. He splayed one of the blankets on the grass.

‘There is a hospital for elderly people just around the corner.’ She explained when she caught his questioning eyes. ‘I’ll be back.’ Sooyoung handed him the food containers and approached one of the groups located the closest to the stage. He sat down and watched her curiously, smiling at a pair of old ladies and exchanging greetings with them. After a moment, she pointed in his direction and upon feeling the three pair of eyes gazing at him, he quickly scrambled to his feet and bowed from the distance, as politely as he could. The elderly seemed to have laughed at his move. He scratched his head in embarrassment and lowered himself back on the blanket.

‘Who was that?’ He asked as soon as Joy sat down next to him, legs close to her chest. Although he’d discarded his jacket, it was quite chilly and it was no surprise for him that the girl zipped her own gourmet instead.

She placed her palms on top of her knees. She lowered her chin in thought.

‘Can I tell you a secret? It’s quite embarrassing, though.’ She puffed up her cheeks and looked at him, smiling. Not sure whether he should be worried or not, he nodded once.

‘You know how my mum got married with Soo Jung’s dad, right? That was already some time ago, but before that, we both lived with my grandma. She was ill so when we couldn’t take care of her ourselves anymore, she came to this hospital. I was 13. Every day after school, I would come to see my grandma and do my homework.’ She explained quietly. ‘This park was where we spent most of the time. When she could still walk.’ She added.

‘Later she passed away but I kept coming here, I’m silly.’ She brushed a string of hair behind her ear carelessly. It was just a habit, it immediately landed back on her cheek. ‘Those grandmas over there… They were my grandma’s friends. I still come here sometimes, to visit.’

Tao discovered that very moment that there was indeed a feeling worse than having to drag Sooyoung around on her bike. It was the feeling of hopelessness that enveloped him upon seeing her so serious, so quiet and sad. He unconsciously fisted his palms, wanting to say something meaningful, something to convey how sorry he was. He had understood even before that despite her constant cheerfulness, her life couldn’t have been easy with only one parent present. Her positive attitude worked, perhaps, as a sort of defence mechanism and fooled many, including herself.

He reached for her hand, it was the only thing he could do and the only thing that felt right at that moment. It startled her a little, she raised her head to look at him and they shared a sad smile between them.

Tao realised that he could kiss her. They were barely centimetres away from each other, both still engaged in what would normally be an awkward, but instead felt very comfortable, innocent feeling. He felt like he could really kiss her, and more importantly, he realised that he wanted to. He wanted to kiss his best friend Sooyoung. Would she want to-?

‘I want to eat now. I’m hungry.’ Before he managed to process the new turn of events, her palm already slipped out of his, and she was back to her cheerful self, changing her position and sitting cross-legged, instead, opening one of the lunch boxes she prepared.

‘You’re going to eat now?’ He asked awkwardly, clearing his throat. His voice sounded hoarse, like something was stuck in his throat. ‘We just got here.’

‘So..?’ She blinked, not understanding.

‘So don’t you want to save it for later, when you’re really hungry?’ He blinked back, deadpanning. The moment was gone.

‘But I’m hungry now.’

‘What about when you’re really hungry later?’

‘Then you’ll buy me tteokbokki from that stand over there.’ She shrugged, pointing at the street vendor behind me. Not waiting for the answer, she dug in, munching on the chicken leg.

Tao smiled to himself. Yes, I will.

The recital started immediately after and Tao was taken aback by the fact that the readings were all in Chinese, old poems he had learnt back when he attended a Chinese secondary school. He turned to Sooyoung, surprised. She smiled.

‘I told you that you’d find it interesting.’

‘You won’t understand.’ He replied, frowning. Poetry was boring even when it was his native language. Wouldn’t Joy be bored when she doesn’t understand the content?

‘You’ll interpret for me.’ She never stopped smiling confidently.

The sat next to each other, seeking warmth, since the evening was chilly. Later they draped the remaining blanket over their arms, which forced them to press against each other.  While Tao was slightly unnerved by the sudden realisation of his feelings towards his friend, he still felt very comfortable and at ease around her. He’d only ever had one girlfriend before and the feeling was quite different. One day he confessed to a girl he’d found attractive for a long time but, as he soon realised, didn’t really have anything in common with when they weren’t making out. He broke it off even before he transferred schools.

I want to be your love for ever and ever, His voice was barely a whisper, as he tried his best to translate line by line what the poem was about. There was no movement from Sooyoung’s side and at some point, Tao began to reciting the Korean translation more to himself even, looking ahead but not really seeing.

Without break or decay.
When the hills are all flat,
The rivers are all dry.
When it thunders in winter,
When it snows in summer
When heaven and earth mingle, He stopped short as he felt his friend’s head fell on his left shoulder. He turned slightly, not wanting to startle her. She had fallen asleep, parted, her hair the usual mess. He smiled to himself as he made sure the blanket wasn’t falling off her shoulders.

Not till then will I part from you. He whispered the last line, having never felt happier.

When the 11^th of November finally arrived, Tao was anxious. He hadn’t spoken to his secret admirer since their last conversation last week and he was actually quite relieved. He needed time to sort out his feelings and thus, he didn’t really initiate any contact on his own. He now knew who he wanted his admirer to be and who reminded him of her. But there was still that nagging feeling at the back of his head, saying that it might be Soo Jung.

He had no idea how to break it to her without hurting her feelings. Or hurting himself, if she happened to be one of those queen bees that don't take no for an answer.

And most importantly, he still didn’t know how Sooyoung felt about him. He didn’t want to lose her friendship, but he couldn’t go on without telling her.

After the Saturday they spent together in the park, he kept staring at her in the least opportune moments. At her lips when she ate, at her hands when she vividly expressed her emotions. At her retreating silhouette until she finally disappeared around the corner.

So he was 18 and he had never wanted to have a girlfriend more in his entire life.

~ I’ll meet you at the back yard during the long break. ~

The message came just before he reached the school grounds. He nodded to himself, calmly. He had his own chocolate sticks for the occasion and he hoped he wouldn’t have to eat them by himself later, drown in regret.

‘Tao!’ Tao turned around at the sound of Sooyoung’s voice. He gulped.

‘Xiao Xiong.’ He greeted before thinking. She frowned confused.

‘One day you’ll have to tell me what it means.’ She poked his side and he just laughed awkwardly.

‘One day.’ He promised, but he didn’t think he would ever be able to. He’d rather die of embarrassment as he stood. It was all because of his annoying father. He kept calling her “his lady bear” and now he also took to calling her a bear.

Yeah, awfully romantic, he was aware of that.

He couldn’t concentrate on his class at all. He also hadn’t seen Soo Jung since morning and hoped that he wouldn’t have to. He sighed.

When the end of his third period finally came about, he was resolute to make a cool and manly impression. If he was accepted, he would plant an incredibly romantic kiss on her lips – but just a little less wet than when he practice with his pillow the night before. If he was rejected… well, he would cry at home. He knew he would because he always got emotional in stressful moments.

He casually stopped by one of the pillars of the school’s back gate, trying not to look like he was going out of his mind. He was so lost in his thoughts that when he felt a pat from behind, he almost got a heart attack. His head shot up and he slowly turned around.

‘Hey.’ Soo Jung said softly, a small decorative bag in her hands. She fondled its colourful rope ears nervously. Tao didn’t know why it was the first things that he paid attention to, but he did and it seemed like the girl had been squeezing the small pieces of rope all day because the bag looked like it was about to fall apart.

He cleared his throat. ‘Hey.’ He managed to say.

‘I know this is going to sound weird but could you, please, take this-‘

‘Oh, no. I’m so sorry but I can’t accept-‘

‘-and pass it on to Sehun?’ Tao stopped his frantic hand movements and grammar battle short and blinked at Soo Jung.

‘What?’

‘I asked if you could give this to your friend Sehun.’ Tao frowned even more, looking for further explanation. She got flustered. ‘I know I should just give it to him myself but.. I haven’t been able to even approach him, until now. I always get to embarrassed and… After I broke up with my previous boyfriend I was very sad and he cheered me up once or twice… He probably thinks I’m totally pitiful…’ She mumbled to herself. ‘Can you just… give it to him, please? If he doesn’t want it, he doesn’t have to call me or anything. He can just forget about it.’ She added hastily, completely red on the face.

‘So.. you don’t like me?’ Was the first thing that came out of Tao’s mouth. That was all he cared about, actually. It was Soo Jung’s turn to stare.

‘You? Why would I like you? I mean- That’s not what I meant..’ She smiled sheepishly.

‘No offence taken. But… I thought you were trying to get close to me.’ He replied honestly. She shrugged.

‘You were always around our house and I just thought… I could try to be friendly with you so that Sehun…’ She trailed off, embarrassment too much to handle. ‘I didn’t mean to use you. I hope you don’t feel that way. I like you as a friend, very much, but even if I did like you more than that, my sister adores you. It would break her heart.’

‘Your sister.. likes me? Me? Are you sure?’

‘Are you not? Please, Tao, you are practically a part of our family. My parents think she’s gonna marry you and elope to China so they installed an alarm, in case she wants to sneak out in the middle of the night. You guys are practically joined at the hip. Are you trying to tell me you don’t like her back?’

‘No! I mean, yes! I like her. I like her very much.’ He his lips, unsure. ‘I’m just stupid.’ He sighed.

‘Seems so.’ She replied, humorously.

‘So… you’re not the one who sent me all those messages?’ He had to make sure one last time.

‘I don’t even have your number, don’t worry. You should clear it up with her soon, instead of just letting her giggle with her phone half the night. We share a room, you know. It’s starting to seriously bother me.’ She smiled, not really meaning what she just said. ‘So… can I trust you with this?’ She passed him the little gift. He nodded.

‘I’ll give it to Sehun. But you don’t have to feel anxious. I know for a fact he really likes you.’ Soo Jung looked really surprised but bit her lower lip, trying not to look to happy.

‘Thank you.’ She touched his shoulder for encouragement. ‘And I guess… fighting to the both of us?’

Tao nodded, smiling widely.

‘So… is this from Soo Jung?’ Sehun looked over Tao’s shoulder as the latter sat at the desk in front of his friend.

‘Yeah.’ Tao confirmed, looking around the classroom. Sooyoung’s seat at the back was empty. He finally set his eyes on his friend, sensing the prolonged pause from his side. ‘What?’

‘You’re not gonna tell me anything?’ Sehun frowned.

‘It’s for you.’ Tao passed his the bag. Sehun’s frown deepened. ‘She likes you so much she can’t even look you in the eye.’

‘What?’

‘Didn’t you say she’s a great girl? I thought you liked her.’ It was Tao’s turn to frown at his friend.

‘I-I did. I do. But… I never really thought about it like that. I mean… I didn’t even think I had a chance with her. Are you sure it’s not a joke? You’re not pranking me, right?’ He asked to make sure. Tao snickered.

‘She does like you. She tried to become friends with me to get to you. No wonder it felt so awkward.’ He mumbled the last sentence in Chinese, more to himself.

‘I don’t know what to say… Are you ok? I mean, I can totally reject her if you are disappointed. Bros over hoes, right?’ Sehun said but didn’t look too convinced himself.

‘I don’t understand what you just said but I’m not disappointed. She was not the one who sent me those messages and I’m not in love with her or anything.’

‘Oh.’

‘Have you seen Sooyoung?’

‘She came in and took her bag and- Wait, are you in love with Park Sooyoung?’ Sehun squinted his eyes, suspicion in his voice.

‘I am. So?’ Tao looked at him challengingly. Sehun relented.

‘Nothing, nothing. She’s nice. You guys look good together.’ He hastily added.

‘So what did you say she did?’

‘Oh, she took her bag and left. She looked kind of sad? I don’t know. Less cheerful than usual.’

~ Where are you? ~ Tao texted quickly but received no reply.  He was certain now that Sooyoung was his secret admirer but the fact that she didn’t show up to their meeting worried him. He didn’t know what happened, but he hoped it didn’t have anything to do with her sister approaching him at the gate first.

He couldn’t leave class just yet, no matter how much he wanted to, but damn if he remembered even one word from his afternoon class. The moment it finished, he sprinted out of the classroom without as much as good bye to Sehun. When he reached the bicycle shed, he noticed that her bike was gone. Normally, she would bring the vehicle with her, leading it all the way to school on foot and then making Tao her back home, tying it to his.

He hopped on his bike and pedalled to her house but it didn’t seem that anyone was in, and the green machine was nowhere in sight. After a brief moment, he concluded that there was only one place he could think of that he could find her in and directed himself towards the park she took him to the weekend before. The closer he was to the place, the more anxious he became.

He spotted her bicycle first, chained in the same shed they used before. He repeated the action and putting his back pack straight, he walked over to the small park hidden behind the trees. She was there, sitting on the bench closest to the stage, with her back to him. When he approached her, he discovered her tights were ripped and she was trying to apply some leaves found among the grass to her knee wound.

She noticed him and puffed her cheeks to get rid of the hollow, although her red eyes immediately gave her away.

‘Broadleaf.’ She shrugged, following his worried gaze. ‘I fell off the bike once… or more like five times. It helps for scratches.’ He sat down next to her.

‘I was waiting for you.’ He finally said, breathlessly.

‘Yeah… I had a stomach ache. Sorry.’ She muttered.

‘I mean… I wanted for you at the backyard.’ He clarified, finally looking at her. She gasped quietly.

‘That was childish, I know. You can just forget about it. I’m always this forward and daring but I couldn’t even tell you that I started to like you this much. Really, you can just forget it ever happened. I heard you and Sehun in the locker room. You like Soo Jung, right?’ She kept blabbering.

‘No, I don’t like her. And she doesn’t like me. Today, she even asked me to pass her gift to Sehun.’ His hands were sweating as he tried to articulate himself clearly.

‘She… what?’ Joy raised her head at that, momentarily forgetting about her embarrassment.

‘She likes Sehun. And I’m just stupid.’ He admitted, scratching his head nervously. ‘We were always hanging out, you and me, and until the end I couldn’t realise that you and the girl that I talked to online were the same person. I mean, when you think about it, it’s so obvious.’

She said nothing, listening, looking at the ground.

‘But I have to say that I’m thankful. There were things I couldn’t tell you in person, sometimes because I was embarrassed, sometimes because I couldn’t find the right words… When I had time to think about it, it came more naturally. You know what my Korean is like.’ He laughed awkwardly. He felt her hand squeezing his own. He intertwined their fingers before he could talk himself out of it.

‘Even without words, I like you so much that it hurts just thinking that you could prefer my sister instead.’ She whispered, not caring to be embarrassed anymore.

‘I like you, very much. I wish I had realised it sooner. So’ he raised their locked hands ‘you’re stuck with me?’ He smiled unsurely. She squealed in glee, way too loud but he wouldn’t have it any other way. "And you started learning Chinese?' He smiled.

'I'm not very good at it, though... And I tried to decypher what it is that you call me but all that came up was a "washing machine". You're not calling me a "washing machine", are you?' She asked quickly. He laughed, embarassed. 

'No! I'll tell you, someday. When I'm not embarassed to death.' They fell into a short, amicable silence.

‘So…. I bought this for you.’ She quickly freed her hand of his grasp and presented him with a box of Ppeppero. He did the same.

‘And I bought this for you. Only for you.’ He corrected himself.

‘So…’ She prompted again, looking at him expectantly.

He had to kiss her now. He wanted to, very much but how… All the times he kissed his previous girlfriend seemed so distant that it felt like he didn’t even know what to do. He leaned in but Sooyoung seemed to have decided that he took too long and lounged forward. Their foreheads bumps in a painful slap.

They both groaned in pain, massaging their hands. When they looked at each other, they started laughing.

‘Just like the first time I met you.’ She laughed and he nodded, mirth in his eyes.

This time, he was more decisive. He gently cupped her face in his hands and they kissed sweetly. He could tell she also had no idea what she was doing but he knew they could figure out the details later. When they finally broke the kiss, she smiled at him happily and said:

‘This time, you’re really going to have to drag me around on my bike. Forever.’ She clapped her hands in glee. His face fell slightly.

Oh. He didn’t think of that.

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Changdeol says: Soooooo thanks guys for reading and waiting, I finally managed to finish this little three-shot. I still have no idea what prompted this fic or this pairing even, but Tao is super cute on his own, and I just figured: hey, why not give him somebody equally cute? I'm not that good at writing fluff but i tried not to make it too angsty heh.