Secrets of Attraction

Eighteen: JOOHYUK

The smell of coffee and bacon nudged me awake. And then a flash of last night - kissing Suzy. Had it really happened? That five minutes - or five seconds - seemed like an eternity. Then, our night cut short.

I could just hear Subin . . .

Dude, cock-blocked by cocoa? Epic.

Not that there would have been enough of anything going on to block, but the thought of being alone with Suzy made a beat pump through my brain. When would that happen again? Last night had been perfect, like stars and planets aligned perfectly. Was it Jeju Water? The cake? The guitar playing? A magical combination of everything? God - the way she looked at me - being around her was a total rush.

Hyunjin burst through his door.

"Come on, everyone's awake. Breakfast!" He raced out of his room with more enthusiasm than anyone shouold be allowed to have in the morning. I grabbed a shirt and made a pit stop in the bathroom to gargle with a swig of mouthwash before heading out to the kitchen. Suzy was up already, talking to Yeji as they sat side by side at the table.

Dead puppies, great whites, genital warts. Be cool, Jjwogi. Wait, I'm using her nickname now. Be cool, be cool.

My smile was a forced that could not be stopped.

I grabbed a plate and sat across from Suzy.

Don't stare.

Her presence was a magnet pull. It took all my effort not to look at her because once I did, I knew I'd just start laughing or dropping silverware or losing control of my senses because all I wanted to do was swipe the breakfast dishes away and continue where we left off last night.

"I taught my friend how to do a fishtail braid, so yes, your hair is perfect for that," Suzy said to Yeji. "Hey, Jjwogi, we have time before we go, right? I can fix Yeji's hair?"

Her eyes planted on mine. Gone was that hungry look. Her face was so neutral, she could have been ordering an americano from me. As if we hadn't swapped spit out in the pasture, or I hadn't saved her from a mutant buck, or dazzled her with my guitar prowess. Nada.

"Ah, yeah," I said.

"Great." She dug into her plate of eggs. Something tickled my foot. I flinched and looked under the table, expecting to see one of the dogs. Suzy's socked foot slipped under the cuff of my sweats. Proof last night wasn't a dream. I bit back a smile and reached for some bacon.

After breakfast and showers and hair braiding, we said good-bye and started the long trek home. The farther away we got from my aunt's house, the more unreal it all seemed, at least to me. Suzy stared out the window, taking in the scenery as we drove. It was a good day for a drive - perfect cloudless blue sky and open roads.

When we hit the first two-lane road, I pulled into a gas station and shifted the car into park.

"Jjwogi, I think it's closed.

I unhooked my seat belt and leaned toward her, my hand in her hair. She paused, before bringing her face toward mine. Our lips touched, soft, sweet. I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining last night's starry sky, the perfection of that moment, of this one, of her. Her tongue teased mine as we kissed deeper. I could not get enough of her. I kissed the tip of her nose, her forehead, finally breaking away.

"I wanted to do that all morning," I said.

She put her fingers to her lips and smiled. "Me too. does it have to end? Can't we just go back? Screw reality."

"We could squat at Jeju Water. You could sketch." I pulled the car back onto the road.

"And you could entertain everyone with your guitar. Could you imagine? How freaking awesome would that be?" She hunkered down, propped her feet on the dash, and put her hand over mine, nudging her index finger underneath my pinkie on the stick shift. I smiled.