Dork.

thirtieth.

By now it's the weekend, school was pretty uneventful, nobody saw the water incident. In fact the thing that got the most buzz was people seeing me in Sunwoo's jersey.

This sparked something in Kevin, and ever since, he's been offering me one of his sweatshirts whenever I go outside.

It's Saturday, and the snow has calmed down from last night, and now it's a bright fall-winter day.

I'm excited because I got a text from an old friend, she left after freshman year of high school, and was my only friend. And now she's back in town for a bit and called me asking if I could hang out.

I sit on the edge of my bed, wondering how to ask Kevin for permission to go out with a friend.

Do I just ask?
Do I sneak out?

I did it wrong once when I was with Hanbyul , and I hope that never happens again...

flashback.

"Hey, where are you going wearing that?" Hanbyul looks up from his phone for once as I freeze at the front door.

"This? I'm going to see my friend..." I say cautiously, not wanting to anger him.

"I don't really like you wearing that out. Don't you think your legs look weird in it anyways?" He frowns.

"I-oh. I guess" I say.

"Good now go change. I'm just trying to keep you safe." He looks back down at his phone.

"I know that," I mumble.

"So an apology would be nice"

"Apology?"

"Yes"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to wear this out" I fidget with the rim of the knee length sundress.

"Good girl. But when did I say you could hang out with your friend? Who is it? Name? Boy or girl?" Hanbyul asks with limited patience.

"He's my science partner, it's for school work" I answer truthfully.

"Aish. So you're trying to cheat on me then?" Hanbyul stands up.

"No, of course not..." I feel a knot in my stomach.

"Then you shouldn't feel the need to go out with him. You stay with me here" Hanbyul says.

"..."

"Sunhee, you want to be a good girlfriend to me right?" He crosses his arms.

"Yes"

"Then...?"

"Alright. I'll stay with you, sorry I didn't ask before" I apologize.

"Now you know for the future. I'm just trying to teach you the correct ways okay?" Hanbyul leans closer to me.

"I know. Thank you," I smile at him, even though I have a weird feeling in my heart.

flashback end.

I shake the memory out of my head. So learning from that experience I should just ask Kevin beforehand, wear something appropriate, and I should be good since my friend is a girl.

I dress in jeans and a black cropped turtleneck with a white tank top under it. Okay, I should be good.

I leave my room and I spot Kevin laying on the couch reading a book.

I clear my throat, and surprisingly I'm a bit nervous.

"Hey kev" I sit a couple feet away from him on the couch.

"hello hello" he puts his book down as soon as he sees me sit down.

"My friend is in town, she moved away a couple years ago. Can i go see her?" I ask, flicking off imaginary lint on my sock.

Kevin sits up and says, "Uh... yeah? Why not?" with a strange confused face.

"Really?" I gasp. "Thank you!" I grin.

"lol why are you so surprised?" Kevin smiles back but with furrowed eyebrows.

I stand up and start packing my purse. "I don't know. You didn't even ask me details or criticize my outfit or make stay here... where's my- oh" I say, but mostly just distracted at finding my other shoe.

"Oh. I mean I love your outfit. Sorry I didn't say anything?" Kevin says, still confused.

"Really? Thank you," I say gratefully, wondering why it was so much easier to ask Kevin than Hanbyul.

"Um... should I be worried or something though? What details was I supposed to ask?" He laughs. "You're just hanging out with a friend,"

"...yeah but I thought, I don't know," I say, trailing off. Sometimes I don't know how to respond to Kevin with his open mind-ness since I'm more used to being submissive.

Kevin pov.

Strange tho... why is she asking me?

Well, I know why. Obviously it's a reflection of her past relationship.
But it's a bit sad, almost like she can't see how different I am from him, and I'm worried about that.
But I also don't want to say anything because I know it's a sensitive topic.
I guess I'll just let time heal.

Sunhee pov.

"Okay! I'm off I guess," I stand at the front door and Kevin stands up and walks over to me.
"Alright have fun!" He takes one of his white sweatshirts off of the coat rack and hands it to me. "In case it's cold,"

"Thanks," I put my hand on the door Nob but he stops me again.

"Oh!" Kevin runs to the kitchen counter and runs back. "You forgot this," he places my two safety pins in my hand.

"Oh, thank you!" I put the pins in my pocket.

"Of course, also, er- just for the future..." Kevin scratches his neck, and I raise my eyebrows in anticipation. "Y-you don't have to ask me to Hang out with other people, really I don't mind. Just have fun," he kisses my cheek and ushers me out the door.

I leave the apartment in shock, I never thought I would ever hear that from a boyfriend. Now in an even better mood, I skip down the creaky stairs and leave the building.

As I walk to the place my friend sent me, I put my earbuds in and call my brother, surprisingly he picks up after the second call.

"What's up?" Hyunjae speaks to me in english now (Which we're both fluent in) since he's in the U.S, and it always surprises me.

"I need a favor," I say.

"Well hello to you too," Hyunjae laughs.

"Hey, you owe me," I remind him of when he left Korea and moved to the states without telling me until he had done it.

"I know I know. What's your favor?" Hyunjae says.

"So there's this kid at school, and he actually-"

"Oh, hold that thought," Hyunjae says to me. "Hey! Hey Aaron! I thought we were starting at one," he yells to someone in the background

I pause impatiently while Aaron responds to him.

"Ah shoot, I'm sorry Sunhee. I have to go, I'll call you later today I promise," Hyunjae says to me.

"Alright," I say and he hangs up. I stuff my phone in my purse, annoyed. He always does this.

"LEE SUNHEE"

I perk up at the sound of my name and I stop where I was walking on the sidewalk. I look up to see someone waving at me and my annoyance with my brother melts away at the sight of my friend.

Jang Wonyoung.