late nights & bus rides

blind date

Deok-sun had been really quiet after that bus ride. She was counting the steps to the stairs that lead to their neighborhood. Jung Hwan was uneasy thinking that Deok-sun might have noticed his strange actions. Was he being too obvious about it?

"Why are you so quiet? Is something bothering you?" He asked.

She didn't answer.

"Did you get into trouble?" He asked again.

"Yah, Kim Jung Pal!" She suddenly spoke and looked at Jung Hwan with a serious face.

He looked at her and was mentally preparing for whatever she's going to say.

"You're my manito, right?" She broke the serious face and giggled.

"That's weird. Taek should be my manito." She pouted.

"Why would I be your manito?" He was annoyed of how she's so dumb to even recognize his actions.

"Of course, you are. Otherwise you wouldn't have come all the way to Gangnam." She was really confident.

"Taek is my manito. Would you like to see the note that I picked?"

"If you're not my manito, why did you come?"

He was getting frustrated. At one thought, he'd be fine to let her know about his feelings but he knows it was way too early to say that. Besides, everything is still new for him. So instead, he just gave her a glare and messed up her hair.

"Waeeee?" She asked persistently.

He couldn't resist looking at her cute begging face and he did what he thought was enough to give her a hint. He cupped her face with both his hands and looked straight to her eyes.

"Use this brain of yours. Give it some thought about why I came. Got it?"

He held her face for a few more seconds before letting it go. He walked away leaving Deok-sun dumbfounded on the stairs not far enough from their house.

"That crazy jerk!" She grumbled.

Little did he know that she almost had a heart attack when he touched her face. That kiss instantly flashed in her eyes and she thought it was going to happen again. Yes, she's thinking it... that Jung Hwan might have developed feelings for her. However, who was she to assume that way? Kim Jung Hwan, her cold and scary childhood bestfriend whom she always fought with ever since they were young... it's absolutely impossible. He never once gave her a compliment. He never told her she was getting prettier now that she's a grown woman. He never talked nicely with her except when their parents are around. They were always bickering like cats and dogs. How could he like her?

But he wasn't even her manito so why the hell would he respond to her request after one call. She was determined to find out. And she was going to find out no matter what.

"He really likes you, Deoksun-ah." Mi-ok told her in confidence.

Deok-sun's friends, Mi-ok and Ja-hyun, was gathered at her house, eating ramen and reading pocketbooks.

"How can you be so sure?" Deok-sun tried to sound as if she didn't care.

"Why would he go all the way to Gangnam if he didn't?" Mi-ok stated while Ja-hyun nodded in agreement.

That was the exact thing she thought that night.

"If you don't believe me, just confirm it."

"How?" Ja-hyun and Deok-sun were instantly focused on Mi-ok.

"Tell him that you're going on a blind date. If he says, "Go ahead" "Alright", then he doesn't like you. But if he says, "Are you crazy?" "I won't allow it" "Don't go", then he clearly likes you."

Deok-sun was amazed with this idea. This could not go wrong. Because if Jung Hwan opposes, what other reasons could he have?

Later that day, Deok-sun waited for the perfect time to speak with Jung Hwan. She tried doing it right after her friends left her house but she failed because Jung Hwan went to the study room. It was night time now and she waited at the front of his house. She was going to do it without playing around.

"What are you doing?" Jung Hwan arrived and was immediately surprised at the sight of Deok-sun.

"I have something to tell you." She softly said.

"Let's go to my room. It's cold out here." Jung Hwan went off and she followed.

Deok-sun sat down on his bed and waited for Jung Hwan to finish putting his coat away.

"What is it?" He asked as he sat down next to her.

Deok-sun hesitated for a second but her determination didn't leave her.

"I'm going on a blind date this weekend." She declared.

She examined Jung Hwan's expressionless face and even though that sent her a bad feeling she still chose to continue.

"Should I go on that blind date?" She inched her body a little closer to Jung Hwan.

"Should I?" was her last piece of the speech she had practiced a while ago.

Jung Hwan was speechless. He was getting pissed at the thought of Deok-sun having a date. He was dumbfounded. If he lies right now he could be making a big mistake. And if he tells her what he thinks, he could be taking a big risk.

But... he really didn't like it, in fact he hates that stupid blind date. He took one deep breath and finally uttered what his heart wants to say.

"Don't go. Don't go on that blind date."