THE TRACE OF LOVE // 양정원

제 2 과

"Have you talked to Jungwon, yet?"
Daisy asks at the lunch table, her eyes desperate for the 'gang' sitting at an appropriate far from us in the cafeteria.

"Yeah."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him I wanted to help him out with his physics quizzes. Don't worry, I'm planning to have a study date with him soon."
I say, sipping on my kiwi juice.

"Did he agree?"

I look up to their table at her question. And find Jungwon suddenly bursting into a smile. Wow; I never knew he has dimples.

He looks good—I have to admit.

I look at Daisy who has her curious eyes at my direction, the small but distinct mole at the corner of her rosy lips and her wide, creaseless eyes get me smiling too.

"Not yet. But how hard can making friends with someone be? And I'm fairly a good student with a decent reputation."

She exhales in ease and gawks at the guy next to Jungwon again.
"He's so attractive. I hope he doesn't get a girlfriend before I can reach out to him."

I have no words to say but feed on my omelette, occasionally glancing up at the dimpled boy too.

.       .       .       .       .    

I have a good memory of remembering names of those I take same classes with though I may not know them personally. I know Jungwon but it would be the first time that I'm keeping an eye on someone with keen interest. At gym, I notice how he rarely talks to others but his friends, the gang that include Sunoo from my Chemistry class, Heesung and Sunghoon from Bio, the new kid Niki from English and popular Sim Jake from Math. Jay is only from Daisy's severe one-sided love.

I wait until the break time to return him his watch, likely starting a conversation too but too many guys around him make me uncomfortable. At one point, he leaves the gym that I follow him until I find him in front of a vending machine in the empty hallway.

This time, he notices my approach from afar as he drinks his some sort of juice box and watches me with narrowed eyebrows till I stand before him. Right away, I hand him his watch.

"You forgot this under your desk yesterday. I kept it for you."

He takes it instantly to my small surprise.

"Thanks."
He plainly says and prepares to leave.

"Buy me something from this." I stop him from leaving me.

Jungwon's narrowed eyebrows come again.
"What's your problem?"

"Nothing...." I reply, a bit intimidated by his sudden low voice.

"Why are you keep bothering me, then?"

I pause for good seconds, "I kept your watch because someone would have taken it if I didn't. Would buying me a mere bag of chips be a problem for you?"

Jungwon maintains the eye contact for few more seconds that I act nonchalantly. His frown then dissolves into a small sigh and moves back at the vending machine.

"A bag of chips, that's it?" He asks.

"A bag of chips, yes."

He buys me one as I say so.

But I add again.
"And a study date together."

He sighs again, turning his head at me.

"What you're doing, is it some sort of a bet?" He asks, his eyes calm.

"I don't do bets. I make friends." I genuinely smile into his eyes for the first time.

When the bag is dropped, he hands it to me. I take it with a small thank you.

"Is there something else that you want more?"
"A make-out? A picnic? A sleepover?"

I don't usually get flustered. But when he says the options consequently with the least care, I feel myself a bit taken-aback with embarrassment.

Have I been looking too desperate and irrelevant after all?

"Or you're a virgin," he steps closer, "wanting to experience your first time with someone who you think would do you the best."

And it is the last straw for the shades to boil upon my cheeks.

He steps closer again, making our faces too close than they should be. Even if he is a head taller than me.

"Is it what you're planning to do with me, Gwan Daffodil?"

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