THE TRACE OF LOVE // 양정원

제 8 과

He isn't fully smiling but there is a crease in his cheek growing, sparkling by the sunshine falling through the window that he is arbitrarily looking out at.

Would it be rude of me if I pretend like I don't see him when I do?

Then, I bite my inner lip as a thought hits me.
Daisy doesn't seem to stop tagging me along manifesting her love life unless I give her what I promise; a study date.

Yes, I should stop pondering about the worthless kiss between two insouciant teenagers and be critical of the present.

As a student from our school weighs the bus as the last, the engine begins. This could be the best chance I can ever talk to him. A bus scarce with people, a sunny weather of September and I happen to have a mission to accomplish.

With that, I swiftly get on my feet and take a seat right next to him.
"Hey."

He turns almost immediately. His dimples are all under their shells now.

"Hey"

A knot forms in my chest at the return of his calm greeting. He is talking nice to me.

I put an effortless smile on, "I didn't know you take this bus."

"I don't." He turns away at the window again, "I usually don't take the bus. I take lifts from Jake."

I realize I've been low key used to his rude demeanor only when he speaks like an actual 'friendly' person like they describe him.

Still, I have to accept that his smiles don't come around always.

I nod, "why today is exception?"

For a fraction of second, I think I may have seen his Adam Apple slightly moving up and down. "The weather is nice today. And the bus is empty."

I nod again. "Where do you live?"

He whips his eyes at me, "why? Do you want to follow into my house?"

"No," I abruptly deny and wet my lips with my tongue while he's staring at me for a proper answer, "I just—I live in Forrest Hillside*. I thought you might live somewhere around because we are taking the same bus so."

There, the wonted hard eyebrows come finally.
"You live in Forrest Hillside that takes about two hours to get to school everyday?"

I smile, "it's only an hour and a half at most."

"They don't have high schools there?" I don't know if he's being sarcastic or genuinely curious.

"No, they do. It's just...I don't know. It happened, you know."

A silence breaks through our eye contact and we stay quiet for a while as we watch the bus passing the city light and fast, everything beyond the glass goes blurred.

Until he turns his head forward again, "Jay's not into relationships."

His words catch me a bit off guard as it is out of topic. But I manage to wrap my head over it quickly.
"Is that so?" I murmur, feeling a sudden pity for Daisy and her efforts.

"Are you still helping your friend out?"

Off guard again, I conceal it, "If what you say is true, I guess not anymore then."

"Then, we kissed for nothing."

My eyes slightly widen at how nonchalant he mentions about the night. A strange wave of feeling slips through my skin.
"I guess so."

This time, seconds enter in between. And Jungwon speaks softly,
"Do you still want to go on that study date?"

____________________________________

* Forrest Hillside : An imaginary neighborhood created for this fiction. Not real. *