Just Enough For Her Little Dream: Book Two

In Hye

Cheong-san has become my very first friend in America. This is supposed to be a special person. Someone I will probably never forget. Unfortunately...

He's an odd person. He's quiet and shy, but weird when he actually opens up. Sometimes, I watch him try to be nice to girls that come into the store and they only giggle about him. Not in a good way either. I always roll my eyes at such an embarrassing scene and shake my head in disappointment.

One day, I decided to help him because he actually really needs it. It's like he has no idea how a girl thinks or sees the world.

I sigh when yet another girl rejects him and I go up to him after restocking the shelves for the fifth time today. "Hey. Are you actually really bad with girls?"

"It's true. I'm extremely bad with girls. It's always been that way. I'm not even smart to scare them away with nerdiness."

"You're not confident enough, that's why."

"Have you dated before?"

"No, but I'm a girl."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"That has to do with everything!" I give him a frown and he raises his hand in surrender with a chuckle.

"Okay then. Show me your ways, wise one."

"You just have to stop being shy when you ask a girl out. That girl that's coming in." I lean closer to him so I can whisper to him as a new customer walks in and goes directly to one of the aisles by the fridges. "Ask her out."

Cheong-san gives me a surprised look. "What?"

"Ask her out. But don't be shy this time."

"But why? I don't like her."

I roll my eyes at him and find myself giving his arm a hit. "Just do it for practice!"

He swallows and fearfully watches the girl come up to the counter. I give the girl a nod and step back to watch them. Cheong-san seems terrified and I clear my throat. He briefly looks behind his shoulder and I gesture at him to just ask her. He clears his throat and says in English, "H-hey." The girl gives him a friendly smile and waits for him to take a breath. "Would you like to go to a party tonight?"

The girl suddenly lets her smile grow small as she gives Cheong-san a quick look. She does a small smile and says, "I'm a little busy tonight. Sorry. Maybe next time."

"S-sure! Enjoy your milk!"

She does an awkward smile at his goodbye and gives me a quick nod before walking out.

I let out a laugh and Cheong-san frowns at me. "What did I do wrong?"

"I can see the problem now," I say.

"What is it?"

I let him give me a curious look for a moment until I bluntly say, "You're just not her type. She gave you a scan the moment you asked her out and she didn't like it."

"What?!" His face nearly turns pale. "But I'm not bad looking!"

"You're okay looking."

"Hey!" I laugh loudly at his frown and shake my head at him. He gives me a genuine frown as he crosses his arms on his chest. "If you're so wise about asking people out, then why don't you ask someone out?"

"Right now?" I say with wide eyes. He nods as he gestures at another customer coming in. It's a guy this time. He has to be a bit older than us but for the first time in my life, unfamiliar adrenaline at the look of Cheong-san's smirk makes me say, "Challenge accepted. Watch and learn."