unrequited

06

I didn't have to try to find Sunwoo, he found me. I was walking through the 2nd year hallway on my way to find a yearbook to search up his class when a boy slid next to me.

His backpack was hanging on one shoulder, and he had a black velcro brace on his wrist.

"Sideline girl." Sunwoo said.

He was taller than I remembered him being. He didn't wear the uniform correctly. He wore a graphic T shirt under the collared shirt unbuttoned.

"Sideline?" I asked. I looked straight ahead of me, I felt his gaze on my face but I was determined to keep it cool.

"Some of the guys thought it was funny you acted like there was a barrier across the line when you stood there," Sunwoo chuckled.

"Oh great." I said. "I know I looked stupid but my throw would have been even more stupid looking."

"It wasn't stupid--it was cute," Sunwoo said. He didn't stop looking at me, I could sense it, and I wasn't going to lie, it made me feel something.

"You're just saying that." I told him, because I was 99% sure he was lying.

I hugged my notebook to my chest and I could have sworn I saw people looking our way. There was a sense of insecurity being around him. As if just walking with him made me a subject to judge for other people.

"What's your name?" Sunwoo asked.

"Choi Doah," I said, I forgot that he didn't even know that.

"Choi Doah," He said like he was repeating it to test how it sounded. "Choi Doah, you seem to think you know me."

"I've heard things," I said. We were walking slowly now, we were both stalling not to arrive at our classrooms.

"Oh yeah?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "Then I think I know types like you too."

"Oh really? You must think I'm some nerdy, demure, secretly a know it all, introverted girl who lives in the fantasy world of kimi ni todoke." I replied.

Sunwoo stopped walking.

"F-fantasy world of what?" He said, he actually did stutter on his words.

"...kimi ni todoke?" I repeated, assuming those words meant nothing to him.

"That's my favorite manga ever."

I looked up at him for the first time, to see if he was making fun of me. What I saw on his face was pure, raw admiration and shock.

"It is?" I asked. "Wait-- you're into that kind of thing?"

"You can't tell anyone. Especially not one of my soccer friends." Sunwoo said quickly.

"When would I ever get the chance to talk to one of your 'soccer friends'?" I asked. "We're not exactly on the same social level."

Sunwoo laughed quietly. "You talked to me."

"That was a coincidence," I said.

"Coincidence... or fate?" He asked.

I side eyed him. "You can't possibly tell me that you would talk to me on other circumstances if we hadn't run into each other the other day." I said.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"There's no way." I said. "If you saw me in the hallway you would pass by without a second glance."

"That's not true," Sunwoo said. we stopped walking and we were facing each other now. The eye contact was resilient, like we were daring each other to back down.