challenge accepted ~ park sunghoon

11

this whole week sunghoon has been talking to me a lot. one time it was just telling me that we're going out sunday, again and which is today, and that he's picking me up. the other times he's been asking me how i'm feeling or something like that. he is really trying to show me. i also told bora about this date and she seemed excited. on thursday, during our tutoring session, we didn't talk much. he told me that he has it all planned out.

i am now in my room, finishing up my makeup. it's light makeup, not too much. sunghoon said he will be at mine at 2:00, it's now 1:47. still have time to spare.

i have just been cleaning my room up a bit when i get a message from sunghoon saying to come out. i go downstairs and say bye to my mum. i get outside and sunghoon looks good. i don't like admitting it but he does. "you look good, y/n." he says whilst handing me the helmet i used last time. i smile and say, "not so bad yourself." i put the helmet on and get on it, the same way i did last time. he closes the visor and starts to go. sunghoon has not told me anything about what is happening today as he wanted to keep it as a surprise. why? could not think of anything.

we get there and i cannot believe it. we are at the art museum i have loved ever since i was little. i get off the bike and take the helmet. "i love this place! did you know that?" i ask sunghoon. he shrugs and says, "i have my sources." i give him a serious look and he laughs. i start to walk to the entrance and hear his fast steps behind me. we walk in and wow. "so much has changed since the last time i've come. wow." i say as i admire how much bigger it is.

"when was the last time you came here?" sunghoon asks me.

"um about 2 years ago. just haven't had loads of time to visit."

"oh okay."

*sunghoon pov*
we have been here for about an hour and y/n is so happy, and slow as she is looking at everything. she is like a kid. she's been taking pictures of everything. understandable as she hasn't been here for a long time but still. good thing i asked bora where to go so i can actually convince. i'm ready to get my money.

we get to a different section and there is some sort of gleaming in y/n's eyes. like looking at something she loves but it wasn't like this in all the other sections. she straight away walks over to this painting of some bridge in a forest. nothing special in my opinion, just like any other painting. y/n just stares at it and smiles. "hey, why are you only looking at this painting?" i ask her. she turns to me. "this is a painting of where my grandmother used to live. she didn't live there when it was painted but she moved there when it was up for sale as she loved this painting." y/n's eyes start to get glossy. "i really love my grandmother. she's the reason why i am so into art." she says that with a trembling voice. something is wrong. i start to hear sniffles. oh no. should i ask her if she's okay? or should i just hug her? no. she'll probably push me off.

"y/n, are you okay?" i ask her in a gentle voice. she starts to cry harder. "my grandmother passed away a year ago so looking at this makes me feel so sad." she says whilst sobbing then puts her face in her hands. i'm not good at comforting people. what should i do? i think i should just hug her. i'll try it. so, i go in front of her and place my arms around her shoulders and tap her back. "i understand." i whisper to her ear. i haven't experienced it but my friend has so i sort of do. i start to feel her arms wrap around my waist. she's hugging me back?! what is going on? i want to let go but something is telling me i shouldn't.

we have been hugging for about 3 minutes when i let go first. i put my hands on her shoulders and look at her face. lucky she didn't put on loads of makeup. her eyes are quite red tho. she still has tears on her cheeks so i go into my pocket and give her my packet of tissues. she thanks me and uses one. "are you feeling any better?" i ask her.

"i mean, better when i first was looking at the picture. thank you for the hug, sunghoon." she smiles at me. i rub her arm and say, "this might cheer you up, it's our next place." i take her hand and leave. we get on the motorcycle and start to go.

we get to this alley thing that has a fair few amount of shops. y/n gets off immediately again. i get off and she turns to me. "how do you know about this place?" she asks me shocked. i laugh at her. "i asked a special someone where you like to eat." she tilts her head. "whatever, let's go, i'm starving." and she walks off. i follow her as i don't actually know where it is, bora just told me about the entrance of the alley.

we get to the restaurant and walk in. an old lady comes to greet us and she smiles so broadly at
y/n. she hugs her and says, "honey, this is the 4th time this month you have come here! more than usual." the old lady and y/n laugh together.

"well, i do love your food." the old lady notices me and seems surprised. "i've never seen him before, it's always bora your with. who is he? boyfriend?" woah. didn't think i would ever hear that. y/n looks at me with a awkward expression then at the old lady. "no no no, he's a friend." then she leans into her ear and the old lady looks excited. she tells me and y/n where to sit. we sit down, order what we want then i look at her confused. "she's my grandmother's friend."

"ooohhh, makes sense. she seems like a very joyful person."

"she is." she smiles. y/n has been smiling a lot today. it was about 5 minutes since we ordered and the food is already here. the place is quite packed so i don't really understand. we both thank the old lady for the food. "how comes our food came so quickly."

"she adores me so much, she tells me all the time so she always makes my food very quickly." and with that, she digs in. i try what i ordered as well and wow. i hear y/n giggle slightly. i swallow my food and ask her, "what?"

"i can see that you really like the food." she says and smiles whilst having her cheeks full of food. i look at smile and as i keep looking, what is this feeling i'm getting? this chest feeling? this stomach feeling? is it the food? no, it can't be, i only had a bite. what is it then? is it y/n's smile that is making my body feel like this?