In the realm of dreams

Part 10- Celebratory dinner

Choi Sooho

That Soomi was a slightly precocious youngster I had no doubt about. She was so different from her cousin, lacking Yoona's diplomacy and ability to intuit situations and act accordingly. I didn't hold that against Soomi, at least she made no pretence of who she was or made any apologies for her forwardness. That, in itself, is commendable for a sixteen-year old. She was curious and asked probing question. Ordinarily I would try to dodge questions like this from a stranger. But she was Yoona's cousin and we were amongst friends so I indulged her, dutifully answering her myriad questions so as not to appear rude but also didn't deliberate too much about the answers I was giving her. But her last question caught me off guard. It was imprudent to ask her if I had a girlfriend, even my friends have never directly asked me that question.

'No', I said briefly and truthfully.

'Jinja?', she asked. She was piping up to ask more questions but the waitress brought our bingsoos over just at that time and conversation moved on.

Yoona, Soomi and I took the same bus home. On the way home Soomi decided to delight us with stories of her, it seemed many, failed relationships. She was good-natured about it all, admitting all the times it was her actions that had caused the dissolutions. She had the ready laugh of Yoona and she refrained from asking me any more questions for which I was grateful.

As I walked them home, Soomi skipped ahead leaving Yoona and I trailing behind.

'Mianhe, she was pestering you earlier', Yoona said.

'Gwenchhana, it's all good', I said.

'I had a really good time'.

'Yeah, me too. Thanks for coming out to celebrate. You're sure your ankle is fine now?'

'Yes, absolutely.'

I bade them goodbye outside the metal gate of Yoona's house and braced myself for some serious inquisition from Eomma when I got home as it was quite late.

Baek Yoona

'You know eonnie, I was going to pursue Sooho oppa but I realised it would all be in vain', Soomi said to me as we were removing our makeup and getting ready for bed.

'What do you mean?', I asked her mid-toner application.

'Sooho oppa only has eyes for one girl and one girl only. Don't tell me you didn't know that?', her voice was unbelieving.

I looked away from her and moved onto moisturiser. Could Soomi have gained some insight that was only apparent to outsiders?

'Sooho said he didn't have a girlfriend, didn't he?', I said to her, aware how lame it sounded.

She came over to me and knelt down.

'Eonnie, Sooho oppa is only interested in you. Surely you can see that? He couldn't take his eyes off of you! Like some lovestruck boy.' She clapped her hands.

'What rubbish!'

'Okay so I am guessing he hasn't confessed to you yet, that's fine. I am sure he will do it soon, he has it bad for you. What about you eonnie? Do you feel the same way towards him? I think you guys would make a great couple.'

I pushed her away and tucked myself under the duvet. 'You are writing a romance drama in your head. It's not like that between us. We are....just friends. Chingu arasso?'

'Playing the coy girl, are we?', Soomi put her hands on her waist. 'Fine. Go ahead. In that case yours would be a friend-to-lover drama! You may be better at hiding your feelings but Sooho oppa wasn't even trying. Anyone with eyes could see he is besotted with you.'

If our story was a drama then we are definitely only in the early episodes. Soomi's words made the butterflies in my stomach fly about happily. Somehow the time we spent today, even though we were amongst other people, was truly special. It's like we broke some invisible boundary; all those times when he could have moved away from me and he didn't; the times when our faces were so close we could hear each other breathing; the way his arm almost draped my waist; the way it felt totally natural to lean against him for support, our smiles that were exclusively for each other and not meant for anyone else. Are all these a testament to the notion that Soomi was spelling out?

I fished out my mobile carefully so as not to disturb Soomi and texted him a brief good night. We didn't text each other often and usually it was only about study sessions. He replied immediately. 

Soomi turned on her side, 'Texting your crush good night?'

Young people these days were so insolent!