The Boy Next Door

best friend debrief

You really don't know what it's like to kiss someone until it happens to you.

It's the feeling of being so up close to someone, so personal where they can see your every flaw--but they don't. Instead they see someone who they like more than anyone on the planet.

That's how Sunwoo looked at me as we slowly pulled apart.

I hoped I didn't look too helplessly in love, because that's how I felt. It felt like everything around us melted away.

But then I had the strangest feeling. As I was watching him look at me like I was his favorite person, I had an image of Changmin in my head.

Maybe it was because I wanted to tell my best friend everything that happened, or maybe because in my mind I would always promise that Changmin was my favorite person, and nobody else.

But I blinked and the image was gone. I was left with a feeling of guilt, and selfishness.

I liked Sunwoo, right? If you like someone you shouldn't even be thinking about other people in the moment you kiss.... right? It's not like I wanted to kiss Changmin instead, it's more just that I couldn't believe I was being vulnerable with someone other than him. But does that make me--

"You're disappointed." Sunwoo said, and it snapped my thoughts away.

I blinked, and looked up at him. His face was some mix of curiosity and hurt.

"NO!" I said. "N--I mean yes, yes I'm not disappointed. I'm-I'm"

Sunwoo chuckled. "It's alright Yun, don't panic."

"I just.... I don't want to look too flustered," I told him, resting my arm on the railing casually. "I'm trying to play it cool."

"You drove a red ferrari across the city today to get me out of a car chase, you're literally the coolest person I know." Sunwoo placed his hand on my waist and drew me closer to the front of his body.

The light summer air was blowing his wavy hair softly. He was a picturesque kind of handsome. Hardly even real.

"I want you do be comfortable around me, Yun," Sunwoo said. "Everything you think you want to be, to me you already are."

"how philosophical." I smiled up at him.

"Shut up, I'm trying here." Sunwoo said. "I'm a changed man now."

"Boy." I said.

"Changed boy."

I laughed. "You are."

"You trust me?" He asked.

"I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't trust you."

"You don't still think I'm like those guys--hean and them right?"

I shook my head. "How can you even bring me here to this beach and show me that picture of your parents and act all sweet, and still ask me that question?"

He was trying to suppress a smile. "Well good, now that we believe each other."

"You want to head back?" I asked and we started walking back on the sand towards the car.

Sunwoo stopped and held out the black car keys to me.

"You're seriously asking me to drive??" I asked.

"Nope," He dangled the key in my face just to snatch it away for fun. "Teasing. No way am I passing up the chance to ride in this baby." Sunwoo patted the shiny hood of the car.

"Oh, so this is your baby then?" I asked as we got in.

"Why? Jealous?" He turned the car on and it roared to life.