lovelovelove | park sunghoon

sixteen

"I can't believe we now know the famous Park Sunghoon!"

Misuk rolled her eyes for the 20th time in the last minute and stuffed her mouth with the food her mom brought.

Sunghoon didn't understand how they've never met each other's parents before, despite being friends for over 6 years. He was overwhelmed by the amount of praise Misuk's mom was giving him but that was better than her hating him, right?

Jenn, the mastermind behind this move, couldn't handle seeing Misuk hold onto her pride for another day so she took a risk and invited the boy over. Enough is enough. Haneul and Jiwon kept staring at the girl, checking if she was alright, but by the look in her face, she was definitely not having fun.

"That's right! Did you know she got sick once because she stayed out past her curfew with you?"

Sunghoon uickly looked at his best friend, who was staring at the wall, completely zoned out, and bit his lip. "Yeah, I brought her food that day."

Misuk couldn't handle being there anymore so she grabbed the now empty plate and went to the kitchen. She hit one of the cabinets with her open hand and cursed out loud the minute she was alone.

Spending time with Sunghoon while not knowing how to approach him, if he was mad at her or not, was driving her insane and it's what she gets for being impulsive. Her own mistakes.

"Are you okay?" Jiwon asked, rushing inside. "Do you want me to kick him out? I'll gladly do it."

"Why would I do that? He did nothing wrong."

As soon as she finished the sentence, a small face creeped through, as if that was an actual way of asking if everything was alright over there.

Jiwon turned around to see what Misuk was drooling over for and wasn't surprised to find Sunghoon looking down.

He hasn't changed a bit.

"Be nice" the blonde girl whispered to her former schoolmate before leaving the kitchen.

Jiwon didn't like him that much.

Maybe it was due to the amount of time Misuk made her waste going around, stalking him, during their teenage years or how she hated wiping all the tears her best friend shed for him. One or two reasons. Maybe there's a three.

She just thought he was dumb, not a bad guy.

"I'm sorry for ruining your free day, Jenn invited me over and I didn't know it would be like this."

Misuk pretended to be occupied, but the kitchen was already clean so she awkwardly stood still. "Don't play nice, Jiwon is all talk, she won't hurt you."

Sunghoon smiled. She was always one step ahead.

"Sorry for ignoring you" the girl finally said, making eye contact with him. "And for how I spoke to you that day. I was so mean and for what?"

"It's okay, Mimi. You were probably mad I was interrupting your date with Minhee-ssi."

Misuk closed her eyes a bit, as she processed what Sunghoon just said, and that's when he knew he fucked up. How does he know who she was with?

"Why do you...

"Haneul" he quickly interrupted. He pressured her into telling him but Misuk didn't need to know that. "She just talks and talks and it's not like I care or something."

Why don't you care? Misuk wanted to say.

Do you want me to care? Sunghoon thought so because he couldn't say it out loud. Not yet.

"Did you had fun though?"

Misuk slightly nodded, looking sorrowful instead of thrill about her "date" and that was weird for him considering how enthusiastic she sounded while trying to get rid of him during that call.

"I got you something for Christmas."

The characteristic color of Tiffany and Co caught Misuk's eyes immediately and a "no way" quickly slipped out of her mouth.

Since the moment Sunghoon started working with the brand, she kept joking around about wanting a hardware heart necklace but there was no way he got it for her. She couldn't believe that.

Misuk snatched the little box out of his hand and opened it, feeling like an excited child. Her heart stops when she noticed a shimmering diamond bracelet inside the package.

"I know you liked the necklace but I thought this was more special...

"Are you insane!?" she exclaimed quietly. She didn't wanted anyone in the house to find out. "This is too much, I can't accept it, Sunghoon."

Diamonds are a sacred thing.

That's what her mom always told her.

"What? Why?" he replied confused. "Mimi, come on, it's your gift."

He doesn't get it.

Misuk's dad always bought diamonds for her mom. Necklaces, bracelets and of course, proposed with a diamond ring. That ring has been treasured since the day she was born, kept safe until a lucky person asked her parents for the hand of the only daughter in the Kim family.

Diamonds meant the world and more for Misuk, but she wasn't sure how to explain it. The same way she has never been able to demonstrate her actual feelings towards him.

"I wish I could accept it, Sunghoon, I really do... I just can't, I'm sorry."

"Kim Misuk, you are keeping it" he whispered with a soft smile. "Please, I really want you to have it."

Misuk sighed, utterly defeated. How could anyone fight that smile of his?

She wanted to feel happy about this, especially when he was the one placing the bracelet on her wrist like she always imagined, but the hope that her feelings were reciprocated one day and the fear of being wrong were battling each other inside her mind.

Maybe it was about time she confronted her own feelings, even if that means facing the harsh reality that Sunghoon may not feel the same she does.