Spring Moon

03

Kevin offered to send me home but I refused and that was enough to prove that I was stupid. I should've been on cloud nine to have my boyfriend send me home.

Boyfriend? I didn't know that the word alone could drive me insane. It felt so dreamlike to say the word with my own mouth. And some more, I addressed Kevin Moon as my boyfriend!

Finally, I am the star next to the moon.

"Alright, safely arrived," Kevin announced as he parked in front of Jacob's and Evelyn's cafe - I asked him to drop me here instead of Sangyeon's office. He glanced over at me with his sweet smile, a hand on the steering wheel. "It's the best day I have Ms.Ivy."

I was too sure by now my cheeks had turned red and I would never mention the struggle I had to hold back the spreading smile on my face. My whole face was numb now. Gash!

"Why don't you greet them inside first?" I tilted my head towards the cafe which Kevin briefly glanced at and instantly refused.

"Nah... Maybe next time. I have to rush back home," his thin lips disappeared as he pursed them. "Work is calling tomorrow morning."

"You're going home straight? I thought you were back in town for a few days or something," I didn't lie that I was surprised, the size of my eyeballs would be the concrete evidence.

But, he laughed it off.

"I just came back to meet you," he shrugged. "Since my job here has been done so... I have to go home."

That confession made my breath hitch that I couldn't even digest words to say next. He travelled all the way here into our lovely small town just to see me and confess for one last time. One last time. What would be the story if I rejected him earlier? Didn't it make him waste the time and energy only?

"I'm glad I made the right choice," I mumbled as I jumped down the car, he leapt over to meet me at my end. When we reunited, my eyes wandered everywhere but him as I said, "I shall go..."

Despite saying it myself, I couldn't even move, I was glued to the ground. Maybe, I just wanted to be with him longer. Or I just didn't want this memorable moment to end. Or, there was something else that I couldn't figure out yet.

Nonetheless, I'd forced my feet to start the steps but I didn't go further, because the sleeve of my shirt then was tugged by Kevin, pulling me back to my initial position.

"Just to make sure that you understand the deal..." He started with a frown on his face. "I never dated before - neither do I know how to be a boyfriend. I might be ghosting you without me realizing and you might be hurt by my actions."

He spoke all the things I'd already expected from him. When I started imagining a relationship with Kevin Moon, I was well aware of his flaws. How bad texter he was, his never-ending ghosting phase and many more. And there was a promise I made to myself - to learn how to match with his pace. I made it clear that I won't push him and somehow I believed that something would be changing between us starting from right now.

"We... are still trying this out, right?" He sounded worried, his grasp around my sleeve was tight.

I chuckled, "We are..."

And right at the moment, Kevin Moon pulled the corner of his lips upwards flashing a set of his white pearl teeth. I loved it when he smiled, he lit up my whole world.

Dramatically parting way, I waited there until he sped off into the driveway. I was smiling like a fool the whole time, and my lower lip seemed to have swollen by now - I bit it too much to hold the adrenaline from jerking too high. I hesitated at first to wave to his speeding car. But, nobody could scold me for doing that and nobody could stop me. He was my boyfriend, everyone!

Giddiness bloomed inside my heart as I made my way towards the dimmed cafe. It was closing time now, and most of the lights were off. Faye was still there probably helping the couple with several things - I saw her car still in the parking lot.

Luckily, I was still in the right mind not to hit the door again despite the confession that did not feel real. The alarm rang when I stepped inside alerting everyone in there to check it out. From a glance, I could tell that Jacob at the register was ready to shout 'we are closed' but he cancelled because it was me he saw not the customer.

"You're back," Faye said from the bookshelf, pushing a book into its slot. "How is it going?"

"What happened, bestie?!" Evelyn enthusiastically jumped, rushing towards me.

When both of them were standing too close to my face, I screamed with my mouth closed, both of my hands clenched by my side. The action did enrage my girls, they were too nervous to wait.

"Just say it!" Evelyn attempted to hit me.

And that was when I yelled for real, "Ivy has found her moon!"

"Oh my gosh!"

The exclaim from them did make Jacob ponder, not really registering what happened. He was wiping wet glasses when he saw the three of us dramatically hugging each other - Evelyn even shed tears while Faye screamed.

"I am overwhelmed," Evelyn wiped her eyes with the back of her palm, cupping my cheeks next. "You've been waiting for so long, Ivy. You are finally happy."

She was right, I'd been waiting for too long. And if I calculated it thoroughly, from the first time I fell in love with Kevin to the second time and now the third time, it had been 12 years in total. Falling in love with Kevin Moon simply taught me how to be patient, and I loved how loving him only brought me good things to learn.

"Damn..." Jacob's curse was what had shaken the whole building when he finally learned about my current happiness as we sat by a table after the closing. "It feels like a dream. Kevin confessed? Wow!"

"I know right... I still can't believe it," I bit my lip again. "But, we are taking this slowly."

"That doesn't matter. He's the one who suggested this idea, it is his own will," Evelyn highlighted. "He will work it out."

"Stop talking about that!" Faye waved us off, leaning forward towards me. "How did he propose?"

It intrigued me that none of us said it as confess and instead, we preferred it to be said as propose. It made my delusions spike up higher but neither did I care. I loved it.

"There must be something about Kevin and cars," I nonchalantly said, a finger tapping my chin. "We were in his car when he proposed."

"Last time, didn't he ask you out in the parking lot?" Evelyn questioned, eyebrows scrunching when I nodded. "He loves cars, that's final."

"That doesn't matter," Jacob then interfered, pointing out his opinion as the only male among us. "Kevin might want to take it slow so... he will improve himself. Don't downgrade him and just trust the process."

Surprisingly, we agreed. Kevin too had made it clear to me that he probably would hurt me. But, I'd come too far to back away. I should give him a chance for real to show the side of him that nobody had ever unveiled and I should be grateful.

For, I would be the first who see it.