The New Student

Ice Cream

(Yuta and Johnny)

"Really?" Johnny smiled happily. "Great! Lets go out today. Where do you want to go?" He placed his arm around my shoulder, pushing me against his body. 

"Ice cream." It was all I could muster and say. The students everywhere were chatting among themselves, looking at us occasionally. 

"Really? Okay. Just us two. Mari give me your number." He held out his phone and I tapped my number in. "Okay, next step. Take a selfie with me."

He leaned his head against mine and snapped a picture of us smiling together. "How cute! My girlfriend is so adorable." I smiled warily. 

"I'll go back to class now," I whispered. 

His face grew dark. "Let me walk you there. I don't want any of the crazy girls to hurt you." Grabbing my hand, he dragged me outside and into my classroom, walking me to my seat. Hansol stared at us and our intertwined hands, his eyes wide. He turned away, staring out the window. 

"See you soon!" Johnny waved as he walked out of the room.

Hansol refused to make any contact with me afterwards and ignored me throughout the whole day. The bell signaling the end of school rang and as I was packing up my stuff, the girl named Nina ran up to Hansol. I paused, eavesdropping on their conversation. 

"Hansol! Do you have time tonight?" 

"Yes, in fact, I do." 

She squealed happily.

"Lets go on a date."

There was a momentary pause before he said, "Sure. Lets get ice cream."

I froze. Surely the ice cream parlor that they were going to wasn't the same as the one Johnny and I were attending?!

My phone vibrated. A call from an unknown number. I answered it. "Hello?" I asked.

"Hey Mari, it's me. Your boyfriend."

"Ah, Johnny. I'm almost done packing up, I'll be right outside."

"Okay." The voice was right in front of me; in my hurry, I had not seen the tall figure walking towards my desk. "You done?"

"Ah Johnny!" I was startled to see his sudden appearance. 

He laughed at my shock. "Lets go, our ice cream is waiting." He helped me stuff the last of my supplies into my bag before taking my hand. "The parlor is close by. We can walk there." 

Exiting the school campus, we took a sharp left. 

"So Mari," he asked, looking at me intently. "What made you want to answer right away?"

Hansol. The answer was Hansol, but I couldn't tell Johnny that. "I thought you were a genuine and loving person." My answer was honest but not the actual reason.

"Aw, Mari. You're too cute." He pulled me closer to his side. "Here we are, the ice cream parlor." We entered the store, the bell ringing upon our arrival. "What flavor do you want?" 

"Mango sorbet." I always got that flavor; it had been an all time favorite ever since I was a little girl. 

"Okay. Can you claim a table? I'll order it for you."

"Okay." I grabbed a booth by the window. My phone vibrated. A text from Johnny. I opened it to see a picture of me looking out into the window. I glanced over at him standing in the line and he, making eye contact with me, made a heart with his hands. Smiling weakly, I returned the heart, when I saw Hansol and Nina walk into the parlor. My smile faltered and I stared at Hansol's hand clutched tightly in Nina's.

I knew he was trying to make me feel jealous, and I tried to fight off my feelings, but I couldn't help it. I watched them sit down at the booth on the opposite side of mine. Anxiously, I started drumming my fingers. Why Hansol?!

"Here's your mango sorbet, milady." Johnny smiled and sat down in front of me. "What were you looking at?"

"Oh...nothing." 

"So Mari, how's it like dating me so far?"

I took a bit out of the sorbet. Mmmm, delicious. "Delicious," I said, without thinking about my response.

He looked at me strangely. "I guess that's Mari-language for awesome."

I was so absorbed in angrily stabbing my sorbet, that I didn't hear his response. Hansol. Hansol! Hansol!! With each stab, I angrily screamed out his name in my head. I looked at Hansol and Nina only to see Nina leaning across the table, trying to kiss Hansol. That was it. I was done. 

"Johnny," I said, slamming my spoon down on the table. "You're mine." I leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, catching him by surprise. Susana would be so proud of me. I closed my eyes, pressing harder. He responded, kissing me back. I didn't need to open my eyes to see Hansol's shock on his face when he saw us.