Catharsis

camaraderie

"Why the long face?"

You turned your head to look at me, eyebrows furrowing. "What?"

"You look unwell."

"No, I'm fine."

I put on a dramatic face and sighed. "You're never a good liar. You have that hilarious expression whenever you lie."

You pouted and hit my shoulder lightly. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not. And I'm not lying."

"Well, it's okay if you don't want to tell me." I turned my head away from you and went back to watch the basketball game going on the scho field.

On the corner of my eyes I still could see you pursing your lips like an annoying sulking kid, and finally decided to spill it, "I asked my parents last night if you can come to have a sleepover again this weekend, and they said no..."

I raised my eyebrows, but kept my head straight. "Oh?"

"I don't know why. They won't tell me. And then they said I have to find a better friend," you murmuded all your words so fast, I almost couldn't get it. But I already knew what you were about to say. "They said you're not... dependable."

Why was I not surprised at all? "It's fine," I nodded.

"I'm sorry," you whispered.

"Yeah."

"But that won't happen, you know. There's no better friend than you, Baek." You took my hand and squeezed it as if it could make your words more certain. "I mean, we had been through so much. Who else is willing to help me as much as you did?"

I laughed sheepishly. "I understand. Really. I'm not here to be friend with your parents anyway. You're still my best friend, okay? I don't care."

Someone at the field apparently saw us and yelled, "UH! Why you two weirdos holding hands?"

The girls that were walking past the field and heard it suddenly turned to look at us with strange looks.

"Because we are a couple, you dumb!" you yelled back and raised our intertwined hands to wave at them cheerfully.

I laughed so hard and pushed you from the bench.

It's ironic, isn't? How that boy who can't lie turned out to be the best liar I would ever meet?