Rewind

Promise

He stares at me waiting for an answer. "Of course there's not a problem if we date but, I don't, I don't know..." I say stuttering.

"Hey, I was just joking," he says while chuckling.

"Yeah, a joke..." I sigh

While walking around Kai spots a stand in the middle of the open hallway outside the store. It was a stand for jewelry. I follow him there and see a box full mood rings, the ones with a gem and other ones that were just a thick band. Personally, I preferred the ones that were just a thick band because I feel like that would be easier to wear every day. "Aren't they cool," he says while trying on the different sizes."Yeah, but you know it's not real right?" 

"Of course I know that only children would believe it."

"Do you want one? I'll pay, we could have matching rings," I say trying out the sizes as well.

"Yeah let's do it!"

I look to the man behind the stand and ask for two mood rings. Kai and I hand him the matching rings. "Will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you," I say handing him some cash. Grabbing the small bag with the rings I take out Kai's and hand it to him and puts it on his ring finger. As I do the same he speaks, "As long as we are friends we can't take these off," balling up his fist extending his pinky and thumb out. "Promise?"  "Promise," I say linking pinkies and pressing our thumb to stamp off the deal. 

While Kai and I enjoy our shopping spree at the mall and around the city, Kai pats my arm to get my attention while I look at the man sitting on a bench singing with a guitar. "Hey, Issa! Issa!"

"Hmm?" 

"Someone is calling you," he says while handing my phone.

"I forgot you still had my phone!" I say retrieving my phone to answer the call. Without looking at the caller ID I answer frantically.

"Hello?"

"Issa? Hello?"

"Ah, Pa" It's you, whats up?"

"Hey it getting late, it's almost 7:00 pm, please come home before 8:30" 

"Oh, sorry I wasn't keeping up with the time. I'll get ready to go now, I'm in the city so I'm sorry if I get home a bit late."

"Okay, just be safe okay? Is Jongin with you?"

"Yeah, we had a bff date today," I say smiling.

"Oh that's nice, alright then just come back safe"

"Alright, I'll see you soon Pa, bye~"

"Bye, honey"

Looking up at Kai from my call I just laughing nervously."What?" I say as I elbow him. "Nothing, let's start getting ready to go, I overheard your call with your Pa."

"Yeah," I say as a frown forms on my face.

Walking the streets of Seoul passing all the street food stands Kai asks if I'm hungry. " Yeah, a bit"

"Do you want to get some fish cakes and tteokbokki?" 

"Sure," I say walking over to the closest stand that sells them. Looking at the giant bowl that holds all the fish cakes in hot water I taking 4 skewers and hand two to Kai. Fishing out the fish cakes out the hot bowl and eating them we go over to the older woman selling them. Holding up the used skewers as she counts them. "That will be 1,500 ($1.35)."  "Okay, thanks," I say as I pull out some cash. Before we go I throw out the skewers in her little trash can. "Teokbokki?" I ask grinning at Kai. "Heck yes!" he says running with me to the nearest teokbokki stand. This stand is different, it is almost like an outdoor dinner. It has a tent-like shape with tables inside and a counter with the owner to take our order. "One large bowl of teokbokki please," Kai orders. "Coming up, please find a seat," she says walking us over to the closest table. "Its smells so good in here, and it's surprisingly warm," I say to Kai. "Yeah, that's why they have the plastic up, to keep the food warm."

"Makes sense," I say playing with the cup of packaged chopsticks in a cup in the center of the table. We both look at the owner as she brings the large bowl piled with teokbokki saying thank you as we take a pair of chopsticks out. Breaking them apart and rubbing them together to get the cracked wood a bit more smooth, and we dig in. 

Rushing home at 8:15 walking swiftly to my house after resting after eating. Walking by my house hands full of bags I frown looking back at Kai knowing my time with him today is over. "I'll see you tomorrow, at school okay? Today was really fun, it was nice to relieve my stress from school, let's do this again sometime."

"Of course, yeah it was more fun than I expected. Alright see you tomorrow," he says dropping his bags and opening his arm for a hug, dropping my bags to return the hug is say goodnight. Turning around as he walks away, I pick up my bags before going inside.