Heartstrings || Joshua Hong

Chapter 7

Rina POV

"Alright, so how do you wanna do this?", I asked Sera. We were at her house again after school a few days later, but it was no longer for studying. 

After thinking for a bit, she replied, "You know that big park near our school? I'll wait there with the poster and everything since I don't have a final that morning...then you can make up some excuse to bring him there?" 

"Yeah, okay I can do that", I said and added teasingly, "he'll probably be dumb enough not to suspect anything." 

"Jeez, I really don't understand you guys' friendship", Sera said, laughing. 

"To be honest, me neither", I agreed, sticking out my tongue. We spent the rest of the afternoon planning out the poster. No matter how much I tried to convince Sera out of it, she wouldn't settle with leaving out the word "gentleman" on it. 

"Trust me, he hates it when others call him one", I tried telling her one last time.

"I can't help it, though, I don't see him in any other way." Sera paused. "Do you know why I started liking him?" I shook my head, realizing she never actually explained any of it. 

She continued, "I know it might look like I'm just another one of his fangirls, but I'm not looking at his image or whatever. Remember when I got bullied back in freshman year? I could handle the verbal attacks and stuff, but one day, the guys started getting physical when I kept ignoring them. It sounds super cliché, but Joshua Hong stepped in and told them off, even getting hurt in the process. Of course I felt really bad, but he just smiled, asked if I was okay with that soft voice of his, and helped me up off the ground. He's always looked like a gentleman to me after that. He became popular after he sang in the talent show later that year, so I never got to properly say 'thank you'. I feel like now's my chance."

I listened in silence the whole time, thinking about how many sides to Joshua there were that I'd discovered: A cold and arrogant classmate. An embarrassed boy after confessing his insecurities. A passionate, sweet musician. A savage troll. And now a knight in shining armor? 

"Okay, I get it. I hope you get to tell him this time then," I said, finally, "I'm sure he'll understand if you explain it."

Sera smiled, cheeks turning pink. "Thanks, I hope so, too."

--

Joshua POV

The more I thought about it, the more I kept coming to the same conclusion. Why else would she have sent those texts? If that was the case, I definitely didn't want to give her the satisfaction of asking.  

I sat back, looking at the posters I had just finished decorating. 

"Rina 바보" 
"There's a lot of music out there but you're my favorite Song"
"Quit playing on my heartstrings"
 "Winter Formal ♡?" 

I smiled, satisfied. I could imagine the look on her face, getting ready to roast me for being so cringey in every way possible. It was fine, though. I knew behind all the roasting and messing around, Rina's someone who took the time to know me for who I was and accepted me. I don't know when I'd started liking her so much but now I was determined to make her mine. All she had to do was say yes. 

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A/N :3 

Imagine if Joshua asked you to a dance, though asfasdlkfjads; 

(Winter Formal  = the winter dance lol)