Here we were again. Walking home together. Our steps were so in sync that maybe they had connected brains or something.
"How's your knee? Is it healing?" Wonwoo looks down at me.
I nod. "It's a lot better. Thanks for carrying me home yesterday by the way."
He shoves his hands in his pockets while he shy's his face away with a smile.
The more I was with him, the more I started to like him. Even that damn smile of his made me feel slightly nervous.
"You're really good at bowling, noona." He finally says.
I jokingly roll my eyes. "I came last though."
"At least you're first in my heart," he giggles.
My fingers started to curl and my face scrunched at the cheesiness.
He looked proud of himself for saying it though.
"Noona," he starts again. "Last night, why did you ask me about my dream?"
I look straight ahead of me. "Just curious."
He nods, "okay."
I want to travel, that's my first dream. I want to have my own perspective of the world and it's different cultures. I want to experience new things and explore new places. My second dream is to become a photographer. Taking these two interests, I decided a long time ago to become a travel photographer.
Ever since, I've worked extra hard to earn money so I can afford to go to Seoul School of Arts in the next year to come. So by the time I'm finally ready, I'll be off to see the world.
"Wonwoo, if this is not a touchy subject, can I ask questions about your music?"
"Of course you can," he says softly. "It makes me happy that you're actually interested."
Key word, actually. I wondered if there was something stopping him from wanting to reach for his dream.
"What's your plan for it? Like to achieve it, I mean." I felt like I was stepping over the line since we haven't known each other for that long.
He slows his pace down. "After this year I want to work full time until I'm 20. I need to invest in a proper set up for my music. While I do that I'll keep writing and making songs." He didn't say this enthusiastically. He sounded a bit sad actually. "That's my plan."
"Have you ever considered auditioning for a company?"
He shakes his head. "It seems suffocating. I want to be free. I want to express myself the way I want to."
In short, he wants his own name without a label. I liked that.
"So it's for sure you want to stay in South Korea for a while then?" I asked.
He nods. "Yeah, first South Korea. Then one day, the world." He smiles a sad smile. "What a dream..."
I heard what I asked, but not what my heart wanted to hear.
We walked in silence after. When we finally made it to my doorstep he asked me the question too.
"What's your dream, noona?"
Without hesitation, I explained it to him. I was so passionate about the future I'm going to have for myself I could've kept talking on and on about it.
He smiled at me the whole time. He's attentive and a great listener. "I like that you like something so much. It's making me like you even more."
"You tell me you like me a lot," I respond.
He shrugs cutely. "It's because I do."
For a while I stared at him.
He stared back with a slight tilt of the head.
We weren't smiling or have any type of expression on our faces. We were simply just staring at each other.
"You're so beautiful," he says without breaking eye contact.
My heart didn't race, it slowed and almost dropped.
"I wish I could do this for longer but I need to go."
I nod slowly.
He takes out his phone out of his pocket and as soon as his eyes land on the screen, they widen. "Shit," he says under his breath. "Noona," he looks back at me while frantically shoving both his hands in every pocket he had on him.
I tried to understand what he was doing but-
"Found it!" he breathes out in relief. He hands me a small, black USB. "I wasn't sure if I could give you this today but- just give it a listen. I hope you can understand me better after hearing the song." He didn't let me say anything else after because he ran. He ran like his life depended on it. "I'll call you!" He shouts in the distance.
I'll wait, Jeon Wonwoo.
~
"Move bitch, get out the fucking way!" Kim Jerin pushes Sofia roughly by the shoulder.
Sofia rolls her eyes and walks away. She couldn't show how furious she was in front of Jerin. Not if she wanted to be pushed around even more.
"Yah... are you okay?" Ara, Sofia's friend, asks. "You know you don't have to put up with her abusing you like that. We can tell a teacher or something."
Sofia shakes her head. "It's fine. I just don't understand why she does that to me though. Only me."
Ara gulps once. In a low voice she says, "I overheard something."
Sofia brings her face close. "What is it?" She whispers.
"You know Jeon Wonwoo of class 3 upstairs?"
Sofia gasps. "What? He goes to school here?"
Her friend looks at her like she was stupid. "How do you miss such a tall person?"
Sofia dismisses the question and gestures for Ara to continue.
"I heard that Jeon Wonwoo likes your unnie, Haneul."
Sofia gets taken aback but not completely shocked.
"He used to date Kim Jerin until recently but he dumped her because she cheated. Multiple times."
Sofia was dumbfounded.
"I think Jerin is taking her anger out on you because you're close with Haneul unnie."
"Wow," Sofia rolls her eyes. "Kim Jerin is such a fucking bitch."
