boyfriend for rent • kim yohan

006

Later that day, Yohan and Jiwoo walked back home together in silence.

"So..." Jiwoo started. "Today's lunch was bad, huh?"

The boy nodded in response, his foot kicking a small rock out of the way. Jiwoo sighed. She hated seeing such a lively boy like this. She quickly unlocked the door to her house and dragged him to the living room, pushing him into the white couch, ignoring his wide eyes at the sudden force.

"Look," she said, standing over him and crossing her arms. "Kim Yohan, I don't know why you're so sad over this. I said I didn't have a crush on you, but that didn't mean you're a bad boyfriend."

"You're not making any sense!" Yohan looked at her. "If you don't like me, it means I'm not doing a good job."

"That's not true." She said, her voice going softer as she sat down next to him. Jiwoo placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "I rented a boyfriend not so that I can have a crush on someone, but for me to experience what it feels like to be in a relationship. Like the heart fluttering stuff, you know?"

"But how can you have that without liking me?" He challenged.

"It happened before." She said, casually shrugging.

"Really?" A glimmer of hope flashed in Yohan's eyes. "Like what?"

The memory of him making breakfast for her, his close proximity with her, his arm behind her chair, and his cute, goofy bunny teeth smile crossed her mind. "Plenty of stuff." She said with a mysterious grin.

The whole evening went on with Yohan begging for Jiwoo to tell him what made her heart flutter, and the girl brushing him off. For the first time in a long time, the house was filled with voices and laughter.

———
"No, we're not." Jiwoo said, putting her books back into her bag.

"Yes, we are!" Yohan argued back.

"Nope."

"Yes!"

"Okay," Yuvin who had just entered the classroom eyed the two weirdly. "What's going on?"

Yohan gave an exasperated sigh and turned to the other boy. "We've been eating noodle cups for dinner for the past two weeks." He said, raising his hand to show two fingers as if to emphasize his point. "Two weeks!"

"So?" Jiwoo challenged, crossing her arms.

"That's got to be unhealthy!" The boy frowned. "Have you always been eating like this?"

"Yeah, and I'm perfectly healthy."

"No, that's where you're wrong." Yohan argued. "You should be worried about your health too. Just because it doesn't show now doesn't mean it's healthy."

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes. Yohan was such a mom.

"I wanted to cook dinner," he told Yuvin, almost like he was a kindergarten tattletale talking to his teacher. "But there are no more groceries in her fridge. None!"

He turned to Jiwoo. "We're eating out today." He said, putting his foot down.

"But I'm so lazy." Jiwoo whined.

"As your boyfriend who's worried about your health, I insist we go eat Thai today."

———
As it turned out, Yohan, the very same boy who suggested Thai food, was bad with spices.

"Why did you choose this restaurant if you're not good with chili?" Jiwoo asked with her mouth full, watching as the boy in front of her splashed water down his throat.

"Because..." he rasped out. "You said you were lazy and this is the closest restaurant."

"But you could've at least chosen somewhere you can eat too." Jiwoo put her chopsticks down. "Excuse me?" She called the waiter. "May I please have sticky rice with mango?"

"You like mango?" Yohan asked as the waiter left their table.

"Well, its sweetness can help with the hotness in your mouth." Jiwoo explained, continuing to eat her Pad Thai. She was really starting to love Thai food.

Yohan raised his eyebrow suggestively. "Maybe you can help me with your mouth."

Silence.

"Shut up and eat your damn mango."