Irina leaned closer, eyes sparkling. "Okay, seriously. How did you two even end up together?"
Seolhyo turned away, her ears red. "…He confessed to me out of nowhere."
"WOAH," Irina clapped. "Seojin being all manly like that? I can actually see it."
"Same," Jinkyung nodded. "He totally gives that vibe."
Irina sighed dreamily. "With that face, I bet no girl would ever say no if he confessed to them."
Seolhyo let out a small sigh at the teasing. Irina nudged her with her elbow.
"Well, hey your wish of wanting a boyfriend finally came true."
Jinkyung grinned. "You two really do look perfect together."
Irina nodded. "Yeah, and he confessed first. That means he's seriously into you."
"And I've heard a LOT of girls confess to him already," Jinkyung added.
Irina scoffed. "What do you expect with that face? I'd be more surprised if there weren't."
"Exactly," Jinkyung laughed.
Seolhyo smiled softly, almost shyly. "…I thought about confessing too, you know."
Both girls turned to her, shocked.
"You? Confessing first?" Irina blinked.
"I never imagined that," Jinkyung teased. "Guys are always the ones chasing you."
Seolhyo pushed her hair behind her ear, looking flustered but honest.
"…Well, I'm kinda into him. He's nice, he doesn't smoke or drink, he doesn't try to act cool. The more time I spent with him, the more I liked him. I'm seriously happy he confessed first… Because I had no idea how I was supposed to."
Jinkyung held back a laugh. "Wow. You're really head over heels, huh?"
"And Seojin doesn't even have to try to look cool," Irina snorted. "Everything he does is automatically cool."
Irina grinned and hug Seolhyo arm. "Well, most of the guys you pay attention to are good-looking… but Seojin? He's like ultra-super good-looking. You scored big, girl."
***********
After getting home, I tossed my bag aside and took a quick shower.
The day's exhaustion clung to me, but it was the good kind the kind that left a faint smile lingering on my face.
Dropping onto my bed, I pulled out my flip phone, its screen dimly glowing in the darkened room.
My thumb tapped out a message.
[To: Hyorim]
Did you have fun today?
—
At her house, Seolhyo had just stepped out of the shower herself, damp hair sticking slightly to her cheeks.
She plopped down on the chair by her desk, towel still draped around her shoulders, when her phone buzzed.
She flipped it open, saw my message, and a small smile tugged at her lips.
[To: Seojin]
Yeah, it was fun.
But then, after a moment of hesitation, she typed again, her cheeks flushing pink.
[To: Seojin]
Irina and Jinkyung keep asking me earlier about us.
—
I chuckled the moment I read it, picturing her puffed-up, embarrassed face.
My reply came quickly.
[To: Hyorim]
Hahaha, it's fine.
Then, after a short pause, I sent another.
[To: Hyorim]
Anyway… we don't have anything tomorrow, right? Sundays free. Wanna go on a date?
—
Back in her room, Seolhyo stared at the screen, her heart skipping.
The tips of her ears turned red as she flopped back onto her bed, hugging her pillow.
She kicked her feet in the air, rolling side to side, before shoving the phone against her face as if to hide her expression.
Still, her fingers moved quickly.
[To: Seojin]
…Okay.
She closed her phone with a snap, pressing it to her chest, a bright smile spreading across her face as she whispered to herself, "What do I even wear tomorrow…?"
***********
Early morning sunlight spilled faintly across the quiet street.
I sat slouched on the bench at the bus stop, one leg crossed over the other, a lollipop lazily tucked between my lips.
The thin wire of my MP3 player dangled from my sling bag, both earphones snug in my ears as I bobbed my head lightly to the music.
A few girls nearby kept sneaking glances at him, whispering behind their hands.
Eventually, one of them cheeks flushed with what I could only guess was newfound courage stepped forward and gently tapped his shoulder.
Seojin cracked one eye open and pulled out an earbud, looking up at her with a raised brow.
Before she could even get a word out, though, something shifted in the air.
The temperature seemed to drop.
Across the stop, Seolhyo stood frozen, a breeze catching the hem of her skirt.
She wore a navy denim jacket, hanging just a little loose on her shoulders, the sleeves casually rolled up.
Her white graphic tee was tucked neatly into her black mini skirt.
White knee-high socks paired with clean Converse sneakers, and a small black shoulder bag rested perfectly against her side.
But it wasn't her outfit that made the girls freeze.
Her eyes, sharp and cold, were locked on the girl in front of her, freezing her in place.
The girl instantly stiffened, muttered a quiet "s-sorry," and rushed back to her friends.
I blinked once, then pushed myself off the bench.
The lollipop clicked softly as I slid it from my mouth, a small smile tugging at my lips.
I walked toward Seolhyo, gently taking both of her hands in mine.
"Good morning," I said, my voice warm and completely unbothered by what just happened.
Seolhyo's frosty stare softened the moment her eyes met mine.
"Morning," she murmured, cheeks pink now. "You didn't have to come all the way here, you know. We could've just met when the bus reached your station."
I squeezed her hands lightly, leaning in with a soft smile.
"It's fine," I replied. "I wanted to be with you a little earlier."
Seolhyo scoffed, turning her face to the side to hide the pink rising on her cheeks.
But then her eyes locked onto the lollipop stick still at the corner of my lips.
With a sharp huff, she reached forward, plucked it out, and held it up.
"It's early in the morning and you're already eating this?" she scolded, eyebrows raised.
Before I could reply, she tossed the lollipop into the nearby trash bin with perfect precision.
I chuckled softly, watching her act all strict while still looking impossibly cute.
The bus rolled up to the stop with a hiss, doors clanking open.
We stepped on together and took seats by the window.
The engine rumbled as the bus pulled away, morning light sliding in and out through the passing trees.
Seolhyo's gaze drifted to me, then to the faint music leaking from my earphones.
She nudged my side gently, tapping her own ear.
I didn't say a word just slipped out the right earbud and leaned close, tucking it carefully into her left ear.
The two of us sat connected by a single wire, sharing the same rhythm
But there was still a bit of space between our shoulders.
I glanced at her, and with a relaxed motion, draped my arm over her right shoulder, drawing her subtly closer.
Seolhyo stiffened for a moment, eyes widening at the sudden closeness
The bus jolted, giving her no chance to pull away not that she seemed to want to.
Her cheeks warmed, but she let her head settle gently against my shoulder.
With her face half-buried there, she murmured, voice soft, "Can you download a Sung Sik-young song?"
I turned slightly toward her, lowered my head, and let my nose brush her hair, breathing in the faint, clean scent of her shampoo.
"Sure," I whispered.