Childhood Friend (2)
"So... you're torn between the girl you like and your childhood friend?"
"No? I'm going to watch a movie with Jiwu."
On our way home from school, Jeongho and I were walking back together.
This Sunday,
I was going to watch a movie with Jiwu, the girl I liked, just the two of us.
We called it just watching a movie, but it was practically a d-date!
I felt a bit bad for Sia, but...
Well, I could just meet up with her briefly at night to give her her present, right?
"Then what's the problem?"
"It's my first date ever. Master! Please help me!"
I bowed politely to Jeongho.
Geum Jeongho—this bastard was a dating master who had dated at least five different girls back in middle school.
"Dating is nothing special. You've wandered around with Sia alone all the time anyway. Just do what you do then."
"That's totally different. Sia and Jiwu aren't the same."
Sia was just a childhood friend, while Jiwu was the object of my romantic affection.
I couldn't treat Jiwu the way I treated Sia.
Which meant I couldn't just act natural around Jiwu when we were alone.
"Just do whatever feels comfortable, like I said~."
"Hey, that's easier said than done, you asshole."
Jeongho waved his hand dismissively, looking incredibly annoying.
I was dead serious here, despite how I looked.
Cruel bastard. Call yourself a friend?
"Anyway, Hyunseong. What do you even like about Jiwu?"
"So suddenly...? Well... she's nice!"
"Just for that?"
"What do you mean 'just for that'? That's harsh! Jiwu is incredibly nice, okay? The other day, when some girls from another class were bullying Sia, Jiwu stepped in and saved her. She's so kind!"
"Wow... you fall in love way too easily."
"Shut up."
It was annoying to see Jeongho looking at me like I was pathetic, but...
...it wasn't like he was wrong about me falling fast.
"Your swearing has gotten out of hand. You've got a real potty mouth now. You used to look like a proper young master back in seventh grade~."
"And whose fault is that?"
I wanted to punch Jeongho as he giggled and mocked me.
Just as he said, when I was young...
Due to the etiquette forced upon me, I didn't even know how to use slang or profanity.
Until I met Jeongho, that is.
Hanging out with a foul-mouthed guy like him had naturally rubbed off on me.
"Anyway, tomorrow's the weekend. Thank God it's Friday!"
"Ah... what am I going to do..."
Unlike Jeongho, who threw his arms up in the air, looking thrilled at the prospect of enjoying the weekend...
I was filled with anxiety over whether I could pull off my Sunday date with Jiwu.
"Hyunseong! Don't forget my advice."
"That wasn't advice. That was just stating the obvious."
"Make sure to tell me how the date went on Monday~."
Jeongho waved at me with a playful smirk and headed toward his house.
Whew... I should get home and pass out too.
Ka-talk!
It seemed someone had sent me a message on my way home.
I immediately pulled out my phone and checked the app.
Sia was always like this.
Whether it was a habit or what, every year she'd say, "It's not like I need a present~,"
but when I actually handed it to her, she would get incredibly happy and cherish it.
But this was strange.
This was the first time Sia had ever tried to come over to my house on her birthday.
Her birthday didn't fall on a weekend every year,
but I had known her for over seven years.
There had been plenty of times when her birthday fell on a weekend.
Even then, she had only said, "It's not like I need a present~,"
and never offered to come over...
What had gotten into her?
Well, since we were on the topic, I should go buy her a present.
Since tomorrow was the weekend anyway,
I headed toward the shopping district to buy Sia's present.
Being Friday night, the streets were packed with people.
Among them, I saw many couples who seemed to be on dates.
I was jealous. Incredibly jealous.
No! I wasn't jealous at all.
I had a date on Sunday too!
Let's stop thinking about useless things.
I came to the shopping district for one reason only.
A present for Sia.
Last year, I gave her a red ribbon hair tie.
Sia had accepted it nonchalantly,
but she wore her hair up with that ribbon tie for quite a while afterward.
She must have liked my present.
To find a gift that would satisfy her this time as well,
should I look around?
What would make her happy?
Well... I had plenty of allowance.
Should I buy her clothes?
Or shoes?
Another hair tie like last year?
It was a tough choice.
While I was agonizing over Sia's present,
a sign caught my eye.
'Board Game World'.
I stopped in my tracks and stared blankly at the sign.
Sia used to really love board games.
Back when we were kids, she would come over every single day to pester me.
"Hyunseong, let's play Blue Marble~."
Shoving the Blue Marble board game at me with a bright smile...
Sia back then was really cute~.
Now, she only ever made prickly faces.
Sia... will probably find someone she likes too, right?
Sia getting a boyfriend...
Strangely, my heart felt heavy.
W-What was I thinking?!
Sia was a girl, after all.
She must have at least one guy she liked.
Just like I liked Jiwu!
I shook my head, trying to blow away the heavy feelings about Sia.
I tossed them up into the sky.
Anyway, I should get her this.
I steeled my resolve and walked into the store.
Sunday morning, the sun was up.
The day of my date with Jiwu...
It was finally here.
"C-Can I really do this?"
I muttered to myself, feeling incredibly anxious.
Last night, to prepare for the date,
I had searched the internet like crazy for tips,
so I barely got any sleep.
I was tired, but... I had to bear it.
The current time was 8:40 AM.
Since our meeting time was 9:30 AM...
I had plenty of time.
It was a thirty-minute walk to the meeting spot.
The online community said not to arrive exactly on time,
but that arriving ten minutes early was proper etiquette.
A white shirt and slacks should be enough for my outfit, right?
Having finished all my preparations,
I immediately headed to the date location.
The current time was 9:18 AM.
I arrived at Orion Cinema, where I was supposed to meet Jiwu.
Looking around, it seemed Jiwu hadn't arrived yet.
Well, that made sense, since there were still twelve minutes left until our meeting time.
While waiting for her, I pulled out my smartphone
and checked my appearance in selfie mode.
No stray nose hairs sticking out.
Shaving was clean.
Hair was neat.
Everything looked fine.
Whew... I let out a sigh of relief
and checked the time on my phone.
It was already 9:31 AM.
But even when I looked around again,
there was no sign of Jiwu.
Jiwu was late...
After waiting a bit longer,
it was well past our meeting time.
9:40 AM.
Why was she so late?
Did she get the meeting place mixed up?
I felt anxious. Why wasn't she here?
"Hyunseong~."
Jiwu's voice echoed from afar.
Turning my head toward the sound,
I saw Jiwu running toward me in a hurry.
"I'm sorry. I'm a bit late, right?"
Jiwu pressed her palms together, apologizing.
"I-It's okay...!"
Having arrived ten minutes before the meeting time, I had been
slightly annoyed,
but the moment I saw Jiwu's cute casual clothes,
my anger melted away instantly.
"Is there something on my face?"
"N-No... it just looks really good on you."
A blue cardigan that made my heart flutter.
A fresh, pure white frilled skirt.
And her neatly styled short black hair.
She was so cute
that all my sleepiness vanished.
As I stared blankly at her outfit,
Jiwu looked at me with a puzzled expression.
The online community said!
To shower your date's outfit!
With compliments!
"It's like! I feel like Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, is standing right in front of me~!"
"Hyunseong...? Did you eat something weird?"
Jiwu's reaction wasn't great.
A chilling, freezing atmosphere settled over us.
The online community said saying this...
was a surefire hit?
"Ah, no... I just meant your clothes look really nice on you... I went a bit overboard. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable."
To smooth over the icy atmosphere,
I told Jiwu my honest feelings.
I was never, ever...
believing online communities again.
"Really? Thanks, Hyunseong. You should have just said that from the start."
"Haha... sorry."
Jiwu smiled brightly, pleased with my compliment.
Thank goodness.
She wouldn't think I was a weirdo now, right?
"The movie's going to start soon. Let's hurry, Hyunseong."
"Yeah!"
And so, we quickly made our way
toward Orion Cinema.
"Jiwu, what movie are we watching?"
"Let's see... how about 'My Girlfriend is a Childhood Friend'? I heard it's really popular lately!"
"Really...? I don't mind watching anything."
My Girlfriend is a Childhood Friend...
A childhood friend...
It strangely made me think of Sia.
Today was Sia's birthday.
Her parents were away on a business trip abroad...
so she would be all alone at home.
I wondered if she would feel lonely...
"Hyunseong? What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, it's nothing."
Maybe because I was spacing out thinking about Sia,
Jiwu leaned her face close to mine,
tilting her head.
She was way too close.
Was Jiwu always this b-bold...?
I felt embarrassed...
My mind went completely blank.
"Let's go quickly."
"Yeah..."
Well... Sia and I were just childhood friends.
Nothing more, nothing less.
There was no reason for me to be thinking about her...
right?
Strangely, my chest felt tight, but...
for now, I needed to focus on my date with Jiwu.