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"Could you please stop that?" Cheol hissed at Jinseop. "I can't hear anything."
Jinseop smirked but stopped slurping through the straw of his nearly empty soda. "They're too far away for you to hear anyway."
Cheol shot a glare at Jinseop over the menu he held up to hide his face from the pair they were watching. Jinseop didn't bother with such a ridiculous thing.
"It's your fault, you know. If you had told me earlier, I could have found a way to prevent Hwang Miae from going on a date with that guy," said Cheol.
Jinseop craned his neck to glance at Miae and Seo Jisu, seated across the restaurant. He didn’t realize he was beginning to stand up until a hand grabbed his shirt, pushing him back into his chair.
"What are you doing? They'll see you!" Cheol growled.
Jinseop rolled his eyes. "You two are being ridiculous. You could have just admitted that you like each other and been done with it." Jinseop reached over to snag a piece of tteokbokki from Cheol's plate since he had already finished his own.
Cheol swatted his hand away, and Jinseop pouted, annoyed.
"I don't like Miae," Cheol declared firmly.
"Oh yeah?" Jinseop crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, smiling slyly. "Then explain to me what we're doing here."
Cheol hesitated, opening his mouth but saying nothing for a few seconds. "He's not good for her."
Jinseop raised an eyebrow cunningly. "And you are?"
"I... I just worry about her as her friend, nothing more." Cheol's words would have been more convincing if he had said them while looking at Jinseop instead of glaring at Miae’s head.
"Right," Jinseop said flatly, clearly not buying Cheol's charade.
Cheol turned his head and squinted at him. "What?"
Jinseop shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, nothing," he said, picking up a toothpick and placing it in his mouth. "If I had known how you felt, I wouldn't have bothered coming with you. This is boring."
"I didn’t ask you to come with me," snapped Cheol, annoyed. "You could leave, you know?"
"And miss this side of you? And free food paid for by you? No thanks," Jinseop chuckled. "What I'm trying to say is that if you really saw Miae as a friend," Jinseop made air quotes around the word "friend" with his fingers, "you wouldn’t be here acting like her guardian dog. If you don’t like her, you should be happy for her. For all we know, Seo Jisu could be her first love and all that."
Cheol’s face flushed with anger, feeling as if something ugly and possessive had crawled onto his chest.
Jinseop almost laughed seeing his expression; it was always amusing to push Cheol's buttons.
"Did you know that they met when they were kids?" Jinseop said as if it were a sudden thought, reaching secretly for another piece of tteokbokki from Cheol’s plate before he could react and swat his hand again.
"So?" Cheol asked through gritted teeth, pulling his plate closer to him, sending a look to Jinseop to let him know that he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought he was. "I met Miae when we were young too."
"Oh, yes," Jinseop said indifferently, chewing absentmindedly. "But that doesn’t count. You merely knew each other for a few days. Miae and Jisu were together all through elementary school until he had to move to another school. Miae cried for weeks; it was a very sad affair, I was told."
Cheol clenched his jaw at this information. Could it be true, all of what Jinseop was saying? "How did you even know these things?"
"Oh, I asked Seo Jisu, and he told me everything," Jinseop said, pulling his most innocent face. He lied and exaggerated a little, but Cheol didn’t have to know that; he reasoned it was for a greater cause after all. "He’s a great guy," he added, knowing Cheol's reaction would be telling.
"That’s not true!" Cheol declared with more feeling than he intended. He cringed, realizing he was making it obvious.
Jinseop sent him a smug look, confirming his thoughts. This guy is too perceptive for his own good.
"Why not?" Jinseop asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. "He’s the top student in our grade and—"
"That doesn’t mean anything!"
"It does if Miae is into smart guys." Jinseop retorted matter-of-factly. "Quiet guys too."
Cheol looked at Miae seated across the restaurant, chatting with Seo Jisu. A pang of what could only be described as jealousy shot through him as he watched them, his fingers gripping the edge of the table tightly.
"I don’t think Miae cares about something like that," Cheol mumbled, hoping that was true.
"Maybe, but he’s good at sports too. Miae likes that, doesn’t she? Everyone was talking about how he defeated you at that football game last week."
"He didn’t win; it was a tie," Cheol gritted his teeth, remembering the look of astonishment on Miae’s face when Seo Jisu stole the ball from him and scored.
Jinseop smirked, knowing he had struck a nerve. "Win, lose, it doesn't matter. The thing is, Seo Jisu has qualities that Miae admires. Do you know what Miae's friends were saying?"
"I guess you're going to tell me anyway," Cheol said angrily, skewering a piece of tteokbokki with a toothpick.
"Oh yes," Jinseop said with a mischievous glint in his eye, leaning closer. "They mentioned that Seo Jisu is more handsome than you. Personally, I don’t believe that's true, you know? So I said that to them—"
"Gee, thanks," Cheol murmured with sarcasm, thinking about how Jinseop could say the most useless things.
"—but then they said I am even more handsome than you two together, so maybe they’re not so wrong. What do I do but bow to their superior knowledge?" Jinseop winked.
"Oh, great," Cheol said drily, but Jinseop wasn’t finished.
"They also said they wish he were taller, but I don’t think that matters."
Cheol scowled. "How is that even relevant?"
"Well, imagine someone with your stature with Miae; she would always have to stand on her tiptoes, and the guy would have a permanently sore neck," Jinseop chuckled. "What I mean is that Seo Jisu is perfect for Miae; she is short, he is short—the perfect couple. They would have no problem kissing each other."
Just the image of Miae kissing that guy made Cheol's stomach turn.
"They could hug comfortably too; they wouldn’t look like they were father and daughter—"
"Can you stop?!" Cheol yelled at Jinseop. "You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?"
"Of course not, buddy. What kind of friend would I be if I did that?" Jinseop smiled innocently.
"The worst," Cheol mumbled darkly. Jinseop laughed, not at all offended; that Cheol even considered him a friend was enough for him. "Look, I don’t even know why Miae is on a date with Seo Jisu; I thought she was really annoyed with him."
Cheol murmured something that Jinseop couldn't catch. "What was that?"
Cheol exhaled. "I said that she is mad at me."
Jinseop's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Mad at you? Why?"
"I... I don’t know!" Cheol said without meeting Jinseop’s eyes, frustration lacing every word. He ran his fingers through his hair. "She doesn’t want to talk to me; it’s been days! And now she’s on a date with that idiot."
"Miae doesn’t seem like the kind of girl who would stay angry for long."
"Oh, believe me, she does," Cheol said exasperatedly. "She is so stubborn; it’s driving me crazy."
Jinseop rested his arms on the table, leaning closer. "What did you do?" he asked suspiciously.
"Me? Nothing!" Cheol said too quickly.
Jinseop narrowed his eyes, disbelief written all over his face. It was clear that Miae liked Cheol; Jinseop was sure of that, so it was unlikely that Miae would be angry with him for no reason. Something had happened between the clueless pair, and he intended to find out. "Oh really?"
Cheol could feel Jinseop’s penetrating gaze, his face flushing. "Yes, really," he deadpanned.
Jinseop made a noncommittal sound before standing up. "Alright, I’m going to ask her."
Cheol took a moment to process Jinseop’s words, then swiftly moved to grab Jinseop’s arm, pushing him back into his chair. "What do you think you’re doing?!" Cheol hissed, realizing then that it had been a mistake to bring Jinseop along.
Jinseop chuckled at Cheol’s reaction. "I’m going to ask Miae why she’s mad at you."
"No! You are not going to do that!" exclaimed Cheol.
"Why not?" smirked Jinseop, and just to mess with Cheol, he shouted, "HEY MIA—" but Cheol used his hand to cover Jinseop’s mouth. "Are you crazy?!" Cheol said angrily, glancing over to where Miae was, still unaware of Jinseop’s attempt to grab her attention. Jinseop’s laughter was muffled by Cheol’s hand. "Shut up!"
Jinseop shook his head emphatically, mirth dancing in his eyes. Cheol let out a groan of frustration. "You are so annoying!"
Jinseop’s shoulders shook with laughter. Cheol closed his eyes and sighed; Jinseop was the last person he wanted to know this, but maybe he was the best to advise him. He was, after all, good with girls, right?
He thought about it for a second before saying resignedly, "I’ll tell you, okay? I know why Miae is mad, but you have to promise not to tell anyone—anyone," Cheol repeated. "Do you hear me?"
Jinseop rolled his eyes and nodded reluctantly. With a final warning glare, Cheol released him and settled back into his chair, wiping his hand off on his napkin with a look of disgust.
Jinseop maintained a mischievous grin, his eyes fixed on Cheol. "Alright, spill it. What did you do to make Miae so upset? Did you forget her birthday or something?"
Cheol shook his head.
"Did she see you with that girl?" Jinseop asked, his hand on his chin.
Cheol looked surprised. "What girl?"
"You know, that one, tall, short hair, follows you everywhere?" Jinseop provided.
It took Cheol a moment to remember her name. "Jang Seonyeong?"
Jinseop shrugged. "I guess that’s her name. So what? Did Miae see you with her?"
"Of course not; there’s nothing between her and me."
"Miae could think otherwise," Jinseop teased.
"It’s not that."
"Then you insulted her?" Jinseop tried.
"No."
"You lied to her?"
Cheol shook his head again. "Why would I lie to her?"
"Well, then I don’t know what else could have happened between the two of you! You pair of idiots should just kiss and make up; that would solve everything," Jinseop suggested, frustrated.
Cheol fell into complete silence, his face turning red. He shifted uncomfortably in the chair, not looking Jinseop in the eyes. The tablecloth pattern became the most interesting thing, and then it clicked for Jinseop.
It would take a fool not to notice Cheol’s demeanor, and Jinseop was anything but that. "Oh my god!" he exclaimed.
Cheol opened his eyes, watching as Jinseop’s face contorted in realization.
"You kissed each other, didn’t you?!" Jinseop shouted, then laughed. He was hearing the best thing he had heard in a long time.
Cheol turned his head in all directions, watching as the people eating at other tables turned to look at them. He shot Jinseop a sharp look, his expression a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment. "Can you repeat that even more loudly? I think Miae didn’t hear you," Cheol whispered sharply. "You idiot."
"So what happened then, Kim Cheol? Miae is mad at you for your kissing techniques? You want some lessons?" Jinseop laughed more, wiping tears from his eyes. He marveled at the interesting turn of events.
Cheol furrowed his eyebrows. "Stop! It's not funny!" He kicked Jinseop under the table.
"Oi! That hurts!" Jinseop complained, rubbing his shin. He forced himself to stop laughing. "Alright, alright," he managed between chuckles. "But seriously, you kissed Miae? When did this happen?"
Cheol's cheeks burned even hotter. "It was... a few days ago," he admitted reluctantly. "And I didn't kiss her, she did."
Jinseop's grin widened. "I knew it; Miae had it in her," he said proudly. "So what? Was it good?" Jinseop wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
Cheol's expression darkened. "This is why I didn't want to tell you anything."
"Oh, come on, Cheol! Don't be like that; I'm happy for you, and for Miae; it was time!"
"It's not like that! She is mad at me, remember?" Cheol exclaimed angrily.
"Oh yes, and she's mad because...?"
"I ran," Cheol confessed. "She kissed me, I panicked, and I ran. Happy?" Cheol said miserably.
Jinseop's eyes widened in disbelief. "You... ran?" he repeated, trying to process Cheol's confession.
Cheol nodded sheepishly, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Yeah, I just... I didn't know how to react, so I kind of... bolted."
Jinseop burst into laughter again, unable to contain his amusement. "You ran away from Miae after she kissed you? Oh man, you really are something."
Cheol scowled, feeling a mix of frustration and self-deprecation. "It's not funny. I think I messed up big time."
"Well, you can say that," Jinseop commented unnecessarily; Cheol glared at him.
"Okay, okay, sorry. But seriously, why did you run? Do you like her or not?"
Cheol sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know! She's Miae, for goodness' sake."
"Well, I guess you could have your doubts," Jinseop nodded comprehensively. "She's short, she's always all over the place, and she's not that pretty."
Cheol glared at Jinseop with a stern look. "Miae is beau— not bad looking. Who are you to say those things about her?" he said threateningly.
Jinseop raised his arms in surrender. "Sorry, my bad, I would never insult your precious Miae."
Cheol grunted.
"You're a lost case, Kim Cheol," Jinseop rolled his eyes, "just admit that you like her. There's nothing wrong with it."
"We are friends," Cheol pressed.
"And?" Jinseop couldn't understand what the problem was.
"I cannot lose her friendship; I don't want anything to change. We swore that we were going to be friends forever, and I can't lose her over something like this."
"Well, Cheol, I think what you fear is already happening," Jinseop pointed to where Miae and Seo Jisu were. "You're an idiot if you think Miae would wait for you to figure out your own feelings, especially after you rejected her."
"I didn't reject her!"
"She kissed you, you ran away; that's a clear response of rejection when someone is trying to show their feelings for you."
The words sank into Cheol's chest; feelings of guilt and fear invaded him. "What can I do?"
Jinseop shrugged. "What would I know? Girls don't get mad at me, and I'm not a fool to reject someone I like."
Cheol crumpled a napkin into a ball and tossed it to Jinseop. "You are not helping!"
"Hey!" Jinseop grabbed the ball of paper and tossed it back to Cheol. "I'm here, am I not?"
"You're just here to see what I would do to that guy," Cheol huffed, using his chin to point at Seo Jisu.
"Well, yes," Jinseop smirked, not denying it. "That would be such fun to see."
Cheol rolled his eyes. Contrary to what Jinseop or others might think, getting into a fight was the last thing on his mind. It's just that when he heard from Jinseop where Miae was going to be that afternoon, jealousy had taken control of him, making him do things he never thought he would ever do, like being there watching Miae, hiding from her, with Jinseop of all people.
"Look, Cheol, the only way I see to solve this situation is by talking to Miae. But for that, you need to figure out what you feel for her. Do you like her or not? It's that simple," Jinseop suggested.
Cheol sighed, glancing over at Miae. She was smiling, that radiant smile she always wore around him, her choppy bangs tousled, the hairpin he had gifted her nowhere in sight. How could she sit there with someone else and look that beautiful?
It was no fair, Cheol thought, and the ironic thing is that it was his fault.
His mind raced back to that night she had kissed him, replaying it over and over. All the ways he could have acted differently: what if he had stayed, what if he had returned her kiss, what if he had said he liked her, what if...
Cheol was sixteen, he knew nothing about girls—God, he knew nothing about the world. But one thing he was sure of: Hwang Miae, that annoying girl who became his friend, would always be there, in his past, in his youth, in his memory... in his heart.
The unknown feeling every time she looked at him with her bright eyes, the warmth in his chest when he thought of her, the way that her presence could make everything better, and this jealousy at seeing her with someone else that wasn’t him.
It hit him.
He liked her.
He liked Hwang Miae.
"You are right," Cheol mumbled to Jinseop. He could hardly breathe. "I like her."
Jinseop, who was taking a sip of his soda, almost choked. "What?!"
"I like her," Cheol repeated with amazement in his voice. He almost laughed—the words out loud made them even more real. "I like Miae." Cheol stood up from his chair. "I have to talk to her."
"Talk to her? What?" Jinseop, alarmed by Cheol's sudden change of attitude, stood up from his chair too.
Jinseop was looking at him as if he had lost his mind. Cheol knew that, in a way, he had.
"You mean right now?! Are you crazy?"
"Yes, right now!" Cheol responded, and without another comment, he began to walk toward Miae's table.
"Yah! Kim Cheol! Wait!" Jinseop called helplessly. "Cheol!" Jinseop hissed. "Cheol!" But his friend just kept walking, so Jinseop decided then to give up and sat back in his chair, shaking his head in wonder. He knew Cheol enough to know how stubborn he could be, and when he set his mind on something, there was no way to stop him. He couldn't resist grinning, knowing this was going to be interesting.
He watched as Cheol got close to Miae's table, saw Miae's surprised face, then Cheol said something that Jinseop couldn't hear, and to his surprise, his friend grabbed Miae's wrist, and both of them ran from the restaurant without looking back.
Jinseop laughed, seeing the whole thing; Kim Cheol and Hwang Miae were both idiots, but they were his friends. Hopefully, they both could resolve things between them. Jinseop was happy if that was the case.
He looked at the leftovers on the table and sighed, realizing that he now had to pay for both Cheol's and his meals. He rolled his eyes; Cheol could get the girl, and he had to spend his money. Well, this was the perfect way to end the day.
He paid and, before leaving the restaurant, Jinseop approached where Seo Jisu was still sitting, eating. The boy just nodded as a way of recognizing his presence.
"Well... the plan went well," commented Jinseop, pointing to where Miae and Cheol had disappeared.
Jisu hummed. "It took him a while."
"Cheol is a little bit dense, but he's a nice guy. I thought it was going to take him even more time to realize, if I'm honest."
Jisu shrugged his shoulders. "Hwang Miae didn't know that both of you were here, a great achievement considering that you were not at all subtle."
Jinseop grinned. "Cheol just needed a little push in the right direction."
Jisu leaned back in his chair in that carefree way of his.
"Are you okay?" Jinseop asked curiously. "With Miae being with Cheol, I mean."
Jisu stayed silent for a few seconds. "I don't like Lucifer at all," he finally said, "but I'm happy if Hwang Miae is happy." His face was expressionless as always, but Jinseop could notice the sincerity behind his words.
"Well, it was a pleasure to work with you," Jinseop said, winking. "Not a word of this to Cheol, okay?"
Jisu rolled his eyes. "I was not planning to say anything to anybody."
Jinseop chuckled. "It's embarrassing to be the person causing jealousy and be abandoned at that, right?"
Jisu shrugged his shoulders again.
Jinseop knew that he was not going to receive another answer from the boy. "Well, I'm on my way. You should try the tteokbokki at this place; it's really good," he smiled.
On the way home, with his hands in his pockets and whistling distractedly, Jinseop realized that it felt good to do something nice for someone else once in a while. And when the next day he discovered a lollipop on his desk with a thank-you note in Cheol's handwriting, he knew that he had gained more than that—maybe, just maybe, a friend for life.