Nae Chingu (My Friends)
Chapter Seventeen
Much like the first day, I finished work within enough time to the school bus and groggily praised myself for a good job as I hiked back the eight blocks to catch it. I had missed dinner and breakfast again but my stomach seemed oddly quiet, so all-in-all I wasn't doing too bad.
I managed to stay awake for the first part of school and when lunch came, Annabeth was right by my side ready to walk arm in arm. I couldn't find the strength to refuse her. We walked to the lunch room followed by a very quiet Derek and Brian. I had almost forgot about Brian and I's argument until I boarded the bus that morning. Brian refrained from saying anything to me and no one else had given me a weird look, not even Derek as he'd waved to me, so I assumed Brian hadn't shared our conversation with everyone else.
We got in line, loaded our trays and sat down at what I had termed the "Foreign Exchange Table" since no one ever sat in our table--almost like it was always reserved for us only. Much like the previous day I ate my food quickly but this time when I finished, I was uncomfortable. I felt nauseous and although it didn't help very much, I held my stomach hoping that it would stop aching so much.
Brian didn't say more than a few words throughout the entire lunch period and Derek just seemed to be eyeing me closely. This was one of the moments I was thankful to Annabeth because she didn't allow the silence to get awkward. She talked about all sorts of things to fill in the time and it wasn't long before we were being dismissed from lunch to go back to our classrooms. My stomachache didn't ease until school was almost ever and by then, I was ready to go home and sleep.
Just a couple of months, I told myself. It had started to become a mantra in my head earlier when I was cleaning the club but now as I repeated the words, it seemed that the next couple of months could quite possibly be the longest of my life. I waited til the bus was all but empty before getting off.
I hadn't watched to see if everyone got off but Brian called my name as soon as I stood up to get off myself. "Lily, I want to talk to you for a second."
"Brian, I'm tired," I said and even to my own ears I sounded exhausted.
"Look, hear me out," he said as he walked up the bus aisle to me and pointed to the seat I had just vacated. "You look dead on your feet, just sit for a sec and listen, okay?"
I couldn't even put up a good argument so I just sat down. I promised myself I wouldn't make the same mistake as yesterday and I would keep my mouth shut and just let him do all the talking. It was the same thing I'd done with my father for years, how hard could it be with Brian?
"I made a mistake yesterday," he started. "I made an assumption when I shouldn't have so I want to apologize for that but you also made an assumption"
"Excuse me," I asked him, offended. This was a pretty crappy apology if he was placing blame on me.
"You know," he leaned back in the seat he was in and looked thoughtful. "This program was my girlfriend's idea. She wanted to come to Korea and I wanted whatever she wanted so we both applied and took the exams. I got in," he shrugged. "She didn't," he finished. "It seems like we've been together since we were in diapers," he continued without prompting. "Our parents are old high school friends and everyone considered us cousins so when we started dating in middle school well, 'shocked' was a bit of an understatement."
I didn't understand why he was telling me all this but I was seeing a whole new side of Brian. I was reluctantly getting sucked into the story and my anger started to ebb.
"They got used to the idea once they realized how much we loved each other but I gotta say," I looked up at him when he paused and I could literally see the pain etched on his face. "The day we got our letters in the mail was both the hardest and saddest day we've ever had to face. I was going to withdraw my application except she wouldn't let me. We fought," he took a breath and seemed to swallow a lump in his throat. "We almost ended our relationship except neither of us could bring ourselves to do it so I came to Korea and she stayed home."
"Why," I asked suddenly. It was clear that Brian loved his girlfriend, his eyes shined and I knew he was holding back tears.
"Because she hasn't given up on her dream," he laughed humorlessly. "She turned a negative into a positive by building an elaborate future for us. Her idea is that I'll get a handle on all things Korean and whens she comes over it'll be an easier transition. She has this expectation that I'll be fluent in the Korean language by the time she gets here," he shook his head in doubt and chuckled quietly. "I wont, of course but for her, I'm willing to try."
"How are you guys doing now," I asked him.
"We miss each other," he told me. "We miss each other a lot and it's hard," he added. "Our parents are really supportive so in a couple weeks her and our parents are coming to visit but I haven't decided if I'll miss her more or less after she leaves again."
"Why are you telling me all this," I had gotten wrapped up in the story and forgot that I wanted to keep a distance from him.
"Because I wanted to show you that although your story may be different, don't forget that we all have our stories and they're all going to be different. So don't assume that your story is any worse or better than someone else's," he looked pointedly at me.
I just got scolded, I thought. By Brian, of all people. I didn't know what to say so I just stayed silent but Brian must have picked up on my uneasiness. "You don't have to say anything, you don't even have to say sorry. I just," he paused. "Wanted to tell you that you aren't alone even though you feel like you are. From the sounds of it, you've had a tough time of it. Tougher than most but you have the power to change your future," he slapped his hands on his knees and stood up. I craned my neck to look up at him. "That's all I have to say so, I'll just leave you to figure out what it is that you want."
He left me on the bus to think about what he'd said. I wasn't angry or arrogant enough to believe that I was the only one who'd had a hard life. In fact, Brian's story was very eye-opening and it was cause for some serious reflection. What was it I wanted? I thought about it and realized my previous mistake. My goal had been to stay in Korea and although it had been a very good goal, it had also been a very singular goal. I hadn't thought past that goal, in fact I had been winging it since day one and all I'd received in return was obstacle after obstacle. I needed to come up with a plan and figure what I wanted in the long term sense but I wasn't going to do it sitting on the bus, I sighed.
I exited the bus and made my way inside and just like Monday, I'd only made it a few steps before someone shouted my name from across the room. I turned and saw Mae Ri waving from the couch with Jong Hwa and Ji Soo by her side. I had forgotten that they was coming after school today, I glanced at my phone to check the time. I had spent more time than I thought thinking about my life on the bus.
"Mae Ri-ya," I smiled and walked over.
"Jong Hwa has something to tell you," she pointed eagerly at Jong Hwa who was looking extremely uncomfortable.
"Mwo," I looked at him. I think if I hadn't been looking at him, he'd have given Mae Ri a dirty look. Ji Soo patted her hand as if he knew her faux pas. Mae Ri, as usual, was oblivious.
"I, ah," he scratched his eyebrow. "I'll tell you later," he said sheepishly.
"But--" Mae Ri started.
"Mae Ri-ya," Ji Soo chided lightly and squeezed her hand. I would have missed it had I not been looking at them at that moment. Mae Ri looked down at their joined hands and looked back up at Ji Soo. Their eyes connected for a minute before Mae Ri looked away and pulled her hand out of Ji Soo's. Ji Soo looked down, then at me and for the first time I realized he liked her. I purposefully cocked an eyebrow at Ji Soo who gave me one of his cocky little smiles before turning back to Jong Hwa who hadn't, by the look on his face, missed the interaction either.
"You guys must be Lily's friends, I think I saw you here the other day too," Annabeth came waltzing up and linked arms with me. It had become so normal in the last five days that I barely blinked an eye until Mae Ri stood up and pointed at our joined arms.
"Ya," she had a look of outrage on her face and before any of us could stop her she pushed herself in between us until Annabeth let go of my arm and then she linked arms with me herself.
"Mae Ri-ya," I hissed at her rudeness.
"We haven't even been apart for five days and already you have a new best friend," Mae Ri said fiercely.
"What are you talking about," I was surprised that she'd even think that. I'd been here for over three years and the only friends I'd really ever made had been these three. How could she possibly think that in five days I'd made best friends with Annabeth? And then it hit me. Because Annabeth wasn't Korean. Technically, we were kindred spirits due to our nationalities and that made me wonder how I'd feel if I saw Mae Ri arm in arm with some other girl? I decided it'd make me feel horrible, like I'd been replaced.
"Did I do something wrong," Annabeth asked.
"Not at all, hold on," I told her and turned back to Mae Ri. "You are my best friend, that will never change," I stressed the word never. It was true, I thought. I couldn't imagine my life without Mae Ri, she'd been such a strong presence and a huge support since I met her that I couldn't imagine her not ever being around. "I promise," I told her and stuck my pinky out.
She gave me a doubting eye before linking her pinky with mine and we pressed our thumbs together. "You promised," she said and I nodded.
"You'll have to excuse Mae Ri, she's very protective," I told Annabeth who only smiled and nodded.
"Choegoui chingu*," Annabeth asked as she pointed between the two of us and just as I went to correct her pronunciation, Mae Ri shook her head.
"Aniyo, gajang chinhan chingu*," Mae Ri corrected her.
"Ga-jang chin, I'm sorry, could you repeat that," Annabeth said slowly.
"Ga-jang chin-han chin-gu," Mae Ri reiterated.
"Mae Ri-ya, jjamkkanman," Mae Ri nodded and let me talk to Annabeth. "Remember what I said the other day about there being multiple ways to say something. This is exactly what I am talking about. 'Choegoui' does mean 'best' but it means like 'best at'. It's synonymous with 'top' or 'ultimate'. Oh, like 'best in show'."
"So what does 'gajang chin-chin'," she paused to try and think of the correct phrase.
"Gajang chinhan chingu," I told her. "Well, 'gajang' means 'most' and 'chinhan' means friendly so when all the words are put together it basically means 'most friendly friend' or, as we would say, 'best friends'."
Annabeth digested this and breathed out a long breath, "Man, this just gets more and more complicated."
I couldn't help but chuckle, "I know. But like I said, it's easier when you see fluent speakers speaking the language rather than reading it."
"Well, do you guys mind if I watch you talk," Annabeth asked while she looked at all four of us. "I suppose that would be kind of weird, huh?"
"Not at all, that's about how I learned too. Jong Hwa," I pointed to him. He'd been looking somewhere else when I'd said his name but now I had his attention. "He speaks English so he was able to do a lot of translating to make it easier."
"What are you saying to her," Mae Ri asked and looked at Annabeth suspiciously.
"She wants to learn the language and wants to listen to us talk," I told her and she only pouted for a minute.
"But we can still hang out, right?" Mae Ri asked.
"Of course," I told her and motioned for her to sit back down on the couch. Annabeth and I snagged a couple of chairs and pulled them up until we were gathered together in a semi-circle. Because I hadn't changed out of my school uniform, I put my backpack over my lap to hide my legs.
"Omo, that reminds me," Mae Ri said while she groped around for her own backpack. "I saw these and I though they'd be perfect for your school uniform!" She rustled things around in her bag before she pulled out a small package and handed it to me. My jaw dropped as soon as I saw the front picture. There was no way I'd ever get caught wearing these! They were navy blue nylons with big white star patterns in varying sizes up and down the legs.
"Mae Ri-ya, no," I shook my head and looked at her. She had the biggest smile pasted on her face but it started to dim the moment I said I wouldn't wear them.
"But come on, they match perfectly," she stood pointed to the picture. "The blue and the white, the white matches your lapel," to illustrate her point, she pointed to my lapel.
"I am not going to wear these," I told her and tried to hand them back. Ji Soo took them from me and gave them a considering eye.
"Actually, these aren't all that bad," he said and looked from the picture to my legs and back again.
I had the sudden urge to cover my legs up but I couldn't get my backpack to cover both my lap and my calves at the same time.
"They might make your knees look less awkward," Ji Soo said and gave my knees a calculating look.
I jerked my backpack over my knees to hide them from Ji Soo's gaze. Jong Hwa, with a smile on his face, lightly elbowed Ji Soo and said, "There's nothing wrong with her knees."
"Thank you, Jong Hwa," I said quickly as I dropped my backpack in an effort to catch the nylons that Ji Soo tossed back to me.
"Let me see them," Annabeth said shyly. I handed them to her and she smiled quickly. "Oh these are cute! Are you going to wear them," she asked, not having been able to make sense of our conversation.
"Absolutely not," I denied quickly. "Have you seen the stuff she wears," I asked irrationally because obviously Annabeth had only seen her twice which was not nearly enough tmes to see the magnitude of some of Mae Ri's outfits. I pointed to Mae Ri as if to prove my point. Much like every other day of the week, Mae Ri was wearing one of her typical outfits. Under the tan skirt she wore maroon and white polka dotted nylons with white socks that had a frilly fringe barely sticking out of her two-inched, beige, Mary Jane's.
"You wish you had as much style as her," Ji Soo said underneath his breath.
"Mwo?" I huffed in indignation.
Jong Hwa was too busy laughing to stand up for me this time and it went on like this another few minutes before Mae Ri finally put an end to the conversation, "Ya, ya, ya, settle down." She reached back into her backpack and pulled out another package of nylons and tossed them to me.
I cringed as I looked at the picture on the front. I was relieved when I saw that they were plain, navy blue nylons with no special designs, "Thank you, Mae Ri." I nodded graciously to her.
"I told you she wouldn't go for the stars," Mae Ri said to Ji Soo who nodded.
"Indeed you did," he shook his head in mock disappointment.
"Ya, jugeulae?" I raised my fist slightly as if I was going to hit him and gave him my best angry face but he simply stared at me before looking to Mae Ri. They shared a moment before laughing at my expense.
"Kyuteu*," Mae Ri pointed at me while she laughed.
"Ya!" I yelled loud enough to turn heads.
***
It was reaching time for them to leave and I knew I had to get to bed since I'd have to be up in a few hours to get to my job. I debated on telling the others about it but decided against it, all it would do is give them cause to worry and that was the last thing I wanted.
"Where's the bathroom," Jong Hwa asked when he stood up. I pointed to the hallway that lead to the kitchen where the bathrooms were located. "Second door on the right," I told him. He nodded and left.
While he was away I took the time to try and give the star-studded nylons back to Mae Ri. She graciously accepted them back but turned to Annabeth unexpectedly and said in English, "You like?"
"Oh, ne," Annabeth responded in Korean.
"Keep," Mae Ri said and handed the nylons over to Annabeth who accepted them excitedly. I couldn't help but smile. It felt kind of nice to mix my old life with my new one and it made me feel lighter than I had in weeks.
A minute later, Ji Soo pulled out his phone and read a message. "Is that your father," I asked him. He nodded slightly before closing his phone.
"Well, shall we?" Ji Soo asked as he gestured towards the direction of the main entrance.
"We have to wait for--" I started to say before Jong Hwa came up behind me, I hadn't seen him come from the hallway. "Oh, hey," I said with a smile. He looked concerned about something which couldn't have been a good sign if he'd just returned from the bathroom. "Are-are you ok," I asked him.
He looked up at me distracted and just stared. I was just about to wave my hand in front of his face to see if he was even paying attention when he finally nodded and gave me a halfhearted smile, "Yeah."
"You sure," I asked again to make sure.
"Yeah," he nodded once again and picked up his jacket from the couch.
He said he was sure, I told myself. No need to worry.
I walked them to the front foyer and gave Mae Ri a hug. Ji Soo did his usual shoulder grab and a quick nod. I turned to Jong Hwa thinking we'd also share a quick goodbye but he waved the other two off who left without so much as a glance back.
Once again we were alone and the butterflies in my stomach made me feel bubbly. "What's up," I asked him once the others were out of sight.
"I had something I wanted to tell you but--" he stopped and looked behind me at the door. I remembered what had happened the last time when Derek had interrupted our private moment and I knew Jong Hwa was remembering the same thing. "Can you come outside for a second," he asked me.
"Sure," I said and zipped up my coat to help block the chilly air. It had started to warm up a little but not nearly enough to consider it actually 'warm'.
We went outside and walked about a block before Jong Hwa stopped and turned to me. "I got accepted into the college I wanted," he told me abruptly.
It took me a moment to let his words sink in before I realized the importance of them. "Jinjja? JINJJA?"
He smiled broadly and nodded. Unable to contain myself I pulled him into my arms and jumped up and down. "Oh my god, Jong Hwa that's great! Oh, I'm so proud of--"
Without warning Jong Hwa pulled me close and pressed his lips to mine and time stopped. My first kiss wasn't anything like what the Korean dramas I had seen depicted which made surprise kisses seem awkward. I was surprised to find it was one of the most natural things in the world. His lips were soft and gentle as they pressed against mine. It only took a couple of seconds before my eyes closed and I eased into the moment. He pulled away after a few more seconds and just looked at my face like he was evaluating my reaction. When I made no moves to push him away, he closed the distance again and this time I responded with less surprise and more feeling.
I clung to his jacket and pulled him as close as our jackets would allow. I turned my face slightly so the kiss could go a little deeper and we stayed like that for what felt like forever. There was no pressure to go further and certainly no burning need like I had read in some of my books but it was simple and natural and...a relief. A feeling of contentment had fallen over me and I didn't want to let it go.
When the moment did finally break, we both pulled away and just stared at each other. I think he had been just as surprised as I had been from the kiss. The look on his face clearly showed that he hadn't meant to take that step but it was also clear we were both happy he had. However, the kiss wasn't nearly as shocking as what he said next.
"I love you," Jong Hwa said in a huff of breath. After he said it, he looked a little embarrassed, and he looked down and away from my eyes. The way his eyes kept darting back and forth on the ground I knew he was thinking about what he'd just said.
I felt a pain in my chest, I had hoped when someone had finally told me they loved me that it would be a for sure thing but Jong Hwa looked like he was debating whether or not he'd made a fatal mistake. I took a slow step back from him and tried not to show my inner pain. The heat that had just warmed my lips turned to ice and chilled me to the bone. If I could have disappeared in that moment, I would have.
"Look, Jong Hwa," I swallowed to keep my voice from cracking. "I won't hold you to that. You were in the heat of the--"
"No," Jong Hwa reached out and gripped my wrist. "I love you. I said it thoughtlessly but I do love you." He closed the distance between us and touched my cheek. I couldn't help turning my face into the palm of his hand. "I love you, Lily Smith."
I felt a hot tear splash down my face and I hastily wiped it away. I had thought I would feel over joyed in this moment but all I felt was fear and sadness. It was like a war was waging inside of me, I wanted Jong Hwa to love me because I loved him and had for so long but I was afraid that he'd leave me just like everyone else had. I knew that if--when, I corrected--when Jong Hwa left, it would kill me inside but it had all changed tonight, I thought. Now that he'd said it out loud, I knew when he left, it would kill me for real.
"No, Jong Hwa," it took all my strength to pull away from the warm hand that was gently cupping my cheek. "I can't-we can't." I shook my head and stepped away from him.
"Lily," Jong Hwa said my name hastily as his grip tightened on my wrist. "Why can't we--"
"We just can't," I said fiercely and pulled my arm free. "I'm sorry," I said before turning away and jogging back to my dorm.
I tried not to be disappointed when he didn't follow me right away but I also didn't wait around in the front foyer to see if he would. I flew through the common room to get to my room as fast as I could.
I had just been told everything I'd ever wanted to hear from a guy and I couldn't even trust that what he was saying was true. I was so screwed up. Even if he had been telling me the truth about loving me, after my frantic retreat outside, it would be sure to scare him off or at the very least make him question whether he wanted to love a messed up girl like me.
Tears welled up in my eyes and I knew there was no hope of helping them tonight. Emily sat at her desk typing on her laptop with earbuds in her ears. She's spared me a glance when I'd come into the room but now she was fully engrossed in whatever she was doing at her desk to pay attention to me. I changed into my make-shift pajamas, compete with jacket, and crawled up to bed.
The kiss and the confession of love kept replaying over and over in my head and I feared that I might go crazy before the sun even rose in the sky the next morning. Concentrate on falling asleep, Lily, I told myself. I had a job to do in a couple of hours and I needed to worry about making a living and providing for my future. Brian's earlier words had struck a cord with me and I decided I would forget about tonight and work on building the future I wanted.
I was counting sheep in my head for the third time in an attempt to fall asleep when my phone beeped next to my head. I picked it up and saw I had received a message on Line. I bit my lip when I saw that it was from Jong Hwa and debated on whether to open it or not.
Now I'd really never get to sleep if I didn't read it, I hesitantly opened it up and read his words carefully:
I don't know exactly what happened tonight but I do know some things. I don't regret kissing you. It's probably one of the best moments of my life and I hope it was for you too. I don't know if I'm any good because I've never kissed a girl before.It was, I thought as I put my phone back on the bed. It was for me too Jong Hwa. Thinking that was all he'd wanted to say, I was surprised when my phone went off again. The next message was longer:
I also know that I love you. I have been in love with you for a long time and I know I will continue to love you for a long time to come. I think I know why you're scared of that and I'm sorry that you felt the need to run away from me tonight. Watching you go, it was hard. Really hard.I knew that couldn't be all he'd had to tell me so I waited as he sent his next text. Another minute later and my phone beeped once again:
Please don't run away next time. Please talk to me. Think about what I said, hmm? Sleep well. Love you.I knew that would be the last message from him so I put my phone away and curled into my pillow and cried. My fingers itched to pick my phone back up and tell him I loved him too. That I had loved him probably from the moment he convinced his mom to put me in his classroom but I didn't pick up my phone. Instead I convinced myself that his feelings had only sprouted from his concern for me after what had happened with my father. As time when on, he'd realize this and he'd be horrified by the things he said tonight.
I tossed and turned for the next four hours until my alarm went off again. Nevertheless I groggily got up and told myself that I didn't have school today which meant that once I was off from work, I could come back and sleep more. It was the only reason I was able to get myself out of bed that morning. The events of the previous night were a bit hazy as pure exhaustion clouded my mind and muddled my thoughts.
It's only for a few months, I told myself. It's only temporary...
***
Jong Hwa...
The last two hours with Lily was refreshing, to say the least. She seemed to be back to her old self and even made a new friend. Annabeth was nice and sweet and I was glad that her and Lily had connected with each other. Mae Ri even seemed to warm up to Annabeth once she got over her jealousy of not being able to stay by Lily's side all the time. I glanced around a few times to see the two boys that had been by Lily's side the last time we visited but they seemed to be keeping their distance tonight. However, I did catch them watching us a couple of times and it made me clench my fists whenever I saw that Derek guy watching Lily closely. It took all my strength to not reach over and take a hold of her hand.
When it was time to go, I asked Lily where the bathroom was in order to stall for a little more time. When I reached the bathroom, I pulled out my phone and sent Ji Soo a text message saying I wanted to tell Lily my news alone. I hoped they said their goodbyes before I left the bathroom, I thought. I was idly leaning against the counter of the six-stalled bathroom waiting when the door swung open again and Derek came through.
Of all the people to come to the bathroom in that exact moment, I hadn't wanted it to be this guy. I pushed off the counter and cleared my throat as I stuck my hands in my pockets. I nodded my head and said, "It's all yours," before attempting to make my way towards the door he'd come through.
"Wait," Derek said and held up a hand. "I just--I wanted to say something."
"What," I said and tried to keep my annoyance out of my voice. Under normal circumstances I considered myself a rational person and I wasn't quick to emotion but this guy seemed to get under my skin. "I'm sorry, what do you need?" I asked in a somewhat more normal voice, I hoped.
"I know you've got something going on with Lily and I respect that," he said first. "I just--this is weird." He sighed and chuckled as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, I just wanted you to know that you don't have to worry about Lily while she's here. I won't, ah, I won't infringe," he stuck his hands in his pockets.
With nothing else to say really, I just nodded and said, "Thank you." I still couldn't bring myself to like the guy, or even be friendly with him only because I knew that he still liked her. Despite understanding that Lily was extremely likable, I still didn't like the idea that anyone else liked Lily besides me. I turned around to leave the bathroom, hoping that this little discussion had given the others enough time to say goodbye but he stopped me again.
"Hey, just one more thing," he said and cleared his throat. "Does-does Lily not eat a lot?"
That was a weird question, I thought. Was this guy a pervert? Something on my face must have given away my inner thoughts because he jumped in quickly to explain his question.
"It's just that, well, I don't actually see her eat a lot. She's only been to dinner twice since she got here, that was her first day and tonight and breakfast," he looked at the wall behind me as if thinking about something. "I've only actually seen her eat breakfast once."
I stopped to think about his question. We had eaten all the time when we were together, I remembered. We'd eat ramyeon or stuffed buns at the convenient store after school. Sometimes we'd splurge when we felt like it and got something a little more fancy at a pojangmacha* like tteokbokki* or fish cakes but from what I could recall, Lily liked to eat.
"The only time I really see her eat is at lunch when we're at school and she eats her food so fast that she looks like she's starving every day when she comes to lunch," Derek tacked idly on after a moment.
Now that got my attention, "Lily eats fast at lunch?"
"Yeah, like, really fast. Her food is gone within minutes," Derek nodded as if to confirm his own words.
That wasn't like Lily at all, she never ate quickly. She'd once told me that she felt self-conscious about her weight so she would eat slowly as if to appear like she wasn't 'stuffing her face', I think, had been her term. Even now, years later, Lily was always one of the last to finish her food regardless of what kind of food it was.
"Thank you for telling me," I said slowly to Derek and brushed past him to exit the bathroom. Lily and the others were still where I'd left them and Ji Soo and Mae Ri hadn't said their goodbyes. I caught Ji Soo's gaze first and pointed to the pocket that had my phone sticking out. He got the hint and pulled out his own and read my message. By the time I reached them, he nodded at no one in particular and put away his phone.
"Well, shall we?" Ji Soo raised his hands as if to usher everyone towards the doors.
"We have to wait for--Oh hey," Lily said to me when I came back. She must have seen the concern on my phone because she asked me if I was okay. I told her I was and we eventually made our way to the front foyer. The other two said their goodbyes and left immediately, Ji Soo must have told Mae Ri at some point that I wanted to be alone with Lily because she left without hesitation.
I hadn't known at the time how different the night would become just by asking Lily to come outside with me. I certainly hadn't expected to kiss her or tell her I loved her. But by far the biggest surprise of the night had been when she'd walked away from me without a second glance.
To Be Continued...
***
So, we've all heard of Konglish--it's English but with a Korean accent, well the following is Korea's version of Konglish, it's an English word that's made to sound and be spelled as if it is Korean.
*Kyuteu: "cute"
*Pojangmacha: Korean's have, what I refer to as New York-esque, street vendors that sell snack type foods.
*Tteokbokki: Snack that commonly served at Pojangmacha's. It's a rice noodle in sweet/spicy red-pepper paste. (It's very good!)
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