16th➳

"Do you need a plastic bag?" I asked the customer after scanning the item's barcode.

"Ani, gwaenchana," the customer replied, picking up his item after he handed the exact amount. Then he left, leaving me alone in the convenient store.

Sunggyu wasn't around and who knows where Joshua was? I haven't seen him since last week, three days after Jihoon's little street performance. I only saw him once in the court. It was a good thing the trial ended well and there were no pressed charges. I'll have to thank Joshua a lot for that.

I made an accidental encounter with Jiae and it's a good thing I was able to think of am excuse that day.

"Oh! Chaewon! What are you doing here?" she asked me then. She must've been surprised that a guest from a masquerade party was even attending a trial in court like this. If a person didn't know better, it'd look like I was following them. Or it was all just a mysterious coincidental encounter.

"Er... I'm... I wanted to see Joshua? I heard he was coming to the court today. What... are you doing here?" Playing dumb was the only thing I could think of doing. "Hokshi... are you one of the people involved in the court?"

Jiae scratched her head with a nervous smile. "Er... nae. I'm the one who filed a trial because a crazy woman harassed me because she was being a drunk sober."

"But she was only drunk," I reasoned out to her.

She looked at me, eyeing me with suspicion. "Mwo? Are you taking her side?"

"Ahㅡaniyo! I just... Juseonghaeyo, that was out of the line," I said, bowing a deep bow. "I'll be going now. Geureom."

I didn't even get to talk to Joshua that day because I didn't want to stay in the court for too long now that I've made my way into Jiae's not-on-good-terms books. I don't want to strike the iron while it's still hot or I'll get hurt even more.

I didn't even get at least a teensy text message from Joshua. Did he enjoy his date with Jiyeon so much I became someone insignificant? Maybe I was just over thinking. This is why I hated love. It made you think about useless thoughts and it made you think you're small. That you're not worth anything at all because you don't know whether he'll glance your way. You want to know about his thoughts so you try to put yourself in his perspective but you end up hurting your self-esteem in the end.
   
All my thoughts snapped away when I heard my notification make a sound. I immediately grabbed onto my phone and felt my lips fall into a frown. Speaking of the devil herself. It was a LINE message from Jiyeon.

Jiyeon: I want to meet up with you today. Please? I'll be waiting at Brownie Café. Heh, you caught me! I'm obsessed with that café. :) Meet me there!

I'm guessing she has good news to share. Who knows? Maybe she and Joshua are already dating. Ha, ha. Why was I tormenting myself so badly? I keep reminding myself this is just a dream. Part of a fairytale. I'll have to close the book and put it away and wake up just like Wendy in Peter Pan.

Since there were only three more minutes until my shift ended and for the new staff to arrive, I just waited until time's up.

♥

I walked down the streets avoiding as many people as I slowly approached the café Jiyeon texted me to meet up in. With every step I took, I felt the uneasy nervousness crept in and the pounding of my heart. There were many possibilities on why she wanted to meet meㅡwhat she could talk to me about.

What frightened me the most was the possibility of her telling me she and Joshua were dating. I can't deny my feelings anymore, but that didn't mean I could make them known to people. I can't even tell my own best friend about it because she and I seemed to possess the same set of feelings for the same boy.

Finally arriving at the café, I tried my best not to look nervousㅡor worse. I felt my face wanting to make the face you make when you're about to cry. I forced myself to look fine, seem fine and do everything fine. It was the hardest thing to do, apparently.

I pushed the door open, the ringing welcoming bell echoed around the café packed with people enjoying the drinks the café offered. Some were talking so loudly I caught a few words from their conversation. Being a curious girl, I wanted to lean in closer and eavesdrop a little more but remembered why I was here in the first placeㅡJiyeon.

I spotted her sitting in the corner of the café, quietly sipping onto her vanilla latte as she read something on her phone. I bet she was checking her SNS again.

I made my way to her table and took a seat across. She almost didn't realize I was there, really. But that was until my chair made an obvious screeching sound. "Hi, Jiyeon."

"Nari! You made it!" Jiyeon excitedly greeted, putting her phone down and giving me a warm smile. "Wait here, let me go order you a drinkㅡ"

"No, I'm fine. I drank before I came here," I immediately told her when she stood up. I really didn't like people treating me sometimes because I'll feel indebted to them. "You wanted to meet me and... why?"

Jiyeon excitedly sat down and leaned closer in the table. "I was planning on confessing to Jisoo on Valentine's Day."

Valentine's Day was in a week. My heart immediately dropped but I forced up a smile as I painfully said, "Sounds good, Jiyeon. Go for it."

I never knew lying about your feelings hurt so much. It was like a pine needle was thrown into my heartㅡit ached and oozes.

"But, Nari, are you doing okay these days? Whenever I tell you about events that happened between me and Joshua, you seem... off." Too bad, Jiyeon noticed and saw through my lie of mine. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just... a little tired from school and work, that's all," I told her, giving her a weak smile because I was too tired of forcing up a bright smile.

"Nari, tell me honestly. You like Joshua, don't you?" That made me snap my head at her direction instantly in shock.

"No! Jiyeon, I can't like him. You like him. Therefore, he is taken. It'd be absurd if I liked him, right?" I just hope a lie would be able to save our friendship. "I won't get in your way, I promise."

"That's the thing, Nari." Jiyeon frowned as she grabbed onto my hand. "I think I'm the one interfering you. I'm a person who observes people easily, you know? The way you've been replying to me whenever I talk about me and Joshua, it's obvious. This may be the first person you'll ever like and I don't want your first love to get destroyed by me. Go after him, Nari. Chase him before it's too late. Live your fairytale. Live it the way you've always read about."

I was so flustered about Jiyeon's words I didn't know what to say. I only continued to look at her with widened eyes and a mouth I slightly opened. Even if it was opened, there were no words that escaped from it.

"I actually never planned on confessing, Nari. I just wanted to see the way you'd respond to it. The whole week last week, I felt like I was burdening Jisoo. I felt like I was slicing into the middle of what you two share. That's why I've been planning for this day for a while now."

"Jiyeon..." was all I could say. I wasn't sure how to feel about this. Happy? Confused? Relieved? I hate those moments where you can't just feel one feeling. "I... I..."

"Valentine's Day, Nari," she said, giving me a wink. "Promise me that you'll confess by then?"

"Whyㅡ"

"It's your first love. Aren't you curious on how it'll start, how it'll go on, and how it'll..." Jiyeon didn't finish her sentence, which left me hanging and curious. "Point is, you have to chase for your happiness, Nari. Maybe it's wrong that I'm helping you chase it, but I want you to be happy."

At least I got something cleared out. But why hasn't Joshua been contacting me for a week now? He wasn't one to just stop sending messages. Even if he did, he'll at least send an apology and tell me why he hasn't contact, why he won't be contacting me and etc.

"I'm going to head ahead. My mom's been yelling to me to go to the academy I keep skipping. I have to go today," Jiyeon complained, letting out a long and loud groan. "I'll see you around, kiddo."

"Kiddo?" That was new. She even ruffled my hair like I was some little kid. "Bye, eomma."

"Well, at least I'm not a halmohni," she sheepishly answered with a cute smile before waving goodbye and rushing out of the café. I decided to leave afterwards since I didn't have any business left in there.

In the streets, I walked with a heavy head filled with thoughts. I wasn't sure whether I should feel happy that I entertained these thoughts, or nervous that I might be confessing to the boy I ended up liking without another warning.

As the snow started falling down from the sky, I continued to think about the selca Joshua left for me before we didn't talk to each other for days. It made me stretch into a smile.

♥

It's been four days since Jiyeon made it clear her feelings for Jisoo ended, but still no sign of Hong Jisoo himself. I haven't heard from him since and early term exams were drawing near. In three weeks, to be exact.

Don't get me wrong, Joshua and I have talked in school, in class, but our conversations never went over five sentences. In my eyes, he seemed pretty occupied and I wonder what's keeping him from reality.

Honestly, it kind of saddens me to know he isn't going to the convenient store to work with me because he's always heading somewhere else in a rush. I asked him once why he was like that and where he was going but he always seem to change the subject about it.

Him acting this way was taking a big impact in me liking him. It was as if I finally bought the toy I wanted but the moment I play with it, I realize it wasn't all great and that it wasn't what I was expecting. But even though it seems that way, there's a part somewhere in me that Joshua continues to stay, constantly tugging onto a string of my heart.

I walked alone to the convenient store again. I was getting used to it, since I've been walking there alone for a week now. Sunggyu was already there inside the store, a white earpiece in one ear as his head was lowered, looking at his phone placed on the cashier.

"Annyeong," I greeted, tapping lightly onto the cashier counter.

Sunggyu snapped his head up, confused for a second but smiled after his mind processed everything. "Oh! Nari-yah! Annyeong!"

"What are you watching?" I asked, taking a glimpse of his phone's screen that was displaying a video.

"Let's Go Dream Team," he replied before he let out a hearty laugh. "It's the Indiana Jones special. The huge boulder is scary and the reaction of the ones competing is hilarious, especially Jaemin-sshi."

I nodded before putting my bag down and grabbing my apron. I haven't watched many k-varities because they didn't seem to leave an interest on me. I guess it was a habitㅡif it's nothing like the cartoons, it's nothing good.

As I was about to go to workㅡto mop the floors, ughㅡmy phone suddenly rang. I took it out of my apron's pocket and my eyes widened.

It was a call from Joshua.

Without a second to loose, I quickly swiped the answer button and held it up to my ear, "Yeobosaeyo? Jisoo?"

"Nari?" Joshua asked on the other line. I've never been this happy to hear his voice. Now I just sound like some crazy stalker.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying not to smile. But it wouldn't hurt if I did. It wasn't like he could see me smiling.

"This is out of the blue and you're probably working now but... can you come meet me here at Han River?"

I couldn't help but break into a larger smile. Gosh, the things this boy can do to me. "Su...re. Um, let me just see if I can leave for a while."

"You can. I've already called and asked sajang-nim before I called you," he said.

"Um... okay. I'll be right there."

♥

The weather was chilly so I pulled my jacket closer to keep myself warm. I'm pretty sure my fingers nails were turning purple, showing the obvious signs of me freezing to death in this cold. I hope this was worth it.

I spotted Joshua standing near the river, overlooking the large body of water with his hands tucked deeply in his coat. His hair was let down, making him look even more handsome than he has ever been.

I didn't understand why I felt nervous or even why I felt colder than I originally felt. It wasn't important, so I just walked up to Joshua, giving him a light tap on his shoulder. "Hey."

Joshua turned to his side and noticed me, then smiled. "You made it."

"So, um, why'd you ask to meet me?" I asked, taking a seat on the bench five steps backwards. He took a seat next to me as well.

"I wanted to apologized for not talking to you these past days. I never even explained why I was so distant to you," Joshua began, huffing a sigh which was visible due to the cold air. "It's my sister. She wants me to business to prepare me for the business in the future. So I have been busy with it. I should've texted you but I was even too busy for it. I'm really sorry, Nari."

My lips couldn't help but curl into a smile. I was glad to know he wasn't ignoring me all these times. "It's okay, Jisoo. You didn't have to apologize like this. You could have just explained to me. I would have understand."

Being a gentleman, Joshua smiled and lightly protested, "I had to apologize, Nari. It's the right way. But you really forgive me?"

"Of course, Jisoo," I said, standing up from the bench. "Now I have to go back to work. Sunggyu might not be happy that I left him alone to work there."

"Nari?"

"Yeah?"

I turned around to face Joshua and instead of him speaking to me, I felt his arms wrap around me as he pulled me close into a warm hug. I swore, it felt like I tore a page from a perfect storybook and lived in it.

~Author's Notes~

They hugged! Eee!! How adorable! ♥ haha ;))

I have my second term exams starting tomorrow, ugh, so I'll see you Kimichies after they're done. Save me. I don't want to go throught h

xoxo

Byun Sang Kyung