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THIRD PERSON

"Do you think Professor Min is gay?" Taegan whispered while Joy looked ahead of her, sullen and not properly dressed like she usually is. It was that one week out of the month where her hormones felt better than the cramps underneath her stomach.

Not only was her body against her but she's been overthinking lately. Six dates have passed and Namjoon still hasn't popped the question. She wasn't expecting marriage this time but a simple gesture that would seal the deal.

She would occasionally look behind her and was met with the same dimpled smile she saw often. With each smile she got more and more confused during the class. She turned around again and this time she got a kiss blown at her. His friends may have cringed around him but he didn't care.

Why won't he ask me to be his girlfriend already?

"Joy? You're making those lines on your forehead again. What's wrong?" Taegan asked and turned her body slightly towards her friend. Joy had even forgotten she was in class and started to slouch while groaning.

"How many dates does it take for someone to consider you their girlfriend?"

"Depends on the person."

"What if the person was a 5'11 mafia care bear with dimples?"

"Oh, then never."

"WHAT?!" Joy accidentally shouted. Professor Min looked up from the book in his hand with an annoyed expression. It was a silent reading session for the class yet Joy hasn't turned a page. She silently apologized then sank into her seat.

"Calm down, daddy's girl. I thought he asked you already?" Taegan turned the next page of the book before chewing down on the grapes she brought with her. Joy shook her head, finally opening the book and glancing behind her again.

Namjoon was reading, silently reading the words to himself in the most adoring way. Joy almost wanted to shout on the top of her lungs 'be my boyfriend already you sexy fuck', but she would rather save herself from the embarrassment and the extra homework assignment.

"I had assumed you shoo were dating." Taegan mumbled with her mouth full.

"Why would you say that?" Joy picked up one of the grapes.

"Well obviously you two like each other and you're always with him at this point. You've never stayed in the dorm for more than an hour now and you're wearing his hoodie."

Joy looked down at her appearance and completely forgot he gave it to her after they played paintball. It was something to cheer her up after she lost so badly. It reeked with his cologne and all Joy wanted to do was ravish it, keep it glued onto her body until she got sick of the smell.

"Plus the whole campus knows you as his 'mystery girl'." Taegan sarcastically waved her hands around before turning the next page. Joy raised an eyebrow, interested as to what her high friend was talking about (smoking weed before class was how she wanted to start her day).

"Care to elaborate?"

Taegan sighed before discreetly pulling out her phone and placing in between the book, checking to see if Professor Min was looking up. Once the coast was clear, she made sure it was on silent before handing Joy the phone.

She looked down at the phone in pure awe and surprise. Pictures and close ups of the dates they've been on. A paintball gun for that catastrophe she experienced, the signed bowling pin they got for accidentally winning a tournament, and Joy's all time favorite was the date to the carnival.

"He's been posting them for days now. Everyone who's anyone on campus is talking about you. You've literally won over the gay's."

"W-Well I—Is that a good or a bad thing? Is everyone else thinking we're a couple because it doesn't feel like it to me. What if he's only using me to get likes off the app?"

"Joy listen to yourself." Taegan placed her hand on her best friend's shoulder. "The app only launched a few days ago so there's no form of clout chasing here. Secondly, everyone has their own opinion. That doesn't mean you should go ahead and listen to it. Lastly—"

"I hope that conversation is just as good as Mariam's life ladies."

Ahh shit.

The two besties froze up, not even trying to make eye contact with the annoyed professor staring right at them. For a large room they were seated in the front today, trying to be the studious college kids they wanted to be but failing miserably.

"O-Of course it is sir. We're discussing how traumatic her childhood was while growing up. How cruel and—"

"You can't classify someone else's experiences in life as trauma." Professor Min cut Joy off, something most people wouldn't dare to do. He folded his glasses and placed them on his desk, taking his feet down and standing up.

"You think I'm purposely making you read this just to get a group of sappy college students? That's literally the nightmare I had last night." He chuckled and got a few girly squeals from the back.

"Those traumatic experiences is someone's daily life. Being married off to an older man they don't even know and ultimately forcing them to start a family—" he waved the book around— "This is reality. Everyday when you leave this class you're facing reality the hardest way possible. I'm letting you use this book as a guide to get you through reality. She's all ready been through it, so when are you?"

As much as Joy wanted to pull the spoiled brat tantrum and call her father to fire Professor Min, he was right. He was stupidly right and handsome all around. She couldn't compete with his logic.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a magnificent story, too good for our time and will remain a classic.

It just took a Joy a while to realize how close the theme hit her poor little heart.

When did this class become my therapist?

"That brings us to our next portion of this lesson. Your first ever project will be a partnership. Creating a short story or narrative. The theme is, you guessed it, reality. Write a moment in time where your characters had to face the obvious truth. How they choose to deal with it is up to you. That's all for class." Professor Min moved back to his chair while everyone got ready to leave.

Taegan got giddy while Joy still dreaded the moment. Writing was Taegan's strong point, the thing she lived and breathe off of.

She immediately turned to her best friend but to her surprise Joy was looking behind her. Namjoon was already walking down to take her to their new coffee spot, Joy immediately standing up, leaving her best friend behind.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah. See yah later Tia."

Taegan sighed, "Sure....partner."

***

NAMJOON

I put my phone on silent and in my back pocket  before looking up at the cashier. I smiled and thanked them before taking our orders back to my car. There in the passenger's was someone I could't get out my head. The first girl in a long time to make me so nervous I slip up on my words and my hands get all sweaty.

"Get in the car before they freeze up dork!" Joy shouted and I could only shake my head. She was something else. Something different. I got back in the car and she quickly buckled her seat belt, excited to eat by the board walk.

The drive there was the best as usual. My hand on her thigh while she sang, danced, and performed everything on her playlist. When we parked by the park we made our way over to the dock and chose a bench to sit by.

Joy immediately started digging through the bags, chewing on my fries instead of hers.

"A big mouth and an appetite? How lucky can a guy like me get?" I joked while she threw a fry at me.

"Hush it. It's not like you got anything big to fit it."

"You wanna bet?" I looked over at her and my heart nearly skipped a beat. Joy was wrapped up in my hoodie, her eyes focused solely on me, her hair a cute mess from what it usually is.

"You lost the first one." She challenged.

"You lost the second."

"Third time is always a charm."

"Second is the best." I smiled and moved closer to her.

"Not if I'm in first place."

"Be my girlfriend."

Our faces were close. I completely forgot I even ordered my own food, waiting for an answer from the goddess in front of me. I started shitting bricks when she didn't answer me but gave me this blank stare.

Fuck Namjoon, you messed up.

"I-I'm sorry I shouldn't have rushed into a-anything." I know for a fact my face is red, looking down at my hands then back at her then back at my hands.

"Fuck, it's awkward now. I'm really sorry."

"You got a big mouth on you too." Joy laughed and I looked up at her. The sunlight against her skin made her smile glow, the cute beauty mark next to her lips just calling me to caress it.

"Can I at least give you my answer?" Joy bit her lip and played with the sleeves of my hoodie.

"Which is?"

Joy hesitated, gulping before her lips finally met mine.

Holy fuck, was my head buzzing.

I felt like I just ate a shit ton of sweets, her lips just as soft and enjoyable as cotton candy. My arms made their way around her waist and her arms secured around my neck.

She tilted her head, her mouth glued to mine, kissing me with such a need I can physically feel it. Our lips meshed together, her bottom lip in between mine as I gently tugged in it. I pulled her body closer to mine and she squeaks essentially setting me off in a good way I didn't think was possible.

I pulled away before it got any further, the third leg forming against my jeans telling me all the (unholy) things I want to do to her.

"I'll take that as a yes?" I said breathlessly, head in such a haze I can't really see straight.

"Definitely a yes."

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must be nice 😔
how's the story so far? i'm obsessed with these updates and i'm gonna keep em coming