"Ki Junnie...."
"Ne?"
"If a girl asks you on a date, will you go out with her?"
"Hmmm.....it depends on who's the one asking me out...." Ki Jun answered vaguely, sketching something on his notebook.
"What if she's someone you know for some time, but you don't like him in that way? What will you do?"
"Didn't you say "her"? Why are you using "him" now?"
Ga Eun considered to keep playing. But she was found out anyway, so it's useless already.
And then her eyes narrowed.
"You knew?"
Ki Jun snorted, "If I don't know, don't call me Seo Ki Jun."
He showed her his sketch. "Look. I'm done. What do you think?"
She took the notepad and observed it critically.
"Nice dress. It looks like a.....combination of flower petals?"
"Exactly."
"Ooooh," she exclaimed eagerly, "what color would you think it could be?"
"Off-white."
"Wow. If only you could really make it. It would be lovely."
"Yeah...I wish I could."
"Your sudden hobby of drawing clothes is surprising. But I can see that you really like it."
"I've always liked drawing. And I like colors. And I super like clothes. Maybe I should be a designer one day," Ki Jun mused, lying down on the grass.
They were spending their break on the school ground, where there were trees and carefully patterned rows of flowers. Ga Eun had a book on her lap, but she had long since abandoned it and went daydreaming instead.
Ga Eun frowned at her friend's latest sentence.
"Remember. Ahjussi wants you to take over the grocery shop."
"I know. Maybe I could be a designer and take care of a grocery shop at the same time."
"It is possible."
"You think so?"
"Ne. Why not?"
Ki Jun put a hand under his head and stared up at the blue sky.
"Ki Junnie?"
"Huh?"
"Are you steering me out of topic?"
"Nope. So. You and Park Jin Yang. He asked you out, right? To Lotte World?"
"Ne."
"Do you want to go?"
She thought but didn't answer.
"Well? It's not rocket science, chingoo (Friend). You want to go with him or not?"
"I don't know," she answered honestly.
Getting impatient, Ki Jun sat up. "How come you don't know? You must know. If you want to go out with him, go ahead. If you don't, then don't."
".....maybe I should."
"What do you mean you should?"
"Go."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? You want me to go out with Jin Yang, right?"
"Well, yes, Ga Eun, but why? Why do you think you should do it?"
"I want to stop being hopeless..." she said, half whispering.
"What did you just say?"
"I want to stop being hopeless."
"Oh."
"Ne."
"You know, for someone so smart, Ga Eun-ah, you're so dense sometimes."
"Yah!" she shouted, hitting his shoulder with her book.
Used to it, Ki Jun just rubbed his shoulder. "I mean, it's about time!"
She didn't respond to that.
"But....if I don't like him that way, is it okay if I go out with him?"
"Just go to Lotte World with him and have a good time. It's not a crime."
"But I don't want to give him false hopes."
"I think there is hope for him after all. The fact that you're thinking about this is hope already. Maybe it will take a long time, but it's not a lost cause."
"Hm....okay. Okay, I'll go with him."
"Dress up. Wear something nice."
Ga Eun chuckled.
"I mean it. You do have a nice dress, right? If you go on a date, you have to dress up."
"Ne, abeoji (father)...." she mockingly answered.
"Dammit, if I have the money I'll go to the mall and help you pick a dress...."
"Aigoo..."
"Wait. But I can help you put makeup on."
"What? Are you serious?"
"Yes. A talented guy who wants to be a designer like me must be able to give people a makeover. Come to my house before you go with him!" Ki Jun offered excitedly.
"You mean you have makeup at your house? Like...girls make-up?"
"Yeah, I do. I drew sketches based on lipsticks sometimes....."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Well.....I'm starting to think that you're serious with this designer thing."
"I do."
She wanted to say something, but then changed her mind.
"Shall I go to your house?"
"I'll make you prettier."
"It's a deal, then," she offered her hand and Ki Jun solemnly shook it.
*****************************************
That Saturday happened to be Ga Eun's day off and as they agreed upon, she came to Ki Jun's house before her date. She wore a white shirt and a denim skirt.
When he opened the back door, he observed her critically.
"Nice. Jin Yang is going to drool or pass out."
Ga Eun laughed.
"You're exaggerating."
"I'm not. Okay, let's go to my room".
When she entered his room, she noticed the stacks of fashion magazines got higher in the corner. And he really did have a complete set of makeup.
"Aigoo. I don't even have these things!" she proclaimed, getting the mascara from a plastic box on his desk.
"I imagine I could draw on people's faces. When I get the idea, I buy those make-ups."
She nodded. "But I have a feeling your father will hate this."
"Yeah. I know. But let's face it, when he knows I want to go to a design school instead of Economy, he'll hate me more. Now, go wash your face with this," he offered a milk cleanser, a bottle of micellar water, and a bag of cotton.
"Are you nervous?" he asked, getting the CC cream. "Sit still. If you move, I'll strangle you."
"You're scary. And mean."
"And you're not answering me."
"I'm not," she confessed. "Should I be?"
"This is your first date ever. How can you not be nervous?"
Ga Eun shrugged.
As he applied the cream to her face, he mused, "Oh whatever. At least you're going with him."
"Uh huh," she mumbled.
"And you really don't feel any giddiness in the least?" he probed, brushing her face with loose powder.
"How do you know which one is applied first?"
"I watched makeup artist videos. I mean this, if you keep moving, it'll mess up. And don't you dare avoid my question!"
"Which question? You always talk so much Ki Junnie....."
"You don't feel nervous in the least?"
"No. It's Jin Yang. Why do I have to be nervous? It's a good thing, right? It means I'm comfortable with him."
Ki Jun sighed. "The more a guy means to you, the more nervous you'll be around him."
"Really?" she asked, her voice sounded so small, even for her own ears.
He applied a very thin layer of blush and proceeded with lip gloss.
"Listen to me. Just have fun. Don't think about "This is a date," or "Do I like him or not?" Just let go and have fun."
"Like I would when I'm with you?"
Ki Jun rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Okay fine, like when you're with me. I don't care what you think of Jin Yang today, I'm just glad you're going with him to begin with. I'm done, by the way. Take a look at yourself."
The girl staring back at her looked so pretty and fresh Ga Eun wondered if it's really herself or not.
"Oh, wow! You are good!" she said with emphasis, "you make me look pretty!"
"Don't make me kick your ass. You are pretty. Just too dense sometimes."
"Yah!"
"Shut up. I think I hear the gate. That must be Jin Yang!" he said excitedly, almost jumping to the door and running down the stairs. She followed close behind him.
Jin Yang and Ki Jun did their accustomed high five when they saw each other.
But when Jin Yang turned to Ga Eun he froze, his eyes went wider, his mouth was gaping.
"Hello," she greeted.
Ki Jun clapped his hands loudly in front of Jin Yang's face. "Wake up! Oi!"
She chuckled.
"Go," Ki Jun said, pushing both Jin Yang and Ga Eun's backs, ushering them out the gate.
"Have fun. And don't come back before her curfew!"
"Bye, Ki Junnie!" she waved.
Jin Yang was still standing in awe looking at her.
"Okay. Let's have fun today!"
"Ne!" Jin Yang finally snapped from his daze and agreed wholeheartedly.
"Fighting!" she said, fisting one of her hand to cheer him up.
Jin Yang broke into a wide smile. He could feel that she's trying her best to make this day enjoyable. To hear Ga Eun saying yes to this date was a big surprise. To see her dressing up like this was even a bigger surprise.
"Fighting! Okay. Let's go to Lotte World!"
"To Lotte World!"
************************************
Author's Note:
She's trying to forget Myung Hwan by going out with another boy.
The things we did when we were in high school, hahah.
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