Chapter 87: "Do You Like Her?"
"Do you…Do you like her?"
Those words which came out from Ray's mouth, made Jun look at him in shock.
"Huh?" That's what Jun's reaction was on this sudden off guard question. But he had a hint that this topic would be discussed in between them sooner or later.
Ray realized that the question was really out of the blue. But he just wanted to make some things clear.
"I….I know this is so sudden…" He said.
"Yeah. It is...And kinda weird too…." Jun said smiling goofily.
"Weird? Why is that?"
"Donno. But I had always felt that we will talk about this...about "Mia", you know?...Hehe…"
"Really?….Why is that?"
"Yeah…Well…..How should I tell you this?....This is so…umm….unexplainable…" And Jun looked at Ray, who seemed really eager to hear his answer.
"See…As long as I remember, Mia is my first ever friend. She has been with me, when there was no one. She supported me, cheered me up and pulled me out from my shell. She is not only my best friend you know….Sometimes she becomes my mother as she scolds me, sometimes she is my older sister as she takes care of me, and sometimes she is my younger sister when she nags to me…..Hehe…"
Jun was completely lost in his thoughts as he was remembering every little moment he has spent with her. Looking away in the distant, he took a deep breath before talking further.
"….She is really special to me. So yes, I obviously like her."
As Ray heard those words, he looked down, closing his eyes.
Jun looked at his friend whose face was clouded with sadness.
"But…"
"But?" Ray quickly looked up.
"Not in a romantic way….Like you!" Jun answered.
"Huh? W-What do you mean?" Ray looked at him in surprise.
"I told you that I had a hint, we would talk about Mia.
Because...because I know you like her!" Jun smiled as he saw Ray's face turning white.
"W-What?....Huh?.." Ray was really surprised that Jun was talking so confidently.
"Don't hide it buddy! I know it already."
"How?"
"Everything is written on your face, Ray. It's pretty obvious."
"Really? Is it?"
"Yep. At least I found it pretty clear. Donno about the others."
Ray went silent. He couldn't understand what to say or how to respond to this. He had tried his best to hide his feelings towards Mia, but now Jun had said that he already knew about it. 'Does that mean others know about it too?' Ray thought.
Jun couldn't help but smile looking at his friend's amusing face.
Couple of minutes passed for Ray to calm down.
"….Yes…." He finally admitted. "I like her. I don't know since when….But I feel like I've always liked her. From the day we met!"
Ray was looking in the distance, as he remembered the first day of the school.
"And I asked this question earlier, not because I had a doubt or something…..But because, I suddenly realized that you are a really great friend of mine and I don't want anything to affect our friendship…..ever!"
Jun looked at Ray in disbelief. 'He asked me not because he thought he'd lose Mia to me…..But he thought that he'd lose me! Our friendship! Oh Ray, what did I do to deserve a friend like you?'
Ray kept talking, "Mia and your friendship is so beautiful and I would never come in between you two…."
"And if something happens between you two, I wouldn't bother you too!" Jun said with a teasing tone.
"Oh come on!" Ray pushed him a little and Jun burst out laughing.
"It feels so nice to talk with you about this!" Ray smiled.
"Hmm. But….Whatever I said about that idiot earlier, it's a secret okay? Not a single word should reach to her." Jun said.
Ray gestured as if zipping up his mouth.
"Nope! Not a word."
And both of them smiled.
~
All the girls were standing at the window in the hallways except Mia, who had gone to the library.
"Girls? You know that the Valentine's Day is coming soon, right?" So Hee started the topic.
All the girls exchanged glances.
"Yeah. We know that." April said.
"So? What's your plan? Aren't you gonna make something?" So Hee asked as her eyes twinkled in the excitement.
"You mean chocolates?" Hana asked.
"No! I meant Kimchi!" She said sarcastically. "Of course I meant Chocolates, Hana!"
"Umm...Kimchi?...That is also a good idea, maybe…." Ye Rin said as something hilarious popped up in her mind. "If you don't wanna get the chocolates from an unwanted person….Then just keep the Kimchi in your pockets and the smell of it won't let them come near you! Problem solved!"
"Hahaha….." Hana and April burst out laughing. "That is….That is really a very good idea!" April admitted.
So Hee rolled her eyes and folded her hands. "Well yes Miss Smarty pants. But wouldn't that smell affect the ones who you want to give the chocolates too!!!"
On that Ye Rin and the two girls looked at each other for a second before bursting out laughter. "Hahahaha…..That would be epic!" Ye Rin said.
"Ughhhh!" So Hee clenched her fists getting irritated. "You guys are impossible!!!"
While all these were talking, Mia walked towards them with a couple of books in her hands.
"Hey there!" She greeted with her usual smile.
"Miaaaa!!!!" So Hee started whining as she walked towards her and hugged her. "Say something to these girls…..They are really irritating..." She pouted.
"Ohh….What happened?" Mia asked.
"The Valentine's day is on the verge, so I thought that we all would make chocolates together. So I asked them the same, and now they are making fun of me…." She complained like a child.
"There there…." Mia said trying to comfort her and then she looked at others.
"Why are you making fun of her? Huh?" Mia said with a playfully scolding tone and she winked at the girls.
All three girls tightened their lips, trying to control their laughter.
"We are sorry….So Hee…." Ye Rin said somehow, on which others nodded.
"Okay. Now tell me your plans So Hee." Mia said.
So Hee let her go off the hug and looked at others. Her child like expressions was really amusing and cute.
"I want to make chocolates!" She answered right away.
"You really do? Cause this is the first time you've said this." April said.
"Yeah! I know. Cause I never liked anyone before…..And now as I do…." Her cheeks started turning red.
"So you wanna make chocolates for Ray?" Hana asked.
So Hee looked at her coldly. "Hana!!! Then who else would it be?"
"So Hee?" April said. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah…." Ye Rin agreed. "I mean, it means you are expressing your feelings to him. Isn't this too soon?"
"Too soon or too late, I don't care." So Hee seemed confident. "I like him. I really do. So….What is there to hide? I don't like hiding your feelings and then keeping them buried deep down in your hearts and all…."
Ye Rin slightly looked at Mia, who was lost in her thoughts as she was hearing the words of So Hee.
"….I really hate it. It does nothing but making everything more complicated.
I like him so I'm gonna tell him. What's so hard in that?" So Hee was really firm on her decision of confessing her feelings to Ray.
"As I think about it….." April talked. "…..I think, you are right…."
"See?" So Hee shrugged her shoulders. "It's always better to clear things up. What if he also likes me? Then wouldn't that be like hitting a jackpot!" Her eyes were really sparkling in confidence.
"…But what if he doesn't?" Hana asked.
So Hee glared at her.
"What? It is also a possibility, you know?" Hana said.
"He would be stupid not to like me….And well, he isn't stupid! Right?" So Hee dodged the question being confident in herself.
"I also want to make chocolates for someone!" April said as she said that her heart started pounding faster.
"You do?" Hana asked. "And who is that lucky guy?"
"Umm…..Well…..Is it okay if I tell you his name afterwards?" April asked.
"Afterwards? When?" Ye Rin asked.
"Umm…..If he accepts my feelings…..I would tell all of you about him…." She said.
Everyone nodded understandingly.
"Ok. So I and April are in the plan. What about you three?" So Hee asked.
"I'm not interested in this!" Ye Rin answered right away. "It's just so...tiring….! Just the thought of it made me tired…." And with that she yawned loudly.
"I knew you'd say that." So Hee said.
"….But…..if you want….you can be our taste tester." Hana said.
"Taste tester?...Hmmm…..Okay!" Ye Rin did thumps up and winked at this idea.
"So does that mean you are also in, Hana?" April asked.
"Yeah….." Hana said.
"…..And?" April asked eagerly as she wanted to know the name of the guy.
"Umm….Well…..I have a crush on….my Piano teacher!" Hana's face was turned completely red as she was talking.
"WHAT???!!!" Everyone looked at her with widened eyes.
This was the first time, Hana was talking about this.
"Your Piano teacher?" So Hee said in surprise.
"I've always thought….that he would be a 60 year old man or something…." Ye Rin said.
"No….He is not…." Hana said as she took out her phone from her pocket and opened up a picture. "Look…." She said as she showed the picture of a man on the screen of her phone.
"Ohhhhhhhh!!!!!" All the girls were looking at the picture of very handsome guy in his mid twenties.
"He is handsome!" Girls admitted.
Hana blushed even more. "Yeah….He is half American…..His name is Michael Turner…..25 years old..."
"Ooooooo!!!!" All the girls swooned as they heard her words.
Hana quickly put her phone back in her pockets and adjusted her glasses which had slid down.
"Nice choice!!!" April said teasingly as she poked her with her elbow.
Hana couldn't help but smile shyly.
"So….Now the only one left is….Mia!!" April said clapping happily.
"Uh…Umm…." Mia just looked down trying to avoid the eye contact. She couldn't understand what to say.
"Is there anyone you like Mia?" Hana asked excitedly.
"Umm….I…..I don't know…." Those were the only words which came out of her mouth.
'I….I can't tell them about Ray….Not when, So Hee has decided to confess her feelings…..' Mia was thinking.
"What do you mean you don't know? Don't you wanna tell us the name?" So Hee asked.
"N-No….It's not like that….." Mia said hurriedly.
"Then? What is it?"
"...."
"Hey guys…." Ye Rin said. "Stop bothering her. Maybe there is no one she likes!"
Mia quickly looked up at Ye Rin, who was also looking at her. Their eyes met and Mia felt something weird in her gaze.
"….or maybe….She hasn't realized about her feeling yet."
Ye Rin was still looking in Mia's eyes, the look making Mia uncomfortable.
So she looked away, trying to hide her expressions.
"Yeah. That can happen with Mia." Hana agreed.
"When someone is so buried in the studies, they wouldn't get any time to have such feelings for anyone…..Right Mia?" April asked.
"....Y-Yeah…..I g-guess….." Mia stuttered.
"But still. I'm sure that she would probably get dozens of chocolates!" So Hee said.
"Yeah…Yeah…." All of them nodded.
"N-No….That's not true…..Hehe…." Mia said.
"Why isn't it? For your kind information, there are a lot of guys in our school who have a crush on you Mia!" So Hee said. "Right Ye Rin?"
Ye Rin nodded. "I have a complete list, if you wanna know the names!"
Mia looked at her in disbelief while Ye Rin shrugged her shoulders.
"I know one name for sure...." April said with a teasing tone. "Siwoo!"
"Yeahhhh….."
"Hell no!" So Hee said making a disgusting face. "He is a creep! I don't like him."
Holding both of Mia's shoulders in her hands, So Hee turned her towards her. "Mia! Do not accept chocolates or anything from that guy. Understood?"
Looking at her serious expressions Mia hurriedly nodded several times.
"Good!"
"I don't see him as a problem though…." Ye Rin said. "I mean….He was following her for several days…..But it's been a while since I've seen him around us…."
"Yeah….I thought about that too…" Hana nodded.
Those words made Mia think. "You are right….I haven't seen him….since….since—"
"Since Christmas?" Ye Rin completed the sentence.
"Yeah….Since Christmas!!" Mia said looking at Ye Rin in surprise. "But….But how do you know that?"
"I told you guys, I know everything! I know the things which you all would never think of!" Ye Rin answered.
And with that mysterious tone of hers, no one dared to ask anything further.
~
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