Secrets

Chapter 19: Analysis

Hwa Sung's POV

"Aww", the woman coos at us, " The two of you are so cute. How long have you two been together? ". She then turns to her partner, " Why can't you be like him, huh? ". I blush.

Do we really look like a couple?

Earlier

I looked down from the rooftop. It was a nice view, even though it wasn't nighttime. I could observe the different people passing by and make up stories about their lives. It was my favourite past time hobby. I spotted a couple holding hands and looking at each other with adoration. I sighed.

I wish I could have that.

The closest I have to a boyfriend was Il Jung-sshi. I recalled some fun events we had at Busan. I felt the corners of my lip lift.

" So you're here ". My heart skipped a beat, startled. I turn around to find Il Jung staring at me. How long has he been standing there? And why is he always the one who finds me?

Maybe because he's the only one who cares about you.

" I saw you leave and I thought you might want the company, but if not, I can go......... ", he turns around.

"Ani(1)", I say. A bit hurriedly, I might add.

" So what are you doing here all by yourself? "

"Amugedo(2)", I look down, unable to look him in the eye.

He sits beside me and looks at those below. He sighs then turns to me and says, " You know, it would be so cool if we could know everything happening around us", then he snickers at the thought.

I smile and tell him the one thing that I haven't told anyone, well except my parents, " Actually, we can".

" Jeongmal(3)?"

I nod excitedly. I haven't shown this to anyone in years. Eomma used to say that I was a natural.

" Yeah, you can read their body language and lips to understand the situation".

Pointing to a couple sitting on a bench, I continue, " The man is married and the woman he's with is his mistress. He's trying to convince her to stay with him".

"How do you know?"

"For starters, look at his hand and then hers. He has a ring while she doesn't. We can tell they're not married"

"Now look at his suit. How many men would casually wear an Armani suit for a 'date'. We can tell that he rushed here from somewhere. Most likely, a business meeting or a family meeting.

" We can also see that there's no emergency for him to rush. Plus, if you were here earlier, you would have seen him chase after her here. If you're thinking they can be family, look where he's placed his hands ", I point to his hands, one on her thigh and the other on her lower back, close to her *ss.

As I listed the reasons I thought I was right, Il Jung paid close attention to me. After some time, I paused, " I'm rambling, aren't I? "

"Ani, it's interesting, go on"

" Well, those are all my points, though it's just a speculation. I might be wrong "

Then the atmosphere became tense.

" Let's ditch", Il Jung suggested. My eyes widened and I followed my first instinct, placing the back of my hand on his forehead.

" What are you doing? ", he sounded amused.

" Checking for a fever ", I mumbled in response.

" I'm fine ", he said, grabbing my hand. I looked up to notice the close proximity between us. My voice caught in my throat as my heartbeat raced. He dropped my hand, got up and left. The first thing I did when he left was to close my eyes and place my hand on my chest to reduce the speed at which my heart was beating. It seemed to be doing that a lot around Jung-sshi ever since the kiss. I opened them and followed the direction Il Jung left.

################################

" Yah, wait up", I ran a bit to catch up with that pabo(4). When he said to ditch, I didn't expect he would ditch me too. Hangmun(5)! He stopped in front of a sweet stall. When I caught up with him, he was smiling in a teasing manner. The way his lips curved to form an arc was enchanting. I wanted to get close and maybe feel its tenderness against mine. I realized I was staring too long and when I looked up, I saw his mocking smile.

" Am I really that handsome? ". My cheeks burn, but I still found my voice.

" Even all the scenery in our beautiful country cannot compare to you.", I flirted without shame.

" Ommo(6), is Il Jung blushing?"

"Shut up", he snapped, though I could tell he was embarrassed.

" Fine, I will ". Turning to face the couple at the stall, I see their faces filled with amusement, not even trying to hide it at all. I spot something I haven't had in a long time.

"Oppa(7), look, they have tanghulu here". My hands immediately flew to my mouth when I realized what slipped out. I can't believe I called him 'oppa', but looking at him, he didn't seem to mind it. Instead, he looked...........pleased.

Well, might as well go all in then.

I tugged his hand, pulling him down a bit, to my height, " Let's buy some, arasseo(8)?", I said, fluttering my eyelashes at him. He looked flustered for a second, before saying, " Sure "

While Il Jung was paying for the tanghulu, I subconsciously started to play with his hair. Seeing this,

the woman coos at us, " Aww, the two of you are so cute. How long have you two been together? ". She then turns to her partner, " Why can't you be like him, huh? ". I blushed.

Present

Do we really look like a couple?

After buying, I decide to give Jung-sshi a taste, so I place it on his lips, before asking him to take a bite. He complies, making me happy for no apparent reason. I smile shyly, sweeping my hair behind my ears, something I do when I'm nervous. I know I'm nervous because I'm with Il Jung-sshi, but I'm not sure why. Being around him makes me act a bit different, a good different. Thinking about all that happened so far, I come to one conclusion.

It seems I have a crush on Baek Il Jung.

I look up at the boy staring at me, I quickly turn around, facing the opposite way, while muttering in my heart and mind,

We cannot date. He only thinks of me as a friend. We cannot date. He only thinks of me as a friend. We cannot date.

Then the boy-in-question turns me to face him.

" Can you meet my parents? ". I stand there, frozen in place.

Footnotes:

1: means 'no'

2:means 'nothing'

3: means 'really'

4: means 'fool'

5: means '*ssh*le'

6: means 'oh my'

7: means 'older brother/ older boyfriend/ older boy friend

8: means 'okay'