The bell rings and the students stand up, preparing to go to the cafeteria or to the food stalls situated around the campus to buy some snacks.
I also stand up, getting my wallet. I see Joochan just sitting alone, not moving.
I decide to talk to him. This will be a first, me taking the initiative to talk, and my heart didn't take minutes for it to beat faster as I near him.
I poke him and he turns around. As soon as he sees me he raises an eyebrow. Probably because he's surprised I'm the first to talk to him. "Hey, Joochan."
"Yeah?"
"Wanna go out with me?" Realizing what I said, I shake my head as my cheeks flush. He chuckles.
I rephrase as I cough. "I-I mean go outside and buy some food?"
His eyes crinkles when he smiles, it was the softest thing ever. "No, I'm fine here. But that first thing you said seems great."
I glare at him playfully. "Are you crushing on me now?"
"I wouldn't say that," he grins again.
I didn't see it fall when Jaehyun comes up to me and slings his arm around my shoulder. "I'm up for that offer."
I turn to the guy who just came. "Which one?"
"Guess."
"The second?"
He grins. "Close enough," he mutters and I cross my eyebrows in confusion. "But that works too. Let's go?"
"Joochan you really don't want to go?"
Joochan didn't dare look at Jaehyun and me. "No. Go ahead and stop disturbing me."
I shrug - inside I was really disappointed, my first time of asking him and it didn't turn out well - and we make our way to one of the food stalls inside the campus.
"What are you buying?"
"Anything, really," I respond as I scan the food which are present. I couldn't find something that could make me full.
"How about I treat you?"
"You'll waste your money, so never mind."
"But I insist."
"Jaehyun, I have my own money to spend food on, don't waste yours for me." As much as I want to be treated, I don't want someone to waste money on me. It just doesn't feel right, especially if I know I can waste my own money.
"Remember the promise I told you?"
I pause for a moment. And then it strikes me. He did say he was going to treat me if I was going to watch his game, which he actually won. "Yeah. You think one measely snack would suffice?"
He grins. "Of course, no. Especially now that I won." He pauses. "It was because of you."
"Why was it because of me?"
"That nickname," he grins. "It gave me motivation."
"Oh? That 재일 [Jae-il] one?"
"Yup. It made me smile and drove me to do my best. I really like it especially because it's a positive nickname. The one I gave you was pretty disgusting, but hilarious." He laughs as he remembers the nickname he gave me, 'Moaning Minhee'.
"I thought about a lot of nicknames already for you."
"Like?"
"최봉 [Choibong - from 최고 meaning best and she replaces 고 with Jaehyun's surname] , 천재현 [Cheonjaehyun - from 천재 which is genius, she added 현 referring to Jaehyun] , among others."
I feel his arrogance & confidence rise up as I mention these, and so I smirk.
"But there's also 바봉 [Babong - from 바보 which means stupid, she replaces 보 with Jaehyun's surname] which is my fave."
His smile immediately drops and I laugh out loud.
"I'm not stupid."
"Sure you're not, 바봉."
He glares at me.
"Continue that and I'm not going to treat you anymore."
I shrug and turn my back, a playful glint in my eyes. "Fine. I have money anyway."
He pouts and holds my arm. "But MM..."
"What?"
His hold on me loosens and I turn to him to see why.
Ah, of course, I think, ice cream.
He rushes to the ice cream parlor like a kid. I facepalm mentally, seeing how childish he can get. I smile at how ridiculously giddy he was when he receives his cone. I make my way towards him.
He turns to me, giving me the ice cream. He orders another one, the flavor similar to what he gives me. "Here's for you."
"Vanilla? I hate vanilla." I cringe my face in fake disgust and I can see him frown. I really don't like vanilla, but not to the point that it's disgusting for me. "But it's such a waste to throw it, so I'll just eat it."
"You really don't like vanilla?"
"I prefer chocolate or cookies and cream."
The next thing I see is Jaehyun paying for another ice cream and I stop him before the vendor gives me another cone.
"No, I'll eat this. Thank you," I tell both Jaehyun and the vendor and lick my ice cream. "I'm already fine with this."
"You sure?"
I look at him seriously. "Jaehyun."
He holds up his hand as if in defense. "Okay, fine, fine."
"Let's get back to the classroom."
"I'm still gonna treat you, right?"
"Did I say that you won't anymore?"
"So yes?"
I nod, a little irritated. "If you keep being like that, I'm going to call you 바봉 for life."
"That seems fine."