The Meeting (Pt. 2)

"Has he asked yet?" The girls laughed, holding on to Soyeon.

"No, not yet. But I haven't asked yet, either." She shied away, swatting at the hands swaying around her.

"Has he said anything about his parents yet?" Soyeon rolled her eyes at the question.

"We're going to the amusement park." She smiled to herself, swaying before starting to walk away. The girls awwed in excitement, following behind her. 

"Does he know what day it is for you guys?" She shrugged, listening to the girls whisper behind her.

"We'll just have to see." She smiled, waving at the two girls in the back and grabbing the other's arm. "Bye!" She pulled her directly into the classroom, moving to their desks in the middle of the room.

"They're so noisy." The other girl laughed, fanning them both.

"Chungha, they're just curious," Soyeon reassured her. Both girls sat down, turning to face one another.

"I know, but it's your relationship." She sighed, looking at her nails that were freshly painted, and then back up to Soyeon. She sighed, trying to look supportive but then smiling as big as she could. "Are we staying over this weekend so we can hear all about it?" Her eyebrows raised twice, summoning a smile from her childhood friend.

"No, not this weekend. I'll be writing essays for college." She sat back in her seat, thinking about how much work she was expected to put in this weekend. Her friend sitting in front of her rolled her eyes, putting her hands on top of Soyeon's and smiling.

"You're going to marry the J&T heir. You don't need to go to college." Chungha patted her friend's hand before giggling as she turned around. 

Soyeon rolled her eyes. Nothing annoyed her more than her friends constantly cheering on her relationship with Chan. Chan had been the one who was chasing after her over the years, thinking about how annoying he used to be. He would pull along her jacket or hair when it was pulled up in a ponytail while they were in middle school. She smiled at the thought of his silly antics, but they were young, and he just wanted an opportunity to talk with her. When he finally got the opportunity, he stood there silently, and she felt so bad for him. Whenever he would see her from that moment forward, it was notes and drawings. She would take them home, read them, and collect each note from that point on. 

It wasn't that she didn't like him. She just was not interested in dating. He went from writing notes to slowly trying to talk with her. She purposely would go to his locker every day just to say 'Hi,' and that alone was what continued to grow his love for her. It wasn't until they were in high school that things got a little better. He would be the one to make the move at this point, having worked out and grown over the summer. She remembered being shocked that he had grown up and even dyed his hair. On the first day of high school, he came up from behind and slammed his hand into her locker. She had turned around, surprised, and that's when he leaned forward and smiled.

'Will you be my girlfriend?' He had asked her, making the hall go silent as he and every other student waited for her response. It had made her heart jump, and she wanted to, but there was something bothering her in the back of her mind.

'Why would I do that?' She answered and moved forward to look him in the eye, making him move back a little. His face looked a little moved before he pulled her up to the stairs, the hallway beginning to talk once again. His grip on her hand tightened as he pulled her up the stairs and out the door to the rooftop. There, he pushed her against the wall, and she pushed him away from her.

'What do I have to do to stop you from rejecting me?' His voice was mixed with anger and annoyance, fixing his jacket as she stood in front of him.

'Do you know my favorite color?' Her words were genuine, and she moved closer, searching for the answer in his face.

'Uh, green?' It was wrong, and he knew it by the look on her face.

'What do I want to be?' He still looked confused and unsure. 'My favorite animal, show, ice cream?' He couldn't answer any of the questions. 'You have to know me before you can just make me your girlfriend.' She rolled her eyes at him, her arms folding as she began to walk towards the door. 

'Then let me learn. Give me the chance.' He pulled her by the arm, their bodies pressing together as he stared into her eyes. 'I want to know you and only you. Let me prove myself to you; I'll stay by your side until you are ready.' 

Those words were so powerful, and she had felt her heart being swayed for the second time. She agreed, trying to hide that from him, but she nodded. He picked her up, swirling in the air until she couldn't take it anymore. That was the first time they would meet on the rooftop, but it would not be the last. That was how their friendship had started. He would pick her up every morning for school, walking with her and always bringing a smoothie. He had convinced his father to hire her as his personal tutor, and she reluctantly agreed. It was supposed to be temporary, but it built a stronger bond between the two of them. 

He wanted to learn because she was interested in learning. He wanted to make sure that he was smart enough for her, and he was going to make sure that she would like that about him. She enjoyed spending time with him. The jokes he would make to help her alleviate the stress of studying were amusing and charming. Whenever she was having a horrible day, she would always look forward to hearing whatever it was that he had to say. He would always make her smile, and that was what made her fall for him. The way his eyes followed her every word during their time studying, how he always made sure she took breaks and ate. He had made a deal with her that for every test he passed, she would tell him 3 things about herself. He had expected this to last only a year; she expected to reveal her feelings at graduation, but love has a funny way of changing things.

She went to their usual cafe, waiting patiently for him to come. It was the end of their second year of high school, and he had asked her to study for college entrance exams. He wanted to get ahead and asked for her help. She wanted to start her summer off better, but instead, she was sitting there at 8 a.m. waiting on him. He was never late, and this was unusual that he would make her wait this long. He had told her this meant a lot to him, and he was excited about getting ahead. She had even canceled all her plans for the week because he had asked her to, and she was rethinking it before the bell to the door chimed. She turned, seeing someone else walk in, and this frustrated her. She looked at her phone, beginning to form a text when her eyes were covered.

'Guess who?' She knew it was his voice and fought back not to share a smile nor laugh at his antics.

'You kept me waiting.' She sat, and his hands slowly went down her eyes before she turned to see him wearing a suit. 'Why are you all dressed up?' She looked at him, surprised by his appearance, but he looked proud.

'Follow me, and I'll tell you why.' She felt his hand touch hers, pulling her out of the seat and leaving her books.

'Wait,' She pulled away, but he was stronger. She decided to let him lead, taking her to wherever he had planned. She watched his serious face as he took her out of the restaurant and into a car parked in front. 

It would take five minutes of riding before they found themselves at a small restaurant, and she could see him visibly get nervous. The moment that the car stopped on the side of the road, parking so that the two of them could step out, she saw. She saw his scared hands and the mumbling that he would do to himself when gaining the confidence to speak. She smiled to herself, and in that moment, she found herself further in love than she anticipated. She leaned into him, and within seconds, his head turned with a surprised glance. She pushed their lips together, and he didn't try to escape, his hand landing around her neck. 

That was the moment that sealed everything for the both of them. His confidence grew as they both shared their first kiss with one another. She grew more in love and found herself being enraptured by him the longer she spent. The meal they shared tasted better than most food they had eaten. The day continued with a trip to the park, and most of their time was spent walking for hours. He found himself taking ahold of her hand, and with every passing second, they both grew deeper and deeper. He would take her home, stopping short of the door with her hand in his.

'Today is Day 1.' He leaned in for a kiss, pressing his lips to hers, and she melted against his body. The only thing holding her up was his hand softly on her back. 

It had been a long journey to this love for both of them, and he was not ready to let go. The kiss would end, but he would stay there staring at her, hoping that the day would never end. The way he looked at her and held on to his hand, and not letting go was keeping her heart racing. She knew that she needed to go in, but the way he held on to her, she never wanted that feeling to end. She sighed, staring into his eyes.

'Today is Day 1.' She confirmed, and he smiled brightly. He picked her up and began swirling her around in his arms. He knew he had earned it, and that made her words more powerful than anything he could have imagined. 

'You can't take that back.' He held her tightly in his arms, staring up into her eyes. 'I've been waiting so long.' He remarked, setting her down and touching her cheek.

'I'm sorry I made you wait so long.' She looked down but then into his eyes once more. 'I don't want to lose focus, but I also don't want to lose you.'

'I was never leaving your side, remember. I told you until you were ready.' He kissed her cheek and then her forehead before backing away. 'Go on in, I'll text you.'

He would watch her walk in, and she would slowly creep her way into the gate and her home before running up the stairs. Once in her bedroom, she would look out the window to see him staring back at her so lovingly. She waved, and he waved before taking out his phone and calling her. She answered with a smile, and from that point, every night, he would talk to her as he walked home. Their summer was filled with building their love, and they both enjoyed every minute of it. Here, they were now leaving their third year, and the date was closing in. She knew that he hadn't forgotten, and they were going to celebrate their first year together. While she worried and thought about the future, he was nervous about her reaction.