As soon as class ended and I stepped out of the lecture hall, my phone rang.
Unnie, where are you?
I’m in front of the lecture hall.
I’m coming now.
I snorted a laugh.
You were so confident about it yesterday.
Today I won’t freeze up.
I wondered how well he’d actually do.
*
A little while later, Wonbin came walking from the end of the hallway.
The moment he spotted me.
He came to a dead stop.
Our eyes met.
And then, a brief silence.
"...Unnie."
"Yeah."
"...Hello."
I finally burst out laughing.
"What the heck."
"...Why?"
"What did you say yesterday?"
Wonbin thought for a moment, then looked away.
"...I don’t remember."
"You said you wouldn’t freeze up today."
"Ah."
Wonbin’s ears turned red.
"...Well."
"Fail?"
"...Yeah."
"You’re seriously way too funny."
Wonbin pressed his lips tightly together.
Then, as if summoning his courage, he moved closer to my side.
"Still, I picked the date course for today."
"A date?"
"...Yeah."
After saying that, Wonbin lowered his head as if even he was flustered.
"No, I mean... just going out to hang out together."
"You can call it a date too."
"..."
Wonbin looked at me.
"Really?"
I smiled and nodded.
"Yeah."
At that, Wonbin’s face brightened a little.
*
The place Wonbin took me to was a self-photo studio that had recently opened near the school.
"Here?"
"Yes."
"Have you been to a place like this before?"
"It’s my first time."
"But I wanted to take pictures with you...."
I laughed for no reason.
It looked like he’d searched around for things to do with me.
As soon as we went into the booth, a countdown started on the screen.
5
4
3
2
1
Click.
When we checked the photos, Wonbin’s expression was way too stiff.
"Puhaha."
"Why."
"Why are you so stiff?"
"...I’m nervous."
"At a photo shoot?"
"...Because I’m taking it with you."
My laughter stopped for a moment.
As if he realized what he’d just said, Wonbin immediately looked away.
"Let’s take it again."
The second photo.
This time I moved closer to Wonbin’s side.
"Smile."
"..."
"Wonbin."
"Yes."
"Smile."
I lightly lifted the corners of Wonbin’s lips with my finger.
Click.
The moment the photo was taken, Wonbin froze completely.
"Why?"
"...It’s nothing."
"Your ears are red, though?"
"It’s because it’s hot."
"Here?"
"...Yes."
I ended up laughing again.
"You’re seriously cute."
"...Unnie."
"Hm?"
"Don’t say that."
"Why?"
"I get even more nervous."
*
On the way out after choosing the photos.
We stopped by a nearby café.
We were laughing over the photos when Wonbin looked closely at the one I picked.
"I want this one too."
"Why?"
"...Because I like it."
"What do you like?"
"The photo."
I handed him one without thinking.
"Take it."
Wonbin carefully took the photo and put it in his bag.
After that, we just chatted normally at the café.
*
On the way home, we ended up passing by a small prop shop.
I stopped walking when I saw a little key ring in the display case.
"Oh? This is cute."
"Are you going to buy it?"
"No."
I laughed and kept walking.
"It’s just cute."
Wonbin looked at the display case for a moment.
"...Let’s go."
"Yeah."
Without realizing anything, I followed after Wonbin.
*
By the time we got to my place, it was already night.
"Today was fun."
"Me too."
"And the photos came out nice too."
"Yeah."
"Let’s take more next time too."
Wonbin smiled.
"...Yeah."
I waved.
"I’m going in."
It was after I’d walked a few steps.
"Unnie."
I heard Wonbin’s voice from behind me.
When I turned around, Wonbin was looking at me.
"...What is it?"
Wonbin hesitated for a moment, then came toward me.
And then he gently took my hand.
I froze right there.
Wonbin looked startled too, and tried to let go.
But soon he carefully opened his mouth.
"...Can’t you stay a little longer?"
My heart thudded hard for a moment.
"Why?"
"...I don’t want today to end yet."
I couldn’t say anything.
Just earlier, he was the kind of kid who couldn’t even meet someone’s eyes properly.
And now that Wonbin was holding my fingertips.
Somehow, that made my heart race.
"...Okay."
I sat back down on the playground bench.
Wonbin sat down beside me too.
A brief silence.
Then Wonbin took a small envelope out of his bag.
"This."
"What is it?"
"A present."
When I opened the envelope, inside was the key ring I’d seen at the prop shop earlier.
I widened my eyes.
"Isn’t this the one from before?"
"...Yeah."
"You bought this?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"When you weren’t looking, unnie."
I put the key ring on my palm and stared at it for a long time.
"I just said it was cute."
"I remembered."
"...Why?"
Wonbin looked at me for a moment.
"Because you said you liked it."
It was nothing special.
And yet, strangely, my heart felt warm.
"This is the first time I’ve gotten something like this."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
I attached the key ring to my bag right away.
"It’s pretty."
"It suits you."
Wonbin smiled.
Just looking at that face made my heart beat weirdly again.
A junior I’d only thought was cute.
Today, for some reason, he kept looking like a man to me.
I absentmindedly just fiddled with the key ring.
"...Thanks."
"It’s nothing."
"No, it isn’t."
I looked at Wonbin.
"I really like it."
Wonbin’s ears turned red again.
Seeing that made me laugh.
And even after I came home and lay down on my bed.
I kept thinking about the feel of his fingertips holding mine earlier.
'...I’m in trouble.'
Looks like I.
was starting to like Park Wonbin a little more each day.
Wait, am I the only one seeing him as a guy????
If I go in to edit it, it says unnie for all of them................
