tease ➫ park sunghoon

## 35

"What do you mean she's your daughter?!"

If you think romantic comedies are full of happy endings with flower petals as a conclusion then you're correct. However, in reality, things don't really just end on a sweet note, cheesiness oozing and then that's that. Some have wild twists.

"Can't I have a daughter?"

Jake was laughing and all that's waiting was his heart that was about to jump out of his mouth. Minji tried to calm him down but she, too, was becoming at risk.

"Why are you two laughing? Sunghoon, you have to stop joking with a straight face."

"I'm not joking!"

"I will snap your pretty little hands like twigs. Be serious!"

Ryuha just wanted to juice out all the information from him about the time he started growing distant from them to the seemingly strategized confession that occured yesterday. His cooperation was as thin as her patience.

"You want us to break up?"

"We were dating?"

"Now that," Minji stood up, "was unnecessary. Who taught you to be this cheeky, Sunghoon?"

Jake followed, "Apparently days without Ryuha converts you into her clone."

Ryuha puffed air to her bangs and rolled her eyes. Sunghoon suddenly pulled her into his embrace.

"I missed you too much, that's why."

This was the part Minji and Jake wanted to avoid the whole day.

"Stop, you guys are giving me cavities." Minji commented and pretended to barf.

"Yeah, right," Ryuha looked up at him, "you wouldn't need to miss me if you hadn't come up with a super special plot of romantic revelation. I mean, tell me, when did it start?"

"Since he stopped eating with us." Jake butt in and she raised her eyebrow.

"What in the hollywood cliché movie! why'd you do that?"

Sunghoon thought for a while. This wasn't something that he needed to trace back on since it wasn't that far back in their memories but he just wanted to tease her.

"To make you miss me, I guess."

"That's stupid."

"It's not, it's emotional manipulation."

"You're evil."

"Sinister and I could bite you right now."

"Feisty." Their noses touched and they giggled.

It was confusing to see the two bicker then suddenly shift to being all flirty like this. Minji knocked on the wooden table to catch their attention.

"Lovebirds? We don't have all day, jeez."

"Okay, single dingle. Anyway," Ryuha returned to her interrogating face, "where were we? Oh, right, socially distancing yourself from us. Then Jake went to find you and you both fought?"

"Yeah," Jake spoke up, "but that was because I threatened him. He was taking too long in deciding to admit his feelings and I asked if he was having second thoughts. I was kinda mad seeing you all messed up because of him."

"Seeing him lose his cool had me a bit nervous that he'd shout the whole plan while we were arguing. So the only thing to silence him was to punch him. I know it's stupid, that I've got no excuse. We had man-to-man talk afterwards so nothing to worry about now. I guess." Sunghoon awkwardly smiled and Jake squinted at him.

"Okay, so," Ryuha started to connect the dots, "you guys have been part of the plan from the start."

They nodded altogether.

"Traitors. And the little girl?"

"My daughter?" Ryuha lightly punched him and he chuckled, his admirable dimples showing themselves.

"I'm kidding. That was my sister. I called up my mom asking if she could bring her over."

Slowly, Ryuha's smile started to fade as realization hit her like a train.

"You mean, on that train station, your sister and your mom..."

Sunghoon nodded with his lips pursed into a thin line.

"Congratulations, his mom accepts you!" Minji applauded and Jake did so, too.

"I've been waiting to ask though," Ryuha asked, "why the train station?"

"Because," He pulled her closer and leaned in to whisper, just like how he told her he loved her, "I want you to know that in a world full of people, you're the only one I'll ever have my eyes on."

They giggled earning glared from their two other friends.

"Just say you're tight in budget jeez..." Jake said to no one in particular.

"Seo Ryuha," He looked straight into her eyes, "will you be my girlfriend?"

She thought long and deep, "What would you do if I said yes?"

There it was, her teasing smile, anticipating for an answer only the two of them would ever think of.

"If I was your boyfriend, I'll never let you go. I could take you places you ain't ever been before."

She kissed his cheek, "You're crazy."

"Crazy in love with you."

"Stop this madness, please, show some mercy for once." Jake said and they all laughed.