unrequited

14

The volleyball game stopped once people started to gather around the bonfire. I stayed in my corner of the dock until Sunwoo jogged up to me. There was a drop of sweat running down his forehead and his hair was messy from the wind and the jumping.

I hopped off the edge and I nearly tripped but his fast reflexes reached out and steadied me.

"Woah there," He said. "Is this the same drink?" he asked.

I shook my head. I felt the rough fabric of velcro on my hand and I looked down at his brace. "Sunwoo your wrist."

"Hm?" he asked.

"You're not supposed to play volleyball with an injury, silly." I said. It was almost like I didn't have control over my words. My knees felt like they might give out and I could just lay there in the sand and never get up.

"Nah it doesn't even hurt." Sunwoo answered. "Doctors are so fucking dramatic."

"Like you aren't,"

He scoffed. "Come, walk with me," Sunwoo grabbed my hand so I wouldn't trip over my own delusion and he led me closer to the bonfire. "Are you having fun?"

"Time of my life," I said. I wasn't sure if I was joking or not.

We happened to be standing a few feet away from Serri and her friends, and they were gathered in a tight circle with red cups.

"Looks like the new girl fit in well," Sunwoo said.

"You know her?"

"I know everyone," He answered. "Do you?" he asked.

Serri answered for me, as we heard her saying, "I think Changmin is, like, my boyfriend now."

Sunwoo and I both glanced at each other and inched forward to eavesdrop. I hoped my face didn't drop as much as I felt.

"Really?? oh my god, what's he like?" Her friend asked.

"He's so cute, I love his smile. He's nothing like the guys I dated back in the States." Serri answered.

"Girl you scored big time, you know half the school has been drooling over him since the 6th grade," Her friend said.

"Really? Yeah, I mean I get it," She said. "I hope I'm coming across as innocent as he is though."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean like I kind of feel like I fake my personality around him a little bit, but as long as he likes me right? It doesn't really matter if he doesn't know the real me that well. You know what I mean?" Serri said.

"Yeah."

I frowned. Her voice sounded a bit different from when I spoke to her before. But maybe it was the alcohol getting to my head.

"He's so sweet and polite too," Serri added.

I agreed, he was sweet and polite. But he was so much more than that.

"Don't you think there has to be something wrong with him?" Her friend asked.

"I know right, there's no way someone can be so perfect!" She laughed.

He hated that word. Perfect. He and I both agreed a few years ago that no person should ever be described as perfect.

It started to piss me off, the way they were all talking about him. It was so surface level, and it was unfair how he would end up with someone who knew nothing about him. When in reality, the best parts of Changmin weren't the 'always smiling' and 'always polite' face he put on, it was much more than that.