(Guide Us to) A Million Stars

11 🎇

It was the first English lesson after Tae asked me out and I was freaking out. He texted a 🐻 and the number seven so I knew to expect him at 7 o'clock at night. During the day, I couldn't concentrate on teaching my four other students online, making some dumb grammar mistakes and being caught zoning out numerous times. After lunch I absentmindedly put the frying oil in the fridge and my leftovers in the cabinet.

I wanted the night to be perfect. I wondered what I should wear. It wasn't a date. Or was it? It wasn't just an English lesson, things were going to be different. I rummaged through my closet and realized I hadn't had a chance to wear any of the cute/sexy dresses I would have worn if the clubs were open. Every woman should have a little black dress in her wardrobe so that's what I decided to put on. It was a sleeveless sheath dress that showed off my toned arms and long legs. I even wore a pair of black kitten heels. My hair went up in a stylish ponytail I had seen a female K-pop idol wear, eyeliner and lipstick went on my face, and vanilla scented perfume went on my neck. I might have overdressed, but things had changed between Tae and I. I wanted to show him that I liked him too.

The first sign that this wasn't your typical tutoring session was the way Tae checked out what I was wearing. His eyes got big and then he gave me a hug. I immediately felt shy and stupid. He was wearing a designer white T-shirt and grey sweatpants. I cringed and covered my face with my hand.

"Wae? You look...amazing," he said, giving me the elevator eyes and biting his lower lip.

"And so do you. You always look amazing." I lowered my hand. "But I'm totally overdressed. I don't know what I was thinking. This isn't a date."

He took my hands in his. His warm touch made me feel a little better. "It is not a real date...yet...but it is more than only English lesson."

My heart almost exploded from that revelation. He offered to go back to his dorm and change but I told him that was silly and that I would change. Then he insisted and wouldn't take no for an answer. When he returned, he was wearing a white buttoned shirt and fitted gray trousers that left nothing to the imagination. He looked gorgeous.

The second sign this wasn't a typical English lesson was that Tae suggested we sit on the couch, next to each other, instead of at the kitchen table. Then he held my hand as we reviewed his homework. The cadence of his speech and his soft hands on mine made me melt. Even the way he wrote in English was endearing. When I opened the textbook to the next chapter, I chuckled nervously. He peered over my shoulder to see and laughed too, clapping his hands. The lesson was on names of body parts.

Knowing that I always preferred to use real life objects to name things in English, instead of just pointing to a picture in the book, we both seemed to enjoy the potential of that night. The first few words were easy. I pointed to his hand, my arm, his elbow, and my shoulder. Then we came to the face.

"Eye," I said, pointing to my eye. He repeated after me and copied my action. "Eyelid. Eyeball," I said, still pointing.

"What this is?" he asked, pointing to the general area of his own eye.

"Your mole?"

"No. The hair."

"Oh. Eyebrow."

"No. The other hair." He took my hand and moved it close to his eye. Then he guided my fingertip to lightly brush his long, beautiful lashes.

I gulped before answering. "Oh...eyelashes."

He gave me a smirk and a nod. Then he placed the heel of his hand on my cheek and lightly brushed my eyelashes with his thumb. My breath hitched. It was such a romantic gesture. Our mouths were so close I yearned to feel his lips on mine. But he did something equally as romantic and placed a gentle kiss near my eye. I just turned to mush.