Beside | Joshua Hong✔

3

Jule

"He's handsome."

"Cutie"

"Damn.."

"Oh my God."

"He doesn't look American."

Those type of whispers filled the class. "Joshua, please introduce yourself." Ms. Choi said to him.

Joshua.

His name is Joshua.

"Hello, my name is Joshua Hong. Call me Joshua. Even though I grew up in L.A., I speak fluent korean. I guess that's all. I hope we can all be friends." He said.

I gulped. That voice always gives me shivers. I wonder why. "You should sit next to Jule in front." Ms. Choi said. I looked up at him. He does the same. As he sat down, our eyes interlocked. The seat beside me finally wasn't empty anymore. I have a seatmate. Just like everyone else in this class.

"Okay, don't go out if the teacher hasn't came yet, kids." Ms. Choi said as she walked out the class. Everyone did their thing. Except Joshua who probably is confused. I can still hear some kids whispering about him. But, I didn't care and started tidying my Math notebook.

"Hey." Joshua called. I looked at him with one of my earplug still stucked in my earhole. "Stop using earphones." He said. I unplugged my earphones and put them inside my skirt pocket. "So your name is Joshua?" I said, finding a topic to talk about. "Yeah. And you're Jule?" He asked. I nodded.

"So.. you don't group up with other girls like the rest of the class?" He asked. "Um.. No.." I said. "Well then, I'll be your friend." He said softly. "Ah, it's not that I can't make friends. I just like my privacy sometimes." I explained. "Well, you're gonna be busy introducing me to this school and maybe even this town. So I guess you won't have privacy." He said with a smile.

"Sure, that wouldn't be a problem. Do you wanna hang out after school?" I said, trying to connect with him. "That would be great. You should show me great places around here. And even the nice restaurants and stuff." He said with an energy. I guess we'll connect easily.

After several hours, school was finally over for the day. Joshua and I walked out the school together and I took him to my favourite coffee shop. I ordered Vanilla Latte and he ordered Caramel Machiatto. He insisted to pay for mine, even though I said You don't have to for almost five times. He kept replying with It's okay.

We walked out with our coffee and then we stopped by a minimarket.

"Ah, Jule!" He called. I looked at him. I'm pretty sure he only has morning shifts. He walked closer to me with a smile in his face. He was wearing a school uniform.

"I've always thought you're a college student." I said awkwardly. "Um, I've never introduced myself formally. My name is Wen Junhui. Call me Jun." He said.

Jun.

Such a cute name.

"I see you brought your boyfriend here." He said. Joshua looked at me, then his eyes met Jun's. "I'm not his boyfriend." He said.

I think I can die just by hearing both of their voices. After a while, Jun finally paid the cashier and he walked out. I searched trough the snacks aisle. I tried grabbing one from the high shelf but my leg slipped and it hit something hard.

I can hear some of the snacks falling down as well. I hold my knee that was bleeding. Joshua cleaned up the mess and grabbed some bandages before he paid for it. He blew on my bruise then cover it with the roll.

"You should be careful next time." He said. I looked at my bruise. It was covered really neat. "Does it hurts?" He asked. I nodded. He helped me got up and I sat on one of the corner tables. "What do you want?" He asked. "Good Day Vannila Latte." I said. "And some doritos. The cheese ones." I said. He grabbed what I wanted and paid for it.

"You don't have to pay everything." I said. "I don't mind." He said.

"Since you can't walk, ride my back." He said as he positioned himself. I awkwardly got on his back.

"You're so light." He said. "I.. Um.. I don't really like eating.." I said.

After a while, we finally arrived at my house. "You live here? I live nextdoor." He said.

Wow. We're seatmates and Housemates?!

What's next?

Soulmates...

"Oh my, I just forgot I left my keys inside." I said, facepalming. "Your parents aren't home?" He asked. "Nope." I said. "Well, why don't you just come to my house?" He said. "Sure, why not?" I replied.

We went in and his mom answered the door. "Joshua, you're final- Who's that you're carrying?" She said in English. Joshua didn't reply her and put me down on the sofa.

"She's a friend of mine." Joshua said. "I can't believe my baby brought home his girlfriend on his first day of school." She said. "I'm not his girlfriend, Mrs. Hong." I said, in English.

"Oh, you speak English?" She asked. "Yeah. I moved to Korea when I was ten years old. I'm Jule." I said. "And I'm Joshua's birthgiver. You have such a lovely name, Jule." She said with a smile. Her voice was so warm and caring. She sat on the sofa near me since Joshua is beside me, paying attention to the TV.

"What brings you here, Jule?" She asked.

Your son.

Your son, Joshua.

Your son, Joshua brought me here.

"I.. Um.." I don't know why I can't answer her. "Mom she just hurt her knee, can you question her some other time?" Joshua said.

Wow.

A gentle Joshua could say something like that to his mom.

"You hurt your knee? Awh, here let me take a look." She said as she began uncovering the bandage on my knee.

"Let me give it some alcohol and some new bandages." She said as she stood up and got back with a little bottle with some cotton. She covered the wound pretty well. "Thank you, Mrs. Hong." I said with a smile. "No problem, dear." She replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. You should stay here with Joshua. Okay, dear?" She said as she walked out of the house. At the same second she closed the door, I felt something on my right shoulder. I looked to see what it was.

Joshua.

And he's well asleep. I reached the remote and turned the TV off. Then I played my phone with my other hand.

Then Joshua laid his body on the sofa, actually pulling me into his arms. I was shocked. We both laid on the sofa. With his arms wrapping my stomach and his head near my neck.

"Jo.. Shu.. Shua.." I said affraidly.

He didn't woke up.

"Jo... Shua.." I called once more.

"Be quiet." He mumbled softly as he tightened his hug.

*