Walking home was usually my most zen part of the day. Along the walk would be lines of peach blossom trees that showcased all seasons of the year. With it being spring the blossoms filtered in a pink haze of sunlight down onto the footpath. A lot of the times I’d be thinking about pretty much nothing as I walked home, for obvious reasons today was a little different.

I couldn’t get this Labrador boy out of my head, his smile, and his hair. I even remembered his hand pulling my arm up. I grew pink around the ears again, get a grip Jinju, you literally bumped into him for five minutes and you’re acting like you’re in love.

“Umm” a familiar voice came from behind.

Turning to see who it was, I caught a glimpse of someone that looked like…

“Labrador?!” I gasped before swinging away, did… did I just say that out loud?

“Sorry?”

I wanted to shrivel into my shoes and disappear.

Slowly, I turned myself back around with a silly smile on my face, “Hi sorry, I thought you were someone else…”

He smiled again, and I melted once more, “That’s alright. I just wanted to say…”

There was a pause as people around us seemed to disappear briefly, my heart rate began to climb.

“…your bag is open”

“Eh?” the bustling of people came back, and I looked around my bag to see the zipper wide open.

“Oh gosh, oh my gosh, thank you” I frantically scrambled to zip my backpack.

“You, you’re that girl from earlier, right? At the field track?”

Nodding I couldn’t look up, of course he’d remember such a klutz… how embarrassing. He’s probably laughing to himself.

“Is your ankle okay?”

“My… ankle?”

“Yeah, it looked like you had rolled it earlier. I was a bit worried I couldn’t take you to the infirmary…” he looked down at my ankle which I became suddenly very self-conscious of.

“T-thanks, no it’s fine. I’m a lot stronger than I look” I stammered, shuffling my feet around, “strong bones and what not” strong bones what?

He paused as he looked at me a bit longer before nodding, “That’s good, glad to hear it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all day to be honest”.

I hadn’t even realised that I had rolled my ankle in the process.

“I didn’t get your name, I think I heard your friend say it… was it Jinju?”

I nodded again, unable to form audible words in my mouth, my heart jumping around in my chest. Why was I so nervous around a guy I just met. Had he remembered my name just in passing?

“Jinju… that’s a nice name” his voice was smooth and his smile even smoother, “I’m Jin-sung, nice to meet you formally”

“Nice to meet you…”

“You live down this way?”

For someone who was supposedly a quiet guy it seemed like he had no issues striking up conversation.

“Yeah, literally just down the road actually”

“Same!” He started walking to which I naturally began to follow. Was he walking me home now? Unable to comprehend the situation that was somehow naturally unfolding in front of me I remained silent as we walked side-by-side.

“So what class are you in? I don’t think I’ve seen you around?” he asked.

“Class 3-4. I actually was thinking the same thing…I don’t think I’ve seen you around” I took a quick glance at his side profile; his gaze was fixated on the blossoms above us as we talked.

“I’m in Class 3-1, I think our classrooms are a little far apart so maybe that’s why… plus” he looked over at me, “you might’ve heard I’m a bit of a hermit, so I don’t go out much”

“I… I didn’t know!” I stammered quickly, before sighing in defeat, “Well… Pyo-ri might’ve told me something, but nothing bad I promise!” I quickly added.

“It’s true I like books, but I’m not really a complete hermit…” he brushed his fringe aside from what looked like embarrassment, “I just struggle to find people I can talk to,”

We walked through a pause.

“Actually, this is the first time I’ve had such a long conversation with someone” he laughed, “I must be really comfortable around you… you’ve got that energy you know? Just someone I can talk to easily”

I felt my heart pounding out of my chest, he was such a sweet talker. Pyo-ri’s words echoed through my head, Don’t even think about it. That’s right, keep it casual. Nothing to get worked up over. Keep it casual.

“You’re usually in the library? What kind of books do you read?” I tried to sound nonchalant.

“I really like romantic novels,” he said simply, “you know, the usual corny stuff”

“Really?” I responded, the surprise in my voice couldn’t be hidden.

“Yeah really! It just gets my heart pounding and not to mention I love all the cliff-hangers,” his excitement was bounding through his words, and I couldn’t help but smile. How adorable.

“So, a romantic hermit” I joked lightly. He smiled and nodded.

“That’s right, a romantic hermit, I don’t mind that term,” he said in an endearing tone. My heart skipped a few more beats.

“What about you?”

“I don’t necessarily read books… but I’m totally into romantic tv series so somewhat similar right?”

A short pause and we both began to laugh; a sense of familiarity was building.

The whole way home, we chatted. I learnt he was not only a closeted romantic but that he loved to play the piano and music meant more to him than just notes on a page. His parents were both musical professors at the local university and they loved to go out into nature through family camping trips which made him grow to love listening to music and reading outdoors.

Like a true Renaissance romanticist, his heart was always filled with so much emotion, yet he often had no one else to say it to and relate with because he struggled to talk to people being innately introverted. So, he found himself immersing into books, written words became his only outlet.

“It’s nice to be able to say it out loud though” he said with a soft smile, “…I’m sorry I’m probably boring you” he added dejectedly.

“No! I’m kind of the same, aside from Pyo-ri I don’t really talk with many others and keep to myself, but that’s more just because I’m lazy and social interactions can get tiring”

That… sounded bad.

“Not that this is tiring at all! Actually, I’ve never felt so energised talking to someone…” I rushed through the words in panic before looking at the ground, “I should stop…”

Jin-sung laughed, “No, please, I totally get it! The whole social battery thing, I’m the complete same. Thank you for being so honest,”

Our shoulders brushed against each other. I squeezed my eyes shut; I didn’t want this to end.

As we approached my house I slowed down, I never wanted to keep chatting with someone more than I did now. Jin-sung’s steps also slowed as there was an air of anticipation growing.

I smiled as best as I could, “I’m glad I got to have a proper chat with you, I’m sorry if I’m a bit awkward. It’s just how I am sometimes,”

“Don’t apologise! That’s… that’s nothing to apologise for at all, and I definitely didn’t think you were awkward. I actually thought it was actually kind of cute,”

Surely, he didn’t just call me cute.

“I know this might sound strange, and I might be wording it weird, but I’d like to get to know you better,”

I looked up at him in shock, he wasn’t going… to ask me out, was he? His eyes were sincere, and I could see that he looked to be just as nervous as I was. The butterflies in my stomach turned into grasshoppers that were leaping around uncontrollably.

“Would…”

My head began to spin as I grew light-headed, his words echoing. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for any sort of confession.

“Would you like to be friends with me?”

I paused as the words sunk in, my heart deflated slightly and my head stopped spinning. What was I thinking, we only met today doofus.

Yet… something about being friends seemed really nice and a warm feeling began to fill my chest. I wanted to know him better too, I wanted to get closer with him.

“I’d love to” I smiled back.

I lay in bed that evening my head still somewhat spinning. Pyo-ri was not impressed still, recalling my phone call I had with her before dinner. She had her doubts, but she was happy I was getting my first words with him in.

“I mean, look you’re talking to the guy so that’s a nice start, but Jinju remember what I said,” her voice was stern over the phone, “Tread carefully”.

We’re just friends. That’s all it was, and I was okay with that. There was something exciting about getting to know someone better this way. I smiled as I turned over.

I couldn’t wait to get to know him better, to be able to grow closer to him.

What I didn’t know was that I wouldn’t ever be able to get the chance to.