I enter the living room to see my best friend sitting on the couch, arms crossed, cheeks puffed, eyes glaring at me.

“Oh, SuBin. Why are you here?” I say casually.

His face changes to a shock.

“You totally forgot?” he responds.

He raises a small plastic case—a video game cartridge, the one we have scheduled to play this weekend. Or rather, today.

“I can't believe you forgot about me,” SuBin huffs.

Jae-In sticks her head out of the kitchen.

“That’s because he was on a date. Right?” JaeIn teases.

“I wasn't!” I counter.

“A date? You're seeing someone, and you didn't tell me?” SuBin cries out bitterly, like I've betrayed him twice.

“No no no. There's nothing like that,” I defend.

“Reaaaallyyyy?” JaeIn, “So… where were you that you forgot your plans with your best friend?”

SuBin nods, eyes prodding with curiosity.

“Ok, I just went to the movies to hang out with… with…”

Shim MinSeok. Somehow I can't bring myself to say his name. There’s something stuck in my throat that doesn’t want to give it away. I'm not embarrassed, but I don’t want to admit it either.

“... a friend,” I finally finish.

“A friend,” JaeIn emphasizes, hinting at something else.

“I wonder why you trailed off on saying that. I guess I’m siding with JaeIn’s hunch,” Mom’s voice echoes from the kitchen.

“Mom, you’re here already?”

She steps out on the doorway.

“Yes. And I’m glad to hear the juicy gossip,” she says with an evil smile.

“Moooooom, it’s nothing like that. Really.”

Her right brow goes up before turning around. “Fine. Fine. I’m gonna take your word for it… for now,” she giggles as she reenters their cave. JaeIn follows, harmonizing Mom’s giggles with hers. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

I face my best friend and put my hands together above my head.

"SuBin, I'm really sorry I forgot about today. I didn't mean to," I plead.

Still, pouting he just nods. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. But you have to make it up to me."

“Of course. We can even play all night tonight.” SuBin’s face lights up at this.

“But before any of that,” Mom interjects, “dinner comes first”. She comes out of the kitchen with JaeIn, pots in hand.

SuBin nods at this and shouts back, “I’ll help set up the table.”

He jumps out the couch and starts to the dining area, when he slips. Fortunately, I am there to catch him. His arms hit mine and his head lands on my chest.

He looks up, but it isn’t SuBin. It’s MinSeok’s face. He has been so enthralled with the movie theater that he has almost bumped into other people. Good thing I am able to scoop him up before the moment of collision. Now, his head rests on my chest with his innocent eyes looking back at me.

“JaeHoon, are you ok?” SuBin snaps me out from replaying earlier’s event.

“Huh? O-of course.”

“Your face is red. You look sick,” he says as I help him stand back up. “If I was JaeIn, I might think you’re actually blushing.”

SuBin goes ahead to the table, but his last words stay with me.

Blushing. Was I?