SOUR

'One step forward and three steps back.'

Sola opens her mouth to say something but Sunwoo turns around and walks straight out of the restaurant.

"Is he okay?" Hyunjae asks.

"Yeah, we haven't heard from him in a while," Sola adds.

I look from Hyunjae to her, and I blink twice. "Oh... to be honest Sunwoo and I just met recently, and I'm not really sure he enjoys my presence."

Sola inhales and takes a step closer to me. "I know you and I just met, but could you do me a favor?"

"Of course!" I say.

"You seem like a nice girl. Can you keep an eye on him for a while? I'm worried that he has nobody to talk to, and even if it's not me, that's okay, I just want what's best for him." Sola says. Her eyes are glistening.

"I will," I say to her gently. "Don't worry, I'm not giving up on him."

For two reasons now.

"Thank you, really." Sola says. "I hope you can bring out the best in him. He needs someone like you."

I'm not sure what that means but I nod.

"It was nice to meet you, Milli." Hyunjae says as I walk away.

There's a weird feeling in my stomach. Why is Sunwoo so afraid to see his high school friends?

Apparently Sunwoo is a slow walker, because I easily catch up with him. He's also easy to spot in a crowd, he's the only one dressed like a grim reaper on a sunny day like today.

"Hey, Sunwoo, stop!" I jog up to him.

"Aren't you done?" He stops abruptly and turns around. I skid to a stop. "Aren't you done making me feel like shit? Just go see your cheerleader friends or whatever you do. I'm honestly sick of you."

I feel my eyes sting. Maybe the one main thing I hate about myself is that I'm sensitive. In high school I would burst into tears of a teacher criticized my work. I find that I can't get angry at people, I can only cry about it and that makes me weak. I'm easy to take advantage of, and also easily ditched because i don't expect an explanation from anyone.

But not this time.

I take a deep shaky breath. "I'm sorry I made you feel badly, but I promise you that was never my intention. I would never do that to a friend."

Sunwoo narrows his eyes at my quivering lip. "tch, we're not friends." He scoffs, but his shoulders relax a bit.

"Were those your friends back there?" I ask.

He shrugs. He doesn't say anything, he just turns around and begins walking away. I won't let him leave like this.

I follow him, struggling to keep up with his purposefully long strides.

"Why do you hate your friends?" I continue.

"I don't hate them."

"Then why did you run away?"

"I have things to do."

"Like what things?"

"Stuff."

"What stuff?"

"You know you're really annoying right?"

"I won't leave you alone until you tell me." I say.

"Why do you even give a fuck about me? We just met yesterday." He asks.

I pause. He has a solid point. I don't need to care about him this much, I just needed to get his number for Sora.

but that feels shallow now, and I can't bring myself to do that and then just ditch him.

"Well you don't know it yet, but we'll be friends." I say.

"Don't hold your breath."

I inhale and draw a lot of air into my lungs before I begin holding my breath.

"What the hell?" He looks at me. "You're so weird."

"Tell me," I say, still not exhaling.

"You'll pass out on the street and I'm not picking you up. I'll leave you right there to get kidnapped."

I wave him off. Something tells me he's lying about that. I grab his arm, smacking it lightly because I'm running out of air.

"Okay fine! For fucks sake," He says. "Stop holding your breath, you look like a fish."

My eyes begin to light up at the compliment but he adds, "A dead fish. Like the fish sitting on ice at the market."

"Get to the point." I say.

"fine. If you must know, Sola was the first person I ever loved." Sunwoo says.

"Woah." I cover my mouth, I did not mean to say that out loud. "Not your parents? Siblings?"

"Parents are dead to me."

"Don't say that." I say to him seriously.

"I wish they were."

"You don't mean that," I say quietly. "You really don't."

He glances at me. "Well you got your answer. Happy?"

"No! I'm not happy. Why aren't you chasing after her? Trying to be with her? Or at least keeping in contact." I say.

Sunwoo stops abruptly in the middle of the crosswalk. "Because we loved each other in different ways. Okay? Just drop it. I-I'm not about it tell some random person about the hardest time in my life."

My lips press together.

"Now beat it. I have things to do." Sunwoo says. He walks the rest of the way down the street.

I'm stuck there, watching him with my eyebrows furrowed. A car horn beeps and I come back to life.

So his close friend broke his heart.

I know he said not to feel sorry for him, but how could I not? He's still hurt.