Page 10 of Rules for Rule Breaking
“Uh... yeah?” Winter said, not sure of why she’d even said that. “What about you?”
“I’ve always wanted to try a Philly cheesesteak. I put UPenn on the tentative itinerary.”
Winter grimaced. “Because you’re lactose intolerant? Halmeoni was right. Weareboring. Let’s just make some ground rules for our trip and call it a day. I think thehowis more important than thewhatanyway.”
“You want us to make rules for our rule breaking?” Bobby asked. “I still haven’t agreed to let you come with me.”
“What else are you going to do, go alone? Or go with your non-girlfriend girlfriend? Just give me some paper. I know you have a notebook in your pocket.”
“Or am I just happy to see you?” Bobby shook his head. “I’m so sorry. My father’s perverse sense of humor is rubbing off.”
Winter raised her eyebrows. “Rule number one is clearly ‘No making jokes.’ ”
Bobby feigned being wounded. “I guess a few Geneva Conventions couldn’t hurt.”
He opened the center console and took out an engraved leather-bound notebook, which was more of a leather sleeve with several small notebooks inside. His parents had given it to him when he started high school, and it appeared he’d replaced the notebooks inside several times since then. They’d given Winter one too, but she lost it somewhere in her room about a week after receiving it.
Winter grabbed for the notebook, but Bobby yanked it out of her grasp.
Bobby pursed his lips. “Please don’t touch it.”
“What’s with you and notebooks anyway?”
He was constantly writing things down. She didn’t know what exactly. Every time she got close enough, he snapped it shut. Because of him, she knew what A6s were and had actually picked up his penchant for sugarcane paper. There were fandoms for everything, but this was by far the most random one Winter had ever heard of.
“Are you genuinely asking, or are you just trying to make fun of me?” Bobby asked.
“I’m genuinely asking.”
Winter was willing to listen to anyone talk about anything so long as they were knowledgeable about it. And she did want to know what it was that Bobby was writing all the time. She didn’t take him for a diary person. Bobby never did anything worth writing about. If it were a diary, it would probably have been planning its escape from Bobby the moment he first wrote, “Dear Diary.”
Bobby hugged the notebook to his chest. “There’s something very classic about pen and paper. A6s are my favorite because they fit inmy pocket. I have a few for jotting down random notes, as well as a planner and bullet journal in here. I also enjoy a good Japanese-made pen. When you write old-school, you can’t get hacked in the cloud.”
Winter had no idea what sort of private thoughts Bobby Bae could have written in there that would make him concerned about getting hacked in the cloud. She regretted asking. Now she was imagining him scribbling manifestos.
They contemplated each other for a moment. That was probably the most civil exchange they had ever shared. Winter thought about continuing it or perhaps calling him a nerd and moving on, but Bobby was right, the park was closing soon, and she didn’t want to get in trouble for being there after-hours.
Bobby turned to a clean page in his notebook. Winter tried to see what was written on the other pages as he flipped through it, but she couldn’t. She thought she saw a few pages covered in Hangul, but he was flipping too fast for her to know for certain.
They took turns jotting down whatever rules came to mind in the few minutes before the park closed. The scratching of pen and paper was the only sound to be heard in the car. Winter became self-conscious of her breathing and tried her best not to disturb the silence. With two minutes to spare, they leaned back to inspect what each had written.
Winter’s contributions included:We will not abuse moratoriums, we will stay out of each other’s business, we will not tell anyone details about our trip.She scanned Bobby’s additions. Most of what he wrote was acceptable:We will respect the itinerary, we will not discuss personal matters, we will prioritize college visits.Though, there were a few he crammed in at the end that gave her pause.
“Why did you write, ‘No venting about your girlfriend’?” Bobby asked. “I wouldn’t do that with you.”
“Why didyouwrite down, ‘No physical contact’?” Winter replied, answering his question with a question. “Iwouldn’t do that withyou.”
“I’m trying to be respectful of Jacqueline.”
Winter’s witty comeback caught in her throat, and her cheeks went hot. The fact that he felt the need to put that in writing struck her as odd. Who was he worried about lacking restraint: Her or himself? She looked sideways at him, and he mindlessly licked his lips, his focus still on the list in her hands. Her face went hotter. Physical contact could mean a punch in the face.I’m probably overthinking it, she thought.
“Why did you—? Maybe this was a stupid idea. Let’s just forget it,” Winter said. She slammed the notebook shut and thrust it back at Bobby.
“You’re giving me whiplash, Park. Do you want to come with me or not?”
“I... I don’t want to do anything to offend Jacqueline. I’ll take a virtual tour of the colleges or something.”
Bobby shook his head and let out a long breath. “You’re probably right. This would be bad optics.”
