Page 37 of Follow My Voice
I blush. “Oh, it’s just… I remembered a scene from a movie I saw… beautiful.”
Andy nods. “Right, right.”
I stand up and excuse myself by saying I have homework to get to, then I go into my room and close the door behind me to respond to Kang in private, where no one will notice any unintentional smiles.
Me:Always so over the top. How was your day, Kang?
Kang:Boring. Went to practice, had class, did some homework. How about yours?
It was one of the best days of my life because I started college and because I got to see you. You have no idea how close we were,I want to say, but I opt for a less crazy response:
Me:It was good, very eventful.
Kang:Can I call you?
We’ve been talking on the phone a lot lately, and it’s always Kang who calls me. I guess somehow texting isn’t enough anymore. I dial his number and he picks up on the third ring.
“Ms. K.”
“Mr. Kang.”
I hear him laugh and I love it, it’s contagious. Kang is addictive. I’m drawn to everything about him, but most of all I love how comfortable I feel talking to him. It comes so naturally.
“Did you finish watching your Korean drama today?”
“No, I spent all day…” I pause. “Out.”
“Out? Are you this mysterious with everyone or just with me?”
I shake my head. “I’m not mysterious.”
“No? You won’t tell me anything about yourself. I don’t know where you go to school, you’ve blocked me on social media…”
“What, no… I don’t have any social media accounts.”
I hear him sigh. “Are you afraid of me, Klara?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why do I feel like you put up a wall between us? Like you’re trying to keep me out?”
It’s the only way to keep myself safe, Kang,I think.
“I am doing no such thing,” I say. “Besides, I still don’t understand why you’re so curious about me.” I say it without even thinking about it, and I instantly regret it. Before I can panic and take it back, I hear him sigh again.
Kang takes a deep breath. “I told you… at first it was because of the quotes you’d sent to the show. It showed me how well-read you were, showed me we liked the same type of literature. I get a lot of my inspiration for the show and the topics I choose from books, so… I don’t know, I wanted to talk to someone else about them. You know, since it’s not something my teammates or Erick and I talk about. But now that we’ve actually begun talking, to be honest, it’s gone past that. I think you remind me of myself, of a time where I put all the walls up and didn’t let anyone or anything get to me. I was lost in a dark place, wishing for someone to reach out to me.”
His words sound genuine and it takes me a moment to process them.
“So, you think I’m lost in a dark place?” I joke.
“No, I think you need someone reaching out to you, and I want to be that person, if you let me.”
“I don’t know. There are so many candidates,” I say with a nervous chuckle.What am I doing?
“Oh, really?” he goes along, “I thought I was your favorite.”
“You are.” I respond way too quickly and proceed to blush.
