Cousins, Bianca thought, I guess I was wrong about this whole…Jake-dating thing.
But she still frowned. She did not know how much fuss she had made over just one boy that she had liked. She had never had a crush in a long time. It was hard for her to catch up to this feeling.
On the way home, she thought of everything Namjoon told her. But she didn’t seem to be much intrigued about the fact that Jake actually liked her back.
That’s right!
Jake actually liked Bianca in return! It was while she was opening her locker to put her books away when a noted paper fell out in front of her. Bianca scooped it up and quickly figured it was a note.
I like you back, you know…
- Jake Shim
Why didn’t he say anything, she asked in her head, Why didn’t he say that he liked me back while I still had a crush on him?
Bianca laid on her bed with tears in her eyes. She did not want any comfort. For now, she wanted to be alone. All alone. But it wasn’t always the best to be alone. You know, sometimes, it gets boring and you have no one to talk to. But Bianca just wanted to pursue her confession to Jake. And that was what she was going to do.
It was while she was at school when Bahiyyih stopped her for a moment.
“Bianca!” she called.
Bianca flinched and looked at Bahiyyih's way. The girl appeared to be running towards her. But Bianca knew she hadn’t spoken to her in quite a while, so she let it go.
“There you are,” said Bahiyyih, “You do know it’s been way too long, right?”
“Yeah, I guess it has been.” replied Bianca.
Bahiyyih huffed, “Why weren’t you along with us for two months? My cousin Jake had been asking about you!”
“I-I’m sorry,” stammered Bianca, “I had been busy for quite some time, you know, getting great photos of scenery and learning how to edit them. I have to make sure to follow the guidelines, too.”
“Impressive,” said Bahiyyih, “Seems to me that you are determined to win the photography contest for our school this year.”
“Yeah…I guess so.”
Jake passed by; Bianca twirled her hair. Bahiyyih gave a hum.
“So, you still have a soft spot for my big cousin, am I right?”
Bianca slowly nodded her head, but was still as down in the dumps. She wanted so much to become a great friend to Jake. But now that she was jealous of Bahiyyih, before she knew of them being relatives, she not only disappointed Jake and her cousin and her teacher, she disappointed herself!
The bell rang, “Well, I guess I will see you in class!” said Bahiyyih.
Bianca then sat through Namjoon’s science lecture with a straight expression. But Bianca, not only felt sad, but she felt tedious and tired. She collapsed her head on the desk, making a thump.
Namjoon heard that thump. He knew something just had to be on her mind. Yet he didn’t know what.
During the class’s free time, he approached her desk and patted her head for comfort. Bianca quickly lifted her head. She saw the soft smile of her own teacher, as if she was a brother to her. After all, he was twenty-eight, and very young to be a teacher.
“Sleepy? Didn’t you get any sleep last night?”
Bianca sat up straight. And looked at Namjoon straight in the eye.
“I did,” she said, “But I didn’t wake up happy. I cried myself to sleep. The moment you told me that my crush and best friend were cousins. I took it to heart.”
Namjoon nodded his head.
“I’m sorry. But Jake urged me to tell you this. He thought of you a lot and wanted you to be happy.”
Bianca burst into tears. She struggled to silence it. She could not hold it back anymore. Her sobs grew louder by the second.
Namjoon held Bianca in his arms. As a teacher he could not do that to a student. But Bianca felt hurt. He had to rebel. After all, he was deemed a “bad” boy.
The school bell rang and Bianca was the first to run out the classroom. Namjoon was still concerned. So concerned he had to talk to her about it. Even after finding out her own best friend and crush were cousins, Bianca remained distant.
*~*~*~*~*~*
It was after school. Bianca waited for Mother to come and pick her up. For almost thirty-five minutes, Mother sent a message to Bianca, saying:
Yang Jungwon shall take you home, darling, I’m sorry. I had a lot of work.
Bianca immediately thought of Jungwon. Then, a bright pink motor scooter sat right in front of her. It was Yang Jungwon himself. He gave his warm smile. Bianca was still confused.
“My mum said Jungwon was coming?”
Jungwon nodded.
“I’m sorry I had to keep you waiting out here. Your mom said she had too much work. Didn’t she say that?”
Bianca checked her phone and realized she was telling the truth. She then nodded quickly.
“Come on, it’s getting dark.”
Bianca sat behind and held on tight to Jungwon’s back. And then, ever since she was young, she blushed.
In the intersection, she spread out her arms. Bianca felt as if she was flying. It made her beam brightly.
“It feels like flying!” she exclaimed.
“Yeah?” said Jungwon.
He then drove faster and Bianca whooped. She even heard Jungwon’s distant laugh. It was as if Jungwon was already her boyfriend.
Bianca was dropped off at home. Jungwon pulled her in his arms.
“Jake knows about your little crush on him,” he said, “He wants so much to be with you.”
“Really?” asked Bianca, “But I’ve already moved on from him.”
“But I could tell that you wanted to have a boyfriend. Namjoon was telling me that you love him so purely.”
I do? But it was only a crush!
“Well then…I shall see you tomorrow.”
“Yes, I will too.”
In the evening, Mother entered Bianca’s room. But she frowned for some reason.
“Bianca,” she said, “Mr. Joon tells me you haven’t been able to talk with any of the other students. Is that true?”
“Why is it that everyone gets so concerned about my preference on people?” Bianca reluctantly responded as a question.
“My dear, I am just trying to understand what school life is like where you’re going. I just want to know…what is happening.”
In many years, she had never felt so angry towards her mother. Their relationship was so good they would never fight with each other. Now, Bianca was seething with an unimaginable rage. All because she didn’t tell her that her take on people was so selective.
“I had a crush.” Bianca blurted.
Mother was frozen.
“You had a crush? On who?”
Bianca stormed straight to her drawers and ripped out a photo of Jake Shim. She gave it to her mother.
“Oh, my word!” she said in relief.
“Mummy,” Bianca asked concerningly, “What is the matter? Why do you feel so melancholy?”
Mother had tears in her eyes.
She looked up at Bianca and said, “You had a crush on Bahiyyih’s cousin. I knew her and her brothers Niki and Kai and her eldest sister Lea. You never told me about this. Just like you never told me about the time you crushed on the guy that merely ratted you out for your pink ribbons, when he didn’t mean to.”
Bianca had a sudden flashback. He remembered that Jake was the one to call her out to the principal and the student council. But she was always in trouble; she didn’t know how to get her out of it. That was when Jake stepped in.
Bianca came back to her senses.
“So it was true,” she said, “It was all true. Jake really is Bahiyyih’s cousin?”
Mother nodded her head.
“Why didn’t he tell me about this?” Bianca asked.
“He wanted to tell you. When I spoke to your teacher on the phone, he said that Jake noticed you were upset and left you on your own to figure it out.”
Mother laughed.
“Oh, my god, no!” Bianca squealed.
“I figured you’d react that way, so I had to turn it down politely.” Mother laughed once more.
Bianca then laid down, thinking, BOOMBAYAH.
III
Another month had passed. Three months since Bianca was in school. October 16th, 2021. But she felt more lonely than ever. And then, she happened to pass by Jake’s locker. But Jake himself stopped her.
Bianca felt the hand on her left shoulder. She turned around and saw Jake standing right in front of her.
Jake is standing in front of me? What to do, what do I do?
“Jake,” Bianca stammered, “I didn’t know you were over here.”
She then gave a nervous laugh.
But Jake frowned. Bianca was confused. How could her own crush be so upset when they are finally together, in the least?
“Is something wrong?”
“N-no,” said Jake, “I just wanted to say…I’m sorry for not telling you.”
“Telling me what?”
“That Bahiyyih and Huening Kai are my cousins.”
“Huening Kai?”
Jake pulled out his phone and turned to Instagram and showed the picture of Huening Kai…with his girlfriend Lane Gilmore, daughter of Rory Gilmore.
“Wow,” said Bianca, “A seventeen-year-old singer and dancer is dating now. That’s something new.”
“Yup! And the agency did not like it and expelled the whole group for it. They turned to social media and MOAs had sent their support they needed. The only one in the group TXT that’s not dating is Kang Taehyun. But he wants to wait when he graduates college.”
“Aren’t they still in high school?”
“They are,” said Jake, “But next year they are going to college.”
“Is there something wrong with that? Aren’t you going to college too?”
Jake nodded his head. But then, he frowned.
“The fact is,” he said, “I wanted to meet you again, so bad. But…you have been distant for so long…I wanted to hang out with you…date you…until I had to go to college.”
Bianca fell on Jake’s waist, wrapping her arms around his tummy. Suddenly, there was a perfect balance and Jake patted her head.
“I want you to be my girlfriend!” Jake said, softly.
But Bianca didn’t say a word. Once the school bell rang, she ran off quickly, with her backpack in hand.
*~*~*~*~*~*
It was in the evening; Bianca was getting ready to go out. She wanted to see Jake at the Japanese Event in Seoul. She then messaged Jake, asking if he was going as well.
He responded with a yes. Bianca was overjoyed. She got dressed and headed right out the door.
At the festival, there were lights, dancing, and glory. Bianca loved it all. She went all around the glitz and glamor and sparkle, looking for Jake. When she did, however…her heart had dropped. Jake was with another girl!
He could have just told me, she thought as she cried softly, He could have just said that he already had someone to go with!
Bianca then found a bench, and cried. She then passed out from all of the emotion that she was feeling. And then… she began to have a dream.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Bianca woke up and Bahiyyih was standing right at her side. She was confused. She then rubbed her eyes.
“What happened?” she asked as she yawned.
“Come on!” Bahiyyih exclaimed, “We have to go! Your wedding’s in a few hours!”
“Wedding? What?” Bianca swooned.
Bahiyyih yanked her by the wrist and took her to an extravagant wedding dress shop. The young girl still did not know what was going on. But Bahiyyih seemingly knew.
“Try this dress on!” Bahiyyih exclaimed, throwing the dress to Bianca.
But Bianca was still confused. She put the dress on, anyway.
“So…what do you think?” asked Bahiyyih, snapping a mirror selfie of the two.
“I love it,” said Bianca, “But…who am I getting married to, may I ask?”
“Jake Shim? My cousin? The guy you kept crushing on in high school?”
“Oh…right.”
Bianca seemed to frown. She knew that she was ten years older in her dream. A grown-up. An adult. But for some reason, she has always wanted to be grown up.
But as she suddenly closed her eyes, she was already in another dress.
“Um…okay?” said a confused Bianca, “I don’t know why I’m wearing these wedding dresses, even though I look so beautiful in this one and the last one.”
“Like I said before!” said Bahiyyih, “You are getting married to my pretty-boy cousin! I’m sure you and Jake will make the most everlasting soulship in history!”
But Bianca never thought of getting married to her own crush when she had already begun to speak with him! This confused her so much. And she was already confused enough to ask why she was wearing these wedding gowns.
Another photo was snapped and Bianca found another white-veiled attire. She was already having none of it!
“This has to be the one, correct?” asked Bahiyyih, “I mean, it totally describes you, and it fits your body all the way! I can’t wait for this day to come!”
“But it’s tight on the waist, though.” Bianca said to herself, “How am I going to get out of this? Someone just tell me!”
Bianca put her hands on her chin and looked the other way, while still facing the camera. Except, this time, she didn’t change into another dress.
“Let’s take the next one!” exclaimed Bahiyyih.
Bianca followed Bahiyyih and quickly noticed that she was in a pretty dress too. She felt the discomfort between her and Bahiyyih already.
How am I going to get out of here? Bianca thought.
“Say, Kimchi!!” said Bahiyyih, cheerfully.
“Kimchi?” questioned Bianca.
When the photo was snapped, Bahiyyih laughed hard.
“Your expression is priceless!” Bahiyyih laughed, “I can’t believe you used the word kimchi as a question! HA, HA, HA! Come on, you have to admit that that was pretty funny! HA, HA, HA!!”
But Bianca was already frustrated enough. In the last photo, she began to cry.
She found a spot alone in the garden. She then sighed.
I want to get out of here, she thought, I can’t get married at this age. I’m fifteen! I may be older in my dreams, but still…it’s just too much!
But Bianca put her head down. For a long time, she actually fell asleep in her own dream. A soft hand brushed her head. She thought she was woken up. She found Jake in front of her. But Bianca herself was wearing another white dress.
“Do you feel the same?” Bianca asked.
“Honestly,” said Jake, “I can’t bear to upset my cousins. Huening Kai and Bahiyyih may as well be sweet and friendly, but they are quite persistent and demanding.”
“I guess you do have a point there.”
Bianca felt the joy inside her, when she felt herself being kissed by her own crush. And then…she woke up.
*~*~*~*~*~*
“You passed out for a while, didn’t you?” asked Jake as he sat up Bianca.
“Yeah,” Bianca replied, “I think so. But I didn’t sleep for very long, I was just about to leave, anyway.”
“You didn’t know that I was with Bahiyyih again, didn’t you.”
“You know Jake, you could have just told me, or I could have just simply asked you. That way I couldn’t have gotten upset or I wouldn’t ignore you at school.”
“It’s mostly my fault, since you’re the one who has a crush on me.”
Bianca paused for a moment.
“What do you mean I have a crush on you?”
“Everyone knows and is talking about it. You have to know that your feelings are safe with me.”
“Are they really?”
Jake smiled and nodded.
“It’s getting dark, I should probably be getting home with Bahiyyih.”
“I just live a couple blocks away, so…I think I should be okay.”
“Good.” said Jake, kissing Bianca’s cheek.
Bianca walked all the way home in euphoria. She kept a straight face until she laid down on her bed, saying the famed phrase when something astonishing happens:
Boombayah!!