Am Korean

I turned around, and there she was—standing at the entrance of the library, bathed in the golden light of the sun. Beautiful. Effortlessly so.

Tessa.

Every time I look at you, I forget myself. I forget my surroundings. I forget that everything—including you—is real. It's like my brain just…shuts down, and all I can do is stare. Her long lashes fluttered as she blinked, her big black eyes glistening like polished obsidian. Her caramel skin glowed under the sunlight, as if she and the sun were in some silent competition to outshine each other.

She gestured for me to come over, and I obeyed, like some kind of spell had been cast on me. The closer I got, the more I lost myself in her presence. The warmth in my chest expanded, and for a brief moment, I entertained the thought of telling her everything—how I felt, how she made my world tilt on its axis with just a glance.

But I couldn't.

I wouldn't.

I knew better.

So, naturally, instead of doing anything remotely reasonable, I blurted out the dumbest thing imaginable.

"Beggar."

Tessa frowned. "What?"

"Beggar," I repeated, this time louder, because apparently, my mouth had declared war on my common sense.

People around us started laughing, only making the situation worse.

Tessa crossed her arms, eyeing me with an expression that was both amused and annoyed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I smirked, leaning back slightly. "I don't talk to people who dress like that."

She looked down at herself. She was wearing an oversized brown sweater that swallowed her frame, reaching down to her knees, paired with black leggings.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" she asked, tilting her head.

I gestured vaguely at the sweater. "It's…huge."

She huffed, placing her hands on her waist. "That's how I like it. Big. So I can be small inside. That's the beauty of it." Then, with a cheeky grin, she added, "Can't you tell how beautiful I am?"

And just like that, I was lost again.

But no way was I letting her know that.

"You look like a beggar on the street," I deadpanned, crossing my arms.

Tessa gasped dramatically, then flipped her hair over her shoulder with an exaggerated flourish. "A beautiful beggar, I'll tell you that."

I chuckled.

She tilted her head. "By the way, Irene says she saw you last night."

"Oh yeah," I said, shrugging. "I saw her too. She was with Justin. They were all over each other in front of my house, practically waiting for me to open the door so they could finish what they started. But I wasn't about to let that happen. No one's turning my front porch into a romance movie."

Tessa laughed. "You're so dramatic."

"I prefer concerned citizen," I corrected. "Honestly, it was disgraceful."

She shook her head, still smiling. "She's not usually like that. Things just…happen, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah. Protect her all you want," I said, rolling my eyes. "But the truth is the truth. Your friend has some questionable habits."

Tessa sighed. "I know she has her moments, but she's been through a lot. People reflect their pain in different ways."

I glanced at her. There was something in her voice—something raw, unspoken.

"That's very kind of you," I murmured.

She changed the subject. "I heard you and Justin finally made up."

I scoffed. "Yeah, well, someone forced me to, so I had no choice."

"Oh? And Anita?"

I smirked. "Apologized to her too. Flowers, chocolate, the whole grand gesture. She accepted."

Tessa grinned. "News really does travel fast."

"When it's about me, darling, it flies faster than light."

She laughed, shaking her head.

We started walking.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Home."

"You want a ride?"

She blinked at me. "You have a car?"

I gave her a look. "Obviously."

"Then why have we been walking home all this time?" she demanded, dramatically throwing her hands up.

I shrugged. "Never thought it was the right time to offer."

Tessa narrowed her eyes. "Right time? Right time?!"

"Well, if I started driving you, I'd officially turn into your chauffeur," I explained. "And I'm way too young for that kind of commitment."

She smirked. "And here I was, thinking I was special—that you wanted to protect me."

I grinned. "Who says I don't?"

She hummed, eyeing me curiously. "Better late than never."

"Late than never for what?"

She sighed dramatically. "It's better to tell me how you feel now than break my heart in the future. That would hurt way more."

I stared at her. That was…unexpected. And a little too real.

"That's a very specific philosophy," I mused.

She smiled softly. "Well, I've been through it before. And trust me, compared to what happened to me, you were nice to Anita."

Something about her tone made me pause.

She didn't elaborate. I didn't push.

We reached my car, and I unlocked it. Once we were inside, she finally spoke again.

"Wait," she said, narrowing her eyes. "I forgot to ask. You're Korean, aren't you?"

I froze.

"…How do you know that?"

"The way you speak," she said simply. "It's too fluent."

I forced a chuckle. "Anyone can be fluent in Korean, Tessa."

"No, no, Daræy," she said, shaking her head. "Your Korean is different. You speak like them. And looking at you now…you act like them too." She eyed me, as if piecing something together. "You've got that whole serious, businessman vibe going on."

I stiffened.

"Tessa, stop." My voice was quieter than I intended.

She immediately pulled back. "Sorry. I didn't know it was a touchy subject."

I sighed, gripping the steering wheel. "It is. So let's not talk about my paternal side."

She tilted her head. "Your dad's Korean?"

I stayed silent.

She hesitated. "Your mom, though…" She studied me. "You don't look fully Korean."

I gave her a flat look.

She grinned. "If you didn't tell me, I wouldn't know."

"I didn't tell you."

"I figured it out."

We both laughed.

After a moment, she smirked. "By the way, since I do speak Korean, I can use it with you, right?"

I smiled. "Of course. It's nice to actually speak my language with someone. Helps me not forget it."

"Guess so."

And for once, we actually agreed on something.

I drove her home.

When we arrived, Tessa's friends welcomed me with so much enthusiasm that I might as well have been a boyfriend dropping off his girlfriend. They practically dragged me inside like I was their long-lost big brother.

To my surprise, Joshua and Justin were already there.

We exchanged handshakes, bro-hugged, and finally sat down.

"Tessa cooked today," Ruth announced.

Joshua blinked. "Wow. First time I'm here, and I hear that?"

Justin smirked. "Tessa, go dish out food for us. We're guests."

Tessa huffed. "I wasn't expecting a big audience, so eat and don't judge."

We all laughed.

"Don't be shy," Joshua teased. "If it's that bad, we'll just pretend to like it. You know, like lovers do."

We all burst into laughter.