Choahaeyo

Chapter 12

We sat on the bench in front of the school stairs. We're talking about Korean words because some of my classmates are addicted to Koreanovelas and K-Pop. We saw Hideki, classmate of Hephaestus. He is Japanese but we asked him if he knows how to speak Korean.

"Hello Hideki, do you know how to speak Korean?", Jane said.

"Yeah, I studied Korean last vacation", he replied.

"Can you tell us the Korean of ugly so that we can tease our classmates who don't attend MTAA", Sharon joked.

He said something but I already forgot it because it's difficult to pronounce.

"Saranghae means I love you, right?", I asked.

"Yes", he said.

"Ahmm… How about I like you?", I asked again.

My classmates teased me because they think I refer to Hephaestus.

"No, what you're thinking is wrong", I told them but I don't know why I'm smiling.

"I like you in Korean is Choahaeyo", Hideki said, then he already left and went to the canteen.

Hephaestus and his classmate are going downstairs to buy food in the canteen then my classmates called him.

"Hephaestus, asked Hideki the meaning of Choahaeyo.. Aphrodite said it", Jane said.

"Also Saranghae…", Athena shouted.

"No, no.. They're just kidding. Don't listen to them.", I protested.

Then, Hephaestus nodded and went to the canteen. My classmates kept on teasing me.

"Nice Aphrodite, Hephaestus will know that you liked him", Sharon said.

A few minutes later, Hephaestus and his classmates came out in the canteen and Hideki is behind them. They teased me again. But Hephaestus went on the trash can to throw something so Hideki came first.

"No, he's not. He will not ask Hideki about it. He knows that you're just kidding", I said.

"Hideki, did Hephaestus asked the meaning of 'something'?", Jane asked.

"Yeah", he replied.

GOSH! I thought he'll not ask. I told him not to. I'm so shy and I don't even know what to do. Will I hide from him?

"What did he asked you?", Sharon asked.

"The meaning of Choahaeyo and Saranghae", he said.

BINGO! He knew.. What am I gonna do now?

"Thanks Hideki, bye" Jane waved at him, and then he went inside the school.

Hephaestus is going to get inside the school and he walks fast. I think he's really shy because my classmates always tease us.

"Hephaestus wait", my classmate said.

"Do you already know the meaning of it?", Athena said.

Hephaestus is chewing his food. He can't speak so he just gave us thumbs up and nodded. All of them start to tease us. I'm defending myself and telling him that it's just a joke but I think he didn't hear it because my classmates are almost shouting. Then suddenly,

"What's that mean?", Sharon said and everyone stopped.

He really can't speak because his mouth is full so he just acted it. He pointed his middle and index finger into his eyes, next to his heart and pointed it to us. My classmates start to tease us again. I can't stop smiling and I don't know how red I am.