I'll be your light

“On your mark! Get set! Go!” the man yells and blows his whistle. The competitors all start to yell and pedal off onto the track. Melinda and Yukwon push on the pedals and hard as they can and slowly get momentum. Melinda is in the front while Yukwon is in the back. “Are you even pedalling?” Melinda calls back to Yukwon without turning her head. “Sorry what? Oh, have we started?” he jokes. She almost chokes. “If we don’t get that trip to the spa it’s all your fault.” She laughs. The follow the path illuminated by street lights and floor lights that go along the path. Halfway down the track, Melinda notices something. “Hey Yukwon! We’re third!” She says excitedly. “That’s great.” He pants heavily. “You sound tired. Maybe you’re not cut out for this.” Melinda mocks. “No. I’m good.” He stammers. “For a BLOCK B member you sure are unfit.” She laughs awkwardly. “Please don’t say it loudly. I don’t need people knowing I’m a gangster.” He hushes her. She swallows. “Sorry.” she mumbles.

It’s the last 400 metres of the race and Melinda and Yukwon are right behind the people in first place. They are now side by side. Trying to pedal faster than the other. By now, both Melinda and Yukwon are exhausted. The two women riding the tandem bike beside them look like they haven’t broken a sweat. ‘Are they professional bike riders or something?’ Melinda thinks. As she pushes all her effort into riding the tandem bike, she overhears the two women exchanging a few words about Yukwon. “Isn’t he good looking?” The back woman asks. The front woman quickly glances at Yukwon three times before answering. “I think I’ve seen him somewhere before.” She says. The two women keep taking quick looks at Yukwon. Irritated and curious, Melinda takes a look at Yukwon too and blushes at what she sees. His face glistening with pure, cool sweat, his hair swinging from side to side as he pedals, his arm muscles tensing as he firmly grips the bars to keep them steady and his leg muscles almost ripping out of his skin, bulging with pride as he works. Melinda blushes so hard she is certain for a split second all she can see is red. She accidentally steers them off course. The bicycle wheel bumps off the track onto the grass and they land with a crash. Yukwon rests his back on the grass, and it cools him down. He breathes deeply then starts laughing. “What happened?” he laughs. Melinda watches as other competitors speed past them. “We were coming in first.” She says with her mouth hanging open. “We were going to win that spa trip. I was going to get an awesome massage.” She punches Yukwon in the arm playfully. “What was that for?” he asks. “You’re such a distraction!” she says. The image of Yukwon exerting effort into riding that bike spins though her mind. She stands up. “Don’t ride bikes ever again!” she says. Yukwon is baffled. He sits up and watches as Melinda struggles with standing the tandem bike upright. He laughs. “Useless girl.” He says loud enough for her to hear. She gives him a look, but it dissipates as he helps her guide the bike to the finish line.

“We came…last.” Melinda says, disappointment and embarrassment emanating out of her. Yukwon laughs. “It’s alright.” He says. “At least we had fun right?” They make their way back to their apartment building. Melinda smiles. “Yeah, it was fun.” They both look at the stairs. “I’m exhausted. Let’s take the elevator.” Melinda suggests. “I was about to say the same.” Yukwon smiles. They take the elevator to the third floor. At their floor they get out and stop at Yukwon’s apartment. “So how was that for a first date?” Yukwon smiles cutely. ‘F-First date?’ Melinda thinks. ‘F-First date?’ The words replay though her head over and over. Eventually, she smiles and nods. “It was a great – “ the words came out wrong. “Dirst fate.” ‘Ah! Damn!’ She hovers her hand over her mouth and blushes in embarrassment. Yukwon laughs loudly. “You’re too cute.” He says. He gives her a sudden hug and she almost shrieks. She’s forgotten what a hug feels like from a person of the opposite gender. Sure, Yijung gives her hugs all the time, but this is different. Yukwon is different. “I had a great time.” Melinda says, more naturally now. “I’m glad you enjoyed the night.” Yukwon smiles again. Yukwon takes Melinda’s hand and brings it up to his lips, he gives her fingers a gentle kiss which makes her arm ripple with warmth. ‘Jaehyo style.’ Yukwon thinks. Melinda blushes and bites her lip. “Good night Melinda.” He smiles softly. “Good night.” She repeats. Melinda walks down the hall to her apartment and Yukwon watches her until she disappears into her apartment. He sighs happily, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. “First date.” He softly repeats to himself. He opens his apartment and goes inside. “First date!” he shouts and jumps around his apartment with joy. He jumps onto his bed and lies there. “First date.” He sighs with a smile.

Notes