Catch up: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
Walking with her makeshift headscarf alongside DJ, SZ can’t help but touch her face. The warmth from the head cover added to the heat of the day is making her rash itchy.
Thinking she’s scratching herself and worsening her condition, DJ wraps both of SZ’s hands in his own. Woah, he’s holding her hands in an odd sort of way but still it’s something.
Suddenly SZ can’t hold it any longer, she needs to know. “Why did you tell your colleagues today that I’m your friend? In the past, didn’t you always tell people that I’m your sister?”
“Do you really take me for your brother?” DJ asks. He wants to say something else to her but can’t bring himself to do so.
Back at her dorm, SZ informs her roommates that despite the ending of their day together, she thinks DJ might have feeling for her. NW tells SZ she shouldn’t be too easy, she should make DJ pursue her before she agrees to be his girlfriend.
SZ is more than ok with waiting for DJ to pursue her. If he doesn’t, she’ll pursue him! (NW thinks her dear friend is a hopeless case).
・❥・
It’s her birthday, SZ hurries down the dorm stairs wearing a pretty red dress with a black cardigan. She’s celebrating with DJ today, she took time to look really pretty, for herself not for him.
Ok maybe a little is for him.
Just as she sees DJ outside, SZ is intercepted by JM who gives her a gift. He tries to ask her out for dinner but notices SZ looking at DJ and realizes she must have plans with her “brother”.
DJ isn’t happy about the interaction he just witnessed. “Is he the manly man you mentioned?” he casually inquires.
It’s not him. DJ pauses then crouches down right in front of a bewildered SZ turning his head from one side to the other. He wants SZ to look at him and see if he’s the man she described.
What’s he talking about? What does he mean? Does he know already? No matter what, she can’t admit it because doing so is as good as telling him she’s had a crush on him all along.
“You should just stop mentioning him to me. Didn’t you say he’s a jerk? That’s why I stopped contacing him. Now there’s no one I like”. There, that sounds believable.
What if I want to be more than just a brother to you?
The two take the bus to watch a movie downtown. Crowded as the the bus is, DJ positions himself as close to SZ as possible trying to prevent her from being pushed and shoved.
“Hold onto me so you don’t fall,” he volunteers. She hesitantly grabs his cardigan, barely hovering her hand over it.
“Hold tightly,” DJ firmly guides her hand to fully grasp onto his arm.
Getting an iced tea despite DJ’s protests that she’ll get cold in the the theater, the two take their seats and DJ volunteers to hold her cold cup. She can hold it herself, his hand will get cold.
“You can drink your drink, why did you touch my hand on purpose?” DJ says. SZ looks down seeing her hand graze his while hovering to hold the drink.
She can hold the damn drink herself! Yes, her hands are going to get cold but so will his hand.
“You’re right. You can warm it up for me,” his hand opens up invitingly.
“It’s not quite appropriate for us to do that,” SZ haltingly responds.
“You’re right, after all we haven’t put a label on it,” DJ takes his hand back somewhat disappointed.
SZ nearly spits out her drink, “label”?
After the movie, DJ tells her they’re going to his place since he’s prepared a surprise. SZ is already surprised. Didn’t he tell her not to visit his place or office?
DJ explains that day JY had come to his office and, fearing she’d hurt SZ in some way (considering last time she was waving a projectile platter at her), he’d said to SZ she should keep a distance. It was his mistake for being too hasty and not making himself clear.
“So you’ve been upset lately because of this?” He apologizes again and with their misunderstanding resolved, they head to have cake.
・❥・
Entering DJ’s place, he hands a pair of slippers especially prepared for her. But those are for another time, now they need to go on the rooftop for the surprise.
DJ has decorated the entire rooftop with string lights, balloons, and a table in the center making for a cozy ambiance with a view.
There are two cakes on the table—a dairy-free one he made and the other a purchased look-alike to stick the candles in just in case his cake was hard to look at. How thoughtful.
He sings for her then grabbing a slice of cake they move towards the edge to look at the pretty nightscape. SZ is enjoying everything about this birthday including DJ’s company and the cake he made for her. Even her birthday wish was that of getting more opportunities to spend birthdays with him.
Leaning against the edge, DJ asks her while she eats the cake if she’s going to open the present JM gave her. She will, later when she gets back.
“Is that guy trying to pursue you?” DJ seriously asks. “It looks like you’re pretty popular. Can you tell me what it takes for a guy to pursue you?”
What does she look for in a guy? SZ has to think. He must be handsome, have a good temper, and must be a head taller than her. DJ suddenly shifts stretching himself upwards to his full height.
Anything else? He must have morals, that’s pretty much it.
DJ takes a deep breath, “I think I check all of these boxes so I want to ask you something”. He turns to face her. “Can I pursue you?”
A shocked SZ turns to glance at him. Seeing his intense gaze on her she realizes he’s serious. But this guy always says one thing and means another so she manages to ask if what he just said means the same as what she thinks it means.
Is there another meaning?
But didn’t he say she’s just a kiddo, doesn’t he think she’s too young?
“That’s just a nickname. If you like it, I can call you that even when you’re eighty. Besides, you call me your brother all the time, do you really consider me your brother?”
SZ tries to save face claiming that she does consider him her brother. DJ is unconvinced by her poor performance.
“I don’t want to be just your brother. I want to be your boyfriend,” he candidly confesses. Silence ensues as they look into each other before SZ turns to glance over the city again. She needs to say something, otherwise, he won’t be able to breathe.
He can’t breathe? What about her, she can’t breathe.
“DJ no one asks for permission before pursuing someone,” she tries to stall for processing time (and, also, NW told her to make him work for it). But seriously who asks to pursue, they just do it.
“I have to make myself clear otherwise what will I do if you think I’m good to you because I’m older?”
He’d like to know if she feels the same way for him. SZ claims she doesn’t, at least she won’t know if she does until he pursues her.
Ok, he gets it, his girl wants him to pursue her and that’s exactly what he’ll do.
I thought he said he’ll pursue me, is this how he does it?
Later that same evening of her birthday, SZ opens up DJ’s present, a white camera. Taking a picture, she checks out the gallery only to find an unexpected fuzzy picture of DJ’s collarbone with a hint of the skin peeking under his open shirt!
Ironically, his text asking if she likes the gift comes through right at that moment. He really has thick skin, taking a picture like this and even asking if she likes it.
SZ takes a snap of the pic in the camera’s gallery and sends it as her response.
Shit, DJ recalls checking if the camera worked well before packaging it. He must have accidentally taken a picture.
On SZ’s side, it’s more like disappointment, the damn picture isn’t clear at all. Trying to remedy the situation and glad she’s not offended, DJ replies that if she agrees to let him pursue her, he’d send an HD version immediately. Nice try.
That night SZ changed DJ’s contact info from “Brother No. 2” to “Suitor” with a wide happy smile on her face.
・❥・
Their first romantic date after DJ’s confession is set for that evening. SZ is proud she held off like NW instructed. Not that it was easy, making him work for it made her slightly scared he would just give up all together.
However, the date gets cancelled due to his work, he can’t make it. Disappointed, a dressed and ready SZ joins her friends for a noodle dinner instead.
A couple of days later, SZ gets ready again for a redo of that first date only to be informed he needs to cancel again. Work once more.
Didn’t he say he was going to pursue her? Was he even trying? A disappointed SZ once again joins her friends for dinner.
Some days later, another date is set only to again be missed. SZ’s roommates return to the dorm only for NW to scream in terror when she turns on the lights and notices a figure emerge.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were going on a date,” the scared NW lets out when she sees it’s SZ.
“Didn’t he say he’d pursue you? How many times has he canceled? It doesn’t look like he’s trying.” YZ was getting rightfully pissed on her friend’s behalf.
It’s his work, he didn’t do it on purpose. He’s just so busy he barely has time to sleep.
“Why are you defending him SZ? Don’t you blame him?” an astonished WW asks in the face of her friend’s calm.
SZ lets out a small frustrated smile, “It’s fine,” she abruptly hits the pillow she’d been holding full force against the bed making the girls jump. It seems SZ is also pissed.
A few days later. SZ once more returns to the dorm after heading to her “date”. Once more, DJ stood her up, not of work but because of something else. She didn’t bother asking what it was because, quite honestly, she can’t be bothered.
The astonished girls are incensed. Is he even pursuing her if he’s not dating her? What in the world is he doing? Is he playing their friend?
Meanwhile, as the girls try to cheer up SZ, DJ is at the hospital. His dad hasn’t been doing well lately, he might need to go into surgery. Seeing his unconscious father on the hospital bed deep in his years-long coma, DJ wonders if he’ll ever wake up.
He was in high school the night that his father came home telling him and his mom that he ran over someone. It was a hit and run; he hadn’t stopped to check if the other person was alive or to call the cops because he’d been driving after drinking.
Hearing that, DJ had gotten the phone to call the police hoping to save the person and knowing there’s no escaping the turn of events. In utter panic, his dad had tried to stop him before plunging off their balcony.
Since then, his dad has been hospitalized in a comatose state. He’d escaped the repercussions of his actions in a twisted way. DJ and his mom were left trying to make ends meet, DJ even considering skipping university since they both needed to work to get out of the debt they were now legally in (they were paying a large compensatory sum to the victim’s family).
His mother’s health had slowly deteriorated with overwork and the mental toll of the debt that she might not even be able to pay off after she dies.
Snapping out of the painful memories, present DJ gets up from his dad’s bedside to head home.
I’m waiting for you to date me but are you even trying?
As he reaches his place, a text from SZ makes him recall he hasn’t seen her for a while now. Deciding a mere reply isn’t sufficient, he calls to ask if she’s available for a short quick meet, they can grab something by her campus.
Hearing this, SZ’s roommate help get her quickly ready. Not that she’d changed from the outfit she’d worn for their earlier cancelled date.
“What have you been busy with lately?” DJ asks.
“Plenty of things, I have lectures to attend, assignments to finish, a drawing exhibition, my school club, and waiting for someone to ask me out.”
DJ looks up at that last part, ah yes his fault. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep cancelling. Lately I’ve been hit with too many miscellaneous things, they’re trivial things, not important.”
But SZ senses they’re not as trivial as he makes them sound. There’s an undercurrent of unhappiness in DJ that typically isn’t there. Whether it’s overwork or other things affecting him, SZ understands he’s not ready to share.
She heads to a nearby cotton candy machine and makes one for him. Sweets would cheer her up when she was unhappy in the past, he should give it a try.
Touched by her efforts to comfort him, DJ can’t help but feel a little happier. He also can’t help liking her a little more.
Walking her back to the dorm, DJ says that since he’s the first person to try the cotton candy she made, it must mean she’s agreed to be his girlfriend.
An astonished SZ tries to figure out how he ended up with that conclusion. “When did I agree to that?”
“Why would someone make cotton candy for an ordinary friend?” SZ let’s out a ridiculous laugh, this guy is going to drive her crazy.
“That’s not all, you’re wearing the bracelet,” DJ points out with a smile.
He needs to stop being so devious, he can’t win her over like this.
“Then how can I win you over,” a perplexed DJ asks.
“You can search online or ask other people. Ask other people how to pursue a girl,” a frustrated SZ responds.
“How can I pursue a girl? Can you teach me?” DJ asks her.
Apparently she’s the other person. How the heck is she supposed to know? She might be the first girl he’s pursuing but he’s the first boy pursuing her.
“Listen up, at this rate, if we’re only texting, occasionally calling, and meeting up once in a long while it won’t work. It’s not online dating.”
Speaking of online dating, he’s about to take a stab at her past “dating” experience but she’s not in the mood. She cuts him off before he raises the topic (by now, he also knows he was the subject of that event).
Jokes aside, DJ sincerely promises from now on he’s going to work hard on pursuing her. That’s great, she’ll look forward to his performance.
He asks if she’s free tomorrow morning but SZ isn’t about to accommodate. It might be Saturday morning, but she happens to have a sharing seminar to attend.
“But, my afternoon…” SZ suddenly is cut off.
“I see, I’ll just work overtime tomorrow then. It’s fine, I’ll keep at it,” says DJ in a think-aloud monologue.
SZ is left there astonished. Didn’t he hear her clearly saying “but” very loudly?
・❥・
The next morning, SZ and WW head to the seminar. DJ surprisingly shows up, prompting WW to move to a another seat so he can take her place next to SZ.
SZ’s classmates walk in wondering who the guy next to her is, if he’s her boyfriend. DJ is looking pretty damn good.
WW, seated a couple of seats in front of them, is taking not-so-covert pics to send to SZ’s other roommates who are ecstatic with this turn of events. Whispers of the people next to them reach SZ’s ears: SZ’s boyfriend keeps gazing at her, he’s so gentle!!!
She was suddenly becoming extremely conscious of DJ. Why does he keep staring at her? Maybe she should pretend to sleep.
But DJ is curious as to why she’s sleepy now that he arrived. No, she’d be sleepy even if he wasn’t here she assures him.
This kiddo is pretending to be asleep, DJ can’t help but tease her a bit. Never taking his eyes of her, he slowly gets closer until he’s a mere inches away from her cheek where he gently pecks her with his finger.
SZ’s eyes snap open. Turning her head she finds DJ’s face right next to hers.