Page 15 of Teach Me K-Pop

“Yep.” I nod, knowing whatever comes next might make all the difference in our relationship and how we relate to each other from here on out. “I may have dated some questionable guys in the past, but Mike was very muchnotmy type.”

The way Nikko’s whole face changes is amazing to witness. His eyes light up and go wide, eyebrows arching high, and his jaw drops a little, his mouth a perfect ‘O’ of surprise. But as cute as he looks in that instant—because he schools his expression almost immediately—it is secondary to the blush that pinks his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

I take his reaction to mean a couple of things: he hadn’t been expecting me to say that or be so open, but... he just might be happy about it. Excited, even. I can’t help but think maybe,maybe, he’s been wondering about me, too. A pleased shiver runs along my spine, sparking something that feels a lot like the hope I wasn’t going to let myself have.

“Did you find anyone in Seoul that was your type?” he asks. His voice is low, and his eyes have darted away from mine again. He’s nervous. But he wants to know more.

As much as I’d like to throw any remaining caution to the wind, I won’t overwhelm him. But I will give him all the information that I think I can and let him do what he will with it.

I shrug one shoulder. “I didn’t actually date anyone while I was in Seoul. I was trying to figure out too many things about myself to add another person to the mix. I was learning a new language and a new place and just happened to meet Kija pretty early on and fall into his friend group. They were all single, but straight, and most of them were in university and totally fine with hookups and one night stands, but that’s not how I roll. And to be honest, I didn’t really get the impression there was a lot of support for the LGBTQ+ community, which also made me hesitant. So, no. That was a long answer, but no.“

Pausing for a breath, I glance at him again, feeling the weight of his gaze on me, even through the screen. He’s fully focused on me, attention rapt. He asked about Korea, and I could veer back to that, but it doesn’t really seem like that’s what this is about anymore. Maybe it never was.

“Although, coming back to the States wasn’t much different. I thought I wanted to find a job and get settled when I got home, but what I really wanted was to go back to Korea. I loved the life I had there, and I wasn’t planning on staying here long enough to begin a relationship, so I didn’t even really try. But I started working at the high school, and then I was going back to school for a master’s degree, and then...” I laugh, but it’s pretty humorless. Just the truth of the situation. “There’s always an ‘and then.’ I haven’t had a boyfriend since I was in university the first time. And now, so much time has passed that it feels like I might have missed a lot of chances, and it’s late to jump back into the game. Which makes me sound old as hell, but...”

“No.”

The sound of Nikko’s voice startles me as I’m trying to process everything I just word vomited at him. I look at him and wait for what he has to say.

“I understand,” he tells me. That impossibly soft look in his eyes makes my heart ache. “I feel it, too. I have not had the...” He stops, bites his lip.

I can’t tell if he’s looking for a word or debating about how much he wants to share. I doubt either one of us anticipated this kind of vulnerability in a random Tuesday conversation.

“I... lack experiences.” His voice wavers a little. “I have not had chances. To date. Anyone.” A shaky breath. “I hope to have a boyfriend, one day.”

There it is. Preferences have been declared. He knows. I know.

I’m not sure what to do with the information now that I have it, but I don’t have to wonder any more. Maybe I’ll be able to fall asleep without lying there and going over every moment that I thought may have been a hint, a clue, an indication that I wasn’t just imagining that there was something here. Something more. He didn’t specifically say he was interested in me, but somehow I know I’m not reading this wrong. I’m sure of it.

I smile at him, letting it linger for a second longer than I would have before this conversation. I’m sure the line between what I should and shouldn’t say is so blurry by this point that it’s more of a suggestion than a boundary, but I also feel like I shouldn’t just come out and say I’d date the hell out of him if I had a chance. Because no matter what could be happening here, that’s not a possibility. But he needs to know that I see him.

So I tell him what I believe. “You will, Nikko. Any guy would be lucky to be with you.”

CHAPTER SIX

JASE

“Imean, obviously you’re going to take me, right? … Right?!” It’s the tone of indignation on the last word that makes me look up from my computer, figuring whatever comes next will have to be more interesting than the overdue fees list I’ve been staring at for the last 20 minutes.

“And me? We’re all going, aren’t we?”

“Ohmygod! It’s MY birthday! I just said I had tickets. I didn’t even say how many. Can I just have a moment with the fact that I will be inthe same roomwith Lux?”

“Okay, but can we just talk about the fact youwouldn’t even know who he wasif it wasn’t for me?”

I do my best to cover my chuckle with a cough. These kinds of conversations are some of my favorite to eavesdrop on and this trio of girls never disappoints. They’re regulars in the media center, and we’ve built a good enough relationship that I assume it will only be a few more minutes before I become part of the discussion, too.

“So, who’s going with you?” Savannah asks, dropping her bags onto a chair and looking expectantly at Harper, the ticket holder.

Alita nods. “Honestly. It’s not cool to tease us like this.”

Harper is clearly enjoying her moment of holding whatever she’s got over them and sits primly at the edge of the seat nearest to the circulation desk. Glancing over at me, she waves. “Hey, Mr. Kitson.”

“Hi, Harper. Sav, Alita, nice to see you,” I reply. “How is everyone today?”

“It’s Harp’s birthday and she’s being a b—” Savannah is abruptly cut off when Alita whacks her arm.

“That’s not how you get a ticket!” she hisses, glaring.

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