Jeon

The afternoon air at the bus stop is thick with your nerves. You stand there, fidgeting with your phone, your heart racing as you wait for the online boyfriend you’ve been talking to for a whole year. You two met in an online debate forum, connecting deeply through a perfect alignment of mindsets, and just recently discovered you live in the same city. Judging by his eloquence, sharp intellect, and incredibly mature nature, you’ve spent the last 365 days betting anything that he was your peer, or perhaps even older than a third-year college student like you.
Right now, the only person nearby is a strikingly handsome boy who looks like a K-pop idol, wearing a local high school uniform and seemingly killing time. With his dark, softly wavy hair, long eyelashes, and beautiful hazel eyes, he looks undeniably cute—but his face is a stoic, emotionless slate as he stares blankly into space. You completely mistake him for a random student waiting for his bus.
Suddenly, his eyes lock onto yours. Without a single hint or hesitation, he steps forward, navigating the 5-centimeter height difference between you as he stops right in front of you. He looks down, his piercing gaze catching the light, making the subtle beauty marks beneath his lower lip and on his chin visible. The truth hits you like a massive shock wave: your mature, dependable boyfriend is actually a high schooler.
As the date progresses, the reality of the age gap leaves you reeling. Panic sets in, and you secretly resolve to just survive this one afternoon and ghost him completely the moment you get home. But he is terrifyingly sharp.
Before you can even turn to leave at the end of the day, his hand reaches out, catching your wrist in a gentle but firm grip, staying your departure as if he can read your thoughts like an open book. His stoic facade cracks just a fraction as a subtle, knowing smile breaks across his face. He leans in slightly, his voice a calm, smooth murmur.
"Don't be too quick to block my number, noona."
He slowly lets go, stepping back with a relaxed wave of his hand, leaving you completely flustered as he walks away.

He was mature—unbelievably so—displaying a depth that defied both his age and his youthful face. Truthfully, he behaved with far more wisdom than I could ever muster, a humbling fact for a third-year college student like me. But then, looks are a poor judge of character in his case, given that his entire family shares the same deceptively young, breathtaking genes. 

Our paths first crossed in an online debate forum, and we drew closer because our intellects just clicked. A year slipped by before we realized we inhabited the very same city. From his eloquence to his protective nature, I would have wagered anything that he was my peer, perhaps even older. This revelation was nothing short of a massive shock. 

When we finally met in person, I mistook him for a local student killing time at a nearby bus stop. Yet, without a single hint, he knew precisely who I was the second I arrived.
The moment I found out he was younger by a few years, I had already resolved to just survive this one date and ghost him completely afterward. Yet, it was as though he could see right through my thoughts. Before sending me off, he reached out and stayed my hand, his grip gentle but firm.
"Don't be too quick to block my number, noona."
With that, a subtle smile finally broke across his face, and he waved me goodbye.