Are You Okay?
The Strange Taste

Music sounds melodious filling the room, looking into the thickets of every person who is cool clapping while standing facing a white birthday cake. There is a woman wearing a white dres also wearing a crown on her head. Her hair was tied high but still left a little hair next to her temple that Curly made. It makes her look beautiful and adorable in one face.

"Blow the candle."

Cheers and applause rang out loud and full of excitement as Ara blew out the candles on her nineteenth birthday. The woman cut the cake into small pieces, placed it on a beautiful plate and then fed her father and mother.

Ara stared at all her friends whom she invited to this special day. Smiling delightfully. "Thank you for coming to my birthday party. Have fun until you're exhausted here." Ara raised her hand holding a glass filled with soda, then everyone followed and enjoyed the party by dancing, singing and doing other very exciting games.

Both of Ara's parents hugged the woman and kissed her lovingly. After that, the two left the venue. Some of Ara's female friends approached the woman congratulating her.

Ara had never celebrated her birthday so far, and this was the first time she had felt it. His birth day was lavish and attended by those who loved him.

Nineteen years which means Ara is no longer a unstable teenager like when she was in school. Even though her education was over, the woman still wanted to continue it at a university in Seoul, even though she did not like to study. At least they should be able to get a college degree in order for their parents to be proud of their only daughter.

"Happy birthday, Ara. You look so pretty tonight." Bae Hajoon, a tall man with glasses hanging from the base of the nose, approached Ara, one hand holding a small pink paper bag.

Ara waved at her friends who had previously chatted with her as they left, then turned to Hajoon with a sweet smile. "Thank you, Hajoon, you look really cool tonight, too." Ara replied to him with praise as well.

"This is a gift from me" said Hajoon, the man gave the paper bag he brought as a gift to Ara.

Ara accepts. "Thank you."

Ara frowned confusedly looking at Hajoon who set his gaze to her cheek. "Why? My makeup is gone, right?" ara asked frantically, she would be embarrassed if it completely faded.

"I'm not sure, but it looks like there's a lipstick stain on your cheek."

Ara rounded her eyes, her mouth was so and immediately remembered her mother who kissed her earlier. "Ah must be because my mom kissed me earlier. I don't know if the lipstick is sticking." Ara was about to wipe it off by hand, but Hajoon immediately repelled it and took out a handkerchief from his pants pocket.

"Don't let your hands get dirty on your special day." Hajoon wiped the lipstick stains on Ara's cheeks using his handkerchief. The object that was being cleaned was actually frozen still unable to move because of Hajoon's sudden attitude like this.

"Just date you guys, approach it not for long, Hajoon!" A person standing near the table of keik interrupted the two. Hajoon immediately lowered his hand, looking at his friend who shouted earlier with a deathly gaze. While the others just laughed watching Hajoon and Ara who became awkward.

"S-it's clean" said Hajoon who immediately put his handkerchief back in his pocket.

Ara gave a small nod, then smiled for the atmosphere to relax again. "Yes, thank you."

"Fra! Jaehwa is on Instagram. You really didn't invite her?" Micha, who had just arrived, was late, immediately shouted out loud and headed towards Ara who was still standing with Hajoon.

"Just keep your voice down, Micha." Ara placed her index finger on her own lips, telling Micha not to scream.

Ara looked at Hajoon, feeling bad. "I'm sorry, he's like this."

The three of them are one campus, Micha has always been with Ara since Junior High. Starting to know Hajoon when they had entered the second semester, because Ara did not know that it turns out that the man was one campus and one faculty as well. Ara did not pay much attention to others she did not know. Hajoon introduced himself to Ara and they became friends now.

Hajoon gave a small nod, then he said goodbye to leave the two behind.

"You didn't invite him? You still like him, don't you? You should have invited him." Micha continues to attack Ara with Jaehwa's discussion. The woman was not even aware that there was Hajoon because she was focusing on her phone featuring Jaehwa who was on a live broadcast.

"No need to discuss it, where is the gift for me. You came too late and didn't congratulate me. What kind of friend are you." Ara sulked and turned her back to Micha.

Ara immediately put on a happy smile. "Thank you, Micha."

"But you really didn't invite Jaehwa?" Micha asked the same thing again.

"No" answered Ara Cuek.

"You still like him?" ask Micha again.

Ara fell silent, not knowing what to answer. He is confused by his own feelings.

After Ara found out that Jaehwa liked her at the time, the two became no longer interconnected. No one sent messages or phones as before. Both live with their respective activities, but gradually, Ara always thinks of Jaehwa. The woman did not dare to contact Jaehwa first.

The more he thought about Jaehwa, the more often he cried when he felt longing for Jaehwa who was always with him at school. Karen Ara always felt that way, she was confused if this meant that she liked Jaehwa. If so, where possible, because they were not in touch again after the matter of that time until now, they would not meet again.

Feeling frustrated with her own attitude, Ara vented it by telling Micha. Everything without being choked. About how he could suddenly become Jaehwa's mind, whether the man had eaten, what Jaehwa was doing, to the man the man left. Everything always revolves around Ara's head, until the woman diagnoses herself that she has fallen in love with Jaehwa. A man he doesn't like when he's liked by him.

Micha with her attitude that is quite annoying of course had made Ara silence her for a few days because her friend told Jaehwa that Ara liked her. More precisely because of the answer from Ryan that made Ara angry at Micha.

Jaehwa no longer liked Ara.

If only Micha had not told Jaehwa, Ara would not have heard such a painful answer. It was better not to know the answer until anytime if Ara thought again.

But if Ara finds out Jaehwa's answer sooner, it's a good thing because she can know what to do if Jaehwa still likes her or vice versa. Supposedly like that, unfortunately Ara was even trapped in love that made him dying of the charm that Jaehwa emanated.

Ara remembered when Jaehwa covered the dance of the KPop group that was on the rise during the school event. Ara felt stunned. Ara looked at her friend who was posing in front of the vase with a beautiful flower in the middle of the room, the woman smiled knots, re-remembered as she took a portrait at school alone, she said, but when he saw the results it turned out there was Jaehwa behind him who was photographed. Jaehwa bothered him by making rabbit ears using both hands— let the index and middle fingers stand up so that they look like ears.

"I'm confused by this strange feeling, Micha. I'm not sure if I really love her." Ara looked at Micha, not long after she left Micha alone.

Ara's happy expression was lost replaced with a sad face. Micha felt guilty here and grimaced regretting this remark. "I shouldn't have talked about Jaehwa." Micha patted her own lips then followed where Ara pegi was.

Hajoon looked at Ara and Micha who were suddenly walking in a hurry. The man held Micha's arm as the woman was about to pass him.

"What's wrong with Ara?" hajoon asked worried that something might happen to Ara.

Micha scratched her nape. "She seems to be mad at me."

Hajoon narrowed his eyes. "Why? You guys quarreling?"

"That's because I'm talking about Jaehwa." Micha turned to look behind Hajoon to see where Ara was going.

"Who's Jaehwa?" Hajoon continued to ask questions.

Micha clucked in annoyance. "The man Ara liked. Don't ask me again, I have to go after Ara." Micha brushed off Hajoon's hand from him in order to leave.

Hajoon swallowed his own saliva, his head lowered with the fist he held. I think he was upset to hear that.

"So she's in love with another man?!"