An Unwanted Distraction

Just because they both had to watch the movie for class, Kangmo thought, didn’t mean Youngjae had to come sit right next to him.

‘There are plenty of other seats,’ Kangmo hissed.

Youngjae patted the arm of the seat – the one that was in Kangmo’s space. ‘I like this position though. And this way we can compare notes.’

Meaning he was planning to talk through the whole thing. That was great.

Even if Youngjae had kept his mouth shut, it would have been hard to concentrate with him there. His presence was hard to block out, and he didn’t care when his arm knocked against Kangmo’s. Not only did he have to leave it there, but he leaned in to make a comment about the characters, and Kangmo missed the film’s dialogue because of him. He nudged Kangmo whenever something exciting happened, and at one point he grabbed hold of Kangmo’s wrist, and there was no point, there was no point even trying to pay attention – Kangmo would have to watch it again later on his computer, because Youngjae was much too distracting to keep track of the plot.

‘So what did you think?’ Youngjae asked afterward.

‘I hate you,’ Kangmo said.

‘What? What did I do?’ Youngjae had the temerity to be taken aback, as if he couldn’t see what Kangmo could possibly have to object to under the circumstances.

‘You talked through the whole thing. You’re still holding on to my arm.’

At that, at least, Youngjae looked shame-faced, and he let go.

Kangmo’s heart was beating very quickly. Because of Youngjae touching him. Touching him, and talking in his ear.

‘But what did you think of the movie?’ Youngjae said.

‘I don’t know,’ Kangmo said. ‘I couldn’t exactly focus.’

‘Wow,’ Youngjae said. ‘I didn’t know I was that distracting to you.’

He was. He was hopelessly distracting. It didn’t matter how much Kangmo hated him when he sat that close, even though Kangmo knew that Youngjae was only doing it to annoy him.

‘Well, I can tell you what I thought,’ Youngjae said. He turned around in his seat to better face Kangmo, and proceeded to talk at him – despite Kangmo’s increasingly skeptical expression – until they got kicked out of the theatre.

In the corridor, Youngjae drew taller, his whole posture changing as if to emphasise that they weren't actually friends. ‘Anyway,’ he said, ‘sucks for you that you missed all that.’ He smacked Kangmo on the arm before he wandered off.

And Kangmo was left wondering if Youngjae had been trying to be irritating or helpful after all.

He wasn’t sure which one was worse.