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“Here you go, all done.”
Seungcheol looks up to the guy in front on her. Joshua’s trying to balance a tray of food in one hand – a recipe for disaster, really. He sets it down under her unimpressed gaze. “Sorry, sorry. You looked so moody, I thought I might as well try to make you laugh, but I didn’t have time to come up with something good.”
“I can tell,” Cheol sighs. “Sorry, uni is stressing me out.”
Joshua snorts. Yeah, perhaps this one is pretty obvious. Cheol’s had her nose in the books ever since they met up today, and a few hours before that as well. It’s not like she can do anything about it, okay? Just trying to be a diligent student, nothing to see here.
“Move your stuff aside before I got cake on it,” Joshua orders, immediately setting a cup on coffee right on Cheol’s notes.
“Dude, what the hell?”
“You were too slow!”
“You didn’t even give me- okay, point taken, hold on a second!” She scoffs at him and starts shoving the book into her bag. Joshua watches her with a quirked brow and a smile of a winner. “Asshole.”
“You’re at the top of our class already, Cheollie. Twenty minutes without studying won’t kill you.”
“Almost at the top, Shua. That’s not really the same thing.”
They continue their bickering for a while. That’s Joshua’s method of getting her out of her shell – not leaving her any other alternative but to pay attention to the world around, usually by being annoying as hell. Cheol has no idea how it still works after thirteen years of friendship. They evolved so much, and yet Joshua still knows her almost better than himself. Asshole asshole, Cheol thinks, noticing how the corners of her lips go up involuntarily.
It’s late spring on the streets, but they sit inside, and it’s good here – cool, but not chilly. The coffee’s awesome, and the cake’s wonderful even if Shua making a joke she doesn’t get follows it up. “It’s a meme,” he explains. And then, watching her brows raise up even more, “I’ll send you a link, it’s on Twitter.”
All in all, it’s good.
Fifteen minutes into the conversation, Shua starts telling her about this new show that’s about to air, wait, I’ll show you the trailer, when the door to the coffee shop opens and makes him stop in the middle of a sentence.
“Dude, don’t turn around,” he says to her, quickly and quietly.
“What? What’s happening?” Cheol still tries to get a peek, naturally.
“Don’t- oh, come on!” he tugs on her wrist. “It’s Jun!”
For a moment, Cheol’s puzzled.
“The sophomore in my uni! The hot one!”
Oh. The vague memory starts playing in the back of Cheol’s mind at that. Hot Jun… Hot Jun… Has a certain ring to it.
“Oh, the one you’re always talking about with like… the guys?” she awkwardly snaps her fingers, trying to dig up more. “Like, Wonwoo, Jihoon and that other one?”
“Yeah, yeah. Wow, what is she doing here? She looks good.” Shua is not even listening at this point, almost leaning out of his chair (really obviously, mind you) and looking past her shoulder. Seungcheol is getting annoyed.
“Probably getting coffee and trying to have a good day like the rest of us.” She flicks him on the nose. “What’s gotten into you? You’re never that invested even if you like someone. The change is kinda creepy.”
“Is it?” He looks back at Cheol, rubbing his nose. “She’s just… an absolute cutie. Nice, beautiful, responsible, funny, apparently can cook! She’s perfect, Cheollie!”
“Now you just sound like me having a crush. Ew.”
“To be fair, you would probably sound the exact same if you knew her personally.” Joshua defends. “It’s been a long time since your last relationship. Life is not all studies and good marks.”
“Shut up. I would not, I’m not that desperate.” Cheol frowns, turning her head just a little to subtly try and catch a glimpse of the mysterious Jun lady. She does sound pretty nice, if Cheol’s being entirely honest. Except, she won’t let Joshua have this one. He sounds like an annoying straight guy for no apparent reason.
“She’s at the counter,” Shua whispers. “Cheollie, do you want more coffee?”
Yeah, Seungcheol’s done.
“I absolutely do,” she tells him, getting up. “But I’ll get my own coffee myself, thank you. Maybe I can even talk to her! See what’s so amazing about her, since you want to act like a virgin who has never seen a girl…”
This was supposed to be the moment where Seungcheol would turn and say the last word sarcastically over her shoulder, but when it comes to the turning point, she gets a good look at Jun, and her words die in her throat.
She gets a look at Jun’s long hair, dyed beautiful silver; gets a look at her short but pretty nails as Jun picks up her order. Her little earrings look like cherries, Cheol’s favorites, and the way she handles herself is so free and graceful, like summer personified. Cheol instantly feels warmer, like sun has suddenly turned its sole attention to her, and then hotter as the color fills her cheeks slowly.
Jun looks up and their eyes meet.
Cheol sits down with the speed of lightning, wishing she could also have long hair. Probably would be easier to cover her face with them.
“Okay, I take it back,” she admits, ducking her head. Wow, that was embarrassing, she thinks, but says instead, “wow, I’m a lesbian,” and Joshua has heart to not laugh at her too hard. (Asshole asshole ASSHOLE still, in Cheol’s opinion, but she set herself up with that one. Nice going!)
“You know what, I guess it’s better if we leave,” she mumbles. “Let’s go to the park or something… we can feed the birds with my shame....”
“Um, excuse me?”
A finger with that elegant nail reaches out and taps her shoulder. Cheol’s brain malfunctions again.
“Is that- is that-“ she mouths desperately to Josh, and he gives her a tiny nod before looking up and smiling at someone behind her – a very certain someone, oh my god??? “Nice to see you here, Jun.”
“O h m y g o d,” flashes Cheol’s brain in bold rainbow colors.
“Hi, Shua! She’s a friend of yours?”
Her voice, soft and light accented, makes Cheol’s heart swell. Haha she’s fucked.
“Yes, that’s me. Yes. A friend. I’m Seungcheol!” She looks up and immediately avoids Jun’s gaze. “Sorry?”
Jun laughs.
“It’s fine. You’re super cute.”
Cheol thinks she heard Shua snort, and kicks him under the table just in case.
“Okay?” she croaks out.
Jun laughs more.
“I assume you’re single?” she asks, gently.
“Oh, she very much is. Cheollie is really suffering,” Joshua cuts in. Seungcheol kicks him again, but he ignores her completely. “Please get her out of her misery and save all of us.”
Seungcheol decides she needs a new friend. Jeonghan from her class may work nicely. At least they could study together and hopefully never ever talk about girls. Or Jun! Yes, he’d be a better friend than Shua simply for the fact he won’t know her and would never feel the need to announce in front of her that Cheol managed to develop an intense crush in under three seconds! Didn’t he also liked her?? She could throw him under the bus as well, see if he likes it…
Right when Cheol’s train of thought gets to “I’m gonna die right now holy fuck” part, Jun sets a cup of coffee in front of her.
“I didn’t know which one you’d like, sorry. My order is usually a little spicier, but I asked them to add something sweet for you, hope you don’t mind.”
Cheol’s mind starts working again. Both Joshua and Jun stare at her like she has zoned out and missed the important detail she now has to figure out.
“Thank you,” she says simply.
“I have to run now, but looking forward to meet you. Bye!~”
She leaves. Cheol drinks her coffee. Is that syrup cherry-flavored?
“What happened?” she asks, catching Joshua’s impressed gaze.
“You got the girl, apparently. She gave you her number, Cheollie. Congratulations?”
Oooh.
“Ooooh. That’s. Good? I haven’t even done anything.”
“I know, right?”
Cheol stares at the note Jun left, a page from a notebook with big, almost clumsy numbers written on it. Wow. Seems like she will be getting out a lot more now?