The next day he was in my café again. He did not stay at the second floor where he and Daesung oppa are staying, instead he stayed at the table nearest the counter, throwing teasing stares as I work. Every now and then he would order to Minyoung as if he’s a bee roaming around her, but Minyoung doesn’t seem to notice. Hangyun oppa would give his order to him annoyingly, but so far Seunghyun-ssi would ignore it.

 

 

“What’s that man up to?” Hangyun oppa asked over the counter sometime when there are no people waiting in line. Minyoung looked at Seunghyun and then at me.

 

“I don’t know, really. Unni, I think Seunghyun-ssi’s looking at you weirdly.” She crinkled her nose and looked at me for agreement, but I waved them off.

 

“Don’t be so ridiculous. If he has something to tell then he said that already. You know that man.” I said and continued to stack the cups.

 

 

It continued like that for a week. Hangyun oppa would not talk to him, for one because he is a guy and Hangyun oppa would talk to females only, and secondly because nobody can deny that something  is really weird about him and Taehyung is the only one who can talk to weird people and would survive by doing so. Since the whole week Taehyung is with Taehee, then no one, even me, had talked to him.

 

I myself had sworn that I wouldn’t talk to him anymore. After getting angry at him a week before I don’t think I can talk to him first. Well, he didn’t acknowledge my presence for some days as if he doesn’t know me (that’s just rude!) so I think I would just do the same and ignore him.

 

But on a Saturday morning he is in the café again, with his hat and shades, and after his usual order of hot coffee to Minyoung he sat nearest the counter while looking at us and smiling. I have to admit that that kind of expression annoys me, and a week is enough. My patience with him, right now, is as short as a lit match.

 

 

“What do you want?” I asked him. He looked at me and delicately placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

 

“Nothing, Sunhee-ssi.” He smiled. I don’t care about employee-customer etiquette right now that I crossed my arms in front of him, inside the café.

 

“Mister, you’re creeping my staff out for a week, and you tell me it’s nothing?”

 

“What – mister?” He looked at me incredulously, his shades now adjusted above his cap.

 

“Well, do you think I can know the names of all my customers? It’s just too hard to memorize.” I replied with shrug. “Please, mister ―” I emphasized the mister, “― don’t look at Minyoung again as if you’re gonna eat her alive. If you want to date her then introduce yourself and don’t just look at the sidelines.”

 

“Wait, Sunhee-ssi ―” he started but I walked out. It’s kinda ridiculous conversation, I know I must be kind to him for Daesung oppa, but heck, after what happened days ago I just can’t control my temper. Plus I’m really weirded out by his actions that I have to indirectly counter him.

 

 

It’s just that, he’s so weird that I didn’t see the next one coming.

 

He suddenly held my arm, with so much force that I turned to him, my eyes closed and my heart on my mouth, and almost toppled him over. The good thing is his balance is good that he prevented our fall.

 

The bad thing is, Taehyung saw what happened.

 

When I opened my eyes I saw Taehyung, his smile wavering and his arms slowly going down from spreading. I unclenched myself from Seunghyun-ssi’s arm and sighed guiltily, because I think I did something terribly bad. I didn’t let them do this with idols, and although it was Seunghyun-ssi’s fault, I still felt ashamed.

 

 

“Nuna, what are you ―” Seunghyun-ssi did not let Taehyung finish and suddenly dragged me out of Sonic. I heard Taehyung’s screams of “Yah don’t kidnap Sunhee nunaaa!” but it was pointless to correct him that I am not being kidnapped.

 

 

Seunghyun-ssi walked super fast and I have to run for my arm not to stretch that much. After a while he stopped, and I almost bumped into his back, good thing he is fast enough that he stopped me by holding both my shoulders.

 

 

“What was that, Sunhee-ssi?” He asked. I stared at him.

 

“What is?”

 

He sighed, and I don’t know why. Maybe because of me? “Are you hungry?”

 

“No.” I creased my eyebrows. Where will this conversation go now?

 

“Did you eat breakfast?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then,” he held me by the arm again, “let’s eat.”

 

“But ―” He continued dragging me, and I that caused me to suddenly run again “Hey, wait!”

 

 

~_~_

 

 

“What’s this crap?” I asked him, but he just opened his ramyun cup and started to eat.

 

 

I am sitting in front of him inside a convenience store. It is not the convenience store where we ate last time; this is just someplace not really far from Sonic.

 

I crossed my eyes and let him explain, but he continued eating.

 

 

“What? You said you haven’t eaten breakfast yet.” He pointed his chopsticks in a not-so-mannered way and spoke with his mouth full. Ugh, he looks like an ajhussi. “Eat.”

 

 

I sighed and started to eat. I know very well that he won’t just let me go. He sat strategically nearer to the door so I won’t have a chance to run away, and every time I make excuses like I needed water or something else, he would go with me and he would pay for me.

 

It was so annoying. First I usually won’t let anyone force me to eat, especially breakfast (since no one in the house eats breakfast), and second I usually won’t let anyone pay for me (aside from my housemates, again), but now he did those two, and it annoys me a lot. It seems that I don’t have the power to refuse (other words, pride). I hate it when people do not allow me to refuse their offers.

 

 

“Now, can you think straight?” He said after we finish eating. I snorted.

 

“You’re the one ―”

 

“Now, what was that? Sunhee-ssi? Calling me mister? It’s just so…”

 

 

I breathed and slowly put my hand on my forehead. Now I got what he said. If he just clarified it a while ago then it would not come to this.

 

 

“Well, you’re the one who started it.” I murmured, crossing my arms on my chest. When I looked at him he seemed surprised. “Why?”

 

“Nothing. Do you remember what I told you?”

 

“No…” I said slowly. He sighed and started to try forming words.

 

“Okay… I think what happened was a misunderstanding.” He bit his lip – I was sure I would take it as a hot gesture if only I wasn’t annoyed – and continued looking at me. “Okay, I am sorry if you felt uncomfortable when I ignored you ―”

 

“Of course I was, it’s like, ‘should I say hi or should I leave him alone because it seemed like he tried to ignore me?’ kind of thing and ―”

 

“Let me finish, Sunhee-ssi.” He is now smiling. My frown got deeper. “Yes, that must be really uncomfortable with you, and I apologize, but I did that because I thought you don’t want to see my face again after that dinner.” Oh. “But I think going to Sonic became like my routine and I can’t move a muscle if I didn’t drink your coffee so I came even if I thought you don’t want me there.” He breathed for a moment, then talked again, more rapidly this time. “If I knew you thought otherwise, I would risk a hi.”

 

 

I looked away, feeling guilty. So it wasn’t because he was being cocky? It wasn’t because he thought the ‘bad boy’ image suits him well and thought that he can get girls on a dinner date and can dump her after? It wasn’t at all like that??

 

 

“And the coffee?” I asked, but not because I’m still suspicious of his doings. I’m just curious, that’s all.

 

“I said the reason back then. It was cold and so I bought you one.”

 

“Without thinking I could just make my own, yeah.” I said, nodding, then I looked at him. He seemed to flush, although I didn’t know why. Maybe because of the cold. “How about that week-long stares?”

 

“It was nothing.” I heard him say something in the undertone, but it was so silent that I only heard see and face. I rolled my eyes and sighed, but did not push him. If it was so private then better not to ask.

 

“I have to go now. I still have work to do.” I declared as I stood up, he held my wrist once again.

 

“Wait Sunhee-ssi, I have to ask something.” I looked at him. “Can I go to Sonic more peacefully now? I mean without all these drama?”

 

Oh, please. “You can.” He took his hand back, beaming.

 

---