A Chance Encounter. Chapter Three.

I feel nervous, so darn nervous. I’ve fixed my hair more than a dozen times, re-applied my lipstick, fixed my hair again, and I’m still nervous. I’m going crazy. I really don’t know what’s gotten into me. I’m not ready to meet him; I’m not ready to meet Chanyeol. I don’t even know what I’m expecting out of this. But I’ve still managed to wear the most flattering outfit I have, and I’ve made an attempt to groom myself, more than usual.

It isn’t like I’m trying to win him back, am I? Or am I trying to make him regret leaving me? Dumping me, I’d say. He’s happy with Bona, they’re getting married, and I should accept that. But I feel there are a few unresolved things between Chanyeol and me, I can’t bring myself to give in. It just happened way too fast, and unexpectedly – one minute he was my boyfriend who loved me dearly, and the next minute he’s Bona’s fiancé. I just hadn’t expected him to move on so soon. I mean, it was him that called off the relationship, and I’d asked him if there was someone else. He’d said no and I had believed him. Yet, I can’t seem to absorb the fact that he got together with Bona right after, and even asked her to marry him.

You can’t possibly fall in love with someone in two months; moreover ask them to marry you. Was our relationship that bad that when he met Bona, he instantly figured she was the girl for him? I did notice him drifting apart from me, but I had simply shrugged it off thinking it was nothing. I was delusional enough to believe that Chanyeol and I were still very much in love – at least I was. I didn’t know his feelings had changed. I should have noticed, but I didn’t. And now, I find myself wanting to fix things between us. But I don’t wish to be someone that disrupts her own cousin’s wedding. Bona never thought about me when she agreed to date Chanyeol, my mind says, so I shouldn’t think about her either, right? I really don’t know, perhaps I could talk to Chanyeol. I’d been so heart-broken from the break-up and him dating Bona immediately after, that I started avoiding him. I should have confronted him instead, at least asked him what had gone wrong.

The door bell rings, I immediately shoot another glance at my reflection before rushing to the door. I’ve made up my mind – I’m going to show Chanyeol what he’s missing out on. By the end of the day, he’ll realize he’s made a mistake by picking Bona over me. Who am I kidding? It’s never going to work out, is it? I don’t even have a game plan. I’ll just go along, pick the damn cake and leave. And forget today ever happened.

I open the door, and there’s Chanyeol, standing there, looking all suave. Can I just shut the door and pretend I didn’t hear the bell ring or see him? I don’t think I can do this. He’s got a new haircut, he looks rather handsome and smart. He flashes an uncertain smile in my direction; I suppose he finds this awkward too. How could Bona even think of sending the both of us together? She must have known that I’m avoiding him. Or at least, she could have tagged along, even if she didn’t wish to taste the cakes. Perhaps, she finds this a waste of time – picking out a menu for her own wedding. She was going on and on about some appointment at the hairdressers, apparently she’d managed to schedule an appointment with some big-shot hair-stylist, and she couldn’t afford to miss it. Whatever, I just want to get this over with.

“Hey,” Chanyeol says in his deep voice, the voice that I used to find very y, still do.

“Hello, Chanyeol,” I greet him grimly. This is awkward, extremely awkward. I just want to get this over with.

“Umm…shall we go?” he asks, with the same uncertain smile. I don’t like this, it’s like he’s some kind of a stranger, a mere acquaintance. I’m not sure I like this. I know I brought this on myself – Chanyeol had asked me if we could still be friends, and I had obviously shot him down. I was heart-broken; being around him would have made it worse.

“Okay,” I reply, locking the door behind me. It’s going to be a long day, isn’t it?

“I want to apologize on Bona’s behalf,” Chanyeol mentions. “She had a prior appointment, and I couldn’t really have gone alone. It must seem such a task, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” I answer. It isn’t. I want to whack his head. The ‘prior appointment’ is some stupid thing at the hair salon. And why does he sound so formal? I can clearly make out from the tone of his voice that he doesn’t wish to be here with me. Well, neither do I. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Chanyeol looks taken aback. I don’t really care; he should know how much I despise this. And I was in no way obligated to come here, with him, and taste those bloody cakes. “Juyeon…”

“What?” I snap. When we broke up two months ago, I had been rather stunned to say anything to him. He’d told me it wasn’t working out and I’d simply nodded when he said that he wanted to end things. And that was it; there was no big argument, or crying or anything. He’d left immediately, and I’d worked on my Webtoon. But the next day it hit me. We were no longer together, and I’d done nothing to stop him. I hadn’t even argued… I had simply let go. I wish I’d have fought, at least then I wouldn’t have felt so uneasy. I suppose today would be the day we have our big argument – two months later, after he’s engaged, to my cousin.

“You don’t have to do this if you feel uncomfortable,” he s