Yoona’s POV:

It’s true what they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

More than six months have passed since that fateful day I met Changmin at the corner café.

We’ve been “going out” regularly during this time, if you can call it that.

He always invites me to lunch when he’s free; dinner when there’s an occasion like his birthday or mine or the day we first met.

I don’t think we’re actually dating, are we?

Although we’re often flirting with each other… it’s more of a playful (harmless) flirting, or so I think it is.

I’ve always known from the get-go that he likes me as more than a friend. (How juvenile!)

Being blunt and straightforward as I am, I’ve never once played hard to get.

But with Changmin, I learned how to take it slow and I became cautious.

My last relationship lasted for almost three years.

I seriously thought HE was the ONE. (Apparently, I was dead wrong.)

This time around, I said to myself, my next boyfriend is going to become my husband.

Hence, the birth of the “slow and cautious” me.

I want to be 101% sure that my next “love” is going to be my absolute last.

Changmin knows about this.

We’re not best friends for nothing.

That is also one of the reasons why I’m hesitant to encourage him romantically.

People may see me as a social butterfly or a party girl…

I do have a LOT of friends but only a few REAL ones.

By real, I mean those I can turn to whenever I’m having trouble or feeling depressed.

One is Heechul oppa but he’s been in the army a few weeks before Changmin and I met.

Then there’s my older sister, Yuri unnie, however I can’t bother her nowadays. (She recently got married and is 7 months pregnant with my first ever nephew/niece.)

So Shim Changmin is the ONLY one I can talk to about anything and everything under the sun and the ONLY one who actually doesn’t mind when I rant.

He’s more than just my best friend…he’s kind of my shrink, too!

My “Changmin worries” are the only things I cannot talk to him about. (Understandably, you see.)

I don’t really know what brought on this sudden realization that it was about time I make a move.

One fine morning, I just woke up and decided: “I am confessing to Changmin today!”

I was FINALLY ready to be in a relationship and HE was the lucky guy! (I just hope he thinks so too…)

It is one of those RARE occasions when I ask him to meet me at the café for brunch. (For he is always the one doing the inviting.)

I was dressed in a white tank top, smoke grey drape cardigan, my favorite pair of black skinnies and black espadrilles just because I didn’t want to appear too dressy and not too shabby either.

Uncharacteristic of me (since I was almost always never on time), I got there an hour before our actual meeting time.

This was a clear indication that I was nervous, way more than the usual.

The regular barista raised his brow at my order of hot chamomile tea foregoing my usual caramel latte with extra caramel and whipped cream. (I’ve got a sweet tooth so sue me!)

Needing to relax and calm myself before my “soon-to-be boyfriend” gets here, I took a tentative sip of the tea as I rehearsed in my mind my “declaration of love” speech.

A half an hour of waiting, I got a call from Changmin himself.

“Changmin!!! Are you on your way here now?”

“Listen Yoona…wait, what?! You’re already at the café right now?!?”

“Erm…ye-yeah…uhmm…I didn’t have anything else to do at home, I got bored so I came here earlier…”

“Oh! Well, I was about to get ready to go there but here’s the thing…I have to be somewhere else right now so…can we just have brunch some other time then? There’s also something I really wanna tell you but I guess now won’t be the time for that.”

“What?! But where are you going? I know you don’t have work on a Sunday!!!”

“It’s not for work…it’s for something personal…so, yeah…”

“Then you better tell me what it’s about or else I’m never talking to you ever again for ditching brunch with me today…hmp!”

“Aish! I knew you’d be like this…I wanted to tell you about it in person but knowing you, you’re not gonna let this go if I don’t so here goes…”

“I’m dying of suspense here, Shim…do tell!”

“You’d never believe this…I mean, I still can’t truly believe it either myself!”

“Hhmmm…don’t tell me you…”

“HELL YEAH!!! I have a girlfriend now. Un-ing-believable, right?!”

“…”

“We’ve been dating for almost two months now and she just called me saying her parents want to meet me for lunch today. That’s why I can’t make it to brunch with you but I owe you for this one, Yoong. Next one is definitely on me! I can’t wait for you guys to meet…we’ll definitely do that next time. So anyways…God! I can’t believe I’m blabbing like this...your bad habits are rubbing off on me, Im Yoona!”

I suddenly hung up on him, still in a daze.

Did he really just tell me he now has a girlfriend and is on his way to meet her parents for lunch?!?

Im Yoona, you pabo!

Why didn’t you make a move sooner?!

You’ve got no one to blame but yourself…

FML!

My phone starting ringing but I purposely ignore it, dropping it in my bag.

Not feeling quite like myself, I made my way to the counter again and ordered another drink.

“A triple shot espresso, please…”

“Uhhmmm-kay…you want anything to go with that, Ms. Yoona?!”

“No, thank you…”

The barista looked at me weirdly thinking something’s definitely wrong with me today…but didn’t dare question my beverage of choice this time as well. (Customers are always right, right?)

Going back to my favorite spot, the corner table where I first met Changmin, I slumped down on the seat feeling defeated as reality started to slowly sink in.

Raising the cup to my lips for a sip and feeling the burning sensation of the hot coffee on my tongue I thought to myself, “This tastes really bitter…”

Yeah, pretty much like how I’m feeling right now.

***