“

Oh sometimes the truth
Oh hurts more than lies
Oh we’re scared of getting hurt
We turn away from the truth

”

#06 the views

JI SOO

The chiming of the bells announced the arrival of a new customer. A cheerful “welcome!” was shouted from the counter as she made her way in. She sent a small nod of her head in the direction of the waiter in acknowledgement, before making her way over to the man seated in the corner seat with his back to her. Unconsciously, a bittersweet smile slipped onto her lips as she stared at the back of his head.

It was ironic how she was back at the same café again. Then, it was the start of a beginning. A fortnight ago, it was the end of the beginning. Today, she was here to sort things out with him.   

Everything about him is ethereal. Even from where she was, where his face wasn’t even in view, she could see that he was glowing so prettily. Her eyes traced his slim finger that was currently patting a stray strand of hair back into place. She regretted not making use of at least one out of all that chances she had to run her fingers through his soft black hair.

“Why didn’t I do that when I could?”  She thought. Making her way over to the seat opposite him, he looked up at the sound of her pulling her chair back. He only stared at her with an unreadable gaze. His beautiful eyes bored into her plain ones, his pretty fingers drumming against the table rhythmically in a bored manner, his expression stoic.

“I’m sorry.” She croaked out after a moment. It’s the only word that came to her mind. She had planned her entire speech before coming out, but now that she was here, she can’t seem to remember anything.

I didn’t know how to react when I realised I liked you, I still don’t. It’s breaking me apart to sit here and look at you stare at me coldly, and not be able to say or do anything about it because I know I deserve it.

“Are you really?” He said.

I am, for being such a to my best friend and you. I’m not, for liking you.

“Have you and Hyeran talked things out?” He asked a few seconds later. She detected how his tone had softened a little this time, but she ignored it. She didn’t want to delude herself into thinking that way.

“Yeah, we did.” She muttered. “I apologized, we’re cool now.”

He nodded. “That’s good.” Bringing his cup of hot chocolate to his lips, he took a sip before asking. “How are you?”

She paused. It was an unexpected question, she didn’t expect him to care after all. She struggled to form an answer in her head, but she couldn’t help but feel warm and a little happy that perhaps, perhaps, he cared just a tiny bit.

“N-not the best.” She stuttered. “But I’ll- I”ll handle it myself.”

How do I get over you, Byun Baekhyun?

“I’m sorry too, for being so harsh on you that day, but you have got to be a better friend to Hyeran than what you showed that day.” He sighed. “She cares about you, worries about you a lot. Too much even.”

She can only nod. She knows. She doesn’t need the man she likes to reinforce all these into her head when she is already doing so every single day out of guilt.

“I know. I’m sorry for the way I acted to her and to you. Could we put this behind us? As much as you must be sick of me now,” She smiled weakly. “Can we still be friends?”

A small smile slipped onto his lips. His eyes curved into crescents as he chuckled quietly. She had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

He looked up at her with a small grin. “You aren’t that bad after all, Kang Ji Soo.”

She managed one back. After all, she just made Byun Baekhyun smile.

He hummed, raising his cup of coffee in the air as if to make a toast. “Friends?”

For some reason, the pang in her heart didn’t feel as painful as before.

“To our friendship.” She smiled.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter