Chapter 8 - A Moth to a Flame

The aromatic smell of coffee invaded my nostrils as I entered the Twinkle Café. It was another chilly late Autumn evening, which meant the store was packed. Still, even with the commotion of the latte machine, the blender and the chatter, the place had its charm. It felt cozy. The tables were nice and spread out, with booths by the windows for more private conversations. At the back, there was a platform with a fake fireplace and a set of sofas for those that were feeling lethargic. In the distance, I could see someone waving to me.

“Yoona!” hollered Tiffany over the crowd of conversations.

I waved to her in acknowledgment. Carefully, I made my way past a few tables and briskly up a few steps and was happy to see her comfortably occupying a table and a adequately sized sofa. The place was dimly lit, but lights were under each seat for those who wanted to study.

“Hey unnie,” I said, shooting her a smile.

Tiffany offered me a spot by her side, which I took as I examined the mess on the table. Highlighters and pencils were sprawled by her notebook which had plenty of notes and markings. A set of textbooks were stacked neatly by her MacBook which displayed a PowerPoint slide of formulas.

I picked up The Art of Advertising textbook that sat atop the pile. Flipping through the pages, I asked, “Unnie, you’re doing all this work on a Friday?”

“I’m a little behind,” she confessed, grabbing the textbook from my fingers. “You should enjoy your freedom now,” she lectured. “Once you’re in University, this will be your life.”

I started to laugh at her tale. “Tiffany, you party more than anyone I know.”

She gave me a nod. “Why do you think I’m doing all of this today?”

We laughed.

After some more joking around, Tiffany pointed to the large menu about the store counter. “What do you want to drink?” she asked, the menu barely visible from our distance. Tiffany took out her pink wallet from her purse. “My treat.” Before she could get up, I stopped her.

“Unnie, you’ve been treating me to stuff for the past few weeks. I’m starting to feel like your girlfriend.”

Tiffany tilted her head. “Is there something wrong with me taking care of my beloved dongsaeng? My little sister?”

“I get it unnie,” I said, glancing at the tiled floor. I thought about Seohyun for a brief moment. “You don’t have to do so much to try and make me feel better. I’m happy enough being around you.”

Tiffany put her arm around my shoulder and gave me a familiar eye-smile. “Have you always been this smooth? Now I definitely have to buy you a drink.”

“Unnie!” I shouted in outrage. “You’re not buying me anything more.”

“Fine, but go get something at least. Did you bring any study material like I asked you?”

I nodded. In my purse I pulled out various pamphlets and presented them to Tiffany. She smiled as she looked at the one that sat on top.

“Seoul University,” she said, reading it out aloud. “Ambitious.”

University was on my mind more than ever recently. I didn’t quite know why.

I excused myself and made my way to the counter to get one of Twinkle’s famous tea lattes. There was a small lineup, so I looked up at my options. There were a whole bunch of beverages and snacks to choose from and the only one that didn’t appeal to me was the Pecan Tea Latte. As I made my way to the front, I was greeted by a recognizable face.

“Yoona?”

“Donghae?”

He smiled hearing his name.

“Tiffany didn’t tell me you were coming today,” he said, leering to the back of the café. “I would’ve fixed my hair.”

Of course there was nothing wrong with his hair, he just enjoyed being flirtatious.

Giggling, I joked, “I must admit your hair is totally a mess today.”

Donghae gave a pained face hearing my response. Maybe he was serious.

“I’m just kidding,” I said, feeling guilty.

He smirked. “What are you having today?”

“I’ll have a small Matcha Green Tea Latte, no foam please.”

Donghae called up the order for a Large Matcha Green Tea Latte with no foam.

“A small is fine,” I said, worried that Donghae had misheard me.

He waved it aside. “Don’t worry. It’s on the house.”

Before I could say anything more, he called the next customer over, making me feel guilty for accepting another freebie from a friend. Walking to the far side of the counter, I watched Donghae interact and joke with the customers. He seemed really energetic and hardworking, which made him oddly attractive.

The barista had been working with grace as he went from station-to-station until he placed a big mug on the countertop in front of me. He warned me that it was hot and handed me a thick coaster before he sped off to fulfill another order. The hot beverage filled the air around it with a warm and comforting smell of green tea. Grabbing it firmly by the handle, I thanked Donghae and the barista and made my way back to Tiffany who was quietly reading one of her textbooks. Sitting down, I placed the hot beverage on the table and started going through the pamphlets that I had picked up. I heard someone sniff the air.

“Mmmm, that smells good.” Tiffany had closed her book and now eyed my latte with envy. On her side of the table, I noticed two empty cups.

“Did Donghae treat you to some drinks too?” I asked, curious at the sight.

Tiffany looked upset, almost protective. “He treated you to a drink?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Nothing,” she said, waving it aside. She opened up her textbook and continued with her work.

Getting back to my own reading material, it took me a good hour to skim through all the booklets. I stopped at the important section like program requirements, but there was a lot to take in. I didn’t even know what field of study I wanted to pursue. Still, the real question was whether or not I could work hard enough to get accepted.

Tiffany interrupted me as I got to the final university pamphlet that was in my stack. She couldn’t help it. It was her school.

“You saved the best for last,” she said with a smile.

Nodding, I flipped through the pages, and examined what I could before Tiffany grabbed it and flipped to a page with her photo along with a student testimonial that she had written.

“How much did they pay you?” I joked, staring at her happy picture and reading the rather cheesy passage that she wrote on the school’s behalf.

“Enough,” she said with a smirk.

She continued to go into detail about the school. Her words were much more valuable and persuasive than any pamphlet could ever be. After she finished with her talk, I was positive that she had persuaded me enough to at least apply.

Packing away her textbooks, Tiffany had made it clear that she no longer wanted to study. She made a couple of phone calls and invited some people to join us for dinner. We had been hanging out a lot ever since Seohyun’s place. Tiffany wanted to help me forget about the rejection, of someone she knew that I cared for. It felt like it had been working.

“Anybody I know?” I asked with a sweet tone. My curiosity had been tickled.

Tiffany was being playful. “It’s a surprise,” she said, getting up to stretch.

I wondered if Hyoyeon and Sunny would be joining us tonight. They had started accompanying me and Tiffany on hangouts and it was nice to catch up with them. They were trustworthy, so I found myself sharing all of my worries and heartbreaks with them as we started getting closer and closer. They were supportive and energized me to move on with my life.

Tiffany left me to have a chat with Donghae. She seemed to be mad at him for treating me to a drink earlier. It seemed petty to me, but I could tell when Tiffany was upset.

She returned with a paper cup in her hand, which emitted a strong yet sweet coffee scent.

“So I take it he was sorry?”

“Yup, but he’ll be even more sorry the next time an exam comes up and he needs my notes.”

Tiffany took a couple of sips before she started to pack everything back into her purse. I followed, putting away my brochures. Tiffany double-checked to make sure that we had everything before we left the Twinkle Café.

Donghae joined us since his shift had finished. We all headed for Tiffany’s car, where she insisted that I take the front seat. Donghae was left in the back, but he continued to stir up conversation as Tiffany drove. He was a talkative one.

Luckily, it was a short drive to the restaurant. We arrived at a plaza that held an Italian-American Restaurant that was aptly named Frankie’s.

We got out of the car and made our way to the front where we spotted a beautiful blonde waiting outside. I wondered how she could withstand such a chilly night in her sweater and jeans, but the cold didn’t seem to bother her one bit.

“Fany-yah,” she said, giving a toothy grin in our direction. “You’re late.”

“Sorry Jess, I had to bring this idiot with me.” Tiffany pointed to Donghae.

The blonde gave the lonesome boy a look of disapproval. “What’d he do this time?” she asked menacingly.

Donghae looked nervous. “Nothing, I swear.”

Tiffany whispered something into the blonde’s ear which caused her to give a disgusted look his way. She turned away from Donghae to face me and immediately changed her expression. Giving me a flirtatious grin, she introduced herself.

“I’m Jessica.” She had a charming voice.

“Yoona,” I replied, cheery.  

Jessica nodded. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Tiffany.”

It surprised me, because Tiffany hadn’t really told me anything about Jessica. But she wouldn’t need to tell me, I would learn a lot about her before tonight was over.

“Come on, let’s head inside,” said Tiffany as she turned for the door. We followed, with Jessica holding the door for Tiffany and me, while Donghae lagged begrudgingly behind. He seemed to be afraid of Jessica.

The hostess that greeted us quickly guided us to our table. On the outside the storefront made the restaurant looked small, but it actually ran rather far into the plaza taking up a significant amount of space. Our table was off to the side by an eye-catching wall with various paintings of what I assumed were Italian monuments.  There were candle lights at each table, which helped give an intimate feel. A basket of fresh bread was waiting for us with a bottle of olive oil and a pepper mill to accompany it. The place was dimly lit, which I liked.

Donghae followed me to my seat and was about to sit beside me before Tiffany butted in. “I’ll take that spot.”

“What? Are you serious?” asked Donghae.

Tiffany nudged him aside and took her spot beside me. I sat on the inside, so she sat on the outside. Jessica took the spot across from me, despite Donghae attempting to sit there. Instead he was stuck across from Tiffany and beside Jessica. He looked uncomfortable.

The Korean waiter greeted us with a funny sounding “Bon Giorno” as he handed us our menus. After giving us some time to think, he came back to take our orders. I picked the Veal Parmesan, Tiffany got the Pacific Salmon Penne, Jessica the Seafood Carbonara, and Donghae got the Surf’N’Turf special, a 8oz. Italian Steak with two raw oysters.

Tiffany asked for the bottle of olive oil and poured some on each of our plates. Giving us pepper and salt as we needed, she helped us all form dipping sauces for the fresh bread that was still toasty. She gave us each a slice, dipped her own into her sauce and took the first bite. She seemed relieved.

Donghae took this as a sign to start talking to her. “So Tiffany, the Marketing midterm’s coming up. Could I borrow your-“

With a cheeky expression, she interrupted him. “Don’t even think about it.”

Donghae raised an eyebrow. He had been bullied ever since I told her about the latte, which confused me.

Jessica took this opportunity to chat with me while the two others bickered. She had a cool exterior, but she was friendly and welcoming. After explaining to her how I knew Tiffany, I asked her the same question in return.

“We met during our first day of student orientation,” she said, a slim smile forming on her face. “But I guess we met a long time ago, we were born in the same hospital in the States.”

I gave her a surprised look. It seemed like fate that they would meet again.

Jessica continued, “We were awkward at first, but Tiffany was so friendly and bubbly I eventually opened up to her. Even though I usually hate those incessant talkers.”

“And now?”

“Now we’re good friends,” she replied. “Not the best of friends, but we’re nearly in all the same classes. It’s nice I guess. She’s my go-to college buddy.”

I wondered whether or not they were more than friends. Sunny and Hyoyeon had mentioned Jessica in passing during our hangouts and even at her place after the party. Tiffany had denied it before, but they seemed very close and they had only been together for a couple of months.

Tiffany rejoined our conversation after playfully bickering with Donghae. At least I assumed it was playful.

The food arrived piping hot within minutes. Each of our plates looked amazing. The waiter offered us freshly grated parmesan cheese for our pasta. I politely declined, Tiffany asked for a tiny amount, while Jessica got a mountain of the stuff.

As we ate, Donghae started to slowly stare in my direction. Looking back at him, our eyes met and he gave me one of his kind smiles. “Do you want one of my oysters?”

I stared at the massive shells that held the shellfish. They were on a separate plate beside his steak. I had never tried raw oysters, but I knew that they were a delicacy.

It was then that I noticed Tiffany and Jessica give him judging stares. But Donghae didn’t seem to notice.

I asked for the smaller one, which was still rather sizeable. He offered me some Tobasco Sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice which I accepted.

“Let’s eat it together,” he said with a smile, keeping his gaze on me. Before we took a bite I felt the table shake as Donghae kicked it in pain. He let out a painful cry. Apparently, Tiffany had stepped on his foot under the table.

“That’s it. I’ve had enough.” He stood up from his seat in defiance.

Jessica and Tiffany did the same, unafraid.

“Enough of what?” asked Jessica, menacingly.

Donghae moved to the front of the table and slammed his hands in frustration. He gave them both angry stares. “You’re both crazy, which is why you’re perfect for each other.”

I couldn’t help but notice the stares from other patrons in the restaurant as they bickered.

“I’m the one who should be pissed off. I’m just trying to get closer to Yoona and you’re all up in my business when I’m just being nice to her.”

Donghae turned to meet my gaze and grew a deep red. If it wasn’t obvious before that he liked me, it was obvious now. “I’m not even being an *******. You told me she got rejected, so I waited. It’s been 4 weeks, don’t you think that’s plenty of time to get over someone?”

“No,” answered Jessica, coldly. “You don’t even know the girl.”

Again he turned to the two of them defiantly. “So, what if some random guy just asked her out. You guys wouldn’t care. Just because it’s me you guys are upset. And it’s not like I even asked her out.”

Tiffany shook her head. “Donghae, that’s not it,” she assured him. “She’s not ready for a relationship or any of that stuff. I told you.”

Donghae gave them both a courageous look. “Why don’t you let her decide?” He turned to face me. “Yoona, how about going on a date with me?”

Watching the argument had been slightly entertaining, until I realized that it was about me. Both sides had their arguments. Tiffany was just being a good friend, while Donghae, well, he was just being a guy.

“Look all of you, just sit down and relax,” I said, motioning them with my hands. I didn’t like all the unwanted attention that was coming towards me.

They listened. They sat down. They waited. I continued.

“Donghae, I’m sorry, I don’t really want to date anybody right now.” Even after all the days that I spent trying to forget about my feelings for Seohyun, they still lingered.

Jessica gave a cocky look to Donghae, like he was an idiot for even asking.

“Well, this guy must’ve been Jo In Sung for you to be so attached,” barked Donghae in frustration.

I realized that Tiffany hadn’t told him everything. 

Donghae let out another yelp of pain. This time it was a punch in the arm from Jessica. “You,” she said. “Stop talking.”

I ended up giving the oyster back to Donghae. It didn’t feel right to accept it. I tried my best to forget about that little outbreak, and to enjoy the rest of the evening. Tiffany and Jessica continued to chat with me, while Donghae sat alone at the table corner. I tried my best to wean him into our conversation, but other two would have none of it. When the bill arrived, we split it 4 ways. Tiffany and Jessica forced Donghae to pay for his own share. Mostly because his dish was far-and-away the most expensive, but I expected that it was also retribution for defying Tiffany’s orders.

I followed behind them as we left, making our way past the tables until Donghae, who was farther ahead, stopped at a table and started to chat with someone. Tiffany noticed, turned to me, and tried to guide me elsewhere.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” she said, “Come with me?”

I stared at her in confusion. She had just gone a few minutes ago. “Again?”

“Come on, your unnie needs to go,” she said with a slight hint of aegyo.

It was tempting, but I had another idea in mind. “You can go with Jessica.”

Tiffany did not appear to hear my words as she started shoving me in the other direction. I realized that she was trying to prevent me from seeing something, but her short stature made it easy for me to look behind her.

Then I saw it. Sitting at a small table was Seohyun. She was talking with Donghae and didn’t notice me until the flirty college boy pointed to the three of us that were at a distance. Seohyun stared at me with her bright eyes that drew my attention like a moth to a flame. Looking at the shoulders of the person sitting in front of her, I realized that she was with a boy.

I expected her to stand up and make her way over to greet me, but she only waved. It pained me to see her do something like that. Was she afraid to approach me?

Breaking free of Tiffany’s girly arms, I ordered, “Unnie, stop this.”

My childhood friend refused. I reassured her. “It’s okay,” I said, pausing to look her in the eye. “I’m okay.”

Tiffany listened and backed off. Jessica, who had been watching us to the side, seemed reluctant to get in my way. Donghae could only watch us in the distance with a confused look. I approached the table and tried my best to keep my head held high.

My heart raced with each step. It still did after all this time.

I wasn’t over her.

***