WooHyun’s POV

At breakfast this morning, my mother reminded me of the formal dinner I was expected to attend next week.

“I can go solo, right?”, I asked her, disinterested. I’d never really been into dinners and parties and all that jazz.

My mother sighed and said, “It’d look much more mature if you took a girl with you. A respectable girl.”

My eyebrow rose as I replied, “You want me to look for a trophy wife?”

My mother glared at me. “I hate when you use phrases like that.”

I shut my mouth and ate my breakfast in silence, pondering who would make a good date.

As if I didn’t already know.

So Eun’s POV

News was starting to leak out about my parents’ bankruptcy… I was getting weird looks at school almost every period and the girls who originally hated me for stealing Myungsoo were taking every chance to walk past me and snicker.

But even worse than jealous bullies were those who constantly pitied me. One girl even bought me flowers as “condolence”. It took all my self-control to refrain from shoving the “condolence” right into her pudgy face. But I clamped my teeth together, growled, “Thank you”, and waited for her to turn the corner before I threw them into the trash.

Grrrrrrrr.

Well, I thought to myself, there’s no embarrassment in getting a job now. Everyone knows my family’s short of money.

At lunch, I tracked down Dongwoo, the one who was the least awkward out of Myungsoo’s friends.

“Can I ask for a favor?”, I pleaded.

“What’s up?”, he said, looking relaxed and carefree.

“Distract Myungsoo for me after school.”

“How much time do you need?”

“Ten minutes.”

He looked at me and asked me hesitantly, “Where are you going?”

I was really close to asking him why he would care, but instead I tried to lighten the mood by winking and saying cheerfully, “That’s my business!”  

Myungsoo’s POV

The last bell of the school day ended and I promptly gathered my notes up, planning to meet So Eun at the front of the gates, as usual.

But, to my surprise, Dongwoo was waiting in So Eun’s usual spot, leaning against the gates.

“What’s up?”, I asked him, looking around him for So Eun.

“I asked So Eun if I could speak to you after school, so she went home”, Dongwoo replied, noticing my preoccupation.

“Oh…”, I said, lamely. I had given her an extra key… Things should be fine.  

“What do you want to talk to me about?”, I asked Dongwoo, feeling slightly awkward.

“Our friendship. Or, whatever is left of it”, Dongwoo answered. He seemed angry.

“What do you mean?”, I asked him, annoyed and confused. Groups always break apart in high school… and I had personally done nothing to make Dongwoo mad.

“I’m asking”, Dongwoo replied, his eyes narrowing and voice hardening, “whether I’ll be invited to your wedding in a few months.”

 I closed my eyes and sighed. “Look, I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings-”

“No, you’re not”, Dongwoo cut me off, “You’re not sorry. To me, WooHyun, Sunggyu, Hoya, Sungyeol, or Sungjong. You threw us away like we were nothing, all for some girl who doesn’t even really know what love is.” 

“Why the hell would you say that? That she doesn’t know what love is?”, I asked him, but I suddenly felt weak inside.

Dongwoo scoffed and replied, “You really think So Eun went home?”

WooHyun’s POV

“This is the other barista. Her name is Son Dam Bi, and she’s a freshman at Anyang University. And she’s worked at four different cafes before this one”, Hae Young was explaining to me.

I looked at Son Dam Bi. She was… well, she was incredibly gorgeous. Long wavy hair, slim figure, wide eyes… picture perfect.

“I heard you wanted someone who knew how to do foam designs. I could do a couple, if you’d like.”

I nodded and spoke to Hae Young, “Show her to the back. You have thirty minutes to do as many designs as you’d like.”

The girls went to the back, leaving me drumming my fingers on the counter again.

Fully intending to doze away, I swiveled my chair to a more comfortable position- a position where I could lay my head in my hand.

But suddenly, I found myself facing a window view of a pair of people I never expected to see together- Sunggyu and So Eun.

I ducked down. Obviously, neither of them had seen me yet. I quietly tip-toed my way around the counter and snuck towards the door, nudging it open when I was right next to the door.

And then I heard their voices.

“-know where you are?”, Sunggyu asked.

“Um… yeah, I’m at a café, about to get a work application”, So Eun replied. She sounded confused, as though unsure why Sunggyu was asking her this.  

“Stop being naïve”, Sunggyu replied, voicing my thoughts,” You know why I’m asking this question.”

“I don’t know why you’re asking me anything!”, So Eun blew up, “I don’t know you! I seriously just want a work application.”

…

They were probably locked in a staring contest right now. Her beautiful eyes… and Sunggyu’s nonexistent ones. I had to stifle a laugh.

…

“You… really don’t know who owns this café”, Sunggyu commented, surprise evident in his voice.

“No.”

Sunggyu sighed and said, “This café is owned by Nam WooHyun.“

I gritted my teeth. How would she respond?

…

“Why should I care? “, So Eun asked. I’m not sure if my heart cracked from the severe relief or the severe disappointment.

She didn’t hate me, though. That was a relief. 

“Don’t you know what people are saying about you and WooHyun?”, Sunggyu asked her. 

“Again, why should I care?”, So Eun retorted.

Sunggyu didn’t bother to answer.

So Eun sighed, “Look, as long as Myungsoo and WooHyun know the truth-“

“And that”, Sunggyu replied, his voice turning into ice, “is why you are naïve. You and Myungsoo do not live alone in this world, and unconditional trust doesn’t exist. People spread rumors. Appearances, especially when you’re involved with two extremely well-known and wanted boys, can ruin relationships.”

“I just want to get a job so Myungsoo Oppa doesn’t have to pay for everything! I at least want to help with the rent fee! ”, So Eun yelled, almost growling. 

My eyes widened.

“What?”, Sunggyu asked, startled, “You two… live together?”

I felt the hesitation coming from So Eun and knew it was true. I closed my eyes, feeling my heart roughly rip into pieces again.

“I just want a work application”, So Eun repeated, her voice tiny and timid.  

Anger and frustration coursed through my veins, although I had no idea why I was getting into a rage. All I knew was, I wanted her to leave. Now.

I got to my feet and opened the door.

So Eun gasped, and then everything was deathly silent.

“Go home”, I told So Eun, keeping my voice controlled as best I could.

“WooHyun-“, So Eun and Sunggyu both started at the same time, but they were abruptly cut off.

“Eun ah”, someone called.

So Eun’s face crumbled to dust, Sunggyu’s face turned to ice, and mine to stone.

Because only one person called her that.

The three of us turned to face the newcomers, Dongwoo- and Kim Myungsoo.