Funnily, or perhaps freakily, he did see her around.

It was a rainy morning, approximately two hours after the dawn broke into a Monday, where the streets were congested with vehicles and the sidewalks thronged with the late-runners rushing to their respective office and school, when Chorong left her flat to head to work, joining the hustle and bustle of the city. She was relieved that the train arrived just in time as she reached the platform, and that there was an empty seat for her.

“So we meet again.”

She looked up to find Woohyun sitting next to her, his eyes twinkling and his smile ever enticing. “Are you stalking me?” she blurted out, startled.

He could only laugh at her question. “Says the person who came and sat beside me.”

“It wasn’t intentional,” she shot back. “It just happened that this seat was vacant.”

“Hmm,” he nodded, forehead slightly creased as if he was thinking hard of something. “Either it’s coincidental, or fate.”

She scoffed. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Thanks,” he returned, beaming.

Silence filled the gap between them. Chorong rested her gaze outside the window, and she could see the rain has stopped and the sky was clearing up. Meanwhile, Woohyun entertained himself by humming to a tune from a TV commercial. Once or twice he broke into light coughs, but he would resume quickly.

At last, the train reached her stop. She alighted from the vehicle along with several other passengers, and when she glanced back, he was right behind him, admiring the weather. “It’s a good day for a free lunch, don’t you think?”

She looked at him whose smile didn’t waver even the slightest bit, and shook her head. “Nah,” she disagreed. This time she’s the first to walk away.

: :

At six o’clock, two hours after her actual shift ended when she was finally allowed to go home for the day, her phone rang. She didn’t have to check the ID to know it was Bomi, again. She pressed the phone against her ear. “Yes, Bomi, I’m still alive and kicking in case you’re wondering.”

On the other end of the line, Bomi giggled. “I’m just checking, you know.”

“I know.”

“Then, how would you like to get drunk with me?”

: :

“Is something wrong?” Chorong asked, concerned.

“It’s not a big deal.”

“I’m not someone you can easily fool, Bomi,” she retorted. “It’s a big deal when you want to get drunk over it.”

There was a silence before Bomi finally answered, nose scrunched. “Hoya’s acting weird lately.”

“What do you mean, acting weird?”

“Weird as in he’s been spending more time at work.”

“If it’s because he’s been trying to get Minh―”

“No, it’s not Minhyuk oppa,” Bomi interrupted, giving the older girl a reassuring smile. “It started even before the accident. At first I assumed he just got busy, and I was okay with that. It’s his job after all. But then, I don’t know, I just feel like he’s avoiding me.”

Chorong looked away, trying to come up with a good reason, and felt terrible when she was unable to do so. She squeezed Bomi’s shoulder and smiled. “Maybe he’s just tired.”

Hearing that, Bomi turned to Chorong with an amused expression on her face. “He’s not cheating on me with you right?”

Chorong faked a shocked face, one hand over . “Oh no, how did you know?” she joked.

: :

“You better have a decent excuse for this,” Chorong remarked as Hoya pulled a blanket over Bomi who fell asleep in the car after muttering something to herself under her breath.

“Actually, I do,” he replied. She raised an eyebrow, and he simply smiled. “I’ll tell you later.”

“I’ll be waiting,” she said. She glanced at the clock on the way out and realized that it was already past midnight.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you home?”

“It’s okay,” she answered. “Bomi might wake up while you’re gone and, who knows, throw up?”

Hoya chuckled. “That girl’s a mess.”

“She’s your mess.”

He smiled again. They were already at the door and she was putting her shoes on. “Be careful on your way back.”

Chorong gave him a wink and shoved her hands into the pocket of her jacket for extra warmth before closing the door behind her and heading out into the cold.