"No really, when I was a kid I was convinced that ketchup is the blood that comes out from tomatoes when you slice them. So I never ate ketchup" Minseok grimaced. He's been blabbering nonstop just like last night.

"Minseok-ah," I paused in front of the school gate, "thanks for bringing me home last night. You don't have to fetch me in the morning too. Most probably, bad guys won't attack me in broad daylight."

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked with a troubled face, "why are you suddenly pushing me away?"

"Whoa, easy. It's not like that. I'm just...not used to being close to classmates all of a sudden" I explained.

"All of a sudden? But Haneul, we always walk to school together every morning. It's not all of a sudden" he replied.

He really seemed to be convinced of the truth in that. A round of applause to the angels who planted those lies in his head. I am suddenly questioning which parts of my life are true and which ones were just manipulated by those "helpful fellows".

"I uh...I just have to go get something from my locker. You go ahead without me, ok?" I told him before dashing inside the school.

Well, I was really going to get something from my locker. My excuse is valid. As I input the code on the lock, the locker next to mine shut close to reveal one of my classmates.

"Hey Haneul, do we still need to bring the reference book for art class?" he inquired.

"Nope, the teacher said we'll be discussing a different topic today" I answered. 

"Whew! Good thing! I don't like bringing that heavy thing around the school. Need help with your stuff?" he motioned to the books in my arm.

I closed the locker door with one hand, putting the weight of all the books on the other. The weight is manageable enough.

"It's ok, you also have your stuff to carry," I smiled, referring to the assortment of notebooks, PE clothes, CDs, and whatnots that he took out of his locker.

"Oh, right. Let's go" he laughed awkwardly.

"By the way," he said, "you're not with Minseok? Is he skipping class?"

"Ah no, he's probably in the classroom by now. Why?"

He shrugged. "You two always come to class together."

Well played, angels. Even my other classmates know your lies.

--

"Two orders of White Chocolate Dream" I handed the order slip to the new barista and my supposed long-time friend.

"White Chocolate Dream...white chocolate...white...white chocolate" Minseok mumbled absentmindedly. 

"Ya, stop repeating white chocolate," I laughed, "you're like a broken record."

"A cute broken record" he grinned, wagging his eyebrows.

"Hurry up before the customers turn a hundred years old waiting in vain for their drink" I joked, "and stop sayig White Chocolate."

"Why not? It helps me focus. What do you want me to say, White Bunnies? Aha, that's right. You won't get annoyed by anything that has to do with white bunnies" he clapped at himself as my mouth hung open.

"And how do you know that?" I muttered low.

"Aigoo Haneul-ah," he sighed, "sometimes I wonder if you got run over by a rolling spaceship last week and lost all of your memories."

"What on earth is a rolling spaceship?!" Tao joined.

"What on earth? Did you mean, what on Mars?" Minseok guffawed at his own lame joke.

"Pfft, just get ready to close already. Here's the last order" Tao said, handing Minseok another slip.

"Finally~" I stretched, "I've been dying to go home."

"Why," Minseok asked, "do you have plans with Mr. Not-nice-to-visitors?"

I exhaled slowly upon remembering what happened.

"Sorry for that. Kai's just a bit uncomfortable with people he doesn't know."

"Looks like it. With the way he stormed off, seems kind of a brat, huh?" he continued.

"No, he's not always like that" I frowned.

"So you trust him then" he mumbled with a nod.

"O-of course?" I replied uncertainly. The way he asked it sounded like there's something else lurking behind the words.

"You'll never know, Haneul. You might not know him well enough."