“Let’s hang out!” I shouted, as soon the class dismissed and we walked out of the class. Yixing furrowed his eyebrows, “I’m sorry Chen, but I have to help my dad to do weekly shopping for our restaurant. It’s Friday, remember?”

I took a look at Minseok. There was no hope for him saying yes, because at the same time I saw a girl ran into us and waving her hand. Minseok looked at me, “I’m sorry Jongdae. She wants me to accompany her today.”

“It’s okay, Minseok.”

“Seriously, are you okay?” asked Yixing—he spotted something wrong with me. I shook my head, “Nothing in particular, Yixing. Don’t worry. I just want to get some fresh air.”

Minseok’s girlfriend replied me, “Have you heard about coffee shop near SNU? They have the best tiramisu and latte!” I nodded, “Really?”

“Yes, Minseok-ah, we should go there too, sometime okay?” she whined to Minseok, and her boyfriend smiled, “Yup. But today we are going to visit hospital, right?”

Yixing choked his own saliva, “What—hospital?”

Minseok hit Yixing’s shoulder, “Dude, I haven’t do anything with your cousin okay? Don’t give me that look.” I laughed. She sure knew how to be clingy over her boyfriend because this was the first time Minseok looked so happy every day.

They left. I let another long sigh. Should I really go to that coffee shop alone? My world definitely was boring. No Yixing. No Minseok. Well, I wouldn’t blame Yixing for helping his parents of course, because Yixing was their only son they had so it was normal that Yixing did to do what his parent wanted him to do. And, for Minseok’s case—I admitted at first, I felt like her girlfriend was taken Minseok away from me but, every time I saw Minseok’s smiles, I knew I should be happy for him too.

I sniffed as I arrived in front of the coffee shop.

I was about to open the door when a girl came out with her boyfriend—I guessed—and she yelled, “This is your fault okay!”

I blinked.

The tall guy with western-look-alike groaned, “What? Are you kidding me? It was obviously that she dragged me who got drunk to her apartment. What I did when I was drunk is under my control!”

“Screw you, Kris! You ed her! It’s the truth!” she crawled.

I choked my own breathe as she finished her sentences. I really wanted to leave the spot I was standing at but they blocked the entrance door.

“Even if I did, I don’t know her! I don’t love her, okay? Why are you so easily get mad about it?” the guy—which I believed named Kris—tried to defend himself.

The girl pushed him back, “Hell. I am your girlfriend. What do you expect me to react when I heard you ed other girl on the night we should celebrate my birthday, you Kris!”

“Blame Tao for brought me to that club and gave me those alcoholic drinks!” he still didn’t want to give in. She whimpered, “You should have said no in the first place, idiot!”

“Excuse—”

Too late. She was throwing her glass of coffee when I was about to say that I need the space to enter the coffee shop. Now, that black liquid was all over my cloth instead of her boyfriend’s face. . This must be my unlucky day.

“Oh my Goodness.”

The guy giggled, “Well. Okay, since today is your birthday, how about make it special? I want to—” she cut her, “Let’s break up, bastard. Go away and don’t you dare to show your ing face in front of me. Get the damn off!”

I grumbled, “. My cloth.”

That guy left. Well, I didn’t even really care because I was worrying my cloth—which was uniform and it got coffee stain. Not nice. She sighed, “I’m sorry.”

I grinned, “If you want to have a fight, please find a proper place first. Not in front of entrance door. This is a café, not your home.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry won’t make this stain disappear,” I mumbled.

She bit her lips, “I can pay the laundry for you if you want. Or, anything else, maybe?”

I looked up, and in next five seconds I sighed, “Come with me.”

She followed my word so well. I pulled a chair and asked her to have a seat. I went to the counter, bought two vanilla latte and two pieces of tiramisu cake. I put them on the table. She looked at me, confused.

I handed her a tissue, “Cry if you want to cry.”

She jumped of shock, I could tell from her facial expression. She looked down, and not too long after it, I saw her sobbing. I lit something that I asked from the counter, gladly they had one—so I put it on her cake.

“Today is your birthday, right?” I asked.

She nodded.

“There is no Sadly Birthday, but Happy Birthday. So stop your tears, blow this cake and make a wish,” I said. She blinked twice. I smiled, “I might be just a stranger, but I know that you need a companion—at least, on your birthday.”

She rubbed her reddish nose.

“Kim Jongdae,” I said, softly.

She mentioned her name and smiled in bitter, “I’m sorry about the coffee stain.” I shrugged, “Actually I’m glad I just got poured by coffee, rather than a slap or a strong punch, maybe?”

She giggled.

She was beautiful when smiling—really. I bet if Yixing was here, he would flirt around. I put the tiramisu closer to her, “Make a wish.”

She closed her eyes. I murmured to myself, praising how could a human be like this? She was stunning and breathtakingly beautiful, her nose, her exposed forehead, her earrings, and her pink lips.

“S-sorry?”

I smirked as she caught me staring at her. She bit her bottom lip. I swept my eyes around the café, while silently I looked at her. Her eyes looked red, as if she wanted to cry again.

“Don’t cry. He doesn’t deserve your tears.”

She looked up to see me, “You don’t even know me.”

“I maybe don’t. But as long as I lived, a man who cheated on his girlfriend is the worst. And he doesn’t deserve a single teardrop from the girl,” I answered, taking a sip of my vanilla latte.

She gasped.

“I’m sorry again for your cloth,” she whispered.

I shook my head, “Don’t worry.”

“Jongdae-ssi,”

“Hm?”

“Am I that bad until my own boyfriend—well, now he is my ex—cheated on me?” she asked, her voice was cracked.

//

“Jongdae! Wow you’re really here!” a girl appeared after she shouted his name. She tapped his shoulder and he turned his body to see her. She took a look at me, lifted one of her eyebrows.

“Jongdae-ssi, don’t tell me that she is…”

He wanted to answer me quickly but another guy appeared, and grabbed her hands. I sighed in ease for something I didn’t even know. She smiled, to the guy with fluffy hair and chubby cheeks, “You owe me five bucks for Jongdae is coming here.”

Jongdae groaned, “I can’t believe you guys use me as a bet.”

She winked, “Blame Minseok for that!” and she left. My eyes followed her until I knew she was ordering something in the counter. Jongdae nudged his friend, and gave me a slight smile, “Well, this is my friend, Minseok.”

“Hi.”

He smiled, and his eyes almost disappeared—I found it cute, “Hi. Don’t worry, I won’t jump into you guys, I’ll leave once she got her latte.”

“Oh, it’s okay. It would be fun if you can join us,” I said.

He shook his head, “Ah, thanks. But we really don’t want to disturb you. Well, since this is the first time I see Jongdae with a pretty girl.”

“Pardon?” I asked. Actually I heard him very well, but I couldn’t believe his words just because.

“Minseok!” Jongdae hit Minseok’s shoulder and he blushed for something I didn’t sure what was about. That girl pouted, “Pretty girl? Who is that?”

Minseok stuck his tongue out and grabbed her hands, “Bye guys. Have a nice day!” And both of them left the café.

I looked at Jongdae, he finally let out his laughs. It was hard to find someone like him, someone who was care enough to cheer up a broken-hearted girl like me, well yeah, even though I’d never regret myself for let Kris go.

Kris has always been that ignorant—and too touchy to other girls. I hated it but he never cared.

Jongdae laughed nicely—if I couldn’t say he looked even more handsome when he laughed.

“What’s funny?” I asked.

“You.”

“Me?”

He nodded, “Didn’t you think that she is my girlfriend, right?”

“Well, from the way she called you like that, everyone would think so,” I said, cut the tiramisu and ate it. Jongdae smirked, “Your face was pale.”

“R-really?”

. I shouldn’t make a face like that.

He nodded again, and leaned his back to the chair, “I’m not a player like Kris, for your information.”

I chuckled nervously, “Why must you tell me that information, though?”

“Because you need to know.”

“Jongdae-ssi.”

He looked at me—straight into my eyes and smiling, “You are not bad. Not a bit at all. I don’t know what was the reason Kris cheat on you but let Kris keep it for himself, and he did it for his own loss. But I definitely won’t make you cry for the same reason.”

“J-jongdae..”

“See you around,” he handed me a tissue before leaving the table, he even smiled for me for the last time.

Tears are not allowed to flow over a pretty girl’s cheeks.

Because when you smile, sun shines even brighter.

I just met you and this is crazy,

But I’ll protect you.

If you don’t mind,

You have something here +8736319

K. Jongdae

another fail D: