“You’re going on vacation?!”

“Yes.”

“What?! When?!”

“Noona, I already told you.”

“No, you didn’t!”

“Where are you going?! To Changwon?! To meet up with your old girlfriend?!”

“Sure.”

“WHAT?!”

The weather was pleasant enough that HakYeon and SeJung decided to skip the studio and doodle in the park. No, actually, the truth was when the two reached the landing of the studio, HakYeon saw traces of the bloodstain where his accident happened, and he spouted excuses until SeJung agreed to accompany him outside.

Praise whichever Deity of Coincidence decided to grace HakYeon’s spirit that day for he spotted TaekWoon leisurely strolling down the sidewalk, donned in half of his uniform. Both HakYeon and SeJung shouted out in tune, laughing when they saw TaekWoon actually flinch from the obnoxious noise. The only reason TaekWoon stuck around was because someone’s dog was nearby, and the rock tumbler’s mask broke when the pet trotted up to him.

HakYeon swooned from the effervescent smile that radiated from TaekWoon. TaekWoon whole-heartedly ignored him.

“No, but TaekWoon-ah,” SeJung piped up, “I really don’t remember you talking about this. When are you going on vacation? Where are you going?”

“I’m so jealous!” HakYeon whined.

TaekWoon ignored them both, watching as the dog was reclaimed by its owner, sighing as both owner and pet walked off.

“Can I go with you?”

“No.”

“How about me?”

“No.”

“Where are you going, though?!” SeJung whined. “I wanna go!”

“Just because I’m ‘going on vacation’ doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going anywhere,” TaekWoon calmly replied.

“Eh? When is it, though?”

He hummed. “I dunno.”

“Liar!”

“I just got off work. I’m going home to sleep.”

“Yah! You brat!” SeJung screeched at TaekWoon’s retreating back. She flipped her hair back over her shoulder angrily. “That kid! I swear this is the first I’ve heard of this.”

“He really didn’t say anything about it?” HakYeon asked, reclining against the trunk of a tree.

Shaking her head, SeJung scooted over to sit in the shade. “But then again, he doesn’t really talk much, in general. I seriously have to have a full-blown interrogation if I want to get something out of him. He didn’t say anything to you, either?”

“Nope.” HakYeon didn’t even divulge the late-night conversation between the two with SeJung. “You know how he is.”

“You should pester him! Maybe he wants you to go with him! He never brings up stuff like that on his own, so…”

“No, I couldn’t bother him.”

He said. In reality, HakYeon was dying of curiosity. But he couldn’t figure out how he could possibly ask TaekWoon anything about this sudden vacation.

“Oh, there’s your favorite customer, hyung,” SangHyuk said, nudging HakYeon with his elbow.

“Eh?”

HakYeon turned to see TaekWoon strolling into the shop, already in uniform. TaekWoon glared at HakYeon as he made his way up to the counter. However, bright eyed and bushy tailed, HakYeon just skipped to the front to greet him.

“You make it look like it’s my fault I’m here,” HakYeon pouted. “I work here. Don’t be so sour.”

TaekWoon ignored him, slapping cash onto the counter. “Latte.”

“Yes, sir! Have a seat while I personally get that ready for you!”

He laughed at TaekWoon’s eye roll as both turned away. HakYeon hummed as he turned to the machines, not even noticing SangHyuk staring incredulously.

“I give up,” SangHyuk said flatly. “What happened?”

“Hm? What? Why?”

“Months ago, this guy made you cry in a corner. Now you’re acting like…” SangHyuk’s sleepy eyes grew wide. “Oh! OH! He’s your – !!”

“Really, Hyukkie, how are you only just now coming to this conclusion?”

“Yah, I haven’t seen him since that time he left his card here! Wah…”

“Please stop gawking and get back to work.”

“Speak for yourself.”

SangHyuk twisted from the pinch to his side, the coffee in the cup held by HakYeon’s other hand not even threatening to spill over the lip. HakYeon strutted to the small table where TaekWoon had perched himself, facing the window with his cell phone face up on the tabletop.

“Latte for you, sonnim,” HakYeon said brightly. “I hope you enjoy it!”

Obviously, TaekWoon ignored him but only until HakYeon pulled out the chair across from him and plopped his bottom into the seat. The glare TaekWoon shot at him pulled no reaction.

“Don’t you have work to do?” TaekWoon asked coolly.

“I do,” HakYeon replied. “But I’m choosing not to do it.”

“And your boss is fine with that?”

“No, but he’s visiting our other store. If you can’t see it, it’s not illegal.” TaekWoon narrowed his eyes at that statement but reached for the cup on the table instead of telling off the airhead across from him. HakYeon changed subjects. “You haven’t been here in forever. Why don’t you ever visit me?”

“Why should I? The coffee here is bland. There’s no way I could stay awake for even half of my shift.”

“So then come here afterwards!”

“No.”

“Meanie.”

TaekWoon’s phone on the table buzzed, both sets of eyes automatically looking to the screen. The alert on the screen showed a preview of a text message from…

“Is that your girlfriend?” HakYeon sneered.

“Yup.” TaekWoon continued his lazy sips of coffee.

“Is she excited to see you when you go on your vacation?”

“Sure.”

“Are you seriously going to Changwon?”

“No.”

“Damn it, TaekWoon-ah!” HakYeon stomped his feet like a child. “Why are you so hush-hush about this?!”

“Am I obligated to tell you my personal itinerary?”

“But even SeJung-noona doesn’t know anything about it!”

“Do I have to report to her, too?”

“I’m gonna cry.”

“Go for it.”

TaekWoon left not long after that, ignoring HakYeon’s crocodile tears as he bopped a knuckle into his skull on his way out. HakYeon pouted for the rest of his shift and suffered through SangHyuk’s wordless teasing. As he slung his apron over his shoulder that evening after he had clocked out, he pulled out his cell phone and thumbed through the contacts.

< Noona, > he typed, < how are you? >

His sister didn’t reply until he was unlocking the door to his apartment. < Oh, HakYeon-ah! Good to hear from you. I’m fine. How’s your head? >

< I’m fine, still alive. > His thumbs paused over the phone screen. < Hey, I’m just wondering… Do you know anyone named Jung TaekWoon? >

His heart picked up as he pressed the send button. The name on TaekWoon’s phone was surely just a coincidence. Surely there was another Cha JungEun somewhere in the world. His phone buzzed.

< Yeah. Why? >

Damn it all.

Fortunately, his sister replied before he could come up with a lame excuse. < You know, Oppa did say you’re not Mono anymore. By any chance… you know TaekWoon, too? >

< Well… > HakYeon couldn’t figure out how else to say it.

< ㅋㅋㅋ Don’t worry, dongsaeng. I’m not jealous or grossed out. Between me and TaekWoon, there wasn’t much connection. We didn’t turn out to be soul mates, after all. >

< Yeah, instead, you left that to me. Thanks a lot, noona ( -_-)# >

< ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ TaekWoon is a log sometimes, but he’s really a good person. You’ll see. >

HakYeon considered this a few weeks later as he took a seat in the classroom. The class was a modest size, and he was relieved to see he wasn’t the only one in the class going solo. But the various Poly couples who continuously doted on each other jabbed a pointy stick into his jealousy. He tried to focus on the giant poster of the color wheel tacked to the side of the whiteboard that had been written on with different-colored markers.

Just as the teacher was about to introduce herself, the door opened and shut again. Everyone in the class turned to see the distraction, but only HakYeon’s eyes grew into saucers.

“Sorry for being late,” TaekWoon, looking incredibly normal decked in civvies, mumbled to the teacher.

“Sure, sure. Just have a seat, and we’ll get started,” she replied.

HakYeon tracked TaekWoon all the way to where he sat, plopping himself into the desk next to HakYeon. He sighed, slouched, and dug out his phone from his pocket.

“Yah!” HakYeon hissed in a stage whisper.

“What?” TaekWoon didn’t even look up from his phone.

“What are you doing here?!”

This time, he looked up at HakYeon. “I’m on vacation.”

“Vaca– No, what are you doing here?!”

“I’m on vacation,” TaekWoon repeated. He jerked his chin to the front of the room where the teacher had already began her instruction. “Pay attention.”

HakYeon stared incredulously for just a bit longer before he faced the front again, a dumb grin pulling at his face.

A/N: *cough* Writing is so difficult...

With that, all of my Korean friends have made a cameo in this fic one way or another LOL. Let's hope they never discover this. Well, as I was mapping things out in my head, I realized I don't have any more filler chapters left ㅇㅁㅇ which means starting next chapter, it'll be the big dramatic . OH NO.