Chapter 5: “Do I have a crush on her?”

“So-- did anything interesting happened?” Hwasa tried to sound as casual as possible, while she drew the curtains back to let the light in. Natural daylight filled up the small apartment. 

"Hmm?" Her best friend on the other hand doesn't have a clue on what exactly this lady is trying to ask.

"Your part-time job, of course. There's nothing but hell for us when it comes to our trainee life!" She replied with a teasing smile on her face.

Back in the kitchen, Wheein chuckled as she filled the gooseneck kettle with water, and put it on the stove. "Nothing much, i guess." She said nonchalantly. 

Hwasa entered the kitchen, narrowing her smokey eyes at her target. "Oh really? Nothing interesting has happened?" She leaned forward, pressing her own elbows on the tabletop. She sounded intrigued by just how different her friend is reacting from the usual. The Wheein she knows all along, will never fail to share details of new people, new places, even new experiences she had been through with her. However surprisingly, ever since wheein started her new part time job as moonbyul's assistant, she has yet share anything with hwasa.

Wheein stared back at hwasa with a puzzled frown, sensing that there was something a bit odd about her friend today. Despite her suspicion, she took a moment to think before answering again. "Nope, nothing that I can think of." She shrugged her shoulders and turned away to remove the boiling kettle from the stove. Hwasa stood straight, with her lips pursed looking slightly disappointed with her friend's reply. 

Wheein started pouring from the center of the coffee grounds and moved towards the outer rim in a steady spiral motion.  

"Wow, didn't knew you were this good in brewing coffee." Hwasa complimented, as she glanced down at wheein's steady hands. 

"Our jagga nim can never survive a day without her high dose of caffeine." The assistant chuckled softly as she recalled the time when jagga nim rolled all over floor whining like a baby as wheein announced that she was banned from having her fourth cup of coffee.

"Em~ Our? " Hwasa's lips drew back into a smirk, she came to a realization. She clicked her long red nails on the table, letting out a sly smile.

Caught by surprise, the assistant quickly attempt to change the subject. "Can you get the cake out from the fridge?" She hurriedly put the coffee pot and empty cups on the wooden tray and fled to the living room along with it.

Hwasa secretly pulled out a magazine with a familiar face on its front cover. Judging from the photo taken, it probably was from the ball held few days ago. "Wheein ah, is it really true that yul jagga nim had an argument with S corporate wealthy girl. They even went on to mention about the past relationship between mina and moonbyul. " The assistant snatched over the magazine and glanced through the pages in dismay.

"Are the things they wrote here true?" Hwasa carefully asked. 

"Of course not!" The tiny assistant firmly denied, feeling unfair for jagga nim. 

"I see."Her friend nodded."Well never have i trusted paparazzi. Bet they have exaggerated the situation." She continued, as she scooted over to wheein's side to calm her down.

Wheein didn't knew that there were speculations or accusations made against jagga nim until now. "I think i should go make a call." She quickly rose up, reached for her phone and speed-dialed jagga nim's number.

The writer answered the call right away as if she was already expecting a call from her.

"Hello?" A husky voice answered the phone. 

"Jagga nim!" Wheein felt relieved to hear her voice again. 

"Yes~" Moonbyul, on the other hand, sounded relaxed as though she was not part of the mess that was stirring up.

"Are you alright?" She hesitated, wondering how much concern and care is she allowed to offer given their current status.

The writer couldn't help but to smile to herself as she thought about how wheein had been worried for her. "She's been thinking about me?" She giggled like a little kid as she pondered.

"Jagga nim?" Wheein who is genuinely worried about the writer's wellbeing, has gotten more paranoid when she heard moonbyul laughing all alone over the phone. 

"Wheein ah, I'm really fine. Thank you for checking in by the way. I actually have a schedule today to rush to, so i can't stay on the phone for long. I just want you to know that everything will be fine alright." Moonbyul checked her watch in a rush, also scanning her house once more in case she forgets to bring something.

"It's okay, jagga nim. Have a safe trip!" Wheein quickly ended the call as she knows moonbyul wouldn't hang up till she does. So for the writer's sake, she cuts it off first in consideration. 

"Hope to see you soon again." Wheein muttered under her breath the last words of her speech she actually swallowed. 

"Hey, so what's she really like?" Hwasa continued to find out more after wheein has came back.

In reply to her best friend's question, the lil assistant shrugged. “She's kind of weird?" She said, scrunching her face in thought.

"Do you know she wears glasses even though she doesn't really need them?" She started to share trival things about jagga nim.

"What?!" Her close friend pulled her chair closer to wheein's and tugged her arms with hers, showing great interest in her conversation.

"She said it makes her look more professional." She chortled