Have you ever had a dream so amazing you wake up disappointed that it’s over? That’s exactly what Yongsun feels after the camp ends. That night with Moonbyul under the starry skies feels like a distant dream now.

They still see each other at school and say ‘hi’ every now and then but it’s barely enough for Yongsun. She can still remember the feel of Moonbyul’s warm and welcoming hands against hers, so how does that not constitute anything?

Yongsun shakes off the thought and tries to focus on the cappuccino she’s making. A few customers who have been waiting in line are starting to grumble.

“Yah, you need to get a hold of yourself. One of us has to be the responsible one in here and it’s not me.” Seokjin says.

Yongsun ignores Seokjin even though she knows he’s right. She’s been spacing out more often than usual lately. It’s not like her to be like this. She used to be bad at school but good at her work. Now she’s lousy at both.

The door opens and Moonbyul saunters in. Yongsun almost drops the coffee she has been working on for the past 10 minutes. She quickly serves one angry customer and turns her back against the counter, pretending to be fiddling with the espresso machine.

“Yah, Kim Yongsun-shii, isn’t that Moonbyul?” Seokjin says amusedly as Moonbyul occupies an empty seat and starts flipping a magazine without ordering anything. Seokjin isn’t about to tell Moonbyul what to do so he lets her be.

Yongsun is silent, busying herself with washing dirty dishes. After all those sleepless nights and distracting days thinking about Moonbyul, why is she reacting like this when the person she wants to see most is right front of her? Yongsun hates that she doesn’t have the answer for it.

A part of her also wonders why Moonbyul is here.

Tonight is Yongsun’s turn to close shop and wipe the floor and tables. She says goodbye to Seokjin and sees the last customer out before coming back in to do her last chores of the day. Well, second last customer. She sighs inwardly at the sight of Moobyul reading probably her 5th magazine now. Somehow, in this near empty café, Moonbyul seems smaller and familiar – like the other night at camp. Yongsun tries not to think about it even though it’s hard with Moonbyul right in her face.

“Sorry, but we’re close. Please come again.” Yongsun says hesitantly, grabbing a mop.

Moonbyul sets her magazine aside and stands up. Yongsun gulps. If Moonbyul was bold enough to hold her hands that time, Yongsun is afraid of what she’s going to do now, now that they’re alone.

Moonbyul slowly struts towards Yongsun, her eyes never leaving Yongsun’s, their bodies now so dangerously close Yongsun could feel Moonbyul’s warmth and make out a faint smell of cinnamon in her hair. Yongsun’s breath hitches as Moonbyul leans in to close the gap between their lips and… snatches the mop from Yongsun’s hand.

Yongsun freezes in her spot as Moonbyul wordlessly rolls up her sleeves and gets to work. She mops the floor, wipes the table, puts the mugs to dry and stores them in the cabinet. When she’s done, she grabs her coat and nods at Yongsun without so much of an expression her face. Then she is gone.

//

The last bell rings and Yongsun walks out the class to meet Wheein and Hyejin as usual. Only her friends are too busy eyeing each other hungrily to even notice her.

“I never thought I’d say this, but I actually liked it better when you guys weren’t talking to each other.” Yongsun frowns.

“You should be happy we’re friends again!” Wheein quips.

“Literally.” Hyejin agrees.

“Friends. Right.” Yongsun rolls her eyes and wonders why her best friends refuse to admit that they’re into each other, even after she caught them at camp. Sure, they’re gross and make Yongsun feel like a third-wheeler now more than ever, but she wishes they would just come clean about their relationship. Yongsun thinks her friends are pathetic for trying to deny their feelings for each other, but then again so is she for a certain someone.

They find themselves at a new restaurant for lunch. Yongsun orders jjambong, Hyejin is in the mood for samgyetang, and Wheein, who is not hungry, decides that she would just eat her friends’ leftovers. As they wait for their food to arrive, Yongsun spills about Moonbyul’s odd behavior the night before.

“Freaky.” Wheein scrunches up her face.

“I think you should let her continue it. You just sit back and watch her do all the work for you for free.” Hyejin says.

“You actually sound smart. It looks like my wisdom is rubbing off on you!” Wheein grins, flashing Hyejin a thumbs up. Yongsun doesn’t like the way Wheein says ‘rubbing’ to Hyejin. She shudders.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter