Haera played with the frayed ends of her sweater's sleeves as her teacher wrote on the board. The last row of benches smelt like used socks but she couldn’t complain – she should be used to the smell by now. Crossing her restless legs, she shifted in her seat. Her eyelids drooped as the boy next to her snored and she struggled to keep her head falling off of her palm.

"When will this torture end?” she whispered as she spun her pen over her thumb. She reached for her satchel but stopped when she felt hair touch her skin. She retracted her hand, careful not to wake Baekhyun up, and continued looking ahead. With Haera’s phone trapped under Baekhyun’s head, she decided doodling was her best bet at remaining awake.

The snoring stopped a moment later. "How can you do that after what happened with Jongin?" Baekhyun said between his yawn. His eyelids were pink and puffy and his mouth looked as if it was holding a sip of water.

"Because this is a ballpoint and it's not rigged?" Haera clasped her fingers around the object and put in on her notebook. "I don’t get why you do this every Monday," she said, shaking her head. "There are tons of other, more resourceful things you could be doing right now."

"What’s more resourceful than two extra hours of sleep?" Baekhyun shrugged with his face toward the board.

"Remind me why you do this again."

Baekhyun’s sleepy eyes brightened as he gave her a smile. "Vengeance."

Haera choked on her scoff and shook her head and turned to her notebook. Her gaze wandered over the maroon walls before going over all the multi-colored heads ahead of her. She copied some words from the board onto the crisp page in front of her in an attempt to focus but ended up drawing a stick house then a garden; then a slide – by the end of the remaining half an hour, Haera had a detailed stick cul de sac stretching onto the next page.

"Impressive," Baekhyun said, rubbing his lids. "For a toddler."

Haera narrowed her eyes at him. "Says the petty graduate attending a Psychology lecture."

Baekhyun mirrored her look before getting up. He stretched like a cat as Haera tried to wriggle life into her legs. Stuffing her notebook into her satchel, she followed him as he skipped down the narrow staircase with his backpack.

"I want all of you to submit your assignments by next week," said their professor as students walked out the door. "No exceptions!"

"Of course, professor," Baekhyun said, flashing him a wide smile.

The top of their professor’s bald head tinted red as he scowled at Baekhyun. His right eye twitched but before he could say anything, Haera had pushed Baekhyun out the door. He stumbled into Jongin outside and barely missed hitting the newcomer with his head.

“Again?” Jongin raised a brow. “You’ll get into trouble if you keep this up,” he said to Baekhyun.

“Oh, please,” Baekhyun said, running his fingers through his dark brown hair. “I’m a graduate – he has no authority.”

Jongin stepped near the wall, making Haera the one in the middle as they started walking through the crowd. “What if he gets you sacked?” she asked, raising her voice a little.

Baekhyun smirked. “He can’t fire me for sitting in class,” he said. “That’s not solid enough. Besides, he’s the one who said he’d see me in his class for the next three semesters – I’m just granting his wish.”

Haera exchanged a look with Jongin that made the boy laugh before fishing out her phone. Taking it off silent, she pressed a finger to her free ear and called her brother.

“Chanyeol’s phone’s switched off,” she said, with a slight frown as they exit the building.

“He said they were expecting a distressed soccer player today,” Baekhyun said, forming mist from his mouth. “He’s still probably in session.”

 “Oh,” she said, throwing her phone into her bag. Suddenly realizing that Jongin hadn’t spoken in a while, Haera turned to him. Jongin kept his head up and his gaze straight. His steps became smaller and smaller until he was lagging behind his friends. A group of girls surrounded a pillar ahead of them, their laughter reaching their ears. Soojung stood among them, smiling as her friends talked.

 With a soft frown, Jongin looked to the floor and turned around before Soojung could look in their direction. Haera and Baekhyun exchanged looks, approaching him as he struggled to open the broken zip of his backpack. Plastic crinkled as he pulled out a packed navy blue scarf.

“Baekhyun,” he said, beckoning him over, “do me a favor and give this to your cousin? I ruined her sweater – this is the least I can do.”

Baekhyun took a step back. “Jongin, you don’t have to.”

“Please.” Jongin held it out, occasionally looking toward the group of girls.

“Why don’t you give it to her yourself?” Haera suggested. “You’ll get to talk to her this way, too.”

Jongin shook his head. “I don’t want to make her uncomfortable.” He took a step closer to his friends. “Please, Baekhyun.”

Jongin’s pink nose scrunched a little and raised his brows in expectation. The melted halo in his eyes made Haera’s stomach twist – it reminded her of the time four years ago. Haera took the pack from Jongin and pushed it into Baekhyun’s chest, leaving him no choice but to grab it.

Jongin gave her a smile. “Thanks, Hae,” he said, backpedaling.

“Where are you going?” she asked, raising her brow as he kept getting farther.

“Work.” Jongin gave her a wave before he turned around and jogged away to the second exit.

Jongin disappeared around the corner as Haera and Baekhyun stood silent. Her fingers pressed into the woolen sleeve of her sweater. “He’s been taking extra shifts since Friday,” Haera said, turning to Baekhyun. “We hardly saw him the entire weekend.”

Baekhyun sighed and gestured Haera to walk. “I managed to help Soojung get over the incident,” he said as he put the pack into his bag. Haera pulled her beanie lower to her eyes and switched sides with Baekhyun as they got closer to the group of girls. Strong scents of sweet perfumes formed a cocktail inside Haera’s nose and she scrunched her face. Spotting Baekhyun, Soojung waved while Haera tried to hide behind her friend. “Jongin’s taking it harder than her,” he said, waving back.

Haera knew that already.

The soles of their boots crusted with snow as they stepped off the pavement and the chatter of the girls grew distant. The open area consisted of only a handful of student and only a few teachers walking toward their cars. The blue sky was turning dark and the thick streaks of clouds were painted gray than white. The leafless trees guarded the small black gate as students poured out of it.

“I don’t like this,” Haera said, shoving her hands into her pockets. “I’ve prayed to never see that look on his face again.”

“This has happened before?” Baekhyun asked, falling into step next to her.

“We had a bumpy senior year in high school,” Haera said, waving her hand. “I don’t know what to do about this. He’s been crushing on her from a distance for the past three years and I’ve never see him act this way about a girl before.” Haera twisted her lips to the side. “Can’t believe he made me swear not to talk to her about him.”

“I know, right? Same – It’s so easy for me to slip in a word for him,” Baekhyun said as they crossed the street.

 “He wants to do it on his own.”

“Sorry to say but he’s at it.” Baekhyun ignored her glare. “Doesn’t matter now – he pretty much gave up,” he said, pushing open the café door. The aroma of crushed coffee beans welcomed them as they took their usual seats near the window and shoved their bags under the table.

“All he needs is a push start – I know it.” Haera clasped her hands together as she embraced the new warmth. “I’m sure once he and Soojung spend enough time around each other, things will turn out well. All I need to do is get them in the same place at the same time.”

As the waiter handed them the menus, Haera’s brows shot up and she looked at Baekhyun. “You can help me with that.”

Baekhyun stopped chewing on his thumb and raised his head. “What?”

 “He won’t let us interfere,” Haera said, “And if I do talk to Soojung and he finds out then I’ll get into trouble.”

Baekhyun tilted his head backward. “Okay? So where do I come in?”

“I don’t directly have to talk to Soojung, he can do it himself!” A smile crept on her face. “All we have to do is to create a circumstance and get them face to face!”

Baekhyun squinted his eyes. “I’m not sure if I’m following you…”

Haera pushed her unopened menu to the side and brought her hands to the table. “Look, you and I coordinate a routine that would make Soojung and Jongin interact with each other on a daily basis. That way the awkwardness will dissolve sooner and Jongin would actually have a shot!” Haera’s eyes sparkled and her cheeks hurt from smiling so wide – her idea was a work of genius.

Baekhyun chewed on his lower lip. He looked out the window in contemplation while Haera made a mental note of all the potential ways they could make her idea work. She almost pulled out her notebook to make pointers when Baekhyun sighed.

“I can’t do it,” he said.

Haera’s eyes widened and her head snapped up. “Why not?!”

Baekhyun pursed his lips, his gaze on the menu. “I’m sorry but I can’t dedicate the time required for this. You need someone who’s going to be around Soojung a lot and I hardly even have time to be around my mom these days.”

Haera frowned. “But Baek—”

“I know someone who can help you, though,” he said, waving the waiter over.

Haera backed away a little. “You do?”

“Soojung’s best friend is transferring to our university next week. How about you work it out with him?”

“I can’t possibly expect a stranger to help me set up his best friend. That’s farfetched.”

They paused for a moment to give their orders once the waiter arrived. “I’ve met him a few times, he’s a nice guy,” Baekhyun said as the waiter walked away. “I’m pretty sure he’ll agree if you deliver your proposal nicely. Soojung’s a romantic with terrible luck – he’ll be grateful for your help if anything.”

Haera played with her fingers; the prospect of doing it with anyone other than Baekhyun sounded ridiculous. “I don’t know…”

“It’s up to you if you want.” Baekhyun shrugged, taking his phone from his pocket. “That’s a pretty good plan.”

Haera bit the inside of her cheek. She didn’t know Soojung’s best friend; how could she ask him to carry out such a plan? Haera’s thumb rubbed the cold table as Jongin’s forced smile flashed before her eyes; his guilt and his frowns – Haera wanted them to go away.

“All right,” she said, raising her head. “I’ll talk to her best friend.”

Baekhyun stopped typing on his phone and smiled. “Great! I’ll call him now.”

“N-now?” Haera’s eyes widened.

“Yeah,” he said, tapping away on his phone. “The sooner, the better.”

Haera asked him to stop, that she wasn’t prepared to make the commitment right now and how she hadn’t even thought about what she was going to say.

“It’s okay,” Baekhyun said, putting his phone to his ear. “Just go with the flow.”

“Baekhyun!”

“Hey, dude,” Baekhyun said into his phone, giving Haera a thumbs up. “How are you?”

Haera clapped her hand over and the fingers of her other grabbed her beanie. Baekhyun seemed ignorant toward her horror.

“I’m good, too. Like the city so far?” Baekhyun paused. “Why would you think I wanted anything?” He made a face at Haera. “No, no, I was just wondering if you wanted to grab some coffee… No, don’t call Soojung. I—… Yeah? No. Look, jus- just come. Okay?” There was a pause. “Café Nostra; it’s literally opposite Soojung’s university… Don’t call Soojung!” Baekhyun furrowed his brows.  “I’ll tell you later; right now, just get here.”

Haera remained frozen as Baekhyun hung up and dropped his phone on the table. He gave her a toothy grin. “All done. He’ll be here in no time.”

Haera felt her stomach flip. She took off her beanie and placed it on the table as the hand covering slipped to her forehead. Her idea didn’t sound all that great at the moment. “What am I going to do…”

Their drinks arrived and the warmth of the coffee relaxed her tense muscles. Baekhyun took a huge sip of his double chocolate chip frappuccino and shivered with a giddy smile. “I hope he gets here soon,” he said, taking another sip from his straw. “I have to leave in, like, ten minutes.”

Haera smiled, a little too wide, and tilted her head. “So you’re just going to leave me?”

“Yeap,” he said, nodding as he kept his gaze on his phone. “I have to prepare my Master’s application and distribute my CV.”

Haera closed her eyes and duck her head before reaching for the mug. She blew on the scalding liquid and took a sip, burning her tongue in the process. The bitter taste was an unwelcomed distraction to her sense and Haera held back her urge to gag. For a moment, she eyed the pink square sachets of sugar. Her fingers itched to grab one but she looked away. In the time they spent waiting, Baekhyun told her about the last student that came to their office.

“Bullying has severe effects,” he said, chewing on the bits of chocolate in his mouth. “You stand up to them and they’ll shoot you down; if you keep quiet, it only gets worse – following such issues is tricky business.”

“Can’t the administration do anything about this?” Haera ran her finger over the rim of her mug.

“Cases like these have no evidence to support them except the word of the victim,” Baekhyun said, moving his straw around his plastic cup. “Action requires foolproof evidence and bullies mess people up psychologically more than they do physically. Dr. Ahn is looking into the situation and I’m trying to pick up as much as I can to help the kid but it’s going to take a while.”

Turning in her lower lip, Haera nodded and reached for her coffee. Baekhyun’s blue fingernails turned white as he pressed them onto the cup.

“I should be leaving,” he said, looking at the time on his phone. “Where is he?”

Haera leaned forward. “It’s all right. We can do it another day!”

Baekhyun looked from his phone to the window. “There he is!” The table shook as he waved at the figure across the street. Haera picked up her mug so the liquid wouldn’t spill and kept her gaze on the boy making his way toward them. The streetlights cast a shadow as he walked under them and even as he got closer, Haera couldn’t see his face. The café door opened and the boy took off his baseball cap. Ruffling his hair, he looked around the café.

The mug almost fell out of Haera’s hand. Her legs uncrossed and her back straightened the more she stared at him. It felt like a dream; she had never seen him in flesh before. Haera couldn’t find it in herself to move. She felt like she had been slapped in the face with a cooker and the only thing she could hear was the loud whistle of a train.

“Yixing!” Baekhyun jumped to his feet. “Finally! What took you so long?”

Baekhyun’s voice made her blink. She kept the mug on the table before it could tip the liquid into her lap and ducked her head.  This can’t be – her luck couldn’t be so rotten.

“I got lost finding this place,” Yixing said, clipping his cap to the belt of his jeans.

Haera shoved the beanie over her head and put a hand on her forehead. Her position made her neck hurt but the last thing Haera wanted was to move and reveal her face. As Baekhyun and Yixing talked, Haera prayed that the latter wouldn’t recognize her. Their voices grew closer and Haera shifted, pressing herself into the seat and the cold window.

“I actually wanted you to meet someone,” Baekhyun said, followed by the screeching of a chair.

There was a beat of silence and Haera was too afraid to check why.

“Are you setting me up on a blind date?” Yixing sounded confused.

She gasped at the proximity of his voice.

Baekhyun laughed. “No, that’s not it. She’s was my junior at the university who wanted some help.”

Something moved, making Haera screw her eyes close. “So you did want something from me,” Yixing said with a hint of amusement.

“I don’t,” Baekhyun said, “she does. Let me introduce you first. This is— Haera?” Baekhyun called, sounding concerned. “Are you okay?”

It wasn’t his fault, but Haera wanted to punch Baekhyun in the face. “Mmhmm…”

“Uh…” Baekhyun started. “Well. This is Haera; she’s the sister of my best friend and so naturally my friend, too. Haera” – Baekhyun paused – “this is Yixing – Soojung’s best friend.”

“She’s friends with Soojung?” Yixing asked.

“Not really,” Baekhyun said. Haera dared a peek at her friend and found Baekhyun lifting his brows questioningly. Haera mouthed she was sorry, but continued to remain in her position.

“So…” Yixing trailed. “What’s this all about?”

Baekhyun widened his eyes at Haera and pointed at Yixing from under the table and all Haera did in return was shake her head and close her eyes. Her ears were turning red, she could feel them becoming warmer.

“Yixing,” Baekhyun said, noticing after a brief pause that Haera wasn’t going to talk. “We need your help with something. It’s going to sound weird but I want you to hear me out first, okay?” Baekhyun continued after a moment. He threw Haera a glance. “There’s a guy in university – his name is Jongin – and he has a crush on Soojung.”

If only Baekhyun would look, he’d be able to see the look of bewilderment on Haera’s face.

“Oh,” Yixing said. Haera stole another peek. Yixing was staring at Baekhyun with a taut jaw and crossed arms. Haera felt a kick in the gut.

“He’s really nice,” Baekhyun added. “And he’s also Haera’s best friend.”

“So?” Yixing asked in a less friendly tone. Haera tried not to flinch.

Baekhyun let out a nervous chuckle. “So I was wondering if you could help Haera set the two—”

“No.”

Haera moved her hand so she could see. Baekhyun’s mouth hung open. “But—”

“I’m not interested in setting my best friend up with a weirdo from this university,” Yixing said, his neck turning red. “Just last week some buffoon bathed her in ink!”

Haera’s breath caught. She raised her head, catching Baekhyun’s gaze. The chances of this ending in their favor were diminishing.

“Jongin didn’t mean to do it,” Baekhyun said, and Haera facepalmed.

“Jongin did it?” Yixing faced Baekhyun. The red from his neck was crawling up to his face.  “You want me to set Soojung up with the idiot who publicly embarrassed her?!”

“It wasn’t his fault!” Haera bolted straight, her shoulders squaring. It only took a second for Haera to realize how her outburst was a terrible idea. But she kept her face straight and her gaze steady. The cat was out of the bag now.

Yixing’s eyes narrowed only slightly as he stared at her. Despite her confidence, Haera gulped.

“Then who’s fault was it?” Yixing asked, looking away from her to Baekhyun. Haera blinked in surprise – did he not recognize her?

Baekhyun pursed his lips. “I wouldn’t really say—”

“He didn’t know what the pen did,” she cut him off. “He only wanted to help.”

“That doesn’t change that he humiliated her.” Yixing leaned forward, his stare hardening. “There’s no way I’m going to let Soojung anywhere near him.”

“Give him a chance,” Baekhyun said. “The other guys who have an eye on Soojung are all s. Jongin’s one of a kind genuine.”

Yixing turned to him. “Which genuine guy does that to a girl?”

“It was a mistake,” Haera said, enunciating the word. “He regrets it way more than you can imagine.”

Yixing threw his head back with laughter. “Yeah, right,” he said, placing his hands on the table in preparation to stand up.

“Don’t be so quick to judge him,” Haera said, clenching her fists. Yixing stopped. He met Haera’s glare with an indescribable gaze of his own. “You can’t label him however you want because of just one impression,” she said, calmer than before.

Baekhyun checked the time as Yixing sat back down. Haera crossed her arms and kept her gaze trailed to her half-empty mug. Yixing cupped his hands around his face and closed his eyes.

“Let’s start over,” he said after a few beats of silence. “From the top. Let’s pretend all this never happened.”

Haera exchanged glances with Baekhyun. While she had trouble channeling her optimism, Baekhyun’s expression had brightened. But he didn’t say anything; instead, he stared expectantly at Haera.

“Jongin has had a crush on Soojung since freshmen year,” Haera said, her voice low. Yixing leaned forward. “He’s never directly approached her because he’s afraid of her reaction but he’s always been around whenever she needed help.”

“Like, remember that time last year when there was a storm and her fundraiser set up blew away a day before the event?” Baekhyun added, picking up his phone. Yixing nodded. “Jongin collected what he could and gathered volunteers to reorganize it overnight.”

“I thought you did that,” Yixing said, shifting in his seat.

Baekhyun shook his head. “I helped but it wasn’t my idea.” He turned to Haera. “I’m sorry but I have to go now.”

“Now?” Haera repeated with wide eyes as he swung his backpack over his shoulder.

“Yeah.” He checked the time again. “I’m late. But before I go,” he said as he ped his bag. He took out the pack Jongin had given him and gave it to Yixing. “Jongin wanted me to give this to Soojung since he ruined her sweater but since you’re going to see her sooner than I will I was wondering if you could give it instead.”

Yixing stared at the pack in Baekhyun’s hand before taking it. “Tell her you got it for her,” he said and the latter nodded. Baekhyun gave Haera an assuring smile before taking off, leaving her alone with Yixing. The chatter around them took over as both of them didn’t say a word. Banners and boards glowed in the dark outside as more streetlights lit up. Haera leaned on the freezing window and grabbed her lukewarm cup.

Yixing had his head down, something for which Haera was grateful. His dimples made an appearance as he chewed on the corner of his upper lip. He had blonde hair the last time she had seen him. She had suggested growing them out and to keep them their natural color – she remembered him saying it wouldn’t suit him.

“Jongin is your best friend, then?” He raised his head.

Haera averted her gaze to her drink. “Yes.” Didn’t he recognize her at all? “He really likes her. He gave up after what happened last week but I know that’s not what he wants to do.” Haera took a deep breath. “He’s my best friend – I only want to make him happy.” Haera recalled the last time they had talked two years ago and gulped.

“Please,” she said, blinking. “I need your help.”

Yixing moved his jaw to a side and looked out the window. A part of her wanted him to refuse – if he said ‘no’, Haera wouldn’t have to see him again; another part wanted him to agree just for the sake of seeing Jongin happy again.

“What if I regret this?” Yixing turned to her. “Because if Soojung gets hurt—”

“She won’t,” Haera assured. “I can promise you that. Jongin will keep her happy.”

“And what if this doesn’t work?” he asked, crossing his arms over the table. “What if you put in all this effort and it ends up with nothing?”

Haera kept their eye contact and for a split second, it reminded her of the first time they saw each other – first and last.

“Then I will know that I did everything I could to make the person I care the most about happy.”

Yixing sighed. “This is ridiculous.” Haera shrugged in return. “What even makes you think I’ll help you?” he asked, giving her a slight shake of his head.

Haera sat straight. “Because from what I’ve seen, you care about Soojung just as much I do for Jongin. Neither of us wants our friends to get hurt.” Yixing continued to chew on his lip. “It’s up to you,” she said, getting up and grabbing her satchel. “Take your time to decide. Tell me once you’ve made up your mind.”

Yixing didn’t pay attention to her as she left. Haera was aware she hadn’t given him her number and that she had no means to contact him at all. She lingered at the door, unsure whether to give him a number or not. Yixing was already on a call with someone else when she turned and Haera took it as a sign to let things be.

She’ll just find him in the university and ask.

Walking past the window, Haera made her way to the bus stop. The breeze made her hair fly into her face and she had to pull her jacket closer to keep her warm. She ran the short way to the empty bus stop and took a seat, hugging her satchel to her chest. Realizing the lack of messages on her phone, she restarted her wifi connection. A string of notifications lines up her screen the next instant, most of them being from Chanyeol and Jongin. Her best friend’s messages included two selfies of him looking sad in his black and white uniform, a few messages telling her how stupid he was for forgetting his lunch and one asking if Baekhyun had given Soojung the scarf.

Haera replied to him first and was just about to tap her brother’s name when the bus arrived. She dragged her feet and boarded the bus, taking the front seat. Yixing was still on the phone when the bus passed the café, making her tilt her head; she wondered whom he might be talking to. In the flash of the moment, she saw him smile before he became another blur.

Haera let out a deep breath. It made sense Yixing didn’t remember her – he had, after all, only seen her once through a screen. But so had Haera, and she remembered his features as if she had been seeing him every day.

 If not her face, then at least he could recognize her voice?

Haera scoffed – how could she even expect him to remember her.

Shaking her head, she leaned against the window. Haera had almost dozed off in the hard seat when her brother crossed her mind. Taking out her phone again, she read his messages. Chanyeol was going to be late and the thought of being home alone again made Haera frown. She scrolled down to the last message.

‘MAMA’S HOME!!!!!!’

Haera’s lips stretched into a wide smile. She jumped in her seat and let out a squeal at the thought of her mother finally being home. She tapped her foot the rest of the way, humming the song she’d always sing with her mother and giggling once she realized she’d get to sing it with her again. Getting off at her stop, Haera ran the rest of the way home. Her satchel hit her leg with every stride and she had to readjust her beanie every other minute but the want to get home was bigger than anything else. She sped up once her house came into view and jumped over the gate. Taking out the key with trembling hands, she unlocked the door and threw it open.

“Mom?!”

Haera huffed, her beanie now on the floor as she closed the door behind her. “Mom?” she called again, expecting a reply. Tink came out from under the T.V. table and meowed as Haera looked around the living room. Her smile fell an inch and a bad taste filled . Haera shook her head – her mother was probably in the kitchen.

It was as empty as the living room, except that the table had a covered plate of food sitting on it with a note.

‘I’m sorry couldn’t see you. I had to take a flight to Shanghai 

Love, mom’

Haera chuckled. “What was I thinking?” Setting the note on the table, Haera picked up the plate of food and put it in the fridge. Soft fur brushed her legs as her cat looked up at Haera with her big blue eyes. Tink meowed again when Haera picked her up and dug her nose into her fur.

“C’mon, buddy,” she said, taking the cat upstairs. “It’s just you and me tonight.”