I KNOW, i know. it took me this long for Chapter 17 huhu. i planned to update this before Daniel's birthday. then before Christmas, then new year's eve,

and here we are. huhu

I was in a slump on how to go about the storyline but I finally figured out (with much distress)

and so, I give yall,...

CHAPTER 17: the calm before the storm

kidding, I'm not going to do that to you all haha

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... or am I? hmmmmm

- Author-nim

Time really flew by huh

That being said...it's already July...

If you're wondering what happened with Daniel, well...

We talk. We meet up.

“I think we hang out a healthy amount of time for you know... ex-lovers.”

Dahyun scoffed from the phone, “Healthy amount my .”

"You know, if you two are just going to be like this, why not date again?" Hansol casually said through the other end of the call. "Right? I've been telling her that since May." Dahyun argued from another end.

"You guys know why. Plus everything is hectic right now. I don't want to bring our relationship problems back just when he's started building his company. He needs to focus on that and not....us."

It's not like we haven't talked about getting back together, we did...

...before I decided to get him back that is.

I mean, we broke up not because we don't love each other anymore. I hurt him, it was too much for him. So we parted ways.

I asked him before if there was even the slightest chance that we could start over. Because... I really wanted to. But, he didn't know if he was ready at that time.

If we're being totally honest, we both talked about how fast our relationship started. We were both extremely attracted to one another, enough to risk his career.

I wouldn't say that what we did was stupid, but it wasn't right either. Rather, it wasn't the right time.

And because we've established that, we decided to take a step back and think about what we had. Do everything at the right pace.

So when we do decide to get back together, we'll know better. And we've both grown.

Breaking up didn't change things for us so much. And that bothers the people around us.

Sungwoon oppa called both of us separately to say hi, then a little bit in to the conversation he was making it real. "I understand that you two want to take things slow…but Man, you guys are so frustrating. I don't know why you have to stay broken up to take things slow. Just get back together. You obviously want to…"

I met up with Jisung oppa too, once, during one of his holidays. He said he's been talking to Daniel lately, then he brought up about us talking and hanging out almost all the time. Long story short, he said "just get back together."

And my friends.... especially Dahyun- *sigh*

"JUST GET BACK TOGETHER. YOU'RE DOING THE RELATIONSHIP THING ALREADY, JUST WITHOUT THE LABEL." Dahyun shouted from the other end.

-is....very, very frustrated.

"Ow..God, she’s shouting again.” I said as Hansol laughed beside the bursting Dahyun. Before I could damage my ear any further I bid them goodbye when I spotted Daniel coming up from the entrance. ”I'm hanging up now~" "What? Yah! Wai-"

"Dahyun?" Daniel casually asked as he sat down laughing at me when I harshly pulled the phone away from my ear before I hung up.

I nodded in response. "I swear, any day now that girl will surely lose her voice." I laughed.

"I ordered a mocha frappe for you, is that ok?" I asked, sliding the drink his way.

"Yez yezzz. I've been craving for one since last night. Thanks." He smiled in glee, pulling down his mask as he sipped on its creamy goodness.

"Figures."

"Minah eonnie told me she just picked up her nephew. They're on their way now." I said as I briefly went through my notifications. Scrolling past one (or more) that was, well...were, still unopened and leaving them that way.

"Yah, do you ignore me like that too?" He pouted. Referring to the unread messages from people.

"If I did, we wouldn't be hanging out all the time now would we?" I scoffed back. "A bunch of my juniors keep messaging me. I don't even know how they got my number."

Sneaking a peek at him, he seemed hesitant to speak but… "mmm....really?"

I shut my phone and looked at him.

"What? What is it? Do you have something to say to me?" I urged.

He always uses this kind of sulky child voice that he only does when he indirectly wants to know more about something but is too shy or embarrassed to ask.

Like he wants YOU to ask HIM what HE wants.

"Are they....ah, never mind. That's your business." He shrugged off. But it made me stare at him harder.

"Just ask me."

He played with his straw, shrinking in his seat as he asked me his question. "Guys....a-are they guys?..."

"What's it to you? I thought we're just friends now." I teased, laughing at his shy question.

"How can you say that? You know I still love you." He said, rather defensive of how I responded nonchalantly.

I looked around, seeing if anyone heard us. Luckily, there weren't many people around during this time of day.

"Fine. I'm sorry. Just don't say it out loud. Someone might hear you." I said, shoving the drink in his mouth to shut him up.

"And to answer your question. Yes, they're guys. Mostly." he pouted. "Oh what? Women hit on you too?"

For a moment there I froze at him. When my eyes widened at what he said, he gasped.

"Seriously?? Women are hitting on you now too?" He asked, genuinely sounding shocked.

"It's because I kept dressing up in male clothes last semester. The male fashion line last winter was super nice, I guess they thought I was BI or something. Not that anything's wrong with that."

He nodded, "Right. Right..."

then there it was that silent puppy-eye look again. Like he's just itching to say something but won't until you ask him.

So I said, "ask me already..."

He seemed to hesitate a lot, but eventually, he asked, "do you like...women?"

I squinted my eyes at him. He must still remember when I told him how I had a phase where I thought I liked girls.

Should I ? Or make a sarcastic joke?? Hmm…

"Of course. Who doesn't like women?" I said, putting down my phone to sip on my drink. "But I'm not Bi, if that's what you're asking."

I heard him heave a sigh of relief. If I wasn't one, that means the chances of me moving on with a woman is now zero and that means he can just worry about guys.

He knows how fond I am of women. How amazed I am. And how much respect I have for women. And how badly I wanted to date one cause men are just....*sigh* difficult I guess.

"Though during the first few months after we broke up I swore never to date men ever again and actually considered dating a woman..."

He pouted again.

"...but of course I can't force myself to like someone else nor be someone I’m not, now can I?"

Would you look at that? His face lit up like Christmas.

"I can't believe you thought I'd really be in a relationship with someone other than you. You know I still love you..." I said, returning his words from earlier. He smiled at this. Like really smiled.

Luckily, the conversation ended short when Minah eonnie came in, running to us immediately with big smiles and excited faces.

"Would you look at this? I can't believe you're here. Together. In the open." I'm not kidding, but I think I just saw heart eyes coming from her.

"I'm just here to help." I chuckled, giving her a hug. "Still not dating?" She whispered in my ear.

I silently shook my head no, and when she pulled away, she had this apologetic look in her eyes instead.

Probably saying sorry for assuming that, just because Daniel and I are here, in ok ter