I was supposed to meet Wheein for an impromptu lunch at our favourite restaurant – she sounded really excited over the phone, making me curious about what sort of news she wanted to share with me.

For once, I was the first to arrive.

As soon as I stepped through the door, I made a bee-line for our usual spot – the booth seat by the window. A smiling waitress appeared beside me the moment I sat and I quickly ordered a hot chocolate to chase off the coldness of the autumn weather. She disappeared with my order and I was left staring at the seat across from me.

I smiled bitterly as I recalled that she would always be sitting there every time we meet up with Wheein or during our dates. I wondered if this preference of hers would haunt me for the rest of my life; I wondered if I would always see her face every time someone sits across from me…

I sighed and averted my gaze to the window, hoping to distract my mind from thoughts of her.

It had been nearly a week since the break-up; a week since we last saw each other. Maybe she had already moved on from me; maybe her scholarship application was approved and she was already gone from this country.

I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat, refusing to cry over her, and instead focused my attention on the two figures across the street. I felt my mouth curving into a smile when I saw the taller of the two pulling her companion close when the wind suddenly picked up – it was a sweet gesture and the smile they exchanged after was beyond adorable; they were a cute pair and I secretly envied them.

My heart pounded when I realized the taller girl’s nose-scrunching smile was strangely familiar.

Yes, there was no doubt. That smile could only belong to her.

She was smiling her signature hamster smile, cheeks flushed from either the cold or from the warmth she was sharing with her companion; she probably had a crush on the girl too. I was at the receiving end of that smile just a week ago, so I knew.

What irked me was that the girl was exactly her type – adorably cute with a bright smile; everything that I wasn’t. It was a bittersweet feeling to know that her choice of rebound was nothing like me, but it still made me feel a little nauseous to see her being physically close with someone else.

“Your hot chocolate, miss.”

I looked up, startled by the voice. The waitress from before was standing beside my table, smiling, as she placed a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of me before hurrying away to attend to another customer.

I took a sip of the hot chocolate in an attempt to calm my racing heart. Then, I snuck a glance out the window to where my ex and her new girlfriend (I secretly hoped that she was just a rebound) were standing, but they were already gone.

I let out a disappointed grunt and looked away from the window. I didn’t know what I was expecting – maybe a confirmation that they were a couple so that I could finally move on with my life?

I sighed loudly and took a large gulp of hot chocolate, wishing that Wheein would arrive soon because I couldn’t wait to go home, lock myself in my room and bawl my eyes out over this.

When Wheein finally arrived, she was all smiles, cheeks flushed and she was holding hands with a slightly taller, dark-haired girl. They stood beside my table and I rose from my seat to greet Wheein's friend, my eyes never leaving her face.

“Hyejin-ah,” Wheein started; her nervousness was making me nervous too, “I want you to meet my girlfriend,” she pulled the taller girl closer and smiled adoringly up at her, “Kim Yongsun.” She gestured towards me and added, “Unnie, this is Ahn Hyejin. The best friend I told you about.”

“Hello,” I said quietly, shaking the older girl’s hand. Same face, same smile, and same outfit – my eyes weren't playing tricks on me; she was the same girl who was with Byul-unnie minutes ago. “I’m sorry, but Wheein never mentioned you before…”

The older girl looked at Wheein questioningly. Wheein blushed in response and hugged her girlfriend’s arm.

“I wasn’t going to say anything until I was sure about my feelings for you, unnie,” she mumbled, making use of her deadly aegyo face.

But this Kim Yongsun person didn’t even waver in the face of such adorableness; I would have melted in an instant and quickly forgive Wheein for anything and everything.

“Or maybe you just didn’t want to hurt Hyejin’s feelings,” the older girl said, looking straight at me.

Wheein went pale and her eyes darted between me and her girlfriend. She pleaded with her eyes and her voice, hugging her girlfriend’s arm tighter to her chest, “U-Unnie…”

“She knows?” I hissed, directing my gaze at Wheein. I saw her flinch, but I didn’t care; I was hurt that she would share something so personal with a stranger. “Why would you even tell her?”

“She was upset when you started ignoring her,” Kim Yongsun answered instead, half-shielding Wheein from me, “she didn’t have anyone to talk to, so she came to me.”

I couldn’t retort – it was all true. I ignored Wheein after she rejected my confession; I still ignored her even after I started dating Byul-unnie. I was the one who sent her running into another girl’s arms; it was all my fault.

“I actually did talk about unnie,” Wheein mumbled, peeking from behind her girlfriend. “Remember when I asked you about wanting to kiss someone?”

I smiled bitterly.

How could I forget? Because of that question, I got my heart broken by Wheein. For the record, forcefully kissing your best friend was the worst way to confess your feelings for her.

“I-I was actually talking about unnie back then,” Wheein quickly added when I remained silent. “I didn’t expect you to k-kiss me, Hyejinie…”

“Oh, babe,” her girlfriend cooed, pulling Wheein into a tight hug. “You never told me about that…”

Wheein blushed. “You weren’t supposed to know, unnie,” she mumbled, burying her face in her girlfriend’s shoulder.

It was strange.

I should feel sick to my stomach seeing my best friend and former crush being all lovey-dovey in front of me with her girlfriend…but I felt nothing. I was just envious of them with a strong feeling of wanting to crawl into my bed and stay there for the rest of my life.

The couple sat across from me, leaning their heads together as they studied the menu. After placing their orders, Wheein excused herself to the bathroom. I had wanted to run after her, not wanting to be stuck in an awkward atmosphere with her girlfriend, but curiosity got the better of me.

“Are you cheating on Wheein, Yongsun-ssi?”

She looked up from her phone and scowled. “What?”

“I saw you,” I pointed out the window, “with another girl. You two look really close.”

She blinked a few times and then shook her head, laughing softly. “I think you saw me with Byulyi,” she explained. “She’s a hoobae I’m helping at the moment. She can be sweet and caring, but most of the time she’s a pain in my .”

“So…there’s really nothing between you two?” I asked warily.

“Yes, Hyejin-ssi,” she chuckled. “There is nothing between me and Byulyi.”

I quietly exhaled (I didn't even know I was holding my breath!) and finally smiled a genuine smile at her. “You can call me Hyejin, Yongsun-ssi.”

“Then you have to call me unnie,” she replied with a crooked grin. “So, are we friends now, Hyejin?”

I laughed and nodded. “Yes, Yongsun-unnie. We’re friends now.”