"How's college sweetheart?" 

They ate breakfast together in quiet contemplation when Seulbin heard her step dad asking. She seemed to have sense that the question was just a starter before they gonna talk something about yesterday to her. 

It took exactly 10 minutes last night for her to reach home. and it irritated her knowing that nobody was home. so why did her parents even bother to call Youngjoo in the first place? what were they trying to show her? the ability to control?

"not bad." 

Seulbin answered, tonelessly, without looking at him, eyes focusing on her food, that was she lost appetite for since a while ago. it didn't necessarily look appetizing anymore.  

She didn't hate him. no, of course. why would she? Seulbin was mature enough to know that it was not his fault for falling in love with a wicked woman such as, her mom. Seulbin pitied him, to be honest. He never did anything bad to her all these years. He was nice to her, and she respected him, more than she could respect her mother, which was, almost no respect at all. but she didn't falter. She couldn't. He was still her mom's husband after all.

"Found new friends?" he asked her again, with a smile on his face that Seulbin didn't even notice.

"Yes. just some friends." Seulbin took another bite of her almost -burnt sandwich, chewing and swallowing, before washing it down with some lemonade.

"She even got herself a boyfriend, honey. so don't worry about her having friends. You should worry about her future instead."

ok this is it.

Seulbin almost laughed, proved her guess was right on the mark. They saw her. 

"Yes. at least he treats me better than someone." She leaned back wearily in the chair, shifting her gaze toward her mom. "You saw me yesterday and what? You still had the audacity to call Youngjoo? when it was obvious that I just don't want to be here?" Seulbin added, in a fake-calm voice of her. She cocked her head, one elegant eyebrow still arched.

"Yoo Seulbin. I didn't raise you to be unmannered person." Her mom muttered from between gritted teeth, gripping her cutlery too tightly.

"of course, omonim." Seulbin snorted a silent laugh, addressing her mom in the most respectful way, but she didn't forgot to hint the sarcasm in it.

Seulbin had been ready to calmly reason with her mom, to argue elegantly. If it was a year ago, She'd lost her temper and ended up shouting at her. It had been the same during those days after her dad passed away. Seulbin had been fire, her mom ice. She had argue with passion, her mom with coolheaded logic. Whenever they had argued, which had been often, the more passionate she had become, the more coolly rational her mom, in never-ending, escalating cycle. By the end she'd realized that her mom had used her ability to disassociate from her emotions as a way to manipulate her. And as a way to constantly prove her superiority.

It had worked. After arguing, she'd always felt like a shrewish, raving lunatic. She had promised herself she would never again allow her mom to get her way.

"Seulbin, we are having breakfast right now." He warned her softly, not wanting to worsen the situation between the daughter and mother in this early morning. He had witnessed a lot. 

"well, I've finished mine." Seulbin smiled, taking the napkin and she wiped ." I have to go now."

She noticed the look on her mom face, that was trying her best to hold her anger.  Seulbin grabbed her bag before bowing to her parents with a smile still lingered on her lips, walking away from the table, with her back facing them.

But then, a thought stopped her in her tracks, and she spun around to face them.

"And omonim, what you did yesterday," She began, giving her mom her best smile,

"It was kind of manipulative."

and with that, she left. 

Seulbin won the battle this time. 

"We just need a short documentary video and pictures for promotion. Do you think the photography club could help though?"

She brushed her hair with her fingers, anticipating an answer, before she linked her arm through Seulbin's as Taehyung fixed his cap on his head with his left hand, and right arm slung around Seulbin's shoulder casually. they walked together in warm spring wind, heading toward the usual coffee shop. It looked as if spring followed in their footsteps. Wherever they went, young green shoots came up, birds flew and flowers bloomed, or so Seulbin felt.

Soojung told her that there would be a dance workshop in some weeks, and that was exactly why they needed a help with the documentaries. She told her that they only needed 3 or 4 people, but Seulbin wasn't an expert. She didn't want to disappoint them, let alone, it wasn't just a small student club. it was about promoting the famous SNU dance club.

"I can help with taking pictures, but videos? I have to ask others first." Seulbin shrugged, eyes staring at the people passing them.

"I thought you knew how to take a video." Taehyung chuckled as he opened the door for them, arm not leaving Seulbin's shoulder, which she didn't really mind. they were just used to it anyway. 

They stepped in and felt the air was a bit cooler than in the outside. and of course, the air conditioned. 

"I don't have any problem with taking it, but I just lack at editing okay?" Seulbin let out a small laugh. 

She noticed it after that  there was a long line of people standing in front of them, waiting to get their drink or food or pastries whatever it was and to place their orders.

"no seat available kids." Soojung whined. 

"That's alright. we don't have much time though. let's just go back after we get our drinks." Seulbin reassured, grinning. Taehyung patted her head, and ruffled her hair while laughing, earning a glare from her before she slapped his hand away. She hated it when someone messed her hair, and that's why he did it.

Seulbin felt his phone vibrated in her back pocket. Digging it out, she frowned a bit as she read the message. 

Jungshook | 13.43 PM

turn your head to the left.

And she did. she scanned the room wildly and her eyes caught someone waving at her. 

"Taehyung, Iced americano for me." She said before she left them in confusion. their eyes following her figure that walked to the corner part of the room, heading toward some people that they were familiar with. he breathed heavily.  

Seulbin walked closer to the table and acknowladged that Jungkook wasn't alone. he was with someone, that was unaware of her presence. he was sitting comfortably across from Jungkook, his back facing her, his fingers running through his cherry blossom hair. Seulbin slowed down her pace a little, giving Jungkook a small wave.

"Seulbin-ah, there's nothing wrong with your camera." Jungkook said, showing her the DSLR that she thought was broken. 

Seulbin caught Jimin looked up and staring at her from the corner of her eye. She had no idea why she felt awkward meeting him after what happened yesterday. To think that she felt something like.. embarassed. wait..why would she feel that though?

"hey." She could see him smiling, almost smirking, let's just say. and Seulbin had to fight the urge to roll her eyes seeing that.

"hi." was all she said to him, that sounded almost like a whisper. She averted her gaze when she heard Jungkook speaking again,

"take a look at this." Jungkook said as he handed her the camera.

Seulbin was sure something was wrong with it, she couldn't even take a single picture the other day.  "The shutter didn't work though." She tucked her long, honey-blonde hair behind her ears. and she bite her lower lip, a habit she had when she was thinking hard.

She took the camera and switched it on, "is it on auto focus?" She frowned, switching it from auto to the manual one. Seulbin got the camera at her face level, closing one of her eye in effort -it was not an easy task for her-, and she moved it slightly to find an object before turning the zoom and focus rings a bit. 

snap! 

 "Oh shiet it works!" 

Seulbin chuckled. she took a quick glance at Jimin -that had a small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. She cleared , before shifting her eyes to Jungkook. He shrugged his shoulder and smiled really proudly, although he knew himself, he didn't do much to fix it.

"the ISO was too high, that's why it didn't work." he explained as he reached for his drink. "but don't worry, I set it up already."  

Seulbin felt an arm slung on her shoulder, she flinched a bit by the sudden contact, only found Soojung that was now standing next to her. 

"Yah Park Jimin, I called you several times yesterday. wtf man, I was going to talk about the event." Soojung sounded so annoyed, her left hand resting on her hip. Seulbin couldn't help to have the thought, they knew each other? but she swallowed that question down.

His smirk grew wider, he glued his gaze on Seulbin, "Someone made me super busy yesterday." 

Seulbin let out a silent whimper; it caught in and she almost choked on her own saliva.

Soojung