25.

“Something bothering you?”

Quite flustered upon the sudden question, my eyes blink rapidly as I lift my head up, following the hand that places a cup of black coffee on the table whilst her other hand is occupied with hers. Jisoo pulls out a chair for her to sit on, her gaze is still directed on me – waiting for an answer. However instead of words, I could only shrug and sigh before leaning my back against the chair.

“You don’t want to talk about it?”

“I wish I would have the option to do that…” I huff, sipping up the drink and fills the space between us with silence again as I enjoy the sweetness in the wholly bitter taste that is conquering my oral cavity. My lips pursed together as I glance at the latter then curls a beam. “How’s Jin Hee? On what time you’d pick her up?”

Jisoo lifts her wrist to check the time as she tells, “Supposedly in another hour–” looking up, she smiles and raises her brows, “–but Jinyoung get off from work early today, so he’ll be the one picking her up.” My lips turn down in an amused frown, yet not saying a thing to let my friend to continue, “The kid is now in a strict ‘diet control’, you know? Her teeth are budding prettily so now her dad tells everyone to not give sweets or chocolate for this time being.”

My giggles echoes along with Jisoo’s – thinking of Jinyoung pulling of a ‘classic dad’ act for their only daughter.

“I miss my Jin Hee,” I pout, remembering the cute little sunshine radiating her smile with a pair of big shiny eyes.

“Come visit us then, Jin Hee misses her auntie too.” My friend then wiggles her brows at me, “But make sure you bring Jongdae as well, my kid seems to love him more than she loves you.”

I squint while clucking my tongue upon those words, especially when Jisoo’s laugh echoes, enjoying my annoyance. “Excuse me, I’m the second mom, he’s just a new guy.”

“Right, that’s why she likes him more. Jin Hee had it enough with you.”

I fake a glare at the lady who’s sitting on the other side of the square table as she titters gleefully over the matter. At the same moment, my mind is still considering on how to talk to Jisoo about one thing that has been pestering my head. Though I don’t think Jongdae would feel that way – the reason behind his change lately – I can’t help but to have doubts. I had it once and that was enough.

I don’t want to go through this all over again.

Especially when it is Jongdae.

A loud one-clap snaps me back to the reality, my attention then shifts toward my friend once more.

“Oh, right. About that Jongdae guy. I told you he seems familiar, right?”

“You did?” my brows furrow, “When?”

She lifts a brown, eyes wandering upwards as if she was trying to find a memory above her head. “I didn’t?” Then a shrug comes, brushing off lazily, “Whatever then. But anyways…! Remember, a long time ago. When I keep pestering you about the art gallery near my place?” The lady waits for me to bob my head, permitting her to continue. “I saw him there a few times.”

“And for how many times you’ve been there?” A lazy chuckles of disbelief spurts, “Do you like the place that much?”

Jisoo shakes her head rapidly, a finger points to a random direction outside, “Not me, but your friend Park Jinyoung does…! Can’t blame him though, the food they served at the café there is freaking delicious. Top tier, I just found out it is pretty popular on social media.” She takes out her phone, distractedly talks while having her eyes on the screen, searching for something. “But really, we’d eat there at least once in two weeks and I saw him almost every time. He was there too yesterday, but we only talked briefly with him since we were already in our way out at the moment.”

My lids part a little bit further whilst sipping the drink, “Really?” The conversation halts as the buzzer in my hand vibrates which leads me to get off the couch quickly, getting the tray of my order that has been readied at the counter. I see twinkle in Jisoo’s eyes as she cranes her neck, looking at her strawberry soufflé pancake that jiggles along with every steps that I take. For a few minutes afterwards, our attention are fully devoted to the dessert that lies before our eyes, blinding our thoughts from the whole conversation that we had earlier.

Right until that friend of mine touches the topic again after we blabber on how nice it was to have the sweet taste melts in our mouth now. “Only after seeing him yesterday that I remember noticing him a few times before. You don’t find it weird? Eul?”

“Why should I?” I dive the spoon into the glass bowl of ice-cream I’m having, hitting its bottom surface. “He’s an art teacher. Man got a whole degree in creative arts and design, why should I find it weird that he’s there?”

“You don’t see art teachers hanging out at galleries all time.”

“Well, you did. And you don’t even study the field. Maybe he’s just a regular there too, our neighbourhood is not even that far from yours.” I scratch the back of my head, couldn’t help but to feel a little bit confused on why my friend is making this matter as if it is a big deal. Jongdae is a young man who has a life to live so why should