Some time after we started walking, Sehun puts his hand down from my back and I sigh. “There goes my chance with a model guy.”

          “Hey.” Sehun says slowly. “I said I saw some things about him in the internet, I don’t know if it’s true or not but let’s just take preventive measures.”

          “Why are you so nice? It’s unsettling.” I say jokingly. Sehun glares at me, and I look away. “Alright, alright. But where are we going anyway?”

          Sehun doesn’t look sure, and he looks around. “Do you want some coffee? There’s a coffee shop on the end of this road.”

          I don’t enjoy coffee, but I feel too jumpy to ask for something else because I’m going to spend some time with Sehun now. “Anything will do.”

          We enter the coffee shop, and it’s much smaller from the café earlier but it looks so warm and homey, it doesn’t have any summer scents here. We look at the menu board, and Sehun chooses an iced tea. “Oh, you don’t drink coffee?” I ask.

          “Not really.” he replies. I give my order to the cashier, an iced chocolate, and Sehun tilts his head. “You too?”

          “Yeah, we’re non coffee drinkers who came to a coffee shop.” I mutter. The cashier’s lips curl seeing us, and we look for a table. “What about there?”

          There are empty seats for two on one of the corners next to a large plant, perfect for a talking spot. Sehun sits down first, and my heart starts drumming again as I settle down and see him in front of me.

          “So what did you see about that guy?” I ask.

          “Just search his name and add model, you’ll find something.”

          “Uh… I’m not really curious anyway. Just be it.”

          Sehun slowly nods. “What have you been up to?”

          “Me? I—” I was cut by the employee who calls out our finished order, and I’ve set off on my feet but Sehun stands up first.

          “Stay here, I’ll take them.”

          I awkwardly sit back down, and see his back from a distance. I went to a blind date, but ended up here with Sehun instead. Interesting. And jittery at the same time.

          Sehun comes back and puts my drink in front of me. “So, what were you going to say?”

          “Uh… Yeah, so I’m in the middle of preparing for a competition actually.”

          “What competition?”

          “Maybe you’ve seen this in the students’ online discussion board, it’s where we make teams with professors and prepare a proposal.”

          “Oh, that one, right…” Sehun nods slowly. “With whom are you doing this with?”

          “Professor Jung, with the help of TA Han.”

          He sips his tea and nods again. “Fighting.”

          I smile a bit. Not an enthusiastic reaction, but I appreciate the encouragement.

          There aren’t many people here currently. Soft jazz music is filling the room, and Sehun leans on his chair. “It reminds me of Jinho’s speaker after dinner.”

          “Ah, right.” I laugh. Back in the village, Jinho usually turns this kind of music at night in Grandma’s house through his tiny bluetooth speaker. As we listen to the music, we usually just sit or lie down in the living room, talking about our day. “Wow… I miss the village.”

          “Have you heard the other groups’ stories? Our group is considered very peaceful compared to the others.” Sehun says.

          “Well, we’ve had our fair share of fights…” I shrug, seeing the wall. I look back to Sehun, and he looks at me strangely. “What?”

          “Nothing. What’s a group without occasional clashes, anyway.”

          “Yumi and Jinho fights a lot, actually. But they make up really quickly.”

          “Really?” Sehun looks doubtful. “Oh, I think there are times where Jinho suddenly turned silent at home… Maybe he was fighting with Yumi that time.”

          “Right, sometimes I notice it too!”

          We end up reminiscing a lot of the moments from the village, and more than an hour passed by. Our cups are empty, and we’re having a moment of silence as a new song plays.

          “Shall we go?” Sehun asks.

          I nod. We exit the coffee shop, and cool summer wind brushes against my face. “Where are you heading?” I ask him.

          Sehun points to a road opposite from mine, and I feel a slight disappointment. “Ah… Alright then, I’m going to the station.”

          “Okay. See you at school.”

          Sehun gives me a wave, and I smile. We part ways, and I take slow steps, as if I refuse to leave this soon.

          I form a smile on my face, and look down. At least I’m coming home with good memories.

*

          Summer break ends, and most of my time is still used for the competition. Two weeks after classes started the list of participants whose abstracts passed the first screening is going to be announced a few moments after a group meeting ends. I’m currently waiting anxiously in the library, glancing at the clock a few times.

          I refresh the website, and there isn’t anything displayed even after three clicks. Finally at the fourth, a list rolls out and I hold my breath.

          I find my name in the middle of the list, and I exhale loudly. I close my mouth with my hand, and grins beneath it. This is a great first step. I pack up my stuff, preparing to go to my professor’s office to relay the good news. I’m taking my bag from the locker when I see Sehun entering the corner alone, and my smile blooms. “Sehun!”

          He looks at me, but his expression doesn’t change. “Oh, hi.”

          “You know about the competition I told you before?”

          “Hm… Yeah.”

          He sounds uninterested, and a part of my heart dampens. I try to keep smiling and look up to him. “My abstract made it to the selection!”

          A side of his mouth goes up a bit and he nods. “Good for you. I’ll go first.”

          He passes by me, and I’m standing still for a few seconds. What was that? I can’t even bear to turn around and see him again.

          Well, maybe he’s busy… It’s nearing exam season, everyone is having their own hectic time. Yeah. That must be it.

          The following week, I’m meeting Yumi and Jinho for a meal near school. We invited Sehun as well, but he said he couldn’t go.

          “We haven’t had a group hangout for a long time! He must be so busy.” Jinho sounds disappointed. “I rarely meet him at school as well.”

          “How about you, Nana? Do you meet Sehun often?” Yumi asks.

          “Huh? Me?” I blank out. Suddenly our summer meeting comes to mind, and I blink. Should I tell them this? “Ah… I meet him at school, of course. But yeah… Just a short greeting and such.”

          “Ah.” Yumi takes her drink. “I only meet him during classes as well.”

          “I’ve asked him to hang out with my friends a few times, to do guys’ stuff, but he always couldn’t come.” Jinho adds.

          I swallow. We all don’t meet Sehun that much, and he’s not very active in our group chat. This must be a bit too dramatic, but I feel like… He’s been distancing himself from us? From me?

          I’m reminded again of his reaction when last week, and I look at the floor. That was the last time I met him, and I was kind of disappointed.

          But what about the coffee shop during summer break? When he kind of saved me from that blind date guy? Was it just a midsummer’s night dream?

          So we’re just community service groupmates… And it ended after the time ended. Nothing more, is it?

*

          Weeks pass, and summer is coming to an end. As time goes by, I realize that Sehun isn’t the only one who distances away from the group—we all eventually do that as we grow busy with our own lives.

          The group chat starts to be quiet, and we don’t really meet in or outside of school anymore. When someone proposes to hang out, the others are usually unable to.

          Life goes on, and I’m still struggling with the competition as the last phases are approaching. Groups who are qualified to present at the final is going to be announced in a undisclosed time, and I’m going through the increasingly chilly days in anxiety.

          I’m sitting on a bench in front of an oak tree in the middle of school, waiting for the next class as I check out things on my phone. The time comes and I stand up while putting my phone to my coat pocket when I see Sehun walking to my direction.

          He’s wearing a denim jacket, and it reminds me of his fashion during the community service. We lock eyes, and he stops in front of me. “Hey.”

          “Hi.” I smile. “Where are you going?”

          “To the north building. You?”

          “I have a class in a bit.” I answer. Sehun’s hair has grown a bit, and the extra length makes him more handsome. I’m admitting this silently while gritting my teeth, and I swallow. “Well then, I’ll get go—”

          I’m still holding my phone, and it suddenly vibrates. I take it out again, and Professor Jung is calling me. Oh what is this… Does he want to meet me about the competition? “Hello?”

          “Nana! Have you seen the website? We made it to the finals!”

          My eyes widen and my mouth parts a bit. “Oh my god.”

          He tells me to meet me this evening, and I hang up, face blank but my heart starts racing. I can see Sehun looking at me strangely. “What is it?”

          “I—the competition—I’m going to the final presentation.” I say slowly, still in disbelief. “I did it… It goes through.”

          Sehun grins. “Really?”

          I nod without a word, then smile to myself. “Whoa.”

          Sehun puts a hand on my shoulder, and pats it lightly. “Congrats. When’s the final?”

          I feel the weight of his touch, and my heart leaps higher. “It’s—in two weeks or so.”

          Sehun moves his hand to my hair, and caresses it slowly. “I knew you can do it. You’re a smart girl.”

          His touch is warm, but it freezes my entire body. It’s a chaos inside of me right now, and I finally smile widely. Sehun pats my head again, and beams as well.

          “If you win, I’ll buy you a meal.”

          “Really?”

          “Yeah.”

          My smile is going to tear my face soon. Sehun puts down his hand, and pats my shoulder again once. “Then, good luck. Fighting.”

          He leaves, and I take a few seconds to sit down again and let the moment seep through me. I’m so happy.