"How much sugar do you want in your coffee?" Chanyeol enquired holding the spoon dipped in the mason jar that contained sugar.

 

Eunji stared blankly outside. They were in the coffee shop outside the university. They went straight to it after coming from the Students' Affairs Office where she submitted the report. Chanyeol looked at his childhood friend pathetically.

 

She was distraught since she walked out of that building. And right then, she was zoning out like her mind was million miles away from her body.

 

"Jung Eunji!" Chanyeol snapped in her face. The gesture brought her back to life as she jolted and straightened her back after realizing that Chanyeol was calling her.

 

"Oh. Ugh. Sugar?" Her gaze landed on the spoonful he was holding. "NOOOO!!" She screamed that made the other people in the cafe to look at their way. Chanyeol looked at her with wide eyes.

 

"I mean, you don't have to." She said awkwardly, touching her chin. "I don't put sugar in my Americano." She quickly pulled the cup in front of her. "Thanks."

 

"Really?" He asked raising an eyebrow before putting back the sugar and covering the container with its lid. Inasmuch as he did not want to meddle with her issues, he got all curious about these quick mood swings coming from her. From spacing out to screaming to acting indifferent. Her personality changed a little too quickly.

 

"What's wrong, Eunji?" He asked inquisitively, ears roused. "Did something happen in the office?"

 

Eunji contemplated whether to tell Chanyeol about the reason why she was feeling that way. But telling him about Kyungsoo would require her to talk about him and that was the last thing she wanted to do today. Maybe Chanyeol needed not to know for he did not know Kyungsoo at all. It would just be a waste to tell a chapter of her life that would soon be over.

 

Besides, knowing Chanyeol, he would just use this card to nonstop. She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "It's nothing." She went on stirring her sugarless black coffee. "So how's your first day at school?"

 

"Mom, is that you?"

 

" you." She mumbled with a blank face.

 

Chanyeol was surprised to hear her cussing but it made him laugh nonetheless. "HAHAHAHA! That's hilarious. You cursing with pokerface." He uttered while wiping the tears that had formed around his eyes from laughing hysterically. "When did you learn to curse like that by the way?"

 

"Since life started treating me like ." Eunji threw back. She heaved a sigh and went on drinking her coffee.

 

1She had come to the conclusion that being silent would just lead her thoughts back to Kyungsoo. She didn't want to talk or even think about him, so she focused her attentionto Chanyeol who was busy counting the ice cubes in his iced coffee. What a weirdo.

 

"By the way, I've been thinking about this since last weekend. Why did you choose to study here?"

 

"It's the only University that had me admitted. I can't afford to be choosy, right?" He asked with a small smile.

 

Eunji nodded, "If I were you, I wouldn't be picky too." They stayed quiet for a moment and she had to think of another topic, "Umhhh... So tell me about you military service." She instigated.

 

And he did. He told her everything about his enlistment. What it was like to be in the military. The crazy things he had done. The friends he had made. The realizations about life that made him make these decisions.

 

The gap that had grown between them in the years that they were not in contact with each other seemed to have narrowed down to a thin line. Maybe, they had grown over those two years.

 

As she listened thoughtfully to his tales, Eunji realized that Sohye might be right. She should just give up fighting what the Universe wanted them to be. If it willed that they would be like this, she should just play along.

 

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Chanyeol asked after he finished yet again another story.

 

"It didn't occur to me before..." She said. "But I guess, I missed you all this time."

 

Chanyeol looked straight into her eyes. Slowly, his face started turning crimson. He broke away from their staring and shook his head, "Whoa. Jung Eunji..."

 

"What? Omo!" She placed a hand over . "Did I make your heart flutter?" She quipped.

 

"Heart flutter, my ." He retorted.

 

And it was Eunji's turn to laugh.

 

---

 

That night, Chanyeol walked Eunji back to her dorm.

 

"So I'll see you on Wednesday?" Eunji asked as they stopped at her doorstep.

 

"It depends. I might not go to class if I don't feel like going."

 

Her eyes narrowed. "This is just your first day. What the hell, Park Chanyeol?"

 

"Just kidding!" He beamed, dimple showing off his cheek. "Of course, I'll go. I don't want to disappoint the girls in that class."

 

Eunji rolled her eyes. "You are already a disappointment to me."

 

"OH. Are you a girl?!" Chanyeol asked with a surprise expression.

 

Eunji did not waste time to fight him off verbally so she quickly kicked his shin that made him cry a bit.

 

"Aww. THAT HURT!" He wailed and bent his knee to touch the part of his leg she just kicked. 

 

"As if they're looking at you. Are you blind? They're obviously losing their minds over my dongsaengs!" She uttered dreamily as she recalled Eunwoo and Sehun from that class. "Ugh, my lovely dongsaengs."

 

Chanyeol stared at her disgustingly. "Do you like younger men?"

 

"This face can't be picky, can I?"

 

Chanyeol scowled and pushed her to the door. "Go inside and the sleep."

 

"Annyeong, Yeolmae!" She grinned while waving her hands. "See you on Wednesday."

 

When Chanyeol left, Eunji went inside the dorm.

 

Eunji lived with other girl students of Yoksei University in a dorm outside the University. The dorm was more like a house but the establishment was named as one (Miran Dormitory) so everyone was practically calling it a dormitory. Each tenant had her own room inside with a shared kitchen, study area, living room, and bathroom.

 

The dorm was owned by Ahn Miran, an old lady who used to teach in the University. When she retired, she brought a property in the countryside and began a small farm. She kept the house though and transformed it to a dormitory for girls. Her elder niece who was also currently studying in the University as a Graduate Student had been managing the dorm.

 

It was still early so all the lights were still up. Eunji quickly noticed the number of shoes stacked in their rack, her other dorm mates had not gone home yet.

 

"Good evening, Eunji-ah!" Park Minyoung, the owner's niece, greeted as soon as Eunji slipped on her slippers.

 

"Good evening, eonnie!" She greeted in return. Seldom times, Minyoung eonnie would go home early. She always was busy with her paperworks in the Graduate School. "Have you eaten dinner?" She asked by impulse.

 

Minyoung slowly shook her head, "Not yet. But he's coming over tonight to bring eomma's food. Let's eat together if you haven't eaten yet."

 

Her stomach grumbled at the mention of food. Apparently, she realized that she had not eaten dinner with Chanyeol earlier. They only had coffee and some pastries.

 

Minyoung's mother cooking was no joke. They owned a restaurant in the Gwanakgu District so refusing would be a bad idea. "Arasseo, eonni." She gladly replied.

 

Just after Minyoung uttered her invitation, the door sprang open. "It's heavy! MYGOSH. WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST PICK IT UP NOONA???" The loud voice of the new comer had Eunji spun at her heel to find Park Jinyoung holding two big paper bags containing food from their mother.

 

"If you'll gonna keep complaining, I'll tell mom to just disown you." Minyoung who was sitting on the couch, twisted the locks of her shoulder length straight hair.

 

Jinyoung murmured something until he finally entered the room to find his senior Eunji by the hallway.

 

"Hi Jinyoung-ie!" Eunji greeted, giving him a small wave.

 

"Noona!" He smiled with pleasure as though Eunji was his real sister.

 

Park Jinyoung stayed with the girls to have dinner. He didn't stay in the dorm just like her sister. Being the brat maknae that he was, his parents agreed for him to rent a place of his own near the university. He said he couldn't stand his sister but he still always followed her orders.

 

Just like now, she told him to bring her share of the food their parents had sent. Jinyoung delivered them despite his own protests. And now they were eating together with Eunji.

 

"Eat a lot you two!" Minyoung said. Jinyoung scowled while Eunji thanked them for the food.

 

She quickly dived for the meat that looked really tasty. "Whoaaa! Eonni, Mother Park is really the best when it comes to cooking. Can your family adopt me?"

 

"NOONA! I will process your adoption papers right away." Jinyoung chirped. "So you can be my older sister... And I'll have Minyoung noona disowned." His eyes were sparkling from the idea.

 

Minyoung rolled her eyes at her dongsaeng which made Eunji laughed.

 

The truth was, Eunji was just a year older than Jinyoung. They had attended the same high school where they first met. When Eunji transferred, she met Jinyoung who always got into trouble.

 

When his parents started looking for a tutor, her homeroom teacher recommended Eunji. And their began their friendship. Jinyoung treated her with utmost respect because if it weren't for her, he would probably not pass all his SATs.

 

They had been really close since then. In fact, it was Jinyoung who mentioned about her aunt's dormitory when Eunji told him that she would be admitted at Yoksei University and that she was looking for a place to stay.

 

"Yah, stop talking back against eonni." Eunji warned when Jinyoung wouldn't stop murmuring beside her.

 

"Oh, don't mind him, Eunji-ah." Minyoung dismissed. "As if I like him for a younger brother..." She said, munching her own food.

 

Jinyoung dramatically turned to face her. "How can you say those words to me, noona? I'm telling mom and dad about his." He seriously looked as though he was about to cry.

 

"Go ahead, Jinyoung-ie." Minyoung muttered, unbothered of his threat.

 

Jinyoung pouted and began eating too. Eunji smiled at the siblings. When she was a child, she always wanted to have a brother or sister. Somehow, moving to Gyeonggi and meeting Chanyeol felt like having a brother of his own.

 

Why am I thinking of Chanyeol over dinner? She shrugged her shoulders and focused back to her food.

 

"Noona," Jinyoung nudged at her. "Kyungsoo-hyung said you're taking the same classes for this term. Did he ask you to eat lunch or study together yet?" His eyes blazing with curiosity. He had been such a loyal supporter and pusher of her and Kyungsoo even if it only existed in her mind.

 

"Jinyoung-ah!" Minyoung snapped. "Why are you bringing such thing over the dinner table?" Then turned to Eunji, "Is Kyungsoo your boyfriend, Eunji-ah?" Minyoung's eyes stared with curiosity as well.

 

If there was one thing that made these two siblings apart from their family names, it was how they would flare up when something piques their interest. Their eyes sparkled with the same hue of brown. Eunji felt imprisoned with their gazes.

 

She shook her head, "No... No eonni." She stammered. "He's just a classmate."

 

"They're always together at school, noona." Jinyoung charged as she turned to Minyoung. "Everyone thinks they're dating but I guess they're too shy to admit." He narrated it so well he was even using gestures to support his claim.

 

"OOOHHHH." Minyoung cooed a smile curling at the corners of her lip.

 

Eunji laughed nervously. "Don't believe Jinyoung, eonni. Hahahaha!" God, this rascal.

 

"So..." Minyoung who looked like deep in thought raised her chopsticks from the rice bowl in front of her as if to give proper illustration of her thoughts in midair. Just like how Jinyoung would. "Is he the guy who walked you home earlier?"

 

Eunji recalled that Minyoung wasn't watching the TV earlier when she came in. The house was quiet. She was probably watching the monitor of the security camera in front of the house.

 

Eunji's jaw dropped and Jinyoung clasped his mouth with both hands.

 

"He walked you home? Daebak!!! I'm telling this to the guys." Jinyoung announced.

 

----

 

It took a long time for Eunji to convince Jinyoung not to say anything about the guy who walked her home. She tried to explain that it wasn't Kyungsoo but he wouldn't believe her. As if nobody would ever walk her home. He still believed it was Kyungsoo but he promised not to tell anyone.

 

Before she slept that night, she received a message from Kyungsoo.

 

1 Message | Kyungsoo

Kyungsoo: Do you feel well now?

 

The message was sent around 7 in the evening, few hours after their encounter in the office. Eunji sat at the side of her bed, reminiscing what exactly happened.

 

"Eunji-ah!" He smiled brightly at her direction. Eunji stopped on her track as he made his way towards her. Each footstep matched the thump of her heart. Why would her system betray her mind around Kyungsoo?

 

"Have you finished your class?"

 

She nodded. "I'm just dropping by to give this report."

 

"Shall we have dinner?"

 

There he went again. Making her desire for things she should not have. Like him.

 

She was pretty certain that he had no other intention, it was merely just "friends-having-dinner" thing. The problem was her. She was afraid that she might put meaning to all of his actions and somehow end up having hopes for them when she shouldn't especially now that she had learned of him seeing someone.

 

She had been in this situation; she at least had to know better not to repeat the same mistake twice. Realizing she had been staring too much, Eunji looked away, her face ashen.

 

"I don't think that's possible, Kyungsoo..." She mumbled. "I'm not feeling very well."

 

She then excused herself to submit her paper and went out of the office.

 

He had been running inside her head in the quiet moments of her day. Somehow, he made his way back to her now.

 

Eunji: I feel fine.

 

She sent her lie. Kyungsoo replied few moments after.

 

Kyungsoo: Then I'll see you tomorrow. Good night.

 

The next day, she sat to her class anxious to be seated next to Kyungsoo. Her thoughts had been consumed as to what alibis she would tell him today if he ever asked to hang out. She could not just tell him off to stop messing with her because that would be admitting about her feelings too. He would also know that she was eavesdropping to his personal calls.

 

That day, the professor came in the lecture hall but Kyungsoo did not. And Eunji realized that she was actually still waiting for him.

 

----

 

Her last class ended and Kyungsoo did not show up. What an odd occurrence. He never had been absent to class, let alone a major course.

 

She wanted to check on him but stopped while reminding herself that she was not in the business to ask his whereabouts. She was just a classmate; and she would always remain as one.

 

She marched out of her last class and was greeted by the afternoon that was brightly shining on the vast sky. It was 3 in the afternoon.

 

Of all the schedules which she had in the last three years of being a university student, this one was she liked the best. She needed not to wake up really early or go home really late.

 

Most of her classes were between the 9:00 am to 3:00 pm shift. That would give her a lot of time to do other things. She was already contemplating to find another part time job with her loose schedule. She reminded herself to ask Jiyeon about this.

 

After dropping by the faculty room to meet her adviser, she made her way out of the building when she heard someone called her from behind.

 

"Oy Eunji!"

 

She turned to find Park Chanyeol sitting on the stairs. "Channie?"

 

He straightened up and swung his bag at his back. The sun was briskly shining and he was wearing a hoodie. For this hot weather, he dressed warmly. He stopped a few steps below Eunji so he could be at her eyelevel.

 

"What brings you here?" She asked hugging her book on her chest. His purple hair grew brighter against the sunlight.

 

"You." He said, cocking his head to take a better look at her.

 

Eunji narrowed her eyes at him. "Me?" She asked pointing to herself.

 

He nodded, eyes looking softly over her, lips pursed in a pout. "I wanted to see you."

 

For a moment, everything stopped moving until Eunji felt the skin on her face turned warm. With a dead stare she asked, "What the , Park Chanyeol?"

 

He started laughing hysterically, clenching his stomach, amused with her ability to swear while holding a straight face—no anger, no annoyance, just a straight blank expression.

 

"Are you that happy?"

 

He wiped the tears that had formed around her eyes. "Yes, I waited so long for that reaction. Hahaha!"

 

"Yeah, whatever." She said rolling her eyes.

 

"Do you still have a class?"

 

She shook her head as they started walking downstairs.

 

"Up for some sundae?" He asked.

 

"Umh... I don't feel like eating sundae, Yeol." Eunji muttered while shaking her head.

 

----

 

Chanyeol stared at Eunji munched her third plate of sundae. "And you say you don't feel like eating sundae?" He inquired with a smirk of his face.

 

Eunji swallowed the last piece on her plate. "You didn't say it was free."

 

Chanyeol laughed loudly. "It's your turn to pay for my food next time."

 

"We'll see..." Eunji said nodding her head as she gulped her glass's content. "How's your second day by the way?"

 

"It's fine. I didn't walk out at the middle of the lecture so I guess I'll be able to survive the term." He popped a piece of teokpokki in his mouth. Maybe he kept on hanging out with her because she was the only one he knew in this school.

 

"You should make new friends so you won't feel bored." Eunji suggested.

 

"Do I have to?" He asked innocently; then pointed at Eunji using his chopsticks. "Aren't you enough?"

 

"Why? Are you always going to wait for my classes to be over so we can hang out?"

 

His head bobbed up and down like a kid. "I can do that." He chirped.

 

"God, Chanyeol. Can you really survive college?"

 

He beamed brightly, teeth flashing. "Ugh. The kids in my classes are too young... and they have different interests. They're too childish and immature. I don't think I'll be able to make friends with them. I think I'll just stick with you like a normal 20 year old would do."

 

Eunji just looked at him. In her mind, she was wondering if Chanyeol really meant what he said.

 

---

 

"Childish and immature, my foot." Jung Eunji hissed as her eyes darted to the three guys in her Korean Literature Class. The guys were Sehun, Eunwoo, and Chanyeol whose ears were all up with excitement.

 

They were busy playing a game on their cell phones. They looked so intense and focused. Especially Chanyeol, whose eyebrows were knitted together, eyes all flared up by the adrenalin to win and a determined expression on his face.

 

She had greeted them when she came in but no one even paid attention as they were all consumed by their activity.

 

They occupied the same row as last time. The girls below were exchanging murmurs probably talking about the handsome men of their class when suddenly, Chanyeol slammed the table.

 

"I WON! I WON!" He announced happily making a small dance on his seat. He placed both hands on his face looking triumphant.

 

The other guys slumped on their seats as they dropped their mobiles on the table.

 

"Hyung, we should play another round! I'll win this time." Eunwoo challenged.

 

"Ugh, I've been winning for the third round now, Eunwoo-yah." retorted Chanyeol who said just yesterday that he did not want to befriend the freshmen because they were childish and immature. "Should you guys just give up?"

 

He shamelessly played games and beat the freshmen, what a matured man. Eunji thought. "Hi guys!"

 

"Whooa Eunji." Chanyeol acknowledged.

 

She chose to ignore him though and focused to the other two guys who greeted her, "Annyeong, Noona!" To whom she smiled sweetly before turning to Chanyeol, "Yah move." She whispered.

 

Chanyeol just raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"

 

"Move, that's my seat." Eunji defended.

 

"Do you have your name on it?"

 

"No."

 

"Then it's not yours." He announced. "Just stay here." He placed a hand to the same seat he occupied on Monday and tapped it lightly. "No one's sitting here, Ji-ah. I saved it just for you."

 

Eunji wanted to insist that they should exchange seats but the professor came in so she was left with no choice but to just occupy the chair beside Chanyeol.

 

"How dare you take away my dongsaengs?" She whispered as she hastily dug her bag for her notebook.

 

Chanyeol cocked his head to her side, "You told me to make friends. I just made two."

 

"You said you don't like to be friends with YOUR fellow freshmen. Childish... Immature..." she tried to resemble the tone of his voice when he said those words last night. "Aish!" The tall guy just giggled beside her.

 

The class dragged on that Wednesday afternoon and Chanyeol happened to be the worst seatmate. While she took down notes, he would draw things on the spaces of her notebook. If not, he would poke her cheek or do silly things to distract her from listening.

 

"Yah, stop it at once, Yeolmae." She whispered with gritted teeth.

 

"You're so serious about this lecture. It's only a minor class."

 

She punched him in the forearm which caused him to let out a small yelp.

 

"Ouch!" He managed to utter the interjection with low voice so the other students did not notice what was happening at the back of their lecture hall. "Are you lifting weights? Your fist is so heavy, it's like made of steel."

 

"Shut up!" She snapped. Chanyeol smiled widely, feeling victorious about annoying her.

 

She leaned an arm on the table and ran her fingers through her hair. She needed to ask Sehun or Eunwoo to exchange seats so she wouldn't have to be next to Chanyeol in the whole term. He was driving her nuts.

 

Just as when she thought of ways to get rid of her seatmate for the next meeting, Professor Kwon, an old man, announced his requirement for the term. "By the way, I forgot to tell you of your requirement in this course."

 

Half of the class who were already very sleepy from the boring lecture perked up. Everyone knew the unspoken rule that they may slack during lectures but their requirements were entirely different thing.

 

"You'll be writing various analyses of pieces which we will discuss in class. Aside from that, you will also be required to submit your own writings."

 

"Is this creative writing?" Chanyeol scowled.

 

"Be quiet." Eunji rustled.

 

"That's too much writing for a lit class." He retorted.

 

"But this will be done by group." Professor Kwon announced.

 

The class sighed feeling relieved.

 

"You guys will be submitting your papers as a compiled work and you would also need to work together to write meaningful outputs. Now how shall we arrange your groups?" The professor scanned the room as if to count the students mentally.

 

There were three columns in the lecture hall, five rows with 4 seats at each column.

 

Eunji, in her seat, was trying to look for possible group mates. She could take anyone except from Chanyeol. Anyone including her dongsaengs.

 

"Yah, Eunwoo and Sehun let's work together." The two submissively nodded their heads at her direction.

 

"What about me?" Chanyeol interrupted.

 

"Find your members." She scoffed.

 

Murmurs started to gather inside the lecture hall. Everyone seemed so busy trying to find and form their groups.

 

The professor cleared his throat as the students' noise began dominating the room. "Alright, your groupings have been decided."

 

The room fell silent.

 

"Just work with the people on your row." The professor announced.