“You’re home late.” Mina said as soon as you snuck into the room. She hadn’t gone the route movies usually did, the lights were and she was lying on the couch reading on her phone, but you still felt very much busted.

“I had a good time. Entirely PG-13.” You defended yourself, settling on the couch next to her. She barely pulled her legs up but dropped her phone and grinned at you.

“Oh really? Tell me everything.”

And so you did. Mina nodded patiently as you told her the story, and showed off the plushie. She made a faint noise of disdain when you mentioned the creepy guys in the arcade, but you paused before you got to the last part. Should you tell her? Probably. Right? Honesty was usually the right policy, but you had a feeling Mina was just starting to warm up to Heejun.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Mina interrupted your train of thoughts. You shrugged and leaned back.

“That I went on a date with an idiot. You know the subway station? He took me home but there was a drunk guy asking for change.” You started, directing your gaze at Mina’s desk so you wouldn’t have to look at her. Bulbasaur was clenched securely in your arms.

“A drunk guy… So why is Heejun an idiot? I believe you, but what did he do? He didn’t try to fight the guy did he?”

“No! Not really, I guess…” You frowned and turned to Mina. “The drunk guy did what drunk people do. Shouted some slurs at me… I tried to just leave but Heejun had to step up and defend my honour or something.”

“So he did fight the guy?”

“No. But he walked over and told the guy…” You paused and tried your best to imitate Heejun’s voice. No matter how much you tried, you couldn’t quite get the coldness right. “You don’t say that about her. He just said that twice, and then the drunk took off running. Heejun said he almost had a heart attack.”

Mina snorted, getting up from her seat and stretching herself out. The pyjamas were new, you realized. Her usual baby blue shirt had been replaced with a pink shirt decorated with flowers. She grabbed a cup from the table and finished whatever she’d been drinking, then turned to you and smiled.

“He is an idiot, but it was sweet of him. I still don’t really trust him, but I promise I’ll give you two a fair chance.” She reached out and flicked your forehead. “But you need to go to bed, we have class at nine and you didn’t do your homework.”

“We had homework?!”

“Go to bed.”

 

It turned out Mina had been lying about the homework. There was a syllabus that was released online, and the professor had requested everyone to go through it, but still went over it in the first hour of class. You made a note to read ahead on the homework, your usual resolutions for new classes, but before you could seclude yourself in the library to start compiling the course’s reading Mina dragged you to the cafeteria to get some coffee with friends.

“How are your classes going?” You asked, trying to sound confident and comfortable as Mina’s friends, who she assured you were your friends too, sat down at your table. Yonghee, an art history major, let out a groan that everyone joined in on.

“Our professor is one of those types. You know. The one that really, really likes their own work and assigns pretty much his own books. I came here to learn stuff, I could have pirated those books.” She laughed and stretched herself out, whipping her bleached blonde hair to the side.

“To be fair, you specifically applied for that class.” Yonghee’s sister, Yongsun teased. The two were technically a year apart but started college at the same time since Yonghee spent a year abroad before college. Yongsun was Yonghee’s opposite in many ways. They majored in very different subjects, dressed different, had different styles of make-up, yet they still seemed to get on pretty well with each other.

“I didn’t know it was going to be taught by a fraud. I’m sure computer science is going really well for you.” There was some sarcasm in there, and Yongsun repeated her sister’s groan.

“Group projects. Why group projects?! I hate group projects!” She exclaimed, then took a long contemplative sip from her coffee.

“I’m sure they’re not that bad. Just stick to the people who do their share.” Mina interjected, “that’s what we do and she’s never let me down.” She gestured at you, and you nearly choked on your coffee. Yongsun looked at you pensively and sighed.

“I wish. The prof assigns our groups and I got paired with some slackers. This semester is going to be .” She put her coffee down and leaned on her elbows.

“I’m going to the library in a bit, you’re welcome to join me.” You offered. Not that it would really help with anything. Yongsun would still be paired with slackers, except you’d be in the library. Yongsun still smiled at the suggestion.

“I guess we could pre-study a little. Oh before I forget! I made snacks!” She ripped open her bag and pulled out a Tupperware box filled with curiously shaped cookies. “Try some! I need some feedback.” She smiled. The cookies were delicious, and it made you feel better about the immense amount of work you were about to take on. Chatting went on a little, and you allowed yourself to sit back and listen to it all when your phone buzzed. Heejun. You knew it was him before you’d even checked.

“What’s he saying?” Mina callously asked halfway through a cookie, purposely drawing everyone’s attention to your attempt at discreetly checking your phone. Your face felt warm and you shrugged, placing the phone on the table to open the message.

“Just that he hopes I’m having a good first day, and that we’re welcome to visit the café later if we need a pick me up.” You muttered, leaving out the part where Heejun hinted he really hoped you’d come. Yonghee picked up your phone, making you gasp in mortification as she scrolled through the messages.

“He sounds nice. Is he cute?” She asked as she handed the phone back to you, ignoring her sister’s stretched out hand. You clutched your phone securely and shrugged, but Mina answered for you.

“He’s one of the hosts from the café.” Clearly, in spite of her comments the night before, Mina still didn’t approve. To your relief, Yonghee gave you a thumbs up.

“Good score! So he is cute ánd he knows how to treat a woman! I say we go to the café later.” Oh god no. Please no. It was bad enough to have Mina scrutinizing everything you said, did and thought about Heejun.

“I’m sure he’s just inviting her friends to be polite, I think he just misses you.” Yongsun smiled at you from across the table. “I’m done with my caffeine addiction for now, want to hit the library?”

Before anyone could protest, Yongsun grabbed your bag and hooked her arm through yours, pulling you away from the table. Her pace slowed down a little once you’d left the library and she handed you your bag. You swung it over your shoulder.

“Don’t let my sister drive you crazy. She means well, she just doesn’t understand how introverts work.” She gave your arm a squeeze. “We just like to slowly process things on our own, and open up when we’re ready.”

Yongsun was such a sweet girl, you realized. She wasn’t as bubbly as her sister, and you didn’t really understand the things she studied, but she never forced them onto anyone. You felt a little bad for not asking her about it more, and made a note to yourself to try a little harder. Mina was right, they really were your friends, too.

“Thank you. I’ll introduce you guys when I’m… We just had a first date, there’s nothing… It’s too new to be anything yet, you know?” You shrugged. Yongsun nodded.

“I’ve been on three dates with a guy and no one knows about him either. Except you because I just told you. I’ll listen if you want to talk, but don’t feel like you have to. I’m not your mother, and try as she might neither is Mina.” Yongsun smiled. You nodded. Mina wasn’t anywhere near your mother with how controlling she was, but Yongsun didn’t know that.

“I appreciate that, thanks. And thank you for telling me. We can talk about it later, if you want, but I did actually want to get some studying done.” You smiled. Yongsun chuckled and agreed, giving your arm another squeeze before pulling you away.

 

Studying went well, although your phone buzzed every now and then. It was on silent, but in the quiet library the buzzing still stood out. Yongsun had plugged in and was blissfully staring at her laptop, typing away. She’d tried to explain to you what her homework was, but you’d been shushed by other students. From what you’d gathered, she was working on some kind of algorithm. On your notebook was the pdf version of Value Proposition Design, which you were trying to read but kept zoning out of. It was rather dry material.

Heejun: It’s not that busy today, I guess everyone’s studying hard like you. Do you have a lot of classes left today?’
Heejun’s text sat unanswered on your phone, and you struggled between answering him and continuing on with studying. Finally you caved.

You: No, just one more from three to five. I’m trying to study until then.
Maybe you should have told him you were studying? Did it come across as telling him to leave you alone? You bit your tongue and fleetingly looked at Yongsun, wondering if you should ask her for advice, but quickly looked back at your screen.

Heejun: Do you have dinner plans yet?
The message was soon followed by a devil emoji. You weren’t quite sure what the feeling in your stomach was. You did have plans, sort of. Mostly there were party leftovers that you and Mina had to eat. It’d be a waste of food otherwise.

You: I do, unfortunately. What about you?
Focus on the reading. You looked at your page of notes and realized you’d missed most of the past three pages of reading, scrolling back up to restart reading the chapter. But then your phone buzzed again.

Heejun: That throws a wrench in my dinner plans. Do you have time later?

 

The day dragged on, interrupted occasionally by messages from Heejun, but they became less frequent as time dragged on. The café became busy after the early afternoon, flooded by students who seemed to be suffering in college just like you were. Of course it allowed you to study a little, and at least try to pay attention to your last course of the day, but it felt strange to not be talking to him as much. Why was it that after just one date, talking to him all the time just felt so natural?

By dinner time you pretended to have forgotten about Heejun’s hints. Mina was too tired to talk, having chosen to lie on her bed and slowly eat her reheated stir fry with some show playing on her laptop. It didn’t look like she was paying too much attention to it, as she kept rewinding the show, but at least she smiled every now and then. You finished your food and put the plate in the sink, but then also settled on your bed. Dishes could be done after Mina finished eating, you told yourself as you lied down to browse the internet mindlessly.

You were about to go to bed when a message popped up over a sweater you’d been eying. Mina hadn’t noticed, she was now blankly staring at her show. The message lingered, you didn’t even have to open it to see what was written.

Heejun: Can you come outside for a little?