AUTHORS NOTE: Hey! This chapter is a bit longer than my other ones since I originally had it separated for two different chapters. I ended up combining them but again updates might be slow because of things going on in my life. Next chapter will be Sana’s pov though. I feel a little bad that some of you are excited for Saida but I want to be able to look at the characters “development” I guess. I’m not sure how long it’s going to be but it will most definitely be a slowburn if you hadn’t already figured that out. Enjoy!

The smell of fresh bread wafts through the air while Dahyun studies, seated at one of the tables inside the cafe. She hums along to the piano playing through the overhead speakers, her hands trying desperately to keep up with her brain as she types away, scanning the open books before her. She’s completely lost in her own world when suddenly a white cup is placed in front of her. She slowly takes her hands off the laptop keyboard and looks up to see Jihyo lovingly glaring at her. 

“Dahyun you have been working non-stop for two hours. Take a break and drink some hot chocolate.” When Dahyun frowns, Jihyo continues. “Think of it as fuel for more studying. Read a book for fun or something, I don’t care. Just take a break for a bit, okay?” Jihyo has a hand on her hip in the stance of ‘I’m being a responsible adult/parent so you have to listen to me.’ 

Dahyun thinks for a second, a finger tapping rapidly against the table while the other hand supports her chin. She really needs to finish this essay for class. She knows it’s not due for a few days and at this point she's just proofreading but she can’t afford to get a bad grade. The professor is combining it with the final test grade and she gets too nervous when she's testing. All those people staring at her, waiting for her to finish and tell her she failed. This is college, not high school so it's not like she can ask to take the test again or ask for an alternate final, she doesn’t want to be an inconvenience. She only has these professors for a semester and it's just easier on everyone if she takes the tests. Oh right, tests. She hasn’t even started looking at the notecards she made for her other classes, and- 

“Dahyun.” Jihyo's voice makes Dahyun jump a little bit and her finger stops its movement, she had forgotten Jihyo was still there. “I’m serious.” She puts a hand on Dahyun’s shoulder. “Take a break. If not for you then for me.” Dahyun nods in response and Jihyo smiles as she walks away. 

Dahyun shuffles an arm around in her bag, before pulling out the current fiction book she's reading. Technically it’s for her literature class, but it counts as reading for fun if she enjoys it. Not to mention it’s going to be on one of her tests. She moves the hand that was tapping earlier up to her ear and lightly tugging on it as she starts reading. 

Time seems to fly by, and before she knows it she's read five chapters. She would stop now but this last chapter has such a cliffhanger she needs to know what happens next. At this point she is literally on the edge of her seat, face buried in the pages with her eyes rapidly darting from word to word. 

She jumps up and screams when she feels arms snake around her neck, but her scream is cut off by a hand over and she struggles in the chokehold of this stranger. She starts to struggle against them, wondering why the hell someone would attack her in a cafe in broad daylight. 

“Guess who.” A voice says ominously, clearly trying very hard to sound super deep and intimidating.

“YOO JEONGYEON!” Jihyo’s voice rings out loud and clear across the shop. The attacker freezes in their hold on Dahyun. “Stop harassing my favorite coworker and order already!” Jeong sighs and lets go of Dahyun. 

“You’re no fun Jihyo, did you know that?” She says, walking towards the counter. Dahyun gets up and follows her without a second thought. “The usual please, your royal highness, God Jihyo.” Jeong overdramatically bows, when she stands back up Dahyun latches herself to her back in a loose hug.

Jihyo rolls her eyes as she shakes her head. “So two coffees and a bag of jelly filled donuts?” Jeongyeon nods and pulls out her wallet from the back pocket of her black jeans, only running into a little bit of difficulty because of Dahyun. 

“Ah! Let me make the coffee!” Dahyun says, letting Jeong go and walking behind the counter, before washing her hands and prepping the machine. While she waits for the machine, the three of them talk. 

“You know, I almost didn’t recognize you dubu. If it weren’t for all those books around you I would've walked right past. When’d you dye it?” Jeong asks, leaning against the counter and admiring the azure blue color of Dahyun's hair. 

“Chaeyoung did it yesterday morning. She said it was to apologize for making me take her shift, but really she just wanted to try the new color out .” Dahyun holds a lock of it in front of her and stares. 

“It looks good doesn’t it?” Jihyo says to Jeongyeon. “She said she’s not sure how she feels about it, but i think it looks cute on her.” 

“It was a good idea, it looks really cute in time for exams.” Jeongyeon reaches over the counter and ruffles Dahyun’s hair. 

“Stop it! You’re gonna mess it up!” Dahyun whines, smoothening it. “That’s what Chaeyoung said too.” She puts a hand in her pocket and lets the other one tug at her ear. “You’re all overreacting about my exams...” An uncomfortable silence fills the air and Dahyun starts to tap her left foot. 

“It’s not overreacting, we’re just worried about you.” Jihyo lightly hits her in the arm. “Also, I wanted to tell you that I’m willing to cover some of your shifts while you prep for your exams.” 

“Really?” Dahyun exclaims, stilling. “You’d do that?” Jihyo nods. The coffee machine beeps and Dahyun walks over and pours the coffee into the first cup. She very carefully draws a bunch of hearts and other shapes on the second one before filling it up as well. She hears Jihyo start a new conversation. 

“Anything fancy going on today with you and the girlfriend?” 

“Nah,” Jeong laughs. “She found out that I haven't seen some of her, to quote ‘favorite movies of all time that everyone should watch at least once, Yoo Jeongyeon how have you not seen these.’ So I’m going over to