“Hey weirdo, can you please serve this order to table 4?” Hyewon asked out with her soft voice while handing the tray of food to the Crown Princess.

“When will you ever stop calling me a weirdo? Peasant tsk,” Eunbi snorted but complied quickly as she gets the order from the blonde girl and heads her way to the table.

Hyewon just chuckled softly before approaching Yujin at the counter, the younger girl noticed her presence making her look at the blonde. But she made sure she finished taking the orders of the latest customer.

“Let’s exchange, just help Eunbi assisting the customers,” Hyewon stated before taking over the counter without letting Yujin complain at her. The younger knows she can’t even complain since Hyewon already made the move.

“Are you sure?” Yujin asked, “I heard from the boss that you’ll have your finals this week. Just take a rest because later I know you will study.” She added but Hyewon just gave her a soft smile – it’s weird seeing how much the blonde’s smiling from the past days. 

“It’s fine, you seem tired. I can handle this.” Hyewon uttered but Yujin saw the incoming customer making her pursed her lips because she can feel something might happen.

“Fine, I’ll just take this last customer,” Yujin stated and that made Hyewon look at the newcomer customer. From the moment she saw the person’s face – her brows twitch upwards out of annoyance. The younger saw how Hyewon’s brow went upwards after seeing the familiar face.

“It’s fine, Daeng. I’ll take this one,” Hyewon muttered but Yujin can feel the irritation in the elder’s face. She sighed before letting the blonde do it, she just wishes for trouble not to happen – also going to a spot where she can stop whatever might happen.

“Oh Kang, as far as I remember you’re not fond of working in the counter,” The said person wearing his smug grin that quickly made Hyewon’s blood to boil. Why does it happen that his face will be here in the restaurant again? She doesn’t like seeing him.

“It’s my work, stop sticking your nose with my business.” Hyewon scoffed, clearly not afraid to show how much she hated seeing his face. Well, it’s the same with the other person, he doesn’t like how Hyewon answered him.

“Really? Is that how you going to answer me?” He asked, glaring at the blonde behind the counter. 

“What about it?” Hyewon asked back and glared with the same intensity towards him.

“Such a disrespectful person,” He scoffed, making one step closer to the counter without removing the hard glare.

“Say that to yourself, I am not a mirror, Han,” Hyewon scoffed, she rolled her eyes but in a swift moment, the collar of her uniform is being gripped by him as his left hand is ready to launch a punch at Hyewon’s face.

“Stop that!” Yujin decided to go in between and tried to separate the two because they’re making a scene inside the restaurant. The other customers are watching them. They should avoid making a scene especially their boss is not here right now. 

“You better watch that mouth, Kang,” He stated before swaying harshly Hyewon off from him. 

“See, you’re better than this but you keep stooping so low,” Hyewon spat once again fixing her uniform, “Stop following your parents' steps or you’ll end up being like them–“ But before she can even finish her words, Hyewon felt a punch landed on her cheeks – that caused her to fall on the floor from the sudden attack.

“Hyewon-ah!” It was Eunbi, she was out to take the trash and when she came back – she saw Hyewon being punched. The Crown Princess quickly made her way to the blonde who’s on the floor with a large frown on her face.

“Take your words back,” He said, balling his fist as he tried to walks towards Hyewon but Yujin quickly stopped him.

“I won’t unless you act on how you should be,” Hyewon stated coldly and she received another glare from him.

“Seungwoo, it will be better if you leave,” Yujin uttered, trying at the guy who’s still glaring at Hyewon. He stared at Hyewon coldly before walking out of the restaurant – leaving with his car.

Yujin sighed in relief when she managed to convince him. She looked at Hyewon who’s on the floor with Eunbi already by her side, it suddenly made her curious so she decided to observe the two. 

 
“Peasant, are you okay?” Eunbi asked, checking Hyewon’s face but she winced seeing the bruised slowly forming at the blonde’s left cheek. It must hurt a lot – basing from how the blonde flinched when she tried to touch it. 

 “Just continue working,” Hyewon tried to shrug off from Eunbi but the Crown Princess rolled her eyes at her before helping her to stand up. 

“Let’s treat that first,” Eunbi stated then started to pull Hyewon but the latter isn’t moving with her. It causes her to peek at Hyewon and the blonde’s just staring blankly at her. Here we go again, that kind of stare - but Eunbi shrugs it off.

“I’m fine,” Hyewon uttered but she winched in pain, after feeling how her jaw aches when she talks. Seungwoo punches well – it hurts. 

“You’re not, don’t be stubborn or it will cause a swollen on your face,” The Crown Princess explained but more like in authoritative tone – Hyewon just stared at her.

“You don’t need to, I’m fine and it doesn’t hurt at all,” Hyewon lied and tried to shrug off from Eunbi once again, but this time the Crown Princess pokes her bruised cheek and that made the blonde yelped out of pain.

“Ya! Why do you have to do that?!” She asked, holding her bruised cheeks, she can feel the tears forming in her eyes because of the pain but she stopped it. She isn’t a kid who will cry in this simple thing.

“You’re not okay, now stop being stubborn before I tried to poke your cheeks again,” Eunbi stated and that left Hyewon no choice but to listen because if not – Eunbi will surely poke her cheeks. Therefore, she let herself be dragged by the Crown Princess to the employee’s room. 

“Seems like unnie can make Kwangbae listen to her,” Yujin chuckled after watching the two in their bickering mood, “It’s a good thing,” She added before starting to work again and apologize to the customer for the scene that happened earlier. 

//

“Awww, don’t push pressure too much,” Hyewon whines like a kid – well, it hurts and the way Eunbi was making pressure on her cheek with the ice bag she’s holding is adding pain to it. The Crown Princess just stared at her but Hyewon feels how the short-haired girl retreated the ice bag for her. 

“Yet earlier you say it doesn’t hurt at all, look how you are complaining right now,” Eunbi scoffed, eyes trailed at Hyewon. The Crown Princess gulped down after she met Hyewon’s orbs that are staring deeply at her – again, she feels like being drowned by that stare. She quickly looked away and shove the ice bag to the blonde’s hand as she distanced herself away – she didn’t even realize how close they are. 

Hyewon finds it odd but she decided to shrug it off and placed the ice bag on her swollen cheeks, she looked at Eunbi – the royal princess’ already staring at her. 

“What?”

“Who’s that?” Eunbi asked she knows who she’s about – maybe there’s nothing wrong to tell her. Besides, the Crown Princess wouldn’t stop asking if she didn’t get an answer. 

“Who?” 

“The one who punched you,”

“Han Seungwoo,” The blonde stated, “Why?”

“I mean, who is he? Looks like the two of you aren’t really in good terms.” Eunbi stated and that made Hyewon look away. The Crown Princess saw the expression in her eyes, therefore she quickly dismissed her question.

“Don’t mind it, I’ll go back to work. You can go back if you’re feeling okay,” Eunbi muttered before walking out of the employee’s room however she hasn’t reached the door when Hyewon called her.

“Weirdo, thank you,” Hyewon muttered.

Eunbi looked at her – change that, Eunbi stared at her before releasing a soft smile, a smile that Hyewon found comforting. It feels like good having it like this – like she didn’t have to tell anything and the Crown Princess wouldn’t push it instead she understands. Hyewon isn’t good with words, therefore it’s satisfying that she isn’t pushing to talk about it just like Yena and Yujin do before.

“You’re welcome,” 

. . . . .

“What are you looking at?” 

Hyewon quickly tore her gaze away from someone when Yena popped out beside her. She’s on her shift today with Eunbi and Yujin, then her best friend wanted to tag along and eat inside the restaurant – cause she’s hungry and she wanted to catch up with Eunbi.

“Nothing, mind your own business Choi,” Hyewon scoffed before mopping the floor and walk away from her clueless best friend. 

Yena pursed her lips as she continued to eat her food, her eyes automatically landed to the spot where Hyewon’s gaze was earlier. She frowned, it was just Eunbi and a familiar girl talking to each other with a smile on their faces. The girl has cat eyes, she’s pretty and has long black hair. 

“What are you looking at?” It was Yujin now who asked the same question she asked Hyewon earlier. The younger followed her gaze and pursed her lips after seeing Eunbi with the girl.

“Why are you looking at them?” Yujin asked, completely curious just like Yena.

The ash-gray haired girl rubs her chin as if she’s thinking, “Kwangbae’s looking at that direction earlier,”

“Oh really? You know, I sometimes caught her staring at Eunbi-unnie but her features are calm,” Yujin stated.

“Oh?”

“And you know, that girl who Eunbi-unnie talking to – Sian is our regular customer, she’s here nowadays and they became close in just a short period,” Yujin told her, she can tell Yena what she has observed from Hyewon these past days.

“Then?” Yena asked, attention is now on Yujin because she’s intrigued by the information that the younger has. 

“Kwangbae has been nice to Eunbi-unnie – that remains a mystery to me. But I can notice how she has this extra care for Eunbi-unnie – no one can argue about that with me because I saw it on my own eyes. Her behavior with Eunbi-unnie before is different from now. But then Sian came last day in the restaurant and they instantly became friends. I noticed how Kwangbae was having this blank expression while staring at the two of them – as if she’s solving a case problem with her serious face.” 

Yujin explained and Yena didn’t miss any information about that. As she continued to listen to the information, a smirk is slowly written on her face especially while looking at Hyewon and Eunbi back and forth.

“Just like how she’s staring at them now,” She chuckled, smirking evilly. Hyewon met her eyes and her best friend raise her brow at her, Yena grinned at the blonde but she only received a confused expression from Hyewon.

//

“Eunbi-unnie,” Yena uttered that gets the attention of the older girl who’s in the backseat of her car. The two finished their shift and Yena offered to drive them home since her way is the same as them and they will save some money. Hyewon quickly agreed with it. 

“Yeah?” The Crown Princess asked, was busy to sipped her favorite banana milk that they bought earlier from the convenience store.  

“You know Sian?” Yena asked directly, she chuckled internally after noticing Hyewon shifted from her position on the passenger seat beside Yena. 

“Ah yeah, Yujinnie said she’s a regular customer in the restaurant we’re working. She’s nice because she isn’t hard to befriend with,” Eunbi uttered as Yena listened but her eyes are glancing at her best friend who’s busy looking outside.

“Oh really? It’s great that you gain another friend,” Yena smiled softly while looking at Eunbi using the rear mirror. 

“Yeah, she even invited me to have some coffee when I am free,” Eunbi stated and Yena waited for Hyewon to react but seems like her best friend’s busy too admire the street outside instead of their talk. 

“So, what did you say?” Yena asked.

“I told her it’s fine, she seems nice so why not, right?” The Crown Princess uttered and Yena nodded her head – didn’t bother to ask more as she placed her attention on the road. 

“When?” 

Yena and Eunbi looked at Hyewon when she asked that question, the two didn’t see that coming since they saw how the blonde looks uninterested. Therefore, it surprised them that Hyewon joined the topic that ended earlier.

“I told her I’ll be free on Sunday,” Eunbi stated while looking at the back of Hyewon’s head.

The Crown Princess waited for Hyewon to talk but after some minutes the blonde didn’t respond so she just shrugged it off. Until they arrived at the apartment – the whole ride is silent. Hyewon walked out of the car first leaving Yena and Eunbi alone at the car – clueless because she didn’t even bother to bid a goodbye to Yena which is unusual for her. 

“Is she mad?” Eunbi asked, looking at the figure of Hyewon going inside the building of their apartment. 

Yena chuckled, “Nah,”

“Are you sure? How can you say that?” 

“I am sure because I am her best friend and I have known Hyewon for a long time,” Yena uttered, releasing a soft smile to the Crown Princess leaving Eunbi nodding her head, she believes Yena’s words because she trusts the latter. 

“Good night, unnie. Please, bear with Hyewon tonight and the next days, I am sure she’ll be in her short-tempered mode again.” Yena chuckled and Eunbi just left staring at Yena but she nodded her head before leaving from her car and entered the building. 

Yena hummed as she started the car, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel before smiling at herself because she can imagine how her best friend will act for the past few days until she solves her problem that she doesn’t even know.

“Take it easy, Kwangbae,” She sent a message before she continued driving. 

. . . . .

“Kwangbae, you okay?” Yujin asked after noticing how Hyewon started spacing out for the nth time of the day. For the past days, the older girl isn’t in herself, seems like she’s being bothered by something that she doesn’t even understand.

Hyewon flinched, “Huh? Yeah, I’m okay.” 

Yujin didn’t ask for more and she only nodded her head, Yena already told her that Hyewon might act like she lacks patience and has this frowning face but she can only see spacing out Hyewon for the past days. But when the door opened and it revealed Lee Sian, the frown on Hyewon’s face quickly deepened and it didn’t pass Yujin’s eyes. 

Hyewon on the other hand sighed out of frustration, she can’t understand why she’s acting like this. She stared at Sian walking towards Eunbi and her stomach suddenly started to churn when she saw how Sian embrace Eunbi for a greeting. It feels like she ate something she doesn’t like and she’s having stomach upset – it’s the same feeling while looking at the scene unfolds in her front. 

“Don’t like what you’re seeing?” Yujin suddenly said beside her th