The first time I properly met Lee Jeno was in Jaemin’s café near my university. I had arrived late, my heels clicking against the ground as I ran towards the café, clutching my bag towards my chest. I loved speed and I craved it; it was the only way to calm down my mind that was always working. I breathed heavily, pushing through the doors before running into Na Jaemin who jumped back in surprise.

“Oi!” Jaemin said, frowning at me. “Relax, Jesus. You’re always running around—Did you just run in your heels?”

I rubbed my nose, making a face before throwing my braid over my shoulder.

“I’m late,” I told him, bouncing up and down on the same spot. “I’m late, Jaemin—give me coffee! I have…. Three minutes until my practical class with Doctor Onew, and—”

“We don’t have any Arabica beans today,” Jaemin told me but I was already running to the counter, snapping my fingers at the new part-timer who looked up at me. He had a blue apron on, his hand wiping a cloth against the table.

Lee Jeno—He was the president of my club, Track and Field. I saw him around often, I just never talked to him.

“One expresso,” I told him, rummaging through my bag. Where was my wallet? Goddamnit, where was my wallet? “Two shots! Fast. Now.”

“Uh…” He blinked, his eyes going to Jaemin who was behind me. “We don’t have—”

“Now, boy!” I barked, the male placing the cloth calmly on the counter before eyeing me carefully. I heard Jaemin sigh behind me. It didn’t take long before the part-timer placed the expresso in front of me, his face unreadable. I smacked my lips, lifting the coffee to my lips before gulping it down.

“It’s hot!” he suddenly said but I had already burned my tongue, squealing at the heat. I yelped, a hand going to fan my red tongue. The male shook his head, placing a cup of cold water in front of me, which I grabbed and downed when I felt it.

The jitters.

Oh no.

“W-What…” I suddenly felt my fingers shake. “What k-kind of coffee did you give m-me?”

“An expresso,” the guy said, his eyes running over my face.

“What kind?!”

“Robusta beans.”

“I need to run!” I burst out, pushing myself away from the counter and running out of the café to make my way to the nearest tracks. My heart pounded in my ears and I sped through the university to the tracks when I heard a voice behind me.

“Hey!” A male yelled. “Hey!”

But I didn’t look back, my legs working their hardest while my body buzzed from the caffeine of the Robusta beans.

“Hey!” the voice was closer now and before I knew it, my braid was yanked back and I yelped, skidding to a stop, my face distorted.

“What the--?”

“Sorry. I mean—Why are you so fast?”

I whipped my head around to see Lee Jeno bending over, one hand holding a plastic bag while he tried to catch his breath. He let go of my braid, taking his hand back and I glared at him, hands going to my hips.

“First, you serve me Robusta beans and now you’re manhandling me?!” I snapped at him; Lee Jeno was seemingly not bothered at my outburst. He sighed, opening up the plastic bag to take out a pair of running shoes. “What—”

“Jaemin told me to come after you,” he said, bending down to grab one of my feet. “He said if I didn’t stop you, you’d end up blistering your feet.”

He inspected my feet carefully and I kicked his knee just because and Jeno ended up losing his balance; falling backward onto his behind. I grabbed the shoes and shoved my feet into them, gathering up my heels and putting them in the plastic bag.

Jeno stood up, brushing himself off silently before he turned and began to walk away.

Yeah, not the best experience.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I began to see him everywhere and it annoyed the out of me. I usually saw him at Track and Field but I never really noticed him, but now, I would see him every time he made an announcement. I would see him in the cafeteria, the library, the café… The worse was when I was called to the Director’s room and I saw him waiting in front of the office.

He had his hands shoved in his pockets, a normal white shirt on with earphones plugged into his ears and I hopped forward just to stare at him. He looked up and when he saw me, he didn’t say anything, Lee Jeno’s gaze going back onto the ground.

Humph.

“Inside, please.” Director Lee Soo Man’s secretary said and I frowned. What was this about? One of my hands went up to fiddle with one of my pigtails, twirling the strands around my finger as I pursed my lips. I moved past Lee Jeno, bowing down to the Director before flashing him a smile.

“Good morning, Director.” I chirped and he smiled, motioning for me to sit down. Lee Jeno took a seat on another chair in front of him and the Director cleared his throat.

“I called you in today because there has been a scholarship available to go to England for anyone in one of our medical departments. I’m telling both of you because both of you are the top students in your department for your year. The other departments aren’t very interested.”

My eyes sparked up and my legs began to vibrate.

“However, the scholarship is for six months but it will look very good on your resume. You’ll be studying under the best professors in England. But the scholarship is going to be given to only one of you—of course, unless one of you forfeits.”

I frowned. Now, why would I do that? I looked to Jeno who was listening intently.

“The exam is standardized. A little bit more advanced and we will be giving you a course outline on the items tested so you can get on studying. The exam will be in two months, so you have a lot of time to prepare.”

“I’ll try my best, sir,” Jeno replied and I shot him a glare. Oh no, he won’t! He looked at me and I bared my teeth at him, Jeno ignoring me.

“What are you trying to be?” I asked, Jeno replying to my question calmly.

“A psychologist.”

“Only crazy people know crazy people!” I blurted out menacingly and he turned to me, a tightlipped smile on his face with his hand tightened into a fist.

“What are you trying to be?”

“A vet.”

Lee Jeno scoffed.

“That’s not even a real doctor.”

That’s it. I hate him.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“OPPA!” I yelled. “OPPA!”

I bounded towards my older brother, Doyoung’s eyes widening when he saw me. I winced, my sneakers digging into the ground while I tried to brake. I successfully did and I straightened myself, reaching behind me to pat myself on the back. Damn, was I good!

“You have to go home alone today. I have an interview for an internship.” Doyoung said but my attention was on the keychain on his bag. Oooh, pretty! My hands went out to grab it but Doyoung slapped my hand away, a hand going up to the back of my neck to hold it and turning my head up with his fingers so I was looking directly at him.

I winked at him two times.

“Why are you winking at me? Listen to me. Why do I always have to make you look at me when I want you to listen to me?”

My eyes darted to the side and I caught sight of a dog—

“Bunny!” he said warningly and I immediately diverted to him. My eyes fell onto his lips and I squinted at them when he began to talk. “The driver is here and I want you to head straight home, understand? I have an interview—”

“OKAY!” I attacked Doyoung with a hug and grabbed my bag. Where’s the driver? It would be by the gate, would it? I took a step forward, my brother grabbing one of my pigtails and pulling me back. “Ouch! OPPA!”

“He’s at the third exit,” Doyoung said. “Actually, come here. Let’s go.”

“But I can go alone!”

“You get lost going to the bathroom at home,” he reminded me and I scrunched my nose at him, smacking my brother’s arm. “Go. Go now.”

And that is how I ended up on the car drive home alone but since it was peak hour, the traffic was horrible and I stared outside my window. The soft classical musical music played in the background and I hummed to myself when my phone rang.

I answered it without looking at the caller, Na Jaemin’s voice saying my name.

“Whaddup?” I asked; Na Jaemin’s voice filled with excitement.

“She’s coming to SM University,” Jaemin said and I frowned. Who? “The girl I have been talking to through email. She’s a friend of Jisung’s.”

“Omona, Nana is going to have a girlfriend!” I cooed; my attention on a stray cat.

“She’s going to be in Advertising and Broadcasting too,” Jaemin told me and I sang a small song in my head. “Say, is there something going on between you and Jeno? He was in a bad mood when he came for his shift today. I asked him what happened and he shook his head and said “Kim Doyoung’s sister”.”

I rolled my eyes. Lee-ing-Jeno.

“This is actually the first time I have ever seen Jeno so bothered by someone. He’s usually so… nonchalant. Did you bite him?”

“What?! H-how… How did you even go to that conclusion? Do I look like a dog to you that goes around biting people?” I barked.

“Yes,” Jaemin said bluntly and I huffed.

“Look, I don’t actually hate hate him. I just don’t like him. All I’m saying is that I have bad blood with him. He gave me Robusta when—”

“I already told you we didn’t have Arabica beans.” Jaemin reminded me.

“And he is trying to take my scholarship away!”

“Something that you obviously can afford, but okay.”

Jaemin’s sarcasm was something I was used to and right at that moment, I saw Jeno on the side of the road, walking his bike. He had his earphones on, his eyes on the ground when his eyes fell on a plastic bottle that someone had littered. I watched him grab the bottle and walk to the trash can, throwing it inside.

How environmentally friendly.

“….. and besides, who has bad blood with Jeno? That guy is an angel. He doesn’t say much but he’s the kindest person I have ever met—”

Jaemin’s voice droned on but I wasn’t listening to him. I saw Jeno wave at one of his friends, his eye smile coming up and I found myself wondering about him. My car went forward and we were in front of a pedestrian walking. I watched when Jeno turned his bike to cross the road, his eyes focused on something in front of him before he began to move.

Following his movement, I saw that the lights had changed already but there was still an old lady trying to cross the street. She toddled slowly and I saw Jeno slow down, walking beside the woman. He didn’t talk to her, he didn’t say anything and he could have just ridden away but he decided to match her pace, his legs bringing him forward slowly.

Huh.

“….as him. I mean, what you hate about him is beyond me, to be honest. He really is a good person—”

And then Jaemin’s voice continued to speak.

“No one is that nice, Jaemin.” I found myself saying.

“You’re just weird,” Jaemin said to me and continued to talk. I saw Jeno get on his bike, finally taking a U-turn just as my car drove towards my block. I frowned when I saw that Jeno was going the same way I was. I saw him stop in front of one of the houses and he got off the bike.

“Nana.” Jaemin paus