Jongin had just come back from his Tuesday physiotherapy, and in about two hours, he should leave his house again for class. He took his time to eat lunch, something that he usually skipped three months back. His appetite was coming back slowly but surely and it was better than nothing. He needed to eat a lot to regain his weight, and more importantly, to load his body with sufficient nutrients. Jongin figured out one reason why his physiotherapy progress wasn’t moving forward a month ago was that he didn’t eat much, hence, lessening his energy and hindering his ability to move. His mom specially cooked spicy beef stew with mushroom and tofu just like he requested last night. It was so delicious that he finished off everything on his plate in less than 15 minutes.

Taking out his phone from his pocket, Jongin wished to see 100dollar’s name on his notification bar. But it didn’t happen. These past two weeks, 100dollar had been a slow replier. They always admit that they were busy—college tasks, going out with friends, extracurricular—but the pattern was getting unusual. 100dollar usually replied within 12 hours, and Jongin had already gone through two days without any reply.

Heeeey 100dollar.

Are you there?

Still busy?

Can I talk to you?

Now Jongin sounded like a possessive boyfriend and the unsent button was nowhere to be found.

He rubbed his face with his palm before shoving his phone back into his pants pocket.

During his way to college, Jongin stared at the moving trees, buildings, and roads outside the car’s window. He wondered the reason why he kept thinking of 100dollar. Was it solely because he was already getting used to talking to them every day (except for that week) that it became part of his habit? Or was it due to something else? An attachment?

Jongin sighed. Both of the reasons were intertwined with each other. There wouldn’t be a habit if there was no attachment and vice versa. He badly wanted to keep 100dollar in his life. The question then narrowed down into one: should he settle everything and meet 100dollar to maintain their relationship? He was afraid that both of them already had respective expectations about each other that won’t be 100 percent fulfilled and impact their future relationship.

When was the last time I felt so confused about someone like this? His mind decided to instead come up with a different question in the middle of his overthinking session.

Was it...Sehun? The last person that made me feel like I’m working on an unsolvable puzzle?

“Mr. Kim? We’ve arrived”.

Mr. Lee’s voice disrupted him from the collided waves of his thoughts.

“Oh.....”, Jongin pulled his sling bag to his shoulder and reached for his crutch. Mr. Lee opened the door’s car for him before holding on Jongin’s arm. He then stood up at the ground of his faculty’s entrance. It was getting easier each week to step out from the car, thanks to his legs’ improved condition. Mrs. Shin was optimistic that Jongin would be able to ditch his crutch in less than a month.

“Thank you, Mr. Lee”, he said. Mr. Lee drooped his head slightly to Jongin before he drove away from Jongin’s campus building.

A short vibrate from his phone tickled his front thigh when he opened the class door. Jongin quickly sat on the seat right next to the wall—reserved for him because he needed a place to lean his crutch—and took his phone out from his pocket.

Hey, 1rhapsody4. Sorry, I’ve been so busy. This week just started, and a pile of work was handed to me.

Sure, you can talk to me.

Jongin was about to jump from his seat before his mind restricted him from doing so. 

I have good news!

Really? What is that?

My doctor said I’ve improved a lot. I won’t need a crutch anymore in a few weeks.

Waaah, congratulations! Good for you. Did you plan to come back to dancing ASAP?

Absolutely. I can see myself practising soon.

By the way, I want to ask you something.

The door opened by their lecturer and everyone rushed to came back to their seats. Jongin dragged his phone to his desk’s drawer while keeping his face to the front side of the class.

“What is that?”, Jongin skimmed 100dollar’s text, then pressed his phone keyboard. His eyes were set straight to the whiteboard where his lecturer was writing a new term for their lesson, and his right hand’s fingers were tapping letter by letter quickly in the drawer.

Do you want to meet me and hang out with me?

For 15 minutes he was waiting for a reply but his phone didn’t vibrate at all. Maybe 100dollar was in class too. Just like him. Jongin sighed before he put his phone back into his bag.

~***~

Seulgi had opened her blank new document along with her music player for at least, 30 minutes, but she just stared at the white digital canvas without steering her thoughts into her essay. She put the music on shuffle and let her ears did the work while her mind wandered to two weeks ago.

Still very fresh to her memory how Kai gripped both of her arms when his crutch was falling to the ground. By the close physical proximity they had, his scent wafted into her smelling sense. His smile was genuine and lovely, it fits perfectly on his well-sculpted face. Seulgi had restricted herself not to look for any information about Kai with search engine. She was afraid, probably because she wasn’t ready to face another information she didn’t need to know about him.

But now, it was 1rhapsody4 himself that asked her to meet him. Why? Did he know something about me?

Seulgi decided to send a reply back to him after ignoring 1rhapsody4’s text for more than an hour.

Why do you want to meet me?

She started composing her essay right after she put her phone on airplane mode so she couldn’t be distracted by anything. The deadline was approaching and she hadn’t written any word yet.

It was around her usual dinner time when Seulgi finally submitted her essay to her campus portal. Closing her laptop with a relieved sigh, Seulgi turned off her phone airplane mode and greeted by several notifications. She just put her phone back to her sweatshirt pocket and let it vibrate for a couple times as her stomach already grumbled from the hunger.

Seulgi ordered kimchi fried rice with egg from the restaurant on the lower ground of her flat, and asked the employee to deliver it straight to her room. She then came back to her room and throw herself to sit on the couch. Opening the Vault notification right away, she was greeted with 1rhapsody4’s chats.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I thought we won’t do any harm by levelling our friendship up into a real one.

You’re nice. I don’t want to miss this chance.

1rhapsody4’s words were more than just a compliment for Seulgi. It sounds like an appreciation for her personality. Seulgi’s cheeks turned warmer as her smile rose upon her face. She was flattered.

Did you think about me that way?

Thank you Kai.

And her face quickly turned bloodless pale after seeing those words on her chat window with 1rhapsody4.

Seulgi widened both of her eyes, her hands were trembling from the accelerated heartbeat under her chest. What the did you just do, Kang Seulgi? She quickly closed the app and threw her phone to the floor. Seulgi raised both of her knees to her chest level. Hugging both of her knees with her arms, Seulgi bit her trembling lower lip while still breathing rapidly.

Why did I say Kai? Why? Why?! Why did I send that without checking? Seulgi closed both of her eyes and whimper in a deep mortification. The only encounter they had was accidental, but it was in the place that both of them has a relation with. So how much the probability that Kai will later realize the one who operated behind user 100dollar was her, Kang Seulgi? Will it turn him away because he was creeped out by her?

Regardless of the answer, Seulgi still didn’t want to pick her phone from the ground.

The sound of her flat’s be