The small white stick stuck between Minji’s lips as she took another long drag from her cigarette. She pulled it away from and blew out pallid colored smoke into the air. Her gaze remained fixed on Seunghyun as she continued smoking. She watched his long and slender fingers, strumming and moving along the frets of the guitar skillfully. His eyes closed, drowned in his own world as he passionately played to the rhythm of the song.

“Yah, Minji! Stop smoking!” Minji snapped out of trance as Chaerin yanked the cigarette out of her hand, squashing it into the ashtray.

“What is wrong with you?!” Minji growled, slamming her hands on the table angrily.

“No, Minji. The right question would be what is wrong with you! What happened to you? This is not the Minji we used to know, and since when did you start smoking? I don’t want to see you smoke again, Gong Minji.” Bom admonished, her arms crossed.

“I’m out of here.” Minji rolled her eyes in annoyance as she stood up. Chaerin wanted to retort but Bom held her back, mouthing to leave the latter alone to clear her mind. Chaerin sighed, deciding to just watch Minji’s back as she walked away from the table and out of the café.

“She’s ruining herself.” Chaerin said, half whispering though loud enough for Bom to hear.

“What happened to her?” Bom asked, her forehead ceased into a frown as she was worried about her friend.

“It’s all Taemin’s fault.” Chaerin seethed through her gritted teeth as she angrily picked her can of Coke up, chugging half of it. Bom wanted to ask more but decided against it, her voice drowned amidst the crowd’s cheers as they started to clap when the performance ended. She sighed and brought her palms together and clapped along.

Lee Hongki flashed his infamous smile to the crowd as he bowed along with the other members of his band. He placed the microphone back to its stand and excused himself from his band. He then walked down the stage, heading to where his girlfriend was. Bom smiled, watching him approach her and Chaerin. She pulled the vacant chair beside her and motioned for Hongki to sit there.

“So, how was the performance?” Hongki asked, grinning as soon as he landed his bottom on the chair.

“It was amazing, as always.” Bom answered, planting a soft kiss on his cheek with her arms wrapped around him.

“Oh god, guys. Get a room.” Chaerin rolled her eyes, chuckling.

“Hyung, it’s getting late, I’ll go home now before uncle worries about me.” A voice interrupted, with a tap on Hongki’s shoulder. Hongki looked over his shoulder and saw Seunghyun, his guitar already zipped into his bag; slung over his shoulder.

“Late? It’s not even midnight yet. Don’t be Mister Goody Two Shoes.” Chaerin teased the guy, only earning a sheepish smile from him.

“I just need a lot of rest.” He explained, timidly. “Ah, wasn’t there another girl with you a while ago?”

“Who, Minji?” Bom interrupted, her head now rested on Hongki’s shoulder comfortably.

“Ah, yes, Minji-ssi.” Seunghyun pondered for a while before answering once the name clicked in his mind.

“She left. She wasn’t in a good mood.” Bom shrugged. “I didn’t know you guys had any forms of relationship. She was looking for you too, this afternoon.”

“She did?”

“She definitely did. And it’s the first to see her waiting and searching for someone like that.” Bom chuckled. “You must be special, Seunghyun-ssi.”

- - -

Seunghyun hitched the guitar bag up slightly as he exited the café. He breathed out a soft sigh as he looked up at the dark somber night sky with no stars in sight. He fished his cell phone out from his pocket and flipped it open. As expected, there was a text from his uncle, asking him when was he coming home. He shoved the phone back into his pocket, not bothering to reply. He stepped off the café’s door step and started walking away, still deciding whether to head home or not.

He stopped in his tracks, hearing a soft humming coming from his left. He turned and saw a familiar woman, sitting down cross-legged on a public bench with her earphones plugged in her ears. Gong Minji; he smiled, though the simper soon faded when he saw her puffing out patterns of smoke. Natheless, he found his feet dragging him towards her, soon halting in front of her. She looked up at him slightly surprised to see him there as she pulled her earphones out.

“Can I help you?” She flicked the end of the cigarette, causing bits of the ashes flying.

“You’re Minji, right?” He asked, smiling warmly at her.

“Forgot me already, Seunghyun-ssi?” She smiled half-heartedly, her mood for the night still ruined. Albeit knowing what Chaerin did was for her own good, she was still stubborn at heart. She shook her head lightly, not wanting to think about it anymore.

“No, I was just making sure.” She nodded, acknowledging his answer as she took another long drag; puffing out smokes again soon after. Seunghyun cupped his nose with his hand, lightly coughing; probably because he inhaled some of the smoke. Minji noticed it, she then flicked the cigarette onto the tarred pathway beneath them and squashed it with her shoe.

“You can’t even handle smoke?” She scoffed.

“Yes, I’m unfortunate.” He chuckled, finally pulling his hand away after realizing she had thrown the cigarette away.

“You’re weird, Seunghyun-ssi. I’m only talking to a weird and clumsy person like you because I love your coffee.” She joked. “Even Starbucks can’t beat it.” She then picked up the medium sized cup of Starbucks coffee beside her and took a sip.

“Honestly, I have never tasted Starbucks.” He confessed. Minji almost choked on her coffee, literally. She turned to him; wide eyed.

“Are you kidding me?” She asked in disbelief. “Never in my life have I met someone who has never had Starbucks.” Seunghyun shook his head and shrugged. “Here, you should taste mine.” Minji held her cup up, offering it to Seunghyun. Seunghyun hesitated but Minji shook the cup in front of him, insisting for him to take it.

“Alright then.” He brought his hand up to grab the cup.

He failed.

He grabbed the air, a few inches away from the cup instead. Minji’s eyebrows knitted, and Seunghyun’s eyes widened. He brought his hand back and held it up in his face, staring at it.

“Seunghyun-ssi, are you alright?” Minji asked, worried yet confused.

“I… I’m sorry. It’s my sight… failing me.” He spoke, gritting his teeth at the last two words yet he remained smiling. “I just need my glasses that’s all.”

“But Seunghyun-ssi—”

“I have to go now, Minji-ssi. It’s nice meeting you.”

He turned and ran off, leaving a baffled Minji behind. She tried calling out for him, but he did not turn, not even once.