"So, what brought all this on?" you asked carefully. You and Siwon were strolling leisurely around campus, under the moon and stars. It was his idea to take this moonlit walk, of course.
            Siwon recalled his earlier conversation with Kibum. Their acquaintance, which had originally been nothing more than a favor to Han Geng, had somehow developed into a true friendship within just a few short months. Siwon genuinely liked Kibum for the talented actor and good Christian man he was, and judging by the way Kibum had opened up, he seemed to have taken Siwon in as a real friend as well. Siwon figured that Kibum wasn't as cold and quiet as he seemed at first glance. He was actually funny, and genuinely talented. Siwon liked him enough that he figured he owed him this much as a friend. He finally decided to answer you in half-truths,
            "Well, when I first met you I really liked you," he said. True. "But you were taken. And now that you're free, I thought I would give it a shot." False. She wasn't free, and if someone hadn't been so stubborn, Siwon figured he wouldn't be the one giving this speech right now.
            Completely unaware of all of Siwon's inner turmoil, you felt yourself blush. Siwon was undoubtedly one of the best-looking guys in your year, but you had never paid attention to him because of…well, him. But clearly, he had been paying attention to you.
            "So you were the surprise Kibum was planning," you mused, mostly to yourself. Deep breaths, you thought. Siwon is a good person. Kibum promised he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, and I have to try, for Kibum.
            Siwon heard you sigh though, and he asked innocently, "Is that okay with you?"
            You shook off the odd feeling in your gut and smiled readily at Siwon, saying, "It seems great to me."

~*~

            "Yobeoseyo?" you asked, tucking your cell phone between your shoulder and your ear, stirring a big pot of instant ramyeon for you and Qian to eat.
            "_____-ah!" a familiar voice echoed in your ear loudly.
            You grinned. "Wookie-ah!"
            "You picked up your phone! It's a miracle!"
            You grinned sheepishly, although you knew he wouldn't be able to see it. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, Wook. I think I went a little crazy there for a bit."
            "You think?"
            "Yah!"
            "Just kidding!" he said hastily. "I missed talking to you. Kibum was no fun to cook with and he doesn't appreciate my cooking like you do."
            "I'm sure he eats your food very happily, Wook."
            "That's not what I mean! He doesn't take a moment to enjoy the art of it all. I put so much effort into it and he wolfs it down like it's just some simple street food."
            You rolled your eyes playfully. It was just like Ryeowook to be so fussy about his cooking. There were two things he was always freakishly particular about: first his music, then second, his cooking.
            You divided the soup and noodles evenly into two bowls, seeing how Song Qian looked just about ready to pounce like a starving tiger. You felt bad that after being missing in action for a week you had nothing to feed her but instant noodles, without even any eggs. You wanted to tell her yourself so you told Ryeowook hastily,
            "Sorry, Wook, but I gotta go now; if you don't have anything else to tell me, that is."
            "Oh, wait, wait, _____!"
            You paused, and he hurriedly continued, "I was just teasing you before. I wanted to see if you were still depressed about Henry."
            Rather straightforward, you mused wryly. But you wondered if your efforts at cheering up were working, so you asked, "And your verdict?"
            "You're doing better! But I know what could make you feel even better," he said in a sing-song tone.
            You eyed Song Qian, taking note of how she was more than halfway finished with her bowl. "Spit it out, Wook," you urged.
            "Okay, okay, well since exams end tomorrow, I decided I would go on that date I promised with Miyoung and I invited all the rest too. Please tell me you'll come along!"
            "Is Kibum going, and can Qiannie come too?"
            "No, and yes!"
            You sighed internally. Just because Kibum couldn't be there didn't mean you shouldn't try and change your anti-social ways for good. "Fine."
            "Yay! You won't regret it, _____-ah!" Ryeowook cheered.
            "Now leave me to eat my dinner in peace," you grumbled, only teasing him.
            "Annyeong!"
            You hung up and met Qian's curious gaze with a weary grin.

~*~

            You were completely unaware of all the secret planning going on behind your back, while Song Qian was perfectly aware of everything Ryeowook had planned. She was only acting as a decoy to keep you distracted and make sure you went on the group date.
            Ryeowook walked stiffly upright in front of his friends, ready to play the part of commander to his troops. He relayed the attack strategy and instructed,
            "One of you has to get _____ to go on a date with you. Be on your absolute best behavior with her. As one of her best friends, it is my job to make sure she forgets that good-for-nothing Henry Lau. Am I clear?"
            "Sir, yes, sir!"
            "I said, AM I CLEAR?"
            "SIR, YES, SIR!"

~*~

            Song Qian was the one who forced you to get dressed like this. She practically tied you to your chair, except instead of using actual rope she kept you down with multiple threats and blackmail.
            You had to admit that she did her job well. You haven't felt beautiful in a long time, but Song Qian managed to do it.
            "Every dancer has to know how to do makeup," she had explained.
            "Just please don't do any of that funky stage stuff," you had begged.
            "Relax. I'm going to make you look perfect."
            And she had. After finishing dolling herself up—you noticed, somewhat resentfully, that she didn't take nearly as long on herself—she led you out. After a bit of walking you recognized the way.
            "We're going to Kona Beans?" you asked incredulously.
            "Of course. Do you have a better idea for a date?" Qian replied matter-of-factly.
            "Well, no," you admitted. 
            "Then shush," she admonished. Without further ado, she pushed you through the front door, straight into the arms of Cho Kyuhyun.
            "Kyuhyun-ah!" you greeted apologetically. He smiled—his face looked a bit frightening like that—and led you in.
            "Kyuhyunnie, is that cologne I smell on you?" you asked, leaning in to take a deeper whiff of him.
            Jungsu walked up to the two of you, suavely sliding next to you, shoving a scowling Kyuhyun away. "Annyeong, _____," he said in a deep voice that sounded nothing like him, trying his best to sound every bit like Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome and failing miserably.
            You accidentally laughed at him. "Jungsu oppa, is your throat hurting?"
Jongwoon appeared out of nowhere and tossed him a cough drop, successfully hitting him in the face. While Jungsu turned away to rub his smarting nose, Jongwoon stepped in and said in his y voice—which actually sounded quite y, much to Jungsu's displeasure, 
            "Would you like to see me dance?"
            "Dear God almighty, no one wants to see that, hyung," Sungmin cried, shooing him away. "But I, on the other hand, do know how to play guitar, if you'd like to take a listen."
            You smiled widely, highly amused and willing to play along with these boys, but your answer was interrupted by the arrival of your hoobae friends, who, of course, managed to look flawless.
            One of them apparently caught Sungmin's eye, for he cleared his throat and hastily excused himself before sidling up to the girls and leading them to the table where everyone was seated. 
            You could only laugh. You could see that they were trying to cheer you up, and you couldn't help but smile at their inescapable dorkiness. Miyoung greeted Ryeowook with a hug, while Sooyeon settled herself next to Jongwoon. It appears that Soonkyu was the one that caught Sungmin’s eye, as they begun talking animatedly to each other. Kyuhyun looked positively bewildered at how he managed to talk to three girls at once, while Jungsu flitted about like a lonely little butterfly, trying to get at least one girl to talk to him. Ryeowook moved away from Miyoung to say something to the other boys, although you didn’t hear. They shooed and swatted him away like a fly, much to Wook’s indignation, but the boys were much too occupied with the girls to pay any attention to poor Wook. You were looking at them enjoying themselves with fondness, until your reveries were interrupted by the appearance of Ryeowook, who threw himself into the seat next to yours with a mile-wide pout.
            You poked his cheek, interrogating, "What's with the face?"
            "Nothing," he mumbled.
            "Is it Miyoung? Do you want me to talk to her?" you said, already halfway out of your seat.
            "No," and after a pause he said pathetically, "My plans are all ruined!"
            "Aw, did you plan an event for Miyoungie? Is there anything I can do to help?"
            Ryeowook turned to you with a look that said he quite desperately wanted to slap you silly. "No, pabo! My plan to help you has been ruined!"
            You felt your heart warm. "You were trying to help me?"
            Ryeowok nodded, looking more serious. "When I met you, you were so alive. You were happy and funny and witty and then…"
            "I know…Ryeowook, I'm sorry I put you through all this," you interrupted before he could bring up the bad memories, feeling quite ashamed. Only until recently have you been realizing how very selfish your behavior has been, how you've been disregarding the feelings of everyone who cared about you.
            Ryeowook shook his head and squeezed you. "Don't. Just try to be happy, for me and Kibum and Qian."
            "Song Qian? She was a part of this, wasn't she? She was the one who dressed me up like this."
            Ryeowook laughed, his small eyes sparkling as he did. "She did a great job, too!"
            You sat laughing together and talking about old times, until Miyoung came up. "Ryeowook oppa, can you come here for a second?" she called.
            He consented and smiled at you apologetically.
            "Go," you waved him away. "I'm fine, really."
            He nodded and left. As you watched your friends again, Ryeowook's words echoed in your head and you could only sit there, wallowing in shame. God, I'm such a terrible friend. They're always running around for me—literally, and all I ever do is whine and complain. I'm such a selfish friend.

~*~

            Someone was watching you very intently. Actually, he had been watching ever since you stepped into Kona Beans. He gotten in trouble, too, for being distracted from his work, but he didn't care. He didn't care one bit, not since he'd heard you'd broken up with your boyfriend. He'd been dying for his chance to talk to you, but you hadn't come by Kona Beans in so long. 
            And now when you finally had shown up, all night, you were constantly talking to other guys, talking to other girls, and then you were talking one-on-one with Ryeowook—damn lucky, that guy was, to be your friend. He could only watch you from behind the counter, admiring you from afar as you looked exceptionally beautiful.
            And then at last, at long last, you were alone. Finally!
            He grabbed his chance. He picked up the tray of dirty dishes he was meant to carry to the back to be washed. With purposefully casual steps, he went around the cafe, being sure to head in your direction. He did his best to look like he was simply doing his job and didn't look at you at all; rather, he went to you by his senses—he just knew where you were.
            And when he was right in front of you—he fell.
            It was an art, he figured, to be able to knock one's own feet out from under himself on purpose. In the split-second it took for his to make contact with the ground, he congratulated himself on a job well done.
            All you could do was watch in horror as the blonde clerk tripped and fell right in front of you, his stack of dishes flying into the air and falling almost in slow-motion right before you. You jumped from your seat and reached out to try and catch them—but it was too late. 
            Bits of half-eaten pastries and droplets of cold coffee rained down on the blonde clerk, who was sprawled out on the ground, and on you, frozen and halfway out of your seat right above him. 
            And everything came crashing down—the crumbs, the food, the coffee and the tea, and the dishes all clanged against the ground, creating a chorus of chaos as the silverware bounced across the floor and the plates shattered into pieces.
            All of Kona fell silent, watching the mess that had just been created in front of all of them. You could only stare at the blonde clerk in shock, eyes rounder than the saucers that had just splintered, your shirt dripping with cold coffee, your hair sprinkled with people's leftovers. He met your gaze with eyes looking just as wide. Then, all of sudden, he laughed out loud, showing off his pink gums. He laughed and laughed until everyone else in the entire room joined him. You just started to get over your shock and felt a smile tugging at your lips when one of the mothers who owned the place—you weren't sure which one—waddled up, waving her hands and scolding the poor blonde clerk, trying to fight the smile that was threatening to undermine her stern demeanor.
            She grabbed your hand to lead you to a sink to clean you up, but the blonde clerk moved like lightning and stole you from her, quickly escaping and taking you with him. He led you to the washroom in the back, leaving the poor mother to clean up the broken dishes.
            "_____!" You heard someone calling you, but you barely had a chance to look back when the blonde clerk shut the bathroom door, and leaned against it, trying to collect himself.
            When he could finally breathe again, he looked up to see you standing there with your arms crossed, not looking very pleased.
            "Oh, my God, I'm so sorry about that," he said, not looking the least bit sorry.
            But you couldn't get angry at him, not when he was smiling at you so brightly with that gummy smile. You sighed, "It's fine. But could you please help me get cleaned up? Then I'll help you. You're a bigger mess than I am," you added with a chuckle.
            And he was, poor fellow. Because of his position sprawled out on the ground, most of the debris had landed on him. You leaned over to start picking food from his hair, managing to feel only slightly disgusted as you did so.
            The blonde clerk on the other hand, was nearly experiencing heart palpitation from how near you were. He could hear you breathing, and he could see every detail of your face. 
            She looks beautiful when she's concentrating, he thought. Funny, isn't it, how he found you so beautiful even though they were standing in a bathroom covered in trash. He was so distracted with his admiration that he didn't even notice you had finished cleaning his hair and was simply staring at you.
            You cleared your throat. "So, uh, what's your name?"
            He wasn't sure how he managed to answer when you were smiling so playfully at him like that, looking like a wingless angel, crumbs and all.
He found his voice. "We met before, don't you remember?"
            You shook your head sheepishly. "Sorry, I've been kinda…distracted lately."
            He smiled brightly at you. "No, it's fine. My name is Lee Hyukjae."
            Then he took your hand gently and said, looking quite serious for the first time that night, though he was still smiling. "And I was hoping you would go on a date with me."

~*~

            Kibum, meanwhile, was off with Siwon. They spent quite a lot of time with each other nowadays; Kibum saw him more than he saw even Han Geng.
            "So did she say yes?" Kibum said, bravely fighting his jealousy.
            Siwon shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, she did."
            Kibum fought to control his expression, refusing to betray the pain that twisted his heart and lungs together. "Great! But don't look so casual, Won," he said disapprovingly. "You have to swear you'll do your best to make her happy."
            Siwon frowned. "What do you take me for? Of course I'll be good to her. I like her too, though not as much as you do," he added reprovingly.
            Kibum ignored him and instead reached inside his back pocket pulling out a neatly folded sheet of paper. He slid it towards Siwon, informing him, "That's _____'s. She carries this sheet of paper with her everywhere, no matter where she's going. I managed to steal it for a bit and make a copy."
            Siwon read it carefully. “It’s a list,” he said warily, "I’m guessing you want me to follow this list?"
            Kibum nodded, leaning back and folding his hands over his chest. "Think you can do it?"
            "Easily," Siwon said. "But isn't that kind of…cheating?"
            "Not if you do it right."
            Siwon raised his eyebrow. He's really good at that, Kibum thought absentmindedly. "But how did you come up with all this list? It's kind of asking for a lot."
            "____ deserves the best," Kibum said firmly. "And you're the closest I have."
            "Eyyy. Thanks." Siwon grinned, shoving him playfully. "But if you wrote this, than surely you fit into everything on this list. I don't get why you don't just date her and make both of you happy,” he continued to protest.
            Kibum shrugged, once again hiding his unhappiness. "I already explained to you. Besides, who knows if I'll be good enough for her? I didn't write it."
            "Then who did?"
            "The only guy she ever fell in love with. Her ex-boyfriend."

A/N: Yes, in that last line Kibum is talking about the mysterious him we've all been dying to know more about ^^

I think a song that perfectly suits Reader's and Hyukjae's relationship is "Marry Me" by Train. Some lyrics: "Marry me, if I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe, say you will." SOBS wasn't how they met so cute ^o^~~!!!!

The song that fits Kibum's and Reader's relationship is "Say You Love Me" by MYMP. IU also did a cover if you want to check it out, and both Donghae and Max Changmin really like that song. 

The final chapter I wrote needs a little more editing than these two did, but it'll definitely be up by tomorrow. Enjoy~