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Chapter 35

*Chunji's POV*

Once we got home after cleaning up the mess that was made from the grand opening we got changed and washed up. All we ate today was some sweets, so we didn't have the time to eat a proper meal. I decided to make some ramen while L.Joe was in the shower. He soon got out and came to the living room. I already set his bowl on the coffee table, so he sat next to me. 
"Thanks, I'm starving!" He exclaimed. We were eating our ramen with the TV on.  "So today I was talking to Chae and she told me she wasn't looking to be in a relationship at the moment," I told him while slurping my noodles. 

"What? Why?"

I just shrugged my shoulder, "she told me that the dude wasn't her boyfriend. And then said she was going to focus on work....." 

It was the next morning and I was making some coffee. "So, I was talking to Soojin last night and she told me that Chae still liked you..." L.Joe said, walking into the kitchen.  "And........" 

"And my point is that you shouldn't give up just because she said she wasn't interested in being in a relationship!" 
"I don't know.........I need to go before I'm late for work," I grabbed my coffee and left my apartment. I went to the garage and got my car keys out. My work place was about 10 minutes away and I usually leave before the roads get busy. 

I looked at my schedule for today. I only had piano lessons to teach today and it was for two hours. Hyunbin came in and we started our lessons. Two hours passed in a breeze and it was time for my break. I was in my office when I heard the door open. I looked up and saw Soojin and L.Joe. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked. It was really rare for me to get any of my friends visiting my office. 

"You give people lessons in here?" Soojin asked, inspecting my office. "No, I give them lessons in the music rooms. My office is just a space for me and for people to come in here to make appointments. Anyways, you guys didn't answer me. Why are you here?" 

"What, we can't visit you?" L.Joe jokingly said. I have him this glare, I wasn't in the mood for any games. "Just kidding, gosh no need to get angry. We're here to help you!" He responded. "With.......?" 

"Chae. Your a little wimp and won't do anything. So we're going to help you," Soojin said. They sat down in the chairs in front of my desk. "And exactly how?" 

"You guys need to be with each other. We're not going to force you into anything but just spend time with her. Maybe then you might naturally change your mind and ask her out, or maybe even the other way around!" Soojin said with her cheeky smile.  I wasn't sure, I shook my head a bit.  "Oh come! Just do it! It won't kill you to see her!" L.Joe said.  "Look, her lunch break is around this time. Why don't you go and visit her!" Soojin told me. I didn't say anything but the two were staring at me. They won't leave me alone. "Fine......" 

I walked into the bakery. Chaejin was sitting at a booth in one of the store's corner. I walked towards her. She was on her phone with her earbuds plugged in. I sat down across from her and knocked on the table. She looked up and seemed a bit surprised. She unplugged the earbuds from her ears. "Oh, Chunji! What are you doing here?" 

"Just walking by. I decided to pay you a little visit." 

"Oh.....well thanks, I guess. So......how was your day?" 

"It was alright I guess. Work wasn't too bad today." 

"Oh yeah. You work at that music institution, right?" She asked. I nodded my head, "Yeah. I give piano and singing lessons" 

"Oh, that's cool. So I'm guessing you're on break."  

I nodded my head, "Hey. Why don't we go out to eat lunch? I heard that the sandwich shop has a new fusion sandwich." I suggested. She thought for a while and nodded her head. I was shocked, I didn't expect her to say yes. Just then I got a text message. It was from one of my coworkers. "What is it?" She asked. "I have to go back to work. There's an urgent meeting that I need to be at. Sorry......" 

"No, it's fine. Maybe another day. Before you leave why don't you take some muffins!"  She packed some muffins and I grabbed my wallet, "it's on the house!" I insisted on paying for the muffins but she kept refusing. She eventually got it her way and I left. 

"So...how did it go?" L.Joe asked. I came back home and placed my stuff on the couch. "I asked her to go to lunch with me, she said yeah but then I got a call for some stupid meeting....." I explained. 

*Chaejin's POV*

I came back home from work. I went to the bathroom to wash up and came back to the living room. "So how was work?" Soojin asked. "It was alright. Oh, and Chunji came by to visit," I told her. "Really! What happened??" 
"Nothing really? We were just talking and he offered to go to lunch with me. I agreed but then something came up and he has to go,” I explained. She just nodded her head. 
 

A week passed by. Nothing drastic happened within the past few days. I've been busy working on the bakery. Chunji came by to visit a couple of times but I couldn't do much since he alway visited when I wasn't on break. And whenever I was on break he was always busy. 

I came back home a bit earlier today. I took a shower and decided to clean the apartment up. The door unlocked and Soojin placed her stuff on the couch. "Hey Chae, you have any plans tonight?" she asked. I shook my head. "Okay, good! Do you want to go out for dinner today?" 

"I guess, where?"

"This fancy restaurant. I reserved it so I could eat dinner with L.Joe but he had to cancel today," she explained. I just nodded my head and continued cleaning the apartment. We had three hours before we had to leave so we decided to sit on the couch on watch TV. Soojin got a phone call so we got up and went to answer it. She came back and sat down. "Who was it?" I asked. "It was Hyo. I have to babysit Jaemin today....."

"What about dinner?" 

"Um......why don't you ask Chunji?" She suggested. "I'm not sure if he wants to go........"

"Hey, the other day he asked you to go to lunch with him. Dinner is no different! Ask him!!!" 

I gave him a call but he wouldn't pick up. Soojin asked L.Joe where he was and apparently, he had work. He should be back within the next half hour. "Why don't you ask him then? Go to his apartment and wait for him to come by! Then ask him." Soojin said. I gave her this look, unsure if I should actually do that.

I was waiting by his apartment complex, trying to play it cool. Soojin forced me to go and wouldn't let me back in the apartment until I asked. I saw him park his car and get out the garage. I compose myself and waited till he came closer. "Oh, Chaejin. What are you doing here?" he asked, obviously surprised to see me here. "Oh....well.......I.......um......."

He was staring at me, "Yes........." he said with a laugh. "Um......do you want to go to dinner with me?" I finally asked him. "Sure! When?" He asked. "Within the next hour," I responded. "Okay, well I'll pick you up at your house then."

*Chunji's POV*

We came to the restaurant. It was a fancy on and I wasn't expecting this. "Wow, you didn't tell me we were having dinner here," I joked. The waiter took us to our table and we settled in. "Yeah....it was actually Soojin who was supposed to have dinner here. She reserved it for her and L.Joe but he had to cancel and told me to go with her. But then she had to cancel....so now I'm here with you," she explained. 

L.Joe had to cancel? But for what, he was doing nothing at home. Just then I got a text message from him. 

You better ask her out!!! We paying for your EXPENSIVE dinner - L.Joe

I should have known, this was apart of their 'little' plan. Just then the people next to us got settled in too. "Hyung? What are you doing here?" Changjo asked. He came here with Aiya obviously. We explaine