---

Yeongji sat on the chair feeling completely awkward, she remained still and head bowed down low. Her mind was racing with memories of the past, feelings of mixed emotions clouding her rationality.

Opposite her, Byunghun sat leisurely, waiting quietly as he sips his cup of hot coffee. He watched silently as Yeongji battled with herself.

“Are you alright?” an innocent question from his end. It seems to him that the encounter with Minji a while ago gave quite a shock to her. Indeed, the girl can be such a nuisance and he didn’t like that Yeongji seems to be too affected by it.

She remained quiet, battling with herself on whether to make a run for it and hide forever. But then, that actually wasn’t an option for her seeing that they were bound to meet again.

She sighed, “Just so you know” she began sounding pretty much defensive, “Whatever happened back in high school, it remains in high school, in the past” and with this she looked at him straight in the eyes to get her point over.

His brows furrowed, confusion was slightly taking over him but he kept still, wanting to hear everything she had to say. At a certain level, he was quite curious as to what she was thinking.

“Those things you heard earlier, it’s all lies, she’s crazy” she tried to cover it up thinking that Byunghun would somehow buy it.

He didn’t look like he would.

Disturbed, she stared at him. He was starting to look at her in amusement and it was her turn to feel muddled. Did he think that this was all amusing? It wasn’t for her.

“You’ve changed a lot” was the first thing he said and this caught her off guard. She was about to say something else but suddenly forgot what it was by his sudden statement.

She continued to stare at him, not knowing what else to say. This seemed to have confirmed her assumptions and fears, that he finally recognized her.

She didn’t know how he would react to everything after this. He acted like a jerk before, would he be now?

“So is this the reason why you suddenly walked out on me before, when all of us went out to drink?” he asked, his amused grin was still there plastered across his face.

She looked at him with pained eyes, did he have to bring it up again.

“Mian” he said simply, as if that kind of apology served him good.

She didn’t know what to think then. She was completely speechless, not just because of what had just became apparent to him but also of how he was taking everything so lightly.

Did he even realize how much heartbreak she went through because of him? At least he should have shown some decency, even just a little sympathy for what he had done before.

He became a complete jerk that day back in the broadcasting station. That memory was still etched in her mind as if it had just happened yesterday. It was painful, and he made it feel much like hell for her.

She stood up then, earning a mild surprise from him. Byunghun looks up “Where are you going?” he asks at her sudden departure.

“I don’t think that concerns you” she says off-handed, quite unlike her but she was totally put off by how he was acting right now. She didn’t care.

Byunghun watched her agape as she grabbed her things and walked out on him. This seemed to earn a few turn of heads from the surrounding table and Byunghun, not wanting to stay there for another minute, stood up and left the café after her.

---

“I am so dead!” she exclaims over the phone as she plops down on the sofa, a can of beer on hand.

‘It’s shocking he’s only realizing it now’ Chorong was on the other line, not really surprised by the news.

“I was actually hoping he wouldn’t figure it out…EVER” Yeongji explained looking back on the turn of events earlier that day.

It was already 2am and she still couldn’t get over it, heck she couldn’t even sleep so she ended up calling Chorong.

‘Does Joongki know already?’ she asks.

“No, haven’t spoken to him yet” Yeongji confessed.

‘Aigoo, your life is so messed up right now’ she sighs, half teasing half concerned.

“Don’t remind me” Yeongji felt all the more frustrated realizing how everything was being difficult on her. She had to deal with a lot of things at work already and Byunghun was adding up too much to that stress. And then there’s also the issue of Niel, whom she can’t figure out up until now.

‘So… moving on, did anything happen with Niel?’ there was no denying the excitement that lingered in Chorong’s voice. She had wanted to hear the latest scoop since she really thinks the boy is adorable.

“Well… I asked him to be my date for the party” she said, still a bit shy. “You know, I’m beginning to have mixed feelings and I really can’t explain it” she added.

Ever since, there were no secrets between the two of them. They always confided in each other with everything, may it be about boys, family matters, work, or just about anything they could think of.

‘I’m guessing you like him’ she answers bluntly on the other line.

“Aniya!” Yeongji denies immediately, feeling all the more embarrassed.

‘Judging from the way he acts’ Chorong continues, ‘Well, from your stories that is’

‘I’m guessing he likes you too, he’s not just letting on that much’ she adds.

“I don’t think that’s the case” she presses, not wanting to believe her and yet, there’s a part of her that hoped it’s that way. She was beginning to feel too giddy and she wanted to blame the alcohol but she knew it wasn’t the reason.

‘I’ll be the judge of that, I’m really looking forward to the party’ she exclaimed. She was returning back to Korea in a few weeks’ time as she had wanted to go visit Yeongji. Of course, she wouldn’t want to miss her best friend’s clothing line launch.

“Me too, I really miss you, like a hell lot” Yeongji expressed with a sigh as she really did miss Chorong. It has been too long since they last saw each other.

‘I miss you too~’ Chorong added and then, ‘Hey, I’ll go ahead. I need to get back to class in a couple of minutes’ she bid her goodbye.

“Alright, talk to you later” and the call ended.

Yeongji stared at the phone for a while as she sat there on the couch, feet propped up on the arm rest comfortably. She sighed as the minutes ticked by.

Just then, her phone rang in alert as a message had just come in.

She sat up straight, mildly surprised that anyone would be sending her a message at this hour.

She swipes the phone’s screen to open the message.

Her heart stopped for a second.

Niel: Just finished shooting for the drama. Heading home right now. Just wanted to say good night~

A big, sheepish grin rose from her face unknowingly as she read the text again and again.

She immediately clicks on the reply button and hastily responds with a ‘Take care going home, good night! ^_^’

She smiles as she stares at the phone, Niel’s message on repeat in her mind, the events of earlier with Byunghun completely forgotten.

Again, that giddy feeling she couldn’t describe. Is she really beginning to like Niel more than friends? That she had to find out for her own.

---

TBC