Chapter 11

At Cookies and Cream.

Ara was taking a break and was sitting next to Min who was brewing coffee.

"Today seems to be a peaceful day" Ara commented.

"I guess. Since our 'problems' aren't here to haunt us" Min replied while focusing in her coffee art.

Someone entered the patissirie.
That person walked and stopped in front of them.
Both Min and Ara didn't really realise the person since they were thinking about their 'problems'.

"Wow! That's really pretty. You're very skilled"

Both of them snapped out of their daydreams and focused on the person in front of them.
Min accidentally spilled her cream all over the table while Ara nearly fell backwards in her chair.

HeeYoung tried giving them her best smile, but it just came out awkward.

"Yes..uh, may I help you?" Min asked while wiping the spilt cream off the table.

"Are you, uh..Ara?" HeeYoung asked.

Min looked in Ara's direction who was just behind her.
Ara quickly got up, and straightened out her dress.

"I'm..Ara" she said.

"Are you free at this moment?"

"I guess so. Is there a problem?" Ara asked. She didn't know why she was acting all nervous around this girl.

"Can we discuss somewhere private, I'm kind of...um...embarrassed to talk about this.." she said.

"Well, we can go sit there" Ara pointed to an empty table somwehere in a quiet corner.

"Oh, hang on" Min stopped them, "Would you like to have something?" Min asked her.

"I'd like to try the Strawberry tea please" she said and walked to the table.

As soon as HeeYoung turned around, Ara panicked.

"Min! What am I going to do?"

"Relax, Ara. Take deep breaths." Min tried to comfort Ara.

"What if she's like those evil ex-girlfriends in dramas who try to bribe the heroin with money, and if she refuses to accept the money, bad things are gonna happen to her!"

"JUST STOP BEING PARANOID! You watch too much dramas. Be the tough girl that you usually are. And here.." Min gave her the strawberry tea, "take this with you" and she had pushed Ara to the table.

Ara took a deep breath, put the tea on the table for her and sat opposite to her.
Ara watched her take a sip.

"Wow. No wonder Taecyeon loves this tea. It's so refreshing" HeeYoung commented and put the cup back onto it's saucer.

"Taecyeon..?" by hearing his name, Ara lost her nervousness and raised an eyebrow, "Did he..send you here?"

"No. That's silly. But he did mention something about this patissirie.." she said while looking around.

"So have you both started dating again?" Ara asked.

HeeYoung had a shocked expression and blushed. She played with the teaspoon trying to hide her embarrassment.
Ara realised what came out of and mentally slapped herself, but she still mantained a calm expression.

"That's kind of the problem. I haven't even gone out with him yet." HeeYoung explained.

Somehow, Ara's heart felt a little lighter.

"We haven't gone out yet, but we've talked on the phone a couple of times. But I realise.."

"realise what?" Ara asked.

"Well, I realised that everytime I talk to him, I always hear your name coming up. So I thought..you were my problem.."

"I'm a problem?" Ara felt unsatisfied with the statement.

"No! Please don't misunderstand me, I didn't mean it that way. It's just that, you look like you don't like him.." she couldn't finish her sentence since it looked like she kind of regretted about what she said earlier.

"But..How did you know where to find me?" Ara asked. Since, this is officially their first time speaking face to face with each other, Ara was curious how HeeYoung searched for her.

"Just a wild guess. And my guess was actually right" HeeYoung said cheerfully.

Ara tried to fit in all the pieces of the puzzle, and like a sharp detective, she got the answer.

"So you want me to back off, so he'll pay attention to you. Is that it?" Ara said.

"I don't want to be the bad guy, but even after we broke up, I still had feelings for him" HeeYoung admitted.

Ara leaned back in her chair and thought about it.
This wasn't what she had pictured.
HeeYoung WAS supposed to be the evil ex-girlfriend and she was supposed to fight her and live happily with the hero.
But this wasn't like in the dramas at all.
To sum it all up, HeeYoung had asked permission from Ara to have Taecyeon but in a nice, innocent and polite way.

"Ara..?"

Ara got up from her seat.

"Once again, I said this to Taec and now I'm saying it to you. I'm not your mother. I dont care what you guys do! Gosh! You guys are really alike" and she left the table.

"So are you saying yes?" HeeYoung asked, but Ara had already went to the back to continue baking.

----

They both had just got back home.
Ara died on the sofa after a long day of hard work and with the encounter of her 'rival'.

Min just got out from the shower when suddenly the doorbell rang.
She was wondering who it would be considering it was already 11PM, so she went to see who it was.

"Nickhun?"

he just smiled at her, giving her a pitiful face.

"I'm kind of lonely." he said.

"Taecyeon's not home yet?"

He just shook his head.

"oh.."

"You're not going to invite me in?" he asked.

Min suddenly realised it and let him in.
Nickhun thanked her and entered the living room.

"Wow. She must be really tired" he referred to Ara who was already asleep on the sofa.

"You wouldn't want to know what she faced today" Min said.

Khun walked out to the balcony and Min followed him.

"Wow. Your scenery is better than ours!" he said astonished by the sight of Seoul at night.

"Well, I guess, since Taec payed less for his apartment" Min explained.

"pfft. Taec's a cheapskate" Khun said and they both laughed.

But the laugh was awkward. It wasn't the joyful laugh that they once had together.
They both fell silent, only being able to look at the lights on Seoul tower.

"So..who is he?" Khun suddenly spoke, "the one in the photo?"

"You're still thinking about that?" Min laughed, but when she saw that Nickhun wasn't doing the same, she slowly stopped, "he's a friend, a close...friend" she said trying not to sound nervous.

"How long have you two been together?"

"What. I just said we were just friends." Min explained again.

"Why are you hiding it?"

"Khun! What are you talking about? I'm not hiding anything"

Khun gave a loud sigh. It looked like he was dissapointed that Min wasn't telling him the truth.

"Taecyeon might be waiting for me. I better get back" he said and walked back through the living room, leaving Min at the balcony.

Min had no choice, but chased after him, and caught a hold of his sleeve.
and they both froze in that position.

"I'm still confused, whether if we officially broke up or not. I tried forgetting him, but he just suddenly came back."

Khun didn't say anything, and only listened to her explanation.

"One day, without saying anything, he left me. He was..my first love"

Khun listened to her confession and when he wanted to walk away, Min held on to his sleeve tighter.

"Please don't leave me.." she whispered.

"Unlike him, I won't leave you" he said, and left.

Min was kind of confused.
He said he wouldn't leave her, but he just did.
She realised that she was in a big mess now. She sighed and scratched her head and saw that Ara was still fast asleep even after all what had just happened right in front of her.

"How could you sleep in a situation like this" Min said and left her there.

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Haaaa~ So how was it?The ending is finally coming soon.