“Okay… what’s going on with you lately?” Minzy sips on her cappuccino latte and eye her best friend who is seated in front of her still lost in her own world as she speaks.

“Hellooooo~~~” she waved her hand in front of Chaerin.

“Sorry, what?” Chaerin blinks a few times.

“Aigoo…” she shakes her head.

“Sorry Mingkki… I was thinking about something just now….”

“Chae, you called me for breakfast again…”

“Yeah, so?”

“You are not breakfast people…” she rolls her eyes.

“Can’t I have random breakfast with my bff?” she pouts.

“Of course.. It’s because I know you that's why i asked… so what’s up?” Minzy rest her head on her palm.

“Why must there always be ‘what’s up’ when I ask you out for breakfast?”

“Because there is…” she stares at her blankly.

Chaerin tried to maintain her poker face but failed “Okay fine, you got me… I really need to talk this one out..” funny how Chaerin always seek Minzy for advice, it’s not only her. Apparently all of them also come to her for wise advice, probably because of the maturity level they have. Minzy 1st, Chaerin and the ahjummas.

“Spill…” she look at her attentively.

“It’s about Jiyong..” Chaerin can see her friend smirking at the mention of the name.

She clears , hesitating to continue with her words.

“I… I think… I might’ve…” she stops and look at Minzy who is waiting for her next word “Forget it… its stupid… it’s totally stupid! Just forget I even say anything”

Minzy sigh and rolls her eyes “Come on Chae… say it…”

“No… nothing…it’s completely absurd, stupid, totally stupid idea… I mean… it may be just because of…. Aishhh, I don’t know… I just…. I don’t know… I don’t know… just just just forget it”

“Wow..” Minzy snorted.

Chaerin felt stupid for a moment to even share her feeling about Jiyong. Immediately regretting the decision to talk it out to Minzy.

“Babe.. We can sense it..” Minzy hold her hand.

“What do you mean we??” Chaerin frowns.

“The ahjummas and myself.. We can sense that sooner or later your feelings to Jiyong will evolve….”

“What?” Chaerin fixes her hair to the back of her ear, thing she always does when she’s nervous.

“So.. Let’s try to figure this out together okay?” she smile and pat Chaerin’s hand.

Chaerin look out the window, spotting a couple holding hands walking to the café and she sigh “Can it be that I’m falling for him?” she mumbles quietly.

“Babe, anything is possible…”

“But it’s Jiyong…”

“So?” Chaerin turn her attention to Minzy.

“The , the one that I’m supposed to hate… the person that I don’t want to be linked with” she let out a statement, mostly trying to make herself believe that it’s true.

“You’ve been avoiding when it comes to Jiyong lately.. We don’t even know what happened between you two.. Why do you hate on him that much?” Minzy continue sipping on her drink.

“Because he’s an .. Had always been” she sigh.

“Had?” Minzy raised her eyebrow.

“Before he starts to treat me nicely, taking care of me when I’m sick..” she press her forehead lightly to wash away the headache. “This isn’t supposed to happen.. We suppose to meet once and that’s it…”

“But that’s not what happened. He became your neighbour and you work with him.. It’s fate..”

“That’s not all…” she throws her a guilty look.

“What? Don’t tell me…” Minzy gasp and Chaerin notice her ‘don’t-tell-me-you-guys-had-’ look.

“What?!! No… not that! Something else…” she retorts.

After letting out a big sigh Chaerin finally disclose about the contract Jiyong and her have and explain about the reason why she’s not free in the evening during weekends to her. Finishing, she told her about the recent event happened three days ago.

“I must say, he got you under his spell..” Minzy chuckles at first and start laughing uncontrollably. Not exactly the reaction Chaerin is hoping for.

“Damn it… Aren’t you going to say anything about the damn contract?”

“Yeah… it’s genius!” she snorts and Chaerin slap her arm.

Seeing her friend still can’t stop giggling, she chuckles and shakes her head.

“Please don’t say a word to those ahjummas.. Dara will definitely tell Youngbae and Bom will definitely tell Tabi about this, I don’t want to cause any trouble for him..”

“Him.. you mean Jiyong? Damn girl, still wants to protect him huh? After all the torturing…” Minzy watch her friend blushing in front of her.

“I’m not, it’s just… the lesser people know about this, the better…” she build an excuse. Not wanting to be seen pathetic.

“Chill, your secret safe with me… I won't tell unless you do...” in fact, everybody’s secrets are safe with her.

“I don’t know Mingkki, this might just pass by like the season.. What I’m trying to say is… My feelings would probably go away come winter…” she taps the tip of her glass before sipping on it.

“Probably… You can tell the people around you that as much as you want to, but only you yourself know the truth.” Minzy smile and as much as Chaerin want to deny it, she know it’s true.

She throw her gaze on the table, staring blankly “I’m still afraid that the same thing will happen again Min.. It hurts.. Plus, Jiyong have an unresolved past himself.. That’s why I’m afraid to even acknowledge this.. What if, he doesn’t feel the same way.. What if, this is one sided only?”

“Then we’ll drink it out, go totally drunk and cry the whole night together and when morning comes it will be another thing to be laugh at…”

“Urghh, easy for you to say, you got the love of your life now…” Chaerin scoff.

“Still…. The future is unclear… I still don’t know what would happen tomorrow, what if he wakes up tomorrow and realized he’s not in love with me anymore? What if, he met someone else? Somebody better than me? Can’t you see? Nobody has a clue about the future. They say the world end in 2012, well, we’re alive and kickin.. If you think too much about the what ifs, it will drive you crazy.. Just focus on the present babe…”

Chaerin stare at the words being utter by Minzy, it’s a blessing really to have Minzy in her life. Sometimes, she feels like Minzy is the oldest and wisest among all of them.

“Damn it babe…”

Minzy chuckles knowing Chaerin definitely get the point.

“So I guess the story about the boy taking the girl to a date is about you and Jiyong?” she raised her eyebrow.

“Yes…” Chaerin smile weakly at her best friend.

“I thought so~ I feel like drinking suddenly…” Minzy pinches her nose bridge.

“That makes the two of us my friend..” Chaerin sigh.

****************************

Chaerin contemplates for a while but she press on Jiyong’s bell and waited.

“Yes? Ah.. You.. My weak neighbour…” Jiyong chuckles and stare at the plate on her hands.

“Here…” Chaerin said flatly while passing a covered plate to Jiyong.

“What is this?” he gazes at her.

“Well, you wanted to eat this, but your fat and weak neighbour fell sick and failed to make this…” Chaerin reminded him over his remarks.

“Please, save the drama…" he rolls his eyes "why don’t you come in…”

“No it’s okay… I just want to give you this…as a thank you for taking care of me that day” Chaerin tried to maintain her racing heartbeat.

She got back from work and after thinking about what Minzy said earlier this morning, she decided to do something. She starts to bake him the cake that he pestered her to make the other day. Feeling like she’s in Masterchef, she made sure the batter was perfect and threw away the first batch just because she forgot to put a chocolate layer in the middle of the cake.

Jiyong open the cover and smile widely at her “Are you trying to make me fall in love….”

“No!!”

“…with the cake?” he finishes his sentence and Chaerin can feel the heat on her face starts developing.

“God.. Just take it!” she shoves it in front of him.

“I’ll take it if you come inside and enjoy this with me…” he opens his door wide for her.

“I’m on diet..” she said flatly and Jiyong scoff. It’s not that Chaerin doesn’t want to come in. she want to, but she feels like she needs to prepare herself properly for this.

“Diet? Really? You?” he snorts.

“You want it or not?” she starts getting annoyed with his behaviour.

“I want it.. And I want you to come in as well…” he said sternly.

They are having staring contest amongst them. Both of their egos are flying high around them and Chaerin bite her lips.

“Fine!” she turns around and stomp to her apartment.

Jiyong didn’t see that coming at all “Yah!! Where are you going with my cake?!”

It’s too late because Chaerin is inside her apartment cursing herself “That ! Can’t believe I have feelings for that !” she shoves the lovely cake in her fridge and slam herself on her couch squealing over the frustration.

After a while she turns on the television. Gag comedy feels like a dark thriller show judging by Chaerin deathly stare at the television, channelling all her anger on that show, making remarks on the entire funny act by the comedians.

Suddenly she heard her door open and she turns around startled over the figure standing inside her apartment with an equally cold expression.

“What the hell are you doing in my apartment?!” she folds her arms and move closer in front of him blocking his way to move any more further into her apartment.

“I come here to claim my cake!” he said with a serious expression.