‘So, tea shop,’ he looked around the streets and walked along, a small bounce in his step.

 ‘Bubble tea, right?’ I raised an eyebrow at him, feeling a small smile tug at my lips at the giddy grin that was plastered on his face, lighting up his eyes.

 ‘Of course, anything for you gwiyeoun,’ my eyebrows furrowed as I ran the strange new word through my mind.

 ‘Gwiyeoun?’ I repeated after him slowly.

 ‘Yeah! Everyone has a nickname for you, I want a special one nobody else calls you,’ he smiled cheerfully as he winked then stuffed his hands into his pockets.

 ‘What does it mean?’

 ‘It means stubborn,’ I scoffed and rolled my eyes reaching for the door of the bubble tea cafe.

 ‘Cute,’ I watched as he rushed to the door first and opened it for me. ‘Are you sure it means stubborn? It sounds almost exactly like cute,’ I walked in first and glanced behind me as I watched him follow in after me.

 ‘Maybe it’s because the cute ones are the most stubborn, you like taro root, right?’

 ‘Yeah,’ I nodded my head and as I looked at the menu fully aware that I was going to get taro root. ‘How did you know?’

 ‘I don’t know,’ he laughed awkwardly before lifting his snapback and fixing his bangs. ‘Good guess?’

 ‘What are you getting?’

 ‘Coffee flavoured,’ he grinned and pulled out his wallet as he walked to the cashier.

 ‘Really? You’re getting coffee flavoured at a tea place,’ I laughed and stuffed my hands in my pockets and swayed a little as I watched him order.

 ‘You aren’t going to argue and try to buy the drinks?’ He stuffed his debit card into the chip reader and pressed the buttons for his pin number.

 ‘I’ll give you cash after,’ I smiled at him and my lips as he laughed, the sound was loud and boisterous as always but it made me feel warm inside.

 ‘No you won’t,’ he picked up the drinks as and passed the purple one to me. I watched as he stabbed his orange straw into the brown drink and started drinking some.

 ‘How does it taste?’ Immediately he held out his drink to me.

 ‘Do you want to try some?’ I bit my lips and stared at his in thought, were we even close enough to share drinks? ‘Stop overthinking it,’ he pinched the straw so he was holding it in place then he lifted the straw to my mouth. I puffed my cheeks as I stared at the straw then leaned forwards and took a small sip. My eyes widened as I gave Chanyeol a thumbs up.

 ‘It’s delicious!’ I stabbed the pink straw into my bubble tea then held it out to him. ‘Do you want some?’

 ‘Sure!’ Without a moment’s hesitation he drank some then flashed me a happy smile. ‘Today’s a good day,’ he held the door open for me then walked along the sidewalk with me.

 ‘It is, isn’t it,’ I nodded and reached behind my head to undo my bun.

 ‘I’ll do it,’ he passed me his drink as I frowned at him.

 ‘Do what?’

 ‘Take out your bun,’ I could feel my cheeks burn as I felt his slender fingers brushing against my head as he undid the bun. I took a sip of his drink as he ran his fingers through my hair, ruffling the curls apart. ‘There how’s that?’ He stepped in front of me and leaned down so his face was close to mine. His eyebrows were lifted with the smile that spread across his face as his brown eyes stared into my blue ones, the way he looked at me made me feel like I was melting.

 ‘You tell me,’ I lifted an eyebrow at him and shoved his tea into his hands as I attempted to hide the cheerful disposition that was so suddenly erupting within me. ‘Shouldn’t we be going somewhere?’

 ‘I don’t know, I like where we are right now,’ his lips twisted into a playful smirk as he reached out with his free hand and played with one of my curls.

 ‘Careful Chanyeol-shii, the way you’re acting people will think you’re some kind of womanizer,’ I pushed past him breathing out as I struggled to quietly catch my breath. I hadn’t even realised that I had stopped.

 ‘Wah!’ I felt my lips pull up into a smile at his shocked vocalization behind me. ‘Gwiyeoun! Where are you going without me?’

 ‘I’m sorry, I don’t speak to playboys,’ I hummed a soft tune as I looked at the busy people running around, rushing to get where they needed to be.

 ‘I’m not,’ I jumped as I felt his arm wrap around my shoulder. ‘Why would I be with any other girl when I have you?’

 ‘I-I, you’re,’ I opened my mouth then closed it as my eyebrows furrowed. ‘You- we’re not dating.’

 ‘Not yet,’ he grinned cheekily and winked at me as he lightly squeezed my shoulder.

 ‘You’re like like one of those greasy idols,’ I shrugged his arm off of my shoulder then took a sip of my drink.

 ‘Hey! Chanyeol! Jaehwa!’ I looked behind me and felt a strange sense of irritation at seeing Baekhyun and Sooyun behind us. I ignored the feeling of loss that quickly followed as the two of them stepped in between Chanyeol and I, seperating us. What was the use of such a feeling? It was not like there was anything to interrupt.

 ‘What are you two doing here?’ Sooyun questioned as she linked my arm with hers.

 ‘Walking,’ I responded blandly. It felt wrong, I almost wished that Chanyeol was the one touching me not her. But she was my friend so she had more of a place by my side than him, right? It was as if I had shut off to myself, there was no response, no answer to this strange conflict that churned inside of me.

 Sooyun laughed cheerily, ‘I saw that, but what were you two doing? Baekhyun and I were just dating.’

 ‘We were getting tea and talking,’ Chanyeol lifted his coffee flavoured bubble tea proudly as if it were some trophy.

 ‘I told you it would work,’ I faintly heard Baekhyun whisper to his taller friend as he lightly knocked Chanyeol’s arm with his knuckles.

 ‘What would?’ I frowned and looked at Sooyun who shrugged.

 ‘Nothing,’ Chanyeol shook his head and smiled awkwardly as he glanced at Baekhyun looking less than pleased.

 ‘Mhm, right,’ I sighed and look ahead of me as I watched where I was going. It didn’t really matter, it wasn’t like it really applied to me anyways. If I was really curious I could always ask them later.

 ‘Jaehwa-shii! Jaehwa-shii!’ I looked up from the ground to see Mina, as she was the ever beloved Queenka the students were parting way for her so she could get to me.

 ‘Mina-shii,’ I smiled at her and scratched the nape of my neck. ‘What’s going on?’ We had shared the room for one night during the trip but nothing much had really happened, both of us had kept quiet and were reading so I really didn’t know her at all, or know why she wanted to speak with me.

 ‘There’s someone at the gate for you,’ she giggled, her innocence was overwhelming as she clasped her hands in front of her. Her eyes were wide and excited, as if she were about to go meet her prince charming and experience the fairytale life every young child wanted.

 ‘Gate? For me?’ I tilted my head and frowned before nodding slowly. ‘Alright, thanks.’ I smiled at her and started walking towards the entrance of the school, there was still a little bit until school started so I had time to greet the person.

 ‘Can I come?’ Mina followed beside me, staring expectantly.

 ‘Sure,’ I spoke slowly, confused by her question. ‘I don’t see why not?’ I trailed off and clasped my hands behind my back. Within seconds she burst out into hearty laughter, ‘what?’ I frowned at her as she flicked her hair out of her face elegantly.

 ‘Sorry, you just look like a strict scientist,’ she stuck her nose in the air and grasped her hands behind her back over exaggerating my previous stance. ‘Mix water into acid? No, always pour the acid into the water, tch.’ My lips pulled into an amused smile at the mimicry she did of the stereotypical strict science teacher.

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