“Order number 372, please pick up your order at the counter,” I heard the rehearsed line resonating from the intercom placed within the cafe. I quickly made my way over to the counter and picked up the tray with two cups placed on top with the corresponding receipt lying on the table beside. Before I could take a step away from the counter, however...

“Oppa!”

“Sunny?” I looked up to be greeted with one of Sunny’s signature grins, though obviously, her full physical appearance had basically changed because of her attire, “Since when did you start working here?”

I was curious to say the least. Although Sunny and I weren’t exactly what some consider best friends, we did have a rather close bond, and me being misinformed about her new job completely contradicted the supposed ‘tightness’ of said bond. However, it wasn’t as if I had taken this upon myself to such great extents as to obsess over it, I was merely curious as to why she hadn’t communicated her new position as a worker at this cafe to me earlier.

“I started working here two weeks ago, oppa,” she stated as she looked over to her side, signaling with some hand motion to her manager that she would be taking a short break.

“How come I didn’t know about it then?”

“Because you were busy going out with Jin,” she grinned...I knew exactly what she was thinking.

“Sunny...” I sighed, “I told you it’s not like that.”

“But you’re here with Jin today as well,” she rebutted, “Are you sure you’re not-”

“No!” I exclaimed rather loudly, which made her grin even more...

“Oppa, didn’t you know that strong denial is usually a sign of affirmation?”

I merely sighed at Sunny, shaking my head in the same manner as I had done to the rest of my so called friends. They would never understand that Jin and I were merely friends...did I just say that? Had I actually referred to her as a friend? And furthermore, since the connection, though doubtful, had already been made, would it have been proper to refer to her in such a manner in the first place. Sure, we spent a fair amount of time together, but did that make us friends?

“Oppa,” Sunny had intruded on my train of thought, “What are you thinking about now?”

“Oh nothing...nothing,” my gaze shifted towards the two cups of coffee on the tray I was holding onto, still rather confused with what I had thought about just previously.

“Oppa!” she punched my arm playfully.

“What?”

“Why do you keep denying it? Especially since you even came here with her!” she pointed at Jin seated on one of the high chairs by the windows, looking outwards at really nothing, tapping her pencil against the stack of papers she had in front of her.

Another sigh came out of my mouth as I ignored the rest of Sunny’s comments, making my way back to the table, “Sorry for the wait.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” she took her pencil and quickly scanned over the page in front of her once more, and then, quickly marking something off. I passed her order to her.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?” she looked up at me, seemingly distracted, “Oh, just marking out all the things I’ve already accomplished.”

“On what?”

“Our master plan.”

Our master plan. To be honest I had forgotten all about said plan, the whole matter regarding the original deal just seemed to not register at all as I spent time with Sung-Jin. I took a peek at what we have “accomplished” so far. We made it up to item number... 13 or 14, I couldn’t exactly read the small text, and there seemed to be an endless amount of scribbles around all the numbers, lessening its readability even further.

“You and Sunny seem really close.”

“What?” The question caught me off-guard as I was expecting something regarding the plan. I was well aware that my handwriting was not the best. Even I had trouble going over some of my notes. Sung-Jin’s eyes never left the paper though, but her body language was a bit stiff.

“You and Sunny...seem close.”

“We are.” I would have elaborated had I known how to. Thinking back, Sunny had always been a constant presence I did not mind having around. She may have been president of Mr. H₂O’s fan club, but perhaps meeting her before she took on the position helped in keeping the soft spot I had for her.

“She doesn’t seem like the type of girl you’d be friends with.”

“What’s with the sudden curiosity?” My mouth had opened itself before I could even think. While I wanted to know the root of Sung-Jin’s inquiry, I had meant to do it less bluntly. Extract the answers out from her without her realizing. It would have been easier to ask, yes, but using the other tactic lessened the possibility of lying. Not that Sung-Jin would lie. I suppose it was just another habit I had formed over the years.

“Well...what makes her special?”

I hadn’t been expecting that question to arise either.

“Sunny, somehow, just became a constant female presence I didn’t mind having around,” I said, repeating the same exact words as I had in my head.

Sung-Jin thought about this for a while, her brows meeting in the middle of her forehead for a moment, the same they would when given a lengthy genetics word problem. I could more or less picture out how her thoughts were going. A string of variables that didn’t fall into proper sense when formulated into an equation. An equation with a nonexistent solution.

“I see...”

The lack of explanation in her answer had slightly disturbed me. The vagueness in her voice, as well as in her words stirred up the scientist inside me, one that never had to make an appearance with Sung-Jin before. She had always been so easy to read. How was it that now she had managed to make a sudden 180-degree turn and have me utterly perplexed with many of her actions?

“‘I see’ Is that all you can say?”

“Well, what do you want me to say?”

“Something more than two words?”

Sung-Jin’s eyes never left the wrinkled sheet of paper as she answered me, “How did she manage to be that constant female presence?”

The rising intonation in her voice indicated something more beyond an interrogative intent. It sounded more...doubtful than inquiring. “We met during the freshmen registration period and we’ve had the same classes since then. Why the sudden interest in Sunny?”

“You two just seem close, and she doesn’t seem like the girls you’d tolerate is all, and yet you describe her as the one female presence you don’t mind having around.”

“One female presence? There is you, you know.”

I noticed a rush of color creep up Sung-Jin’s face around the same time my last statement registered in my head. Taken out of context, I suppose- I’m not even sure.

“Ooh, am I interrupting a moment?”

“No” Sung-Jin and I said at the same time. I realized that, once again, this does not help our case against Sunny’s allegation of us being...more than just friends.

Sunny’s grin was more than accusing especially with that impish glint in her eyes. I repress a sigh as I slid the chair next to me towards her, implying that she just take a seat.

“So what are we talking about? I have like, twenty minutes, so a quick summary and I’ll be sharing my thoughts then I’m back to work.”

Sung-Jin folded the piece of paper our master plan was written on and stuffed it in her bag. Wrong move. Sunny was more perceptive than that, though I assumed that Jin still had not taken that aspect of her into account.

“What’s that?” Sunny asked, arm outstretched already asking for the sheet of paper.

“Nothing.” Sung-Jin replied a little too quickly, making Sunny arch her brow now aware that something interesting was going on. Well, something between me and Jin at least.

“You know, I will find out whether you tell me directly or not.”

I wanted to bang my head on the table right then and there. Sunny may as well have been spending too much time with me if she had to resort to those tactics now.

“It’s nothing.” Jin repeated with more emphasis this time, “Junsu was just talking about you.”

Sunny’s eyes slanted at me, “What about?” she asked, arms relaxed at her side. Amazing how this did not elicit any defensive behavior from her.

“Sung-Jin was asking how we became...close.” The last word took some time to get as I’ve never referred to Sunny and I in that sense, but I suppose there’s a first time for everything.

Sunny laughed, the back of her hand covering as she did. “I’m not actually sure!”

Well, that made two of us. Looking back, even I’m not certain what it was that bound me and Sunny together. We didn’t talk or interact as “normal” friends would. In fact, we were more of study buddies than anything else. She was a constant classmate, eventually a constant seatmate. I suppose, it would be natural that we become this... close. I consider her a friend definitely, no doubt there.

“We met during freshmen assembly, and I guess, I just followed his schedule. I got so used to having him around that I always took the same classes Oppa did. I guess...it was just natural.” Sunny said this so nonchalantly as if it really were the most natural thing in the world.

I eyed Sung-Jin from my periphery, she seemed...rather tense. “Sunny you’re not taking the same electives as I am, are you?”

“Oppa, I’m not really sure. What am I supposed to do without you?” She laughed, “Omo, I sound like a clingy girlfriend, which I’m not.”

I opened my mouth to speak again, but Sunny seemed to be on a roll.

“Omo! That’s right, Oppa! When you go to Daegu, will you take me along?”

Daegu? I found it rather amusing that Sunny would remember the trip to Daegu when I was trying to forget. I nod at her. She had always wanted to come along ever since she knew about the possibility of me doing some field work there. I, unfortunately, was not looking forward to going back to Daegu. Not one bit at all.