Kyungsoo

“So that is where you’ve been running off to lately.” Suho inquires, plopping down beside me on the couch. I grunt and hand the remote to him. We had been gone for the past week doing promotions and performances in Japan. An entire week of having to go without my coffee and scones. An entire week of not being able to see her.

I wonder if she went while I was away? I don’t see why she wouldn’t, it’s not like my not being there would stop her from enjoying a hot chocolate, or whatever it is that she orders. I am thankful that there were no pictures of her taken while we sat together. If there had been I would surely lose out on my safe haven of a coffee shop.

“Why do you go all the way to Jongno for coffee? We have a coffee maker and I plenty of flavors of coffee. I should know, I buy them all.” Suho says.

“You seem to have answered your own question.” I reply, throwing a pillow at his face before disappearing into my room. We had arrived Japan around three this morning, and I was running on two hours of sleep. I change out of my airport clothes and climb into bed. Setting a plan to leave for the coffee shop once the sun set.

The smell of grinding coffee beans and freshly baked bread is so welcoming.

I should definitely bring Xiumin here one day. He’d be in heaven.

“My handsome boy!” Exclaims the shop owner’s wife. She toddles around from the counter and gives me a hug.

“Yah!” Her husband scolds her, calling her uncivilized,  but she ignores him. She pinches my cheek and calls me handsome again.

“Usual?” She asks, her eyes bright and sparkly. I smile and nod. She tells me to take my usual seat in the back and she will bring my meal out to me.

I am disappointed to see that klutzy girl is not here. I half hoped that I would find her asleep at the back table so that I could , but she was nowhere to be found.

I drape my coat over my chair and glance out the window. The city lights twinkle and shine brightly.

Don’t be too disappointed, Kyungsoo. She may show up. It’s only seven o’clock after all.

“I haven’t seen her in here two days.” The shop owner’s wife declares as she sets the coffee and scone in front of me.

“I wasn’t looking for her.” I lie. I give the shop owner’s wife the money for the meal, and she smiles.

“Looking for who?” A voice -- silvery and sweet -- that is distinctly klutzy girl’s says behind the shop owner’s wife. The woman spins around and begins cooing at Iris.

“My sweet girl! You have not been here in two days!”

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Song,” So that is the shop owner’s name. “I have been very busy in the past few days.” With what?

Mrs. Song pats Iris’s hand and whispers something in her ear that causes Iris to glance at me. I looks down at my coffee.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Iris asks. I shake my head and she sits her journal down. “Who were you looking for?”

“No one.” I reply shortly, suddenly annoyed. “What did Mrs. Song whisper to you?”

“Nothing.” Iris replies in a tone just as clipped as mine. I scoff.

“What is your issue?” She asks with an amused smile.

“I don’t like it when people whisper in front of me. Especially when one of the persons looks at me while doing it.” I admit.

Iris giggles and I have to steel myself from smiling. Her laugh is childlike for a grown woman. I keep my resolve and glare at her.

“What?” I ask, taking a sip of my coffee

“If you really want to know what Mrs. Song told me, she said that she is happy to have her favorite couple back together.”

I nearly spit out my coffee. “We are not a couple!” I make clear. Iris is nearly falling out of her seat with laughter now. Other customers are starting to stare. I blush and repeat again a little quieter.

“Does she realize that we are not a couple?” I ask.

Iris shrugs. “I am sure they all know that now.” I look around and customers are still staring at us. “Don’t worry about it, Kyungsoo. Let’s move on, shall we?”

“Sure.” I reply, taking another sip of my coffee. It tastes bitter. I add a few more packets of sugar.

“I saw you on the news this morning. EXO, eh?” Iris raises her eyebrow.

“You didn’t know?” I quip. She smiles.

“I figured you were some kind of something when I first saw you. You looked far too pretentious to be a fellow college student.”

“Wow.” I roll my eyes, but smile anyway. Iris and I converse until it is time for the shop to close. Even then, I find myself walking her to the door. I nearly walk her out into the streets until I remember how the paparazzi caught me leaving last time. I don’t need them capturing any pictures of her with me.

“Nice chatting with you, Kyungsoo.” She says before disappearing into the bustle of the city. I move back into the cafe and wait until she is out of sight.

It was nice chatting with you too, Iris.