The Café Catastrophe
I arrived at the soufflé pancake place five minutes early—partly to spite Haewon's inevitable lateness, partly because I'd skipped lunch and was this close to chewing my own arm off.
The café was disgustingly cute: pastel walls, floral teacups, and a chandelier made of macarons. I half-expected a Disney princess to pop out singing.
Haewon arrived fifteen minutes late in oversized sunglasses and a hoodie, which for her was basically a neon sign screaming "I'M INCOGNITO."
"You look like a celebrity avoiding paparazzi," I said as she slid into the booth.
She adjusted her sunglasses. "I am a celebrity."
"In your dreams."
A waiter approached. Haewon opened her mouth to order—
FLASH.
We both flinched as a camera went off in our faces. A grinning stranger lowered his phone. "Oh my god, it is Yoon Haewon! And is that the café guy from the rumors?"
Haewon turned to me, horrified. "Why is there a fan here?"
I shrugged. "Maybe because you're dressed like a spy?"
The fan gushed. "Are you two dating? Can I get a selfie?"
Haewon's eye twitched. "NO—"
"Sure," I said, slinging an arm around her shoulders before she could bolt. "Smile, princess."
She elbowed me in the ribs but didn't pull away.
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The Pancake Truce
After the fan left (with three selfies and Haewon's fake signature), we finally got our food.
Haewon poked her soufflé pancake like it might explode. "It's… fluffy."
"That's the point," I said, already halfway through mine.
She took a tiny bite. Then another. Then—
"Oh." Her eyes widened. "This is good."
I smirked. "Told you."
She pointed her fork at me. "Don't get cocky. It's just acceptable."
But she ate every bite.
---
The Walk Back
Afterward, we wandered toward campus, the sunset painting Seoul in gold.
"Why are you failing economics?" I asked. "You're not that dumb."
She stiffened. "I have a… block."
"A block."
"When I was twelve," she said slowly, "my father made me sit in on a board meeting. They discussed layoffs—like the workers were just numbers." She kicked a pebble. "I threw up. He said I needed to 'toughen up.'"
I whistled. "So now you're sabotaging yourself to spite him?"
"I'M NOT—" She huffed. "...Maybe."
I bumped her shoulder with mine. "Congrats. You've got daddy issues and a conscience."
She didn't deny it.
---
The Ambush
We turned a corner—and froze.
My scooter lay on its side, tires slashed, handlebars bent.
Haewon gasped. "What the—"
A note was taped to the seat:
"Told you you'd regret it. —P.J."
My hands curled into fists. "That bastard."
Haewon's face went scary calm. "I'll buy you a new one."
"No." I grabbed the note. "This is between me and him."
She studied me, then nodded. "Fine. But we're handling it."
We. Huh.
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The Teaser
Next Up:
- Revenge Plotting ("So we don't burn down his car?")
- Late-Night Library Confessions ("Why are you actually helping me?")
- Joonho's Weakness Revealed (Turns out even villains have mommy issues.)
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