Minho was filling Daerim on the events that happened after his father came to pick him up from school the day before.
It was slightly past 5pm, and the university was still clearing out. They both walked in the direction of the culinary arts department to meet Ryu Dasom.
"So you're going to marry her? Yikes." Daerim quipped, spinning a basketball on his finger.
Minho glared at him. Show off.
"I believe that's what I said."
Daerim huffed, blowing a kiss at some girls passing by. One of them nearly fainted and Minho rolled his eyes.
Daerim was just as popular as Minho, if not even more popular.
The handsome basketball star of Daehan University. And unlike Minho, he reveled in his popularity. According to him, there was no use trying to hide in the shadows when he had already been birthed in the light.
Minho thought it was a stupid analogy.
"And hold up? You got so drunk yesterday, a waitress had to take you home? THE Seo Minho?" Daerim suddenly burst into laughter as they neared the culinary arts department, and Minho asked himself for the thousandth time why he was even friends with him.
"That's really encouraging." He muttered. Daerim smacked him on the back hard amidst his laughter, even dropping his basketball.
"Bastard." Minho clenched his fists hard, and left Daerim where he stood, laughing and hollering to himself like some wild animal.
His mind wandered to Goyung Garden.
The waitress.
He would go there with Dasom, if she agreed.
Just then, three figures came into his sight. Three women. Standing close to the lockers. He easily recognized Dasom by her short hair, despite the fact that he was shocked that the tips were now dyed silver.
He saw the purple haired girl from their cuisine class.
And finally, his eyes landed on her.
Park Haeun.
A smile played on his lips.
"Ryu Dasom?" He called out, noticing how Haeun seemingly flinched.
Dasom turned towards him, her eyes widening.
"Hello, Oppa." Her voice was laced with a hint of mischief, and Minho felt as though someone had smashed his head into a rock.
Ryu Dasom! What was she doing?!
The purple haired girl's jaw dropped, almost hitting the floor, and Haeun stared incredulously at the both of them.
Oppa?!
"Unn—Ryu Dasom," Yuna started, "is Seo Minho your boyfriend?!" Her voice was loud enough for some girls that were deliberately tailing Minho to hear, and a ripple of gasps spread among them.
"Girlfriend? I—uhhh." One of them fainted into her friend's hands, and chaos descended as they scrambled to get her to the clinic.
Minho's ears went tomato red as he fumbled with his words.
"No! She's not—"
"Yes, he is. Aren't they so adorable together?"
Yoon Daerim, that bastard!
Daerim suddenly appeared, nudging Minho in the shoulder.
"Hello. I'm Yoon Daerim. You can call me Daerim. And what are the names of you beautiful ladies?
Haeun's brain had somehow come to a standstill, while also racing with thoughts.
Boyfriend? Seo Minho was Dasom's girlfriend? They knew each other?
Haeun almost threw up right there, as the thoughts became nauseating.
No matter what she did, Seo Minho's presence coiled around her like a snake. First it was the restaurant. Now?
It was through the girl she had only met today.
"Hello? Earth to brown haired girl." Someone snapped their fingers and Haeun blinked rapidly, looking around.
"I apologise for that. I'm Park Haeun. Nice to meet you." Haeun said, bowing her head slightly at Daerim.
"She is not my girlfriend. We're just close." Minho felt the need to defend himself. Why? He didn't understand.
"Don't be shy, Oppa. We both know that's not true." Dasom, like the sly fox she was, slithered closed to Minho, rubbing her hand on his chest.
"Okay. That's nice. I have to leave now. See you later, Dasom." Haeun sped out, turning around and jetting in the direction of the exit. She didn't even care that she had just left Yuna with them.
She just wanted to leave.
Seo Minho.
She dreaded when he would realize she was the waitress.
The one behind the mask and baseball hat.
The one that had taken him home.
The one that had—
No, Haeun. Enough thinking.
Her brother had gone home since 3pm, as his lecturer had suddenly cancelled his class to be present for his wife's childbirth.
She would at least meet some food at home, before she returned to Goyung Garden later in the evening.
She was just about to exit the school grounds when a voice called out from behind her.
"Hey, Park Haeun!"
Haeun cursed herself for stopping and daring to turn back, because the owner of the voice was none other than Minho.
To her shock, he was running up to her.
"Sunbae, what do you want?" Haeun asked nervously, reluctantly coming to a halt as Minho neared her.
"Are you so scared of your sunbae? You even left your friend back there. They're going to get something from the clinic." His voice was pure mischief, and Haeun hated how much he bent his face to look into her eyes.
"I'm not scared of you." Haeun spat, turning around, but his hand shot out and held her.
"It's fine if you are. Remember yesterday? Honestly, that was fun. I thought it would be harder going against you, though. Your hoobaes already praised your cooking skills."
That was a lie.
Minho was lying. He did not even speak to anyone in culinary arts.
But Haeun didn't need to know that.
A shadow creased across Haeun's face, and she pursed her lips. If his goal was to infuriate her, he was doing an amazing job at it.
"What exactly is your point?"
"There she is. That feisty little—" Minho's face suddenly dipped closer to hers, his shadow cutting off the late afternoon sun.
Haeun froze, eyes widening as the space between them shrank far too quickly for comfort. His breath was annoyingly steady, like he wasn't even the one who had been running.
"—hoobae who thought she could beat me in the kitchen," he finished in a low murmur, the corners of his mouth tugging upward.
Haeun's lips pressed into a thin line, her frown deepening until it looked as though she might combust on the spot. "I only lost because—"
"Because I'm better?" Minho cut in smoothly, leaning just a fraction closer, enough that she instinctively stepped back. His grin widened at her reaction. "Don't worry, sunbae will teach you a few tricks."
Her glare could've set fire to him, but he only chuckled, straightening up with infuriating ease. "You should thank me, really. I've just given you your first taste of humility."
"Well, I can't wait to give you yours." Haeun shot back and turned around.
Minho smirked as she walked away, feeling satisfied with himself.
Yes, this was going to be a lot of fun.