Park Dong's phone suddenly buzzed.
He placed it against his ear with an annoyed grunt, trying to block the phone as Irina and Jinkyung kept taking photos of us.
"Let's take a pic! Hey look over here, princess!" Irina teased, lifting her phone.
Park Dong raised a hand to cover his face. "Fuck off, you bastards. Hello? Yeah, yeah, but..."
He froze.
His eyes, which were full of irritation a second ago, sharpened then widened.
"…What did you just say?"
Irina snapped a photo anyway. "Got it! I'm posting this on Cyworld, LOL!"
Jinkyung nearly fell over laughing. "This is fucking hilarious!"
But Park Dong wasn't hearing any of it.
He glanced sharply at Irina just for a moment then grabbed Suwon by the arm.
"Come with me." His voice was low, tense.
Then to the rest of us: "Hey. Something happened we're going first."
He took off the headband and earrings, Suwon doing the same, and the two bolted out of the store.
The girls stared after them, confused.
"What's wrong with them…?" Jinkyung mumbled.
Irina blinked. "Did something happen?"
I just watched the two disappear outside.
I knew exactly what it was about.
But looking at Seolhyo and to Irina smiling unaware of what's happening.
I let out a slow, quiet sigh.
-
Park Dong and Suwon were both running.
"Where are you even going, you hooked-nose idiot?" Suwon panted. "You've been dragging me around since morning!"
Park Dong shot him a sharp look without slowing down. "So what? It's not like you had plans. You think you can just stay there with the others?"
"…Yeah. Seojin's there."
"Shut up. He won't even notice you his girlfriend's right there with him, you know."
Suwon clicked his tongue but stopped arguing and just kept running.
They reached the bus stop heading toward Suwon Station and hopped on without hesitation.
After a tense ride, they got off and headed straight into a café near the station.
Inside, the place was divided into booths no doors, only thick curtains separating each space.
Suwon glanced around, eyes wide.
Whoa… I've never seen a café like this.
Park Dong scanned the booths, then suddenly stopped.
He pulled aside one curtain.
Inside sat Seong Heejun and Jo Woori.
"You got here fast," Heejun whispered.
"Where are they?" Park Dong asked immediately.
Heejun had one arm loosely around Woori, pinching her cheek playfully while pressing a finger to his lips. "Shh. Talk quietly."
Woori looked up and nodded. "Hey, guys."
Park Dong and Suwon slipped into the seats across from them.
"What's going on?" Park Dong asked in a low voice.
Suwon wave while taking a seat. "Uh… hi, Heejun."
"Oh. Suwon," Heejun replied.
From the booth behind them, muffled voices drifted through the thin wall.
"Is she doing well?"
"Yeah. She hangs out with me every day at school."
Park Dong stiffened. He leaned closer to Heejun. "Are they behind you?"
Heejun tilted his head and subtly pointed at the wall.
"Yeah."
"…You can hear everything?"
"That's why I told you to keep your voice down."
Woori suddenly spoke, her voice quiet but sharp, expression was cold, intense, deadly serious.
"Rotten cheaters… They should just drop dead. What do they even think love is?"
Park Dong and Heejun exchanged uneasy glances.
"What's wrong with her…?" Park Dong muttered.
"She seems really into this," Heejun replied under his breath.
Woori shot them a sharp look. "Those fucking bastards were acting all lovey-dovey. I'm not exaggerating. Those assholes were hugging like they were in some damn drama."
"Calm down a bit, Woori…" Heejun tried, half-hearted.
Suwon swallowed. "So… he really is cheating?"
Heejun smirked, a little too pleased. "Yeah. One hundred percent. What a bastard, seriously."
Park Dong frowned. "Then why are you two even spying on them? Aren't you supposed to be on a date?"
Heejun leaned back casually. "We are having a great time, actually."
Park Dong and Suwon shared the same thought.So you're doing this for the thrill, huh…
Park Dong pressed on. "Are you even sure it's him? You've never met the guy properly."
"He looks exactly like his Cyworld pics. Haven't you seen them?" Heejun replied.
"I've greeted him a few times. He knows who me too."
Heejun rested his cheek against his knuckles, eyes narrowing as he studied Park Dong."You're being weirdly noisy about this. You rushed all the way here the moment I called. Why? Are you that worried?" His lips curled. "What are you even planning to do tell her her boyfriend's cheating?"
He sighed. "If it were me, I wouldn't. No way."
Then, suddenly, he leaned back and laughed quietly."Wait… don't tell me. You actually like her, don't you?"
Park Dong's face flushed instantly. "What the fuck are you talking about?!"
Suwon snorted. "Khehehe."
"Talk quieter, you idiot," Heejun hissed, still amused.
His gaze shifted to the thin wall behind him. "But why did those two suddenly go quiet…?"
Chuu.
All four of them froze and look at the wall.
Chuu… chu…
chu… chup…
They all sat frozen, listening unease thick in the air.
Suwon was the first to break the silence, his voice barely above a whisper."N-no… no way. Are they… kissing?"
A soft smooch slipped through the thin wall.
Heejun's brows knit together. "K-kissing…? It sounds… different though…?"
Suwon's mind flashed back to the playground that night the figures leaning close, faces hidden in the dark.If it's not just light kissing, then… again?
Irina's way too pitiful… She kept whining about wanting to go on a date…
The café was quiet.
The halted conversation was replaced by those sounds, each one louder in their heads than it had any right to be.
None of them moved.
Then, from the other side of the wall
"…Should we leave? We've been here for a while."
"Yeah, let's go."
Heejun leaned forward instantly, eyes sharp.
"Hey. They're leaving. When those assholes walk out, take a quick peek through the curtain."
Park Dong swallowed. "…Their faces?"
"Yeah. Gotta check if it's really him."
Park Dong stood slightly, peering over the low partition.
He could see the tops of their heads.Just like Heejun said…
Even if the guy's haircut matched. Even if it really was him.
Even if we figure out who the girl is…
His chest felt tight.
I don't have the guts to tell her the truth.
Maybe it'd be better not to know.
Maybe we should just let them go
"Excuse me."
They all flinched.
The curtain to their booth slid open.
A waiter stood there, clipboard in hand."The two of you who arrived late please place your order. One drink per person."
At that exact moment, in the gap of the open curtain, Kwangwoon walked past with Hai-an
.
Kwangwoon glanced toward the booth.
Park Dong met his eyes.
Neither spoke.
"…Two lemonades," Park Dong said calmly, lifting two fingers. "Please."
Kwangwoon stood frozen.
Hai-an tugged lightly at his sleeve when he stop. "What is it? Did you forget something?"
"…Ah. No."
"Okay," the waiter said, nodding. "Two lemonades coming up."
The curtain slid shut again.
Park Dong covered his face with one hand, dragging his fingers down slowly."Ah, fuck… we made eye contact. I tried to play it off, but that was obvious, right…?"
Heejun let out a low breath, eyes fixed on Park Dong across the aisle."…That was him. Right?"
Suwon nodded stiffly. "I saw him too. He looks exactly like the guy I drew before when Irina asked me to draw a picture."
Park Dong's jaw tightened."…Yeah. It's him."
A heavy silence settled over the table.
So we really found out in the end…
His mind raced backward, snapping pieces into place.
That girl who was behind Hong Aera when she ask me for a lighter the other day.
It was her…