Secrets of Attraction

Twenty Two: JOOHYUK

Soop was slow on Wednesday nights. There was a study group in one corner commandeering the seats, and a couple sitting close to the window, holding hands, in their own world. I was alone and kept looking at the clock. There was less than an hour to go and I could shut down. I'd already cleaned a few of the pitchers, and restocked the paper products. I didn't mind not being busy because it gave me more time to focus on my song.

I stood at the counter, bent over my notebook, frustrated at the scribbles on the pad. I'd been trying out a way to describe her eyes in the song, but yeah, that wasn't happening. And it was too cheesy, even though I couldn't tell her that. Learned my lesson at 2STO. But she'd know. Although at this point I wasn't sure if she was going to the battle. I wasn't sure where we stood at all.

A shadow passed across the counter and I looked up. I'd been so involved in the song that I hadn't noticed someone come in.

"Sungkyung." I glanced behind her, at the door, waiting for Hyoseop to appear, but there was no one. She smiled.

"Hey, Hyuk," she said. Her hair was in a braid to the side, her weight-lifting varsity jacket zipped to her chin.

"What's up?"

She leaned on the counter, looking into the bakery case. There was next to nothing left - mostly crumbs. Her eyes found my notebook and she glanced  across the page. I closed it fast, then tucked it on the shelf below the register.

"Hmm, new song?"

"What are you, a spy for the enemy?" I kidded.

"Pfft, as if," she said. "Are you working on something new, though?"

"Maybe," I offered. "Where's Hyoseop?"

"Where do you think? Where he's been for the past three months - rehearsing."

"Decided to sit this one out?"

"I can only take so much," she said, "and Lot 23 smells like feet."

I laughed. "Are you sure that's not just Eunwoo's band you're smelling - oh!"

"That was bad."

"Yes, it had to be said. What can I get you?"

"I'm in the mood for one of your peppermint mochas."

"Sure." I grabbed a to-go cup and attempted to do the Subin flip-thing that he'd perfected.

"That's to stay," she said.

The cup fell just out of my grasp and bounced onto the floor.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, thought I could sit with you till closing. Do you think... maybe you could give me a ride home?"

"Er, sure, why not?"

"Great," she said, smiling. "Hey, I like your hair. What made you do that?"

"A friend suggested it," I said as she took a seat at the table I used to consider her "usual." I got to work on her mocha.

When we were together, Sungkyung closed with me a lot. She'd sit with a book or work behind counter with me, pouring coffee or filling baked-goods orders. The last time she'd helped me we stayed a half hour after closing and messed around in Hanna's office. It was memory I'd put out of my mind until this moment. She kept looking at me. I concentrated on the drink. Maybe she just wanted to be friends. Could I do that?

I didn't get that jangled-nerve feeling - the one that felt like every moment I looked at her, it physically hurt. It helped that Hyoseop wasn't with her, but even thinking of him, or the two of them together, didn't jab me the same way it used to. I brought her drink to her table.