Midnight Kiss | KNJ

Chapter 11.

Sophie

"Hey, sis," Jin greeted me with a kiss on my cheek. 

I was already seated by the window of the Coffee Hut on campus, hugging the steaming cup of coffee to warm my hands. Winter still kept persisting with its low temperatures, and the streets were covered with a layer of snow.

I smiled at my brother, happy to finally have some time to catch up. Jin shrugged off his warm jacket and threw it onto the chair across from mine, and sauntered to order himself a coffee while we waited for Maggie to join us. 

Returning with a cup of vanilla latte and rosy cheeks, Jin sank into the white chair that matched the chill theme of this cafe. The walls were a light blue, mixed with a light brown, big windows that gave us the view of students rushing to class, and it had a wall - a literal wall - made out of books. That was probably why you couldn't pass at least a table without students just reading in silence. 

"How are you doing?" I asked Jin, who was looking a bit overwhelmed. The exam period was almost over, and I'd already taken all of mine and now had a few days to just relax before classes started again. Jin, obviously, wasn't done with his yet. "I told you we could meet after you finish all of your exams."

He just waved his hand to shush me, "I have my last one in three days, so on Friday, I'm officially free." 

"Free from what?" a gentle voice asked from behind him, and we both turned to find Maggie staring at Jin with raised eyebrows and an amused smile.

"Free from school, babe," Jin pulled her closer to him and planted a kiss on her cheek. He might be known as a popular guy, but Jin was just as shy now as he'd been when I'd first met him when I was twelve. 

A genuine smile spread on my lips seeing them so happy and so in love. Did it sting my heart a bit? Sure, but I'd promised to myself not to stress about being single. After my last relationship, I wasn't looking for another mess. Except for New Years with Namjoon, there hadn't been much action in the romance department for me. Eric ruined me pretty well. 

He'd been my boyfriend back at Brookfield. My first serious boyfriend after high school. I'd known I would fall for him from the first day of orientation, freshman year. One night at a party I'd just marched straight up to him and asked him out. I'd wanted to just either get over the fling or date him. It turned out we had lots in common and spent every second of my freshman year together. He was a year older and that much more exciting. Eric was a law major, and one of those students who hoped to transfer to Blueside. Just like the architecture program, the law one offers a few students to transfer to Brookfield, since the schools are not that far apart and it gives extra motivation to those who want an even better education. Eric and I were one of those students, and since he hadn't gotten it before the start of his second year he'd been applying again. 

I couldn't have asked for a better and more supportive boyfriend at the time. His exams took place before mine and he'd heard the news before I did. When he'd called me that he didn't get it again, I rushed over and did everything in my power to distract him. Bur suddenly, it didn't matter that I still had to take the exams, no, not to Eric. He'd wanted me to give up the opportunity and stay at Brookfield with him. 

I'd said no, and kept studying despite his efforts to keep me busy. I took my exams and that was that. I'd had the biggest grin on my lips when I'd called Eric to tell him the news. I'd gotten it! I was so proud of myself.

Eric, on the other hand, had just said great without an ounce of excitement in his voice, and told me to meet him at his place.

We'd been together for more than half a year, and I practically had my wardrobe at his apartment that he shared with one of his friends. That night, though, it'd been just us. The second I'd stepped in, I knew. I could feel what we was going to ask of me. And I knew I wouldn't be able to give it to him. I was leaving, and he was not.

Needless to say, his reasons had been beyond stupid and included stuff like "you can't leave me", "please stay", and turned into far-from-kind words by the end of the night. The last thing he'd said to me was, "You think I'm not good enough for you now, huh? Well, guess what, little scholarship winner, you have never been good enough for me, and now I'm finally free from this boyfriend bullshit. I can't wait to have my lips on a different girl every single night, while you wither away behind your little books. I would say good luck, but we both know you won't make it there, and god knows luck can't do much to help you."

By then my tears had stop running down my cheeks and my heart had been beyond breaking. It was in absolute shreds. But that didn't matter to him, no, all he saw was that my dreams had come true, and his hadn't. He would never stop resenting me for it. 

Suddenly, I was numb. I didn't even hear him anymore. I looked at him one last time, only to see an utterly defeated man that had never cared for me the way he should have. And I left. Without another word, I just left, sealing the pain he'd caused me into the deepest, darkest part of my heart, and promised myself I wouldn't ever think about him again.

Maggie brought my thoughts back to earth, "So, Sophie, you coming?"

I blinked, not having heard a word she'd said, "Where?"

Maggie kindly repeated what she'd said, because that was just how she was. Kind. So incredibly kind. Damn, my brother was so lucky.

"Hobi's birthday is coming up, and of course there's gonna be a party," she smiled knowingly. Birthday parties of the baseball team had quite a reputation.

"Hmm, I don't know," I mumbled, "I don't even know him that well." A poor excuse that made me wonder if I actually wanted to go.

"You know us," Jin glanced at Maggie and then shook his head at me, "besides, the boys have been asking when they'd be seeing you again."

My heart warmed a bit. Known for being players, they were all so sweet. But the way Jin's jaw was tense, there might be something I was missing about them wanting to see me again. Goodness, did Namjoon tell him?

I forced myself to relax. Of course, he hadn't. He wanted to keep it as secret as much as I did. Namjoon. I hadn't seen him for a while, the last time we ran into each other was at Coffee Hut. He really was decent guy once the awkwardness faded, and I'd stopped blatantly staring at his lips. 

Actually, talking to him had been pretty awesome. I mean, don't get me wrong, he had lawyer written all over him, but he didn't make me feel dense during our conversation. And it turned out he was also really into art. Who knew the jock-slash-future-lawyer had a soft spot for gently painted sunsets. He'd ever remembered the gallery opening I'd told him about on New Years. I had no clue how he remembered everything about that night, while half of it was just a blank page in my brain. Not the big stuff, obviously, I didn't think I could ever forget the way his lips crushed on mine. A shudder ran over my body just thinking about it. Thankfully, we were just friends now.

It was stupid, I know, but I wanted to talk to him again. And since he lived with Hobi, Namjoon would probably, most likely, hopefully be there.

I nodded at Maggie, feeling excited, "Okay, I'll go, but you have to promise not to leave me stranded."

"Never," Maggie smiled and raised her cup of coffee to mine as if we were holding bottles of beer. Jin just sipped his coffee in silence. Why did he look upset I said yes?