Eight Shots of Espresso | Na Jaemin

Chapter 18

The plan that Giselle had plotted was going smoothly. At least for the three. Meanwhile, you made no progress at all. It's been a week and Karina, Ningning, and Winter made sure that they were following everything that was discussed. You felt bad because you still hadn't made your move.

"Just flirt with anyone, okay? You don't have to like them," Giselle said one day while putting a blush-on. Both of you were on your way to school.

"But the problem is I don't know how! I have never been in a relationship before," you replied and heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Are you worried that they might catch feelings for you?" Giselle asked.

"I highly doubt that," you answered. "I am not as attractive as you or the other three."

Giselle closed the lid of her blush and faced you. "You're beautiful, (Name). You just lack confidence."

"Thanks, but that still won't help me with our plan," you answered.

Giselle walked towards you and pat your shoulders. "You don't have to confess to them or fake your feelings. Just stick close to them and talk to them all the time. And if you can, you can sit with them during lunch. The sooner you start, the quicker this will finish."

You couldn't help but chastise Nayoung even more. She was the root of all this mess and you refused to believe otherwise. If proving her as the culprit meant having to sacrifice for a little while, then it wouldn't be a problem. You took a deep breath to motivate yourself.

You can do this, you told yourself.

"Let's go, Giselle. I have a long list of names to flirt with," you lied but it somehow made you feel good.

"That's the spirit."

You arrived at NeoU early as usual. You saw students with disheveled hair, holding a steaming cup of black coffee and brandishing the deep and dark circles under their eyes. They were on their fourth year of college and most of them had sleepless nights due to the fact that they were graduating. You suddenly dreaded the time when you would be the same just like them.

As you think about the future, your eyes caught sight of a pair walking together.

You felt as if someone punched you in the gut and knocked the breath out of you. You heard them laughing together and Nayoung playfully hit Jaemin's arm who was holding his usual favorite, the darkest Iced Americano you have ever seen. You never thought that it was possible for the day to come when you would just stare at him from afar, but it's happening to you right now.

Time passed by so quickly but the same pain was still there, throbbing, making you miserable every single day. And seeing them together looking so happy was like rubbing salt to an open wound.

He didn't even look affected. He didn't even seem bothered by your disappearance. Instead, he replaced you by someone you had developed a hatred to.

Your heart sank but something inside you was burning. It made you more motivated to prove Nayoung's true intention and reveal her true colors.

I might not have Jaemin back as my friend but at least, I would be able to save him from that witch.

If he's happy without you, you decided to do the same. You had been happy for nine years without him. You only hang out for a few months anyway. You were so sure that you would be okay without him.

But it sounded like you were only convincing yourself.

Meanwhile, Jaemin was silently suffering while walking with Nayoung who was laughing so loud that she attracted other students' attention. Jaemin was not sure if she was doing it on purpose so students would look at them and create unnecessary rumors and stir drama.