"Is this where you ran off to yesterday, after lunch?" Haknyeon asked curiously as they entered the café where she worked part-time. Mikyung just nodded, not saying anything as she headed to the counter, finding Sangyeon working there, as usual.
"Hey there!" he greeted brightly, bringing a small smile to her face.
"Hi," she said softly, looking around the café. There weren't that many people now. It was the most crowded in the morning for breakfast and the afternoon for lunch, but now it was sometime in the middle, and there were only a few people scattered around. "Is it okay if I take some pictures?" she asked, holding up the camera, which was still around Haknyeon's neck.
"Ow!" Haknyeon complained.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed, dropping the camera, which only made things worse. It hit his chest and he grunted in annoyance and pain. "I'm sorry!" she said again, reaching forward and gently taking the camera from around his neck. "Are you alright?" she asked, her fingers brushing the material of his shirt.
Haknyeon took her hand, laughing slightly. "I'm fine," he assured her, gently squeezing her hand in reassurance before letting go. "Just a little bruised, that's all," he said, putting a hand on his forehead dramatically.
She gave him a small smile before turning back to Sangyeon, who was watching them in amusement.
"Can I?" she asked again.
"Of course," Sangyeon said. "Go right ahead. You guys can come to the employees only areas too," he said, gesturing behind the counter and then to the kitchen.
"Really!" she exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Being able to take pictures of those areas would reflect her life way more accurately.
"Of course," Sangyeon said, reaching over the counter and ruffling her hair kindly. "After all, you're my favorite employee," he said playfully, winking at her.
"You say that to literally every employee," she teased, walking behind the counter to join him. "Pose for a picture."
Sangyeon blew her a kiss and she took the picture, laughing. Sangyeon was her best friend. They'd grown up in the same building and as children, he'd always been the one to safely bring her to and from the playground, and they always played together. He was the one who taught her how to ride a bike and later on, gave her rides to school on his bike. Their families were close too.
They were so close that everyone assumed they were dating. Even their parents joked about it sometimes, but while she loved Sangyeon, the feeling was completely platonic. And as for Sangyeon, he'd made it clear that she was like a little sister to him. Because of that, their relationship was very comfortable.
He knew everything about her. She told him her troubles and he told her his. He knew about her mother's condition, and he knew how she was desperately trying and failing to prepare herself for the worse. She knew that he had been trying to save up enough money to go to University, but when his father had drunkenly signed a promissory note and his family had gone into debt, his dreams had also been crushed. That's how he'd ended up manager of the café.
They knew everything about each other, but Haknyeon knew nothing about them or their relationship.
That's why it came to no surprise to her when, once they were out of earshot of Sangyeon, she felt a hand on her wrist, turning her around.
She faced Haknyeon, already expecting the question.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Haknyeon whispered.
Mikhyung couldn't help laughing. It was the question everyone asked her. She shook her head. "No, he's my best friend," she clarified.
"Oh," Haknyeon said, looking like he wanted to say something else but was unsure of himself. "Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked after a moment.
"No," she said. "I don't have time for a relationship," she said, her gaze on the floor.
And then she turned around and walked a few paces away, continuing to take pictures.
