The Storm and the Sea (A MiChaeng Fanfic)

Chapter 10: Mina

Despite the good intentions brought about by the sea, the storm-without warning-opens up with a torrential rain.

***

Well, ain't that a bitch?

My record of having forbidden crushes just keeps piling up, doesn't it? Saerom from Marketing: already engaged. Gyuri from HR: straight as a ruler. Now, Chaeyoung: also in a relationship. That's just fucking great.

I wish I could just laugh maniacally at the absurdity of my luck with romance, but I'm currently working on a client pitch. Instead, I hole up in some random lo-fi playlist on YouTube.

The day passed by as normal, only with Chaeyoung being more casual towards me. Must be because of how we were yesterday. She'd ask me all these things-even if it didn't really require my input-about work or the workplace in general. I tried my best to balance being accommodating and formal, not wanting my attraction to spiral out further. The mole below her lips and her dimples made it a challenge, though. Ugh, Mina, why are you so petty?

It's not like I have a right to wring out this disappointment-Chaeyoung has been with this Somi even before she even came back to Seoul. It's just that...it's tiring to be attracted to someone and not being able to do anything about it.

"You're staying?" Jihyo asks, fixing her things.

"Yeah, just have to do some sorting-my desktop's a mess."

"Okay. My family's already at the restaurant, so I'm going. See you tomorrow. Take care."

"Thanks, sunbaenim. Happy birthday."

Seeing Jihyo head out, I remember how easy it was to bond with my family on the fly back in Kobe-how oto-san would put his stuff from work at his study and ask us all out for ramen, which sometimes pissed oka-san off, since she was already cooking.

After reorganizing my desktop, I lean back, do some stretching for my neck, and perform breathing exercises to relieve tension.

Chaeyoung is your colleague, Mina-a friend if you'd be lucky. Don't be unfair to her; you have no right to be distant.

***

It's all psychological, but the feeling of clocking out at 6 p.m. on a Friday invokes a certain kind of bliss that's second to none. You have six hours of your personal life back before it's the actual weekend. And I'm guessing those six hours (or more, God forbid) are going to be spent at a place wherein the middle class like to pretend they belong to the upper strata of society-Lucca's.

To be fair, Lucca isn't pretentious-it's just that I think they spent around eighty percent of their budget on aesthetics, fifteen percent on their marketing strategy, and five for food and beverage. Bottomline is that their dishes and wine selection are subpar at best. But, hey, it's what we can afford.

As expected, Sana and Momo are already seated. They each hug me, as is customary when friends see each other after a long absence, and continue gossiping about our classmates...even though they haven't really met for five years. Looks like it's gonna be a long night, so I ease into the conversation by pitching in some of the "interesting" news I've collated about their subjects.

"By the way, Jeongyeon's late...again," I say as I look at my watch-forty-three minutes late, to be precise.

The two of them finally shift in my general direction with interest. Ugh, when will I learn?

"Why? Do you miss her?" Sana kids before taking a little sip off her sangria.

Momo hits her forearm. "Don't say that! She's bringing a friend, remember?"

They get into a series of squinting and eyebrow-raising, like two comedians from yesteryear, until Sana yields with an exaggerated "oh."

I could feel their gaze, probably gauging how I would react to the idea of Jeongyeon bringing someone new into our reunion, but I refuse to play their game and focus my attention on the bland plate of lasagna in front of me.

A few minutes of vibing to the apparently-good music in this establishment, Momo mutters, "Speak of the devil and she shall come to you." Finally. Despite our weird history, at least I still enjoy conversing with Jeongyeon way more than with these two.

To prevent giving them the satisfaction of seeming eager to see her ex, I spend a few seconds before turning to look at Jeongyeon, in her all-black ensemble of a biker jacket, v-neck shirt, jeans, boots, and...

...Chaeyoung-ah?!

***

This night has turned, at the very least, entertaining-but I'm not sure if this is what I have in mind.

Chaeyoung has an obvious look of apprehension, between glancing at me and chuckling at her unnie's corny anecdotes.

"Take it easy, Chaeyoung-ah," I suggest. Drinking with this girl tonight was very far from the equation.

"Don't worry about your sunbaenim here," Jeongyeon assures, enunciating the honorific, handing the youngest on the table a glass of cheap wine. "Let's drink the night away."

"Yeah, Minari-don't be such an imo," Sana giggles as she motions for a toast.

A little over an hour and three bottles of wine later, it looks like I'm the only one sane on this table: Sana has been explicitly flirting with one of the waitresses as Jeongyeon and Momo howl in laughter, and Chaeyoung stares at the glass of stale wine with droopy eyes. God, these girls are hopeless.

"Hey, you okay?" I ask my junior teammate.

Chaeyoung stares at me and blinks in a sequence, with each repetition slower than the last. Uh-oh-looks like she's on the verge of passing out. I rush to her side and hold her steady, but, upon contact, she flails her arm at me, hitting me on the nose.

"Why do long-distance relationships suck?!" she yells, slurring in between words.

As I rub the afflicted the area, and check for any bleeding, Chaeyoung glares at me with eyes that are barely staying up. If it weren't for the pain and fear of retaliation from her, I'd probably chuckle at how adorable she is being right now.

"Okay, okay. That's enough," I say, moving the glass away from her.

"Why can't I be with someone near me? Like you," Chaeyoung continues, tilting her head and planting a hand over my chest. My stomach tenses as she breathes into my blouse.

"Hey! That's my ex you're groping," Jeongyeon accuses as she staggers towards us, pulling her childhood friend by the shoulders. Thankfully Momo, despite being tipsy, quickly pulls the violent Jeongyeon away, with the staff intervening as well. And here is where our night ends.

Sana and Momo tend to the half-conscious Jeongyeon, who's sitting by the stairs. Meanwhile, Chaeyoung is struggling to stay awake against me.

"I'll take this one home," I tell Sana and Momo.

"Eh? Why? She's Jeongyeon's friend," Sana protests with eyes closed, leaning against the brick wall.

"I know where she lives. Besides, my boss will kill me if she found out her new graphic artist got wasted on my watch," I justify, resting Chaeyoung's head on my shoulder.

"Why? Are you afraid of what will happen if you take this one home instead?" Momo points to Jeongyeon with a mischievous grin.

I chuckle at thought, but fucking on a Friday night isn't half a bad idea. "Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Sana and Momo whoop as I look for a cab ride home.