The Coffee Shop (Scoups)

𝟷 - ᴛʜᴇ sᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴏʟʟɪᴅᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴍᴇ

NOTE: I'll be following the Korean academic year schedule during this book. Basically, the new school year starts in March and ends in February. Just wanted to make sure there won't be any confusion. 

"Have the best first day sweetheart," Mom spoke into the phone with her usually enthusiastic and overtly sweet voice and I can almost imagine that she's in front of me with her usual gummy smile. 

"Thanks mom," I said, my palms covered with sticky sweat as my insides churn up and down due to nerves. I nervously rub my palms against the front of my jeans, trying to get the sweat away. 

I have been so nervous the entire morning since I have woken up that I could barely shove down the banana smoothie I had made earlier without feeling like throwing up. 

"Is that cupcake? I want to talk to her," I heard Dad yell in the background and some shuffling sounds followed before I heard Dad's booming voice through the phone. 

"Cupcake!" 

"Hey dad," I greeted in a low voice, "Also please don't call me cupcake anymore. I'm nineteen now. Not nine." 

"Nonsense! You'll always be cupcake. Once a cupcake, always a cupcake," Dad boomed. 

I sighed, knowing that my dad cannot be forced to change his mind once he sets it on something. 

"Okay I'm going to hang up now, okay?" I spoke into the phone as I see Soyeon, my best friend, sitting in front of me and impatiently tapping at her silver Cartier wrist watch which was gifted to her by her parents on our high school graduation, trying to stress the time. 

"Alright. Make sure to eat your meals on time dear. No skipping!" I head mom get back to the phone again. 

"Yes mom. I know," I say rather dully, "I really need to go. Soyeon is waiting for me and we'll get late." 

"Okay okay. I get it. Love you sweetheart. Don't be nervous and make some friends!" Mom spoke, her sweet voice encouraging me.

"Love you too. Love you dad," I spoke the last bit a bit louder, knowing that my father is listening along to the conversation and also knowing that he will get sulky if I don't acknowledge him at all. 

Dads.

They are such drama queens sometimes. 

"Love you cupcake," I heard dad yell from somewhere in the background and I felt a bit sorry for our neighbors. We're probably the loudest house on the street but then again, I'm pretty sure they are also used to it at this point. 

"Bye," I spoke into the phone before finally hanging up and standing up from the chair.  

Soyeon looked at me with a dead face and said, "Finally." 

Someone would think that I was dragging her through a dessert for a week straight. 

I quickly shoved my water bottle and my pencil case into my large tote bag and said, "Maybe you should talk to your parents too you know." 

I picked up my thin cardigan and draped it over my shoulders, putting my arms through its sleeves. Even though spring is now here and the weather is beginning to get warmer, the morning mist was still cold and chilly. It would be foolish to go out without some sort of sweater or jacket on you. 

"I did," Soyeon said, getting up from her chair as well, "I called them and all my dad said was this, Don't get too drunk at parties. My mom was on a morning walk so he picked it up this time."

Soyeon rolled her eyes as she remembered her father's words and I laughed out loud. 

"Like I know I have a party gene inside of me but do I really drink that much?" Soyeon asked.