Catch-22, HAECHAN

01 | red-haired medusa

"Wait- so you're breaking up with me?"

"Uh, what?" Chaerin furrows her eyebrows. "Inyeop, this is our second date-"

"Inyeop? My name's Inseok!" He stands up, throwing his napkin angrily on the table.

Her eyes widen, though more in embarrassment at the fact that the other patrons are starting to look than at his sudden outburst.

"Hey man, c'mon..." Chaerin whispers through clenched teeth, laughing nervously as she glances around the restaurant. "I just... don't see us working out, and I'm sorry, alright? You're a nice guy, Inseok. Just not for me," she tries to justify.

It's true— for the most part.

Chaerin has been on many dates with other guys before, and she has to say that Inseok definitely is one of the better ones (until now, that is).

He's not bad-looking, and his mannerisms are fairly decent. It's obvious that he had taken quite an interest towards her— which flattered her, really— resulting in a first date Chaerin thought to be, well, not bad.

Oh, who is she kidding. While she did enjoy their date out at the aquarium, there was one tiny thing about the boy that turned her off.

He had flaky lips.

Yes, that's right.

Inseok's lips were so dry, it gave Chaerin the urge to simply tear away the piece of loose skin hanging from his mouth every time she looked at him. It was there when he talked, it was there when he ate, and it was all Chaerin could focus on to the point that it made her physically ill.

Alright. She's aware of how dumb it is to get so worked up over something as small as that, but it's really not her fault she refuses to settle for less. She just gets turned off at basically the littlest things, resulting in her many first dates not blooming into anything more.

It's fine! There's no reason for her to be in such a rush— college life is meant to be enjoyed. And no, she definitely isn't in any pressure to get into a relationship just because her two closest friends are.

The youngest of them, Sera, was the first to get a boyfriend, and out of all the eight billion people in the world, she had to end up with none other than Chaerin's stepbrother himself— Na Jaemin. They're disgustingly cute, but also disgustingly gross.

That had been their little friend group for the past two years, all up until a few months ago when her other roommate Yena revealed that she had started seeing someone, this boy Chaerin recognises from a few of her classes as Lee Mark.

Of course.

If there was anyone Hwang Yena would fall for, of course it would be Lee Mark— shy, awkward, and introverted; they are one and the same.

Personally, Chaerin doesn't really see the appeal in his nerdy glasses and oversized sweaters, but hey, power to her roommate for finally falling in love for the first time.

"Like you said, this is the second date," the boy scoffs humourlessly as he takes out his wallet, placing a few loose bills on the table. "You barely even gave me a chance, Chaerin."

"Yeah, because I didn't want to lead you on." She frowns. "Don't you think I'm doing you a favour? Would you rather I lead you on when it's clear we're going nowhere?"

"Yeah, well." Inseok gives her a pained smile. "You drop someone the moment you get bored of them without sparing them a second chance, and the cycle repeats. At this rate you're going, you're never gonna find love. Bye, Chaerin."

Chaerin could only afford to scoff in disbelief as Inseok leaves the restaurant, seeing his figure walk past the glass window they were just seated next to.