meet me in the afterglow / purinz

Chapter 2/01 : spaces between us

THEN.

Yunjin doesn't see Chaewon again for another week.

Which makes sense. There isn't really much reason for them to cross paths. Yunjin spends her days in the science labs or stressing out in the library, while both the arts buildings and business department are located on the other side of campus, and despite their respective best friends dating, Sooyoung and Jiwoo are unlikely to invite everyone along whenever they go out together.

It's a cloudy and humid Friday afternoon when Yunjin gets out of her final class of the day and starts making her way towards the main campus entrance where Sooyoung is waiting for her.

She's been awake since six in the morning, had three coffees and one Red Bull with varying levels of effectiveness, and spent the majority of her lecture on organic chemistry daydreaming about faceplanting into her bed and not moving until Saturday afternoon.

"I am ready to drop dead," Yunjin announces as soon as she reaches Sooyoung, sitting on the grass near the entrance and scrolling through something on her phone.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," Sooyoung replies without even looking up.

Yunjin ignores that unnecessary little jab. "I don't know whose idea it was to give me back to back lectures starting at 8AM, but they're evil."

Sooyoung tucks her phone away and gets to her feet, staring blankly at Yunjin. "It was your idea. When you picked your classes for this semester. How are you so smart but such a moron sometimes?"

Well, Yunjin can't really argue with that. Sooyoung does have a point, although she could be a bit more sympathetic while pointing out past-Yunjin's stupid mistakes. Past-Yunjin was kind of an idealistic moron who thought two 8AM classes in a week wouldn't be that bad. And she's not even half-nocturnal like Sooyoung is.

"But unfortunately for you," Sooyoung continues cheerfully, draping an arm around Yunjin's shoulders and steering her towards the campus exit. "You're going to have to put off your desperately needed beauty sleep for a bit longer, because we have plans later."

"Huh?" Yunjin frowns. "We do? Since when?"

"Since five minutes ago when Jiwoo texted me and told me to bring you and Haseul along tonight," Sooyoung replies. "I'm meeting her and her friends for drinks later, and you're both coming with me."

Yunjin groans, that wonderful daydream of passing out for at least sixteen hours going up in smoke in mere seconds. "I am tired, Sooyoung."

"Come on," Sooyoung pouts. "It'll be fun. Jiwoo really liked you."

Yunjin is fully prepared to put up more of a fight against being sociable when a) she is already thinking about bedtime at four in the afternoon, and b) a new Gundam model she ordered last week has arrived and is waiting for her at home, according to a text from Haseul earlier in which she called Yunjin about ten different variations of a huge fucking dweeb, but then Sooyoung's words actually register in her overworked and overcaffeinated brain.

Jiwoo and her friends.

Yunjin knows better than to actually ask if Chaewon will be there; Sooyoung knows her far too well to not immediately see right through her and she isn't in the mood to deal with the inevitable obnoxious teasing that will follow. So she'll just have to bite her tongue and hope that when Sooyoung says Jiwoo and her friends, that includes Chaewon.

"Fine," Yunjin grumbles, playing it up a little so Sooyoung doesn't question her sudden change of heart. "But you're buying me coffee on the way home."