Cingulomania || Nerd X Popular || Jimin FF

Chapter 12: Hangout 🦋

When I arrived at the café, it was cozy and warm, a nice escape from the cold. I could see Clara and a few others already seated, chatting and laughing. I took a deep breath, smiled, and walked over to join them.

I spotted Clara and a couple of new faces at a table near the window. I waved and headed over. I introduce myself.

"Finally! We were about to order another round of coffee. What do you want?"

"Just a cappuccino, please. I need something to wake me up."

"You missed the funniest thing!" Clara said, barely containing her excitement. "Sam and I tried out this ridiculous TikTok challenge."

"Oh, it was wild," Sam added with a grin. "We mixed the weirdest food combos."

"Like what?" Julia asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Cheese and gummy bears," Clara said with a shudder. "Trust me, it's as strange as it sounds."

"Ew, that sounds awful. I think I'll stick to my usual snacks," I said, making a face.

"Definitely," Sam agreed. "Some things should just stay separate."

"Tell me about it," Julia said. "My mom's cooking experiments are enough for me."

"So, what's new with you?" Clara asked. "Any gossip?"

"Not much. Just dealing with schoolwork," I said.

Clara said, "how's James? Still texting you a lot?"

"Yeah, he is. He's nice, but he's been asking a lot about my friends, which is kinda strange."

"That's weird," Sam said. "Maybe he's just curious about your circle."

"Or maybe he's just nosy. Who knows?" Julia suggested.

"Maybe. It still feels a bit off," I admitted.

"Well, as long as you're okay with it," Clara said, "don't let anyone make you uncomfortable."

"Thanks, Clara. I appreciate it," I said.

As we settled into our seats and started munching on snacks, Julia turned to me with a curious look.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask—what's up with you and Jimin?"

I gave Clara a quick glance, hoping she'd pick up on my silent request to keep my deeper feelings under wraps.

"Jimin's just a friend," I said casually, taking a sip of my drink.

Julia raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but he's kind of different from your usual crowd. I mean, he's a bit of a nerd, right? Doesn't that seem weird?"

I shrugged, trying to stay relaxed. "Not really. He's got his own thing going on, and it's nice to hang out with someone who's not all caught up in the usual high school drama."

Clara jumped in, clearly wanting to support me. "And Jimin's actually really sweet. We've all seen how he's been helping out with projects and stuff. He's a great friend."

Julia nodded, but her curiosity didn't seem fully satisfied. "So, is it just friendship, or...?"

I felt my cheeks flush slightly but tried to stay cool. "Just friends. Honestly, I think it's refreshing to have someone around who's not into the same old stuff."

"Hmm, interesting," Julia said, still looking a bit skeptical. "I guess everyone needs a bit of variety in their friends."

"Exactly!" I replied, relieved to have shifted the focus. "And speaking of variety, did you guys see the new movie trailer that dropped today?"