Coincidence

Mixed Signals

I was waiting at the cafe where Yume and I had planned to meet. To get here, I had to make up a bunch of excuses to get away from Revan. He was annoying sometimes, but he always meant well. For some reason, I felt a little nervous. I wore an olive shirt today, hoping Yume wouldn’t remember why. And even if she did, it wouldn’t matter—I understood she had gone through a lot lately. Lost in my thoughts, I was startled when a familiar voice spoke from behind me.

“Someone’s waiting for his girlfriend,” the voice teased.

I turned around to see Revan standing there with a smirk on his face.

“What the heck are you doing here!?” I asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

“Chill out! I just came to grab a drink,” he said, laughing.

“But didn’t you go to meet with your band?”

“Dude, we’re on a break,” he shrugged. “But more importantly, your girlfriend hasn’t shown up yet?”

“Shut up, Revan,” I said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Oh, someone’s shy!” he teased even more.

“Will you stop, or should I—” I began to say, but then I saw Yume walk into the cafe. She was wearing an olive top with jeans. I couldn’t believe it. She remembered. She remembered that day, despite everything she had been through. My heart began to race as she walked over to us, giving me a weak smile.

Revan’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness.”

I shot him a glare. “Will you stop!?”

Yume looked confused. “Um, Jaehun, who is this?” she asked softly.

Revan quickly stepped in, flashing his usual grin. “I’m his best friend, Revan!”

“Oh,” Yume said, nodding slightly.

Revan turned to me with a mischievous look. “Jaehun, aren’t you going to introduce me to her?”

Before I could say anything, Yume spoke up. “Um, I’m Yume, his girlfriend.”

I froze. Did she just call herself my girlfriend? My mind went blank for a second. Was she actually accepting me?

Revan laughed, looking like he was enjoying this way too much. “Bro, why didn’t you tell me you had a girlfriend?”

“Will you leave or not?” I said through gritted teeth, still glaring at him.

“Okay, okay, I’ll go. I’ll give you two some time alone. Best of luck, onesan!” he called out, waving as he walked away.

I turned back to Yume, who was smiling shyly. She looked at me with those big, sparkling eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had a best friend?” she asked playfully.

“It’s not like that… He’s just someone I played with as a kid,” I explained, pulling out a chair for her to sit down.

“Oh, I see,” she said, sitting down. “Well, it’s nice to meet him. And you seem to remember our… matching outfit.”

I looked down at my shirt, realizing how perfectly it matched her top. “Yeah, I just thought maybe you’d wear it too.”

A silence fell between us. I could feel my heart beating in my chest. Yume was staring at me, her eyes sparkling.

“Why are your eyes red?” she asked suddenly.

I blinked, remembering the morning’s chaos. Revan had playfully hit me with a pillow, but it had ended up hurting me a little. Luckily, it wasn’t noticeable.

“I think something got in my eyes,” I said quickly.

“Is it still there?” she asked, looking concerned.

“No, it’s gone,” I reassured her.

Another silence. Why did it feel so awkward?

“Do you want something?” I asked, trying to break the ice.

“What do you like to have?” she asked back, reaching for the menu.

“I usually get boba, but today I’ll have a strawberry smoothie,” she decided.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll get a mocha. Anything else?”

“Nope, that’s all,” she replied.

After placing our order, I turned to Yume and smiled. “So—”

“Sorry about earlier,” she interrupted.

“When?” I asked, confused.

“Um, when I called myself your girlfriend. It doesn’t mean I’ve accepted you,” she said, holding her cup and taking a sip. “I’m just not sure…”

I couldn’t help but smile at her cuteness. “I don’t mind. It’s nice to hear that I’m finally not single.” though I was a bit hurt.

“Seriously? You’ve never had a girlfriend before?” she asked, sounding surprised.

“Nope. You’re the first—oh, no, sorry,” I stammered.

“Does that mean you’re a virgin too?” she asked, giggling.

“Hmm… Bad luck, huh?” I joked.

“I really can’t believe it,” she said, shaking her head.

“Who knows, maybe I’ll break that soon,” I said without thinking.

“What?” she asked, looking at me suspiciously.

“Nope, nothing,” I said quickly, feeling my ears burn with embarrassment.

“Hey, what are you thinking?” she asked, leaning closer.

“Nothing!” I insisted, waving my hands defensively.

“That’s not fine!” she said, pretending to be upset.

I was about to say something when someone walked up to our table. I looked up and felt my heart sink. Standing there, glaring at me, was Linda—the worst nightmare of my life.