Clashing Hearts | Hwang Hyunjin

One

I tugged at the strap of my bag as I walked toward the café, my phone buzzing in my pocket with what had to be Mia's tenth text in the last five minutes. She'd been hinting at some "great idea" all week, and based on her enthusiasm, I already knew it was going to be something ridiculous. With Mia, it always was.

As soon as I pushed open the door to the café, I spotted her in our usual corner booth. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, which only made me more nervous. I hadn't even sat down yet, and I could already tell she was about to drop something big.

"Jia!" she called, waving me over like she hadn't just seen me yesterday.

I slid into the booth across from her, barely getting a word out before Bang Chan, Mia's boyfriend, appeared with a grin plastered across his face.

"There she is! Jia, coffee's on me today. What do you want?"

"Just the usual, thanks," I said, smiling up at him. Chan was always this annoyingly cheerful, but I could never bring myself to dislike him for it. He and Mia had been dating for a few months now, and they were disgustingly cute together.

The moment Chan disappeared to get us drinks, Mia leaned in, her eyes practically glowing with excitement. I already knew where this was going.

"So," she started, her voice taking on that mischievous tone, "Chan has this great friend..."

I groaned. "Please don't tell me you're trying to set me up again."

Mia waved her hand dismissively, like the thought of me resisting was absurd. "Come on, hear me out! Hyunjin's perfect for you. He's funny, good-looking, and you both love the same things. It's practically fate."

I stared at her, deadpan. "Mia, you said the same thing about the last guy, and he thought it was normal to eat spaghetti with his hands."

She giggled, not even the least bit deterred. "Okay, so that one was a miss, but Hyunjin's different. He's actually normal. Plus, Chan's known him forever, and he said you two would hit it off."

I raised an eyebrow. "Does Hyunjin know about this little matchmaking plan of yours?"

Mia gave me an innocent smile that I didn't buy for a second. "Details, details. He's single, you're single—what's the harm in a little double date?"

Before I could protest, Chan returned with our coffees, placing them in front of us with a flourish. "So, did Mia tell you about the plan yet?" he asked, his grin way too smug for my liking.

I shot him a look. "You're in on this too?"

"Of course," he said, sliding into the booth beside Mia. "Trust me, Hyunjin's a great guy. You'll like him."

"I doubt it," I muttered, taking a sip of my coffee.

Mia leaned across the table, eyes wide with excitement. "Just give it one shot, Jia. One double date, that's all I'm asking. If you hate him, I'll never bring it up again. Promise."

I sighed, already feeling the inevitability of it all weighing down on me. Mia wasn't going to drop this, and knowing her, she'd keep pestering me until I caved. Besides, one date couldn't be that bad, right?

"Fine," I said, giving in. "But if this goes horribly wrong, I'm holding both of you responsible."

Mia clapped her hands together, looking way too pleased with herself. "You won't regret it! I'll set everything up for this weekend."

"Great," I said, though I couldn't shake the feeling that I was walking straight into a disaster. Chan and Mia exchanged a triumphant look, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

What could possibly go wrong on one little double date?