colors ◇ seventeen | wonwoo

t e n

"you don't scold me for not calling you noona," wonwoo wondered aloud.

he was back to watching her work on a painting, except this time it was different project. she held a can of violet spray paint, the same shade as the color of her newly-dyed hair. it surprised him how many times she changed her hair color in the time he had known her.

gaeul shrugged, adding color to the wall in front of her. "it's a two year difference, but i don't feel older than you." she never looked up to talk to him whenever she worked. "why? do you want to call me noona?"

"not that. it's just... weird."

she chuckled lightly. "you know what else is weird? that you're still here."

"so you don't want me here?"

"i never said that."

so he stayed there. he sat on the ground and asked her random things. she would answer, sometimes when he repeatedly asked something she had ignored him say. and like how they spent most of their time, when she took a break, they headed to the coffee shop.

she ordered an americano again.

"my friends asked me the other day if we were dating," wonwoo mentioned to her. for some reason, he couldn't look up at her face. his gaze avoided hers and landed on the plant that was set behind her. he only looked up when he heard her laugh.

"and what did you say?" she asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

he was flustered but managed an answer. "i told them the truth. we're not," he said. "but are we friends?"

her lips curved upward, amused by his question. "i don't know. are we? i thought we were." she frowned, though it didn't seem like she was feeling down. "i feel upset that you don't think we are."

"i didn't know. i didn't want to assume anything. mianhe."

"don't be sorry. i'm just playing." she took a sip from her coffee. "but how do your friends know me? do you talk about me to them?"

"no, they saw you before. and one of them saw us together once. they were just curious who i was with."

"why are you acting all shy all of a sudden?" she leaned on the table, looking at him directly and making him want to shrink under her gaze.

he tried to shake off the feeling and tried to match her intense look. "it's nothing. i wasn't acting shy."

she snorted, leaning back against her chair. "i'll pretend that i'm okay with that response. if you start having feelings or me then i'm going to have to run the other way."

it was now wonwoo's turn to laugh. "believe me, i don't like you that way," he said. "i'm not going to start now."

she tilted her head to the side, playing with the end of her hair. "are you sure about that?"

"you sound like you want that to happen." and if he were to be honest, he wasn't sure. she had a hold on him that pulled him in. maybe at the moment it was just an attraction due to his curiosity, but he couldn't tell what lies ahead of him.

"no, no." she shook her head. her tone was one of amusement. "but wouldn't it be fun though? like a game. the first to fall in love loses. would you be willing to play?"

"no."

she made a face. "you're no fun."

he just shook his head. there was never anyone he had met before that was like her. that was probably why he was sticking around.