tangled; park woojin

20

Seeing Yoon Soojin being friendly with other people looked weird. At least, for Woojin. Apart from Hayun and them, he has never actually seen her socialize. Especially with this pink-haired guy with freaking braces who, according to what he heard earlier, was from Busan. So what was he doing here on a school day?

Apparently, Soojin was wondering the same thing. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. "Don't you have classes today?"

"That doesn't matter," the Jinyoung guy said and sipped on his juicebox. "I just happened to be in town."

The said juicebox came from the convenience store, where they were currently at. After greeting each other like long-lost cousins of some sort, Soojin spontaneously invited the Jinyoung guy to the convenience store nearby and just catch up. For some reason, Woojin tagged along. He had no idea what they were going to be catching up on, though. He has never even heard of Jinyoung before.

It was strange how he was never mentioned before. But then again, he and Soojin only recently became friends, so maybe that was why he didn't know about him?

"Shut up, you can't have randomly taken a train and ended up here, right where I go to school," Soojin said.

The Jinyoung guy gasped. "Are you implying that I'm stalking you?"

Soojin laughed at this. Laughed, out loud, not the one where she tries to contain it. It was weird.

"I almost forgot!" Soojin exclaimed. "Woojin's here. I can't believe I didn't introduce you two. Jinyoung, Woojin. Woojin, Jinyoung."

The pink-haired boy smiled at him, baring his braces. Woojin nodded politely. The two have been talking for almost an hour and they were so into it that they didn't even notice his presence. Maybe they were really close.

"Is he part of your new circle of friends, then?" Jinyoung asked.

"Yeah," Soojin said, though her voice was kinda smaller again. "He raps as well, you know."

"Cool!" Jinyoung said. "Wait, that's cute. Your name is Woojin and her name is Soojin."

"I never noticed that before," Woojin confessed. Then he asked, "Are you, perhaps, one of Soojin's childhood friends, then?"

Soojin and Jinyoung both looked at each other and then laughed. "No, we met online."

"Like... a dating site?" Woojin tried to wrap his head around it. Soojin doesn't seem to be the type to find relationships online. In fact, she doesn't seem to be the type to be interested in being in a relationship. But he was making assumptions about her again. He remembered how it went the first time.

"You idiot, you really think I'm the type to go on dating sites?" Soojin asked him. Well, there we go. For once, Woojin was actually right.

"Where did you meet, then?"

"On Twitter," Jinyoung answered.

So this guy was a complete stranger?

"You've met before?" he asked them both. The two shook their heads.

"How did you know what he looked like, then?" he asked again.

"We recently became Facebook friends," Jinyoung said. "I saw her in the comments section on one post."

"I didn't know you had Twitter," Woojin said to Soojin. "What's your—"

"No way am I giving you my username," Soojin said, cutting him off.

Woojin was confused. "I'm just gonna follow you? I won't even interact with you there. I barely go on my Twitter, actually."

"Still not giving it," Soojin said, and Jinyoung laughed.

Well, he tried.

Soojin stood up. "I'm just gonna get myself a sausage or two. You guys want anything?"

"Nah, I'm good."

After Soojin left, it was pretty awkward. Woojin simply didn't know how to continue the conversation. He was worried he'll say something weird and/or horrible, and then Jinyoung would tell Soojin about it on Twitter, or whatever SNS they use to talk to each other, and then Soojin would probably look at him weird and won't hang out with him anymore. Not that he cared or anything, though.

"So, you rap?" Jinyoung asked him.

"Yeah," Woojin answered.

"Can I hear?" Jinyoung asked again. "Wait, I'm sorry, you must feel weird. I mean, we've only just met and I'm like, nobody."

"It's fine," Woojin said.

Thankfully, Soojin wasn't gone for long. She returned with a sausage for everyone on the table. Woojin decided to pocket his and save it for later, and then his eyes fell to his watch.

"It's 5:30 already," Woojin murmured.

"Isn't that still early for you, though?" Soojin asked him.

"Yeah, but I have to finish my stuff on Daehwi's new beat, and I still have to read that thing for History, so..." Woojin stood up. "I'll just go ahead."

He really didn't want to leave her with the weird-haired boy. But he had other commitments.

"You're leaving?" Jinyoung asked, and to that, Woojin nodded.

Obviously, he was leaving. Why else did he stand up? To turn clockwise three times and then sit back down again?

"Well, take Soojin with you, then," Jinyoung said. "I don't wanna hold you two back or anything. From going home, I mean."

"You're really gonna be tossing me around like that?" Soojin said to Jinyoung.

"Of course I'd like to talk to you more!" Jinyoung said and pinched Soojin's cheeks like he does it everyday. "But, you know, your mom will probably go ballistic if you go home after dark."

He even knew about Soojin's overprotective mother. They truly were close.

Soojin stood up. "Well, tell me first if you ever just randomly find yourself around here, okay? And let's not hang out in a convenience store then."

"It's a deal," Jinyoung said.

Woojin thought that was it, so he politely said goodbye and that it was nice to meet him. Soojin said goodbye as well, and even gave him a hug. Woojin just awkwardly stood there and watched. Seeing this side of Soojin made him want to get to know her better. Not that they weren't already close. Oh, who was he kidding. They're definitely far from being close.

Woojin politely nodded at Jinyoung before exiting the store.