Sejoo/Sooji

It Doesn't Matter. You Like It.

Sooji sighed. She had been practicing all morning. She hated being alone but it was too awkward to face Sejoo now that she had been avoiding his calls.

'Does he know I'm avoiding him? Probably not right? It should be fine to just stop by the hideout and pretend nothing happened. Right...?'

She shook her head trying to stop thinking about it. That was easier said than done.

Earlier she had glimpsed her sheet music that Sejoo had written on. She found it cute that he insisted on calling her a celloist even though she'd told him multiple times that it was a cellist.

'Wait a minute.. CUTE? Wow I must really be going crazy.', she told herself to focus on her practice.

She had just started looking through her music when her phone buzzed.

Laying her cello firmly on its side, she read the message:

"Is it awkward to see me? Why haven't you still come to our hideout?"

"What would I be awkward about?" she texted back before flinching. 'Ah I even sound weird now.' She stared at the screen intently as he began to text back a reply.

"Just incase, you don't have to suffer."

She rolled her eyes. "Should I just block this asshole?", she wondered out loud. But she knew it was an empty threat. Truth be told, she was grateful. 

Before she could reply, her phone chimed again:

"Are you not going to visit Sihyun?"

She stared at her phone and sighed. She had forced herself to not think about Sihyun and incident at the bar. Her heart still felt heavy at the thought of his disappointment. But then again, she had only told Taehee in order to understand Sihyun's true feelings: whether he was playing the game or whether he was lying about playing the game.

"Sejoo and I should be the ones angry and disappointed that he can't rely on us and be honest with us," she muttered under her breath before typing out a reply:

"Why bother when he's just hungover?"

She really didn't want to think about Sihyun and prayed that Sejoo wouldn't press the matter further. He didn't. Instead, he sent her a link to something with the message:

"See you here later. You have to come. Promise me."

Curious, she clicked on the link. It directed her to the homepage of a well-known café. She felt her face grow hot.

"He's going overboard. This is where people go on dates."

'Ah he's really in the mood to mess with me today,' she thought before another thought crept into her head. Her head snapped up from the phone, "Why is he like this? Has he finally gone crazy?" before she shuddered and set her phone aside. She couldn't even imagine herself dating Sejoo. She just had never thought of him in that way.

She willed herself to get back to practice. But his message was still in the back of her mind. 'Even with Sejoo, that place is too overboard,' she concluded before grabbing her phone and texting him:

"Too far."

'Was that too harsh? Should I add an emoji?' She thought to herself. But before she could act, he had already replied to her.

"Fine. Come to the hideout then."

She sighed. That, she could do.

"Door is opening," the familiar entrance to their hideout called out.

'Can't believe it took me so long to get ready.' She thought back to the pile of clothes she had left on her bed and knew Mi Soon-imo would have a heart attack when she saw it. She had spent the entire car ride convincing herself that she was just trying to cheer herself up by dressing up to look her best.

"You're here, Miss Soo ji," rang out Sejoo's voice, breaking her out of her own thoughts.

Unbeknownst to her, Sejoo had done a double take when he saw her. 'Soo ji is always pretty, but why does she look extra pretty today?' he smiled to himself.

Soo ji looked up to see Sejoo dressed comfortably, standing in front of an extravagant spread of dessert.

"What's all this?" she asked, confused. She took the fork Sejoo handed her and tried the red velvet cupcake. Immediately, she felt her worries go away.

"Wow. This is amazing." She looked up to Sejoo in awe. "Did you call me to feed me?" she asked, touched. Sejoo nodded in confirmation, gesturing at her to try more.

"If you like it, I'll open up a branch outside your university." Sejoo gestured at the food again.

"Does this suit our campus?" Sooji asked, rolling her eyes.

"It doesn't matter. You like it." Sejoo said.

At those words, Sooji felt her heart flutter. Without looking up, she quickly grabbed what was closest to her: a box. Looking at it for a few seconds, she began stuffing pastries into it.

"hm? what are you doing?" Sejoo asked.

Thinking quick, Sooji heard herself say, "I'm going to give them to Sihyun."

She heard Sejoo sigh and sit down across from her.

"Sihyun.. he said that Taehee and he are done for good," he said cautiously.

She looked at him as he continued, "That means your bet with him is off too."

At those words, she felt a pang in her heart. Closing her eyes, she heard herself ask, "Why are you telling me this?"

"In case Sihyun kept it from you," Sejoo said. At this, her eyes flickered up to his, "In case he doesn't tell you it's over and keeps stringing you along." He stared straight at her as his eyes flashed with concern. "That's why I told you. Two secrets are more than enough between us."

She didn't break his gaze, 'Why do his eyes look so sad?'

Sejoo, however, turned away and continued, "Who knows though? Could it be he told us it's over and continues seeing Taehee?"

At that, Sooji giggled, "He can't lie to us. Don't you know him well enough by now?"

Sejoo shared her smile, "When he gives me his car, let's go for a drive. Just us two."

'There he goes, teasing me again. His jokes are getting bolder recently,' Sooji thought to herself as she answered, "Aigoo, I'd rather watch a dog eat grass," and turned to sip her tea, wondering why a drive didn't sound like the most terrible idea to her.

Sejoo turned to look at her, "Aren't you going to eat more?"

With that, Sooji turned her focus to the food in front of her and in the presence of her friend, felt her worries go away while Sejoo sat, chin rested on his hand, and watched her eat with a loving smile on his face.