dreams || JEON JUNGKOOK

13//"What, why? Did you chicken out? I'm not surprised."//

I decide to go to the cafe to ask her a couple days later. I'm really nervous, though. What if she thinks I'm weird? What if she has a boyfriend?

I shove all my negative thoughts down and push open the door. I stare at the floor as I walk to the end of the short line. I'm thinking of exactly what I will say to MiHi.

There is now only one person before me in line, and I slowly bring my head up from staring at the floor. But what meets my eyes when I look behind the counter isn't MiHi but a man. I try to cloak the disappointment I feel wash over me. I order my drink and walk away.

She must not be working today. I shouldn't have expected her to be here every day, people do get days off. But when will she be back? Should I come back tomorrow? Or is that desperate?

>>>

I decided that it wasn't too much to come back the next day so, here I am walking to the cafe. I kick a small rock along the sidewalk as I stroll. I start to psych myself out a bit when I'm halfway there.

Is it creepy to show up two days in a row just to talk to her? I stop and look up at the tree that's growing beside the sidewalk, pondering. She wasn't there so, in reality, she would only think I came to see her today. She wouldn't find it creepy because she wouldn't know. I start to walk the rest of the way.

When I get to the cafe, the first place my eyes go is to the counter. Again I'm hoping to see her, but this time I see a different girl. Maybe she had two days off. Or what if she doesn't even work here anymore? What if she got fired? I start to get a little worried now. Although I don't really have a reason to, I don't even know this girl I only know her name.

>>>

I told myself that I wasn't going to go back today. I told myself that three days in a row was just too much. Except I find myself walking to the cafe now. Not totally my idea. Jin asked if I wanted to go with him and I obviously wasn't going to turn him down.

So now Jin and I are walking there making small conversation.

"Did you ever ask that cafe girl for her number?"

Jin's question kind of caught me off guard I thought he had actually forgotten about all of that.

 "No I, uh, I haven't."

"What, why? Did you chicken out? I'm not surprised." He shook his head at me.

"No actually she just hasn't been there for me to ask." I put emphasis on the word to.

"Oh." Is all he answers with as he opens the door to the cafe.

We walk up to the counter, and it's still not her standing there. I get a little saddened yet again.

Once Jin ordered I walk up and make my order. 

"Thank you. Have a nice day." The man says to me as he hands me my change.

"Yeah, you too. Hey um, there's a girl that works here, MiHi. Uh, where has she been?"

"Oh, MiHi called in this week she said she wouldn't be back till next week."

"I see. May I ask why?"

"She said family stuff. Are you her friend?"

I hesitated to answer because I wasn't but saying 'no I just laughed with her twice at this here counter' seemed kind of odd. So I responded with, "Kind of." And then walked over to where Jin stood.

I sigh and grab my drink. I'm now even more worried about MiHi. Family stuff? What kind of family stuff? Bad or good? Is she okay? These questions run through my head for the remainder of the week.