Koon Chai Cafe

Chapter Eleven - Bravery & Blankets

Krishna

If I'm being completely honest, I really didn't expect my Monday morning Calculus class to start with Kopter brandishing Min-Hyuk Park in my face. He was possibly better to look at than integration by parts though.

I looked over to see a bemused Dior seated to my left and a bewildered Darius sat two seats diagonally from us, mouth gaping in shock.

Kopter pushed Park towards me from behind, hands firmly placed on both of Park's shoulders. "Krishna, this is my friend Park." He stated defiantly, his eyes glowing with silent determination.

He then swung a bewildered Park round to face Darius. "Darius, this is my friend Park."

He pushed an exhausted-looking Park towards where Dior was sitting. "Dior, this is -"

"Lemme guess," Dior sighed sarcastically. "This is Park, your friend and evidently also your sock puppet." Kopter gave a sheepish grin and Park broke free, rubbing his shoulders.

"Geez Kopter, you've got an iron grip," Park muttered, rolling his neck to relieve the pain.

Darius stood up and his eyes searched the room, hands on hips. "Is no one else confused right now!?" he exclaimed, one arm extended to a now bashful-looking Kopter and Park.

I looked over at Dior and we exchanged a knowing look with one another. Darius, bless him, had never been the sharpest knife in the drawer. Literally anyone with a sliver of observational skills could've seen this coming. Did those two really think they were that slick with their stolen glances across the classroom and longing stares at one another?

Dior raised one eyebrow silently. I nodded back in agreement. Pretending like we didn't know anything to save Darius some face was a tactic we were both skilled and, sadly for Darius, experienced in.

"Yeah, what is going on?" Dior exclaimed, really hamming up the indignation in her tone. I crossed my arms in solidarity.

Park crossed his arms in defence and furrowed his brow. Kopter cleared his voice and scratched the back of his neck nervously, "So basically, me and Park have secretly been friends for the past few months. Well, ever since the chemistry project really..." he explained, counting down the weeks on his fingers.

He suddenly turned to face us dead-on and struck a confident pose. "Park is my friend and I'm gonna be hanging out with him from now on and if you guys have a problem with that I'm-"

Darius waved a hand lazily in front of Kopter, interrupting his speech. "Yeah, yeah whatever. Park can hang out with us whenever he likes. I don't care."

Kopter and Park turned and stared at each other in shock.

"You really don't have a problem with it?" Park asked, perplexed.

"Do y'all think we're evil or something?" Dior inquired, sounding exasperated.

"We're not all Bianca's here," I explained, taking my glasses off to clean them with my shirt. I placed them back on the bridge of my nose and gave Park a reassuring smile. "And we're not all egotistical asshats either."

Dior and Darius nodded in agreement. Park surprised me with the first smile I think I'd ever seen from him. Kopter beamed around the group, looking like a proud parent on sports day.

He then nudged Park in the arm, grinning like an idiot. "Told you it wouldn't be so bad!"

Park punched him in the shoulder and huffed. "If you don't stop being so smug, you won't have a friend left to introduce," he grumbled, turning away and heading for his desk.