a cup of coffee • kim doyoung

twenty one

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Kim Seyeon

We headed out of the restaurant but had to stop by the restroom not long after. Geez, guys and their bowels. Surprisingly, not all of them had to go.

"Seyeon, help me hold my phone." Mark chucked his phone into my hand before rushing into the gents, the rest of them doing the same but with Dongyoung.

I watched as all of them enter the restroom at the same time, leaving yet again the two of us standing outside, five feet apart. A sudden deja vu moment flashed by me. This would've been the perfect opportunity to strike up a conversation, but how? I'm not much of a convo-starter myself.

After a bit of fumbling around, I finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"So-"

I pursed my lips as the same word slid out of Dongyoung's mouth. Not this again.

"You go first," I muttered shyly, my courage plummetting to the ground.

"No it's fine, I was just going to ask about your project," he mentioned as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's going well, I still have lots to do though." I thought back to the number of blank panels waiting to come to life, but I decided to push that till after the holidays. My grandma was right, having a few days to rest was rejuvenating, but I still can't help but feel anxious.

"Don't be too pressured," he said, casually giving me a smile, "I know you'll do well."

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach aggressively begging to be let out, while my heart pounded hard against my chest. His words echoed in my head before imprinting themselves into my mind. It may seem like a meaningless sentence, but for a student who's been struggling day and night just to get the right shape, it means a lot.

"Thank you," I managed softly, "It means more coming from you." The last part came out as a whisper, and thankfully he didn't hear it. The next few minutes past by in silence, this time a little more bearable. I watched people entering and exiting the restrooms, but there was no sign of the rest.

"Aish, why are they in there for so long?" I groaned in frustration. Do guys actually take this long in the toilet?

"Let them be," he sighed, "They're probably playing inside. Especially Mark."

"I'm not surprised," I trailed along in agreement, before looking at him as we both laughed. The tension from earlier was non-existent now, and I'm glad that it disappeared.

"By the way..."

Our conversation continued on gradually well with little pauses in between. It was a nice progression from the small talk in the cafe, not to mention the little disruption we had. I've come to realise the less serious, goofball side of him, which was very different from my first impression of him.

"To be honest, I didn't like coffee to begin with, but the ones at the cafe really changed my taste buds," I confessed sheepishly as Dongyoung laughed out loud.

"Please, you only had the same black coffee every time you came." I nudged him on the shoulder in retaliation. I wouldn't even have ordered that if I wasn't rushing, but it was surprisingly good. Now I understand people with a coffee addiction.

"I still remember your face when I ordered, why were you so surprised?" I asked, genuinely curious. His face turned slightly red at the mention of that day.

"It's because no one ever ordered black coffee with no milk and no sugar before," he rebuked with the exact same order I gave him then, "I never met such a picky customer."

I scoffed, "Is that your first impression of me?"

"Well..." My heart started pounding again at the thought of his answer. That question came out naturally without thinking, but now I'm actually curious what he might have thought of me. I bit my lip as I waited for his reply.

"Aww!" An irritating voice interrupted us abruptly, "Are my two friends becoming friends?"

I turned towards the restroom and saw Mark skipping towards us. Great, out of all the timings he could've chosen, he decides to show up now. He threw his arm around both of us. I nearly collapsed due to his weight.

"Yah, what took you so long?" I vented my frustration towards another direction, although internally I'm fuming.

"You don't need to know!" He giggled, creeping me out a little. I looked at the rest, but their reactions were too ambiguous. "Anyway, are y'all, friends, now?"

Mark shook me by the shoulder as I exchanged glances with Dongyoung, unsure of what I should say. Technically, I wouldn't brand us as friends yet since we only had a proper conversation, like, today? But we are too far from acquaintances either so...?

"Yeah, I guess you can say that."

I looked at Dongyoung in bewilderment as he gave me a small smile. Really? Are we really friends now?

"Awesome! My friends are friends now!" Mark exclaimed as he squeezed my shoulder in pure excitement. Although I sensed something fishy went down in the restroom, it's fun to see him so cheerful. Like Hyejoo and I used to say, his joy comes from making friends and making his friends, friends too.

I peered at Dongyoung again, this time with a sensation of glee running through my bloodstream.

Wonder what happens next?

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