𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗘 ─ 𝗬𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗝𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗪𝗢𝗡

XLIII. Yet to Meet

"Hi." she smiled at Heeseung

"I haven't seen you in a while." he smiled back.

"I see you brought the kid with you too." Heeseung added - immediately getting an eye roll as a response from Levi.

"How about Jungwon? Wasn't he with you guys too?"

"Jungwon?? No, he wasn't, why'd you ask?"

"Well, he's not here yet. I'll give him a call." he whipped out his phone and dialed Jungwon.

"Jungwon-ah..."

"Ehhhh look at that, Heeseung hyung's calling Jungwon like a big brother. I remember it like it was yesterday when two years ago he didn't want Jungwon near Minji. Time goes by so fast."

"Hey keep it down, someone might hear you and get the wrong idea."

Jay and Sunoo overheard Heeseung calling Jungwon as the two were by the cashier ordering their food and beverage.

Sunoo shook his head, thinking that Jay is overreacting.

"I'm just saying, it's nice to see that he isn't as obsessed as he was before with her, even if he has competition now."

"Competition??" Jay curiously asked as he scooted closer to Sunoo.

"Oh, you didn't know?"

"What do I not know?"

"I have a feeling that Jungwon likes Minji as well."

"Well that's just your hunch, right?"

"Yep. But I'm pretty sure about my guess." Sunoo whispered, telling Jay to lean his head closer.

"I saw him giving her a cake the other day."

"It's just a cake Sunoo. I don't think it's something like that."

"Well, I think it is. And I'm pretty good at guessing these kinds of things."

Jay rolled his eyes - Sunoo's such a gossiper.

"But he should be a bit more uhm...not possessive...what's the word I'm looking for..." Sunoo muttered.

"He shouldn't be too possessive of her, but he should also assert dominance between his competition considering that he's so near to being her boyfriend."

"'Assert dominance'?? Seriously??"

"I mean in a gentle and civilized manner of course!! Not in a way that he'll fight Jungwon, of course not like that!"

Jay rolled his eyes again.

"Whatever, just don't tell Heeseung hyung. He should know about it naturally - it might come off as a bad thing if you tell him."

"Of course! He and I have been friends since we were little - I would never do anything that would hurt Heeseung hyung."

---

Sipping her iced coffee as she listened to others chat, Minji began to wonder what was taking Jungwon so long.

Heeseung did call him and said that he was on the way, but where is he? The cafe was only 2 blocks away from the school, surely he should have already arrived.

"No way it happened again, right?? He wouldn't do that...not for the second time.." Minji thought.

She worried that history will repeat itself. That they all assumed he was doing fine, but he suddenly disappeared.

She took a deep breath in, restlessly fidgeting her fingers.

"I'm overreacting. He wouldn't do that."

Amidst her panicked thoughts, someone tapped her right shoulder from behind.

"Noona." Levi said.

"H-huh??" she reacted - interrupted from her anxious thoughts.

"I need to go."

"Ahh...sure sure. Bye, stay safe." she got up from her seat and hugged him goodbye.

The other boys noticed he was going to leave, so they said their farewell to him too.

Levi left in such a rush that he wasn't able to hear Minji call out his name.

He had forgotten the small paper bag he was carrying, and it was too late for Minji to run outside - he was already long gone.

She decided to text him about the bag, keeping it right on her lap in case he decides to run back to get it.

Minji Noona:
"You forgot your paper bag, you can run here and quickly get it back."

Sasageyo:
"Can't. Movie starts in 20 mins. Keep it for now, I'll get it next week."

"Movie??? I thought he said he was going to a club meeting..."

"Ayeee, hey Jungwon!" Jake greeted the boy first, welcoming him warmly.

"Hello. Sorry, I'm late." Jungwon replied with a small bow.

Minji was relieved. She didn't know why she doubted him. Guess she was just scared to lose someone for the second time.

"Tsk, you missed him again." Minji said, punching Jungwon's arm lightly - to which the boy responded with a 'hehe'.

"Hmmm..." Sunghoon squinted his eyes at the sight of Jungwon - then proceeding to look at the cafe door - where Jungwon came in, and Levi went out.

"What's the matter?" Jay asked seeing that Sunghoon was more observant than usual. Sunghoon rarely touches his chin - he only does that when there's something off that he's thinking about.

"Am I the only one who finds it weird that Jungwon arrived after Levi left?"

"Why would that be weird??"

"It's always like that. Since Jungwon came back, we've never seen them together..."

"They're never in the same place at the same time."

---

author's note:

it took me so long to upload aknksnsbjsba am sorry ehe