Every café has these: the smell of the roasted brewed coffee, the soft sound of soothing music, the conversation of people around that almost like a whisper and the sight of creatively designed well-baked pastries on the displays.
Not everyone can afford spending their time inside this coffee shop where a cup of coffee is worth $10. After exactly two years, this is your, another, first time in this kind of café. All thanks to this rich guy named Wonwoo.
"This mango caramel cake looks great," he commented. Wonwoo is nodding in front of his cake as if he's a judge in a master cooking show. This guy who has alluring fox-like eyes, snap a shot of his cake with his Iphone.
Jeon Wonwoo, majoring in Engineering department, took you here just to eat cake?
"The favor you were talking about in return, is this?" you asked, quite puzzled. He was the one who heard your hilarious conversation with Junhui inside the bus. He also knew that you two are those crazy folks talking about underarm odor at the school radio studio. You asked him to keep quiet and he said he will in exchange of this. Moreover, he paid for your chocolate cake and ice caramel hazelnut cappuccino. This is more like a reward!
"I heard that this shop has new cake. But I can't go here alone because I'm a guy. I just wanna see how cute it is." He put his phone on the table.
"So you used me as your excuse?" you gasped while pointing yourself.
"Ahuh." He took a bite of his cake.
When he asked you to pay a favor and pulled you before, you had random thoughts; a scenario where he'll introduce you to his father as his girlfriend to escape an arrange marriage. Or he'll ask you to be his slave for a month. Or he's a patient with terminal disease and wants to ask you to be his organ donor. These are the cases that existed in novels you have read. But to take you here so he could eat his cake? This is indeed unpredictable.
"If you really wanted to eat here, why didn't you ask other girls?" You lifted your fork and took a bite on your cake too.
"Other girls are annoying," he answered in robotic tone.
"And me?" you asked with an icing at your nose.
Wonwoo saw the icing and he couldn't help it but to laughed. "You're funny."
Basing in his cold appearance, anyone could tell that he's a guy who rarely smiles. The way he harshly rejected a girl at the cafeteria is the proof. So why is he so carefree around you?
"If I ask other girl, she'll think I like her and I am asking for a date. I'm handsome so the percentage is pretty huge." He offered you a tissue and pointed his own nose.
Shyly, you got the tissue and wiped your nose. "W-Well, that might be true. When I first saw you, I also think you're handsome. My heart skipped a beat. Aren't you scared at me?"
"Let me see." He leaned his back on his chair, crossing his arms. "When I heard you telling to the eagle guy that he must put his deodorant, I can see you're a person who won't date."
"Oh? How did you know? That's true." You put your fork down. "I am enjoying having one sided crush but I really don't like to date."
"I don't like to date also." He drinks from his glass of water.
"That's pretty obvious dude."
He almost spit out. Wonwoo got another tissue and wiped his chin.
"Maybe you're like me," you continued. "When I have a crush, I am just happy to see him from afar. If that person starts talking to me, or if we suddenly have a connection I think it's not fun anymore."
"But in the eagle man case, you uncrushed him because you thought that his underarms smell bad."
"That's a different case! The aloe vera odor is too awful," you explained.
"Then why don't you like him again? You realized it was the aloe vera, not him."
"I already confessed to him. And we've talked a lot. It's not a healthy one sided crush." You looked up at the ceiling and shook your head.
"You sounded like a masochist." He shook his head and continued eating his cake.
"Well, people like me who has too many hobbies doesn't have time for dating. Reading webtoons, novels, watching anime, Korean drama, movies and stanning my kpop idols are enough."
"That's my hobbies too. Except for stanning kpop idols."
"I knew it. That's why we're both single. Hey..." You leaned closer. "Do you want to be my buddy?"
"Buddy?" he stared at you, lips are straight.
"Yes. Forever single buddies."
"I don't make friends."
"Then make me one. Eyy don't worry. It's true that you are too handsome but..." you waved your hands in air. "I am not attracted anymore."
Wonwoo didn't answer. He just gawked at you with his serious gaze.
"But if you don't want, it's okay. I won't feel bad if you didn't greet me when we accidentally bumped each other in school. Just please do your promise, that you will keep your mouth shout regarding to the bus underarm odor scandal."
"Let's be buddies."
"Huh?"
"The Forever single buddies, I'm okay with it. Besides, we have the same hobbies."
"Ohhhhh. This is my first time having a handsome friend. Cool. High five?" you offered a high five and he gave you one.
It is true that Wonwoo is the same as you. He also enjoys having a crush but doesn't have a plan to date. There is only one thing he didn't tell you . That the crush he was looking from afar before... was you.
