Are we friends yet?

Variables

I actually struggled to reread every word added to a sentence in the letter Cheondung wrote for me. The memory of him helping me on my first day at work in the local coffee shop resurfaced. He was a year older and a senior in an all boys high school. The pictures of him reminding Minseok and me to study well was coming back to my mind. And I recalled that I didn't give a proper goodbye to him before I started the work in the restaurant.

Once he was a big brother that I didn't have and at the moment, I was reading what he supposed to be a love letter for me.

But nonetheless, I continued to read it.

Cheondung had told me through the letter words of admiration that he couldn't articulate when we could still meet at work. I didn't recognize his handwriting nor I knew that he was poetic.

And the reading ended soon when someone called my name, startling me.

“Are you reading another letter from the secret admirer?” The last person I expected to meet while I was reading the letter, but it was Chanyeol waiting for my answer from where he was taking his books in the locker.

It was still so strange to think that I had a secret admirer so I was only capable to give Chanyeol a smile.

I folded the letter and slipped it in between my books in the locker. When I met Chanyeol's eyes again, he smiled as he said, "Good luck on figuring out."

I was still quiet and he walked away.

“Chanyeol,” I hesitantly called and he stopped to turn his back. I wasn't sure why I called him.

The words are terrifyingly hard to arrange.

It was silent.

"Do you want to come to the restaurant together?" I didn't know if he attempted to guess or it was an invitation to leave together, but his words were placed perfectly together to reach an intention, “Soojung and Kyungsoo are coming, too."

"Ok," I said softly after thinking.

Then, it was silent again and I was certain that he was waiting for me to say something but I had nothing to mutter. And in the end, I was glad with an interruption coming from his classmates, Nana and Lizzy, who were asking him to help them collect their books in the teachers office.

"Why me?" I heard him protest.

I gave him a last glance before I took my steps. It didn't matter that he didn't notice it.

~*~

The week was almost over when Soojung got us tons of chocolates at the lunchtime. She had mentioned that her sister had just returned from a vacation but Sehun who just arrived with Jongin asked if it was for early Valentine.

"Not that one!" Soojung told when Sehun picked the white chocolate in a pink wrap. "That's for May." Then, she placed it in front of me with two packets of chocolate biscuits. "Rule number 1, May, you must save your foods before they finish them all." I smiled for that. "You should have learned from the experience."

"What experience?" I asked, unwrapping the white chocolate.

"Experience of hiding foods with Chanyeol hyung. You were wrong if you thought that he wanted to be alone with you. It was all about foods that he didn't want to share with us."

We laughed for that and I didn't have to tell them that there was a sentiment to recall each second I spent hiding foods with him.

I shared some of the chocolate I was having with Sehun. He mouthed a thank you before asking Soojung where Chanyeol was.