After you and Jiwon had finished sorting out everything at the Science Lab, it was now time to head towards the very place she's been looking forward to visiting again, which is your sister's cafe.
Of course, it's no surprise that you are still feeling anxious about this sudden decision of hers, for you know that things will surely get out of hand if Miyeon sees her there. Sure she may be kind, but what Jiwon said to her about her future married life was something she could not simply brush aside. For this reason, you felt anxious about the possibility of her showing up at the Soulful Barista while Jiwon is still in the middle of relishing her dessert. Trouble is sure to come if that happens.
By agreeing to take her there, you might have served your genius friend a meal to die for, literally speaking.
Still, what can you do?
There's no way you can convince her otherwise. Instead of worrying, you try to look at the bright side. Perhaps it would be better for you to think that this might be the day when the two of them will make amends, and that Jiwon herself would give her a contrasting opinion about her so-called "assessment" of her personality this time.
Wishful thinking or not, it is possible. You can't accept the fact that she's going to be mad at her forever. One way or another, they have to make up.
But for now, you have other concerns, the first of them being how to arrive at the cafe safely with Jiwon.
Yes, it is a task that you simply cannot underestimate. Despite being a person of such high intellect, Kim Jiwon does have her flaws. One of them being that she's always having trouble when it comes to handling herself in a crowd. It's because of her choosing to distance herself from other people which caused this, and it doesn't look like she's going to be able to solve this personal problem of hers anytime soon.
While she tries to get by this predicament every day when she goes to school, Jiwon admits that doing so remains to be quite a burden for her. Her friends, especially Rei, tried their best to help her overcome it. But in the end, none of it would matter if Jiwon herself doesn't have the courage she needs to face it.
Being one of the few people who understood her for who she is, you already knew this to be true. You want to help her as well as her friends do, but you also know that simply forcing her to change is not a good thing. With this, you decided to be by her side, helping her however you can. If there's one good thing that you noticed about her recently, it's the fact that little by little, Jiwon is starting to get better at interacting with others. She has a long way to go, but you have faith that she'll be able to do it.
That said, it was still tough for her to face the large crowd of people at the train station, especially during the early evening. It was understandable, for the place tends to be busy with both students and adults alike looking to board the train home after a long and productive day.
One look at Jiwon and you already saw her trembling from nervousness, as she looks at you with worry. You simply gave her a smile in return, with your expression assuring her that everything will be alright since you're there with her. You then opted to hold her hand, by which she obliged without hesitation. Thankfully, you saw her feeling relieved after she saw your gesture, for it would seem that she had calmed down a little despite the stress that she's still feeling.
A few minutes later, the two of you were able to board the train without any trouble. As you both sat comfortably together, you noticed that Jiwon slowly began to feel sleepy. She must have been tired from what she was doing the whole day, even though you have no idea as to what she was up to apart from developing her serum which she injected on Wonyoung's pet hamsters earlier. But like she had told you so many times before, her mind is always swirling with new ideas. It may sound vague, but as long as she's happy with her scientific endeavors, then it's all good.
It didn't take long before she fell asleep on your shoulder, as you stayed quiet so as to allow her to get a little rest before you reach your destination.
Throughout the twenty-minute train ride, you can't help but look back at all that had happened ever since you met her. Though your first meeting happened in the most unexpected way, you were glad that you were able to be given the chance to meet such a wonderful girl. It's not everyday when you get to meet someone who thinks very differently about everything around them. Yet the two of you managed to get along quite harmoniously, even though you tend to find her way of thinking to be quite outlandish, at times.
Overall, the friendship that you shared with Jiwon remains to be special, no matter how different she is from everyone else. This only makes you more interested to know her all the more, along with the things that she's going to accomplish later on.
"I guess there will never be a dull moment when I'm with you, Jiwon-ah." You thought, as you looked at her face for a second, before deciding to take a short rest yourself.
After the twenty-minute ride, you and Jiwon got off at the train station. The cafe was still a couple of blocks away, so you then took a walk together while basking in the ambience that the surrounding neighborhood offers.
Along the way, Jiwon began to talk about a lot of things while you listened. By now, you have gotten used to it, for there is no point in stopping her from reminding you about appreciating the balance between nature and human technology, which is her favorite topic. She would look around and point at anything she finds to be interesting, even if that object or place is nothing out of the ordinary. Instead of making fun of her, you opt to listen to her thorough explanations and theories, even though you don't understand all of it. After all, you always learn something new every day, so a walking encyclopedia like Jiwon should provide you with a whole new insight about life in general.
"So that's why traffic lights are invented, Y/N. For all their talk of public safety, they only wanted to maximize fuel consumption for vehicles. That's their real purpose."
"That sounds more like a conspiracy theory than actual fact, Jiwon-ah. But still, we're both free to believe whatever we want, right?"
"You're correct as usual, my clever assistant. But alas, we have finally reached our destination. Hehe, I can finally taste that mint chocolate parfait that I've been craving for!" She said to you, before quickly heading towards the entrance.
"I do hope that we're going to be all right. We're both dead if Miyeon-noona saw us here today." You thought, as you soon followed her inside.
It would seem that luck is still on your side, at least for now. You breathed a sigh of relief when you saw Jeonghan, Miyeon's assistant, is currently managing the shop in her absence just like he told you on the phone earlier. When he saw you and Jiwon taking a seat by the cafe window, he already figured out why you called. He was already aware of the misunderstanding between her and your sister, and it helps that he's fine with you taking her here while she's not around.
"You do know that we're both taking a risk here, Y/N. If by some chance Miyeon-ssi arrives here before you two left, then chaos will soon follow." He said while he was preparing your drinks at the counter.
"Of course I know that, hyung! Still, she's always a big fan of our desserts here, so I don't really have the heart to refuse her, you know."
"I understand. I would feel bad too if I was in your shoes. You must really care for her."
"That's right. By the way, I don't see Rei-chan working here today."
"Well, she already called us earlier saying that she's going to be busy with something else along with her friends. She's always been a diligent girl who never asked for favors before, so Miyeon and I didn't have any problem with her taking the day off. That and the shop is not really busy at this hour, so it's okay."
"I see. Well I wish she was here just in case noona arrives."
"Same here. But you know, there has to be some way they can make up, right?"
"That depends if Miyeon-noona gets over what Jiwon said about her having to wait for ten years before she can settle down. But I'll try to at least persuade Jiwon later to make a second assessment of her, if it will help."
"I hope it does, Y/N. Anyways, here's your iced americano, along with the macchiato and the parfait she requested. Do enjoy it."
"Thanks, hyung. You're doing great today even on your own." You teased, as Jeonghan simply scoffed at your compliment.
"Yeah, thank you for saying that, boss. Well whatever. I'll give your sister a call just in case she decides to go back here."
You then went back to where Jiwon is seated, where you find her eagerly waiting for you to deliver her the very dessert that she's been looking forward to having for a long time.
"Look at that. It is perfect! But before anything else, I'm going to take a photo to remember this auspicious day."
Jiwon took out her phone from her bag, as you watch her take pictures of the parfait at every angle, all the while smiling due to how happy she looked while doing so.
"Was that really necessary? Just one picture would be fine, you know."
"That's where you're wrong. You see, this work of delectable masterpiece must be appreciated at every angle, so as to maximize the enjoyment of tasting it later. It's the least that we can do to value how much time and effort the pastry chef puts in just so they can attain this level of perfection. Look at it. Just look at it, Y/N. It looks marvelous, as the consistency of its colors is impressive."
"If you say so. I'm just happy that you're praising it so much, Jiwon-ah."
"Yes. But now it's time for the moment of truth."
Jiwon took a spoonful of the parfait right after she said that, as she took her time feeling in awe of how well it was made. Then.....
"It's......incredible. No, scratch that. The taste is heavenly, Y/N. The flavor is incredibly balanced, not too sweet and not too bland either. Just one spoonful of it is enough to make you crave for more. It's a shame that even the top restaurants and patisseries here in Seoul can't match this level of expertise. It's more than just a restaurant-quality dessert. This is the gold standard of parfaits."
"Wow. That is quite a compliment, though I still think you're exaggerating."
"No I'm not! Cooking is also a form of chemistry, and so I am obligated to make my complete analysis of this product, so I did. Might I know the name of the brilliant mind who's responsible for creating it?"
"That would be none other than the very person whom you said would wait for a decade for her to get married."
"Oh."
An awkward moment of silence followed, as you watch Jiwon ponder on what she will say next after she hears the truth.
"Hmm. Then I suppose my initial assessment of her was actually inaccurate after all. That's it then. If I'm given the chance, I would like to convey my sincerest apologies to your sister, Y/N. I'm not ashamed to admit that even the most brilliant scientists can make errors when it comes to their hypotheses. In order to make amends, please tell her that nothing would please me more if she allows me to make a second sociolinguistic assessment of her again."
"I'm not sure what that means, but I will make sure to tell her about it right after we get home. To be honest, I'm quite relieved after you said that. If anything, I want you and noona to get along well again just like with Rei and the others do."
"I agree. I would also like to apologize to you as well, Y/N. I didn't mean for your sister to hold a grudge against me for so long. It must have affected you too."
"No worries. I always believe that both of you would eventually get along nicely again just like before. I'm glad I didn't give up. But it sure did take a while."
"Hehe, I cannot deny that. I'll apologize to her as soon as possible. But before that, I told you that I needed help with something, right?"
"Yeah, I haven't forgotten. So what is it then?"
"Here, I'll show you. I hope you won't mind that we'll be here at the shop for an hour or two."
"That won't be a problem, so let's begin."
Just like she said, Jiwon wanted you to help her with something, and that is for you to help her prepare for a speech as your school's representative for the annual Science Fair, which is to be held in just a week. As a two time receiver of the Special Achievement award, it's to be expected that she would be selected for such a task. Though she will not be there as a participant this time, it goes without saying that being chosen to give an opening speech for an event was already quite an honor for her. It's their own way of thanking her for inspiring a lot of schools and their students to show their talent and creativity.
While she had already finished writing the speech on her own, Jiwon was still worried that she would embarrass herself the moment she went to the stage.
You quickly understand where she's coming from, and her lack of self-confidence might get in the way of her speaking to the people who will be in attendance. In a way, you saw this as the perfect opportunity to help her change. For certain, you're going to make use of your free time for at least a week helping her practice her speech before the big day, and that you'll have no problem with that.
And so during the next few days, you and Jiwon spent time together after school helping her rehearse, with you providing her with enough moral support while doing so. It wasn't easy at first, as Jiwon would sometimes mess up her lines partway through. But this is well within your expectations, for you know that she won't be able to perfect it the first time.
Still, both of your efforts paid off, as she gradually became more confident the more she practices, which impressed you. Jiwon felt it too, as she gave you a thumbs up after she finished saying her speech for the first time without stuttering.
Once you thought she was ready, you then took her to the school fields as a sort of final test, just to see if she can handle herself in front of many students passing by. You can't help but feel worried that she'll probably lose her confidence again in public.
Only this time, you need not to worry after all.
Jiwon suddenly jumped in delight once she was able to impress the crowd of students before her, as some of them had actually stopped just to watch her. Their cheers and applause were more than enough to encourage her to do her best for the event, with you feeling very happy for her.
This was a special moment for her as well. For the first time, she was starting to think that a lot of students at your school genuinely support her, and that they are very proud of her to be a part of the student body which you all belong to. Granted, there will always be those who will still feel jealous of her abilities, but it's good for her to know that there are more people who appreciate her too.
"All right, this is it. Wish me luck, my faithful assistant." She said to you, before heading towards the auditorium where she will conduct the opening speech.
"I will, Jiwon-ah. You'll be fine. But if anything goes wrong, don't forget that last piece of advice I gave you."
"Right. I'll just imagine that I'm speaking to a bunch of fruits and vegetables. But I don't think that would be necessary."
"I'm sure it won't, because I believe in you. Good luck, Professor."
"Hehe, thank you. Here I go then."
Thanks to your help, she was able to finish her speech in the best way possible, earning her a lot of praise not just to the other student representatives, but also to the teachers and experts who were also present there as well.
It was you who helped her be at her best. Not only did you help her gain the confidence she needs, but also to make her realize that there are a lot of people who love and appreciate her the way you and her friends do. This could only mean a good thing, and you promised that you'll still be there for her like any loyal assistant would.
"All right, Y/N. You have to decide carefully this time. You do want to give her a proper reward after she did her best." Miyeon said to you, as you are both in the middle of planning an itinerary as to where to take Jiwon during the weekend.
"Yes noona. But what makes me happy is that you're actually trying to help me with this. I knew that you'd come around."
"Aish. I'll admit that it was not very mature of me to hate her just like that. Just like Rei, she's your friend too. It wouldn't be right for me to treat her otherwise. I'm aware that I still won't be able to understand everything she says, but that's all right. I'm sure that we'll get along again just like before. You know her better than I do, so I'll leave you to decide, okay?"
"Sure. I guess I'll have to try and look at these places from Jiwon's point of view."
Looking at the travel guide Miyeon gave you, it would seem certain that Jiwon would like to...
A. Explore the Trick Eye Museum, for she has the affinity for all things bizarre.
B. Visit the Planetarium, as she is always interested in discovering worlds beyond our own.
C. Go to the Zoo, as she is always fascinated by nature's endless wonders.