"Did you prepare a plan?" Yena asks, plopping down beside me on my bed.
"No, They're two different people. My head hurts." I show her the storyboard I was writing.
"How about we let them become pals first?" She indicated. I swerved to face her, my eyes blankly looking.
"How do we make that happen?" I squinted.
"Give me that, watch me." She jerks the board from my hands, and my eyes expanded in shock.
"Beomgyu is a shy type guy, reserved. Yeonjun is the guy who acts like he can give two shits less, but in reality, he does. In reality, these two have similar sensitivity. We need to find a volatile way to lure them together.." She begins pouring out words.
How can she think so rapidly? I've tried thinking for hours on end and can't!
"Emotional response?" I questioned.
"We need to find their weak points, find a related vulnerable moment, and use it. Or a soft spot." She writes down. She was on to something.
"I got it; how about you befriend Yeonjun, I'll befriend Beomgyu. Let's try to find the weak points first." She snaps her finger.
"Why do I have to deal with Yeonjun?"
I grunted. He was the impossible one, and He would be the hardest to crack.
"You have a conflicting personality; you can get along with him by challenging him." She suggested.
So I have to make my death wish?
"Ok, ok! Fine! I'll undertake it, but after two weeks, if this doesn't work, we exchange spots!" I stand up, declaring my statement.
"Fine, fine! Hey, want to go eat Tteotbokki?" She winks.
"This is the best to eat when you're stressed, and the spicy flavor seeps your anger away." I picked one up with my chopstick.
"Don't eat all of them; save me some." She slaps my hand.
"you've had eight already!" I retorted.
"Isn't that our classmate?" Yena motions.
It was a guy with purplish hair; he was a tall guy who I've seen in our hallways before, usually around a student named Kai.
"What's his name?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows, trying to recall. It started with an S...
"Soobin," Yena answered.
"Ah, Soobin, he's handsome; no wonder he obtains so many letters." I stuffed a tteotbokki in my mouth.
"I agree; if I'm born again in the next life, I hope I am a handsome man." She sighed.
"Will we be reborn?"
"Only if we mess our missions up." She laughed.
"Oh, hello." Soobin greeted us.
"Hello, what brings you here?" Yena smiles.
"I came to buy Kai some yogurt, and he's not feeling adequate enough to eat anything else." He slightly sulked.
"What's wrong with him?" I asked, joining in their discussion.
"He has the stomach flu, and he's recovering slowly but surely."
"Send him our best wishes." I clasped my hands together in a prayer way.
"I will, thank you both. I need to return to him now; see you around!" He bowed before running off.
"Stomach flu? that's the worse." Yena pouted.
"Are you expecting to see him?" I nudged her.
"Me? no!" She scoffed. Her cheeks turned a slight tint of red. I wouldn't tease her too much.
"Hey, look, it's Beomgyu." She hits my arm roughly to alert me, and I rubbed it, wincing in pain.
"Don't hit me," I whispered.
"Go talk to him." She pushes me a little.
"No." I tensed my muscles to stay in my place while she strived to push me.
"We have to move along in our mission. Now go." She pushes me so hard I accidentally fell out of my seat.
Yena gasped upon seeing me on my back on the floor, my eyes closed tightly, wincing. She always makes distress for me. I would get her back later for this.
"Are you okay?" Beomgyu asks, standing over me, his head looking down.
I opened my eyes to be greeted with his, and I sat up promptly.
"I'm fine." I stand up, brushing myself off and altering my jacket.
"Are you sure?." He looked genuinely worried.
"I'm fine, I'm fine, don't worry for me," I reassured him. Yena stood up, strolling beside me.
"Did you complete the essay?" Yena asks out of the blue.
What a spontaneous question after what just happened.
"Essay? oh, I'm having difficulty.." He trailed off.
"Really?! Soona here is reasonable at essays, and she should assist you." She pats my back.
"Really? But I couldn't annoy her." He looked shyly at me.
This guy... correlated to Yeonjun... forget it.
"Sure, I can help." I halfheartedly agreed.
Rememberâthe mission. I reminded myself of this every dawn.
"Can you assist me now? I was on my way to the school archive to work on it."
"Mmh, sure. Yena, I'll call you later." I bid her goodbye.
"What fraction of the essay are you struggling with?" I ask, walking beside Beomgyu.
"Oh, the thesis."
"Ah, don't worry, I'll help you."
We eventually arrived at the library; Beomgyu checked into the computer using his ID.
"I'll open the document." He sits down, clicking on the screen.
"So for your thesis, you should present your topic and tell the person browsing what the paper is about. Here we are writing about Modern Art." I started to clarify to him; he looked at me carefully.
"You need an argument." I pointed toward the sentences he wrote.
"Argument?"
"Yes, an assertion. Let's make it about. If someone says modern art is outdated and should be reinstated. Don't you disagree?"
He nodded, "So I should encompass my reasons for why I think Modern art is not outdated."
"You got it." I give him a thumbs up.
I sit, watching him write; he looked so attentive.
The doors to the library open; I peek over to see the familiar boy walkthrough. Yeonjun.
He glances around, stopping his eyes on me; he looked at me, then Beomgyu.
He swerved his eyes toward the ground while strolling forward toward us.
"You're here?" He asks toward me.
"Yes, I'm assisting him with his paper."
"Why?" He hoisted an eyebrow.
"Why what?" I ask perplexed, Beomgyu's fingers stopped writing.
"Why are you helping him? He's a nerd. He knows how to compose essays." He scoffed.
"He didn't understand about-"
"He understands, don't assist him anymore." Yeonjun cuts me off, grabbing me by the sleeve on my jacket, and pulled me toward the doors.
"S-Sorry, I'll come back!" I yelled out. Beomgyu looked stunned as to what just transpired and A little hurt by the words.
"What are you doing?!" I jerked my arm away, and he veered to face me.
"That guy, he's always mooching off other ideas and works. He's a cunning person." He spewed words of hatred.
"He didn't ask me for any ideas, just assistance with a thesis." I crossed my arms.
"Did you help him write the full thesis?" He inquires.
"I did not, ok perhaps I did, but it wasn't the full essay!"
"Wow. This guy." He shakes his head.
Why was Yeonjun like this toward him? Did something happen between them?
This would make everything more challenging if they continued to have wrong impressions.
"You shouldn't be so harsh to him. He just wanted a little help."
"Help? I won't discuss anything about this; know I cautioned you." He walks off with his hands in his pockets.
This guy! What are the heavens thinking? This is the most demanding mission yet.
How can I make these two get along?
I fixed my jacket before walking back inside the library, and I walked over to the computer to see Beomgyu had taken off.
Did he evacuate already? The words must have hurt him...
I take my phone out to text Yena.
To: Yena
I'm on my way back. something happened.."
From: Yena
Woah, I'll wait till you arrive for all the details. Hurry back.
"He said that?!" She almost spits out her tea.
"Don't spit on me!" I braced myself expecting to be spewed on.
"I can't believe it. Does Yeonjun loathe him?!"
"I don't know; it's plausible. Beomgyu even left me alone.." I sighed.
"He left? You should go see him!" She pulls me off the couch to my feet.
"We don't know where he is."
"You do; check your celup." She pulls hers out.
I forgot I even inhabited one.
"He's at the cafe nearby; go now!" She throws me my jacket.
"Ok, I'm going!" I walk out the door with her yelling behind me.
I walked into the warm cafe, the air smelling like fresh tea and doughnuts.
I looked around at the tables trying to find Beomgyu; in the nook, I saw the familiar hair.
"H-Hey, sorry about early." I walked up to the table. His eyes gazed up, looking a bit pained to see me.
"I'm sorry. you must think I'm horrible." His head hangs down.
"I don't think that. Don't care for what he said." I bent down, looking at his face.
"Thank you for helping me. Sorry If I caused trouble." He looked away.
"It was Yeonjun who brought about anything out of nothing." I sat across from him.
"He loathes me, ever since that one day.." He looked in intense thought.
"What day?"
"Sorry, I don't want to remember." He sips his coffee.
"I won't pressure it. Did you finalize your essay?"
"Yes, thank you for your help. I finished it early yesterday, So I left. I didn't get to thank you."
"You don't have to, and I enjoy helping others when I can be of use." I smiled warmly.
"Be cautious of Yeonjun, and He's a bit...violent toward others." He trembles as if he remembered something awful.
"I predicted. Don't worry; I can rectify it." I put my head on my hand, resting it. I felt drained from all the energy l used today.
"It's getting nighttime. Do you need someone to walk you home?" He asks.
"Me? I'm fine."
"Let me this one time; deem it a thank you for helping me."
"Sure, I will." I chuckled.
"Oh, you live here?" He asks, staring up at the giant skyscraper.
"Yes."
"I live at the house two streets over from these apartments." He grinned.
"Oh, the green one?"
He nodded, "Oh here, I wanted to give you my number. In case you need any help because I'm near to this area." he hands me a slip of paper he tore off.
"Thank you, be careful going home." I send him off with a sharp smile.
"Did you see him?" Yena asks
"Yes, he gave me his number." I held the paper in front of her eyes.
"Wow, we are moving closer!" She seemed excited.
"Wait, isn't Beomgyu your job?! ARE YOU MAKING ME DOUBLE TEAM?!" I realized she pushed me toward Beomgyu earlier.
"Sorry! I was too scared!" She runs to avoid me whacking her.
"Come back here!" I run after her with my shoe.
"I'm sorry, I'll deal with it from now on!" She yelled out, begging.
"You said it, and I hope that you remember it." I put my shoe back on; she chilled out.
"Sorry, actually, I wanted a little help of a start.." she cackled; I scowled at her making her stop mid-laugh.
"Next time, there will be consequences," I said cunningly.
"No, please!" She whined.
"Ok, ok! Anyways. I'll have to find a way to get used to Yeonjun.." I sit in deep thought.
He acts a little irrational. It frightened me a little; what if he has no constraint.
"Tomorrow, invite him for lunch." She proposed.
"Lunch? he's going to think it's a date!" I almost gagged at the thought.
"Well? it'll be simpler to make him open up."
"you're right...ugh," I didn't want to do it at all.