23. cup of coffee

After downing two expresso shots, two more which she bought after finishing the first two, she caught up to all her pending work and the homework the tutor had given. Kang Soojin was now ready to conquer the world. She could feel the adrenaline rushing in her veins, she could feel her beating heart numb her senses.

In summary, the caffeine was getting to her and Seojun first noticed that when Soojin acted way too nice at a girl who dropped hot coffee on her. It was steaming hot, and even though the girl said it was a mistake, Seojun knew it wasn't because he remembered seeing her at school and this could be all their bullying scheme.

"Are you blind?" Han Seojun spoke, eyes filled with rage and that made the girl nervously look at him. "Is everything-"

"Gwenchana Gwenchana," Kang Soojin said, letting it go like it was nothing. "As if my hands were prettier before," Soojin waved it off, Seojun held her hand and it sure did become redder by the second.

The girl apologised again and left, rather rushed out of the cafe while Seojun sat besides the girl, examining her hand and calling out for ice. "Ya Kang Soojin, don't you feel the burn?" He asked, mad at her for being so careless and letting the girl go off the hook so easily. He thanked the co-worker who gave him some ice and a cloth as he put it on her hand.

"I don't feel much lately." Soojin said, smiling, "I guess feeling too much can get you sadder." She shrugged, playing with the coffee mugs lined up on the counter.

"That's not true." Seojun said, gently wiping the water with a tissue and applying more ice to the hand. "Look at me, I'm happier." He shrugged, Soojin looked at him, intently.

"Really?" She tilted her head, "even when you see Suho with Jugyeong?" That made him lower his gaze, truly that was the one thing he gave his all only to get nothing in return other than immense heartache. "You know what, Seojun-ah..." Soojin said, holding his hand, and he looked at her again. "I need more coffee, where can I get a cup of coffee?"

Seojun frowned, "you're cut off." He wrapped the cold cloth over hand, it still had ice in it. "The only thing you're going to get is water. That's it."

"Waeeeeeiii...." she tilted her head, cute pout and everything and Seojun had a hard time to not melt, "is it because you can hear my heartbeats?"

"What?"

"My heart is beating like a punching bag against my chest." She placed both her hands on her chest, where the heart was, "wow, I didn't know my heart could pound so much."

"Ya Kang Soojin, you're scaring me now." Seojun got behind the counter, readying a glass of water for the girl and something to eat. "Drink up!"

And then she did something he would not forget in this lifetime. Soojin took his hand placed it over her chest. Han Seojun's eyes widened as Soojin placed her hands over his.

lub-dub lub-dub lub-dub lub-dub

Kang Soojin's heart was racing, Seojun could feel it running faster and faster. Although his heart had started picking up pace considering he was literally touching Soojin's... This had to stop, so he quickly pulled his hand from her hold.

Michaso, this girl was crazy.

"Soojin, drink this," He gave her the glass of water, rather thrusted it in her hands, "drink this, and then have some hot pancakes."

Kang Soojin frowned, "but i don't want water. I want another espresso."

"And I want Jugyeong to like me back." He was getting upset at the caffeinated girl, "but we don't get things we want, okay, drink up."

"Geez, you're such a mean guy. Stupid. Arrogant. Weirdo." She ranted with more such adjectives, "nosey, boastful, tacky, disgusting, idiotic," Han Seojun covered his face with his palms when the list went on for another minute or so and now the adjectives were describing his physique. "Tall, fair, slim, athletic, handsome, cute..." He slid his fingers covering his eyes and was dumbfounded to hear Kang Soojin's compliments. "kind hearted, sweet, reckless, nice, soft, not so clever, yet wholesome..."

Han Seojun sighed, uncovering his face from his hands and folded his arms, leaning on the counter, looking at the girl who kept going with words both korean and english. He couldn't believe he'd be sitting across from Kang Soojin and listen to her, be amused by her and deny that this was all for some revenge scheme which he had long forgotten.

"Kang Soojin,"

"Mueo," She frowned, meeting his eyes, "you cannot interrupt me like that."

"Yes, I know, but there's a competition."

Competition and Soojin went hand in hand and he knew that. So since he couldn't work with her in the nicer way, a little twist was needed. Rightfully so, Soojin's eyes widened and hands placed up on the counter in both excitement and enthusiasm. "Competition, for what?" She said aloud, looking around, "where?"

Han Seojun shushed her, "it's a secret competition." He leaned closer, only inches apart now. "Just you and me," he told her with all seriousness, Soojin nodding. "And water."

"Water?"

"Ye. Water."

Soojin furrowed her brows, "why do I feel you're fooling me into drinking water?" She asked, narrowing her gaze and Seojun almost gave up on the fake serious cover. "Ya, second in Saebom High Ahjussi," She pulled up on the collar of her coat and Han Seojun almost face palmed himself again.

"This is a very serious and actual competition, it's okay if you wanna back out." He shrugged, pouring himself water too, "I'll win and you'll be second. That's cool, you're used to being second aren't you?"

Hitting the hammer where it hurts the most.

Soojin was fuming, heart still beating like a drum, the adrenaline making her pull the water glass towards her. "You're on, I don't have to worry about wining against an Ahjussi," She smirked pressing on the right nerves making Han Seojun to hold his glass too.

"hana, dul, ses..."

Soojin immediately pulled up the glass of water, almost spilling it because of shivering hands all thanks to the caffeine and Han Seojun just faked drinking it, watching the girl. She gulped down the entire glass of water in five seconds and Han Seojun handed her the glass he held and watched her finish that too.

"Done!" She yelled, wiping her mouth with the tissue, "did I win?"

"Yes," Han Seojun nodded, handling her the tissue pack. "You're first."

Kang Soojin's happy smile vanished and the adrenaline seemingly lowered, because now she felt her heart painfully beating and she gulped. "I'm first?" She asked, looking at Han Seojun with tears welled in those black orbs. "I should tell my Appa..." She said, hunting for her mobile and unfolding the mobile. "Argh, I need to use the washroom," She said handing him her mobile, "the passcode is 1111 and do call my Appa, okay, maybe this time he'll be proud of me." She got off, excusing herself to use the restroom and Han Seojun looked down at her mobile.

It was a fancy model, very few pieces in the city. It was very pretty, looked expensive and in actuality, it was fragile than it seemed and just having that mobile in his hand made him feel out of place. Like he should not be holding it, because he might just drop it and it'll be in pieces, never to be repaired again.

Han Seojun got back to preparing coffee orders for people when he heard commotion outside the cafe. The glass walls helped them all witness a rowdy gang of boys whom Seojun was very familiar with but the girl with them got his attention. He quickly left the cup aside and ran, it was his old gang surrounding Kang Soojin who was examining them all.

"Omo, Han Seojun is here too." The main guy, Lee Sung-yong smirked. "After so many days, I'm sure you must have missed me." He said, Kang Soojin waving at Han Seojun, Seojun on the other hand quickly pulled her towards his side.

"Ya, Gae Saekki," Han Seojun watched their smirks vanish on the derogatory remark, "I'd rather die than miss you."

"Si-bal," Lee Sung said, chuckling, "well then good news, you can die today. You and your girlfriend." He pointed, and Kang Soojin put her hands on her waist.

"I'm not his girlfriend." She pointed to them, "and I'm ready to switch teams for a cup of coffee." Seojun gasped at that, turning towards the nonchalant girl, even the gang members were startled at that.

"Jinjja? Ya Soojin, you're gonna trade me for a cup of coffee?" He asked, more upset at the revelation than the situation. "Aish, that's all I'm worth?"

"Two cups?" She asked, shrugging, "I could raise it to three..."

"Stop it both of you." They both stood straight, facing the frustrated guys, "give me the money Seojun, I don't have time for this shit."

"You're going to get nothing." Seojun replied, stepping up, "a punch in case you desperately want something-" The gang leader had enough of this and raised his hands to punch the smirking guy only to be held back by a rough hand.

Kang Soojin was trained for this moment. Fights and she were mutual associates and she loved when she got to throw some punches and kicks. Lee Sung-yong watched the girl hold his hand firmly, and the proud look on Han Seojun's face was irking him more. He jerked his hand and pushed her away, but Seojun caught her in time, hands on her waist.

"The audacity," The boy walked towards the two, last time he got slapped by the girl, and now his pride was shredded to pieces. If he didn't do much, he wouldn't have anything left to be respected for. And hence he proceeded to raise his hand on the duo, didn't matter who it hit and Seojun who was holding Soojin from behind quickly turned shielding her.

The hard punch landed right on his back, and pain seeped in his entire body, yet Soojin was cocooned safely under him. Another kick followed immediately, yet Seojun had wrapped his arms around the girl, taking the beating without a single groan even though it hurt so much.

"Han Seojun," Kang Soojin said, worried for the boy, "fight back, you can't keep taking the hits." She said, holding onto his apron tightly.

"I cannot with you around." He simply stated as the boys kept cheering their leader to hit the duo more. Soojin could feel Seojun's body trembling with the hits and she looked up at the boy who had tears in his eyes. "Stay still, else you might get hurt."

"Ya Han Seojun, aaigoooo," they teased him, "you're such a cringe boyfriend. Come on, let go of your girlfriend and fight." They said, Soojin wanted to be freed but Seojun had held her firmly. There was a crowd who looked from inside the cafe, one of the co-worker had rang the police when they saw the fight.

Kang Soojin felt overwhelmed. She wasn't sure whether it was the caffeine that induced her heart to beat louder but it sure was beating enough to deafen her.

No one had ever done that before. She was so used to faking her smiles and laughs that no one noticed how broken she was and hence help was never provided to her. She was used to fighting her battles alone, she was used to crying alone, she was used to doing everything alone and seeing Han Seojun stand to defend her was new. She shuddered at yet another hit she felt as she clung to Seojun.

Fortunately the cafe manager and few of the nice people from the cafe broke the one sided fight and one of them was held on till the cops could arrive the rest running immediately. Han Seojun limped, one of them had kicked on his leg right behind the knee and his back felt like it carried the cross. He let go of the girl as he straightened his back. He watched the last one somehow run away too, and finally he groaned aloud in pain.

"You okay?" He asked Soojin, after all of the commotion settled, "you're shaking!"

"It's the caffeine." She replied softly, and felt extremely overwhelmed by the turn of events and Soojin didn't even wait for the warning siren in her head as she threw her arms around the guy.

And Han Seojun stood frozen for the first time as Kang Soojin hugged him.

A cup of coffee could do wonders.

_