I opened my eyes to the persistent ringing of my phone. Why is it that I never wake up to my alarm? Maybe I should invest in one that rings much louder than this one. I buried my face deeper into my fluffy white blanket, my left hand emerging to grope for the phone on the end table. With my eyes still closed and my mind foggy with sleep, I brought the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I mumbled, my voice thick with drowsiness.

"Oy, Jongyun."

"Who..." I began, but the voice cut me off.

"If you don't come out in the next five minutes, I'm coming there."

"What?" I responded, my brain sluggishly trying to process the situation. I recognized the voice, but I was too sleepy to connect the dots. I sighed and sat up, still cocooned in my blanket. Before I could reply to the somewhat threatening caller, a loud knock echoed through the room, jolting me fully awake. In my haste, I stumbled off the bed, my back hitting the cold tiles while my legs remained awkwardly on the mattress.

"Ugh. That hurt," I muttered, rubbing my sore back. Frustration prickled through me as I ruffled my hair and stomped towards the door in my favorite night suit. I yanked it open harshly, my irritation dissolving when I saw who was standing there.

"Songjae?"

"Yo," he replied casually.

"Uh-huh. Hi. What are you-"

"Jongyun Seok-ssi!!! We are going to be late for the drama club practice!" he interrupted, his voice urgent.

"Oh? Oh! Oh no!!" Panic surged through me as I sprinted back into my room, leaving the door wide open. I rifled through my closet in a frenzy before rushing into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

Half an hour later, I emerged with messy hair, dressed in a black tee, brown coat, and grey jeans. "No time to fix my hair, let's go, let's go!" I urged, pushing Songjae out of the door. I locked it behind us and dashed down the stairs, dragging him along. I heard him sigh.

"You know, you should have called me an hour ago! Now we are late!" I complained.

"Ah? It's my fault-"

"If you are going to call anyway, how about you do it like that from now on-"

"Jongyun-"

"Let's go, let's go-"

"Hey! Jongyun Seok! Stop!" Songjae suddenly pulled me back by my coat collar, and I felt like I stopped in mid-air for a second. Songjae was strong, much stronger than he looked.

"Jongyun, you are such an idiot. Do you know what time it is?" he asked, his voice exasperated.

"Yes! It's thirty minutes past seven already since I took thirty minutes to change and everything-"

"Ugh. It's literally 5:40 right now."

"Wh-what?" I stammered, feeling a wave of confusion.

"I called you exactly two hours earlier so we could go relaxed," he explained.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, feeling a mix of relief and annoyance.

"You didn't let me..." he trailed off.

"Hah... ugh. Let's go back-"

"Hm? There is a cafe down the street that's open early in the morning. Let's have breakfast there and then head to the bus stop, okay?" Songjae suggested.

"...Okay," I agreed, feeling a bit sheepish.

We walked to the nearby cafe. I felt more at ease as long as it wasn't too crowded. The cafe where Songjae worked was always an exception because he worked there, and his presence made any place comfortable.

"May I take your order-oh!" a familiar voice greeted us.

"Hm? Sooyeong Shin?" I looked up to see him, a smile spreading across my face.

"Wah. It really is you, Jongyun!" Sooyeong said, overjoyed. He placed a menu card in my hands. I momentarily forgot to introduce him to Songjae, but Songjae stood up and extended his hand.

"I'm Songjae Woo," he said, shaking hands with Sooyeong. I nodded at his introduction.

"He is a close friend," I added, looking at Sooyeong. He smiled at me, and I returned the smile politely.

Sooyeong then started talking about a show that Songjae didn't know about, and I joined the conversation, sharing my opinions. Meanwhile, Songjae fiddled with the menu card, looking a bit lost. After some time, I remembered why we were there.

"Ah! Sorry, Songjae. Sooyeong. I'd like a sandwich and-"

"Black coffee. Noted," Sooyeong interjected, smiling knowingly.

"Exactly, thanks."

"Mm-hm~ and for you Woo-ssi?" Sooyeong asked Songjae.

"...Iced Americano," Songjae replied after a pause.

"Is there anything else you'd like?" Sooyeong inquired.

"No," Songjae said, closing the menu and sliding it to the far end of the table. I tilted my head slightly, wondering if that was all he was going to have for breakfast.

Sooyeong nodded and went to the counter to place our orders. While we waited, I started tapping away on my phone, and Songjae continued fiddling with the tablecloth. As soon as our order arrived, I split my sandwich in two and shoved one half towards Songjae.

"Eat," I commanded.

He blinked at me, wide-eyed. "I can just order another-"

"Eat," I repeated firmly, pushing the sandwich slice closer to him.

He took the piece from my hand and began chewing on it obediently, like a child. After we finished our breakfast, I jumped up and sprinted to the counter to pay. Songjae sighed behind me. "I'll buy us coffee tomorrow then," he said. I nodded, grinning.

"Oh, the book we talked about yesterday. I have it right here," Sooyeong said, rummaging through his bag. I tried to peek in to catch a glimpse but couldn't see anything, so I just waited.

After a moment, he revealed a thick, average-length novel and placed it on the counter in front of me. I felt Songjae's gaze flick between us.

I picked up the book, examining the cover excitedly. "Sooyeong, this is amazing, alright," I beamed, pulling him into a hug over the counter. Realizing the counter edge might hurt him, I quickly pulled back.

"Gah! Sorry, Sooyeong! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Gah? Pfft," he chuckled, amused by my concern.

"Eh? D-did I hurt you?" I asked, worried.

"You are funny at expressing yourself, Jongyun," he said, still laughing.

"Huh? Uh... hey! Come on! That's not the question!" I protested.

"Yes, I'm fine. And why do you have classes so early?"

"How do you know we are going to college?" I asked, surprised.

"Lucky guess. Am I right?" he said, grinning.

"You are. Me and Songjae are part of the play the drama club is putting up for the first event of this semester, and believe me, it's hard."

"Shucks. How about some black coffee to go, just the way you like it?" Sooyeong offered.

"Oh! Yes yes, thanks!" I replied, grateful for the gesture.