[Soon Duho]

After a while, I finally understand what Hayoon wants from me—and it's not something I'm going to like from the get go. A date. Just one freaking date. Why, though? I'm doing my best to avoid Seoyeon, only to be repaid with having to go on an outing with another girl. What kind of shit is this?

I can't let her down, though. A promise is a promise, and I'd be a terrible person if I failed to keep it. So, I call Yongho for advice and moral support. He's not surprised that I accepted. "Hayoon seems to be into you," he states, but what he says doesn't really convince me.

"Why so? I don't know her."

"I mean, think of it as a blind date." I've never been to one. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I bite my lips so hard that the bottom one bleeds. Yongho warns me. "Stop... Why are you already busting your lips? I doubt Hayoon will like that."

"Sorry." I show him my trembling hands. "Look... I'm shaking as fuck." Yongho believes me. He grabs one of my hands, only to retract soon after. I sigh twice. "I know, I'm a mess. I can do a lot better." The latest sentence is factually incorrect. I can be a lot better.

To prove myself I can make the most out of this experience, I'll face this blind date, as Yongho puts it, with optimism and, why not, with a good dose of courage. I can't let my fears show—it's a sign of weakness. If I want Hayoon to know me, I have to showcase my strengths first.

***

The thing that baffles me about this weird encounter is that Hayoon, the one who indirectly asked me out, is late. I start suspecting again this is a trap—if this is a pathetic attempt by PB and his clique to set me up with a random girl, it has miserably failed.

When she comes, I call out for her tardiness. "You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago," I point out with an annoyed tone.

She justifies herself. "Tsk tsk... I'm fashionably late. This doesn't apply to parties only, but also to dates. Has nobody told you yet?" Her smirk makes me want to curse at her; however, my restraint and desire to be polite keep me from doing so.

"Okay, since this is our first 'date,' I'll let it slide. But, remember, being on time is important." Hayoon rolls her eyes as I lecture her. I take it as a sign she doesn't like it. I offer my apologies for that, but she doesn't care.

"Let's change topic, okay? I've had enough of discussing time... It's such a hard topic of conversation to bring up on a first date." Honestly, I don't think she's completely wrong. "What do you like doing in your free time?"

"Well, I like reading, listening to music, watching anime-"

Hayoon cuts me off without letting me finish. "Cool! I also like anime! By the way, what do you think of parties?"

"Well, I usually don't find myself comfortable in such-"

Another interruption. Wow. This Hayoon girl is so rude. Has she ever let anyone finish their sentences? It doesn't come as a surprise that she barely has any friends, then. Keeping up a conversation with her becomes exhausting unless she understands she needs to let others talk.

Of course, she doesn't want to keep her mouth shut. "Yeah, I kind of figured out the first time we properly met. Do you think I'm annoying? Tell me if that's the case. Don't be afraid to shut me up." Where is the on/off button? This so-called "date" is draining me...

"Oh, Duho, another question. Have you got any pets? I'm afraid of dogs... When I was a child, a dobermann nearly got me run over by a car... It jumped on me exactly while I was crossing the road. Gosh, it was so scary..."

"That's terrible. It must've taken you a long time to recover."

"I know, I know." She takes a deep breath. "Let me tell you, I find you a little distant. Cold, I dare say. Is it just an impression or mine or is this who you are?" I'm not very outgoing and have no trouble admitting it. It's not like I can't be around extroverts and loud people.

The point is, I can't stand rudeness. Hayoon barely knows how to carry on a conversation in a polite and civil manner. She has an overbearing loud tone, interrupts me a lot of times and barely gives me enough time to answer questions.

I try to voice my negative thoughts of hers while maintaining the utmost respect. "Look, Hayoon, we need to talk about your demeanor. You're a little... how can I put it into words without sounding offensive... too much."

She doesn't take my words well. In fact, she shrieks. "What do you mean with 'too much?' You'd better have a good excuse, Duho, because I-"

I point my finger at her. "Yeah, this is exactly your problem. You're loud, interrupt a lot of times and hardly ever listen. When one talks, it's polite to wait in silence until they're done and to listen carefully, okay?"

Instead of toning down, she raises her voice further. "How dare you talk to me like I were some stupid child? Fuck you, Duho! By the way, no-one would ever want to date your snarky ass. Bye!" She leaves in a rush, but not without giving me the middle finger.

I hope I never cross paths with that psycho again. She's seriously making me reconsider Seoyeon. At least, the latter doesn't yell at me for no reason or act as if I were completely undateable. Of course, this tragic wreck of a 'date' is a point for Seoyeon. She'll give me a headache over this fiasco.

Speaking of the Devil, she's here, a huge grin plastered on her face. I don't know why she's happy and don't think I want to know. Anyway, she tells me regardless of what I feel right now. "Guess what? My improvised drunk dance has gone viral again—this time for a good reason."

I try hard to hide my annoyance at such a trivial matter, but fail. "Why so?"

Of course, Seoyeon notices I'm in a terrible mood. "What's up, Duho? Is there anything upsetting you? I'm here to listen if you need."

She invites me to sit at the first available bench, then waits as I gather the courage to reveal the truth about my disastrous 'date' with Hayoon. "It was a favor she asked me out of blue. I accepted because I thought it'd be a good idea to help her... God, I regret it from the deepest of my heart."

"What happened?"

"Well... Her attitude was really out of line. She interrupted me a lot ot times. She jumped topics every two minutes." Anger flows through my veins as I barely retain tears. "The worst part, however, was when she had the audacity to lash at me when I pointed out what she was doing wrong. She also made it clear no-one will ever want to date me."

"Screw her. If she can't see beneath your cold mask, then it's her problem, not yours. You know your worth, so stop doubting yourself." These words, coming from Seoyeon, carry more than a deep meaning. They're a sign. More precisely, they're a wake up call. Whether I catch it or not is a different matter, though.