Chapter 13: Study. Date?

Friday | October 20th, 2023 | 2:17 PM

My fingers anxiously tapped against the side of my leg as I was second-to-next in line at the local hardware store. It was the morning after what can only be described as the most exhausting, sexual, thrilling day of my life. My eyes glanced around the shelves and aisles around me. A few other people were walking throughout the store, either pushing their carts or walking empty handed, looking for things.

But what was I doing? Well, I wasn't looking for anything. In fact, I had all I needed in my pocket. My fingers tapped around the outline of the Shin's house key that I swiped the night before as it sat inside of my pocket. My eyes drifted towards the register, where the cashier was handing someone their receipt, before the next customer in line, an old woman, left the queue and left me with an open space towards the counter.

"Can I help you, sir?" The cashier, a girl that couldn't have been older than me, asked. She had a forced, customer-service smile plastered across her lips, and her eyes didn't seem too excited to be working today. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the key, placing it onto the counter in front of the cashier. "Just want a copy of this, please."

The girl stared at the key in silence, before nodding her head. "Yes sir, I can do that." She leaned over and picked up the key, her hands reaching down underneath the counter and rummaging through things. As I waited for the copy, my mind started racing and my heart began pounding. I was actually doing this.

I'm making a copy of the Shin family’s house key. The plan was still unclear and unspoken, but it was there. A scheme to do whatever the hell I wanted. Just like how I had Taeyeon's house all to myself, this time I'll have the Shin's to myself too. A wicked, sly smirk crawled onto my face, the plan, bit by bit, was coming together and making me so damn horny.

I don't know how long I stood there idly, but the sound of the machine whirring and spitting out the metal clunk of a key, pulled me out of my thoughts. The cashier returned back up and placed the duplicate onto the counter. "Here's your key, sir. Will that be all?" She asked, her voice sounding so robotic and dead.

"That's it, thank you," I nodded, reaching into my pocket and throwing out my credit card before I can even be told my total. My impatience to get on with my day and start enacting my plans was definitely noticeable.

"Alright sir, here's your receipt, and have a nice day."

"Yeah, you too." I grabbed my new key and turned around, a new spring in my step and a wicked feeling in my gut. This is it, this is fucking it. I walked off, spinning the keys in between my hands. The teeth of the key looked identical, but Yuna's house key had the decorative piece on the end which the all-metal duplicate didn't have.

I could barely keep myself from grinning like an idiot. All I had to do now was wait. Wait for the perfect moment to break in, and then it was all mine. I felt so giddy, and a part of me wanted to just immediately drive to their house and test out the new key. But, the reasonable, rational side of me told me otherwise. So, with a smile on my face and a new sense of thrill coursing through my body, I exited the hardware store. Now, it was only a matter of time, but I will get a hold of their underwear.

But for now, I shouldn't worry too much about my plan because something else was abundantly more pressing. Today I had a study session with Haerin on the docket! Well, more like a tutoring session, since I was volunteering to help her and her friends prepare for their upcoming math exam.

As soon as I returned to the comfort and safety of my car, I pulled out my phone and saw a few notifications. Haerin's name sat at the top of them as the most recent message was from her. It was short and simple, but it still put a smile on my face:

Haerin

me and my friends just got here, you can come whenever

I smiled to myself and typed up a quick response:

cool cool im omw

I scrolled through the other notifications, seeing the goobers group chat with a bunch of texts that I had ignored after I notified them that I was going to be skipping practice today to study. They seemed to be pretty chill with it, though Haechan was sounding pretty upset and mad about me missing another practice.

But I just brushed him off and sent him a simple apology text and that I'd make it up to him next time. I had better things to do than obsess over volleyball. My last notification came from Nakyung, who was whining about waking up this morning:

Nakyung

fuckkk my legs are sore, my pussy hurts, and i'm so exhausted

I chuckled to myself, remembering what happened yesterday. She was definitely right, and the memory of fucking her and filling her with my cum had me getting a hard-on again. The only thing that saved me from a full erection was the knowledge that I had to go meet with my current crush in a bit:

sorry remind me to make it up to you someday

I tossed my phone aside after clearing the notifications. Starting the ignition, I buckled my seatbelt and checked my mirrors for the parking lot. Once it was clear, I backed out and drove off, heading back towards campus. I came to the hardware store right after my first class, knowing I had a gap period to burn. If I planned to spend more time with Haerin today, then I would be skipping my last two classes of the day, one of them being the English class with Ryujin.

I've skipped that class before, so there's no harm in doing it again. It makes me look like an irresponsible partner, but whatever. There's more important things to do! The drive back to campus was brief, and luckily parking near the library was easy to find. I parked and grabbed my backpack from my passenger seat, tossing the bag over my shoulders and shutting the car door.

I felt the warm breeze blowing against my skin. The sun was up in the sky and there were barely any clouds. It was a sunny day, perfect weather. Even the universe was supporting me. My mind was in a great place, and I was feeling confident. I took my phone out and and sent off a text:

just made it back to campus, about to head to the library

As I started making my way through the parking lot, a soft ding echoed from my phone.

She had sent a picture of her table, cluttered with various pages of notes, scattered highlighters and colored pens, while throwing up a thumbs-up in front of the camera. Across the table, I can make out another mess of papers and stationery, which I assumed belonged to Haerin's friends.

I'm pretty social but even this part of the day had me nervous. Every good relationship includes her friends, and if the friends don't like you, then the relationship is doomed from the start. Haerin already had a good impression of me, I think, and that's a start but I still had to impress her friends.

I slipped my phone into my pocket and picked up the pace, jogging across campus and briskly walking past stray students. The walk towards the library didn't take too long, and soon enough I was standing outside of the double doors. I took a moment to catch my breath from the unprecedented light exercise, before finally pushing the door open and entering the library.

I figured she'd be on the second floor again after I didn't spot her in the café. Heading up the stairs, my eyes were peeled and scouring the second floor, searching for the girl. It didn't take me long to find her. After all, she was again seated at that same table we last studied together at, deep in the back corner of the floor, surrounded by her two friends.

All three of them were chatting away, their eyes darting back and forth between their papers. Haerin was the only one who seemed to notice me first, as her eyes flicked up and her smile appeared. She waved towards me, prompting the other girls to look up and acknowledge my presence as well.

"Hey," I breathed, coming up to the table.

"Hi Minjae!" She greeted, a soft smile forming on her face. Her smile was so cute, and the way her lips curled up was adorable. She was wearing a white crop-top with a warm, beige flannel and cargo pants. Call me delusional, but was Haerin more dressed up than usual? The two times I've seen Haerin, she was in a casual hoodies and shorts combo. I couldn't tell if it was true, but something about her clothes today were different. Nah, I'm looking too deep into it.

I turned my attention to her two friends, noticing both of them were girls. Sitting across from Haerin was a skinny girl with slightly wavy brown hair falling past her shoulders and touching against her back. Next to her was another girl with straight black hair that fell just below her shoulders, her bangs hanging low and framing her small face.

I dropped my backpack onto the floor and took the last empty seat next to Haerin, sliding down in my chair, "Hi, I'm Hwang Minjae," I greeted the other girls, offering a handshake. They each reached their hands out, and I shook their hands.

"Hi! I'm Mo Jihye, but call me Danielle, it's my English name! It's so nice to meet you," the one with the wavy brown hair spoke, her voice high pitched, with a hint of an accent. Her face was pretty and her eyes were big and bright, giving off a childish aura.

"I'm Hanni Pham, you can just call me Hanni," the black haired girl introduced herself. Her voice was softer and sweet, with her lips forming a warm smile. Her face was cute, round and her lips were big and pouty. Both of them were pretty and cute, and they both gave off a warm, friendly vibe.

I had to admit, I was a little taken off guard at how outgoing these girls were. They didn't say much yet, but they had an undertone of confidence and energy, something Haerin didn't really have. I would’ve expected friends of Haerin to be either just as introverted and shy as she was.

"Nice to meet you both," I replied, smiling at the two of them. "Haerin was really excited for me to help you guys out."

"Ahh, we're thankful, thank you for coming, even though you were probably busy," Hanni thanked, bowing her head a bit.

"It's not a problem, really," I waved off, "it's not like I had any other plans, anyway."

"So, Minjae, what's the best way for us to do this? How are you going to help us?" Danielle politely asked, arranging her notebooks and pens in a neat, organized stack.

"Well, uh, first I'll have to ask what you guys are having trouble with exactly, and then we'll go from there. This is for your calculus exam, right?" I asked, leaning down and grabbing my backpack.

"Yeah," Haerin answered, flipping open her notebook and flipping through her notes. "The midterm goes over the material from the beginning of the year, and some topics we learned recently. The last few lessons have been difficult for us, so I was thinking maybe we can focus on those?"

I nodded, unzipping my backpack and pulling out a notebook, a calculator, and a pen, "Sounds good."

We spent the next half hour or so going over their notes, highlighting the main issues and topics they were having difficulty understanding. While they did know what was going to be on the exam, it was evident that their notes were pretty messy and confusing. Their professor must be one of those fast paced, no-bullshit types of teachers who just goes through everything without waiting for the class to catch up or understand.

I felt a little bit bad for them, the way they were taking my explanation for the topics so easily, they clearly were smart and capable of understanding the material, they were just unlucky with their professor it seemed. It definitely made my job easier though. After they caught on to the lessons and tips I gave them, they were quick to pick up the pace.

Danielle was a fast learner. She was quick to ask questions, and she seemed to be a natural. Hanni, on the other hand, was a little bit more slow and methodical. She wasn't asking a ton of questions, but instead, she would pause and take notes of what I was saying and re-examine her work, double-checking to make sure everything was correct.

I've already taught this stuff to Haerin the last time we've seen each other so she just quietly followed along with the others, sometimes helping them or answering their questions for me. Though, that begged the question, why was I called on to tutor her friends? Why wasn't Haerin capable of teaching them what I was going over? She didn't seem to have a hard time helping them, so she definitely could have taught them this.

Then again, Haerin probably wanted a reason to hang out with me again, and her friends tagging along wasn't a big deal, right? I smiled to myself, finding my delusion so amusing. But, who was I to complain? We were together, and it was a nice time.

We had been at it for a while, maybe coming up on an hour and a half now, the sounds of scribbling and the soft shuffling of paper filling the air. I was currently walking Danielle through a tricky question about limits. She was getting the hang of it, slowly but surely.

"And, here," I said, pointing to the end of the equation. "So, because it's the derivative of a constant, we can just ignore the term. Remember, it's one of those rules. You're getting there."

"Okay, I think I'm getting it now," Danielle muttered, scribbling away at her notebook and finishing her practice problem.

"I think I understand too," Hanni followed, nodding her head and smiling at her work. She dropped her pen down and pushed her paper aside, "But I need a break, can we stop for a little bit?"

"Sure, it's been like an hour, an hour and a half," I glanced up at the clock, "We should probably take a break, let our brains cool off."

"Okay, thanks, my brain is so fried, I feel like my head is going to explode," Danielle laughed, leaning back in her chair. She rolled her shoulders back, letting out a long, relieved sigh, stretching her arms above her head. Her shirt rose up a little bit, showing off her thin, smooth waist.

Hanni giggled, closing her notebook and stacking the papers neatly together. I sat back in my seat, stretching my arms above my head and rolling my neck around. Haerin was leaning her head on the palm of her hand, her eyes shut as her face relaxed. Her eyes opened slowly, and she turned to look at me.

"So, Minjae, what are you studying?" Hanni politely asked, looking over at me. I shyly broke the eye contact between me and Haerin.

"Oh, I'm a computer science major," I replied, scratching the back of my neck. "What about you guys?" I asked with my hands gesturing out towards the two girls.

"I'm studying mechanical engineering," Hanni said, a wide grin on her face. "What are you planning on doing with that major, if you don't mind me asking."

"I plan on becoming a software developer," I answered, shrugging. I've had this discussion a million times before. Hanni seemed genuinely interested, however, which was different. She laid her head on top of her hand, "I actually was thinking about transferring out of engineering and into computer science, but I'm not sure, yet."

Ah, she's probably looking for advice. That would explain the interest.

"Why are you considering switching majors? Is it because of the stress?" I asked, a little curious.

"Well, it is stressful," Hanni sighed, leaning back in her chair. She was frowning, "I'm not exactly doing so well in my core classes. They're pretty basic, so the fact that I'm struggling is making me question my choice."

"You know, computer science isn't a bad switch. It's definitely not easy but there's a bunch of resources on the internet to learn from, and I wouldn't mind lending a helping hand if you needed it," I offered.

Hanni smiled and shook her head, "That's a kind offer, but you don't have to help me, I don't want to be a bother."

"I really wouldn't mind, trust me, I think I have too much free time anyways," I laughed. She chuckled and smiled, nodding her head, "Fine, I guess I can take you up on your offer. Do you mind giving me your number? So, we can figure out the details later."

"Sure," I agreed, reaching for my phone.

"Thanks," she replied, holding her phone out for me. I looked over at Danielle, "What about you? What are you studying?"

"I'm going into communication and marketing," Danielle happily answered. "I'm really looking forward to learning how to build a brand. Plus, I love to talk to people."

"Yeah, she wants to become an influencer, and eventually her own brand, or something like that," Haerin added on, smiling over at Danielle.

"I don't know about an influencer," Danielle shook her head, her cheeks blushing. "Maybe just a YouTuber or something. It's just something I've always wanted to do since I was a little girl. I just want to connect with people, and be able to make others happy and laugh."

Hanni leaned over and bumped shoulders with her friend, smiling, "And I believe you can do it. You have a lot of charisma, and you're really pretty."

"Aww, Hanni," Danielle giggled, smiling brightly. She threw her arm around Hanni and squeezed her tight. I glanced over at Haerin, and saw that she was staring towards the two, a smile on her face. I couldn't help but return her smile, feeling a little infected from Danielle’s pure happiness.

"Okay, enough about us," Danielle began, releasing her friend from her hold, and turning her body to face me. She folded her hands in her lap and smiled at me, "Tell us about yourself."

"Hmm, what do you want to know? I'm not a very interesting person," I said, laughing softly.

"Well, what type of hobbies do you have? Like, what do you do when you're not studying or tutoring people?" Hanni curiously asked, tilting her head.

"I don't usually tutor," I chuckled, "But day to day, hmm, I'm usually hanging out with my friends or playing volleyball in the rec center."

"Oh, wow, that's cool, I didn't expect that," Hanni commented, her eyes lighting up. "I didn't exactly peg you as a sports type."

"Yeah, I wasn't at first either, but my friends convinced me to play last year and the rest is history," I said, "It's pretty fun, and it helps me stay active."

"Are you any good?" Hanni asked, smirking.

"I'm okay, I guess," I shrugged, chuckling. "I actually have a game coming up next week, if you guys are interested."

"Wait, really? What day is it?" Danielle asked, perking up.

"Wednesday," I replied, "It's the first day of volleyball intramurals, so other teams will be out there playing their games as well. It'll be a fun time."

"That sounds so fun! We should all go," Danielle said, glancing between the other girls. Hanni smiled, "Sure, I'm down." I looked over at Haerin, waiting to hear her response.

"Uhh," Haerin hummed, tapping her chin. Her face scrunched up in thought, "Yeah, okay, that sounds fun. I can't guarantee I'll be able to stay for the whole time, though."

"Oh, yeah, that's fine, no worries. If you need to study or anything, you can always dip out," I reassured her. Haerin's face lit up and she nodded, smiling at me, "Thanks."

"Yeah, of course," I replied, smiling back. "Alright, break time is over, get your pencils and notebooks ready," I said, sitting up straight. "Let's try to wrap things up, we're almost done!"

We spent another forty minutes or so, wrapping up the remaining topics, and answering the final set of practice problems I had pulled out for them. I was again surprised with how well Hanni and Danielle were doing, having picked up on everything I taught them pretty easily.

They were both eager to learn, asking questions and re-working their problems over and over until they were confident in their answers. Once we had gone through everything, we did a quick review.

"Okay, so, for the last problem, just remember factoring until you can't factor anymore is key." I reminded, scanning my eyes across the three girls. "Other than that, I think we're done here. Good job, ladies," I complimented, giving them a proud thumbs up. The girls broke out into smiles and sighs of relief.

"Oh, my god," Hanni breathed, shutting her textbook. She dropped her pencil onto her notebook, and laid her head against the table, sighing in relief. "My brain is fried, I'm so happy we're finally done."

"Thank you so much, for your help," Danielle spoke up, closing her notebook. "I think I'm finally confident for this midterm, and the tips you gave us were super helpful. Thank you for being so patient with us."

"That's great, I'm glad to hear it," I said, a smile forming on my face. I glanced over at Haerin, who had a neutral expression, staring down at her notebook. I couldn't tell if she was tired or relieved that we were done.

Hmm, I think I spent a good two to three hours around here but I've yet to connect with Haerin in any meaningful way, which is what I came here to do. Maybe this wasn't the right place and time to do it, considering her friends were here. Still, I should've paid her some attention.

I should've tried talking to her in between waiting for Hanni and Danielle to finish a problem I gave them, or I should've asked her if she was having a difficult time understanding something even if I knew she understood it. It would have given me an opportunity to talk with her, and show that I cared.

It's not like it would've hurt. Ugh, it's too late now. I fucked up my chance. I should've taken it when I could've. I was so stupid.

"We should get going," Danielle suddenly said, breaking me out of my thoughts. Hanni stood up from her chair, stretching her arms above her head, and bending forward, groaning.

"Dani, you want to hit up the cafeteria before we go back to the dorm? I'm starving," Hanni said, pushing her seat in.

"Yeah, same," Danielle nodded, gathering her stuff and stacking it neatly together.

"Hey, we're going to the cafeteria, you guys want to join us?" Hanni offered, pulling her jacket on and grabbing her bag.

"Actually, I think I'm going to head home," Haerin declined, shaking her head. "I'm a little tired, and I want to take a nap." I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to keep the frown from forming on my face. Hearing those words reminded me of the time Haerin had declined my first invitation to hang out.

"Ah, okay, well, what about you Minjae, do you want to join us?" Hanni asked, glancing over at me.

I blinked, caught off guard by her question. I looked around, seeing the other girls stare back at me. Danielle had an eyebrow raised, her head tilted. "Uh, no, I think I'm going to head home too. Maybe next time, though," I declined. Both Danielle and Hanni made exaggerated frowns towards the two of us, making sad faces.

"Aw, alright, if you say so," Danielle said, her shoulders drooping down. "Thanks again, Minjae. Oh! Let me or Hanni know about that volleyball game, okay? I promise we'll be there!"

"Yeah, definitely. You girls have a safe trip home," I replied, smiling and waving goodbye to the two girls.

"Bye! See you in class Haerin," Hanni waved, smiling at her friend. Haerin smiled back and waved, watching as the two of them walked off, chatting and giggling to each other. I turned back around, seeing Haerin still standing next to me, shoving her things into her bag.

She was avoiding eye contact, her lips pressed together tightly. She had already cleaned the table of her stationery. I felt the urge to say something to her. I didn't want our time to end like this. Do something, Minjae!

"Well, uh, do you need any more help?" I offered, a little unsure what to say. Haerin zipped up her bag and shook her head, slinging it over her shoulder. "Huh? Oh, no, not right now," Haerin answered, blinking rapidly. "Sorry, I'm kind of spaced out. Uh, thanks again, for doing this. It means a lot, really."

"No, don't worry about it, I'm happy to help," I reassured her. "Besides, it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Your friends are pretty cool. You think they like me?"

"Pfft," Haerin rolled her eyes, letting out a light laugh. She shrugged, "I guess so, I mean, they were asking a bunch of questions about you. They seem interested in you, I guess."

"Oh, that's cool," I smiled, staring off into the distance. "So, are you going to head home right now?" Haerin hummed and nodded, "Just going to go home and study a bit more, I guess," Haerin replied, her voice a little monotone. She shrugged, and looked down at the floor, her eyes a little wide. She seemed to be thinking, trying to figure out something to say.

At the same time, I was doing the same thing, racking my brain, wondering if I should ask her. Chungha and Karina's advice was bouncing around in my head, and my palms were starting to sweat, the uncertainty getting the best of me. Of course I was afraid of rejection, who wasn't?

I didn't have any other chance to spend time with her outside of school. This was it. If I wanted to try to win her heart, or her affections, I would have to make the first move. Do it. Do it.

"I know you said you were tired, but I was just wondering if you were hungry also. We could grab something to eat, together, I mean. Unless, you're not hungry, then you could just go home and rest," I blurted out.

For a moment, all hell broke loose in my head. I can just feel my brain crouched over and throwing up out of cringe. My neurons were firing off and yelling at me, saying, "Why would you fucking say that?! We can't be fucking serious! You sound so fucking stupid, oh my fucking god!"

Well fuck. It's bad enough I was stuttering, but now, I was starting to get embarrassed and red in the face. Great. I can feel my chest tighten, and the nerves begin to run through me. Shit, I probably look like a fucking idiot, too.

Haerin paused, blinking. I watched her brows furrowed together, her lips slightly parted, looking like she was deep in thought. Was she actually considering the offer? Or was she just confused by my question? Geez, the silence was killing me.

"Okay," she softly agreed, nodding her head. "What's open right now?"

In that moment, it felt like a cacophony of fireworks went off in my chest, a burst of excitement and happiness flowing through my veins. My heart started beating rapidly, and I felt the butterflies in my stomach. Holy shit, she said yes. I unironically wanted to jump on top of this table and do a little dance, but that would probably ruin the moment.

"Uh, well, we could always grab some fast food," I suggested, scratching the back of my head. "Or we can go to a 24-hour diner, if you'd prefer that."

Haerin blinked, staring off to the side, and humming. "The diner sounds nice." She fixed her shirt, pulling down on the ends, and ran her fingers through her hair. "Are we going now?"

"Yup, let's go," I replied, grabbing my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder. We both made our way out of the library, walking side by side. As we exited, we were met with the cold autumn wind, blowing at our faces, making our cheeks turn rosy. The sun was starting to descend, dipping behind the horizon, painting the sky a bright orange.

"Oh, geez," Haerin murmured, holding a hand to her hair, to keep it from flying into her face. She tucked her other hand into her pocket, and hunched her shoulders, shivering.

"You cold?" I asked, glancing over at her. I would happily rip all of the clothes off my back and give them to her if she needed them. In a flash. But, then I'd be standing naked in the middle of a sidewalk, which would make me look like a creep. So, I'll refrain.

"Kinda, but it's not too bad," she answered, shaking her head. "Are we driving together, or are we meeting there?"

"I could give you a ride, if you're okay with it," I offered, pointing down towards the parking lot. "My car's just down there."

"Mhm, same," Haerin hummed, smiling a little. "Let's go." We sped-walked down the sidewalk, heading towards the parking lot. Once we got there, I led the way to where I parked.

"It's nothing like your Honda Accord, but it does the job." I joked, stopping by the driver's door and opening it. Haerin looked at my car, and she giggled.

"It's fine."

I smiled, climbing into the driver's seat and watching as Haerin went over to the passenger's door and climbed into the seat beside me. Shutting the door and locking the car, I watched as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Are you hungry for anything, or do you just want to order whatever?" I asked, starting the engine and the conversation.

"Hmm, eggs sound good right now," Haerin mused, humming thoughtfully. "Scrambled, with some hot sauce."

"Alright, cool, the diner is only a few minutes away from here, so we should get there quickly," I said, smiling over at her. She quietly nodded, and brought her gaze towards the window, watching as the streetlights whizzed past us.

There were a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head. Should I try and keep a conversation going? Would she appreciate me playing some music? Or should I just keep my mouth shut, and my eyes on the road? But, I had to admit, I didn't seem to mind her silence. It wasn't necessarily awkward and there wasn't a lot of tension. Her silence was calm, peaceful, and comfortable in a way. I guess I was content enough that she allowed me to hang out with her.

God, she makes me feel so good. But this was a different type of good, a new type of good. My stomach felt nice and my chest felt warm, and my heart was thumping rapidly. I had a hint of this feeling when I first met Seulgi and hung out with her as roommates, and that quickly ended once I knew I lost my chance with Seulgi.

Nah, I've felt good before. Hell, I feel good every time I get my hands on a new pair of panties. I felt good every time I let my balls empty and drain, shooting hot, sticky semen deep inside a used, soiled panty or my best friend's pussy. But this was astronomically different, because it felt so much better. Like, a hundred times better. Maybe even a thousand times better.

I wish I could explain it, because right now I'm at a loss for words. Haerin makes me feel like a good person, and I haven't felt this way since, well for a while. Ever since I've started on this crusade for underwear, my moral compass has shifted a bit. I was doing bad things, things that weren't right, and it most definitely wasn't looking good for me as a person. But with Haerin, I feel less shitty than I deserve.

The diner was relatively close to campus, so the ride was only a couple of minutes. As we arrived, I found a spot on the side of the road and parked, cutting the engine. Haerin looked over at me, patting her legs a couple times.

"This is a cute place," she commented, nodding. "It looks cozy."

"Yeah, I like the retro and vintage theme. They have the best pancakes, and their eggs are good too by the way," I said, tugging down on my shirt as I got out of the car.

"Cool, cool," Haerin replied, her eyes flickering with interest. "That's exactly what I'm hungry for."

I walked beside her as we made our way into the diner, the warm air enveloping us. The interior was decorated nicely, with a mixture of modern-day and vintage decorations. Diner booths were lined against the walls, and tables with chairs were scattered around the dining area. It wasn't too packed, only about three tables were occupied. One waitress saw us come in and hurried over to us, "Just two tonight?"

"Yup," I answered, glancing at Haerin, who gave a subtle nod.

"Perfect, follow me please," she smiled, beckoning us to follow. We followed her to a booth, and took a seat opposite each other. We were given menus and the waitress left us to ourselves, giving us time to decide.

"Oh, this is nice," Haerin murmured, her eyes scanning the menu. She tapped the laminated plastic menu a few times. "I'll just have scrambled eggs with hot sauce."

I looked up from the menu, "You sure, you're not hungry for anything else?"

"Uh, no, not really. I'll be good," she replied, shaking her head. Take it from me, I can tell when someone is lying. Her words and her expression were a little forced, she wanted more than just scrambled eggs, she just didn't want to impose on me. As a gentleman, I have to take care of the lady, "C'mon, order whatever you want. It's on me."

"Oh, no, I couldn't," she shook her head, her lips forming a straight line. She pushed the menu towards me. "I'll be fine with the eggs."

"Hey, I was the one who invited you. Don't worry about it, okay? Look, this is pretty good," I flipped the menu over and pointed to a section of the menu. "Breakfast Sampler, comes with eggs, as well as those pancakes I was talking about, plus sausages, hash browns, and bacon."

"I don't want to make yo-" Haerin's words were cut off by the sound of me flipping through the menu and pointing out various items that looked appetizing. "Look, if you really like eggs, their omelet section is good. You can even make your own if you don't like the pre-made ones."

I looked back up at her and smiled, "Seriously, Haerin, you can get anything you want."

She pressed her lips together and sighed, "You're sure?"

"I wouldn't have told you otherwise," I replied. She rolled her eyes, a playful grin growing on her face.

"Fine," she mumbled, pulling the menu towards her and taking a look. She looked through the menu and decided to go for the breakfast sampler. "Thank you."

"No problem," I nodded, setting my menu down on the table. A minute later, the waitress came back to the table, holding her pen and notepad.

"You two ready to order?"

"Yes, I'll have an orange juice and the breakfast sampler please," I ordered, moving my menu out towards the edge of the table.

"Can I get the same thing but water instead? Thanks," Haerin spoke up, moving her menu over with mine. The waitress scribbled our orders while nodding and collected the menus, leaving the table. "I'll be out with your drinks in a little bit."

"Alright, thanks," I thanked, watching her disappear behind the doors leading to the kitchen. I folded my hands underneath the table and glanced at Haerin, who was playing around with the napkin dispenser that sat at the end of the table. She pulled them out and mindlessly ripped them into strips, her eyes glazed over, and she had a blank expression.

I curiously watched her, wondering what was going on in her head. Her mind seemed to be wandering off into space, but her eyes seemed so focused, so intent on something. Her mind was somewhere else, and I wasn't sure if I should break her trance. I patiently watched until the waitress came back with our drinks, setting the glasses down on the table and walking away.

Haerin broke her focus, her eyes darting towards the waitress and then back at me. I watched as a look of surprise flashed in her eyes and she blinked a few times, her shoulders stiffening up. She looked embarrassed and quickly hid the strips of torn paper underneath the napkins.

"Sorry, I was just spacing out," she apologized, shaking her head.

"It's alright, it happens," I reassured, a little amused. Her hands seemed to move on their own as they played with the strips of papers, carelessly balling them up. She hummed to herself, like she was cringing internally, and shrugged. The atmosphere fell quiet between the two of us. There were no words, and it didn't feel uncomfortable, but it was weird. We were both in each other's presence, and I couldn't think of anything to say.

"I haven't been out to eat in a while," Haerin piped up, her voice cutting through the silence. "Like, just a meal with another person, y'know?"

"Oh yeah?" I questioned, leaning forward, intrigued. "How come?"

"Ah, uh, well I do go out to eat with people, mostly with my parents though. School usually gets in the way, and I'd rather spend my free time resting or studying," Haerin answered, shrugging. After a bit of silence, she asked, "What about you?"

"Hmm, whenever my friends or my roommate wants to, I'll usually go out and eat with them. My wallet can't take too many nights out on the town, though." I joked, letting out a small laugh.

"Ah, I could've just gotten scrambled eggs then," Haerin sighed, shaking her head. I wiggled my finger, and shook my head.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You didn't ask, I offered," I recalled, smiling.

"I know, but it's just, ahh," Haerin trailed off, waving her hands around. "I'll pay you back, promise."

"Don't worry about it," I chuckled, "You're good."

"Fine," Haerin nodded to herself. Her head spun around, her gaze falling outside the window. It was starting to get dark out, and there was barely any movement, only a couple cars driving down the street. I admired her side profile, watching her face. Her eyes were half-lidded, and her jawline was sharp. Her eyebrows were perfectly groomed, and her nose was pointy. Her lips were glossy and a pink color.

Damn, she's really cute.

I followed her gaze, and stared outside with Haerin, finding myself not caring anymore. I think I was making it a big deal, trying to fill the void with conversation, or making sure I was saying the right thing. Savor the moment, Hwang Minjae. Just relax, and enjoy the moment. Cars drove by and people walked across the streets, life moving on.

"Have you ever felt lonely?" Haerin suddenly asked, turning her attention back towards me. "Or maybe just alone?" I don't think I kept a good poker face because the corners of her lips pulled down and she frowned. "You don't have to answer, if you're uncomfortable."

"Oh, no, it's- Well, yeah, I have. Not a lot, but I have."

"How so?"

"Uh, I don't know, really. Sometimes when I'm by myself, or if I'm out, I just really want to have someone with me," I answered, trying my best to answer her question. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you feel alone right now? Since I'm not talking so much," Haerin said, tilting her head slightly.

"Uh, not really. I mean, you're right here," I shrugged, a hint of a smile pulling at my lips. "We're not talking, but that's fine. Being silent is fine."

"Okay, okay," Haerin murmured, humming in response. Her gaze returned outside the window and her body shifted. "I'm just sorry, since I'm not really talking so much, and you asked me to come, but now it feels like it's kinda awkward."

"Nope, not awkward at all. Just quiet, and calm," I insisted, shrugging my shoulders, "Like I said, I don't really mind it at all."

"Can I ask you something, Minjae?" Haerin asked, pushing her cup of water around the table, creating little trails and lines with the condensation on the sides of the cup.

"Go for it," I answered.

"Can you just ask me random questions? So we could talk more?" Haerin inquired, her eyes flickering up. "I'm really bad at conversations, and I want to get better at talking, so..."

"Oh, sure," I replied, smiling, "Let's see, how did you first meet your friends?" Figured I would start with the basics.

"Ah, they're my classmates. They just sort of started talking to me one day and we got closer," Haerin recalled, nodding. Once her answer was stagnant, I could tell she wanted me to keep going.

"Hmm, are you an only child?"

"Yes," she answered bluntly.

"So, do you have any pets?"

"Nope, I don't."

"Okay, what about your hobbies?"

"I read a lot, and I doodle and draw in my free time," she responded.

"You any good at drawing?"

"Mm, no. It's fun to do, though," she mumbled, chuckling.

"What do you like to draw?"

"Whatever comes to mind. Animals, people, flowers, food. Whatever I'm feeling, I'll draw it," she answered, looking around. I enjoyed our simple questions and answers. Our questions weren't complex or thought-provoking, but I think Haerin found the most comfort in simplicity, and that was okay with me.

"Do you have any I can see? I'm curious," I requested, leaning forward. Haerin smiled and reached for her phone. She tapped her screen, illuminating her home screen and showing me a drawing of a cat. She wasn't kidding, it looked like a kid drew the cat but to be fair it had a charm to it.

"Cute," I nodded, admiring her art. "Your style is pretty cute." Haerin softly laughed and opened her phone, finding her photo gallery and showing me other drawings.

"I did these a while back" she pointed to the screen, scrolling to reveal her doodles. They were reminiscent of the doodles one would make in the corners or sides of a page, very simplistic. But it was cute.

"These are nice, too. I think these are pretty good," I complimented, smiling.

"Ah, thank you," Haerin replied, a shy smile pulling at her lips. She flipped her phone over, and set it on the table. She took a deep breath, and her gaze drifted out the window. She had a small smile on her face, and she appeared a lot calmer, a lot less tense. Our conversation hit a lull as she seemed to be distracted by the outside and I was distracted by her.

Fortunately, our silence was interrupted by the waitress approaching our table with our food. She carefully set the plates in front of us, and took a step back, "Alright, here are the breakfast samplers, can I get you guys anything else?"

"Can I get some hot sauce, please," Haerin requested, nodding. The waitress bounced her head, "Of course, sweetheart. I'll be right back."

Haerin turned her attention to the food in front of her and her eyes widened, sparkling with delight. I picked up my utensils and started eating. Eventually, the waitress came back and delivered the hot sauce. "Enjoy your meal," she smiled.

"Thank you," we replied. As the two of us ate, I held off on asking anymore questions. I think Haerin would've appreciated the silence, giving her a moment to enjoy the food and her thoughts. I did sneak glances at her throughout the night, just enjoying her presence. She was so intriguing, and I was definitely eager to learn more.

The meal was pretty much uneventful. Haerin and I quietly ate, not making any attempts at conversation, nor did we attempt to fill the silence with any sounds. After a bit, we finished and waited for the waitress to come back and give us the check.

"Was it good?" I asked, setting my fork and knife down.

"Yeah, it was very good. Thank you," Haerin replied, a soft smile growing on her face. I grinned and nodded, "No problem. Glad you liked it."

Our waitress came back, placing the black book on the table. "Everything alright here? Was the meal okay?" I quickly swiped the book before Haerin could react, opening it up and slipping in my card.

"Yep, it was great," I responded, handing the book over to her. She took the book with a smile, and left.

"I promise I'll pay you back," Haerin stated. I waved her off for the nth time tonight, "Don't worry about it, we're good." I spotted the waitress walking over with my card and bill.

"Here you go, enjoy the rest of your night," the waitress chimed, dropping the check off. As I pocketed my card and the receipt, I looked up at Haerin, who still looked uncertain about the bill. "Then do me a favor and leave the tip for our nice waitress, will you?"

She perked up and nodded, "I can do that." Haerin pulled out some bills and placed them down on the table, tucking them underneath one of our plates. I shuffled out of the booth and stood up, watching as Haerin slid out of the booth and straightened her clothes. Together, we headed out the door and onto the sidewalk, heading to my car.

"So, did you like it?" I asked, wanting her final impression.

"Mhm, it was really good. And the place was cozy," Haerin complimented, a small smile growing on her face. I nodded, satisfied with her response, "Good, glad you liked it." We continued to walk side-by-side until we arrived back at the car. We got inside, and buckled ourselves up.

I started the car, and turned onto the road. I took a deep breath, and glanced over at Haerin, who seemed to be spacing out again. This dinner wasn't what I expected by all means, but I didn't have a single complaint. It would've been nice if Haerin opened up a little more, and if the conversations lasted longer, but I should be grateful she came at all.

I can't expect an introvert to suddenly become extroverted, so I'll take what I can get. The car ride was silent, aside from the occasional sniffles coming from Haerin and the faint music coming from the radio. There wasn't a whole lot to say, and Haerin looked comfortable with the quiet. I took another look at Haerin, watching as her body rocked with the movement of the car.

Her eyes were glued outside the window, and her body was still. Aside from her blinking, and the rise and fall of her chest, she didn't move a single muscle. Maybe one day, I'll be able to find myself in her thoughts but until then, I'll play the long game until something happens.

A short ride later, I was pulling up to the parking lot we had originally left from. I pulled into an empty spot, and placed us into parked. "Alright, we're here," I announced, breaking the silence. Haerin looked over, blinking a few times. "Ah, alright. Thank you again, Minjae."

"No problem. It was nice spending time with you," I responded, nodding. We exchanged goodbyes, and I watched as Haerin got out of the car, and shut the door behind her. I let out a heavy sigh, and ran a hand through my hair.

Well, I guess that's the end. I don't have anything planned after this, but that's alright. I did my part and gave her a nice meal. With the exception of a few bumps, I would say that went pretty well. Hopefully I'll see her again sometime. But something unexpected happened, I saw Haerin turn around after taking a few steps and she headed back towards my car.

She opened the passenger door, and popped her head in, "Uh, I was wondering if you wanted to talk for a little while longer?" My lips parted, and my eyes widened. I was expecting to leave, but I didn't want to waste this opportunity. "Oh, uh, sure, yeah," I responded, a little surprised.

"I was thinking, uh, we could maybe walk around the campus or something," Haerin offered, a sheepish smile on her face. She must've been embarrassed by her offer, her cheeks were pink. I quickly nodded before she could change her mind, "Yeah, sure. Let's go."

Haerin lightly giggled, and pulled away. She closed the door on her side, and I climbed out quickly from my side, following behind her. Together, we left the parking lot and began to stroll down the sidewalk. Out of all the moments I had with Haerin, none had made my heart race more than this. I shoved my hands in my pockets, and held my breath as I took this in.

Side-by-side, we walked down the campus path. I peeked at her out of the corner of my eye, and found myself simply entranced. She had her flannel wrapped tightly around her, and her hands stuffed underneath her arms as she cuddled herself, trying to fight the chill of the night. She kept her eyes forward, and a neutral expression on her face.

The warm lights from the campus lamp posts lit up her skin, making her glow. Her hair bounced with every step, and her body lightly swayed. The light breeze ruffled her clothing and hair, making the tips of her ears pink and the tip of her nose red. My stomach violently swarmed with butterflies, and a warm, fuzzy feeling spread through my chest.

God, she's so beautiful.

Haerin's lips began to move, but I couldn't hear a single word. My heart pounded loudly, blocking out any noise. It took me a second to realize she had stopped talking, and was looking at me expectantly. "Uh, sorry, can you repeat that?" I asked, my voice a little shaky.

"Oh, uh, no worries," Haerin shrugged, not seeming upset. She didn't say anything else, and her lips pursed, and her eyebrows furrowed. We continued to walk together, our feet lightly crunching on the grass beneath us.

"I was just wondering," Haerin murmured, her voice nearly lost in the wind, "Even though you were fine with it, did you wish we had talked more?" Her question made me stop, and my heart began to pound again. "Oh, uh, I was fine with it," I stammered.

"Hm," Haerin hummed, "Are you lying? Or do you mean that?"

"No, I'm not lying," I stated.

"But did you want to talk more?" she repeated, raising her voice.

"I mean, it would've been nice. But if you didn't want to, it's cool," I answered, shrugging. Haerin looked away and her shoulders drooped. My mouth grew dry, and my stomach turned.

"I'm sorry," Haerin mumbled, her eyes on the ground, "I'm just, not the best with conversations. Especially since it was the two of us, and I barely know you, it felt a little weird."

"I know," I laughed, trying to lift the mood, "But I get it, don't worry. You're just an introvert, that's cool." Haerin didn't reply, and her face didn't budge. I bit the inside of my cheek, and sighed. I'm messing this up, aren't I. After a bit of walking, and a moment of silence, Haerin stopped walking, and turned her body to face me.

"I... I don't want to be this way," she confessed, her eyes wide and vulnerable while she stared up at me. She fiddled with her fingers, and looked down, "I hate not knowing how to talk. I feel so awkward all the time. And I'm honestly the luckiest person in the world because I have people like Hanni, Danielle, and you, who are willing to talk to me even when I don't say anything. So, of course I feel bad when I just sit there and make the conversation feel weird, or awkward, or boring. And I can't help but think, that the more we talk, the less you'll want to be around me."

She let out a dry laugh, and slowly spun on her heels, taking a few steps away. She didn't make an effort to continue walking, and stayed in her place. Haerin wrapped her arms around her torso, and hunched her shoulders. I stood still, letting her words sink in. The first long sentence she ever said, and it's filled with self-doubt.

My chest ached, and I couldn't bring myself to move. I knew I had to say something, anything, but the words didn't come out. She was being vulnerable with me, and I just stared at her. She looked up, and took a deep breath, "I just wanted to tell you that I really am trying to improve, and that I hope you don't mind sticking around until I get better." A small, hopeful smile appeared on her face, and I could see the desperation in her eyes.

I let out a soft sigh, and gave her a tender look. I couldn't believe she thought I'd mind sticking around, when all I could think about was staying close to her. She's got a long way to go, but I have faith in her. "Yeah, no problem," I finally coughed out.

Haerin's shoulders relaxed, and she released her breath. A genuine smile grew on her face, and she looked down at the ground. She took a step forward, and walked towards me. My heart picked up speed as she approached me, and her body was mere inches away from mine. Her brown eyes met mine, and I held my breath.

"Thanks," she murmured, the smile never leaving her face. She turned away, and resumed her previous pace, her shoes quietly shuffling on the concrete path.

"We should probably head back, it's getting late," Haerin stated. She continued to walk down the path, and I trailed behind her, keeping a good distance between us. Haerin took a deep breath and tucked her hands under her arms again. As we walked together, a million thoughts raced through my mind, and all I could do was stare at the girl in front of me.

Her raw, unfiltered confession played in my head, over and over. How she hates not being able to talk, and how she feels awkward around other people. I could hear the frustration in her voice, and the shame in her tone. But despite all of that, she said she was lucky to know me, and to have me by her side.

My stomach violently twisted, and a burning sensation crawled up my throat. Me. The panty thief. In that moment, it felt like the color drained from my face, and a sense of guilt flooded my body. My legs began to tremble, and my vision blurred. It felt like the world was spinning, and my head pounded. I swallowed hard, and clenched my jaw. My fingers were going numb, and I could barely feel my body anymore. As I followed behind Haerin, a single thought crossed my mind.

You're a horrible person.

Just that on repeat, over and over.

She didn't know who she was opening up to, and that crushed me. She thinks of me as a good friend, a person who makes her comfortable. But here I am, hiding this huge secret from her. Who do I think I am? What do I think I'm doing? I shouldn't be getting close to her. She shouldn't be getting close to me.

What makes me think a horrible piece of shit like me deserves her kindness and sincerity? What can this perverted freak, criminal, liar give the most perfect woman in the world? Nothing.

I can't even be honest with her. I can't ever tell her that I'm a fucking degenerate and a pervert. There's no way in hell she would stay, knowing that the earth can give birth to a person like me. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I don't deserve her. But I want her so bad. I want to keep seeing her, to hear her laughter, to see her smile, to be the cause of all of that, but I don't think I'd be able to make her the best version of herself that she wants to be.

Haerin came to a stop and I realized we had reached the car. We had returned back to the semi-empty parking lot, and our night was coming to an end. I had no words, no sentences, nothing. My stomach was churning and my throat was burning. Haerin blinked and turned around, meeting my eyes. "Minjae?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you want to hang out sometime again? Just the two of us, without anyone else," Haerin offered, her voice hesitant. I didn't know how to respond, my mouth dried up and my heart stopped.

"Sure, sounds great," I responded, my voice wavering. I didn't even have the heart to put on a smile for her. It was like a part of me had died. It felt like all the progress I had made was lost, and I was right back at square one. Haerin didn't seem to notice, and nodded.

"Okay. After midterms," she suggested.

"Sounds good," I murmured. We said our goodbyes and Haerin turned around and began to walk off, probably heading towards her car to go home. I pulled the car door open and climbed into my car. I leaned my head against the wheel and closed my eyes, letting out a shaky sigh.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

NOTE: I know this is a Fanprose post, but I’ll still leave my original author’s notes from when I first published these chapters, they have a weird sentimental place in my heart!

You probably didn't notice but I always seem to update everytime 100 new subscribers subscribe to my story. That's not the case, I swear! It just so happens to line up once I revise and finish a chapter! Besides that, a Haerin centric chapter! Ugh, I've been wanting to do this one for a while but geez I feel like I could've done better or more! Despite last chapter's claims, Haerin is at the tippity top of my bias list! I really wanted to do her character justice, you know, give her character some oomph and stuff.

For my Haerin lovers out there, I hope this adaptation works for you! I know it might seem as if she's not contributing too much, after all it's hard enough trying to replicate her Haerin charm, but I promise I can make her arc a good one! Hmm, what else do I want to say before I ship this out into the world? Meh, I don't really know, I feel as if I've said all I've wanted to either here, or in previous chapters. 

Oh! I guess I wanted to ask/know if gradually increasing the roster for this story makes it harder to read or if it's whatever. I know how it might feel trying to balance and remember characters and what they did, but I'm trying to take inspiration from books like Harry Potter where they had a massive world of characters, each with their own character and whatnot (I have not touched a book in like 10 years if I'm being honest, just trying to remember the series off the top of my head LOL). Other than that, I think I'm good for this section of my thoughts. Like always, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far and feel free to let me know any feedback and etc! - PI

EDIT LITERALLY 2 MINUTES AFTER PUBLISHING THIS CHAPTER HAHA: Holy moly, I didn't even realize the word count for this story. I hit 100,000 words?! Wow, like, this really put into perspective the amount of time I've put into this haha! AFF says I've published this story back in October of 2023, but I've only released chapters since February of 2024. Let me let you in on a little secret, my very first draft for this story was WAY back in October of 2021!

I hope you can finally understand why I'm in awe right now, because three years ago I couldn't believe that I'd even publishing this story. It was just supposed to be a simple Google Docs collection that I'd occasionally write and add onto whenever I was bored. If I remember right, I only had about 3 chapters before I eventually stopped writing because life just got in the way. It was only back in October that I decided I'd get back into writing, and writing I did. From October all the way to February, I revamped my original 3 chapters and added on until I had about 18 chapters in draft!

It was then that I felt confidence again to publish my story to this website (Another fact from another author's note from another chapter: This story isn't actually my first I've posted on this website! I have another account that I've left behind with a pretty well endowed story at about 1000 subscribers last I checked.). If I don't say it enough, thanks alot for sticking with this story and showing me love. It really means alot and I really do want to see this story all the way, so seeing the support really motivates me. Love. You. All!