"She tells me that I have stars on my cheeks, but she has no idea how she has them in her eyes."
~~~~~
Two souls from two completely different worlds collide when the universe conspires for them to meet. Their fire burns to set each others' worlds...
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"The moonlit night unfurls itself slowly, drenching us with silver."
_____
Jeongin waited for Chaeri as she gave her last exam of this round of tests, eager to share a piece of news with her. About three weeks had passed since Samyraa and her had made up and gotten on good terms.
Samyraa, when Chaeri had gotten to know her, had been a sweetheart — of course, with a twinge of sassiness and physical excitement... which was to punch anyone who would call Chaeri inferior or make fun of Felix's Korean accent.
Talking about Felix, his hold on the Korean language had skyrocketed instantly, ever since the exams; so much so, that there had been times in their conversation when he had fluently spoken in the language. When asked about it, he would always sheepishly rub his nape and say that it was all because of the exams. Chaeri was, anyway, unbelievably proud of him for mastering the language in such a short period of time.
Currently, as Chaeri and Felix entered her dormitory room that she shared with her brother, Jeongin exclaimed, "Welcome!"
She gasped, and upon realizing that it was just him, she kept a hand on her chest and motioned: you gave me a heart attack.
"Sorry, sorry!" he dismissed, "But I have some news to share! Also, hi, Felix!"
Felix cluelessly waved at him.
She waited for Jeongin to continue, and taking the hint, he began, "You know the cafe next to the store I work in? They told me that they are searching for a new barista. It's paying well, so don't you think that I should take up that job?"
Chaeri smiled tightly, struck by guilt and resentment towards herself — she let him work alone all the time, not even once offering to take up a job.
So why not now? All she had to do was to make coffee, right?
And she motioned: I'll do it.
Jeongin's eyes widened, "Noona? You?"
She eagerly nodded.
"B-But... I'm not sure, noona," he anxiously let out, "How will you manage?"
Chaeri gently smiled: I will; don't worry!
"I'm just concerned for you..." Jeongin mumbled, staring at the ground solemnly, "You know how they treat you always."
"I'm here for her!" Felix jumped in, "I won't let anyone treat her the wrong way. And if someone does, they'll have to face me first."
"You're literally a marshmallow," Jeongin deadpanned.
"...We also have Samyraa."
"Better."
Chaeri giggled soundlessly.
"So, is noona going to apply for the barista's position?" Jeongin said with uncertainty, and she nodded vehemently.
Felix clapped his hands, "Then that's settled!"
---
Standing outside the cafe, Chaeri grabbed Felix's hand, grasping it tightly, as if it was that deathly grip that could spare her from her dangerously rising anxiety. Felix, sensing her nervousness, clutched her hand tighter, "You've got this, Chae."
She stared at him from under her long lashes, and he prodded her to walk inside. She left a chaste kiss on his cheek, dashing into the cafe. He blushed furiously as he walked after her, trying to bite his lip to hide the smile.
Chaeri, who herself was almost out of breath -- partially because of the anxiety, partially because of the kiss -- wrote down on her notepad that she was here for the interview. The barista at the counter had a name tag that read: Hwang Hyunjin.
"Hello!" he greeted her upon her arrival, and after reading her message, he realized her situation. However, not for a single second did he pity her; he smiled at her and spoke, "Please follow me."
Chaeri glanced once at Felix, and he put up two thumbs up to wish her the best of luck.
With that, she grinned at him and walked after Hyunjin.
Felix took a seat at one of the tables in the cafe, ordering a vanilla latte for himself as he waited. He was busy texting Chan about the interview at the cafe, and as minutes passed, that chat died down. He was busy scrolling on Instagram when Chaeri walked over to him.
Upon seeing her, he instantly stood up and gushed, "How did it go? Is the manager okay? Did they treat you right? Were you nervous?"
Chaeri laughed and motioned: I have been selected.
"OH, MY- REALLY?" Felix couldn't stop his inner Australian accent from jumping out at the sudden revelation, "YANG CHAERI, I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!"
At his yell, everyone in the cafe stared at the two, and she chuckled nervously as he grabbed his hand and lead him out of the cafe to avoid the curious stares.
Felix, however, was still ecstatic, "I'm so happy right now, you have no idea."
Chaeri laughed: okay, okay, relax!
"But you cannot stop me from saying this: I'm so proud of you, Chae."
This was all she had ever wanted.
(a/n: the story is coming towards an end very very soon!! we're approaching the final arc + cute stuff, so yeah!
