Sweet Bites

Chapter 08: Jealous

......

The shrill ring of Seoyeon's phone sliced through the quiet of her room, yanking her from a deep sleep. A groan escaped her lips.

"Great," she muttered, the words thick with sleep. "Just great."

The previous night's events replayed in her mind – a skipped dinner, an unusual emptiness in her stomach. She fumbled for her phone on the nightstand, her eyes still half-closed. Without checking the caller ID, she answered. "Hello—"

"Seoyeon! You're on your period, right? Are you okay? Did you take your pills? Did you get hurt yesterday? I couldn't find you anywhere! Where were you? I'm so sorry!" Aira's voice tumbled out in a torrent of worried questions.

Seoyeon chuckled, despite the early hour. Aira always knew everything – period days, the location of every mole and birthmark, Seoyeon's entire personality. They were that close; close enough to recognize each other's farts. (Sorry, TMI?)

"Hey, hey, hey, calm down. I'm fine. And no, I didn't get hurt yesterday because Johan—" Seoyeon stopped abruptly, realizing what she almost said.

"Wait, what? You were with Johan yesterday?!" Seoyeon winced, pulling the phone away from her ear. Aira's voice had hit a high note, a clear indication of her shock.

Should she tell her? Of course she should. Aira was her best friend, and she deserved to know.

"Hey, are you still there? Answer me!" Aira's voice urged.

"Yeah, I'm here," Seoyeon yawned, sitting up and stretching. "And yeah, I was with Johan yesterday. He helped me." A five-second pause followed, then a muffled giggle. What the—

"Yah, I can hear you! Why are you laughing?" Seoyeon's heart pounded. Don't let her think they were dating!

"I thought you hated each other! Tell me the truth, Seoyeon, are you and Johan secretly dating?" Aira's teasing tone was unmistakable. Seoyeon could practically see the wiggling eyebrows. Why did everyone assume they were together?

"No! We're not dating, and there's no way I'd date a guy like him. He's not my type—" Seoyeon trailed off, her gaze drawn to her open window. That was odd. She hadn't opened it last night. Had someone snuck into her room? A thief? A r****t? A killer? Gasped A ghost or an incubus?! Panic set in.

"Hey, why did you stop? What's wrong?" Aira asked.

"I need to check something. I'll call you later. Bye!" Seoyeon quickly ended the call, tossing her phone onto the bed. She rushed to the window, closed it, and then checked the rest of the house. Everything seemed to be in order. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her of her skipped dinner. She headed to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat.

"Hmm, let's see what we have here…" She opened the refrigerator and found a green smoothie that smelled strongly of kiwi. She hadn't made it. "Is this real, or am I imagining things?" She cautiously took a sip, and her eyes widened. It was delicious! The cold, refreshing liquid soothed her stomach cramps, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. "Wow, this is amazing!" she exclaimed, finishing the smoothie.

........

Later, Seoyeon left a*****e with ice cream in hand, heading next door to the grocery store to replenish her supplies and buy pads. As she was about to exit, she bumped into someone tall. Her mood, carefully managed all day, threatened to unravel.

"Hey, watch it!" she snapped, her voice sharp. Then she froze, looking up at the man.

"I'm sorry, I didn't—Seoyeon?"

"Johan?" she mumbled, disbelief coloring her tone. This man always seemed to disrupt her day.

"You know her, oppa?" A soft voice interrupted. Seoyeon saw a pretty girl standing beside Johan. Oppa? Was she his girlfriend?

"Sorry for my oppa's clumsiness. We didn't mean to bump into you," the girl said, bowing slightly. She was nice. Too bad she was with him.

"Seoyeon, what are you doing here?" Johan asked, a strange smile playing on his lips.

"Isn't it obvious? Grocery shopping, duh," Seoyeon retorted, rolling her eyes. "Now step aside. You're blocking the way." She nudged him aside and left, trying to ignore the heat rising in her cheeks.

.....

Walking down the street, Seoyeon couldn't stop thinking about Johan and that girl he's with.

A familiar voice called out, "Seoyeon? Is that you?"

"Julius?" Seoyeon's eyes widened in surprise. It was her friend from junior high, whom she hadn't seen since he moved to Europe. She hadn't expected to see him again.

"Oh my god, it's really you!" Julius exclaimed, hugging her tightly. Seoyeon carefully put down her bags to hug him back. She'd missed him.

"I missed you too, silly," she giggled, playfully slapping his back. He'd changed a lot.

.....

*JOHAN'S Perspective*

Johan watched Seoyeon walk away, shaking his head. Girls were hard to understand. His sister, Ari, had similar mood swings during her period, but Seoyeon's were different. She seemed genuinely angry when she saw him.

"Oppa," Ari said, "Is that the girl you were talking about last night?"

"Yeah," Johan replied.

"Go follow her and talk to her," Ari insisted. "I know what's on your mind, oppa. I can see it in your eyes." She smiled and went into the store. "I can handle this, oppa. I'll call Uncle Sammy to pick me up. Now go."

Johan hesitated. Why should he follow her? For what? But something in his heart wouldn't let him rest. He turned and ran after Seoyeon, spotting her across the street...with another guy. Anger flared within him as he saw her smiling brightly. He didn't like what he was seeing. He hated it.

He watched as the guy insisted on carrying her groceries, and Seoyeon blushed. Who was that guy? He didn't look trustworthy. Johan knew he had to follow.

..........

Seoyeon's POV

Seoyeon sipped her kiwi smoothie, a frown tugging at her lips. It paled in comparison to the smoothies she made at home. Across the small cafe table, Julius, munching contentedly on cheesecake, asked, "So, how's college life?"

The familiar cafe held a bittersweet nostalgia. Junior high memories flooded back as she glanced around. "All good," she replied, offering a tight smile. The truth? Far from it.

Julius's brow furrowed, noticing the subtle shift in her demeanor. "Are you sure?"

Seoyeon's gaze drifted to a tall figure entering the cafe, shrouded in black—cap, mask, the whole nine yards. A flicker of recognition, quickly dismissed. No, it can't be him. He'd be at the market with his girlfriend by now.

"Yes," she said, forcing a brighter tone. "How's Europe? Boring without me?" she teased, taking another sip of her smoothie.

Julius's playful grin spread across his face. "So boring. New friends are nice, but they lack your…happy vibe." He winked, then shoved a generous scoop of cheesecake into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out adorably.

Seoyeon's laughter bubbled up, warm and genuine. He hadn't changed much—same goofy charm, though his physique and style had certainly evolved. "Aww, look at you, eating like a baby," she cooed, pinching his cheek. He pouted, a perfect example of his endearing aegyo.

"Wait, let me get my phone!" she exclaimed, scrambling for her bag.

"No—!" Julius protested, but Seoyeon was already snapping photos, capturing his cute, slightly embarrassed expressions. Their laughter filled the cafe, drawing curious glances, but they were oblivious, lost in their reunion.

"Oh, you've got something…" Seoyeon giggled, pointing to a smudge of cake near his lips. Gently, she wiped it away with her thumb. His blush was almost imperceptible, but she saw it.

"Aish, you eat like a baby," she murmured, shaking her head fondly. He just grinned, happily devouring his cheesecake.

"Gosh, their cheesecake hasn't changed. Still the best," he mumbled through a mouthful, and Seoyeon nodded in agreement, her heart swelling with affection.

Johan's POV

"Hyung, please! Just for today!" Johan pleaded, trailing his roommate upstairs. The annoyance radiating from his hyung was palpable. Why is this so hard? He needed this. He just…did.

His hyung exploded, "What the hell got into your brain? Why do you need it?"

Johan hesitated. Should he explain? No. Ridicule and teasing from the other members were guaranteed. Even he wasn't entirely sure why he needed it.

"Hyung, please."

A smirk played on his hyung's lips. "And what's in it for me?"

Johan groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll do all your math homework."

Like a flash of lightning, the item he'd requested was thrown at his face.

"Oof! What the—"

"I don't care what your reason is, but it's back tomorrow. Now, get out!" His hyung waved him away, already settling back into bed.

"Going back to sleep? You just woke up ten minutes ago," Johan muttered, earning another glare.

"Out!" A pillow sailed through the air.

"Okay, okay, fine!" Johan giggled, retreating to his own room, the coveted item clutched in his hand.

Seoyeon's POV (Continued)

After their cafe rendezvous, Julius left for an urgent matter, not before exchanging numbers and capturing a heart-shaped hand photo. Seoyeon would tell Aira—she knew her friend would be thrilled.

"What a perfect day," she sighed contentedly, humming as she strolled down the street. Julius had truly brightened her mood.

But a nagging feeling persisted—someone seemed to be watching her. It started when that mysterious guy entered the cafe. He looked so familiar.

Is someone following me? Why? She glanced behind, but saw no one. She continued walking, but then…

"Woah!" A startled yelp escaped her lips. She'd almost punched the black thing that had suddenly appeared—a Kumamon mascot.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. "Um…can I help you?" she stammered, feeling awkward. The mascot remained motionless.

"Okay…bye then," she mumbled, waving, but a hand grasped her wrist. It was Kumamon.

The mascot held up a sign: "MS Company Special Promo: Date with me, get one bouquet and ten boxes of Kisses!"

Seoyeon's eyes widened. Aira loved Kisses! This Kumamon was a guy, and the offer was tempting.

"Deal!" she exclaimed, a wide smile spreading across her face. "Let's go, my Kumamon boyfriend!" She chuckled, feeling a surge of excitement. This was amazing!

Author's POV

Johan entered their house, a wide, dimpled grin on his face. His roommate greeted him with a triumphant flourish of Johan's math homework. The smile vanished from Johan's face, replaced by a deep sigh. His hyung wouldn't let him off the hook that easily.