Hyunwoo's Perspective
As he watched the subway doors close behind Hana, a strange uneasiness began to grow inside him. This wasn't a feeling he was familiar with. Wasn't he the one who had wanted the breakup? Then why wouldn't this strange discomfort go away?
"Hyunwoo, you're not still stuck on her, are you?" Aerin's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Hyunwoo turned to look at her. Aerin frowned as if she had figured something out.
"Of course not," he said immediately. His voice was as calm as ever, but something inside him felt tight.
"But your face says otherwise," Jungho added with a teasing smile.
Hyunwoo didn't say anything. Instead, he pulled out his phone and tried to distract himself with something random. But in the back of his mind, the events from moments ago kept replaying.
The way Hana looked at him without a hint of emotion, her voice, the fact that she hadn't even glanced back as she walked away…
When was the last time she had looked at him like that?
He couldn't remember.
---
Hana's Perspective
As she sat down on one of the subway seats, she placed her bag beside her and pulled out her phone. There were a few unread notifications, but none of them interested her.
She leaned her head lightly against the window and took a deep breath. There was a faint sense of satisfaction inside her, but at the same time, an odd feeling of emptiness.
Her relationship with Hyunwoo was over. Did she still love him? No. But when she thought about the value she had given him in the past, treating him like a complete stranger now felt a little strange.
But what mattered most was… she felt good. Light, free, and most importantly, like herself.
She scrolled through her music playlist and, with a slight smile, selected a song and put in her earphones.
It was time to leave the past behind.
And Hana was truly ready to do it.
Hana stepped off the subway, adjusted her bag, and walked briskly toward the café near the station. As she stepped inside, the warm aroma of coffee filled her senses. There were a few familiar faces in the café, but her eyes immediately found Eunwoo. He and Sera were sitting at their usual corner table.
"There she is!" Eunwoo greeted her with a slight smile, waving her over.
Hana approached them with a relaxed expression and took a seat. "Did I keep you waiting?"
"No, we just got here too," Eunwoo shrugged. "What do you want to drink?"
"I'll have an iced latte."
Just as they placed their orders, the café door opened. The person who walked in didn't surprise Hana, but it did annoy her a little. Hyunwoo and his friends.
She looked down at the menu to avoid eye contact, but she didn't need to lift her eyes to feel him approaching.
"Hana."
Hana raised her head and met his gaze. "What is it?"
Hyunwoo hesitated briefly before offering a small smile. "I didn't know you'd be here."
"Oh, really?" Hana's expression remained indifferent. "I don't particularly care."
Eunwoo watched the situation unfold with slight tension. The table had gone silent.
Hyunwoo frowned, visibly unsettled by her cold demeanor. "Really? Because it doesn't seem that way to me."
Hana calmly reached for her coffee cup and took a sip. "We don't have to have this conversation, Hyunwoo. If you have nothing important to say, please leave."
Hyunwoo clenched his jaw but said nothing. Seeing Hana so different from before made him uneasy. But for now, he stepped back.
As he returned to his friends, Jungho whispered teasingly, "Ooo, looks like you don't stand a chance, man."
Hyunwoo didn't respond. But the discomfort inside him continued to grow.
Hana's Inner World
As she watched Hyunwoo walk away, Hana took a deep breath. She took a sip of her coffee and turned her gaze to Eunwoo.
"What was that all about?" Eunwoo asked curiously.
"Nothing," Hana replied indifferently. "Just an old mistake trying to come back to me."
Sera smiled at Hana's nonchalant attitude. "Then let's get back to the real topic. Isn't he supposed to be here any minute?"
Just then, the café door opened once more. The person who walked in instantly put a bright smile on Sera's face.
"Right on time," she said excitedly.
Hana turned her head slightly to look at the newcomer—Sera's long-time crush had finally arrived.
But before she realized it, her eyes flickered toward Hyunwoo for a brief moment.
And he was already watching them.
The Newcomers
As Minjae walked in, he scanned the café with a relaxed and confident demeanor. Two of his friends, Jaehyun and Dongwook, followed closely behind him. All three had an energetic and friendly presence.
"Hey, everyone!" Minjae greeted them with a smile, raising his hand.
Sera, trying to hide the slight blush on her cheeks, murmured, "You guys are right on time."
Jaehyun and Dongwook greeted the group cheerfully, and extra chairs were pulled up to accommodate them.
"We're quite a big group now," Eunwoo said with a small smile.
"The bigger, the better!" Dongwook added enthusiastically.
Hana smiled slightly but, without realizing it, her eyes drifted toward Hyunwoo once again.
From his corner, Hyunwoo was watching everything unfold. His gaze lingered particularly on Minjae.
Jungho leaned in and whispered something to him, but Hyunwoo didn't respond. Instead, he took a sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving Hana.
For a brief moment, something stirred inside Hana, but she quickly snapped out of it and turned back to Minjae and his friends.
"So, what would you guys like to drink?" she asked with a smile.
Minjae quickly scanned the menu and said, "I'll have an Americano."
After Jaehyun and Dongwook placed their orders, the conversation quickly became lively.
But somewhere in the back of Hana's mind, Hyunwoo's lingering gaze still echoed.
As Sera chatted excitedly with Minjae, Eunwoo and Dongwook quickly hit it off. Both were into sports, so finding common ground wasn't difficult.
Hana had just taken a sip of her coffee when Jaehyun turned slightly toward her. "Hana, have we met before?"
Hana raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at him. "I don't think so. But I guess we've met now."
Jaehyun smiled. "I see. So, are you as fun as Sera says you are?"
Hana let out a small laugh. "You'll have to find that out yourself."
Jaehyun chuckled at Hana's confident response and nodded. "Fair enough."
Meanwhile, Minjae looked directly into Sera's eyes and teased, "You called me here, but now you're barely talking. Was your plan to invite me and then get shy?"
Sera quickly raised her hands in defense. "What?! Of course not!"
As Eunwoo and Dongwook got into a lively discussion about sports, the conversation between Hana and Jaehyun started to flow more naturally.
But for Hyunwoo, things were different.
Watching Hana get along so well with Jaehyun… it unsettled him.
Jungho leaned in and whispered teasingly, "Looks like Hana has a new favorite conversation partner."
Hyunwoo didn't respond. But the way he clenched his jaw didn't go unnoticed.
He really didn't like this.