"Looks like we're neighbours."

The afternoon sun cast a warm glow as Ananya and Ji-yeon walked out of their university campus. Ananya was eager to meet Sun-hee, who she presumed has been both Ji-yeon and Dae-jung's friend from middle school, and had recently returned from Austin where she has been pursuing her bachelors. She hoped the outing would help her know Sun-hee, while also helping mend her bond with Ji-yeon.

They reached the café where Sun-hee was waiting, sitting at a corner table. Sun-hee waved at them, her eyes lighting up when she saw Ji-yeon.

"Ji-yeon! Over here!" Sun-hee called out with a bright smile.

As they approached the table, Ananya couldn't help but notice the way Sun-hee's smile faltered slightly when she looked at her. "Hey, Sun-hee! Nice to meet you," she said, trying to sound cheerful.

Sun-hee's looked over. "Hi, Ananya. Ji-yeon has told me a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope," she chuckled nervously, taking a seat as Ji-yeon went to sit beside Sun-hee, giving her a warm hug.

"Of course," Ji-yeon said as she turned to face Ananya, her tone oddly pleasant. "Sun-hee and I were mostly just talking about our school days. Those were some fun times."

Sun-hee nodded, her smile tight. "Oh, absolutely. We were such troublemakers."

"Makes the three of us." Ji-yeon added, "Ananya can be quite a troublemaker herself."

Ananya nodded with a chuckle, trying to change the topic as she felt a certain tension in the air. "What do you guys want to order? I'll go get it."

"I already got mine." Sun-hee motioned at her half-filled tumbler. "And Iced Cappuccino for Ji-yeon, I believe?"

"You know me the best." Ji-yeon winked.

Ji-yeon had always been an Americano-person whenever they got their drinks at the university. But Ananya chose not to protest over such a trivial thing. She nodded with a smile, going over to the counter to place the order. She watched the two of them from a distance, feeling a bit like an outsider as the two friends reminisced. Probably not the best time to join the two, but she cannot let that dampen her spirits. She was there to hopefully fix things, even if by a little bit.

She walked back with the tray in her hands, carefully placing it on the table. Her attempts to join in the conversation were just as careful, but some pointed comments soon made her feel uneasy.

"So, Ananya," Sun-hee turned to her, "I heard you managed to do the impossible. Ji-yeon told me."

Ananya looked at her, puzzled. "What are we talking about?"

"You know, the time you managed to bring Dae out on his mother's death anniversary. Congratulations."

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I just wanted to check on him. It wasn't supposed to be a feat, really."

"It's great that Dae has found someone else to talk to." Ji-yeon chimed in, "After you left for the States, it often felt like I was his only friend. He must appreciate the change."

"He has always been like that," Sun-hee smiled, "Picking random new hobbies and quirks."

Ananya sipped on her drink, shifting in her seat uncomfortably. 

"Sun-hee is a deadpan comedian, don't mind the stuff she often says." Ji-yeon laughed, wrapping her arm around Sun-hee.

"I hope I'm not accidentally overstepping boundaries." Sun-hee smiled. "I mean, you know how it can be at times, right? You've been there too."

"I… I'm sure." Ananya nodded with a smile. 

"Oh, we already had a conversation about that yesterday." Ji-yeon added, looking at Ananya, "I'm sure Annie understands where I come from now. Don't you?"

"I do," Ananya fidgeted with her fingers in her lap. She knew it had been about Dae-jung all along. It probably ran a lot deeper, and she honestly felt relieved about never having confided in Ji-yeon about her crush on Dae-jung before. She intended on keeping it that way, and probably letting go of her feelings too.

The conversation continued in this vein, with Sun-hee and Ji-yeon recounting inside jokes and past exploits, mostly excluding Ananya. Every now and then, they would throw in a subtle shade towards her, always delivered with a smile that didn't reach their eyes.

Ananya forced herself to smile back, feeling more and more isolated with each passing minute. By the time they parted ways, she was feeling emotionally drained. The gap seemed to have grown wider, and she honestly didn't understand exactly what she did wrong. She did not want to lose Ji-yeon, but it didn't seem like there was any going back to how they used to be.

She heaved a sigh, slowly pacing towards the store for her shift, hoping the familiar routine would provide comfort. It would definitely be better than going straight home and being all by herself. She would break down if she were to be just with her own thoughts anymore. She had no energy to hound Jung-wook with any questions that evening, she just wanted some respite.

Stepping into the store, she was greeted by the usual sight of customers buzzing around, the gentle hum of activity filling the space. However, she couldn't shake off the lingering sting of the all that unfolded earlier.

Her eyes anxiously looked for Jung-wook, and she finally found him ducked underneath the counter. 

"What are you doing down there?" She leaned on the counter, looking down at him with a soft smile.

His expression was more reserved than usual, likely remembering their heated argument from the previous day. "Just checking if all's good." He responded, his tone a little cautious. "How's it going?"

Ananya gave a small nod. "It has been... a day."

He hesitated before speaking again. "About... yesterday. I wanted to apologise for how I acted. It was out of my place, I'm sorry for overstepping boundaries."

Ananya flinched, suddenly remembering the conversation from earlier. She shook her head and reached out, ruffling his hair gently. "It's okay, we all have our bad days."

He smiled widely, his eyes crinkling at the corners, his usual warmth returning. "So, how about we make a pact? No more bad days, only good vibes from now on."

She chuckled, leaning back as he got up, "Deal. I could use some good vibes."

"Good vibes, it is." He leaned in, ruffling her hair in return. "Hey!" She protested with a snort. Jung-wook had a way of making her feel better. She could keep the questions aside for a day, maybe.

They went on with their shift, Ananya feeling a lot more relieved with no air of tension around her. However, every time the door fluttered open, she secretly hoped it wasn't Ji-yeon again, like yesterday. From being the closest friends to wanting to mend things to now oddly fearing her presence – a real lot had changed within a single day. Far beyond her wildest beliefs. And oddly, right after Jung-wook had given her cryptic warning about maintaining a distance from her.

She crouched low on the ground, grabbing her head in her hands. She did not want to think about any of that. Definitely not at that point of time.

"Did I tell you about the customer who tried to return a half-eaten triangle kimbap because he didn't like the 'aftertaste'?" Jung-wook snuck in and sat next to her, his eyes fixed on her face.

"Unbelievable." Ananya smiled meekly, resting her head on his shoulder. "Just for a minute, please."

Jung-wook stayed beside her in silence, running his fingers gently through her hair.

"So, what did you do then?"

"I had to explain to him that we cannot do refunds for food that has already been eaten. It is a basic rule, but when some people just do not want to understand – there's only so much that you can do."

She smiled with a little nod, tearing away and standing up with a little bounce that made Jung-wook chuckle. She extended her hand to him, "Thanks, as always."

He took her hand in his', getting up swiftly. Without letting go of her hand, he inched closer in, "As always."

She pushed him away playfully, "What in Harry Potter was that? So cheesy, ew." 

"So these quotes really don't work in real life, huh?" He grinned, dashing back to the counter to attend to the customers piling in.

As their shift neared its end, the exhaustion of the day weighed heavy on Ananya. Sensing her fatigue, Jung-wook walked up to her, his expression softened. "Hey, I'm really sorry again. For yesterday."

Ananya looked up at him with a smile. "It's okay, I have long forgotten about it."

"Should we walk home together today?"

Ananya hesitated for a moment but then nodded. The idea of walking home alone seemed even more daunting after the day she had had. "That would be nice for a change."

They left the store together, the night breeze brushing past them, gentler than usual. As they walked side by side, their footsteps echoing in the quiet streets, the comfortable silence gave her some much-needed solace. Upon reaching her building, Ananya paused, turning to Jung-wook with a smile. "Thanks for walking me home."

Jung-wook shrugged, his usual playful smirk returning. "Anytime. Besides, it wasn't really a task for me. Looks like we're neighbours."

She blinked in astonishment. "What? Where?"

He laughed, pointing at the door next to hers. "I guess fate has a funny way of bringing people together."

She shook her head, still processing the revelation. "There's no way. Have you… have you been stalking me?"

"No, it is a coincidence." He chuckled, motioning her to head upstairs, "Or... maybe not. I cannot promise that."

She looked at him for a moment, all bewildered, then simply began walking upstairs. So this random mysterious stranger who had slowly crept into her life with his charms was her neighbour all along!?