:　beachfront cafe

@eva kim. jiho's eyes sparkled with amusement as eva's smug grin adorned her face. he chuckled, finding her boldness rather refreshing. "no problem, and honestly, it was quite entertaining. she definitely needed a reality check," he replied, raising his own glass in a silent toast to her candidness.

as eva sipped her drink, jiho couldn't help but admire the way her tongue swiped across her lips. his own lips curled into a playful smile. "you're not a total . just the right amount of sass. it's kinda cute, actually," he teased, leaning in slightly.

her concern about being too mean earned another chuckle from jiho. "trust me, you're far from it. besides, it's amusing watching you handle situations like a boss. keep being yourself; I find it intriguing." he winked, appreciating the authenticity she brought to the table.

@jeon jiho. eva's gaze flickered from his hand ghosting along hers to his handsome visage, a rather smug grin dancing across her brims. "why thank you! she had it coming." the shrug of her shoulders was nonchalant, fingers of her free hand wrapping around the chilled glass bringing a straw to her lips. she hummed in approval at the sweet taste, their waitress might've been rude and lacked some basic manners but hey at least she was a good at making drinks.

poking the tip of her tongue out she swiped it along the pillowy texture of her bottom lip, tasting the remaining droplets of the sugary alcohol, button like nose slightly scrunched. "wait, that wasn't too mean of me, was it?" she pondered, blinking at jiho. "i don't wanna look like a total ." once again, she pouted in distress. being a nasty bitter wasn't on her 'to do' list, at least not today, when she was trying really hard to impress her date, impress him enough for it to lead to a second date. maybe even more.

@eva kim. jiho felt the subtle graze of eva's fingers along his arm and sensed the undercurrent of her contemplation. he met her apologetic smile with a reassuring one, appreciating the unspoken effort to maintain a balance between connection and independence.

as the waitress approached again, jiho observed the subtle dance of dynamics, her focus entirely on him. the tension in the air didn't escape him, and he admired eva's assertiveness in handling the situation."thank you," eva cut off the waitress before she could address jiho again. her hand found a resting place on his thigh, close to his knee, a gesture both bold and intriguing. "that's all." when eva's eyes locked onto jiho's, a silent understanding passing between them. "smooth move," jiho teased, his tone carrying a hint of amusement as he reciprocated with a gentle touch on her hand after the waitress left in annoyance.

@jeon jiho. she sinked her pearls into her bottom lip, contemplating and carefully choosing her next words - not wanting to seem whiny or god forbid, clingy. "ah... i guess nothing? it was just an observation of mine." mumbling, she offered him an apologetic smile, subconsciouly ghosting the tips of her fingers up and down his arm.

the next time the waitress approached them, bringing them their drinks, she was the one doing the ignoring, keeping all of her attention and focus on the handsome man before her. she could feel the woman's eyes burning straight throughout her skull, clearly displeased by their closness which only urged eva to bring it up a notch. "thank you, that's all." she easily cut the other women off before she even got the chance to adress jiho again, one of her hands now resting on his thigh, closer to his knee to not make him feel uncomfortable.

@na hani. "well, i hope your standards in men have improved since." he half-jests, but he can't seem to twitch the corners of his lips up into a small smile. it weighed too heavy on him, their past. his shoulders deflate as hani remains in his view, reminding him of his sins. rome watched hani's thumbs rub against the handle of her mug before settling his eyes back to her unreadable expression. "as your boyfriend, i shouldn't have let it happen, but i guess it's all in the past." finally giving her a defeated smile, rome shakes his head.

"no need to be so nice to me. if you want me to try, i could try." a laugh escaped his lips as if it could possibly make hani's frown disappear. "oh...you have soot? i didn't know that. thanks for taking care of him while i was gone." rome swallowed hard, his grip tightening on his cup. she's been taking care of him? after all this time?

as hani spoke, rome's eyes wandered to the hair that framed her face. "that sounds like a lot. don't overwork yourself." her brown locks glistened almost orange against the sun's rays from the window. he blinks his eyes hard, leaving a slight trance he put himself in.

"so you have a new place /and/ a new cat?" things sure have changed. one thing is for sure though: haera probably still doesn't like him.

he hesitated, silently conjuring up a reason not to go in his mind, but his actions betrayed his logic. "sure, i'll come and see."

@eva kim. jiho couldn't help but chuckle at eva's playful demeanor. her mischievous spirit was infectious, and he found himself thoroughly enjoying her company. he gazed into her eyes, his own sparkling with amusement. "it's alright , bad influence is good to me sometimes. I've been a good boy for so how many years already?" said him half jokingly with a small chuckles.

when eva's hands found their way to his biceps and her head rested against his shoulder, jiho couldn't help but feel a sense of closeness and comfort even though she's a strangers for him. it's sparks some nervousness in his system but he's quite liking it. he furrowed his eyebrows at eva's remarks about the waitress earlier before he chuckles. "what does that have to do with me, missy?" asked him purposely. was she jealous?

@jeon jiho. "just a bit of mischief? why not all of mischief?" she pouted in faux disappointed, doing her very best not to burst into laughter right then and there. never-ending cheekiness a sign that she was fully relaxed within his presence. "ah jiho, i think i may be a bad infulence for you." eva wriggled her brows, gracing him with yet another devilish smile, her long fingers tickling the air before her face.

she watched in silence as he ordered the drinks for them. even a blind person could tell that the waitress had the hots for her date, oogling at him with heart emojis shining in her smitten eyes, all while ignoring the latter's existence. only paying her attention to eva once jiho wasn't looking, throwing her the dirty looks. what was her ing problem?

she scoffed into her chin, eyes rolling in disbelief at the girl's audacity. a pang of irrational jealousy tugged at her heartstrings and she felt slightly ashamed. for god's sake, she only knew him for less than an hour, she had no right to feel possessive over the handsome gentleman. still, her hands hugged their way around his biceps out of sheer reflex, head resting against his shoulder. she grumbled through a fat pout. "i think that waitress has a not so little crush on you."

@eva kim. jiho couldn't help but smile at eva's playfulness, finding her easygoing nature infectious. her gentle whack on his arm and the soft giggles that followed made him feel at ease, and he chuckled in response.

"ah, a menace, you say?" he teased, raising an eyebrow playfully. "well, maybe I don't mind a bit of mischief every now and then." her playful wink and shoulder shimmy only added to the lighthearted atmosphere that was building between them.

as she pondered her drink of choice, jiho considered her options. "warm and soothing or alcoholic and soothing, huh?" he mused, tapping his chin with a finger. "I think I'm up for something a little adventurous tonight. let's go the cocktail route." he grinned at her sheepish expression. "frisky it is, then. I'll trust your choice, eva." he was enjoying their time together and was open to whatever the evening had in store.

he called in the waitress who's been looking at them for a while and the way she's getting her cheeks reddened when jiho called out for her cause her to flustered. she quickly makes her way towards them and proceed to take their order with her blushing cheeks. she bows her head to him and unbeknownst to jiho, she gives a few judging look towards eva.

@rome lee. "well, i was in love with that piece of . and love... comes with pain, so." hani intends for her voice to come off as nonchalant, but with the excuse she relays to him, she wonders why it sounds rather cowardly. for the first time, in the past five minutes, she takes a sip of her chamomile tea, it's taste briefly distracting her from the saddened frown that makes home across his face. "and the mushrooms weren't entirely your fault anyway, i was the one that asked for them." she fails to mention why she had requested for them in the first place, and she's not sure if she ever will tell him. but for now, she hopes that this will help lift some burden off his shoulders.

she's never been good at keeping eye contact for longer than three seconds, but she doesn't understand what draws her gaze to rome. she chalks it up to her fearing that this was a horribly vivid dream, or that maybe he'd flash one of his dumb, uncharismatic smiles and she'd miss it. for whatever reason it was, she can't help but to feel self-conscious.

she frowns, dissatisfied with his response. "everyone deserves a second chance, and i'm giving you yours," her nose scrunches, rosy tiers held into a tight-lipped smile. "plus, i think soot really misses you. so, i'd appreciate it if you could try. i know this isn't something that'll work overnight, but just starting is more than enough."

as he reverses the question to her, she takes a more leisure sip of her tea. "i've been holding in there. i'm continuing my senior year, working here at the café, and still maintaining dad's bait shop. it's practically all i do, but i'm not complaining. it makes me feel like i'm busy," reaching forward, she tears one of the croissants in half, and speaks before tossing it in . "haera and i also moved out of my parents' place."

for an odd reason, hani feels as if she's missing an important life update to share, but as she chews on the thought, nothing comes to mind. "oh, we also got a cat, she's the sweetest. want to meet her after?"

@jeon jiho. growing more comfortable with each passing moment, eva easily let go of her inhibitions. gently whacking his arm at the given nickname, a bubble of soft giggles escaping . "your newfound oasis of calm? please sir, give it some time and you will actually see that i'm a whole menace." her statement was accompanied with a playful wink and a little shimmie of her shoulders. his easy going nature rubbing off of her, healing her inner child.

"about my drink of choice... hmm... i'm not sure." she put a finger to her lips, pursing them in pondering. "depends, are we in the mood for something warm and soothing or something alcoholic and... well, soothing?" offering him a rather sheepish grin, she lightly bit into the plushness of her lower tier. "personally, i'm detouring down the cocktail route. i'm feeling a little bit frisky tonight."

@na hani. while in rehab, rome's addiction got better, but the overwhelming guilt for ruining what he and hani had only got worse. the more sober he got and the more time he was left to think alone, even through the suffering of withdrawal, that nagging feeling of regret kept growing stronger. it ate him alive. by the end of all of it, he had convinced himself that he was a danger to everyone, especially hani. he was just a no-good drug addict with issues that'll never contribute to society. how could he have taken care of her if he couldn't take care of himself?

clutching onto his cup, rome's hands crave his drink's warmth as a source of comfort. "i'm sorry about all of that. i shouldn't have left you like that, let alone given you those mushrooms in the first place." the corners of his mouth felt as if they were weighed down by 20 kg sandbags on each side. the words that left hani's lips next left him utterly speechless.

"but it did matter hani—maybe not now, but it did once. you cared too much for a piece of ." as he spoke, a lump started to form in his throat, constricting his airways as if it meant to punish him for the past. his words may have been harsh, but they were true.

"i forgive you, so you can begin to forgive yourself, rome." hani's soft voice echoed in his ears. never in his life he would have imagined her saying that phrase, let alone those particular three words. the small sip of his little began to churn uncomfortably in his stomach.

for what seemed like forever, the male stared into her eyes as if they were an 8 ball, trying to tell her what he should do next, but all he got was 'try again next time'. it was hard to gather his thoughts when hani's doe eyes stared straight into his soul.

" i don't know if i can do that, let alone deserve forgiveness in the first place."

the light indie music of the cafe seemed to mute itself as the air around them grew more suffocating. "i can't allow myself to hurt anyone again, you especially." the inside of his bottom lip began to bleed from his compulsive chewing. "but if that's want you want, i could try."

"enough about me. how about you, hani? how have you been?"

@rome lee. rome wasn't always like this. hani, out of the entirety of hanbit, should know this best. before the challenging addiction and unwavering attendance in college parties, rome wasn't always so troubled and lost. if anything, hani feels as if she should apologize for not supporting him enough through such a difficult time in his life, but she knows that's not what he wants to hear. she also knows that the answer to his question isn't as simple as black or white—it's not yes, but it's not no.

throughout their three year long relationship, rome and hani have been through a sufficient amount of arguments to know that lying to hide, or appease one another didn't strengthen their bond. it only granted for a momentary lapse in reality. so, instead of sparing him of his guilt that's been storming over him for two years, she decides to tell him the truth, "the frequent hospital visits weren't fun. neither was telling haera about it when she came to pick me up, or when we visited my parents' house and i had to explain what happened," reaching for her order of chamomile tea, she raises it up to her lips, but doesn't drink, instead letting it rest against . "it was a tough time."

the warmth from her beverage emanates through the paper cup and onto her fingertips, but even in its absence, hani already felt heat course through her body from a mixture of embarrassment and anxiety. naturally, she found it hard to express such feelings, but the words feel even more caught up in in front of rome.

"but all of that didn't matter... what happened in college didn't matter to me," her eyes, that once remained trained on the marble table of the cafe, now flits up to meet his own pair. her voice, as gentle and firm as it started, continues. "all i cared about was you. and not once did i believe that you messed up my life."

from the darkest corner of her mind, where her trauma is tucked in and fear dwells, she speaks genuinely—"i forgive you."

a second of silence passes.

"i forgive you, so you can begin to forgive yourself, rome."

@na hani. the car ride with hani was noisier than expected. rome knew that she was a talkative girl, but considering their situation, he assumed she would be giving him the silent treatment or the cold shoulder. instead, she blabbered about whatever came to her mind. her voice was comforting, but rome wished he could've contributed more to the conversation. guilt had stolen his voice. upon arriving at the cafe, the male instantly knew that hani had a hand in the place's decoration. "i guess it looks nice." he crinkled his nose at their surroundings, obviously lying to the girl. as she walked away, he hastily fished his wallet out of his back pocket. "hani, wait—" it was no use. she is too stubborn to take his money. rome chooses a table next to the window, slumping into the chair with a sigh.

he intently watched her back as she gathered their food and drink. before she could notice his eyes on her, he diverges his attention to the view outside the window until he can hear her approaching footsteps. "mhm, i bet it is soy." gazing at her with a feigned expression full of suspicion, he played into her joke as he took a sip of the drink. the coffee's familiar brings light back into his eyes for a moment. she remembered.

the sudden change of tone in hani's voice triggers another wave of anxiety to surge throughout his body.

"you want an honest answer?" his voice was low. rome shifted his eyes down to her drink before returning them to its owner, in front of him. "not good, but what do you expect from...someone like me?"

"i messed up my whole life, and i hope i didn't mess up yours."

"hani...did i?"

@eva kim. jiho's heart danced with a mixture of emotions as he soaked in the serene moment, feeling a warmth he hadn't experienced in a long time. her appreciation was like a balm to his soul, soothing his own inner turmoil. he couldn't help but smile, genuinely touched by her words."it's my pleasure, really," jiho replied, his voice soft and genuine, matching the intimate ambiance around them.

as her gaze shifted to the impatient waitress, he nodded in agreement. "indeed, we should. let's not keep the waitress waiting any longer. what's your drink of choice, my newfound oasis of calm?" asked him with a coy smiles gracing his lips. perhaps, reading a lot of books tempted him to use such endearments but regardless, he was genuinely thankful to meet her.

@jeon jiho. she exhaled a soft breath and allowed herself to get drunk on the newfound warmth and the addicting sound of his soothing voice, highly appreciating the peaceful atmosphere. the vibe completely different from her constantly loud and hectic life; a very pleasant change. she could easily get use to it. that thought scared her a little bit.

his compliment had her in shambles. she couldn't remember when was the last time someone offered her such sweet words, spoke to her in such a kind way. he was damn good at keeping her spirits high, it gave her the hope that at least someone in this cold curel world could actually care for her. "it's very nice to meet you too. and... thank you. for the compliment. it feels really nice to hear such a nice thing from a man of your caliber." his named rolled off her tongue so naturally that she had to fight the urge to repeat it over and over again. "should we order something to drink? i can feel the waitress shooting daggers at us."

@rome lee. despite her introverted nature, hani’s convinced herself that she's gotten a little better at engaging in small talk—considering that the eight minute drive to the beachfront café with rome wasn't too rough. of course, she was the one that did most of the talking, but even then, perhaps he also thought it'd be less awkward if she simply yapped his ear off. though, that didn’t mean she didn’t have any certain questions for him, only that she believed it wasn’t the right moment to pry.

upon entering the café, the first thing she points out are the newly strung up decorations, as if he’d seen the place prior. “looks nice, right? that’s all me,” she says, evidently prideful in her choice of color. “but yeah, go ahead and find us some seats, i’ll order.” without sparing a moment for him to intervene (about how it’s his treat), she’s already gone with the wind and she knows just the right fix for him.

when she returns, it’s with a small platter of pastries and his regular café order of a brown sugar soy latte. at least she hopes it’s still his order. “i promise it’s soy.” she purposely adds some uncertainty to her tone to raise suspicion on his end, but it’s all for jokes, she’s sure he knows through the faint smile that curls her lips. as she rests back onto her seat, and she’s finally able to lay careful scrutiny over the visage of her best friend, she feels her heart abruptly tighten. was this out of yearn? out of resentment?

“rome,” she softly calls out, voice a tad more serious as compared to her earlier demeanor. “how are you?”

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@eva kim. jiho couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as eva responded positively to his words. her adorable sigh and the way she patted her cheeks made him smile, finding her reaction endearing.

eva's self-deprecating comment about being a mess only endeared her to him further. jiho chuckled softly, the tension in the air dissipating. "well, eva, i don't mind a little messiness," he replied with a friendly grin. "and don't worry, i'm not planning on running away anytime soon."

as she introduced herself, jiho's smile widened. he appreciated her effort to make a proper introduction despite mingyu's mention. "it's very nice to officially meet you, eva," he said warmly. "i'm jiho, by the way. and i have to say, you have a beautiful smile." his compliment was sincere, and he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of connection with her.

@jeon jiho. involuntary sigh escaped her brims, a simple signal of relief. she couldn't be happier with his response, petite hands covering her cheeks as she could feel them growing even warmer than before. eva patted them once or twice, internally scolding herself for being so embarrassing, feeling like all of her manners suddenly flew out of the window. he already had such a weird effect on her well-being. "that's... great. i'm very happy to hear that. i've been such a mess from the very start so i'm honestly pretty surprised that you didn't run away by now." she chuckled, an airy yet cheerful sound cutting through the awkward atmosphere surrounding them.

"oh... by the way, i'm eva. i don't know if your friend, mingyu, told you that." she scratched at the side of her head before tucking a loose strand of dark chocolate hair behind her ear, offering him a sweet smile - one that has the apples of her cheeks bundling upwards, squeezing her eyes into sparkling crescents. "even if he did, it would still be nice of me to make a proper introduction heh."

@eva kim. of course, hearing such remarks caused jiho to get flustered a little bit, but he managed to stay composed and cleared his throat with a small, grateful smile blossoming on his lips. "ah, is it?" jiho caressed his own cheek after that and chuckled softly. "well, i'm genuinely happy that i can bring some happiness into your day, miss..." his words trailed off momentarily as he realized he hadn't caught her name earlier, and mingyu hadn't provided it either.

jiho furrowed his eyebrows slightly at the woman's comments and then quickly shook his head, a warm sincerity in his eyes. "ah, please don't worry. i don't feel obligated to sit here. it's just that i'm genuinely enjoying your company at this moment. besides, it's my day off, so you're not taking away any of my time, if that's a concern," he reassured her with a friendly smile. "i don't find it ungrateful or strange at all. in fact, i believe this meeting is fate, and for that, i'm truly thankful."

@jeon jiho. once jiho sat down beside her, she carefully took his big hand in her much smaller one, bringing his pinky next to her ring finger, staring at the matching rings in sheer astonishment. "no offense - actually no, full offense to your friend as he did ghost me after all. but... would it be /too/ mean to say that i'm actually really happy that you showed up instead of him?" tilting her head, the brunette glanced at the handsome man, maintaining eye-contact despite initial shyness. offering him a timid smile as she could feel her cheeks blooming redder by each second.

noticing that she's been staring at him for probably way too long, she cleared through a fake cough and let go of his hand, awkwardly shifting in her seat, focusing her doe eyes elsewhere. "uhm... i know that you found yourself in a very ungrateful and... rather strange position but... i want you to know that you don't need to feel obligated to stay here with me. you know that, right?" eva stumbled over her words, nervously playing with her digits to distract herself from the sudden tightness enveloping her chest at the mare thought of him leaving. insecurity sitting heavy at her back, once again weighting her shoulders down, hiding into herself.

@eva kim. jiho listened intently as eva shared the touching story of their grandparents' love, feeling a deep sense of connection even though they were essentially strangers. her grandmother's devotion and the promise ring's significance tugged at his heartstrings, reminding him of the powerful, timeless love that had brought their families together.

when eva showed him the simple golden jewel on her ring finger, jiho couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise and warmth. he extended his hand, revealing a matching ring on his pinky finger. "i assumed it was couple rings?" he remarked, a hint of amusement in his tone. the coincidence was uncanny, and it added to the surreal feeling of their encounter.

seeing eva switch from solemn reflection to uncontrollable laughter, jiho couldn't help but join in her mirth. her candidness and genuine emotions were endearing. he sat down beside her, offering a reassuring smile. "it's okay," he said gently, his eyes filled with understanding. "sometimes, life throws us into these unbelievable situations, but maybe that's what makes it exciting. we get to create our own story, even if it feels like a dream." as he spoke, jiho found himself appreciating the unexpected connection they were forging.

@jeon jiho. jiho's affirmation brought a genuine smile to her lips, eyes crinkling in nostalgia and reminiscence. it has been so long since the last time she could live through her grandmother's sweet memories. the love, so innocent and pure, ruined by greedy views of their family. "that's my grandmother. your grandfather was her first and only true love." her voice was soft, barely louder than a whisper as she was too afraid to indulge into her feelings, trying to calm down the storm growing within her so she doesn't end up bawling her eyes in front of everyone. "she was so in love with him. every single night she would tell me stories about their adventures and dates. they lived for the summer, sharing letters during the rest of the year." carefully closing the medalion, she showed him a simple golden jewl hugging her ring finger, adorned with two tiny pearls. "she gave me this on her deathbed. your grandfather gave her this promise ring on her last day in hanbit."

overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, eva sat down as she suddenly felt her knees growing weak. all of it felt so surreal, like they found themselves in the middle of a plot for some cheap cliché drama. they were the two main characters; a mysterious girl and a charming local boy, meeting paths in the weirdest way. only they didn't have a scrpit before them. she couldn't help but laugh, muffling the sound with her hand. she probably looked like a madwoman, switching from depression to mania in a matter of few seconds. "i-i'm... i'm so sorry for laughing. i just can't fathom that this is actually happening. this supposed to my first real date. this is insane, actually insane. i must be dreaming." words spluttered from her lips in a string of babbles, thin fingers pinching at her side as if that would wake her up from the fever dream.

@eva kim. jiho blinked in surprise as eva brought the pendant closer, revealing the old photograph inside. at first, he didn't quite register what he was seeing, but as his eyes focused on the image, they widened in recognition and astonishment. there, captured in the faded photograph, was the unmistakable image of his grandfather, a younger version of the man he remembered from childhood, standing by the seaside. his heart skipped a beat, and a rush of emotions overwhelmed him. the shock on his face gave way to a profound sense of nostalgia and curiosity. he had heard stories about his grandfather's youth, his adventures, and his deep love for someone special. but to see it in this moment, in a photograph held by a stranger, was nothing short of surreal. the image revealed a side of his grandfather that he had never known, a man filled with youthful exuberance and the promise of love.

as jiho struggled to find his words, he finally managed to stammer, "h-how... how did you get this picture? that's my grandfather in the photo." his voice quivered with a mixture of awe and uncertainty. he continued, his cheeks now turning a deep shade of red, "but who are you, and why do you have it?" the seconds that followed felt like an eternity to jiho. he couldn't tear his gaze away from the image, studying every detail of his grandfather's face and the girl standing beside him. he totally could see the resemblance between them. jiho's curiosity was palpable, and he couldn't help but wonder, "and who's the girl with him?" the question hung in the air, as jiho tried to make sense of this extraordinary encounter on what was supposed to be a routine blind date.

@jeon jiho. eva's rapid motions came to a halt as a soft, quiet yet oh so deep voice reached her ears, waking her up from her frenzy in the most peaceful way. her hands dropped by her sides, and it took her a good few seconds to gain enough courage to look up and towards the mysterious figure. she was met with a rather handsome gentleman, obsidian pair ghosting along the ivory skin of his face and catching on the prominent structure of his strongly set jawline - the kindness of his eyes a complete opposite to his otherwise 'mean' looks. she remained silent throughout his entire speech. and while any other time his words would blow a hit right to her guts, in that strange moment, she was too distracted with trying to figure out why did his face seem so familiar. she could swear she has seen his face before. but where and when?

after another moment or two of complete silence, realization dawned up and her eyes widend in surprise, petite hand coming up and clutching around the small golden locket pendant hanging from around her slender neck. inside was an old picture of her grandmother and her first ever love, smiling at each other with so much tenderness and passion while hugging near the seaside - two youngsters completely smitting by one another. the man in front of her, jiho, painted a splitting image of the man inside of her medalion. from his impressive stature to his chiseled features and gentle eyes. ignoring the nosy people around them, and his concern about the same, with a pounding heart and sudden wave of boldness, eva stepped closer. space between them coming close to a bare inch as she stood on her tip toes, opening the pendant and bringing it to his face in awe. "is this your grandfather?"

@eva kim. jiho, feeling the weight of the situation, adjusted his collar once more, his discomfort palpable as he approached the distressed woman. he searched for the right words, keenly aware of the turmoil playing out in her eyes. a soft clearing of his throat preceded his gentle introduction, "excuse me, I hope you don't mind me intruding. I'm jiho, a friend of mingyu's." a momentary pause allowed him to gauge the depth of the emotional storm that swirled within her. the sincerity in his voice was undeniable as he continued, "I wanted to apologize on behalf of mingyu for his, uh, manners today." jiho hesitated slightly, the indifference he sensed from mingyu gnawing at him. "to be honest, it doesn't seem like he cared much about how things turned out."

a tinge of disappointment laced his words, revealing the fissure in his friendship with mingyu. "he didn't want to be here, and he didn't want you to be upset either, even though you two are essentially strangers," jiho sighed, empathizing with eva's predicament. "sometimes people make poor decisions without realizing the impact it has on others." as he glanced around the terrace, he couldn't help but notice the curious glances from onlookers, their hushed conversations adding to the discomfort of the situation. jiho's tone took on a slightly protective edge as he offered, "I hope you don't mind me staying here. I know people have started to look already. you can simply ignore them." he knew the female must be feeling the weight of the judgmental eyes on her, and he wanted to offer some solace in this awkward moment.

@jeon jiho. adjusting the frills of her dress, eva casts a quick glance around the semi-empty terrace, purposely avoiding entrance. sheer anxiety (and a bit of excitement) nesting in the very pits of her stomach, right leg restless beneath the table. she heaves a sigh before offering the waitress rather awkward smile, lightly shaking her head to signal that she's not ready to order yet. with a look of pity, the waitress spins around on her heels and scoffs, sending eva into panic mode. pity? wait, why pity? oh no, she probably thinks she's some kind of loser being stood up by her date. wait, is she right? the brunette looks down at her watch, shoulders dropping down on their own, glossy lips unconsciously forming into a small pout. she curses herself under breath for being so stupid and actually thinking that something like this could work. eva feels ashamed, embarrased and... somewhat disappointed. when she says 'somewhat' - she's lying. she is absolutely, utterly, disappointed. with a heavy heart she starts packing up her things, messily shoving them inside her overly tiny purse as she could feel her eyes welling up with tears. don't cry. don't ing cry.