unknowingly. ᵏⁱᵐ ᵈᵃᵉʸᵒᵘⁿᵍ
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For the next few weeks in the month of November, Yeon-ae has been preoccupied by both her curriculum workload and responsibilities as one of the members of their organization's logistics team. As always, it was stressful, but the next meetings became more tolerable since she was working with Chenle most of the time, and it looks like she was right about him being fun to talk to.
They have only excessively spoken to each other on three of those meetings and occasionally chatted with one another through messages, but Yeon-ae's confidence about him being interested in her only grew stronger. It was getting apparent in those moments, and of course, she shows back that she also wants to take their relationship to the next level.
Despite only speaking face to face during meeting hours, Chenle made the work progress enjoyable and occasionally jokes around with her and their other fellow members to lighten up the mood. In a way, it did help remove some pressure that Yeon-ae was putting on herself, and as she continued to converse with him, he fortunately is the smart person that she initially thought he was.
Naturally, she updated Daeyoung with these "developments in her love life", as she called it, and as much as he secretly tried to nitpick on the smallest details about the guy to be worried about, it generally didn't bring up any red flags. Though Yeon-ae's stories might be a bit exaggerated, they both know that Chenle was a decent man at best.
The meeting that will be held this Tuesday afternoon is their last before the program will be held on Friday, and the room was packed and hectic when Yeon-ae got there. Their president asked the respective committees for updates on their work and if things are ready to go for the upcoming event.
One of the members from Yeon-ae's own team raised a concern that she forgot to tend to one of her responsibilities, which is to get mini bouquets made from crochet to give to the judges as tokens of appreciation, and being a new member and originally from a different city, she was not sure where to buy them around the area.
Chenle suddenly raised his hand, "Noonah, Yeon-ae and I will take care of that. I know where to find them." Yeon-ae jumped at Chenle mentioning her name then gave him a look. "Is it really no trouble, Chenle?" The worried member asked and bowed to him in acknowledgment again and again when he confirmed that it's fine.
"Now, why are you dragging me into this, Zhong Chenle?" Yeon-ae asked once their president concluded the meeting, with Chenle laughing at her addressing him by his full name. "Hey, don't say my government name like that. Also, we're partners in this anyway, so where I go, you go," He stood up and reached his open hand out to her.
Yeon-ae glared at him, though she was not actually that mad, but as she was about to put her hand on his, he added, "Besides, with how busy we are, isn't this a good time to go on a date?" She completely froze when she heard him say that, and she spent a lot of seconds properly processing the words that he just spit out.
She stared at him with wide eyes, while Chenle only looked at her in anticipation, one brow raised as he waited for her answer. After a few more beats of silence between them, she spoke with careful consideration, "Chenle, did you just ask me out on a date?" She clarified, thinking that she might have misheard him a few minutes before. She truly could not believe her ears.
He nodded, motioning his outreached hand once more. "Yes. Is.. that fine with you?" He asked, and if Yeon-ae had no shame left, she would have outright admitted that she had been waiting for him to say that to her and that she expected this ever since their first encounter, but since she has self-control, she smiled sweetly as an answer, taking his hand in hers. "Sure. But we still have to buy those mini bouquets for the program, you know." She reminded.
Chenle grinned as he pulled her up from her seat and made their way outside the room. "I know, I won't be forgetting that. And don't worry, you'll get yours from me, too." He made a shushing gesture and winked at her. She laughed in amusement as she stepped aside to make way for him to get out.
Yeon-ae turned around to face the hallway where they would be leaving from and was surprised to see Daeyoung waiting nearby. An even wider and brighter smile broke out on her face upon seeing him, fueled by the cute hand wave that he greeted her with. She quickly made her way in his direction, putting her hands on her hips. "I didn't expect to see you, Daeng. What are you doing here?" She asked.
Daeyoung brought up the small box that he was carrying, "Mom sent me some homemade cookies, and I received way too many, so I thought I would give you a few. I already gave some to Sion hyung and the others earlier; this should be the last extra batch. Of course, I chose the flavors you like best." He reached out for her right hand and placed the bottom of the box on her palm.
"I literally can't stress enough that you're the best." She looked at him with shiny eyes, and Daeyoung covered them with his hand. "Oh, don't start giving me that look," His gaze caught sight of Chenle from across the hallway, standing rather awkwardly while waiting for Yeon-ae to finish speaking with him. He then returned his eyes on her, "Is that the Chenle guy I've heard so much about?"
Yeon-ae quickly glanced at the other guy, maybe smiled at him since Chenle smiled back as well, then turned back at Daeyoung with a nod. "Yup. And Daeyoung, my gosh, he asked me out on a date..! My foresight doesn't fail me." She whispered-shouted, shaking one of his shoulders with her free hand.
Daeyoung's eyes widened a bit at her words, and he felt his chest tighten once more. He doesn't know why it did that. There's no point overthinking it.
His partially shocked expression then changed into a half-smile, and he put an arm around her shoulders to serve as a hug. "You're a wizard, Yeon. I didn't know you had it in you. Successfully manifested a date but not Miss Gong's retirement." He winced when she pinched his side all of a sudden in response to his comment.
"I can multitask, you know! Just you wait, I'll manifest that hag's retirement harder after this." Yeon-ae took Daeyoung's hand for a pinky promise while he was partly slouched, recovering from the pain caused by her wicked pinch. He only laughed and ruffled her hair. "Fine, fine. Good luck on your date, witch. Don't stay out too late."
She stuck her tongue out at him as she walked back to Chenle. "I know that, pup. See you!" Yeon-ae waved goodbye and headed to the mall with her newly found date (and to run last-minute errands for their program). Daeyoung waited for their figures to step into the elevators before heading in the opposite direction, going back to his apartment with a somehow heavy heart.
Yeon-ae and Chenle reached the mall, where he said there's a shop on the third floor selling crafts similar to crocheted mini bouquets. The two decided to get the most important thing done first before going around the establishment at their own leisure. They used the funds handed to them by the member originally appointed to buy the tokens, and Chenle used his own money to purchase a different mini bouquet for Yeon-ae to serve as a remembrance of their first date.
Unlike the past three dates she had in college, Chenle was more considerate, proactive, and especially not boring. Their conversation flowed smoothly like water in a stream, and she saw that as a good sign that their chemistry is a new and different matter altogether.
As they roamed around each floor of the mall, starting from the ground up to the third, they talked about things they found interesting that were displayed behind the glass in the stores. Yeon-ae shared that she's been getting into fashion lately with how many outfits she has swiped to her cart and was planning to buy a few of them, leaning towards pastel color palettes. She also told him of her hobbies of watching dramas from different countries and posting blogs on a website to share her thoughts on certain news and social issues.
She mentioned playing chill and fun games such as Animal Crossing, and Chenle happily chimed in that he plays it as well (and both have not logged in for a few months now because of their busy schedules). Yeon-ae decided to let him have his turn, and Chenle added that he doesn't actually play it as often since he mostly focuses on playing basketball.
When they got to that topic, Chenle became even more talkative, and Yeon-ae could easily tell that this sport is one of his biggest strengths and passions. He even fondly mentioned his favorite player, Stephen Curry, and how one time he was fortunate enough to meet him during one of his games.
Chenle continued to describe that experience of his in perfect and meticulous detail, and as they walked in front of a long line of restaurants, both of their heads turned to look at his stomach when it let out a loud rumble. He chuckled in embarrassment at letting Yeon-ae hear his hunger, but she only laughed, saying that it doesn't bother her. She checked the time and saw that it was already six in the evening, so she invited him to grab dinner.
After placing their orders, they went to find a table, which was just right beside the counter. As Yeon-ae settled into her seat, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She fished it out and opened the notification from Daeyoung, who sent her a photo of his dinner and of himself enjoying his food. She then opened her front camera and took a photo with a peace sign, sending it to him with a reply that they are still waiting for their food.
"Was that the friend earlier?" Chenle asked curiously, pointing at her phone with a finger. Yeon-ae nodded as a reply, a calm smile apparent on her lips. "Yes, my childhood best friend, Daeyoung. Even now, during college, we spend the most time together. I'm glad to have him around," She looked down at her phone, fondly staring at something on her screen — perhaps the selfie Daeyoung sent.
Subconsciously, she stroked his cheek on her screen with her thumb. "He's one of the most important people in my life," There were a few seconds of silence before Yeon-ae raised her head back at Chenle with an apologetic smile, then chuckled. "Sorry, I got a bit sentimental back there. Daeyoung has always been a comforting presence for me, especially this crazy semester. Oh, our drinks are here." She turned to the waiter to receive their refreshments, and while she was doing so, Chenle couldn't help but think over those previous seconds — something like a short moment of vulnerability, and maybe, even a tinge of a hidden truth.
The first date went really well, and Yeon-ae, excited as ever about development in her love life, informed Daeyoung of how much she enjoyed strolling around with Chenle, also hoping that in the future, they can go to other places to further get to know one another and deepen their relationship. She couldn't spend her time giggling over this experience though, as she had to make sure everything was prepared for the program this Friday.
The day of the said event finally came, and though it is supposed to start at one in the afternoon, she had to be there in the morning already to help out with finalizing the preparations. She greeted and passed by Chenle, who was arranging the decorations on the stage, while she put down her things in the staff room behind.
For the entire morning, they ran through the entire program flow and made sure every designated activity was done within its set allocated time. They only had a quick lunch around eleven in the morning, as they had already started to entertain fellow students from their department when they began to flock inside the venue not much later.
Both Yeon-ae and Chenle are responsible for making sure that the time for each segment does not overlap with the next one, and thankfully, the early opening of the venue made it easier for them to let students get there on time. Once the clock struck one, the long-awaited program finally started.
The flow went exactly as the duo planned, though they overlooked the fact that the open forum segment became longer than intended because of how much some students inquired about the documentaries. Fortunately, that did not interrupt the time slots for the next activities, and after a few hours, the program wrapped up to a satisfying end.
The professors who stayed after the majority of the students left congratulated the officers for their hard work (and unsurprisingly, the evil Miss Gong was no longer there — probably tending to matters that need her attention more or whatever). With the help of the university janitors, they cleaned up the venue and packed up their stuff. Yeon-ae bowed in acknowledgment to her fellow members as she exited with Chenle.
"It's finally over!" She stretched her arms over her head and grunted at the pop she heard from her shoulders and the rumble from her stomach. "Oh, God, it looks like I'm more exhausted than I initially thought." Chenle chuckled, realizing that they're both even now (heard each other's stomach growling).
"It's getting late already. Come on, let's eat. I know a really good place." The black-haired guy grabbed her hand and led her to a Chinese restaurant near his house (yes, he bought a house a few minutes' drive away from the campus).
Yeon-ae ate dishes one after the other until she physically couldn't anymore. She couldn't bring herself to worry about her other pending tasks right now when she feels like she's both in heaven and about to burst her stomach and spill her organs. She wanted the two of them to split the bill, but Chenle had already paid for everything before she could even offer. She just realized then at that moment that he was disgustingly rich. At least he's not a major asshole like other rich boys and actually regularly uses his brain.
Chenle was kind enough to drive her home to her apartment, and when her head hit the soft pillows and her body collided with the mattress, she immediately passed out from exhaustion and fullness.
She would have been fucked if the next day had not been Saturday because she woke up at ten in the morning. Thankfully, her meet-ups with Daeyoung on this day usually start during lunchtime, so she groggily rose from her bed to start bathing and dressing up.
Yeon-ae was brushing her hair when she sifted through her missed messages from last night, most of them coming from a worried Daeyoung. Instead of replying to his texts, she called him, to which he immediately answered, as if he had been waiting for it, "Yeon-ae! Are you okay? What happened after the program?" He began to ask.
"Hush down, Daeng. I'll tell everything... later, when we see each other at the cafe," She heard him groan at her reply, thinking that she would talk of things over the phone. This made her click her tongue, as if scolding him. "Don't be impatient. I'll be there in thirty minutes, I promise I'll tell you everything. Don't you know that best?"
She smirked to herself when she was greeted with silence, knowing that Daeyoung was rolling his eyes in defeat on the other side of the phone. "Ugh, fine. I'm already here. Have you had brunch yet? I can order for you now so you can just eat when you get here."
Daeyoung's understanding and considerate behavior have convinced her that gods somehow do exist, and she was surely in their favor to be lucky enough to be friends with a guy such as him. "My lovely Daeyoung, you flatter me by keeping me in your thoughts." She said in a singsong voice while putting away her comb.
He only chuckled at that, and unbeknownst to her, his ears reddened. "The usual, then? Or—" Before he could finish, Yeon-ae already replied with a 'mmhm' to confirm. "Alright then, see you. And don't be ridiculous. I always think of you." Daeyoung answered back before ending the call.
His words momentarily caught her off guard, even though he had said similar and more flattering things in the past. Though it warmed her heart all the same that he thinks about her, because she thinks of him often as well. He's a person that she would never want to lose.
After the call with Daeyoung, she saw messages from Chenle as well, who was inviting her to go on an arcade date later at night. Yeon-ae whispered an 'oops' to herself since she responded to her best friend's texts first before her date's. That doesn't matter anyway, because even if she had read Chenle's messages first, she still would have declined, just like now, since it was Saturday, meaning that she had a study meet-up with Daeyoung.
Once she texted Chenle back, she quickly put her essential stuff inside her bag and then set out to their regular cafe. Yeon-ae entered to see Daeyoung at their table, taking a photo of the food he ordered for her along with her favorite drink, which is lemonade. "I'm here, don't go ahead and eat all that." She said as she drew closer to him, settling down on her seat. Daeyoung gave her his usual adorable smile.
"You know I don't eat past my limit," He replied as he set his phone aside and placed the plate in front of her. The glass of lemonade followed after he took a small sip from it, which made Yeon-ae give him a look. "What? I paid for that." This time, she was the one who sighed in defeat because she lost count of how many times Daeyoung had brought her food without reminding her to repay him (yes, it was free).
The guy across her rested his chin on the back of his hand, as if waiting for something. "Well? Aren't you going to update me on what happened after the program?" Without much more prodding, Yeon-ae shared that she didn't get to check her phone again after the event concluded since she remembered it being at ten percent battery life.
She then told him that Chenle bought her dinner at a Chinese restaurant and even dropped her off at her apartment. "As you can see, my date is also a gentleman, so you can rest easy. And then you know, I woke up late — but I did immediately call you after I took a shower." She stated matter-of-factly.
The heavy breath that Daeyoung let out led Yeon-ae to believe that he was holding it in anticipation as she recalled the events last night, and was only relieved now after she finished speaking. "That's good to hear. At least you're safe."
While Yeon-ae was rummaging through her bag for her things, she remembered the other messages she received from Chenle and thought that she should share them as well, "Oh, Daeyoung, something crazy happened, too. Right after you dropped the call, I saw that Chenle messaged that he wants to go to the arcade later, but I had to decline."
That brought Daeyoung to a state of confusion. "Why did you decline your date? We have all afternoon, and we can end the day at six so you can meet him this evening." He tried to reason since Yeon-ae had always looked forward to going on a date with someone, and hearing her turn down one baffled him.
She gave him a deadpanned stare, grabbing both of his cheeks with one hand. "Because Wednesdays and Saturdays are our time together, you idiot. I may want to have an active love life and find true love, but you are more important to me than any of that. I won't let such a thing hinder our relationship, you understand, Kim Daeyoung?" Yeon-ae snapped her fingers, and he only nodded with his ears red again (he couldn't say much anyway with how she was holding him).
"Good." She let go of him and brought out her tablet while Daeyoung massaged his cheeks, reaching for the half-empty cup of oolong tea he must have ordered earlier on his right and drank from it.
The presence of the beverage made her raise her brow, since it normally signifies that he is stressed and lacks sleep, which rarely happens. "Hey, Daeng, what's up? Do you need any help?" She asked, reaching out for his free hand and gently holding it. Daeyoung glanced at his tea, then back at her, realizing that she had already made the connection. "It's such an embarrassing thing to be stressed about, honestly. I don't think I can share it with you."
"You do know that I have witnessed more embarrassing things from you, right?" This made him scoff, then laugh, even though Yeon-ae knows she's not even that funny. "It's just that... one of the requirements for our major before winter break is to pass written notes of ten chapters on our main reference book. I could do it by myself, but the deadline is this Monday, and I have only finished the first chapter last night. I might need some help." Daeyoung shyly said.
"That's not even something to be embarrassed about. Geez, Daeyoung, "Yeon-ae motioned her hand at him, "Give me some pages from your ring binder and send me a PDF of your main reference book. Four chapters for you and five for me, then?" She further inquired as Daeyoung did exactly as she asked him to, and he nodded at her question.
He then registered what he was asking of her in his mind, "But wait, aren't you busy, too? I can't possibly—" Yeon-ae brought her pointer finger in front of his lips to stop him from talking any further. "Yes, and you can help me with that once we finish yours. See how busy we are, and you wanted me to go on that arcade date with Chenle? You must be going mad too, Daeng," She teased, which made him pout.
"I just wanted you to be happy..." He murmured under his breath, and yet Yeon-ae still managed to hear it, making her laugh out loud. "Goodness, you act like you don't make me happy. Maybe you forgot that I'm also reliable. You know that I have your back too, right?" She smiled at Daeyoung this time to reassure him, and it was working like a charm.
"Besides, you look a lot like a wet puppy right now. How could I ever refuse you, you adorable thing?" Before he could move his face away, she had already caught his cheeks once more and squished him hard, much to both his devastation and enjoyment. Daeyoung grumbled as Yeon-ae scrambled his face and removed her hands from him again.
"Alright, I got it. Let's get started so we finish this early." Though he wasn't sulking anymore, he still had that pout on his lips, and Yeon-ae had to physically restrain herself from pouncing on Daeyoung, who must have been a humanized puppy — a puppy who is apparently too tall.
Yeon-ae opened her phone to access the file she had Daeyoung send to her, and at the same time, received a reply from Chenle.
She smiled at the fact that her date was also so understanding, and despite the cancellation of her arcade date with Chenle, she was not actually as disappointed as she thought she would be, as she found herself here in a quiet cafe with Daeyoung. In fact, she felt happy and relieved that this time, it was her turn to actively help the most irreplaceable person in her life.