The next morning, in the car, on their way to the university, Joy helped Luna eat her sandwich by taking big bites so that Luna wouldn't have to. She simply didnt feel like eating and Haemin feared that it was a sign of anorexic tendencies so he urged her to eat.
Luna didnt bother arguing with him, ever since last night she hadnt even looked at him properly, she was embarrassed that she had been so obvious that he had to clear things up and set boundaries.
She did like him but she didnt want him to know that!
But then again she didnt want to ignore him and lead him to believe his suspicions were actually true so she gave him direct answers and avoided his dreamy eyes.
While he texted his girlfriend in another timezone, in the front seat, Joy and Luna ate breakfast in the back.
Luna pursed her lips remembering that her phone and wallet were both with her butler.
The car entered the uni and by the entrance Luna caught sight of Jihoon standing there, waiting for her.
"Shit." She cursed and ducked.
Haemin and Joy both perked up and saw him too.
Joy told the driver to take Luna and Haemin to the next entrance and drop her off here.
"Don't worry Ill handle him." She told Luna, "This is going to be fun."
She got off the car and strutted towards him, "Jihoon Seo." She addressed him.
"Danoh Eun." He said monotonously.
He looked around her at the car she came out of for signs of Luna.
Joy kept blocking his view, "Its Joy."
Jihoon glared at her, "I don't have time for pet names, tell me where Luna is."
Joy wasn't used to being brushed of like this but she tried to recover,
"We mingle in the same social circle, Im surprised this is the first time we're actually meeting." She tried to distract him.
He kept his gaze on the car till it turned a corner, he slowly slid his eyes back to hers and gave her a blank expression.
He turned to walk away.
Joy scoffed, " Does he already have a girlfriend or something?" She muttered under her breath.
"Iv heard rumours of your crush on me." She shouted in amusement.
Without turning around, he chuckled, "Quite dumb of a celebrity to believe rumours." He got in his car and drove away.
Joy scowled in his direction.
"Or he's gay." She said to herself.
"Joy!" Someone shouted from behind her, she regained her composure and turned to meet her friends who she had not seen in months.
☾
In class, as Luna sat besides Haemin she thought about why suddenly she was upset, it was always known that Haemin only thought of her as a friend and clearly loved his girlfriend.
But perhaps she had hope.
Luna frowned and started doodling on her textbook.
Haemin thought Luna was upset over everything that was going on with her family, so he decided to play a game with her to cheer her up.
He passed a note to her which said,
'Let's play a game where we take turns and create a story by writing a single word one by one.'
Luna smiled at it and nodded.
She wanted to twist his ear for being so cute.
They started the game and at the end, the story turned out like this
'Sara missed Alex and waited for his ghost to visit but he was trapped inside his grave by his ex, Sophie was extremely vengeful and had learned witchcraft, just to take revenge on Sara because she had stolen her lover.'
They both laughed at the ridiculous story they had made and Luna forgot all about avoiding his eyes and once again got lost in them.
"Want to go to Myungga Coffee for lunch?" Haemin asked when the Professor wasnt looking.
"Yes." Said her heart.
"No." Said she, "I have a presentation to make." She lied.
"Okay, we'll just eat at the cafeteria today." Haemin settled.
Luna face palmed herself mentally, " No, Haemin, its fine. Ill eat afterwards. You guys go."
Haemin frowned slightly but agreed nonetheless.
☾
Luna mindlessly wandered inside the university's botanical garden and tried to test herself and see if she could still name all the plants.
She loved remembering their scientific names as a kid and then Francis would quiz her.
"Will I ever be enough?" A girl's voice cried and she instantly recognised it as Joy's.
She followed the voice and it was coming from the Bignoniaceae section.
Luna peeked from between the leaves and saw Joy hunched over with her phone pressed against her ear and a fist formed over her heart.
Tears fell like raindrops from her eyes as she shook silently, trying hard not to cry out.
"Im sick of being the only one who keeps trying." She said into the phone and raised her head.
Luna gasped slightly as she realised that she had seen Joy before.
The crying lady from the airport, she didn't recognise her earlier because she had brown hair that day.
Joy must've heard the gasp because then she was looking right at Luna.
She hung up on the phone without saying anything and gestured Luna to come out.
Luna timidly walked out while Joy wiped her face and took a deep breath.
"Im sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." Luna apologised.
"Oh no it's fine, he wasn't saying anything I wanted to hear anyway." Joy brushed it off.
"Are you okay?" Luna asked.
"Im gradually getting used to it." Joy shrugged.
"Used to what?"
"Heartbreak, disappointment."
Luna frowned,she knew how it was and it wasn't easy, it had been five years and she still wasn't used to it.
"Listen, Luna.." Joy started to say.
"Please don't tell Haemin about this, he worries too much."
"Oh of course." She raised her hands and shook them as if to convey her sincerity.
Joy smiled and sat up on one of the tables with the Trumpet Creeper plants.
Even with a red nose and puffy eyes, the flowers in the background made her look like she was in the middle of a photoshoot.
"Something has been bothering you." Joy stated.
Luna slowly shook her head.
"So, what is bothering you? Are you worried about what happened in the restroom last night?"
Luna smiled a small smile, "No, I kinda saw that coming, I had been holding it in for way too long, so it was long overdue."
"Well then does your worry have to do with your uncle and cousin?"
"Im telling you, nothing is wrong."
"Is it because of what Haemin said last night?"
Luna looked up her.
"You like him don't you?"
Luna looked down at her hands, "He has a girlfriend."
Joy smiled, "That's not the answer to my question."
Luna's eyes widened, "No, I don't."
"Since when do you like him?"
"I swear I don't."
"I won't tell him."
Luna fell silent and chewed on her lip,
"So, since when?" Joy urged.
"I don't know.." Luna muttered shyly.
Joy chuckled, "Was it like a love at first sight kind of thing?"
Luna smiled, "No, not at all. I kind of misunderstood him at first but.. I don't know.. it just happened."
A red shade tinted her cheeks.
"Do you want to date him?" Joy asked seriously.
Luna raised her eyebrows.
"I'll help you."