The ringing sound from Alicia's phone grabs Zoey's attention, and she pauses as the phone is answered.
"Hello?" Alicia whispers.
The call progresses, accompanied by Alicia's expressions of joy, smiles, blushes, and even laughter.
"Who is it?" Zoey responds, pulling a chair and sitting.
Alicia smiles happily, waves for Zoey to come closer, and then whispers, "It's what we've been waiting for! we're meeting soon."
Zoey tilts her head back with a suspicious expression and asks, "Still at Midnight Mugs Cafe?"
"Yeah, it's been decided," Alicia said.
Hearing that, Zoey sighed heavily, glancing at Alicia who smiled while looking at her phone screen.
Zoey grabbed her bag, pushing the chair roughly under the dining table. Alicia looked puzzled, "Where are you going?"
Zoey paused, looking at Alicia. "Shouldn't we be heading there by now?"
Alicia smiled, appreciating Zoey's firm support for her date. She hoped the person she was meeting would have a friend, someone at least Zoey could be introduced to.
While walking outside, Zoey suddenly stopped. Alicia stood in front of her, and Zoey clicked her tongue, asking, "What now?"
With a pleading look, like a child asking for candy, Alicia said, "Don't you think, Zoey, that the first impression is important? Maybe we should go there using a car or some other vehicle, wouldn't that be better?"
Zoey observed Alicia's amusing expression and replied, "First impressions are indeed crucial, but it's better to use what we have to manage their expectations."
Alicia's suggestion couldn't halt Zoey's steps. They continued walking toward the café, with Zoey's countable steps suddenly interrupted by a car horn.
The car window opened slowly, revealing a handsome face. Zoey recognized him, and he seemed familiar to her.
"Wait, aren't you Alicia?" Zoey turned to see the man.
Zoey glanced at him, realizing, 'Oh no, it's him from earlier!'
Alicia was surprised when the man addressed her. She asked to confirm, "How do you know my name?"
The man laughed, opened the car door, and approached Alicia. After comparing his face with her phone, he exclaimed as if in disbelief, "I hit the jackpot! A woman who looks exactly like her social media photos!"
Alicia stepped back, skeptical of the man in front of her. "How do you know my name?"
The man introduced himself as Michael and mentioned they met on a dating app.
Alicia checked her phone, matching the photo with Michael's face. Looking uncertain, she asked, "You look quite different. Where were you heading?"
"Midnight Mugs Cafe, right?" Michael replied.
Alicia was puzzled but smiled, wanting to be happy about his appearance. While cautious about potential risks, she checked Zoey, who had covered her face with her blazer.
"Zoey!" Alicia shouted.
Zoey didn't respond, staying concealed in her blazer. Seeing this, Alicia approached, diverting Michael's attention.
Busy dealing with Zoey, Michael suddenly recognized Zoey. "Wait a minute, you're the woman from earlier!"
Hearing Michael's exclamation, Zoey started to take off her high heels, embarrassed. She ran away for the second time.
"Oh no, Zoey!" Alicia exclaimed in the distance.
'Forgive me, Alicia! I'm so embarrassed!' Zoey muttered while running away.
Michael laughed, shaking his head at Zoey. Then he turned to Alicia, "So, how about we go together?"
Meanwhile, someone didn't expect their fate. "Turns out, she was the one marking my forehead."
Alicia, still in shock from Zoey's actions, could only blush and look at the man she was supposed to date, who perfectly matched her ideal criteria.
"Um, what if we wait for a moment? I think Zoey will message me soon."
Michael chuckled at Alicia's adorable confusion, while Alicia, perplexed by Michael's laughter, looked around.
"What's wrong?" Alicia asked.
"Nothing, just a breeze passing by," Michael replied, covering his mouth.
"Are you very sensitive or what?" Alicia asked, noticing Michael's reddened face and ears.
"Uh, what do you mean?"
"Lower your head a bit, your face looks flushed. And your ears too?" Alicia inquired.
Alicia's hand approached, landing on Michael's forehead, making him awkwardly retreat.
"But it's not hot, right? Then why is your face red? Even your ears now," Alicia asked innocently.
"Oh, come on, my face is probably red because... of blush-on! Yeah, I think it's because my sister teasing me," Michael replied nervously.
'Oh, my heart is about to explode! God, please get me inside the car! I'm too embarrassed,' Michael thought.
"Really? I didn't know my sister could be so mischievous. Is your ear also because of your sister?" Alicia asked.
'Oh no, lying is so challenging,' Michael thought.
"Th-th-that's because I lost a bet!" Michael exclaimed with a nervous smile.
"Haha, that's possible. It seems Zoey will take a bit longer. How about waiting inside the cafe?" Alicia suggested.
"I think it's better if we wait inside the car. My friend is a bit impatient," Michael suggested.
"Okay, sorry for bothering you because I insisted on bringing my friend," Alicia apologized.
"No problem, it's not a big deal," Michael assured.
They headed towards the car but got interrupted by a message notification on Alicia's phone just as Michael opened the car door.
"Wait a moment," Alicia stopped Michael.
Alicia replied to Zoey's message, informing Michael to wait a bit because Zoey was coming back.
"But isn't it better to wait inside the car?" Michael asked, seeing Alicia waiting with a worried expression.
"Later, she's almost here," Alicia replied from a distance.
"What's up, bro?" the driver asked.
"I don't know, unexpected things always happen," Michael replied.
From a distance, Alicia shouted, "Zoey!"
"Your forehead's culprit has arrived, hahaha," Michael teased, patting the guy's shoulder.
Zoey only looked at Alicia as she saw her until Michael arrived, waving his hand like Alicia with a sarcastic smile.
'I guess she's not alone,' Zoey sighed.
"Oh my gosh, Zoey! Why did you suddenly run earlier? And how's your leg?" Worried, Alicia held Zoey's injured leg.
"Is your leg hurt, Zoey? Did you fall while running?"
While Alicia worried and wondered, Zoey looked at Michael's presence, and Michael, seeing Zoey's gaze, teased her with a smirk. Zoey could only wait for her fate to unfold.
"Never mind, Alicia, it's just a small wound. You should stand up, don't embarrass yourself. Isn't the first impression important?" Zoey said, halting Alicia's concern.
Alicia stood up, looking sadly at her friend. Despite being annoyed and surprised by the earlier incident, Alicia's worry overshadowed everything.
"Is that a bag of medicine? What's it for, Zoey?"
Zoey glanced at the guy in the car, taking graceful steps past Michael without saying a word, then opening the car door and looking at the guy.
'What's with this woman?' the guy puzzled.
"Hello, I think I should take responsibility to make your payback a bit better, right?"
The guy clicked his tongue, looked at Zoey with a mocking gaze, then turned his face away and returned to the driver's seat, muttering, "Crazy."
Zoey, upon hearing this, was stunned as she sat down and gave a cynical look to the man. She approached and said, "Doesn't the word 'crazy' sound inappropriate?"
The man glanced at Zoey, then honked the car horn. Hearing that, Michael pulled Alicia, who was still bewildered, and interpreted his friend's behavior towards the car.
Zoey's seating position left Michael puzzled. A woman who had just committed an embarrassing incident sat confidently in front, next to the person she embarrassed. Isn't that a bit crazy?
"Alicia, is the car seat belt bothering you? Can I help?" Michael said, observing Alicia's struggle.
Spontaneously, Zoey turned back with a cynical look at Michael. Suddenly, the car accelerated, shaking everyone inside.
"Hey!" Zoey shouted angrily to the side, directly at the driver.
"Dean!" Michael exclaimed in frustration simultaneously with Zoey.
The unbuckled seat belt forced Michael to grip Alicia tightly, preventing her from falling.
Dean smirked slightly, looking at Michael's expression in the rearview mirror, saying, "Didn't I give you a chance?"
Followed by Zoey, cutting their conversation because of Alicia's fate, she urged Dean, "Hey! Whatever your name is, slow down this car! Can't you see the passenger with the unbuckled seat belt perfectly?!"
While driving, Dean turned to Zoey, who had just scolded him, and said with a flat expression, "I guess this is your payback, a bit better than our initial plan."
Zoey couldn't believe the words that came out of his mouth, mocking and endangering her friend. Zoey responded, "The mark on your forehead looks very low compared to your current behavior."
Dean angrily turned to face Zoey while driving and said, "So where is your responsibility? Oh, or can you only run? Hahaha."
Suddenly, Zoey hit the car brakes, bringing them to a stop at the roadside.
"What's going on here?!" Dean snapped, looking cynically at Zoey.
From the back seat, an irritated Michael spoke, "Hey! Both of you better sit in the back! Let me drive, and Alicia, sit next to me. It was almost a life-threatening situation for the second time."
Finally, a seat exchange occurred, and the journey continued with extreme caution, as Michael driving ensured everything was safe.
After a while, noise erupted from the back seats. Michael, looking through the rearview mirror, observed the antics of the troublemakers.
"Come here! Weren't you eager to witness my sense of responsibility?" Zoey said, approaching Dean.
"What are you going to do? Go far away, you crazy woman," Dean retorted, looking at Zoey with disdain.
Instantly, Zoey fell silent in disappointment, then smiled happily. "Oh, come on, we're both crazy. Come here, let me treat that forehead of yours."
'Turns out, this is why Zoey ran,' Alicia mused, smiling.