96 — A Monster’s Love

Mia's POV:

Joo-ri found Mia exactly where she expected her, curled on the sofa, a half-empty mug beside her, eyes glued to a replay of her brother's latest match.

"Seriously, Mia? Is this what you do every day?" Joo-ri asked, propping herself against the doorframe.

Mia startled, nearly dropping the remote.

"J-Joo-ri! What... why are you here?"

"Your mother let me in, obviously. Why else would I be here?"

The blonde turned toward her.

"Why did you not text beforehand or something?!"

"That's the thing, Mia. I did text you." Joo-ri pointed an accusatory finger at the screen. "All throughout the walk here. Did you not see anything?"

Mia, flustered, scrambled to look at her phone.

"Oops." Was the only thing she uttered, embarrassed to find herself flaunting an impressive ten message notifications. Most of them were from Joo-ri, with the remaining ones being from school friends she hardly ever saw these days.

Mia quickly typed in a message, adding a 'Sorry, was asleep :C', and promptly returned her attention to the ongoing game.

Joo-ri sighed, pushing off the frame and walking over to the window. She peered out at the bright afternoon. "You know, Mia, there's this big, round, yellow thing in the sky. It's called 'the sun.' Ever heard of it? It's quite warm as well."

Mia frowned, missing the sarcasm entirely. "Of course, I have. It's out there every day."

"Right. And so is a world beyond this living room and your brother's highlights clips." Joo-ri countered, turning to face her. "I'm pretty sure the local coffee shop still exists. And parks. And people. And things to do outside. Just saying."

"Yada yada. Okay, fine. What's with the dramatic monologue and shit?" Mia quirked an eyebrow in her direction. "Did you suddenly have an epiphany and discover the wonders of nature or something?"

Her friend strode across the carpet.

Joo-ri sat beside her, keeping her bag atop her lap, fiddling with the buckles.

"No. Not that. This—" She lifted her chin at the screen, where a slow-motion clip of her brother playing a free kick was paused in the midst of showing a spectator's face. "Isn't a bad thing to do, per se, but it's becoming a problem. You've got school to attend. College entrance exams to study for. That and you're watching, let me say, Jae-il twenty-four seven, day and night."

Mia puffed, placing the remote between her thighs. "Oh come on. Can't a woman support her brother once in a while?" She rolled her eyes. "Besides, I don't watch him ALL the time. I have my studies too, you know. If anything, I'd say it's a healthy balance." She argued.

"Your grades dropped, Mia..."

"I'm improving now."

"At a glacial pace. If you can even call it improvement." Her friend scoffed. "Mia, do you know how long it's been since we last hung out?"

Mia's face scrunched up in thought. "A week?"

"A month!"

Mia blinked. "What?"

"It's been a damn month, and it shows, honey." Joo-ri looked at her with something akin to pity, and Mia felt herself stiffen under the gaze. "No offence, but you haven't really been paying that much attention in class either. I thought you had a better grip over things, but guess not?" Joo-ri shrugged a little. "I'm here now, and I'm going to see if I can do something. Not a bit. Or just a smidge. Like, a large amount."

Mia turned the remote between her fingers.

Joo-ri stood up, grabbing her hand. "So what you say if we go for a cup of coffee? Some fresh air is good for a clogged brain."

Mia narrowed her eyes.

"Mia..." Joo-ri pleaded. "Come on, it'll do you a world of good. Trust me."

And then she gave her that typical Joo-ri grin, queenbee of Seoul University, Mia's dearest, closest and bestest friend. That same person who took the liberty to make decisions for her at times, mostly when Mia was not functioning properly. Joo-ri was right on point this time as well, Mia supposed, and found it very hard to protest.

"Fine. Fine." Mia sighed and stood up. She threw a longing, regretful glance at the TV before promptly turning it off. Joo-ri was not wrong, that much Mia acknowledged with a nagging sense of guilt. If anything, the sun could, perhaps, do some good for her.

It's not like Jae-il was here, and beyond the occasional texts they sent back and forth, whenever he was free to reply, which wasn't often at the moment, there was not a lot of contact between them either. Besides, Jae-il would understand Mia's priorities, and her wish to spend some time outside the house, or rather, the damn, suffocating four walls.

xXx

The midday sky was crisp and blue above the high buildings.

A light breeze kissed their faces, chasing away the stale indoor scent. Mia breathed in, the sun and the city's fumes reviving a dormant sense of freedom inside her chest. "Where are you even taking me?"

Joo-ri, who had been enthusiastically typing away on her phone the entire time they were out and about, didn't even glance up. "My new favourite coffee shop. I've already sent a text to Min-chul and he says they've got an excellent strawberry cake, if you like."

"Who is Min-chul?"

Joo-ri dodged the question entirely. "There. See, not too far. Oh, but Min-chul might've brought his friend, and he can be a tad awkward so, you know..."

Mia frowned.

"Min-chul's sister will be there as well, along with Soo-jin. It's about time you met some new faces, Mia, for the love of God. I get tired being the one stuck talking with you all the time."

"Oh, do you? Does my friendship no longer entertain you?" Mia jested.

"No, what do you think you are, a house-cat or something?" Joo-ri chuckled. "Dummy."

"Seriously, though, you sound way too serious today." Mia furrowed her brows.

They entered the cafe in a flurry of words and laughter. There was a small, flat TV hanging off one wall. "South Korea vs Iran, U-17, let's discuss and analyze..." One of the hosts began before the camera panned to the guests sitting around.

'Damn bastard haunts me even outside the house.'

Though there was a little happy smile sitting on her lips.

"Damn it. I forgot the owner is a huge football fan." Joo-ri sighed, dragging Mia all the way to the meeting point, just next to the far-away window.

There was already a group of four people waiting, two boys and two girls. They were probably all roughly the same age as her, all dressed fairly modern, except for the one boy who, quite obviously, would stick out from the crowd with his bold fashion statement. "Hey guys! Over here."

"Hi..."

"Heya, guys!"

Mia and Joo-ri both said, moving to join them.

The group scooted to make more space. Mia and Joo-ri quietly sat down.

One of the girls, with long, dark hair framing her pretty face, greeted her, voice quiet. "Hello. So you're Mia?"

"Yeah." Mia replied, not bothering to further add to that.

She smiled brightly. "That's wonderful, nice meeting you. I'm Cho Soo-jin." She introduced; she really had a sweet, cute face, and an even sweeter voice.

"Cha Mia."

Next to Soo-jin was another young woman with shoulder-length black hair that contrasted her white, crisp-looking skin and amber-coloured eyes. "Heya! I'm Min-ji, this dumb boy's Noona."

She shot Min-chul a playful glare.

"Like you're a saint!" He barked back.

"Better than you, you big baby. Honestly, can't keep a girlfriend for more than a month?"

"Do you really wanna argue about this NOW?"

"Oh my, now, now. Guys. Please calm down." Joo-ri intercepted the bickering. "There's no need to fight, seriously."

"She started it!" Min-chul protested.

"Then finish it, how 'bout that?" His sister grinned.

Mia blinked as they began roughhousing on the spot, not unlike she and Jae-il used to back in their childhood years. Granted, they still roughhoused, but it certainly was not in the pure, platonic and brotherly way she was currently beholding.

"Aha, don't mind them, they're always like this." It was then that Mia noticed the other boy of the group, a quite good-looking, fashionable, and refined individual, his eyes on her the whole time, a light smirk painting his face. "A bit wild."

"Right?"

"I'm Han Min-joon. Friends usually just call me Joon."

"Cha Mia." She merely nodded, didn't even bother proffering a hand or any sign of returning friendliness. He was looking at her as if he expected her to greet him warmly, a cheerful reaction even. He was a touch too enthusiastic about being acquainted.

After Joo-ri placated the brother sister duo, a light conversation took over, in which she learned that Soo-jin was majoring in Economics. While Min-ji in Film and Media studies. Her brother, Min-chul, was surprisingly majoring in Industrial Engineering. As for the bozo, Joon, whose vibrant sartorial display reminded Mia of a male drag queen, was majoring in Fashion Design. No surprise there.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the menu?" Soo-jin interjected with a charming giggle.

The server, who had briefly stopped by, blushed.

Joo-ri tilted her head. "Ah."

A short discussion about various drinks later, a server had taken their orders. Mia, naturally, ordered the strawberry and chocolate cake, along with a bubble tea; Mia couldn't live without bubble teas. It's a Cha Mia rule to survive, alright.

"So, Mia..." Min-chul began, leaning forward and glancing at her. There was an eager blush on his face. "Soo... you got a boyfriend or anything? Asking for a friend?"

"Ah, there we go again..." Min-ji lamented, rolling her eyes while Joo-ri merely laughed behind her hand, wiggling her eyebrows at Mia.

As for Mia herself, she kind of froze, but not in a tense kind of way. It had been a while since someone came out so bluntly at her—then again, she hadn't really been going out much as of late. The problem now was that she didn't know how to answer properly.

Did she consider Jae-il her boyfriend? Technically not, at least, not yet. Also, their situation was different. Oh, she wished that could be the case; she dreamed of it. But realistically, it was much better if they kept their relationship unlabeled.

She wouldn't mind putting a word on it though. It would be nice, definitely, knowing their status had a solid, definite title. Calling Jae-il her 'boyfriend', 'fiancee', 'daddy', because why the fuck not.

So far, though, it felt too delicate for a label, almost... brittle. And besides, even if she and Jae-il weren't this 'thing', who else could possibly catch her interest when she'd always compare them to the majestic entity that was her little brother? Nope, just nopity nope. Mia would sooner set her whole heart to ice before moving on to anyone else.

She's simply in love.

More than in love, if there ever was such a thing.

As a result, it felt a little difficult and a little impossible, as a matter of fact, to come up with an answer, even if Joo-ri did nod and mouth, 'say no, come on, say no' from the background.

Saying yes would just have the rest of the group bombard her with questions she wasn't ready for. And it was much better, safer to play the single card and leave it at that. Just because she was 'single', didn't mean she had the obligation to date anyone, regardless of the stupid, pointed looks the equally Joo-ri was giving her.

As such, she turned towards the aspiring industrial engineer, and—

"No, not really. Kind of busy." Mia offered a shrug. Yes, that was the smart thing to do. Jae-il shouldn't, in any circumstance, come under the radar of anything scandalous.

The guy smiled brightly. "Cool! Do you mind sharing your number with me, though, you know... just in case you ever want to go out, or something."

"Uhh, sorry." Mia waved a hand, smiling. "I'm not available. Dating isn't really my thing?"

"Oh..."

Min-chul rubbed his neck awkwardly, just as Min-ji burst out laughing at his failed attempt.

"Really?" Joon chimed in, tousling his light violet hair with a hand. "You're too beautiful to be single."

Mia merely grinned. "I'm also too beautiful to be with someone who dresses like a panda, am I not?"

He looked taken aback by the insult, then burst out laughing, "Now, now, ladies like colourful, eye-catching individuals. Like myself. And besides, this ain't nothing compared to what a lot of guys can pull off, believe me."

She smirked. "Don't believe you."

"—Now, let's take a look at this clip of the rising, national star Cha Jae-il."

Right at that moment, the owner increased the sound of the TV as the team scorer himself popped onto the screen, all sweaty and breathless and haggard, yet still the most dashing and gorgeous specimen. 'Oh God, look at him.'

The barista seemed highly excited when it came to him. His name alone seemed to lift the owner's spirit; it did the same thing with Mia, of course.

"That's him!" The owner said to the barista, pointing a sharp finger at the TV. "That's the kid! A beast, I tell you. Absolute beast!"

Jae-il's jersey in the frame with a white number nine attached to the middle.

The camera zoomed and focused to get a closer look at her brother's expression, all sharpened with a powerful will, a thin line across his face as determination slowly, subtly became stronger and stronger the longer the clip remained playing.