* 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘.

it couldn't have been ... right ? his eyes weren't deceiving him . this wasn't some kind of cruel joke that his conscience had conjured up . it was her . a whisper of a gasp passed through his lips as he eyes finally focused at the person standing next to him . it was such a small physical interaction – a fleeting moment where their fingers brushed against one another . and yet ... that feeling was the most electrifying thing he's felt since the last time he lived in this city . their city . “ wait –– mai ! ” being left breathless was an understatement . no , it wasn't enough to describe the depths of how he felt being near her again . watching her leave left his soul feeling unsettled , like it was begging for him to chase after her – just so it could feel whole again . you'd think that after all these years and the heartache he's felt since leaving the city that it would have been easier to blame her . so why did he run after her ? leaving the coffee on the counter and searched the sidewalks frantically for her . because you don't want to make the mistake of not chasing after her again . it was a sobering thought . one he thought he'd gotten out of his system long before he moved into the city . “ mai , where are you ? ” he mumbled to himself , eyes desperately scanning for just a glimpse of her . “ come on , angel . where –– ” beau stopped in his tracks , heart practically urging to beat out of his chest and return back to her . “ hi . ” alright , loser , that's the best you can say to her ? if he were being honest , his mouth could barely utter anything else . what were you supposed to say in this moment ? “ um , you – you left ... the café . and ... ” a nervous hand raked through his hair , eyes boring holes into the ground like they'd offer some form of support . “ i'm sorry , i don't know why i went looking after you . you probably don't want to see ... me . ” so why hadn't he walked away yet ?

too   many   thoughts   were   racing   through   her   mind  ,   every   single   one   of   them   making   her   heart   race   a   mile   a   minute .   what   was   he   doing   here  ?   when   did   he   get   back  ?   why   was   she   so   surprised  ?   why    did   she   run  ?   why  were   her   hands   shaking  ?   why   did   seeing   him   still   hurt  ?   the   answer  ,   at   least   to   the   last   few  ,   was   painfully   obvious  ,   if   the   tightness  in   her   chest   was   anything   to   go   by  ,   but   the   moment   she   admitted   it   to   herself  was   the   moment   she   reopened   a   wound   she’d   convinced   herself   wasn’t    still   bleeding  ,   even   after   so   many   years  . she   shouldn’t   have   left   —   that   much   is   obvious  .   coward  ,   coward  ,   coward   echoing   on   a   persistent   and   shaming   loop   with   every   accelerated   heartbeat  .   the   irony   wasn’t   lost   on   her  ,   the   surprise   on   his   face   just   as   heartbreaking   as   it   had   been   the   last   time   she’d   run   from   him  …   maybe   she   was   a   sadist   as   well   as   just   a   masochist  ,   finding   ways   to   hurt   him   without   even   really   trying  .   but   if   she’d   stayed  ,   if   she’d   stood   in   that   café   full   of   strangers   and   spoken   to    him   as   if   everything   was   fine  …   no  ,   as   embarrassing   as   it   was   to   admit  (   even   to    herself  ;   especially   to   herself   )  ,   she   wasn’t   strong   enough  . she   sucked   in   a   breath   when   she   heard   him   calling   for   her  ,   the   fact   that   he’d   chase   after   her   doing   irreparable   damage   to   her   heart   —   not   to   mention   the   horribly   selfish   elation   that   spread   through   her   when   he   called   her   angel  ,   sending   a   shiver   wracking   through   her   entire   body   —   elation   and   the   bitter   taste   of   crippling   remorse  .   she   hurt   him  ,    hurt   them   both  ,   and   still   he   called   her   that  .   seeing   him  ,   then  ,   at   the   mouth   of   the   alley  ,   hand   in   his   hair   in   a   familiar   nervous   gesture  ,    she   felt   some   of   her   panic   ebb   away  (   and   wasn’t   that   confusing   and   terrifying  )  .   she   watched   him   as   he   spoke  ,   his   obvious   nerves   somehow   calming   her   own   to   a   more   manageable   level  . “   hi  ,   ”   she   responded  ,   voice   quieter   than   she’d   meant   it   to   be   as   emotion   filled   her   throat  .   swallowing   past   it  ,   she  tried   again  ,   taking   in   a   deep  ,   steadying   breath  .   “  n-no  ,   it’s   not   …   it’s   not   that   i   didn’t   want   to   see   you  ,   i  just  …  ”   she   huffed   out   a   frustrated   exhale  ,   annoyed   that   her   scrambled   feelings   were   making   it   so   difficult   for   her   to   put   what   she   wanted   to   say   into   words  .   “   i   just   wasn’t   expecting  …   i-i   mean  ,   you’re   here  !   a-after   five   years  ,   here   you   are  ,   just  …   ”   just   how   i   remember   you  .   and   it’s   that   realization   that   makes   her   chest   squeeze  ,   pleasantly   this   time  .   she   thought   she’d   forgotten .   “   i’m   sorry   that   i   ran  …   it   is   really   good   to   see   you  …   ”

“ right ... the ol’ straight - and - narrow . ” she emphasized each part , wondering just how much of what mai said was true . now this was going to be interesting . rio's grin softened just a touch after hearing mai’s response . “ so tell me , mai , what kind of trouble have you been in ? ” did they mean to challenge her a bit ? maybe , but it was more to gauge how far she’d be able to take mai with their future plans . “ if i whisk you away to , say , an impromptu trip somewhere and you really had to trust me ... would that be okay with you ? ” a for effort in healthy boundaries , right ? “ i promise to make sure that we’ll have as much fun responsibly . because honestly , i’d rather not have your agent yell at me the day after for all the shenanigans we got ourselves into . ”

she   hadn’t   thought   this   far  ,   really  .   smile   freezing   on   her   face   at   the   sudden   request   for   proof  ,   mai   could   practically   hear   the   clown   music   playing   on   a   loop  in   her   head  .   “   haven’t   you   seen   the   tabloids   recently  ?   ”   the   fact   that   nearly   everything   printed   in   said   tabloids   about   mai   was   a   blatant   lie  was   neither   here   nor   there  .   “   i   get   into   more   trouble   than   i   know   what   to   do   with  ,   apparently  .   ”   she   was   maybe   more   than   a   little   bitter   about   the   whole   situation  ,   but   that   didn’t   mean   she   couldn’t   find   some   humor   in   it  .   “   you   know  ,   i   think   i’d   be   upset   if   you   didn’t   whisk   me   away   to   some   unknown   somewhere   just   for   the   hell   of   it  .   we   could   consider  it   the   christening   of   our   fresh   new   friendship  .   ”

° |   🎧  ❛ ❛  ♫ 𝄈♫ 𝄈 Jaeha nodded at her question, a straight face even if the conversation was far from serious about cheese powers and cheese hunting but in his defence, the cheese of that burger was far too good that he would actually go to the shop to get it even if it was hours away. "Of course, we could go to Murray's Cheese or Bedford Cheese Shop." A chuckle finally was able to break free from his lips as he smiled at the words, both of them completely lost in the cheese talk. "They have all sorts of cheese i belive, you can try a few of them if i'm not wrong. Sounds quite good doesn't it?"

she   was   beginning   to   feel   a   little   dizzy   at   their   current   topic   of   conversation  ,   ‘  cheese  ’   no   longer   sounding   like   a   word   at   all  .   and  ,   of   course  ,   the   absolutely   mortifying   tirade   she’d   gone   on   about   it   didn’t   help   matters  ,   either  .   “   mm  ,   i   think   i’d   start   to   feel   maybe   a   little   sick   if   i   did   a   cheese   tour  ,   but   i   like   the   idea  .   ”   she   tilted   her   head   to   the   side  ,   looking   up   into   the   middle   distance   as   she   considered   an   alternative  .   “   how   about   for   a   change   of   pace  ,   we   look   at   all   the   super   eclectic   things   in   the   market  ?   i   love   seeing   all   the   handmade   pieces   and   hidden   gems   you   wouldn’t   find   anywhere   else  .   ”

“ YOU KNOW WHAT ? ” she started , waving her glass of iced water around gently as if it'd help conjure her thought faster . “ with the weather getting warmer ... i can just FEEL the bad decision making energy being summoned . ” are they the type to throw caution to the wind in the warmer seasons ? ABSOLUTELY . with passion , actually . “ will i stay vigilant ? turn down the a third round of gin and tonics ? for what ? i can already smell the misbehavior roaming around in the streets , and honestly ? ” rio leans in , she placed the glass back onto the table . a rather mischievous grin spreading across her lips as she looks up to [ your muse ] . “ i can't wait . i might just pull you into some trouble this spring . consider this your formal warning . ”

“   making   good    choices   is   overrated  ,   anyways  ,   ”   she   agreed   with   a   sly   smirk   of   her   own   to   mirror   rio’s  .   was   mai   typically   known   for   making   poor   decisions  ?   well  ,   no  …   at   least ,   not   unless   it   was   in   relation   to   her   love   life  …   but   people   can   evolve  .   “   i   always   say  ,   ”   (   she   did   not   always   say   )   “   that   you   won’t   have   any   stories   to   tell   if   you’re   on   that   ol’   straight  -  and  -  narrow   all   the   time  ,   you   know  ?   ”   honestly  ,   if   rio   hadn’t   already   clocked   her   for   the  trouble  -  fraud   that   she   was  ,   that   sentence   alone   was   enough   to   do   the   job  .   “   you   won’t   find   me   complaining  !   i   put   myself   in   your   capable   hands  .   ”

“ i'm kind of at a loss ... ” he looked over at [ your muse ] , handing their coffee to them with a small frown . “ i have a kind of free day coming up and i was thinking about posting a new cook with me reel ... but i have no clue what to cook . ” beau blew into the disposable cup , the fragrant notes from the brew filling his senses in hopes to spark some – ANYTHING . “ got any ideas ? no such thing as dumb ideas here , by the way . ”

maybe   she   was   dreaming  .   it   wouldn’t   be   the   first   time   she’d   conjured   him   up   in   her   imagination  ,   kind   smile   and   all  ,   especially   considering   how   sleep   deprived   she'd been since returning to new york  .   surely   this   wasn’t   actually   happening  ,   because   otherwise  ,   this   would   be   way   too   surreal  .   five   years   was   a   long   time   to   go   without   seeing   someone  ,   long   enough   that   you   realize   you   can’t   quite recall   their   features   like   you   used   to  …   but   this   likeness   …   eyes   widening   when   their   fingers   brushed   as   she   robotically   took   the   offered   cup   from   his   hand  ,   she   nearly   dropped   it   in   her   surprise  .   no  ,    this   was   beau  —   real  ,   tangible ,   here   —   looking   at   her   like   they’d   never   been   apart   for   a   day  .   she   should   say   something  ,   really  ,   because   standing   in   the   middle   of   a   cafe   with   the   most   ridiculous   shell  -  shocked   look   on   her   face   was   getting   her   nothing   but   curious   looks   from   passersby  .   finally   opening   her   mouth   to   respond  ,   unfortunately  ,   all   that   her   brain   could   come   up   with   was   a   forcefully   cheerful   smile   and   a   pathetic  ,   “   thanks   for   the   coffee  !   ”   before   she   turned   on   her   heel   and   sped   from   the  store  .   she   turned   the   corner   into   an   alleyway  ,    pressing   her   back   against   the   cool   brick   and   she   tried   not   to   let   herself   start   panicking  .   what   was   wrong   with   her  ?   running   into   your   ex   shouldn’t   render   a   person   completely  incapable   of   rational   thought  …   even   if   they   are   that   ex  ,   the   one   she’d   so   desperately   tried   replacing   with   all   the   others ... though , clearly ,   with   no   lasting   effect  .

° |   🎧  ❛ ❛  ♫ 𝄈♫ 𝄈 The producer leaned back on his chair as he stared at his companion, hearing as she disected the cheese performance of this place before grading it, a chuckle leaving his lips as he contemplated the speech she was giving, nodding from time to time in what he agreed with. "Eight point six...so a passing grade." He nodded in agreement. "It is good...really one of the best I had. And bigger than six bites." Jaeha chuckled. "What a shame, it would be really useful right now...I would have taken you to every cheese store to search for this one." He joked while shaking his head in fake disappointment.

“   cheese   stores  ?   ”   her   eyes   widened   at   his   words  ,   disbelief   evident   in   her   tone  .   “   as   in   stores   that   sell   nothing   but   cheese  ?   is   that   a    real   thing  ?   like  ,   smelly   cheeses   and   also   processed   cheeses  ?   do   they   have   string   cheese   at   these   cheese   stores  ,   too  ?   i   mean  ,   it’d   be   silly   if   they   didn’t  ,   considering   cheese   is   their   whole   business  …   ”   she   trailed   off  ,   realizing   belatedly   that   her   mouth   had   gotten   away   from   her  ,   an   embarrassed   flush   rising   to   her   cheeks  .   god  ,   honestly  ,   she   could   ramble   and   yap   about  literally   anything   these   days .

           ۟. 🐻               ៶               “   you   sure   know   a   lot   about   milkshakes   ...   i   don't   even   know   what   kind   i   want   now   that   i've   heard   the   options   ——    which   one   do   you   like   best   ?   ”

“   well  ,   i   mean  ,   you’ve   gotta   consider   your   options  ,   you   know  ?   ”   not   only   was   the   texture   important  ,   but   so   was   the   place   they   decided   to   get   them   from  .   thankfully  ,   mai   had   a   favorite   shop   to   go   to   in   milkshake   emergencies   such   as   this   one  .   “   i   personally   go   for   strawberry   mint   whenever   i’m   in   the   mood   for   the   ‘  drinkable  ’   type   of   milkshake   and   the   classic   cookies   &   cream   for   the   chunky   ones  .   ”   honestly  ,   the   possibilities   were   pretty   endless  .

         “  nothing  wrong  with  it  .  just  feels  a  little  premature  since  it’s  also  rainy  season  ,  y’know  ?  i  don’t  think  we’d  be  getting  much  use  of  it  right  now  .  ”  and  there  really  is  nothing  wrong  with  it  .  ria’s  tone  can  come  off  a  little  …  unintentionally  judgmental  at  times  .  believe  it  or  not  ,  they’re  all  about  appreciating  the  little  things  .  and  that  includes  dining  outside  when  the  weather’s  just  right  .  “  i’m  more  of  a  hugo  spritz  person  .  or  maybe  even  a  limoncello  spritz  if  the  mood  strikes  .  no  hate  to  aperol  spritzes  ,  they’re  just  not  my  vibe  .  ”

“   no  ,   you’re   totally   right  ,   ”   she   nodded   absently   as   she   glanced   up   at   the   (  mostly   sunny  ,   thankfully  )   sky  .   “   but   i   don’t   blame   them   for   getting   ahead   of   themselves  ,   i   do   the   same   thing   all   the   time  .   ”   and   did   she   ever   —   if   mai   had   already   swapped   out   her   entire   wardrobe   for   the   warmer   months   weeks ago ,   then   that   was   her   business  .   “   i’m   gonna   be   completely   honest   with   you  …   i   didn’t   even   know   there   were   that   many   types   of   spritzes  .   the   only   reason   i   even   know   what   an   aperol   one   is  ,   is   because   i   ordered   it   on   a   whim   after   getting   a   waiter’s   suggestion  .   ”   in   truth  ,   she   didn’t   drink   all   that   often   beyond   a    mimosa   or   the   occasional   few   shots   at   the   bar  ,   so   she suddenly felt completely out of her depth  .

“  pretty  sure  i  missed  that  deadline  by  like  ten  years  ,  babe  ,  “  her  head  gives  a  fond  shake  ,  those  super  sweet  sixteen  parties  always  looked  like  more  stress  than  they  were  worth  anyways  .  “  you  want  me  to  put  a  giant  bow  on  the  car  i’ve  already  bought  for  myself  ?  “   eyes  shift  towards  her  keys  sitting  at  the  edge  of  the  table  ⸻   in  some  ways  ,  the  car  was  kind  of  like  a  gift  to  herself  ,  wasn’t  it  ?   “  to  be  fair  ,  i’m  not  totally  against  the  idea  of  a  big  party  .  .  .  maybe  even  throw  a  theme  in  there  somewhere  ?  “  before  her  sentence  even  finishes  she’s  already  sliding  her  phone  out  of  her  back  pocket  ,  immediately  find  her  way  to  pinterest  to  start  scrolling  through  ideas  .  “  okay  but  even  if  i do  have  a  big  party  i  don’t  want  it  to  be  too  big  ,  like  ,  i  don’t  want  any  randos  showing  up  at  my  house  ⸻ what  about  an  air  bnb  ?  i  would  say  we  could  use  my  dad’s  house  in  the  hamptons  but  i’m  not  sure  if  people  would  be  willing  to  make  that  sort  of  drive  for  a  party  .  . . “ 

“   you’re   never   too   old   to   treat   yourself   like   a   princess ,   especially on   the   one   day   a   year   that’s   all   about   you  ,   ”   she   pouted  ,   lightly   knocking   her   shoulder   into   aria’s  .   if   anything  ,   it   was   more   warranted ,   given   that   life   was   very   rarely   the   fairytale   people   think   it   is  ;   less   opportunity   to   celebrate   yourself   and   your   accomplishments  .   “   and   why   not  ?   i’m   of   the   mind   that   putting   bows   on   anything   makes   it   better  .   ”   she   recalled   the   picture   she’d   seen   online  of   a   big   mac   with   a   ribbon   tied   around   it   …   —   impractical  ,   but   so   much   more    fun  .   “   see  ,   now  ,   that’s   why   i   love   you  ;   you   have   the   best   ideas   —   themed   parties   are   so   much   fun  .   ”   if  ,   of   course  ,   everyone   actually   stayed   on  -  theme  …   just   thinking   about   the   disaster   that   is   the   met   gala   every   year   has   her   wincing  .   maybe   a   more   straightforward   theme   would   be   best   for   something   smaller   scale  …   “   babe  ,   i’ve   known   people   who’ve   flown   to   another   country   just   for   brunch   —   i   think   the   hamptons   is   doable  .   ”

"  fucking  hell  ,  i  just  realized  my  birthday's  coming  up  .  .  .  i  think  since  we  went  on  that  trip  to  mykonos  last  year  i  should  probably  do  something  at  home  this  year  ,  right  .  .  .  maybe  a  party  ?  i  kinda  wanna  host  at  my  place  but  i'm  a  bit  scared  of  people  coming  in  here  and  getting  drunk  and  completely  wrecking  it  ,  but  then  again  i  don't  think  i  know  anyone  that  gets  that  sloppy  after  a  couple  drinks  ⸻  what  do  you  think  ?  " ( @adcgios )

“   well  ,   i   wouldn’t   say   no   to   mykonos   again  ,   but   in   the   spirit   of   keeping  it   fresh  ,   you   should   definitely   have   a    party  ,   ”   she   pursed   her   lips   as   she   considered   their   options   (   theirs   because   of   course   mai   would   be   involved   in   the   planning   )  .   “   you   could   always   rent   an   event   space   ….   maybe   have   a   huge   blowout   party   like   you’re   on   my   super   sweet   sixteen  ,   grand   entrance   in   a   horse  -  drawn   carriage   and   everything  .   make   a   huge   deal   of   handing   out   invitations   and   getting   a    big   ass   bow   to   put   on   the   hood    of   your   car  .   ”

goddess

a SNORT . " i think if i had to choose between eating that for the millionth time , and eating glass , the glass seems infinitely more appetizing , " he says , shaking his head . " it's good when you haven't ate anything in your 18 hour SHIFT , which is when i usually ate it , but i stopped after --- " peter grimaces . " nevermind . i don't want to ruin your appetite anymore than that will . " motions to the mac and cheese . " you know , i've tried , but they always get super confused ? and cancelling the order , leaving me with no food . so i guess i'm just traumatized from that . better shitty food than no food , right ? "

“   glass  ?   over   glorified   baby   food  ?   one   will   leave   lasting   damage   and   the   other   will   only   maybe   mess   with   your   guts   for   a   bit  …. —   you   must   have   some   serious   cafeteria   trauma   to   consider   doing   that   to   yourself  ,   ”   she   shook her head in amusement  ,   shivering   at   the   mental   image  —  she definitely didn't need to know the details .   “   hmmm  …   you’re   right  ,   ”   she   paused  ,   pressing   her   lips   together   as   she   thought  .   “   i   assume   you   don’t   have   a   lot   of   time   to   make   lunches   to   bring  ,   but   i   find   that   dedicating   an   hour   or   two   once   a   week   to   meal   prep   is   super   helpful  ;   that   way   you   don’t   have   to   rely   on   mushy   mac   or   confused   drivers  .   ”

           ۟. 🐻               ៶               𝐰𝒊𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐞    𝑤𝑖𝑡𝘩    @adcgios               〉               “   i'm   seriously   craving   a   milkshake   right   now   ...   but   a   good   one   .   ” 

“   i   think   you   came   to   the   exact    perfect   person  !   ”   mai   grinned  ,   rocking   from   her   heels   to   her   toes  .   “   what   kind   are   you   in   the   mood   for  ?   thick   &   chunky   with   bits   of   cookie   inside   or   smooth   &   creamy   with   a   gratuitous   amount   of   reddi  -  wip  ?   ”

"no, yeah. i understand that dilemma. especially now that i've tasted it..." yejin couldn't believe it, it felt too bold to say, but it was possibly the best mac and cheese she'd ever had. "mai, i wish i could say that you don't owe me anything because who wouldn't want a shopping spree just because they disagreed with you. but i can't lie." with all seriousness yejin can muster up, "mai, i think this is the best pasta i've ever had. and i know that's bold to say because mac and cheese is so different from like the cacio y pepe's and carbornaras of the world. but this is something else. and i don't know how to live unless we come back and order this like at least once or twice a month."

they   were  totally   right   what   they  said  :   the   girls   that   get   it  ,   get   it  .   and   yejin  ?   she   gets   it  .   “   you  ,   my   friend  ,   are   a   woman   after   my   own   heart  .  ”   she   mimed   wiping   a   stray   tear   under   her   eye  ,   the   motion   joking  ,   but   the   sentiment   completely   sincere  .   in   a   world   of   naysayers   and   mac   n  ’   cheese   nonbelievers  ,   to   mai  ,   yejin   was   a   shining   beacon   of   hope  .   “   that’s   the   best   plan   i’ve   heard   in   a   long   time  ;   you   and   i   will   single  -  handedly   be   responsible   for   their   sudden   growth   in   sales  .   we   should   get   that   tiktok   food   guy   to   do   a   review   so   the   rest   of   the   world   knows   just   how   delicious   their   recipe   is  .   ”

         “  nothing  screams  spring  in  new  york  like  restaurants  bringing  out  the  outdoor  patio  furniture  ,  ”  ria  comments  to  [  your  muse  ]  as  they  walk  past  what  is  probably  the  fifth  restaurant  of  the  day  with  brightly  colored  outdoor  furniture  .  “  especially  when  the  weather  hits  seventy  degrees  .  and  is  it  me  or  is  every  restaurant  throwing  aperol  spritzes  on  the  seasonal  menu  ?  ”

“   wait ... what’s   wrong   with   that  ?   ”   mai   frowned   in   confusion  ;   she’d   been   so   excited   that   some   of   her   favorite   restaurants   and   cafes   were   encouraging   people   to   use   the   outdoor   seating   —   she   was   of   the   firm   belief   that   there   wasn’t   much   better   than   some   tiramisu   and   a   cool   drink   on   a   warm   spring   day  .   “   do   you   not   like   aperol   spritzes   or   something  ?   ”