Coffee with Eunha wasn’t nearly as bad as SinB thought it would be.

It happened almost two weeks after they initially met, taking place in the hospital’s cafeteria before SinB’s night shift. SinB had expected coffee from the cart, but instead, Eunha brought her the most heavenly blend of coffee SinB had ever tasted. It was strong without being bitter enough to need sugar. Also, SinB had never been one to spout coffee bull, but she swore she could taste notes of chocolate and hazelnut.

“You have to tell me where you got this,” SinB said as she stifled a moan after another sip of the coffee. “I could drink this for the rest of my life.”

“It’s a little family-owned place a few blocks away,” Eunha told her with an amused giggle. “I’ll text you the name and address later.” She leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of her own drink. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I know I must’ve seemed pretty weird when we first met.”

“I’ve experienced weirder,” SinB shrugged. It was true. One time in college, she’d been on her way to the library when some girl had stopped her. The girl had looked like she hadn’t slept in days as she told SinB that the caffeine gods were calling to her to start an apocalypse. After that, it had been hard to seem weird to SinB during a first impression. “I’m still kind of confused as to why you wanted to have coffee with me of all people,” SinB said.

Eunha gave a small shrug as she picked at a muffin she’d bought herself. She’d arrived with a box full of pastries, and SinB had shamelessly taken a chocolate croissant and a bear claw. Eunha ate a nibble of her muffin before saying, “My company works closely with the hospital, so it doesn't hurt to get to know the employees. I usually meet surgeons, since Yerin’s father is fond of surgery, but it’s been a while since I’ve met an intern that doesn’t immediately make me want to fake illness and run away.”

“Really?” SinB couldn’t help but laugh. “I mean, I’ll admit there are some annoying people, but I don’t think that many of us are that bad.”

“Maybe I have really bad luck at meeting interns then,” Eunha smiled wryly. “So, meeting for coffee is supposed to be about getting to know each other, right? Why become a doctor, or a surgeon even?”

“Ah well,” SinB sighed, staring down at her coffee. She tried to play it off nonchalantly as she said, “My parents died when I was younger, so I guess I like the idea of saving people. I want to save them the heartache. Sounds pretty cliche, huh?”

“No, it sounds heartfelt,” Eunha replied. She took a long sip of her coffee then regarded SinB carefully. “Most people usually do it for the money, the glory, or because it’s what their parents want them to do. I think the fact that you have something like that driving you is what sets you apart from the rest.”

“Nothing says special like a sad backstory,” SinB deadpanned, making Eunha laugh.

“It is very special,” Eunha said with no trace of mockery. “I wish I had such a good reason to be doing the work that I do.” She frowned a bit and nearly destroyed her muffin with how much she picked at it. “I work for the company because that’s all I know how to do. It’s not a bad business at all, and I do enjoy it.” Eunha looked up with a faraway look and a faint smile and added, “But I do wonder what I could’ve done in another life.”

“I wonder the same sometimes. I wanted to be a soldier when I was a kid,” SinB told her with a grin. “I liked the idea of protecting people, plus kicking seemed pretty cool to a seven year-old.”

“Instead you’re healing wounds instead of giving them out,” Eunha said, noticing the irony. She took another sip of her drink before changing the subject. As she fiddled with the lid of her drink, she asked, “How are you finding your internship?”

“Exhausting,” SinB admitted, “but definitely rewarding. I’m learning a lot from some of the best surgeons in the country.”

“Is it worth all the hours you spend here? I swear, you practically live here,” Eunha joked.

SinB laughed and replied, “I have to go home occasionally to reassure my roommate that the hospital isn’t keeping me hostage.”

As SinB and Eunha continued to talk, they moved onto lighter topics like their favorite restaurants in the area and their usual coffee orders. SinB had just finished a story about a man in front of her in line ordering an outrageously complicated coffee drink with at least four different syrups, with Eunha unable to stop giggling, when Yerin walked up. It caught SinB off guard since she was usually so aware of the other woman, but storytelling had completely distracted her.

“Hi, I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Yerin said with a smile as she walked up to them. If SinB didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought Yerin looked a little annoyed. “Eunha, when will you be free?” Yerin asked, turning in such a way that it felt like she was avoiding looking at SinB.

“Until SinB has to go for her shift,” Eunha shrugged, glancing at her phone for the time. “Maybe another ten minutes or so. Would you like to join us?”

“If you don’t mind,” Yerin said as her eyes wandered over to where SinB was shifting uneasily. “I don’t want to interrupt anything.”

“Join us,” SinB blurted out before she could stop herself. An utterly idiotic move, but she remembered how Yerin had implied she cared about SinB. Against all the warnings going off in her head, SinB found herself trying to get closer to Yerin. “We were just talking about crazy coffee orders.”

“Oh, you have some good stories?” Yerin asked as she sat between Eunha and SinB.

SinB nodded, subtly shifting away from Yerin, as she explained, “I worked as a barista for a while in college. The students were easy enough, but we’d have these business people come in asking for very specific drinks.”

“I can only imagine how difficult those orders must’ve been,” Yerin said with a sympathetic smile. “Did you attend college in Seoul?”

“Yeah, I had a scholarship to cover school and worked part-time to cover bills,” SinB said. She glanced out the window and waved vaguely. “I used to work somewhere pretty close to here. It was called The Brew and Pour.”

Yerin’s eyes lit up in recognition as she said, “I go there sometimes! I’ve gone there for years now.” She turned to Eunha and smiled, “You know how often I like to go.”

“Really?” SinB smiled at the thought. The coffee shop had always been a cozy place, somewhere SinB associated with feeling safe. She could perfectly imagine Yerin in the soft setting, sitting in one of the little nooks as she drank her coffee. Then it occurred to SinB, “I wonder if I ever saw you there while I was working.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we had met years ago then,” Yerin admitted with a strangely fond smile.

It was an odd thought, the idea that SinB had met Yerin a long time ago. It was like thinking of another world, one where SinB saw Yerin in a coffee shop instead of a hospital hallway. SinB wondered if she’d been as drawn to Yerin as she was now but merely forgotten about it, if she would have tried to date her when they were just two people in a coffee shop. As hard as she tried, SinB couldn’t remember ever seeing Yerin before starting her internship at the hospital.

“What a small world we live in,” Eunha said, and SinB realized guiltily that she’d forgotten she was there for a moment. Eunha smiled like she knew SinB had forgotten but didn’t hold it against her. “Thanks for meeting me for coffee,” Eunha added.

“No problem, it was fun,” SinB assured her. She glanced at her watch and sighed. “I’d better start walking. Lives don’t just save themselves, you know?” SinB said with a smile.

“Mind if I walk with you?” Yerin asked as SinB stood up.

SinB tried not to look as confused as she felt as she said, “I thought you needed to talk to Eunha?” She glanced at said woman, but Eunha was suspiciously busy with something on her phone.

“I forgot I needed to get something from my father’s office,” Yerin explained with an innocent smile, eyes curved as she did.

SinB didn’t remember if the director’s office was anywhere near the intern locker room, but she nodded nonetheless and said, “Okay, let’s go then.” She turned and said bye to Eunha, who promised she’d text SinB soon. After, she tucked her hands into her hoodie’s pocket and started walking, Yerin falling into step next to her.

Every time she saw Yerin, SinB felt like she was being reminded of her status. She already knew her background was less prestigious than others, that she was the bottom of the surgical food chain. However, it felt like all of it was emphasized when she stood next Yerin in her raggedy hoodie while Yerin was dressed neatly and expensively in a dress that looked like in belonged on the models in magazines.

SinB knew there was no point in comparing, that if she wanted something in life she would just have to work hard to get there, but sometimes it was hard to unsee.

“I’m glad you and Eunha get along,” Yerin said suddenly.

“Yeah, she’s nice,” SinB replied, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. “I was kind of surprised she wanted to hang out with me, to be honest.”

“Why wouldn’t she?” Yerin said. She slowed and placed a hand on SinB’s arm. She smiled as SinB stopped to look at her. “We don’t know each other that well yet, but even I can tell you’re special, SinB.”

“Pfft, I’m not that great,” SinB immediately shrugged off the compliment, but she couldn’t help but feel pleased, even as her cheeks turned red. “I don’t know why you guys keep saying that about me. I’m just like everyone else, making it through life.”

Yerin didn’t say anything for a long moment before she let go of SinB’s arm and said, “Okay, if that’s how you feel.” She pointed over her shoulder, “My father’s office is this way. I’ll see you later?”

It was always posed as a question, as if SinB could ever say no. “Yeah, I’ll see you around,” SinB nodded. She watched Yerin smile brightly before she walked away, and SinB wondered why was it that she always seemed to see Yerin walking away from her and not the other way around. Shaking her head, SinB kept walking and pulled out her phone. She found Umji’s number and sent her a simple text.

I need to get drunk.

A/N: Hello, I'm so sorry this took so long! I've been really busy lately. I'll be busy for another week or so, but I'll try to work on the story while I can. Thank you to everyone who's reading and supporting this story. Your comments mean the world to me! If you'd like, you can follow be on twitter @eunbestie to see my shennanigans. Once again, thank you!