Cups of Green Tea

Kimi leans back in the uncomfortable wooden chair starting to feel aches in the muscles that never bothered her before. She reaches for her phone checking the time. Felix was never a punctual person but he's never been an hour late to their outings. As if the fates were listening Felix rushes in face beet red and sweaty.

"Sorry I'm late." He huffs, "I got stuck in traffic."

Kimi chuckles and takes a sip of her jasmine green tea scanning him up and down. She swallows the scalding hot liquid and places the cup lightly on his hand.

"Oow!" He filches away staring at her with a pouty face.

"Now we're even," she teases.

Felix takes a seat and pulls out a huge stack of books each labeled with something pertaining to psychology.

"I thought you said you were taking a break?" Kimi asks.

"That was until my parents said they would disown me, Chewy," He responds tapping her in the forehead.

Chewy was a nickname Felix had retained for her back in middle school after he dared to stuff marshmallows into her cheeks until she couldn't talk. She managed to stuff in 12 before she started choking and proceeded to embarrass herself in front of the whole grade.

"It's unfair," Kimi starts, Felix glances up from his computer. "I don't have an embarrassing nickname for you." Kimi wasn't sure but Felix seemed flustered, a light tint of pink appearing in his cheeks.

"O-Oh...Just make sure it's a good one." He stuttered while fidgeting with his favorite black pen.

"How about... Cry baby?" Kimi suggests,

Felix laughs. "Is that all you can muster in that tiny brain of yours."

"Well then what about..." Kimi is stopped short by a light buzzing coming from her back pocket. She pulls out her phone, the word "Bae" appearing on the screen. "Don't worry 'cry baby' I'll be right back, I have to take this."

Kimi rushes outside and swipes her finger across the answer button.

"Hi baby!" she squeals.

"Good morning." Chan's groggy voice replies from the other end urging butterflies to erupt in her stomach.

"Are we still on for dinner tonight?" Kimi asked crossing her fingers. They had been planning this dinner for weeks but due to his busy schedule its constantly been postponed.

"O..Oh Kimi i'm..." He pauses and Kimi can feel her heart sinking deeper into her chest. "I'm so sorry Kimi I have a huge test and I have to study if I even want a slight chance of passing the class.... You understand don't you?"

Kimi places her hand over her chest rubbing at the ache. She wills herself to find the right words despite her sadness. "Yeah, I understand... I'll just find something else to do."

A beat of silence passes. "We'll go to dinner next weekend I promise." Chan replies.

Kimi knew Chan meant what he said but something in her knew that this promise would never be kept. "Yeah... Okay study really hard and do well on your test." She says trying her best to keep her voice bubbly. "I'll call you later."

"Love you."

"Love you more." Kimi clicks the end call button letting her shoulders slump. She couldn't deny she was frustrated, but she loved Chan and she couldn't be mad at him for working so hard.

Kimi heads back inside taking a seat at the table. Felix peers up from his book looking at Kimi a piece of sweet bread in his hand. His face drops when he sees her blank expression.

"Whuaf happthend?" He asks his words muffled by the chunk of bread in his mouth.

"Nothing." Kimi insists, reaching into her bag. She pulls out her computer and turns it on tapping her foot impatiently as the screen starts up.

Felix slowly slides her a brown paper bag nodding for her to look inside. "I know these always make you feel better."

Kimi hesitantly reaches for the bag pulling out the other piece of Felix's sweet bread. She finds herself smiling before taking a huge bite.

"See I told you it would make you feel better." Felix laughs.

"You think food is a way to make me feel better?" she pouts pointing the bread at him.

"I know it does," Felix chuckles. Kimi rolls her eyes before joining him in his laughter. At least she can enjoy her time here without having to worry about her relationship.

"Shit!!" Kimi curses rushing through the hallway. Her goal was to be the first or second person in class but thanks to Felix's terrible sense of time she would be the 23rd.

Kimi races down the hallway finding the double doors that would take her to her class. She pushes through them with a loud bang that echoes through the room. It was completely unintentional and she would apologize but this was an emergency. She frantically searches the room for her special seat praying that it wasn't already taken. Her eyes land on it and she races toward it, disregarding the side eyes some of her classmates are giving her. Kimi takes a seat in the chair letting her debilitated body sink into the cushions. Despite everything that's happened in the past 4 hours at least this is going right.

"Good afternoon class." Everyone turns their heads to Mr.Lee as he struts to his desk letting his satchel plop beside him. He sports a beautiful royal blue tuxedo with one of his quirky ties. The floral pattern has a mixture of purple and yellow flowers that somehow match despite its vibrancy. "Since we've been discussing blueprints this week, your first project will be you and a partner of your choosing creating a 2 point projection of a house design together. The design has to be creative and eye catching for you to receive full credit."

Kimi glances around the room for possible candidates she's stopped short by Ji-Sung who slips in the seat right next to her.

"Mr. Han late again I see, you keep this up and you might not pass my class." Mr. Lee says crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's funny you say that, seeing as I have the highest marks in this class Mr. Lee. " Ji-Sung scoffs.

Mr. Lee chuckles. "Anyway, I'll give you 15 minutes to decide on partners and to fill out the first three questions on the rubric that you collected on your way in." Mr. Lee holds up a sheet of paper that Kimi does not have. She turns her head to the back of the room to find the rubrics but to no avail.

"Looking for this?" Kimi turns to Ji-Sung waving his rubric like it's a piece of meat. "Sorry I took the last one... We could share."

"Ummm.." Before Kimi could respond Ji-Sung scoots in closer and places the rubric on her desk.

"I guess that makes us partners." He smiles.