An Accidental First Date
We entered the café together.
A soft bell rang above the door as it opened, and a warm wave of roasted coffee beans washed over us. The café wasn't large, but it was cozy—wooden tables, soft yellow lights hanging from the ceiling, and faint music playing somewhere in the background. Sunlight streamed through the wide glass windows, reflecting off cups and plates, making the place feel calm and safe, like time moved a little slower inside.
Salina's friend was already seated at a table near the window, sitting across from my friend.
I first introduced Salina to my friend, and then she called her friend over to explain the situation properly.
I was too busy trying to hold my friend back from saying anything about my crush on her. At that time, Salina came to our table with her friend.
"I should go now, Jay!" my friend said.
"Yeah, I completed my mission—bringing a girl to the café. So mission accomplished, right? Let's go to your house to play video games," I said.
"That's not what I meant!" my friend replied.
"Umm… can I have Jay all to myself today?" Salina asked.
"Go ahead, go ahead. If you're okay with someone like him, have him as much as you'd like," my friend said, as if he were selling me off.
"Thank you so much, Tanvi. See you later! Jay, let's go then—to our first date ever," Salina said, grabbing my hand.
"Oh… yeah," I said.
"Come on, come on, let's go," she said, pulling me toward the exit.
Outside, the street was alive.
Cars passed by, horns echoing in the distance. People walked past us in small groups, chatting and laughing. Shops lined both sides of the road, their signboards glowing faintly under the afternoon sun. A cool breeze brushed against my face, carrying the smell of street food and dust.
I glanced back.
My friend was standing there, frozen, staring at us with his mouth slightly open.
"Your friend looks really surprised," Salina said, smiling.
"Of course he is," I replied quietly. "Anyway… thank you."
"For what?" she asked.
"You know… for helping me out," I said.
"You can stop now," I said, thinking she was just trying to help me out of kindness.
She stopped walking.
"What do you mean?" she asked, clearly confused.
"What?" I asked back, confused by her expression.
"I was following you because you picked me up," she said simply.
"Huh?" I froze.
"I promised you back in junior college, didn't I?" she said. "I'd go on a date with you if my grades got better."
The memory hit me instantly.
"Right…" I said, remembering that promise.
"I worked really hard back then and rose about twenty places in my grade ranking. So I basically completed the requirements," she said. "And now I'm a popular model and singer. Salina—your childhood friend—has to complete her promise of a date with you. You can't deny that, right?" she asked, forcing me to say yes.
I opened my mouth.
No words came out.
I had always been bad at saying no to her.
And she knew it.
Perfectly.
"Of course not," I said, finally giving up.
"Yup, yup! Then let's go on a date."
She smiled playfully and tugged at my hand. "Come on, come on."
She stopped and pointed ahead.
"Let's go there next."
I followed her gaze.
A large shopping mall stood across the street, its glass walls reflecting the afternoon sun.
"…You're still going shopping?" I asked.
"Of course!" she replied instantly. "Oh—do you not want to? Are you tired?"
"It's not that, but…" I hesitated.
"It's fine then, right?" she said cheerfully. "We're on a date today. Follow me around until the end."
She looked back at me, her eyes gentle.
"And if there's anywhere you want to go, don't hesitate to tell me. I'll go with you."
"I'm fine," I said.
"Really?"
"Yeah," I replied, looking at her bright, cheerful face. "It's fun just being with you, Salina."
"…Gosh. That was sudden."
"Huh?"
"You made my heart skip a beat," she said, turning slightly away. Her cheeks were faintly red.
We ate street food, wandered through shops, and watched a movie together.
Nothing special.
Nothing extraordinary.
Yet it felt strange—like we were filling in the empty space that had grown between us over the past few years.
Like normal friends… or maybe like a couple pretending not to notice how close they were.
By the time evening came, we entered a restaurant inside a hotel.
Unlike me, Salina seemed completely at ease. She scanned the menu confidently and ordered without hesitation.
"…Huh? What's wrong?" she asked, cutting into my thoughts.
"Oh—uh. I was just thinking," I said quietly. "You must be used to places like this."
"Yup," she replied casually, glancing around. "Seeing me enjoy this kind of place comfortably… unlike you."
I watched her for a moment.
Without thinking, the words slipped out.
"You really do live in a completely different world than me."
Silence fell.
"…What?" she said slowly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Her tone sharpened.
"That really hurt, Jay."
"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"Why would you say something like that?" she said, anger flickering in her eyes.
"I—I'm sorry. I don't really know what you're mad about."
She exhaled, then leaned forward slightly, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"Listen, Jay Jay."
"…What is it?"
She looked straight at me.
"I liked you back in junior college," she said calmly.
"And you liked me too, didn't you?"
"O-Oh—what? Why are you saying this so suddenly?" I said, caught completely off guard.
"Be honest with me," she said, her expression serious now. "Just this once."
"…Yeah."
I swallowed.
"I liked you back then. But—"
I stood up.
"I need to go."
Before I could say anything else—before I said something that would hurt her even more—I placed money on the table.
"See you. This is for my share of the meal."
Salina didn't say anything.
She just sat there, staring at the table, as I turned away and left the restaurant.
You might be wondering why I did that.
Maybe I was selfish.
Maybe I was a coward.
But I didn't want hope—the kind that makes you daydream endlessly, only to crash later.
Maybe I should've accepted the request of that other girl.
Why am I like this?
Why am I always such a mess?
My thoughts spiraled.
I couldn't accept her.
And I couldn't let her go either.
What was I even doing with myself?
I didn't know.
But one thing was clear—clearer than anything else.
I still loved her.
From the bottom of my heart.