Chapter Text
“Yeojin, what the hell is this? Are you trying to poison me?”
Jiwoo stared in horror at the monstrosity Yeojin had so casually set in front of her.
She turned to Chaewon in disbelief, hoping for backup. But the girl was calmly sipping her completely normal mango smoothie, entirely unbothered by the radioactive mess now in Jiwoo’s hands.
“Maybe it’ll give you superpowers, unnie,” Chaewon shrugged.
Jiwoo knew then: she was outnumbered.
“I’m serious,” she snapped. “If I take even one sip, it’s gonna kill me.”
She tilted the cup and gagged. Chunks of some unknown substance were slowly settling at the bottom, like a boba swamp just waiting to end her.
“Hey,” Yeojin said, grinning, “you said surprise me. My creative juices flowed. This is what you get.”
Jiwoo closed her eyes and sighed like a woman who had just seen her life flash before her. “No. I very clearly asked for a brown sugar milk tea, and said surprise me with the toppings.”
“Sorry, selective hearing,” Yeojin replied, not even pretending to be sorry. She sipped her own Thai tea and let out a dramatic “ahhh,” just to rub it in.
Jiwoo side-eyed Chaewon again, silently begging her to say something sane.
Chaewon paused, considered it. “Unnie,” she said slowly, “you should just drink it and see what happens. Like Russian Roulette.”
Jiwoo opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again.
Of course Yeojin was now bouncing in her seat, loving every second of it.
“Yeah, unnie! You could get superpowers, or maybe die! Or maybe nothing happens. But I’m rooting for the first two, for the plot.”
Jiwoo stared at her. “No. What’s going to happen is you’re going to get me what I ordered, with no surprises.”
Yeojin gasped, clutching her chest. “But unnie, I spent the last of my paycheck on that drink. I couldn’t even afford to buy you another one if I wanted to.”
Liar. Jiwoo knew it. But Yeojin was going all in. She slouched in her seat, arms crossed, and for the final blow: she looked up at Jiwoo with big, glassy puppy eyes.
And Jiwoo knew she’d lost.
Yeojin was being a little shit. Chaewon was fanning the flames while pretending to be above it all. And Jiwoo… Well, she could never say no to Yeojin. Not really.
“Ugh. Fine. I’ll try it.” Jiwoo rolled her eyes, defeated.
She raised the drink to her mouth like it might explode. One cautious sip. Then another.
…Oh no.
It was good.
The flavor was subtle, bright, weirdly perfect. The popping boba burst in her mouth with just the right sweetness.
Shit.
She looked up. Yeojin’s face was already splitting into a smug, slow-motion grin.
“You like it,” she said.
Jiwoo scowled and slumped deeper into her seat, sneaking another sip.
“I hate both of you.”
Yeojin and Chaewon clinked their cups together.
“We know.”