Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Oh god..." Sae Rin mumbled, sloppily shifting her body into a more comfortable position.

B-beep. B-beep. B-beep.

"Nooo~" She groaned, curling her pillow around her head.

BEEPBEEPBEEP. BEEPBEEPBEEP. BEEPBEEPBEEP.

"AHHH!" The groggy adult lurched forward in her bed, glaring at her alarm clock with disdain. She angrily slapped the off button and successfully silenced it's irritating screech before paying attention to what it was trying to tell her. She squinted at the bright red numbers. 8:50 Pm.

Sae Rin gasped, immediately attemping to hurl herself off her mattress but failing to take into consideration her tangled sheets and limbs, causing her to make full-body contact with the cold wood floor of her bedroom. She heaved an annoyed sigh before her sense of urgency returned and forced her to her feet. 

She cursed furiously under her breath as she tore off her oversized t-shirt and sweatpants, quickly replacing them with a white blouse, black tights, and a pencil skirt. She grabbed her oversized, worn leather purse and her only pair of black high heels along with a pair of simple black Vans before racing out of her apartment barefoot. 

"I'm going to be late, I only have ten minutes to get there~" She whined, attemping to lock her door while putting on her sneakers. The instant a satisfying click reached her ears, Sae Rin spun on her heel only to come face to face with a tower of boxes. Seeing as she was still in the process of waking up, the object's intimidating appearance startled the burnette more than it should've and caused her to slam her back against the door to her apartment. "Huh," She muttered, peeling herself off the beige paint and slamming her foot into her shoe. "Looks like I have a new neighbor." The distracted woman swiftly checked the clock on her phone. "Aannddd I also have seven minutes to get to work..." With that she was off, racing down three flights of stairs before darting out the door of her apartment complex and weaving through the moderately crowded streets of Seoul. 

It'd officially been four years, five months, and seventeen days since her promise was made with Myung Soo.

But, I mean, who was counting? 

Truthfully, she wasn't ready for him to come back to her seeing as he had become incredibly successful in the music industry during their time apart meanwhile she was darting through the street holding high heels in one hand and trying to contain her bed head into a messy bun with the other as she raced to her ever-so-impressive job as a barista. 

A barista.

Two years of community college to get her gen-eds out of the way, a half a year as an intern for one of the largest cooperations in South Korea, one year and seven months of med school all down the drain so she could become the manager of one of the popular bars her father, due to his flourishing success in the buisness field, opened when Sae Rin left for college. 

Oddly enough, they were all Alice in Wonderland themed, an idea that is difficult to achieve unless if you do it as tastefully as her father. With a couple themed drinks and slight decorative touches, his idea was achieved just enough to provide a little fun but not over the top to the point in which it became childish. They were a huge hit. 

Although many people view his work as a of brilliance, Sae Rin was one of the only ones who knew that it was because her mother's favorite tale used to be that of Alice in Wondeland. However, no matter how close her father's buiness was to her heart, that didn't make the fact that all her education had lead to her solely working at a bar any easier to swallow.

"I'm here." The disgruntled woman panted as she burst through the door of The Mad Hatter.

"Cutting it close!" Jiwoo quipped. Sae Rin blew stray hairs out of her face as she fearfully checked the clock. 8:59 Pm. She heaved a sigh of relief before making her way over to the counter where her red-headed coworker was already cleaning glasses.

"I just ran three blocks in six minutes." The breathless twenty-two year old informed as she clocked herself in. "That has to be a new record."

Jiwoo giggled and shook her head. "I have no idea how you do it."

"I know, right?" Min Jun agreed, seeming to teleport to his girlfriend's side out of nowhere. Sae Rin didn't skip a beat as she chugged a whole bottle of water for she had grown accustomed to his sudden appearances. "That's why you're so lucky you have a reliable source of transportation." He mumbled cutely into Jiwoo's ear, his fingers subconsciously toying with her long ruby locks.

Sae Rin grinned as an adorable argument about wether or not Min Jun's beloved motorcycle was that reliable began to break out among them.

 Although they could display their affection a bit too openly at times for some of the staff's comfort, it was an overall agreement throughout The Mad Hatter that Jiwoo and Min Jun were everyone's ultimate otp. They just completed each other so perfectly: Min Jun with his handsome looks and playful demeanor; Jiwoo with her girly charm and fiery attitude. The only downfall to their relationship was that they were both overly possessive of one another which trapped them in a sort of bubble apart from everyone else.

But, from the way Sae Rin saw it, it didn't look like too uncomfortable of a bubble.

"Alright you two, break it up." Young Chul, more commonly referred to as The Commander, barked as he made his way out of the kitchen. 

Evidence of his countless military deployments could be found in the tattoos across his biceps, his trademark buzzcut, the scar that ran from the middle of his right cheek to the center of his chin dimple, and, of course, the fact that the man was one slab of muscle. However, the only thing in the world that topped his love for the military was Young Chul's passion for cooking. As a result, although Sae Rin was technically the manager of The Mad Hatter, she never dared to mess with what happens in the kitchen; that was The Commander's zone. 

"You." The humongous man said gruffly, his deep voice echoing throughout the vacant bar as he grabbed Min Jun by the back of his collar. "How dare you disappear like that? We were in the middle of marinating the chicken for our Dak galbi dishes. Do you know how popular of a meal that is?! What will you do if the chicken doesn't receive the proper seasoning and tastes dry?"

Min Jun pouted, crossing his arms over his chest like a toddler. "But I won't be able to see my girl for at least another seven hours." He whined before his brain began to activate and he added "Well, except for during breaks but still~"

The Commander closed his eyes in irritation before directing his piercing glare towards Sae Rin. "Wear your appropriate footwear. Your father will be upset if he finds out that you are choosing comfort over the image of his company." 

"But the heels hurt my feet~" The young manager complained, copying Min Jun by pouting. "You should try standing in those things for seven hours straight." The young trio snickered in unison as an image of Young Chul prancing around in high heels appeared in their minds. The Commander shook his head and marched back into the kitchen.

"Babe, let me know if anyone hits on you. I'll make them wish they weren't born." Min Jun threatened at lightning speed as he was helplessly dragged behind Young Chul. "In fact, Sae Rin you report to me if any guys so much as look at her I swear to god I will them up so quick they won't even know what-" Suddenly the kitchen door was slammed shut, no doubt The Commander's doing, cutting off Min Jun's rant.

"Love you too!" Jiwoo called after her boyfriend, grinning happily before turning to see Sae Rin cackling to herself at the over dramatic scene. The red head rolled her eyes. "Are you going to open this place up or not?" 

* * *

"So what are ya interested in darlin'?"

Jiwoo internally rolled her eyes but forced a small smile as she prepared yet another glass of gin on the rocks for her hopelessly wasted customer. "Baseball." She answered, causing the alcohol to splatter slightly due to the furosity at which she added the ice cubes.

"No way..." The older man drawled, sprawling his upper body around the counter. "I love baseball."

"Really?" Jiwoo replied with fake enthusiasm. The man's head bobbled up and down pathetically at her response. That is, until the redhead slammed his drink down in front of him. "Then you should know that I'm way out of your league." The customer grumbled as he took his drink and moved on to annoy a group of girls sitting in one of the booths. Jiwoo grinned triumphantally at his withdrawal.

"Don't worry, I'll be sure to report that to Min Jun." She heard Sae Rin tease. Before Jiwoo could even think of a witty retort, she watched in her perivials as her boss collapsed to the floor. 

"Oh my god!" Jiwoo exclaimed, surprised by her coworker's sudden decent. However, the older female only grew more concerned when she saw that Sae Rin was curled up in a ball, rocking back and forth against the wooden shelves. "Are you okay?" 

Unfortunately, Jiwoo's concern sounded like white noise to Sae Rin. 

"No no no no no no no" The distraught brunette muttered, squeezing her eyes shut as her rocking intensified. "NO. There's no way. I must've been seeing things." 

Just to double check, Sae Rin slyly rose from her fetal position and peeked her eyes over the top of the counter. Her gaze fell upon every individual in the packed bar, relief flooding through her body when she officially deemed them all as unfamiliar. 

Sae Rin released a short sigh, thanking every last one of her lucky stars as she returned to her original position beside Jiwoo. "Sorry," She breathed, her heart pounding from post traumatic stress. "I just thought I recognized someone."

Jiwoo pursed her lips. "Oooh an ex or something?"

"I guess you could say that..." Sae Rin muttered uncomfortably. 

The redhead clicked her tongue. "That's the worst! I remember this one time Min Jun and I ran into..." Sae Rin began to block out Jiwoo's voice for, although the girl wasn't bad company in the slightest, after one was around her enough, they knew to stop listening once the words "this one time Min Jun and I" came out of . However, Sae Rin's attention was won by the smitten girl again when she stopped talking.

"What?" She questioned, hoping Jiwoo wasn't offended by her lack of enthusiasm regarding their conversation. Usually she could maintain it just fine on her own...

"Oh. My. God." Her coworker gushed.

"What is it?" Sae Rin pressed, unsure as to what (other than Min Jun of course) could possibly make her fiery accomplice look like such a fool.

Jiwoo overdramatically gasped, turning to Sae Rin with wide eyes. "An ultimate babe just walked out of the bathroom."

The manager chuckled. "I don't know if Min Jun would be very happy abou-" She was cut off by Jiwoo's hands cupping either side of her face and forcing her to look in the direction of the man she deemed as an "ultimate babe". Sae Rin rolled her eyes. "Look, I really doubt that he's that-" 

Suddenly, Sae Rin felt as though she'd been hit by a semi truck.

 All she could manage to squeak out was a weak "oh, !" before she found herself barreling back to the floor. Once she was safely hidden from view, Sae Rin unloaded her entire dictionary of curse words before attempting to wrap her head around her current situation. 

He was here. He was actually here and of course she looked like absolute garbage.

Of course.

"Excuse me ma'am, may I get a refill here?" 

"Yes you m-AY!" Jiwoo yelped as she was pulled forcefully to the floor by her boss. "What is going on with you?!" She whispered furiously, registering Sae Rin's borderline insane expression. 

"I need you to make me look better." Her coworker demanded, frantically tossing Jiwoo her cheetah print bag that everyone knew was permanently stuffed with unnecessary beauty products.

"Why-"

"Just, please!" Sae Rin begged, rubbing her hands together pleadingly.

Jiwoo remained puzzled but decided to go along with it. "Alright, alright. Start by taking out that bird's nest of a bun." Sae Rin quickly did as she was told meanwhile Jiwoo dove into her black hole of a purse, eventually emerging with a full array of hair products and makeup. 

"May I have my refill now?" Her customer asked from the opposite side of the counter, his voice laced with annoyance. 

"One moment!" She chirped as she attacked Sae Rin's hair with god-knows-what. The desperate brunette sent a prayer to heaven that Jiwoo knew what she was doing. After a solid thirty second struggle with her hair, she quickly moved on to Sae Rin's face, becoming such a flurry of brushes and demands that the younger woman began to feel dizzy. 

"Close you eyes. Open. Close em. Okay, ope-"

"My refill-"

"HOLD ON." Jiwoo barked. She snarled as she quickly applied more powder to her manager's nose. "Is this all because you want to snag super hottie? Wait," The beauty guru froze, her sharp eyes scanning Sae Rin's face. "Don't tell me he's your ex!" 

"Or something..." Sae Rin mumbled. Jiwoo's jaw dropped, her expression transforming into a mixture of surprise and awe. The brunette shot her a look. "Are you done?" She grumbled.

"I didn't you know you had it in you..."

"I'm taking that as a yes-" Sae Rin announced as she began to arise from her position. 

"No!" Jiwoo cried, grabbing her boss by the wrists and forcing her bottom to collide painfully with the floor. Sae Rin released a small moan of pain. That girl was a whole lot stronger than she looked! "You smell like old booze." She commented, reaching into her purse once more.

"Well it's not like I've been working at a bar for three hours..." Sae Rin muttered. Her coworker chose to ignore her sass as she handed her a bottle of her favorite perfume. "Love spell?" Sae Rin dead panned, reading the product's cheesy name aloud. "You serious?"

Jiwoo shrugged. "It smells nice and Min Jun likes it so...Also," She added as Sae Rin showered herself in the pleasant scent. "Wear the heels." With that, Jiwoo began to rise back to the surface, her three minute transformation complete. 

Sae Rin suddenly grabbed her hand, stealing her coworker's attention. "Thank you."

Jiwoo flicked her waist-length hair over her shoulder. "You can repay me by making sure that Min Jun and I work the same shifts for the next month."

Sae Rin resisted the urge to groan. "Deal." She said, releasing her coworker's manicured fingers.

"Oh," Jiwoo exclaimed before glancing down at Sae Rin once more. "And I think you have a chance at winning back mega babe looking like that."

Sae Rin responded by rolling her eyes and turning her attention to her shoes. Jiwoo smiled giddily as she returned her focus to her customer. "Now, what is it you want?" 

Below her, Sae Rin was on the verge of hyperventilating. Even though she had stolen a glance at her reflection off of one of the metal pitchers and saw what an incredible job Jiwoo had done, she still felt insecure and nauseous. But at the same time, there was this undeniable feeling of excitement swirling in her gut.

He'd actually come back for her.

The moment that she'd childishly dreamed of for the past four years, five months, and seventeen days was actually coming true.

It didn't even matter that she was currently at rock bottom.

The young woman felt weak in the knees as she slowly forced herself back into a standing position. This was it. Her life was finally going to start turning back aroun-

"I thought I saw you."

Sae Rin's heart skipped a beat as she slowly raised her eyes, allowing them to rest on his gaze. 

She thought she would be angry when she saw him again; that she'd have to physically restrain herself from punching his angelic little face in for abandoning her for a luxurious life as she went through absolute turmoil. However, rather than throwing a tantrum and beating him up, Sae Rin felt the urge to do something she'd never imagined. 

She didn't want to throw herself at him and kiss him a million times. Neither did she want to spit in his face.

 Instead, she just wanted to cry.

The young woman mentally slapped herself to her senses. Get yourself together! Her brain urged, realizing that she'd been staring blankly at him for god-knows-how-long.

She blinked. "It's been a while." She managed, wanted to strangle herself for acting like such an immature schoolgirl.

Myung Soo released a light chuckle, the right corner of his mouth quirking up. "I guess it has..."

Silence that seemed to stretch on for years engulfed them. In desperation, Sae Rin cleared , unsure of what to do with this heavy, awkward atmosphere. It felt as though it was slowly suffocating her.

"So, what brings you here?" She questioned, wanting to hear those five words more than anything in the world. I came back for you. If Myung Soo could so much as utter that phrase, Sae Rin knew she would be able to die happily.

"Oh, well, our company just moved locations so our studio is right across the street. The boys and I had a long day and we'd been wanting to come here for a while."

"I knew you'd keep your pr-" Sae Rin began, lost in her own fictional land until Myung Soo's words finally processed in her mind and set her fantasy on fire. "Wait...what?"

"I had no idea that I'd see you here..."

Sae Rin felt as though she'd been stabbed repeatedly in the chest.

He hadn't come back for her- they'd just ran into each other by coincidence.

Was she allowed to cry now?

 

Woohoo they finally met up again! Only, oh wait, Myung Soo's still acting shady...lol what a tool.

But at least he's a beautiful tool 😏

I hope you guys liked the second chapter!

The next update should be up soon