The Vanilla Bean was a popular cafe for high school students to come in and enjoy the treats it offered. With it's cozy, warm atmosphere the place was never empty. The customers made sure the place came to life with their voices reverberating off the walls. 

 

        Lee Chaerin, was a high school student, who happened to work at the cafe. She had applied for the job right before the cafe had opened and had been lucky to get it. She enjoyed working at The Vanilla Bean. She was a hard worker and always made sure her customer got the right order and was satisfied with what he or she got. 

 

        In the six months she had been working at The Vanilla Bean, there was one thing or should she say person, that made her look forward to going to her job everyday. 

 

        His name was... Kwon Jiyong. 

 

        Kwon Jiyong was a fellow classmate of Chaerin's at YG High. While Chaerin tended to stay to herself, Jiyong was a part of the popular crowd. He was Captain of the Soccer Team, Captain of the Debate Team, Mr. Photogenic, Most Likely to Succeed in Life, Most Likable... etc. He was at the top of the food chain, while she... she was at the bottom. She was pretty much a nobody in school. Sure... she had a few close friends in art club, but that was it. She wasn't popular by any means. No... she would never be as popular as Jiyong. 

 

        Nor would he ever notice her. To him, she would probably just be another girl he went to school with. She could at least say she wasn't like his fangirls, who flocked around him as soon as he entered the school yard. No... she chose to admire him from afar.  

 

        She cursed her beating heart for the fact that she had a crush on Jiyong. She knew he was never notice her, but yet when she saw him at school or he would stop by The Vanilla Bean with his friends, she would wish for just one second that he would notice her.  

 

        It was unfortunate to have feelings for someone you had never spoken two words to and you probably never would. 

 

        Chaerin sighed, shaking the thoughts of Jiyong out of her mind. She needed to pay attention at work. She couldn't have her feelings for him distracting her. 

 

        Usually she wouldn't be this unfocused, but she knew why she was out of it today. Today's date was August Eighteenth. Today was Jiyong's birthday and she found herself looking at the door every few minutes, wondering if he would be coming into the cafe today. 

 

        He probably wouldn't, right? Wouldn't he have plans with his family? Maybe, they would take him out to dinner. Maybe, she wouldn't see him come into the cafe today. 

 

        She forced herself to look away from the door and concentrated on some cupcakes she was decorating. Her co-workers seemed to be doing a much better job focusing on their jobs than she did. 

 

        The melodic ringing of the bell above the door had her looking up again and she had to bite back the grin threatening to form across her face. Jiyong, with his friends, entered The Vanilla Bean and headed to their usual spot at the back of the cafe. It was the perfect spot, as Chaerin could see Jiyong out of the corner of her eye.  

 

        Feeling a lot happier, she picked up her pace on decorating her cupcakes. 

 

        From Jiyong's friends, Choi Seunghyun and Park Bom made their way to the counter to place the order of sweets the group wanted. 

 

        Chaerin wiped her hands on her apron and stepped up to the register in front of the two. "Hi! Welcome to The Vanilla Bean! What can I get you two?" She spoke the line every worker was require to say. 

 

        Bom smiled at Chaerin and began to place the order for the table of friends.  

 

        Seunghyun spoke up. "Are you sure that many sweets are for our friends or are they for you?" He smirked. "Cause I'm not sure you need them. I think you need to lay off the sweets, noona." 

 

        Bom glared at him and playfully punched his arm. "Shut up, Tabi." She turned back to Chaerin, who was trying not to laugh at the couples odd behavior. "It's our friend Jiyong's birthday and we were wondering if you have a special birthday cupcake. We want to surprise him with it." 

 

        "Oh... um... yes we do. We have a few of the workers sing happy birthday. The cupcake is free. There's no price for it."  

 

        Bom's eyes lit up with glee. "Then can you do that? After our order is brought out? She asked. 

 

        Chaerin nodded and Bom thanked her. The couple walked off, after Seunghyun paid for the table's order. 

 

        As her co-workers worked on the order, Chaerin walked back to where the birthday cupcakes were kept. She took one look at them and shook her head. They were covered in icing and sprinkles and when it was time to bring the cupcake out, a candle would be put on it and lit for the birthday girl or boy to blow out. 

 

        She sighed.  

 

        "What are you sighing about?" co-worker, Kiko Mizuhara asked, coming up beside her. 

 

        Chaerin looked at her. 

 

        Kiko grinned and looked past Chaerin, towards the back of the cafe. "Oh I know. It has something to do with Jiyong, right?" She asked. 

 

        Chaerin blushed. Kiko was a transfer student from Japan and she was attending YG High. She was pretty popular and spoke to Jiyong often. She knew all about Chaerin's crush on him and Chaerin was thankful that Kiko hadn't told Jiyong about it. 

 

        "So, did Ji do something?" Kiko asked. 

 

        Chaerin shook her head. "He didn't do anything. It's just that his friend asked me about getting a birthday cupcake for him." 

 

        Kiko raised a brow at this. "And? I don't see a problem with that." 

 

        Chaerin groaned. "Look at them. If I'm going to give Jiyong a cupcake for his birthday then it can't be one of these." 

 

        "Then make him one." Kiko suggested. 

 

        Chaerin looked at her. "Huh?" 

 

        "Grab one of the cupcakes off of the cooling rack and decorate it. Make him your own birthday cupcake." Kiko smiled. "I'm sure he'll love it." 

 

        Chaerin nodded. "I'll do that." She smiled back and quickly went to work. She grabbed a cupcake from the cooling rack and started to work on decorating it. 

 

        A few minutes had gone by and Chaerin heard someone come up to the counter.  

 

        "Hey, Kik. Is Jiyong hyung's cupcake ready?" Lee Seunghyun (Seungri) asked. Their order had already been delivered to their table and now the group was waiting to surprise Jiyong with his birthday cupcake. 

 

        "It's almost done, Ri. It will be out soon." Kiko said. 

 

        Seungri nodded and headed on back to his table. 

 

        Chaerin put the last finishing touches on the cupcake and looked at Kiko. "I'm done." She said. 

 

        Kiko looked down at the cupcake and gasped. "Chae, it's amazing! Ji's going to love it!" She gushed. 

 

        Chaerin blushed.  

 

        "You ready to go and give it to him?" Kiko asked, grabbing and sticking it into the cupcake, that Chaerin had moved to a plate. 

 

        Chaerin shook her head. "What?! No way! You can do it." She turned and began wiping down the area, she had been working at, with a towel. 

 

        Kiko frowned. "You know you are going to have to talk to him eventually." She said, picking up the plate. She lit the candle and walked away with two other co-workers trailing after her. 

 

        Chaerin watched them. They made it to Jiyong's table and began to sing happy birthday.  

 

        Jiyong was smiling and covering his face with his hands as his friends sang the loudest, all of them poking him and trying to get him to show his red face. 

 

        When the singing was done, he blew out the candle, thanking his friends, as well as thanking Kiko and the other two workers. 

 

        Kiko, stayed at the table, as Chaerin's other co-workers came back. 

 

        She was talking to Jiyong, who was looking at his cupcake with a smile on his face. He was listening to her, when suddenly Kiko pointed at where Chaerin was and he turned his head. Chaerin ducked down, hiding her face. 

 

        What? What was Kiko saying to him? Why had Jiyong looked this way? 

 

        She almost had a heart attack when Kiko came back and stopped right in front of her, smiling down at her. "He loves the cupcake." She chirped and was off to handle a customer. 

 

        Chaerin blinked and slowly stood up. 

 

        So... Jiyong loved her cupcake. 

 

        She smiled, a light blush covering the apples of her cheeks. 

 

        "Excuse me?" 

 

        She jumped startled and nearly died, when she was who was talking to her. 

 

        Jiyong was smiling right at her, his perfect teeth on full display. 

 

        "Um... yes?" She was surprised that she had managed to get that out. 

 

        Jiyong's smile widened. "Kiko told me you made the cupcake. I wanted to say thank you." 

 

        "Oh... um... you're welcome." She could feel a blush coming on and she was praying that Jiyong didn't notice. 

 

        Jiyong stared at her and Chaerin wondered why he hadn't left yet. His friends had already left the cafe and they seemed to be waiting for him outside. 

 

        "You're cute." He suddenly said. 

 

        And cue the blush. Chaerin was sure her face was as red as a tomato. 

 

        Jiyong grinned, leaning forward a bit. "I've noticed you for some time, Lee Chaerin." 

 

        "HE KNOWS MY NAME!" Chaerin internally found herself screaming. She almost squealed in happiest, but the feeling to do that deflated quickly when she realized that her name was on her nametag that he could clearly see. 

 

        Jiyong, noticing the look of defeat on her face, frowned. "What's wrong?" 

 

        "Are you saying my name because you know it from school or are you saying it because you saw it on my nametag?" She asked. 

 

        Jiyong chuckled. "I know your name from school. As I said Chaerin, I've noticed you for some time." 

 

        "What?" 

 

        "We share a few classes together. You sit in the back. Sometimes I see you chewing on the eraser to your pencil when no one is looking. I find it adorable. When you are concentrating really hard in class, sometimes your bottom lip sticks out. You like to touch the end of your hair when you are nervous. You're in the art club. I've seen some of your drawings and they are amazing." He smiled at her. "Want to know something else? The reason I come to this cafe is because of you. I like watching you work. You look so cute in your uniform." 

 

        He took a hold of her hand and dropped a piece of paper in it. "Kiko already gave me your number. That's mine right there. We should hang out sometimes, Chaerinnie. Let's see where this friendship goes. I have a feeling it will go somewhere magical." With a wink, he was gone and out the door. 

 

        Chaerin stood, shocked, the paper in her hand. 

 

        What the hell had just happened? 

 

        She looked down at the paper with Jiyong's number. He had written something else on it and Chaerin's blushed, reading it.