The bell rang as someone entered the door of T-ara Cafe.

“Mianhe but we’re close.” Hyomin announced without looking at the newcomer. She was busy cleaning the counter.

“Oh sorry I didn’t notice the sign. Umm… Maybe I’ll come back later when you open….” The new customer said. She's a regular customer and knows the cafe's schedule but she was hoping she can stay. She was bummed that she couldn’t stay. She was looking for a place to hang out. She was about to leave when someone greeted her.

“Oh Soo! Are you here to get something?” Soyeon greeted.

“I was hoping I could hang out here but turns out you are close so maybe I will come back later after your break.” Soo said. She is a regular customer. She knows that T-ara Café closes during lunch time and resumes around 2pm.

Soyeon noticed that there is something off with Sooyoung. Soyeon has been working in the café for more than a year and she can tell in one look the customer’s mood. “Actually, you can stay if you want.” Soyeon invited.

“Jinja?!” Sooyoung asked excitedly to which Soyeon nodded. “I promise I will not bother any of you. I just need a place to hang out…alone.” Soo mumbled the last part but Soyeon heard it.

“Arasso. Hyomin will assist you. She’s new that’s why she didn’t recognize you but she is very nice. The rest of us will be there (pointing in one of the seats) doing some school work.” Soyeon said before she went to take her seat. “Hyo, will you assist her?”

“Neh” Hyomin answered. Sooyoung sat by the counter in front of Hyomin. “What can I get you?”

“I’ll have a coffee.”

“Just coffee?”

“Neh”

“But it’s lunch time, aren’t you hungry?”

Sooyoung shakes her head. She is neither hungry nor full but the girl can eat all day long if she wants to but not this time...

Hyomin went to prepare their famous coffee.

“I’m sorry I had to bother you during your break.” Sooyoung apologized.

“Don’t worry.” Hyomin answered with a smile and gave the coffee.

“Thanks.”

Hyomin doesn’t seem to move from where she was standing.

“Yes?” Sooyoung asked when she noticed the barista still standing in front of her. She thought that it would leave her and take her break. Instead Hyomin grabbed a chair and sat opposite Sooyoung. “Umm… can I help you?” Soo asked.

“That’s my line.” Hyomin replied. “Actually, someone told me that I should learn to initiate a conversation.” Hyomin explained.

“I see…” Sooyoung replied still a bit confused but she was glad that somehow Hyomin didn’t just leave her alone. Actually she came to the café to be alone but she also wanted to have some company…

“I know that there is something going on your mind and I thought you can share it with me.” Hyomin said straightforwardly.

“Really?” Sooyoung find the girl a bit weird yet amusing.

Hyomin pouted. “I knew I was bad at this. Sorry.” Hyomin said and was about to get up from her seat.

“Ani… you are right.” Sooyoung said and Hyomin took a seat back. “Actually I came here because I wanted to be alone but I feel lonely and wanted to talk to someone. So I guess we can talk to each other.”

“Cool!” Hyomin said making Sooyoung giggle. “Wait let me grab something to eat. Do you want anything else?”

“I’m good.”

Hyomin made herself a coffee and grabbed two slices of cakes. She placed one in front of Sooyoung who declined at first. “It’s on the house” Hyomin insisted.

Sooyoung can finish a whole cake if she wanted to but this time she is in no mood. Sigh. “The truth is I am staying away from those (referring to the cake)”

“What? Waeyo?” Hyomin said as if she was hurt on behalf of the very delicious cakes.

“Don’t get me wrong I love your cakes. I can finish a whole cake. But this time… from now on… not anymore.”

Hyomin furrowed her eyebrows, she still find it very confusing why would anyone just decide not to eat cakes anymore.

“It’s just that… I don’t want to feel lonely anymore.”

“And what has that got anything to do with cakes?”

“I just thought that maybe... if I stop eating too much not just cakes then maybe… maybe someone will like me.”

Hyomin tried to process what Sooyoung just said. It’s not that she does not understand anything. It’s just that it doesn’t make sense.

“I know I make no sense.”

“Yes, no sense at all.” Hyomin said bluntly. “I mean you are already beautiful. In a short time I can say that you are fun to talk with. So why does eating less make you less lonely? That does not make sense.”

Sooyoung laughed. Hyomin has this odd humor which she finds interesting. Sooyoung finds it easy to open up to Hyomin. “Well my friends say I am too tactless and that I eat too much.”

“Are you?”

“Yes I am.”

“So you decided to change yourself so you can find someone to like you?” Hyomin summarized it all for Sooyoung.

“Neh.” It was all Sooyoung can say. Hearing it from someone else make her sound lame.

“I think it’s a bad idea.” Hyomin shared her opinion.

“Why is that?” Sooyoung asked. She thought Hyomin was going to mock her but the other girl didn’t.

“You would not be happy.”

“The reason why I am doing this is so that someone will like me and make me happy.”

“Yes and you will be happy for a while until you are no longer happy. Your ‘someone’ will notice that you are happy and will start to question why you are not happy when the two of you are together… in the end the two of you will both be unhappy.”

Sooyoung thought that Hyomin made a lot of sense. Hyomin might have a problem starting a conversation but Sooyoung finds Hyomin fun to talk with. It was refreshing to hear someone’s honest opinion. Well her friends are very blunt with her but she just wants to talk to someone honest who is not one of her friends.

“Since you agree with me, you should eat this.” Hyomin said while she pushed the slice of cake.

“All along you just wanted me to eat?”

“Yes” Hyomin answered teasingly.

Sooyoung pushed the cake back to Hyomin. “Yes I agree you make sense but my friends do also. So I am not eating this cake.”

“Why do you think your friends are right?”

“I didn’t say that they are right. But all of them have met someone. That’s all I hear about all the time. the person they met. And then how come I am the only one who has not met someone new? Someone special?”

Hyomin is trying to catch up with what the other was saying.

“I mean even maknae, who is usually passive to this kind of topic, can’t stop talking about this person she met. I mean I am happy that my friends have met someone they like but I feel tired listening to them talk about the same thing all day! What's worse is that I feel left out because I have noone to talk about...” Sooyoung vent out her frustrations.

Hyomin kind of understands where Soo is coming from. Being surrounded by friends who all met someone special and kept talking about it all day in front of your face can be frustrating.

“Hey Soo! What’s up?” Boram who came from the kitchen greeted.

“Sooyoung refuses to eat the cake because she wanted to be happy.”

“What sorcery is this?!” Boram who loves food asked.

“Yah!” Sooyoung called Hyomin out who meronged at her. The rest of the girls gathered around the two curious of what was it all about.

“She’s trying to change hoping that someone will like her back.”

“Soo, you don’t have to change anything. You are beautiful inside and out. And you are fun.” Boram said.

“Yes, Boram is right.” All the girls agreed with Boram.

“Thanks.” Sooyoung replied.

“See I told you.” Hyomin said making Sooyoung roll her eyes. The girls went back to doing their school projects. “Yah I said the exact same thing earlier if not even longer yet you listen to them but not to me? I'm hurt...” Hyomin argued childishly.

“It’s how you say it vs how they say it.” Sooyoung meronged at the girl. It was her time to tease the other. 

But Hyomin would not back down. She got an idea and smirked.

“Whatever you are thinking, stop it.” Soo said when she noticed the smirk Hyomin is wearing. 

“Why? What am I thinking?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care.”

Hyomin who was still wearing a smirk stood from the chair and face Soo. She started…

Ohhhhh ohhhhhh ohhhhhh ohhhhhhh

Sooyoung knows this tune. She was surprised… is Hyomin doing what she thinks she is doing? And yes, Hyomin started to sing the first verse.

Oh, her eyes, her eyes
Make the stars look like they're not shinin'
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful
And I tell her everyday

Oh how embarrassed Sooyoung felt. “Yah! Stop it!” But Hyomin just kept on going and even the other girls joined in with Hyomin as the lead singer.

When I see your face 
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing 
Just the way you are 

Hyomin pushed the cake forward to Soo, and Soo can only shake her head with the girl’s silly act. Her face are getting red. She took a bite at the chocolate cake to hide her blush.

And when you smile 
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause, girl, you're amazing 
Just the way you are.

Sooyoung smiled widely showing some chocolate cake attach in her teeth. It was a comical scene that the girls can’t help but laugh. Then Soo also joined in the singing. They were singing their heart out.

When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause, girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are

Everyone cheered after they finished the song.

“I can’t believe I just did that. This is crazy. You are all crazy.” Soo said afterwards. She was thankful that the café was empty otherwise she would have die of embarrassment.

"Don't look at us, we just followed her lead." The girls explained pointing at Hyomin before going back what they were doing. 

She then faced Hyomin and said, “You are crazy.”

Hyomin gave a toothy grin and said, “You feel better right?”

Sooyoung was touched. All this was done to make her feel better? "A lot better. Thanks." Sooyoung answered with a smile.

Hyomin replied with a smile.

Sooyoung can feel her heartbeat. It must be because of all the singing and dancing... or so she thinks. Soo knows way better the reason why her heart is acting this way. Why not? It's because she did meet someone special today…