01. Unreachable 

She picked up her phone stared at it for a good whole minute before letting out an exasperated sigh and laid it down again, with unnecessary force, on the table. Song Jihyo munched on her nails, a clear suggestion that she was agitated.

“Here.”

Jihyo looked up at the man who laid a plate of decadent piece of cake in front of her, “Haraboji, you're mistaken. I only came here for coffee.”

“Neh,” the older man spoke, his voice was most comforting, like pillowy clouds that pressed onto her ears. “Americano with two shots of espresso, strong enough gouge out your eyes for three whole days.” He occupied the seat opposite her and looked into her with knowing eyes. “Something’s bothering you, child.” It was not a questio but cleary he was searching for answers.

Song Jihyo’s memory of coming to this café dated back to her pre-debut days. This old fashioned cafe, tucked behind the towering skyscrapers of Apgujeong and overlooked by the younger generation who favoured the more modern coffee houses. The small café was littered with well-worn furniture and dimly lit by traditional paper lanterns. It didn’t have glass walls like most of cafés do but she preferred the large French windows that seemed to frame the picturesque city outside. But other than the ambiance and haraboji’s roasted coffee perfection, she liked coming there for the seclusion. She had often drop by, undisguised, with a bag full of scripts to read knowing no one would bother her except haraboji whose eyes never left her face.

“Am I that easy to read?” she feigned a hurt look.

“You may deceive your runningman oppas with that pout but I've known you longer to know better.” He paused, probably to give her a chance to retort but she didn’t. “You came in with a full smile, looked at photos on your phone and smiled again, then all of the sudden you’re sulking and snacking on your nails. Anyone could tell but especially me because you practically live in my café on your free days. You’re an open book, child.”

“Haraboji, you were looking at my phone?! How... how disrespectful, really.”

The café owner only hung back his head and laughed, a classic old man, full laugh. “I can’t help it. I thought your lips were going to rip apart.”

Jihyo threw the old man a dirty look before sighing and turned her attention to her phone again.  The old man reached out to her hand, “Call him.” And with that he left her.

Her eyes followed him to his bar. He was pretending to be busy wiping the counter, pretending so hard trying to convince her he was not observing her that he spent full 10 minutes wiping the already spotless counter.

“Are you trying to shine that into a mirror?” she teased.

“Yah, mind your own business.”

She chuckled softly before her eyes fell onto the photos displayed on her phone. She scanned through the photos of them together, all 600 plus images of them but only a handful of them went to her SNS and none went to his. Sadness made its way into her again. Not even her most trusted random haraboji nor the waft of his freshly brewed coffee could take her mind of him, Kang Gary. She wondered where he was, what he was doing, what he was thinking of. She wondered endlessly. These curiosities gnawed at her brain. She was starting to feel physically sick and she needed her cure. She picked up her phone and dialled.

Love always ends with tears
but lingers in your heart
It blocks your path
so you can never run away
Let’s live together in the
beautiful memories of our love
I’ll dance with you in our memories

 There was a soft click on the receiver and she heard his sleepy voice calling.

 “Oppa, palli nawa.”

Gary spotted Jihyo from a distance. She was tugging her scarf above her already very red nose. He smiled unconsciously. He had always liked her face during winter. The harsh wind blowing her hair to all directions, her watery eyes and her red runny nose to contrast her pale skin. She sniffed three times in a row and he let out a soft chuckle, “Mongji-ah, what are you doing standing outside in a middle of winter?”

His car stopped in front of her. He rolled the window down and peered, “Yah, imma! Did you annoy haraboji so much this time he kicked you out in the cold?”

Jihyo stared blankly at his face. There was that numbness in her finger tips but it wasn’t from the cold. It was his throaty voice that seemed to turn into liquid and swirl throughout her body.

“Heegun-ah!” the old man shouted from the door of his café. He was one of the only few people who called him that because haraboji refused to call anyone anything but their real names.

“Oh! Haraboji.” Gary hurriedly got out of his car. He ran toward the old man and bowed politely. “Does the winter treating you well?”

“Eiiii… I have been in harsher winter than this.” He leaned closer to him, “My wife is even colder.”

They laughed in unison.

“Should we come in?”  Gary threw a glance over his shoulder to Jihyo who was still standing on the curb, her back to them.

“I think our SeungIm-ah has other plans.” He patted Gary’s shoulder “but you should bring hot coffee with you.” He called to her wife lovingly, “Yeobeo~”

“Kamsahamnida.” Gary bowed and fished out his credit card.

“Aish, you child. It’s my gift this winter just remember come summer nothing is free and she has to pay double if she stayed for more than 2 hours ordering nothing but one coffee.”

Gary laughed, “Sounds reasonable to me.”

What is he laughing about? Jihyo winced at the coldness.

Halmoni came out with two steaming coffee. “Oh, it’s you! You are more handsome today.”

Gary smiled and hit the lady’s arm playfully, “Ei… halmoni you are too good for my ego.”

The three of them laughed.

“Yah! Until when are you planning to let me stand here?” Jihyo’s anger erupted and aimed a deadly stare at Gary.

“She’s scarier than Jongkook.” Halmoni whispered.

“Chinjaaaa~” Gary affirmed.

“Why ask to play all of the sudden?” Gary inquired as soon as he got in the car.

“Just drive,” Jihyo fumbled with her seatbelt without looking at him. Gary froze, her tone caused his brow to shot up instinctively.

“What’s wrong with you?” He could feel hi