Ji Eun leaned over a table and picked up as many plates and glasses as she could carry. They were getting dusty from a lack of use – not because they were dined on. She turned around and her heart almost stopped as she ran into someone. One of the wine glasses slipped out from her grasp and she watched in horror as it started to dive towards the hard, wooden floor. It wasn't in slow motion like those movies she loved to watch, but rather quick and abrupt. Miraculously, a swift hand caught it with one hand by the rim of the glass just before it could shatter into a million shards. She looked up and saw that it was abeoji and not some… young person.

"Wow," Ji Eun said with an admiring look. "You have better reflexes than…"

"You thought?" he chuckled. "Thank you."

"Heh…" she was going to finish with 'you look' – quite insensitively – so she was glad that he had interrupted her before her blunt mind could get the best of her.

"Why don't you take a break?" he suggested, taking the dinnerware out of her hands.

"Really?" she asked with surprise. It was almost lunch hour.

He nodded. "We don't really need the extra help. We won't be that busy," he said shrewdly.

Ji Eun shrugged. "Okay. If you insist…" She really did not need any further persuasion as she took off her uniform, grabbed her coat and headed outside for her break. She stuffed her hands in her pocket and squinted to the left and right of the restaurant. She had been here for about a week and business has been the same as at had been. Heechul had been coming to the restaurant every night at a minute past midnight as unusual. Ji Eun felt that she wasn't making any progress working at a restaurant, so maybe it was time for her to do some investigating.

She started walking down the street and mentally acknowledged all the stores and places she passed. Bar, 7Eleven, McDonalds, night club, music and video store, Starbucks, grocery store, barber shop, jewelry store, bank, hotel, ice cream shop, another McDonalds…

Ji Eun didn't find anything out of the ordinary, though she did notice that the restaurant wasn't in a particularly good location. There were clubs and bars nearby… classy. It was also out of the way and inconvenient – its existence could have gone unknown. However, there was one place that caught her attention.

Handel and Gretel.

The name sounded very familiar. She cocked her head to the side and stared at the front of the building curiously. Since there were dozens of people meandering around the small building, word must have gotten around that this place was amazing. It was a quaint little coffee shop that boasted comfort and familiarity, but with a modern twist.

Maybe this is where everyone is going, Ji Eun thought as she pulled open one of the doors and stepped inside. It sold not only coffee, but tea, sandwiches, desserts… She looked up at the menu. Actually, that was about it. She was instantly turned off. What was so special about this place? Sure, it was cute, but she failed to see why there were so many people at the joint when the options and space was so limited. She expected a bit more, especially seeing how pricey the items were. When she saw the average portion for each dish as they were served to the patrons, she was surprised to see that they were small enough to fit into the palm of her hand. This was hardly fine dining.

Ji Eun jumped as she heard several fangirls cry, "Oppa!" in unison. Before she could look to see whom they were referring to, she was suddenly shoved aside into one of the walls by a stampede of fans. She grimaced and rubbed her throbbing arm, suffering in silence. She wasn't one to draw attention to her injuries.

"Are you okay?" a sweet, male voice asked. Ji Eun looked up immediately and was star-struck as she gazed into the chocolate-brown eyes of a god.

Well, no, not a god. An angel perhaps…? Or at least someone damn close to it.

"…Wow," was her first reaction. "I mean 'ow'. Wait no—"

He chuckled and the melodious sound washed over her, completely making her forget about her pain.

"I assume you mean, you're okay now?" he chose his words carefully, though she could pick up a trace of amusement.

Ji Eun nodded weakly. He pulled a chair over and gestured for her to sit down. She readily obeyed. Her eyes followed him as he sat down beside her. He had lush, jet-black hair that contrasted sharply with his light skin. She was torn between describing him as "cute" or "y", which she didn't think was possible. His features were naturally adorable, she could see, but at the same time he made her swoon just by his mere presence. His eyes – which were currently looking at her concernedly – were smoldering yet sweet, intense yet gentle. Way to make her feel confused.

"Who are you?" she asked him, feeling incredibly stupid. He looked so familiar, but she could not place a name to his face.

"I?" he smiled at her kindly. "My name is Lee Sungmin. Nice to meet you."