“Remind me again why I agreed to a photo-shoot at 9 in the morning.” Sarang yawned as Hyun Ho got them to the location.

“I’m not too sure either but we’re here and it’s your only schedule for today. Get it over with and you can go back home and sleep the rest of the day.” Hyun Ho said as he put the car in park. Sarang merely grabbed her water bottle and bag as the two got out the car.

“Sarang, you’re here! You didn’t get my text?” Rhythm hurried over with her own manager in tow.

“About what?” Sarang asked as she allowed Rhythm to give her a hug and greeting her manager after.

“They’re canceling the shoot. Something about this location or something. I don’t know. But the director isn’t happy with it and neither is the photographer so they’re just canceling it.” Rhythm rolled her eyes in annoyance, not big on early morning shoots either.

“So you’re telling me that I woke up at 4 in the morning just for the shoot to be cancelled?” Rhythm just shrugged her shoulders, not too sure what else to say. “This is ridiculous. Rhythm, tell them I’m going to look for a location. I’ll text you the address. No way in ing hell is this going to waste. Also, tell them that they will be hearing from me personally about their unprofessionalism because I am not happy.” Sarang seethed.

“Oppa, let’s go.” Sarang turned around and marched back to the car, Hyun Ho hurrying ahead so he could start the car quickly.

“Where are you thinking of going?” Hyun Ho asked as he got on the road.

“Wherever that won’t cause me to flip out on the staff because right now, I am hungry and tired and it isn’t going to be a fast shoot. And I’m not trying to get on any magazines right now unless it’s for modeling.”

Hyun Ho pulled up to the café just as Hojoon was flipping the sign from ‘closed’ to ‘open’. Sarang hurried out of the car and into the building.

“How much to use this place for a photo-shoot?” Sarang asked, going straight to the point and ignoring Hojoon’s greeting. “Also, hello.” She quickly added on.

“You want to use the café for a photo-shoot? When?” Hojoon wondered.

“Today. In a few hours, actually.”

“A few hours?! I’m sorry but I don’t think that would be possible! I have to talk to the owner and there’s paperwork we have to do and-“

“Whatever the café makes on a normal day, I will pay quadruple along with paying the workers for their hours and I will personally talk to your owner so you don’t get in trouble. I need a yes or a no.” Sarang crossed her arms in front of her.

“Uh…yes?” Hojoon seemed unsure but the money sounded amazing and the owner will be happy with it.

“Great. I will make some calls and everyone will be here soon. You might want to change that sign. Also, could I get an iced caramel coffee? It’s been a hectic morning.” Hojoon agreed to it all, assuring that he will get started on the coffee once he fixed the sign. Him and the workers were going to get a good paycheck from this.

Sarang and Hyun Ho had made themselves comfortable at a table by the window, eating a light breakfast while they waited for everyone from the photo-shoot to arrive. “I cannot believe they were going to cancel a damn 9 a.m. shoot. Now we’re behind schedule and they’re losing a model. I am not working with them again.” Sarang grumbled as she angrily stabbed the fruit in her fruit salad with her fork.

“Sarang, is everything okay? You’ve seemed more agitated than usual lately.” Hyun Ho worriedly asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just, dealing with some stuff. Thank you for asking, oppa.” Sarang gave a very small, very tired smile and Hyun Ho simply reached over to grab her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.

“This place is so adorable! Sarang, how did you find it?!” Rhythm loudly entered the café with her manager and the other models for the shoot in tow. Sarang and Hyun Ho stood up to greet them while an employee from the café came in with bottles of water to offer them.

“Where is the staff?” Sarang asked.

“They’re getting the equipment. The makeup artists and hair stylists want us to set up an area near some outlets so they can get us ready.” A model instructed.

“Why not? We already had to change locations, might as well do their jobs for them now. Do they want us to be in charge of the cameras and lighting also?” Sarang sarcastically asked but moved anyways to help search out a section in the café that can be put to use so they could get made up.

“Hey, we might need to get the biggest size of an iced caramel coffee out here soon.” Rhythm said to the café employee that brought them waters.

Soon the café went from a normal café to a bustling set. The staff was busy setting up everything to the director’s wishes while the photographer made sure the lighting was to his standards. The models were all off to the side, getting their hair and makeup done. Sarang was using that time to relax before the shoot because her snapping at everyone won’t help.

“Miss Shin, lift your head up a little please.” The makeup artist working on Sarang instructed. Sarang allowed her to lift her head to where she wanted before closing her eyes so her eye makeup could be done. After her makeup was done, she was off the hair and then getting changed into the first outfit.

“Ma’am, here’s your coffee.” Sarang opened her eyes to see who it was and saw it was Hojoon that had brought her the coffee that Rhythm had ordered for her earlier.

“When I hear ma’am, I look around for my grandmother. Just call me Sarang. You see me often enough. And thank you for the coffee. Whatever is ordered from the staff, just charge me for it.” Sarang instructed before taking a long, needed sip of her iced caramel coffee.

“Of course, Sarang. If you need anything else, just ask.” Hojoon politely smiled with a bow. He turned to leave but ended up bumping into someone. “I’m so sor-hey, it’s you.” The person that Hojoon bumped into looked at him before their eyes began to widen and they began to stutter.

“Y-y-you, the p-p-park, how?” Sarang snorted at Rhythm’s lack of speaking ability while Hojoon just grinned.

“I work here. I don’t think I ever got your name. I ran into Minsung the other day. He’s doing good. I’m Hojoon, by the way. Jeon Hojoon. It’s nice to officially meet you…” Rhythm struggled to speak and Sarang decided to intervene.

“Rhythm Minuet, is her name. And she is very happy to meet you, Hojoon. Aren’t you, eonni?” Sarang sweetly smiled at her bumbling friend.

“I’m Rhythm Minuet! Or, Minuet Rhythm. But my first name is Rhythm.” Rhythm her hand out to Hojoon who was a bit startled by how close her hand was to hitting him and he was just about to shake it when Rhythm let out a ‘oh shoot!’ and bowed instead. Hojoon chuckled and bowed to Rhythm as well.

“Hi, Rhythm. Well, I’m going to let you get back to whatever you need to do and I’m going to go see if anyone needs anything.” Hojoon bowed to them once more before walking away. Sarang sipped her coffee, an amused smile on her face as she watched Rhythm internally berate herself.

“Could I have been anymore embarrassing? What the hell is wrong with me?! I didn’t know he worked here!” Rhythm groaned, plopping down into the seat next to Sarang who was about to get her hair done. The makeup artist went off to do another model’s makeup.

“I knew.” Sarang simply said. “And to be exact, you didn’t know much about him before this. You didn’t even know his name.”

“How the hell did you know he worked here? How did you know that was the guy I told you about?!” Rhythm exclaimed, still trying to recover from her embarrassing encounter.

“Because Minsung, the guy you two helped that day, is my best friend and he showed me the pictures. How else would I know?” Sarang simply said with a shrug of her shoulders but being mindful of the hairstylist.

“And you didn’t tell me any of this because?” Sarang scoffed with a smirk.

“Because that wouldn’t have been any fun. Now, go and finish getting ready because they’re going to start the shoot soon.” Sarang made a small, shooing motion with her hand and Rhythm just rolled her eyes as she got up. As she walked past Sarang, she swatted her knees saying ‘you owe me for this’.

Many outfit changes and hair and makeup touch ups later, the photo-shoot was finally done and Sarang had instilled more fear into the director and photographer. It was going to take a lot of groveling for them to get her to work with them again but Hyun Ho already had them blacklisted and sending emails to warn those that might work with them about their unprofessionalism. It may seem harsh but Sarang saw it as survival of fittest. You can’t have work ethics like theirs in this industry, it’s just a nuisance to everybody that has to work with them.

“Hojoon, the bill please and the owner’s contact information. I’ll get the money in order. If there’s any trouble, contact my manager.” Hyun Ho handed Hojoon his business card from next to Sarang.

“Thank you so much, Sarang. I think with just the orders alone, we made more than usual. You don’t need to pay anymore.” Hojoon reassured as he took Sarang’s credit card so they could get the orders together.

“No, I already promised. And I’m not going to change my mind.” Sarang simply said as she signed on the small computer screen for the payment.

“She really won’t. Thank you again for this. The photos will come out great and Sarang didn’t kill anyone.” Hyun Ho joked, getting a laugh out of Hojoon as he handed Sarang’s card back.

“Hojoon, are you busy this Saturday?” Sarang asked out of the blue as she put her credit card back in her wallet.

“Uh, no. Why?” Hojoon wondered.

“I’m going with some friends and my brothers to a club and I wanted to see if you wanted to come. Rhythm will be there.” Sarang said the last bit with a smirk. It got worse when she noticed Hojoon blushing.

“Sure. That sounds great.” Sarang’s smirk turned into a genuine smile.

“Fantastic. Give me your number so I can text you all the details.” Hojoon found a scrap of paper and pen and quickly wrote down his cell number before handing it to Sarang. “Thank you. See you Saturday.” Sarang slipped the paper into her purse before turning away from the counter to leave the café, Hyun Ho right next to her. On the way, they had to pass Rhythm who was getting ready to leave with her own manager.

“Eonni, clubbing this Saturday. I’ll text you everything later.” Sarang said just before she walked out the building.

“Huh?!” But Rhythm’s exclamation was ignored since the door had closed behind Sarang and Hyun Ho.