“Can I have a refill please?”

“On my way!”

“Thanks, Hyejin-ah. I really appreciate your hardwork. Here accept my tip.”

Hyejin blinked and smiled at him. “Thanks, Mr. Lee. I’ll spend this wisely.”

Jung Hyejin. She’s the niece of person who owns the coffee shop that she’s working in currently. Ever since her dad left her mother and her, they both started to live with Hyejin’s uncle and aunt. Because they couldn’t pay for the rent, Hyejin decided to work for her uncle instead of paying actual money. She owes the guy a lot since he’s actually been taking care of her since she was younger.

Hyejin walked back towards the counter and stared at the bills Mr. Lee gave her and smiled. “I can’t believe he actually gave me this much…”

“Wow, Hyejin. You got a lot from Mr. Lee,” a voice said.

She looked up and smiled. “Mr. Lee was my homeroom teacher in high school and he’s been a regular customer,” she said.

“Was he your favorite teacher?”

Hyejin pursed her lips and looked at the boy with a smile. “Let’s keep it between us. It’s a secret okay? Soonyoung-ah?”

Soonyoung blinked and smiled at her. “Of course,” he said and leaned his back on the counter. “You know, I can’t believe that we gotten so close over these past few months. You’re basically my best friend right now.”

She stared at him and let out chuckle. “I mean, we got along very well ever since you started working here. So, are you going to stick to your plan of quitting once your dad cooled off?” she asked and started wiping the counter.

“Hmm.. I mean, it would be nice to have some freetime.. But that would mean not seeing you everyday and I got used to it. I don’t think I can live without seeing my best friend everyday,” Soonyoung said which caused her to gag.

“You’re so cheesy,” she said and chuckled. “Of course you can see me everyday. You can just visit me but you’re gonna have to buy something everyday.”

“Ahh.. Sorry, I’m broke. I guess I’m gonna keep working here,” he said and ruffled her hair. “By the way, my friends are coming here to see how I’m doing. This is their first time here and I would like you to meet them.”

“Wow. Our dear Kwon Soonyoung has friends! I can’t believe that,” Hyejin grinned once she saw Soonyoung pout. “I’m just kidding. I would love to meet your friends.”

Soonyoung smiled and patted her cheeks. “You’re gonna love them like how you love me,” he said.

“Excuse me! I would like to order.”

Soonyoung looked up and grinned. “I’m gonna take that. You should go to the back to see if they need any help,” he said and walked towards the customer.

Hyejin chuckled and went into the kitchen. She saw that everyone was working their butts off baking. She smiled and sniffed the air. Ahh, I love this smell.

“Hyejin-ah, could you check the oven to see if the cookies are ready?”

She nodded and went towards the oven and slightly opened it and saw that the cookies had golden edges. She grabbed a toothpick and slightly poked it in various places. Hyejin smiled and opened the oven completely, grabbing a pair of oven mitts taking out the cookie sheet, placing it on a rack. “The cookies are ready,” she said with a huge smile.

“Great, could you display them once they’re cooled down?”

Hyejin nodded and decided to wait for about five minutes to let the cookies cool down. While waiting, Soonyoung burst into the kitchen and took a hold of her wrist. “My friends are here! Come meet them!” He said and dragged her out of the kitchen.

He then stopped in front of a whole bunch of guys. Hyejin widened my eyes and started counting them one by one and quietly gasped. “You have eleven friends?” she asked in shock earning a glare from Soonyoung which caused her to burst into laughter. She then turned towards them and bowed. “Hello, welcome! I’m Jung Hyejin, a friend of Soonyoung here.”

The guys stared at her in awe. “Friend? You’re my best friend!” He said and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, then turned his head towards his friends. “Where’s Wonwoo?”

Hyejin blinked and looked at him. “Wonwoo?” she mumbled and looked at them. “There’s one more?”

One of them let out a chuckle and nodded. “Yeah, he’s usually the last one to meet up,” he said and let out a hand. “I’m Seungcheol. I’m the one who takes care of these guys.”

Hyejin shook his hand and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Seungcheol-ssi,” she said.

Every one of them started introducing themselves to her. There were a lot of them so Hyejin wasn’t sure if she remembered all their names.

“Seungcheol-hyung has been calling Wonwoo-hyung ever since this morning. He probably ended up sleeping in,” the one named Minghao said.

All of a sudden, Hyejin heard someone clear their throat. She pursed her lips and looked at Soonyoung who had the same expression as her. They both turned around with huge awkward smiles.

“Samchon!” she said and clung onto her uncle’s arm who was glaring at both her and Soonyoung.

“I don’t remember giving you two time to talk to customers,” he said.

“Oh come on, you know me. I always get to know the customers!” Hyejin said with a huge smile. “Guys, meet my uncle. He’s the owner of this coffee shop too. Jung Chanso!”

The boys then bowed their heads. Hyejin’s uncle nodded in acknowledgement then turned his body towards both Hyejin and Soonyoung, flicking their foreheads. “Get back to work,” he said which Hyejin and Soonyoung said yes sir to.

Soonyoung and Hyejin watched as her uncle went to greet the other customers. The two of them then leaned closer to the table as Hyejin took out my notepad. “What would you like to order?” they both asked.

♦♦♦

Hyejin went to the counter as Soonyoung went to give the food to his friends. She opened the cash register as she took the money from the customer, giving back their change. “Come back again,” she said with a smile.

All of a sudden, a man in a suit went towards the counter, clearing his throat. Hyejin looked at him and smiled. “Welcome, how may I help you?” she asked.

“Uh, I would like to talk to Jung Chanso if I can,” he said.

Hyejin blinked cluelessly. “My uncle? What do you need from him?” she asked.

“Oh, Changsun-ah. What brings you here?” Her uncle said as he left the kitchen with a box of strawberry muffins.

Hyejin’s mouth formed a ‘o’ shape as she tried to get one from him but he immediately raised the box so she wouldn’t reach it. Hyejin pouted. “Please, samchon! I just want one! It looks so good,” she begged.

Hyejin’s uncle rolled his eyes and nodded his head towards her. “My niece,” he said and puts the box down, closing it knowing that Hyejin wouldn’t touch it once it was closed. “Anyway, you still haven’t answered my question. What brings you here?”

Hyejin blinked and looked at Changsun and noticed that he was staring at Hyejin. She slightly tilted her head and gave him a small smile. Changsun then turned his head to her uncle. “I needed to talk to you if you have the time,” he said.

Her uncle nodded and lead him out of the shop. Hyejin watched them from outside the window. It doesn’t look like they were fighting. It looked like he was asking for a favor.. possibly.

“Hyejin-ah,” Soonyoung said, waving his hand in front of her.

Hyejin took her eyes off of them and looked at Soonyoung. “What’s up?” she asked.

Soonyoung turned his head and looked at her uncle and Changsun. Soonyoung then looked at her with his eyes widen. “What’s Wonwoo’s dad doing here?” He asked.

Hyejin widen her eyes and looked at that guy again. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked back at Soonyoung. “That’s that Wonwoo guy’s dad? Wow, he must be rich,” she mumbled and immediately lost interest.

While Soonyoung was still staring at them, someone entered the shop and went towards Hyejin asking for the strawberry muffins they ordered. She grabbed the box and took their card, swiping it. After the payment was made, she handed them the box. “You’re lucky. I was about to take one but I controlled myself,” Hyejin said and grinned. “That’s how good it is.”

She smiled and watched as the guy walked out of the shop, opening the box, grabbing one muffin taking a bite. She smiled widely as soon as she saw their expression change. Into a good one, not a bad one.

Soonyoung then looked at Hyejin with a raised eyebrow. “The way you said that was so weird… I thought that person was going to throw the muffins away from how you phrased it,” he said earning a glare from the girl. He immediately went back to his friends before Hyejin would do something bad to him.

“Hyejin-ah,” Hyejin’s auntie came out from the kitchen, placing her hands on Hyejin’s shoulder. “Why don’t you take a break with Soonyoung? You’ve been working the whole day, you deserve one.”

Hyejin blinked and looked at her and smiled before walking towards the boys.

“Did you get a call from Wonwoo yet? A text at least?” Jihoon asked and smiled at Hyejin when he saw her coming.

She smiled at the others who smiled back at her. Soonyoung grabbed her a chair, gesturing for her to sit. “Maybe I should go back to work instead of talking to you guys,” Soonyoung said.

“Oh no, Imo said that she wants us to take a break,” Hyejin said which caused Soonyoung to sit back down.

“I’ve been taking a break these past hours cause of them,” he said with an awkward smile before putting the chair back. “Don’t scare them please!”

“We’re not scary though,” Chan said, blinking then looked at Hyejin. “Oh, he was talking to you.”

Hyejin lightly punched Soonyoung’s arm. “I’m not scary!” she claimed and glared at Soonyoung who stuck out his tongue.

She then turned to the eleven boys who were staring at her like it was the first time they were seeing a girl. She raised an eyebrow and looked at them cluelessly. “Is it the first time you’ve seen Soonyoung with a girl or something?” she asked.

“No, it’s just at how close you two are. Has the thought of him liking you ever cross your mind?” Jun said with a curious look.

Hyejin shook her head. “Why would that ever cross my mind? Trust me, I know when someone likes someone and Soonyoung does not like me,” she said.

“She’s got a point. Soonyoung would usually talk about the girl he likes and he’s never mentioned Hyejin once,” Jeonghan said and looked at Hyejin. “Don’t take that the wrong way.”

Hyejin blinked and shrugged with a chuckle. “It’s okay.. Because he’s never mentioned you guys once until today,” he said.

“That hyung,” Seokmin said. “He’s embarrassed of us! I can tell!”

“No… Even if he’s embarrassed of us, we’re even more embarrassed of him,” Minghao said and took a sip of his drink. “Forget I said that. I don’t want him to kill me.”

“If he tried to kill you, you’ll be the one killing him first with your nunchuck skills,” Seungkwan said.

Hyejin looked at Minghao in awe. “Wow, you know how to use nunchucks? I’ve always wanted to learn how to use them,” she said and smiled. “Do you think you can teach me someday?”

Minghao blinked and looked at her and immediately looked away. “I’ll think about it.”

Hyejin smiled widely and stared at Seungcheol-ssi who made a sound.

“Wonwoo finally replied!” He said in relief and read it out loud: I’m with my Dad.

She stared at Seungcheol who sighed in relief. “He’s alive guys. He’s not dead.. Yet,” he said and replied something to Wonwoo.

“He’s with his dad? Soonyoung said that the guy who wanted to talk to my uncle was Wonwoo’s dad,” Hyejin mumbled which caused the whole table to look at her.

“Hmm.. what would Wonwoo-hyung’s dad be doing here?” Hansol asked. “And why did he say that he’s with his dad?”

“Oh, they’re back,” Jisoo said.

They all turned to the counter and saw that Hyejin’s uncle and Wonwoo’s dad shook hands, exchanging smiles before Wonwoo’s dad leaves. But as soon as he was about to leave, he made eye-contact with Hyejin and looked at the boys.

“Oh god, he’s walking towards us,” Seungcheol said. “Act natural!”

The boys then started acting super awkward. Hyejin raised an eyebrow and then looked at Changsun who eyed all of them. “Jisoo is back from America.. I’m late to the party by two years but welcome back,” he said and shook hands with Jisoo-ssi who smiled awkwardly at Changsun.

“Hello, Mr. Jeon,” Seungcheol said and stood up, bowing.

Changsun then let out a deep chuckle before gesturing him to sit back down. “I’m just here to say hello. Wonwoo didn’t say that you guys were going to be here,” he said. “I probably should’ve brought him from the car if I knew you guys were going to be here.”

“So, Wonwoo-hyung is with you?” Mingyu asked. “We thought he was lying when he said he was with you.”

Changsun chuckled again. “That boy doesn’t want to be seen with me that’s why he’s at the car. I can bring you guys there if you want,” he said then looked at his watch. “Ah, but I have to go soon. Do you want me to bring Wonwoo here?”

“Ah, no, that’s alright. If he has something imp-”

“Abeoji, I’ve been waiting for over twenty minutes,” a voice said.

“Wonwoo-ah,” they all mumbled.

Hyejin stood up and took a peek behind Changsun to see a familiar face. She tilted her head and tried to remember where she had seen him before. He had sharp features, which immediately make her think that he was a cold city boy, and was wearing a grey suit.

Changsun looked behind him and smiled, taking a step to the side to let his son take a look. He widen his eyes. “Oh,” he muttered.

Changsun then looked at Hyejin with a smile. She blinked and gave him a small smile back. “I’m Jung Hyejin,” she introduced herself.

Changsun smiled at her and looked at his son who was staring her down. She raised an eyebrow.

“Nice to meet you, Hyejin. This is my son, Wonwoo.”