That Beautiful Stranger

Her world felt crushed and crumbled down after being informed about her girlfriend Im Yoona, 28, involved in a car accident and rushed to the nearest hospital immediately for treatment. It was Yoona’s sister who called her first and Joohyun absolutely rushed to the hospital as well, in hope by being closer Yoona could feel her presence and be saved from the terrible accident.

However, her hope was left as only hope and her prayer was too absurd to be fulfilled. About few hours staying in the hospital and Yoona getting treatment in the operation theater, when her doctor came out and the light had come to an off signaling it’s over, Yoona was informed dead.

They cried, of course. All Yoona’s family members, Joohyun and her sister, Jinri cried in each other’s embraces. They wept in grieve, couldn’t accept the reality that hit them especially the one who gave birth to Yoona, her own mother. Yoona’s father came second, breaking all the cool dad image he had shown in entire Yoona’s life for the first time.

They held a funeral for the precious girl that just took her last breath the night before. Like a family member, Joohyun stayed every time, helping Yoona’s family all she could. A lot of Yoona’s friends showed up sending their condolences, and Joohyun was just as grateful as Yoona’s very own mom.

Then the last day of the funeral before they cremate Yoona’s corpse, a girl they had never seen before showed up at the last minute, wearing proper black pants and black blazer where inside she wore just simple white t-shirt. She came alone, without anyone came with her and had Joohyun wondered curiously the identity of this girl.

The girl stayed for few good minutes, standing frozen in front of Yoona’s frame, without voice she could hear but Joohyun saw her crying hard in silent. After bowing respectfully to the family members lined up, she was gone the next second and Joohyun had never seen her anymore.

**

It’s been over two months since Yoona had gone. Joohyun lived her life normally, although at some point suicide came crossed her mind she still lived to this day at the thought of her sister Jinri still needed her.

They had no family and only have each other. Parents were gone at their younger age, and since that time Joohyun was all Jinri had. Joohyun had to give up school and searched for jobs to raise and feed Jinri. She was fortunate she got to land few part time jobs at convenience store, café and a family restaurant. It was exhausting but to watch Jinri grew as a proper girl was worth it.

Until Yoona came into her life, her lifestyle changed 180 degree. That girl worked as a police officer in patrol division, met her when she was working at convenience store and Yoona was on duty. She came to grab quick few snacks and beverages, but spent several good minutes flirting with Joohyun.

“You’re the prettiest girl in I’ve met in convenience store. Do you want to date me?”

Joohyun just laughed awkwardly, thinking this girl was joking. Not until another officer showed up and forcefully dragged Yoona away by pulling her ear with her, Yoona wouldn’t stop.

Then Yoona came again for next days, to see her purposely. At first Joohyun was hesitated but she came to learn Yoona was genuine with her. The next month, they started to date romantically. And that’s when she started to have a home where she didn’t need to think about the rental payment because Yoona already bought it as they lived together in one house along with Jinri.

Thus when Yoona was gone, they were only the two of them in the apartment yet they felt so empty.

**

It was an early morning of Saturday, the breeze was as cool as an aircon, and wind blew comfortably as Joohyun inhaled a fresh air. She had left the home for her morning shift in the café she still worked for several years, cycling through the sidewalk as she was enjoying the view and the fresh scent through the air. The town’s citizen was out, some were seen jogging, some were stretching and many lists went on.

Joohyun came to lock her bike at the back of the café where her fellow colleagues did the same thing as well. She helped to arrange the tables and chairs, cleaned the top where the dusts were filling and wiped the floor one last time before opening the shop. She would take the turn on counter duty that day and walked inside before the door was finally opened.

Customers were filling in and as expected, the café was crowded with people wanting to have breakfast there. Joohyun was getting a little too handful that she was getting anxious of committing mistakes, though this wasn’t the first time she’s on this task.

When finally they were less people in the café, Joohyun could finally breathed out of relief after the restless two good hours. A male colleague patted her shoulder encouragingly. “You did a good job. No mistake today,” he winked, bringing out laughter from her.

The bell rang, signaling a new customer just came in. She was attracting attention from either male customers  or staffs alike, showing up in pink hoodie sweater and sweatpants, hair tied in ponytail earphones tugged on both ears and eyes focusing on her phone. Judging from the way she dressed, she was obviously just coming back after exercising.

Joohyun greeted her politely, sweet smile plastered on her face. “Good morning miss. What would you like to order?”

Like the others, she couldn’t help but have good look on this girl. Damn, she’s hot! Her mind couldn’t help but scream that. When the girl looked up, Joohyun was astonished to see her smile which eyes formed into a crescent moon. Blimey, she’s breathtaking!

“I would like coffee, but would you recommend me anything?”

Joohyun almost stuttered from this girl’s effect but she successfully acted cool still. “Cappuccino is today’s special coffee. Would you like it?”

This girl smiled again, even wider this time. “Sure, I’ll take it.”

“Hot or ice?”

“Hot please. I’d like to takeout and please add on banana muffin as well.”

The girl waited and Joohyun lifted her sneaky gaze at her occasionally out of anxiety. The invincible thump in her heart was hard to ignore and she silently cursed herself for that.

Why would you get nervous because of this girl, fool?

Of course there was no answer. Not even a sincere response from her heart.

After the girl retrieved her order, she made her payment, smiled and thanked Joohyun one last time before leaving. Male colleagues started garnering around her.

“Damn Joohyun, you’re one lucky girl to serve her. You should have at least gotten her name!”
 

“Next time she comes, let me serve her!”

“She’s such a hottie!”

But Joohyun ignored them all, because the wild nerve inside her had yet to subside.

**

On bright sunny day an hour before lunch, the same girl showed up again at the café and Joohyun was fortunate she had taken over the counter duty that day as well.

“Good afternoon!” the girl brightly greeted and her signature eye smile appeared magnificently and Joohyun’s supposedly awful day suddenly got brighter. It’s usually the worker that would greet the customer first, but it was the other way around with this girl. She’s surely extraordinary.

Joohyun bowed and returned the same greeting. “What would you like to order, miss?”

Unlike the day before, the beautiful girl was wearing a green sleeveless top matching with long black leggings, causing Joohyun to swallow on .

“Between mango smoothie and strawberry one, which one would you recommend?”

That was a pretty hard question that had Joohyun pondered. Between the two, which one would usually be her choice? She was sure her taste wouldn’t be the same as this pretty girl’s. But as a trained worker, Joohyun shouldn’t stutter.

“Both are equally top choices in our shop, but Strawberry Smoothie would be definitely your taste, miss!” she answered, though invincibly she was shaking and half relief for being able to reply as cool as she could.

“Would you want Strawberry Smoothie for yourself?” the girl asked again, this time trapping Joohyun into speechlessness. “Uhh...” and no escaping to stammering either.

“I have always enjoyed Mango more, so...”

“I want that one. Mango Smoothie takeout please!”

Joohyun scratched her nape in confusion but took the order anyway. She was starting to feel this girl somehow had begun crept her out.

But when the girl showed her smile again adorably, Joohyun was just as at ease again.

**

And that was only the beginning.

Joohyun couldn’t have the time to miss her, the girl appeared again, showing her best jewelry smile. If she could trade her smile with money, she would already be so rich.

Finger tapping her chin, the girl inquired more to herself than Joohyun. “What should I get this time?”

It seemed like the girl’s purpose for coming often was to see someone (cough Joohyun cough) but Joohyun didn’t want to feel too full of herself.

“Ice Americano?” Joohyun timidly suggested and the girl’s eyes flickered in excitement.

“Americano? Sure, it’s great! Takeout one Ice Americano for me!” The counter girl took her order and let the barista did the rest of the work. The girl waited, phone on her hand and eyes on the object, something must have amused her that had her cracked in a fit of laugher. After the barista was done with the coffee, Joohyun traded the beverage for the money.

“Thank you miss. Come again anytime,” Joohyun took the courage to speak those words this time, the girl waved at her smiling.

“See you again, lady!”

Joohyun watched her leaving in awe, daydreaming about upcoming days seeing her again in the future.

**

“Yo Joohyun noona,” a younger boy called her name that had her turning. “That pretty girl comes everyday, do you get her name yet?”

Their new loyal customer had apparently caught many interests, but none were dared enough to ask her name and had friendly chat with her except for Joohyun. Even when Joohyun wasn’t supposed to work behind the counter, the girl demanded for her that had everyone suspected she had something on Joohyun.

Like a crush. Maybe she was too obvious about it.

“Yeah, I haven’t. I don’t have the courage to actually,” Joohyun turned to finish the remaining of her tasks, wiping cups and plates cleanly.
 

“But she likes you, it’s obvious,” the boy told, with exaggerated gesture of his hands raised in the air like pointing out the obvious. Joohyun shook her head.

“Chanyeol, she was just comfortable with me over all of you. But it doesn’t mean she likes me.”

“Well, do you like her?”

Another colleague interrupted that had Joohyun caught off guard. “Why do you ask that?” she looked up at the friend. “I feel like there’s something you want to hear from me, Jieun.”

The Jieun girl stared at her, teasingly. “You seem glowing nowadays and maybe I should thank her for that.”

Joohyun chuckled awkwardly as Chanyeol had began to pull a chair and sit down, waiting for her answer and listen more to the same aged girls’ conversation. The former had done cleaning the utensils, brought her hand up and under her chin, pondering.

“Her voice is really charming, I like it. Besides, she’s really nice and gives positive energy, that spreads in the café and makes me energized just as much too.”

Jieun and Chanyeol laughed at Joohyun’s wordings, then the boy proceeded to say, “You know you look nonsense just now, noona!”

“So basically you’re saying, her voice is your type?” Jieun took the turn after him and Joohyun felt her face heated at the teasing.

“You could say that.”

“Did Yoona noona have the type of voice you like too?” Chanyeol suddenly brought the late Yoona’s name that had Jieun nudged his ribcage, catching his guilt that began to creep in and internally cursed his brain. “I’m sorry noona,” he said again softly to Joohyun.

The girl suddenly grew quiet at the mention of Yoona’s name. She missed her and started blaming herself for having this stupid growing fling like she had forgotten about her late girlfriend when in fact it was only almost three months ago Yoona left the world.

“It’s okay Yeol, Yoona had great voice too. Maybe that’s why I like her,” she joked back and tried to ease the atmosphere though there ain’t no turning back. Chanyeol and Jieun traded glances before both excused themselves to go back to their tasks.

**

Night fell, the air felt dry and heated, no blowing wind that could help cooling. The sky painted dark and only illuminated with the stars, not even the moon showed up on the reflection of the lake Joohyun was staying back at.

She had finished her shift at the convenience store and cycled her bike to the place where she used to have a date with Yoona before going home after ending their shifts respectively. Now that Yoona was gone, Joohyun stood alone and lonely. No more Yoona’s gleeful laugh and her sweet kiss that could help mend her weeping heart.

Wiping the lonely tear that had just rolled down from her eye, Joohyun stood on her guard and ready on the bike before pedaling home. Jinri was already waiting for her.

“Did you eat yet? I cooked kimchi fried rice earlier because Krystal was with me. I’ll heat it up so you can eat.” Jinri was concerned about her sister that had gotten a little thinner.

“Soojung was here? Send my regards to her next time.” Joohyun said and side-cupped Jinri’s face before pinching the latter’s cheek, making her whining and Joohyun laughed. “I don’t feel like eating tonight. Thanks anyway.”

Without waiting for the girl’s complain or protest, Joohyun proceeded to her room where she used to share with Yoona and lied down on the bed, not before she took the framed photo of her with the deceased on the bedside table.

“I’m sorry Yoona if you think I move on too fast,” she gently Yoona’s features in the picture. “I promise I was only attracted by the girl’s beauty and nothing more than that.”

Joohyun fell asleep, with the frame in her embrace close to her heart and dream about Yoona again that night.

**

“I just realized,” Joohyun spoke up, catching Chanyeol’s attention that had him turning to her. “I think I recognize that girl.”

The girl slash the café’s new loyal customer had just left after retrieving her order Mocha Frappe Latte, which Chanyeol sneakily recommended while he’s working as the barista alongside Joohyun behind the counter. The girl had laughed while Joohyun was bewildered, but accepted Chanyeol’s idea.