“Hyeonju, want to come with us at the art exhibit downtown?”

The short-haired girl looked at her two bestfriends who were currently packing their school stuff to head straight towards the place they’ve mentioned. It’s already a Friday and since the next day is a weekend, they’ll be able to have their time away from the grounds of school works and lessons.

As Hyeonju fixed her scarf on her neck, she looked at them and replied a polite “no”. She had other plans which seemed more important to her than bonding with her friends today.

Anna and Mira exchanged glances, knowing why their friend had come up with another excuse not to join the both of them again. “You’re going to visit that coffee shop near your uncle’s appliance store again, huh? Aren’t you tired of the place like you visit it almost every day?” Mira exaggeratedly sighed, aware that Hyeonju won’t be changing her mind at any rate.

“Yeah, like the last time you had us come with you, you were able to introduce us the whole menu as if you’re part of the café’s staff.” Both girls looked at each other for the second time while giggling and in unison, uttered the word “ice cream sandwich”. That was Hyeonju’s all-time favourite food in the shop’s menu.

Hyeonju looked at them with a neutral expression plastered on her face. “Well, it’s the best I’d ever had my entire life and theirs is cheaper compared to other cafes who offer the same kind of dessert.”

            “Yeah it’s good but other shops can do that too, you know,” Anna replied which made Hyeonju knit her eyebrows. Suddenly looking at her watch, Hyeonju frantically remembered that the shop closes early at seven in the evening every weekdays. It’s already four in the afternoon and if she doesn’t hurry, then she might be able to arrive their after an hour and a half. “I’m really sorry guys. I promise I’ll join you next time; just not now.” She hurriedly made an exit without looking back at her bestfriends, mentally praying that they would let it slide again just like the other times that she ditched them for having another agenda.

            That shop fourteen blocks away from her school and twenty blocks away from her home is a café she has always visited since she was ten-years-old. The very first time she discovered that place was when her mother tagged her along to visit her uncle (which was her mother’s older brother). He happened to successfully open his appliances center after a long time of deciding whether to invest his money for a business or spend it to go abroad and start his own life in a foreign country alone.

            It was a chilly January that time; a rainy afternoon with no sign of the sun peeking itself on white clouds and instead, a grey sky dull enough for someone to decide that they want to stay home instead of going out with their umbrellas at hand to protect them from getting wet. Hyeonju hated the idea of tagging along with her mother but the latter insisted, saying that her uncle badly wanted to meet her niece.

            The two of them entered the coffee shop because that is where Hyeonju’s uncle said they would meet-up. The café was cozy; a homely vibe in white interior illuminated with yellow light bulbs hanging at every table and adorned with a small pot of white daisies at the center. The walls were covered with paintings that were an imitation from renowned painters like Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” and “Irises”, Pablo Picasso’s “Jacqeuline”, Sandro Boticelli’s “The Birth of Venus” and some other local portraits surrounded the entire shop.

            A woman in her mid-thirties greeted them when they entered the coffee shop. “Welcome to The Eve’s Café,” another person in the shop’s counter shouted, wearing a black Darth Vader apron with a smile plastered on his face. Hyeonju and her mother headed straight to the nearest table by the café’s first window panel. The person who greeted them loudly a while ago approached their table and gave the both of them the menu card. After a few minutes, her mother stated their orders. “I’ll have a cup of cappuccino and a mug of warm milk. Also, two bowls of carbonara and a small bucket of cheese sticks. Hyeonju, want to add anything else?” She looked up on her mother’s eyes for a while and turned her attention back at the menu. “I want this ice cream sandwich.” She uttered, still looking at the menu in front of her.

            “But it’s cold, Hyeonju. You’ll have a sore throat if you eat that today.” Her mother replied.

            Hyeonju huffed grumpily and turned to the person tending to their orders. “I want that ice cream sandwich so list it down, please.” The guy stifled a laugh and that made Hyeonju dart her attention towards the guy. “Sure, but the only available ice creams are coffee and green tea. We weren’t able to restock today because of the bad weather so you can only choose between the two.” He stated while smiling at the little girl in front of him.

            “Green tea please and can you add more sprinkles on top and a caramel fudge inside?” She said as she looked at him with a delighted grin on her face. He had long hair tied to a messy ponytail. His features were sharp; slit eyes, tall nose, and pink lips. When he smiled, his eyes were nowhere to be seen but that made him look like a puppy sleeping with a smile on its face. "The flavors are not really that appealing to kids but you sure are craving for an ice cream right now, little one". 

            That was a happy memory Hyeonju can never erase; the cold yet sweet taste of ice cream enveloped by a fluffy waffle in that she could never forget no matter what despite the cool weather that day. The store owners were friendly too that’s why it easily filled a spot in her heart.

            After that first visit, when they got home, she asked her mother if they could come visit her uncle again. Hyeonju was so happy that she even forgot to brush her teeth before going to bed (which resulted on her having a cough and a toothache the next day). But that didn’t stop    Hyeonju from getting all giddy for another visit on her uncle’s district. She asks her mother every single day if they could come again and it is often that her mother would say no.

            On her first year in high school, Hyeonju began to go there by herself with her mother’s permission and sometimes, stay over at her uncle’s place. Her frequent visits made her become close with her uncle. She also never forgets to drop by first on The Eve’s Café; after all, that was the real reason behind why she kept on crashing in his uncle’s house.

            She arrived at the coffee shop a couple of minutes after five that afternoon. When she entered the coffee shop, Hara, the same woman who was first to welcome Hyeonju before on her first visit, greeted her. On the last stool near the jukebox was a guy reading the latest issue of the National Geographic magazine. He turned his gaze to the girl when he heard Hyeonju entering the shop. “It’s you again. You seriously have no life, huh?”

            “Daniel! Shut up and greet our guests. I’m so sorry, Hyeonju. The usual, right?” Hyeonju is the shop owner and Daniel’s mom. She is a friendly middle-aged woman and Hyeonju became fond of her as the years go by. The other person though, was a different story. Daniel, the same age as Hyeonju, was her frenemy for a long time and there’s this whole negative attraction between them whenever they see each other.

            “You’re still childish, Euigeon.” Hyeonju smirked at Daniel and the latter blushed when he heard her say his real name. “Hey! It’s Daniel now. Don’t ever call me by that name again!”

            She replied a “whatever” while rolling her eyes. Hyeonju settled on the counter’s stool three seats away from Daniel. She quietly waited for her order when the café’s door opened and a guy entered the place. “Seongwu-oppa?” she said.

            “Hyeonju! Long time no see. You still visit our shop?” The guy named Seongwu approached her with a smile on his face. Hyeonju remembered that familiar grin. He was the same old Seongwu who loudly greeted her the first time she stepped in this café. The only difference is that he already has a short black hair and dressed like the typical urban guy.

            Hyeonju smiled back and jumped on her stool to approach him. “Wow you’re really tall now. The last time I saw you, you were only as tall as that stool. You’ve changed a lot, Hyeon!” he complemented and began to pat Hyeonju’s head. For some reasons she felt so happy that time and it made her stomach feel weird.

            “Oh, right. Oppa will you be free later? If you have time, let’s go to the park. I heard that there was a newly built arcade there—“She was cut short when Seongwu suddenly turned his attention to someone else.

            “Seongwu, Aunt Hara is looking for you!” A young lady called him, peeking her head by the kitchen.

            “Alright. I’ll be right there.” He patted Hyeonju’s head once again and headed straight to the kitchen but stopped and turned to face her half-way. “Hey Hyeonju you still love our ice cream sandwich here, right? Order as many bowls as you can. I’ll treat you today.” Seongwu glanced at her with one last smile and watched as his back disappears together with the girl as they walk side-by-side.

            “That’s his fiancé.” Daniel whispered on her right ear. She suddenly remembered that Daniel was there. Hyeonju looked at him with a stoic expression on her face. She suddenly got her things and led her way to the exit.

            “Hey where are you going? What about your order?” Daniel shouted.

            “Cancel my order. I don’t want one anymore.” She hurriedly made her way out of the shop. Hyeonju settled herself on a bench a few feet away from the café. Daniel followed her and sat right next to her. “Is it one of those days? I’m pretty sure that it’ll be over soon so go back and get your order. Mom’s gonna think that I chased you away and I don’t want to get scolded again.”

            Hyeonju looked straight ahead without any expression written on her face. “That ice cream you’re serving came from a supplier in your local grocery store. The waffles were also made using a purchased pancake mix. So no matter which shop sells it, it’s still the same.”

            Ever since the day Seongwu had left in his auntie’s place to live on a dormitory near his university, Hyeonju would make herself available as possible in order to stop by the coffee shop. She would eat the ice cream sandwich while walking straight to his uncle’s house as if to constantly bring back some old memories she had on the first few years of her childhood there. But now, realization started to hit her hard. The taste of that ice cream sandwich she had been having for many years was not that distinct, after all. That same taste that she loved has completely vanished without a trace. What a complete idiot.

            “Fine. If you don’t want to go back then I won’t force you.” Daniel stood up. “But tomorrow, you should come back. I’ll be waiting for you.” He started walking towards the café in an awkward manner. Hyeonju stared at him and laughed by herself.

            “Thanks Euigeon” aware that Daniel won’t be able to hear her anymore.

            Love is indeed like an ice cream. Despite the endless amount of flavor, there is only one flavor that would stand out and become your favorite. But as time passes by, our preferences change and the next thing we know, we’ve already chosen another one that suits our taste buds better.