“Are you sure?” she twirled her finger on the clean surface, “Because if you come early you will meet Irene. Remember her?”
She heard something or someone fall from her phone, she thought it must be Taehyung, and because her employee often called her Devil, she hung up and rejected all the incoming calls from Taehyung.
Let him dying in suspense.
She let out evil giggle. “You are crazier than you are in college.” She saw Irene stood near the coffee table.
“It’s not 6.30 yet.” She frowned, “you still have to buy me Chris Evan poster from Infinity war.” She pouted. “It’s not my fault you wake up early.”
Irene rolled her eyes, “I should know better than to deal with Devil.” She had no problem telling Ailee that.
Ailee shrugged, “ Well, whatever you faced before must be worse than me.” She said. “What? Another stalker? Or man who couldn’t accept no?” she asked.
“No. Worse. my mother!” Irene said.
Ailee gasped and watched Irene like she made some huge betrayal as she smack Irene’s hand. “how could you? It should be code Hera!! Not Code Artemis.”
Irene frowned “Don’t hurt me!” she blurted, “ and code Artemis or Hera or Hestia same differences.”
Ailee growled, “No it’s not!! How could you forget our friendship code. It’s a of knowledge.” She said dramatically, “Code Artemis to protect your chastity..”
“I am not ….” Irene protested, and it was ignored by Ailee.
“Code Hera is for mother and Code Hestia is for burning apartment!!” she continued, “And Code Athena is after you make stupid decision.” She explained.
"Like I care.” Irene retorted, Ailee had a way to get under her skin. It felt just like when they were in college again. Irene missed having friend where she can vent her anger.
“You should. Because if you are wrong again, see if I am going to help you.” She said.
“well, we can negotiate.” Ailee said promptly. Just like Irene thought, bribing Ailee is not that hard. Especially if you know her well. Irene sighed, “you remember my ex?”
Ailee took some cup from shelf behind counter. Two cups with cat logo. She chose it by herself when she was in Japan. “The one you cried for whole our freshmen year?”
Irene didn’t appreciate that reminder. Okay she hated him a little bit but he was her first love anyway. After the anger subsided then came the sadness and broken heart. “He will get married.”
“He is .” Ailee changed her tone as soon as possible.
Irene nodded, happy someone put the right curse on him. “And I as the responsible big sister have to come back to Daegu to help my sister for the wedding.”
Irene glared, “Well, she is family. I don’t think my mother would spare my life if I don’t attend.” She leaned on the counter. “She’s already nagging about my non exist love life, I prefer she is not going on killing spree mode. So I have to placate her somehow.”
“Tell me something I dunno.”
Sometimes it really easy to fall back into conversation with Ailee. It felt like they were never lose contact. Most of time she is insane more than sane , but she is good listener when she wanted. She was also not judgmental, well she judged you but silently.
“And can you imagine family gathering.” Ailee shuddered, “Your relatives, close family and grandparents….uhh, imagine how horrible when everyone there would ask you when will your turn to get married.”
Irene grew paler and groan. Damn! She forgot her meddling relatives. Especially her maternal grandmother. Well, where did you think her mother get her meddling behavior? The apple never falls far from the tree. Her Maternal Grandmother loved her, but now Irene pretty sure she would favor her sister after the wedding.
She banged her head to table. The thump sound echoed around the empty café. “Hey don’t bang your head,” Ailee warned her, “you can break the table. It’s expensive!!”
“Geeze! Thanks. I feel loved.”
“Yupp that’s me. Queen of all type of love.”
Irene rolled her eyes, then she remembered her miserable future, “Ahh what should I do?”
Ailee sat in front of her and put two cute cup of coffee in front of them. “You can always bring someone to pretend as your boyfriend.”
Irene raised her head, “Are you just suggesting something like cliché chick flick plot?”
Ailee shrugged, “ Well yes, you can be Sandra Bullock of Korea if you want to.”
“Ailee… I am serious here. And I don’t need any cliché in my life. I hate drama.”
“Well, what’s wrong with that? You can always find love that way. Also I can rent you some handsome worker. Let see, we have Jungkook, Myungsoo and aha Taehyung.”
Hearing Taehyung name roused heat on Irene cheek, she took the cup and drank it. To cover her reddened cheeks. “No thanks. But I am not going to be Sandra Bullock for your sick entertainment.”
Ailee pouted, “Well, I am trying to help here. You know you want to avoid your relatives question so the only thing that calm them is you come with your date.”
“Or I can be independent woman and ignoring them.”
“Yeah, if you are not going crazy before.” Ailee said, “Or you can just find real boyfriend.” She suggested.
“and where is it?” Irene didn’t bother to hide her sarcasm.
Ailee gave her mysterious smile, and tapped Irene’s hand. Irene got really bad feeling about this usually she would avoid Ailee if she saw smile like that, but she couldn’t go anywhere yet because she still had to change before she worked.
“Closer than you think.” She said.
And like on cue, the front bell chimed loudly and the unruly Taehyung stood there with short breath. “That’s him,” Ailee said cheerfully.
Irene wanted to dig hole and die there especially after Taehyung smiled like he had seen sun itself. “me what?”
***
“So, How long have you worked here?”
Ailee was devil in disguised. She hated her a lot. Irene couldn’t believe Ailee just leave her alone with Taehyung here. It didn’t help also Taehyung looked super happy.
“Sixth month.”
“Do you like it?” Damn it was super awkward.
“Yes, especially this place is closer to my university.” He said, “This is my last semester. I am writing my thesis.”
“Wow. And you still have time to work? I have to halt all my schedule during thesis period.” Irene really meant it. She spent almost all of her time in library.
“Well, yeah. But I can’t just stop working. And also as long as you can use your time wisely we can do it.” He said, then laughed, “Or that’s what my parents said.”
Damn. He was capable too. Irene always a er for capable man. “And your grade?”
“Well, they are fine.” He said, “I will miss this place after I graduate.”
Irene smiled, “Yeah. I know. It’s kinda hard to grow out the place where you first learn to earn money.” She said.
“Yup. And I like this atmosphere, you know homeys.” He said.
Well, Irene couldn’t fault Taehyung to get attached with the coffee shop. Ailee did pretty good job by making it was so cozy and warm. “Well, you can always visit back. Ailee would be so happy especially if you bring lot of cash.” She said.
“Then Boss must be so happy right now, because you visit the café and even order breakfast from here….” He hesitated a bit, before adding, “Irene-ssi.”
Damn! Crap! Crap! Something wrong when Irene felt her heart stopping for a while. When Taehyung called her name, the vibrate in his voice was so dangerous. She should never attracted to young man.
Damn her heart should never stop in the first place. Attraction you can fight it, but something happen about heart usually lead to disaster. “You can call me noona. I am older than you anyway,” she had to put some distance.
Taehyung frowned.
Well, if he called her Big sister (Noona in Korean) it was like mental remainder for her. He was younger man, younger man equals to leecher. She didn’t need it in her stable life. Even he was young and exactly like Prince Charming in your dream. She didn’t do dating right now because she’s busy.
Well, that’s safe.
“But age is just a number,” Taehyung said.
Yes, right.
“But we live in Korea, so we should respect the numeric difference.” Damn. She became just like her mother. Usually she always disregard anything like seniority or you have to respect people that older than you even though they were rude as .
She would shove her argument in their face no matter how old they were. But this time she had to use the same argument just to keep distance.
“And I’m like what….” She tried to calculate, “Six year your senior?”
Taehyung sighed, “well if you want to. But can I know your Korean name. I don’t think it’s right to call you Noona with English name.”
Well, she could settle with that. “Bae Joohyun.” She said.
Taehyung nodded, “Bae Joohyun..” she tried, “It’s nice name. Joohyun noona.”
Crapp! It shouldn’t be worse, but when Taehyung called her Joohyun it sounded they were closer. And it’s bad for her heart.
Irene fumbled a bit. She tried to find whatever excuses to stop talking with Taehyung, she almost bolted to the guest room and locked herself in.
Of course, when she thought she could find some solace. Ailee had to play ‘Replay’ by Shinee. A song dedicated to Pretty older woman out there. Curse that Damn Devil!!!!
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