Jiho checks the address that Mihyun sent once again as she drags her feet across the road. She has been walking for the past 30 minutes, trying to find her uncle's Chinese restaurant. Her leg muscles twitch as Mihyun's words rang loud and clear in her mind. 

"Be here before 11, lunch time is always the craziest time of our day."

Jiho looks at the watch on her left wrist and fastens her pace. It's half past ten already and she's still in the middle of nowhere trying to convince herself that she took the right turn at the last crossroad. Seoul is way too complicated for her, and she still hates Minseok for convincing their mom that Jiho should move in with him and spend her last year in high school in Seoul. She recalls the chain of events vividly as if it all happened yesterday. The enthusiastic look on her mom's face once she recalled how her brother always gushes about Mihyun's school in Seoul.. Her tearful goodbye with Yoobin and Yewon.. Minseok continuous effort to make her feel at home.. and the fear she felt as she tries on her new uniform... it's way too sudden even for her impulsive self. 

Jiho notices that the sky has slight darkens and sighs, maybe she should have taken the umbrella that Minseok left at her door. In instances like these, she always feels a strong pang of guilt about the way she was treating him. Afterall, Minseok has always been a very good brother so she should really grow up and stop being an ungrateful brat, but for now, it's the least of her worries.

"It's not my fault that I can't find the ing restaurant," she grumbles to herself as she tiptoes her way to avoid the brown puddle beneath her. The water rippled as big drops of water begin to fall, and Jiho thinks that this couldn't be worse than it already is. 

Muttering the curse words that she knows, Jiho ran through the heavy rain, her feet on autopilot to the closest building to take a refuge from the rain. The small bell above the door chimes when she pushed the door, making her presence known to any living beings inside the cafe. The smell of coffee and baked goods greets her as she makes her way to one of the booths in the corner. 

She shivers as her wet back touches the warm cushion, contemplating whether it is okay for her to stay awhile in her current condition. A sigh escaped her lips as she scans her surroundings, worn crimson cushions on wooden stools, dark oak tables, and small wooden toys lined up in front of a big window with a wooden frame. She let out another sigh (this time a content one) at the soft jazz music that plays in the background, the melody floats and radiates much-needed warmth. On a normal day, she will probably love it here. Her smile falters when she meets a dark-haired stranger's gaze.

"Is there anything that I can help you with?" He greets her suddenly, walking away from the counter, and took a step closer to Jiho. She let out a little squeak and winces at the thought of him cleaning up the mess that she made.  "Yeah, can I see the menu?" 

He hands her the cream-colored menu, which Jiho quickly snatch out of his hands. "Jesus." she heard him muttered under his breath before continuing. "We recommend our newest beans from Puerto Rico for a strong fruity flavor... Or maybe a sweeter and milder vienna coffee?"

She awkwardly clears , an effort to keep her from rolling her eyes. She hates coffee, and it's not gonna change anytime soon. "One cup of hot vienna coffee then." She answers, shoving the menu back at him. Jiho can feel him staring at her, so she averted her gaze to her phone and punch out Mihyun's numbers. She knows it's a futile attempt, but she did it anyway. It'll make her feel less awkward and at least it'll show Mihyun that she put some effort, right?

Jiho gave up in trying to contact Mihyun after it reached the voicemail box for the fourth times, and turn her attention to another source of entertainment, the working barista. She watches as he pours what appears to be whipped cream on a cup of coffee - it looks like clouds, Jiho thinks. She thinks of the days where she skipped school with Mingyu and Yoobin, lying on their back at the meadow near the school, watching clouds drift by. Somehow, the cream also reminds her of Yewon. 

Her train of thoughts stops along with the soft pat on her shoulder. Looking at her with a smile plastered on his face, the barista hands out a navy sweater, while simultaneously putting her order on the table. "Here's your coffee and here's a part of our excellent service" Jiho tilt her head in confusion, in which he interprets as a need for further explanation. "You've been shivering since the moment you step in, also the cushion is kinda wet and I might have to change it right away." He explains matter-of-factly. 

"Okay... thank you." Jiho raises her eyebrows and tries to force a smile, but he's already walking away. Making her way to the bathroom, she raises the navy sweater for the working barista to see, in which she gets a thumb up as the reply. Jiho has always been described as the crazy kid, and for once she agrees. Standing in front of the sink, she takes a deep breath, lowering her head under the hand dryer, trying to detangle her hair. For five full minutes, no one says anything although she hears him chuckle every now and then. She steals a gaze through the mirror, watching as he wipes the counter clean, It's both fascinating and horrifying to her that he managed to meticulously clean every nook and corner. She has always been the messy friend.

"Aren't you gonna change?" He asks her, his hand busy.

"Yes, right but I can't really let my clothes wet again. Can I? and this wet long hair of mine will surely do the opposite." She shoots back. It's a little way too hostile, she thoughts.

"What are you doing running around in the middle of this heavy rain anyway?"

Jiho fights the urge to sit next to him and complain about the whole moving to Seoul ordeal, instead, she let out a sigh. "Yeah, I'm looking for a Chinese restaurant around this block. They said I'll know right away once I see the sign, they also said that it's quite famous in the area.."

He awkwardly bend his back, his face an inch away from one of the wobbly tables - Jiho sees a tiny little speck of coffee stain there, really it's nothing important. "There's a lot in this area but the famous one would be Mimi's...? It's right down the street, in the corner of this cul-de-sac." He glances up at Jiho and smile.

Jiho blinks. Once, twice, thrice. The bubbling laughter finally explodes, anybody can see that it's laced with relief. The whole thing screams exactly like her uncle since Mimi's was Mihyun's childhood nickname. "Thank you. That's exactly what I was looking for." She flashes him a smile, a genuine one this time, and she disappears behind the bathroom door to change.

When Jiho finished changing he's already gone. She admires the concoction that he made for her and chugs the whole thing down before getting up to pay.

------------

"Kim Jiho!" Mihyun shouts loudly, too loud but no one seems to care. "Took you long enough, we are just about to call the police." Give it to Mihyun and her family to be extra dramatic.

As she wonders why all people in Seoul are so nice, she sheepishly admits. "Yeah, that was a long trip."

The restaurant is smaller than she thinks it will be. The smell of delicious dishes tickles her nose. Warm air blows the back of her neck. Her throbbing legs is now losing its power. But she finds home in Mihyun's gummy smile and her uncle bad jokes. Choking back tears, she attempts a smile - Mihyun said that it looks like a hyena's smile. "Any apron for me?"

Maybe living in Seoul won't be so bad after all.