When the world falls apart in front of people, there will always be one or someone that holds on with them and get back up on their feet though they may not be visible at first and oftentimes ignored due to thundering emotions. When all the efforts are lost, the blood and sweats, even tears throughout the process vanished in a snap, when the world turns dark, there will always be this one spot of light to give them hope. They may think it’s the end of the line and there’s nothing more to look forward to in the future but if they look around them and recognize this one tiny help yet powerful, then the road ahead can shine bright once again.

Winter has come, which also means the holidays are fast approaching, the days that everyone is looking forward to. The snow may have not started to fall yet but the season has officially started. Similar to most, if not then some, this is Jennie’s favourite season not only personally but also for her business that’s always boosting up during the holidays. Cakes and pastries as gifts and for parties, some good coffee to warm up their bodies, who wouldn’t love these?

Jennie should be smiling and getting all excited for this season has finally come again. However, together with her mother inside the hospital room, Jennie’s rather spacing out as she’s in her deepest thoughts while wiping her mother’s back with a warm towel, they’re both seated on the bedside. Her wipes occasionally stop, then she goes sighing and adding more to her odd and obvious actions are her low grumbles before she goes back on wiping her mother’s back.

This of course didn’t escape her mother’s observations despite her back facing her daughter and so she asks, “Jennie, is there something wrong? You seem quite disturbed.”

“Something’s just confusing me, mom… or should I say someone is confusing me. Well, I don’t know. It’s not about business or anyone in the café though.” Jennie sighed on her first words but groaned in muddle.

“Someone? Eh? What’s this about? Why am I only hearing this now? I do know I’m always sleeping when you visit her most of the times but what’s with this new thing I’m hearing from you? It’s a miracle you’re not talking about business or baking today.” Her mother suddenly got eager to hear more but didn’t twist to face her daughter.

Jennie temporarily stopped from wiping her mother’s back as she lowered down her head. As much as she hates to talk about it or even remember the feeling, this is her mother and she should know everything. “Actually… I met someone during the autumn. Her name is Park Chaeyoung and she came from Australia. She’s the younger sister of our regular customer in the café, the lawyer.” She started to open up so stiff and awkward.

“So it’s been since autumn. It’s already winter and it’s only now you’re introducing her to me?” Her mother interrogated.

“Mom, listen to me first.” Jennie whined and the mother acted she’s zipping her lips. “Chaeyoung is a blind woman for more than a year now. She has been living in the dark for that long already but it amazes me how she’s fighting her depression. Sometimes, whenever I look at her smiling while she’s eating or just simply being happy over anything, it somehow motivates me too. You know, she may be suffering worse than I do but she’s fighting her inner fears bravely and she easily gets back up again. There are times I think that God really wanted me to meet her and let me see that life is amazing despite the hardships.” She then went on, grinning at the image of a happy Chaeyoung flashed in her mind.

“I see. So that’s why you’ve been inspired lately, huh?” Her mother teased.

Jennie whines for her mother’s teases always get into her as she playfully shakes her giggling mother. And once settled serious again, Jennie confesses, sighing, “Actually… it happened again… The same thing happened again mom.”

This time the mother has to face her daughter, only to see her ogling at her hand, “What do you mean it happened again?”

“One night, Chaeyoung and I were together. She held my hand. She held it so tight and I couldn’t do anything about it. However, I didn’t pull away, rather I found myself tightening it too and even unconsciously swayed it, maybe. I just know it felt the same… or maybe even better than years ago, when I started dating Jong-in.” Jennie confessed as she hardly uttered while keeping her eyes fixated onto her hand that Chaeyoung kept locked the whole night they walked on the streets.

“Oh…” That’s all the mother can initially react from her daughter’s unexpected revelation.

Jennie goes on confessing, “It’s been so long since someone had hold my hand that long to the point that I almost forgot how it feels. But then when Chaeyoung held my hand, it felt so good again. I felt secured. I felt happy. But, at the same time, I’m scared that I feel like this. A part of me is saying that I shouldn’t feel like this but also a part of me is saying that I want more of it.”

“Scared? But why? If it feels good, then shouldn’t you keep wanting it?” The mother questioned.

“I was cheated on by a man I really loved, a man I thought would love me as much as I loved him, remember?” Jennie scowled and her mother immediately patted her shoulder. “I loved him so much yet I was cheated on. I gave everything but he wasn’t satisfied. And this feeling that suddenly sparked recently, it’s kind of the same when I and Jong-in were still starting it off… But still, he ended up like dad, cheating and choosing someone they think is better…” She further said close to breaking down in tears.

Jennie is starting to fall in love again, the mother is certain of this even without Jennie directly saying it out of her own mouth. Certainly, the mother can remember how much Jennie was always so thrilled whenever she talks about Jong-in and whenever she tells story about their first dates. Her love for Jong-in was one of the reasons why she was able to forget the pain of her father leaving the family and yet they’re alike, cheating on the woman they once called their love. And this concerned mother sure knows, Jennie is scared to fall in love once again and she’s neglecting to recognize this feeling striking her again.

Thus the mother pulls Jennie for an embrace as she tells in calm, “Don’t stress about it for now. I know how hard it is for you ever since that day your father left us and worse your ex-boyfriend did the same, so, take it easy for now and whatever you’re feeling for Chaeyoung, you should cherish the good intentions and decide whenever you can. I’m not forcing you or putting any pressure but I just want to tell you that not everyone is the same… Chaeyoung is not Jong-in. Chaeyoung isn’t someone like your father. She’s a brand new person in your life.”

“I’m just scared mom. I still don’t want this right now. I’m not yet ready to know it again. I don’t know if this is what I think it is or I just missed the feeling of having someone holding my hand again.” Jennie buried her face onto her mother’s shoulder.

“I know too that’s why don’t overthink about it for now and let it flow slowly, okay?” The mother advised and got her daughter nodding. “Why don’t you bring Chaeyoung here next time you visit so I can meet her too? I’m always looking forward to meet someone new since you’re always bringing Jisoo or people from work here.” She then chuckled to lighten up Jennie’s rumbled emotions.

“I’ll bring Chaeyoung here soon, I promise.”

In the meantime, the busiest hours of the day have ended but not for Jisoo as her thoughts are restless yet her actions are appearing idle and drained. Ogling into a blank space, she wipes the equipment used throughout the hectic business hours, and let the unfixed ingredients still at rest and waiting to be touched on the other side of her station. She has been manifesting the same aura since she stepped inside the café to start her work and because it’s been that long, Mino couldn’t help but to call out already.

“Jennie has been acting the same as you throughout the day.” Mino suddenly spoke from behind which caused her to flinch and almost dropped the glass from her hands. “You both made a lot of mistakes today from working until we closed and I’m sorry that I have to point it out now. What’s wrong with you guys?” He then questioned as he rested his back on the counter with his arms crossed.

Jisoo sighs as she lowers her head, “I don’t know what’s wrong with Jennie too and I’m surprised she’s also spacing out like me. We didn’t even talk much while working earlier and she didn’t even say anything when she went to the hospital.”

“Her aside, how about you then? What’s bothering you?”

Jisoo settles on not looking back on him as she hesitantly shares in a mutter, “I think I did something wrong oppa. I did something I shouldn’t have and I said something that I feel guilty of.”

“What is it?” Mino asked coolly to ease Jisoo’s obvious tension as shown from her stiffed shoulders.

That’s when Jisoo looks at him and opens up, “I told Lisa I’m single when she asked me about my status.”

“You did what?” Mino gasped and left his jaw hanging open.

And Jisoo starts panicking, pacing all over the closed café restlessly, “I know I did wrong. That day she asked me about it, I had a fight with Seulgi as always in the morning. I was so mad at her and it was on that same day Lisa happened to ask about my status. And since I was so angry at Seulgi, I told Lisa I am single out of impulse. But now that I’m thinking of it, it’s just so wrong… I should have still told the truth.”

“That’s really messed up Jisoo…” Mino sighed in disbelief.

“I know oppa!” Jisoo whined and leaned on the table. “Lisa has always been so kind to me and she’s always open with everything. She’s a sweet girl and very caring yet I told her a lie.” She then went on whining low.

However, Jisoo’s complaints and rumbles somewhat confuses Mino. Looking at her muddled, he grills, “But wait… what makes you react this much then? I mean, you can just go tell her that you didn’t mean to lie and tell her the truth, right? It’s been days since then but why haven’t you told her yet? Is there something holding you back? You’re close friends now so what makes it hard for you to just go and say it?”

“Well… about that…” Jisoo looked away in guilt. “I don’t know too…” She mumbled.

“Huh? Excuse me?”

Jisoo breathed heavy, feeling the mix-up going on in her head as goes around in circles and grumbles, “I don’t know oppa. Trust me I wanted to correct myself immediately when we were inside the car but then she gave me a gift and it’s then that I started to contemplate. I feel bad…”

Mino paraded close to Jisoo, leaning close to her face and looked at her eye-to-eye, so close that Jisoo nearly cross-eyed on him. He has his eyebrows creasing as he stares more of her unsteady eyes while Jisoo herself didn’t move an inch, instead she let Mino scrutinize her this close. “Hmm…” He purred when he decided to straighten himself but with his arms crossed.

“W-what…”

“You… you’re not cheating on Seulgi, right?” Mino interrogated.

Which Jisoo defends herself straightaway, “No! I’m not that kind of person oppa! I’m not a cheater! And moreover, my best friend hates cheaters so why should I become one myself? I don’t want Jennie to hate me and I’m loyal to my lover even if she’s toxic as hell.”

“Good. Then go tell Lisa about the truth before she totally gets drowned into that lie and who knows it might lead into something else between the two of you. Because let’s face it, the two of you are always together and will always be together for the following weeks. You cannot remove the possibility that someone like Lisa who doesn’t have experience in relationships yet might start feeling things and who knows, right?” Mino advised after he collected all his things and before leaving Jisoo alone in the café.

Jisoo pouts, defeated as she talks to herself, “Geez, there he goes overanalysing again.”

She did say, but at the back of her mind, she finds a point in Mino’s words and now a shade of fear is troubling her, not only her mind but also her heart. Certainly, Jisoo knows it herself that not in her wildest dreams she would cheat, especially with the fact that her best friend despises those kinds of people. However, at the same time, she cannot shake off this feeling of growing attachment with Lisa. And rather than hating it, she’s scared of whatever’s growing between their closer bonds.

The winter night is still young, but Jong-in’s fire and will to face his fiancé has finally come. He has always been a coward and he always walk away as he fears of arguing with his fiancé who is way more powerful than he is. There’s never a day he won without avoiding or getting all worked up and thinking of all these days he keeps failing himself, he couldn’t handle it anymore. And this night, with his resolute mind that shows how he walks in to his fiancé’s mansion, he wants to end this cowardice.

“Hey…” Jong-in casually greeted his fiancé who is busily working on business papers inside her luxurious room by her working table adjacent to her bed.

Surprised by his visit, his fiancé excitedly approaches him, “Babe, why are you here? I mean, yeah, obviously you can come here anytime you want to but you didn’t call me about tonight. This is the first time.”

Just when his fiancé is about to lean in to kiss, Jong-in tugged back and detached her arms around his waist. He made sure there’s enough distance between them for his to speak his intentions clearly. Though there’s a hesitation at first because of how his fiancé is looking at him, close and lovely which he cannot deny, he chewed in everything. At first he couldn’t look steady into her but as soon as he calmed himself, he stood firm in front of her, changing the mood as his fiancé’s expression changed into horror.

“Actually, I came here today because there’s something I want to tell you important. I have to say it in person because I don’t want to be that coward anymore.” Jong-in said in a whisper.

Sensing what he’s about to say, his fiancé put her hand up and halts him from opening his mouth, “Stop! I don’t like where this is going Jong-in. I swear to God if what you’re going to tell me is what I’m thinking it is I—“

“I’m still talking.” Jong-in cut her off, emitting his deep hoarse voice to put his fiancé into an arrest, letting her see a side of him she has never seen before. “I’m tired with all of this…” He breathed as he released his frustration.

“What do you mean…?” His fiancé started to shed tears as she attempted to reach out for Jong-in’s hand but he pulled his hand away.

Jong-in unexpectedly started to weep as well, looking on his ring finger that’s locked with their engagement ring. Playing with it to control his sobs, he continues on talking, “I already made a lot of mistakes in my life so far and I don’t want to add more and continue living with so much guilt in me. I don’t want any more of this.”

“Are you saying that being with me is a mistake?” His fiancé questioned, gritting her teeth together as she tries so hard not to snap and scream at him.

Jong-in removed the ring out of his finger, freeing himself from it as he speaks more of his deepest emotions he had to dig from the depth of his heart, “I thought I made the right decisions. I believed I did some things right and I turned my back to someone who truly owns my heart. I know there’s no excuse to what I did. I cheated on her because of you. I chose you over her just because of one night. There’s no right explanation of what I did and I know I cannot make things right again. All this time, at the end of the day, there’s only one person that can make me genuinely smile…”

“Jennie…” His fiancé pronounced her name and that’s when she snapped, screaming her pain out on him, “What the hell Jong-in? Why are you saying these things now, huh? We’re engaged and soon we’ll get married and now you’re telling me that you still love that ex of yours that you cheated on? You chose me already, right? All these years we’ve been together and still, you’re thinking about that woman you chose to turn your back on! What the hell are you thinking?”

“That’s why I regret it!” Jong-in fights back and for the first time he did so. “All these years, yes, I did love you. I loved you… but this feeling I have for Jennie is somewhere you can never reach which is why I—“

Before he could go on professing his greatest love for Jennie, his fiancé landed her heaviest slap on his face to shut him up, a slap that contained all her anger, all her frustrations and all of her emotions he is giving her tonight. This pain that Jong-in is giving her, there’s nothing that could match it for it’s too much for her sane mind to be handling. She cannot hold it, especially not her tears that never ceased from coming out and not tonight that she’s going to calm down with this revelation.

“Do you seriously think that by ending it with me makes you lesser of a coward?” His fiancé went on discharging her emotions, grumbling every word as she voices out in between her hard sobs without looking away from the man. “Do you really think that telling me how much you still love that woman makes you a hero? Do you truly believe that you’re not a coward by doing this to me?” She then asked.

“I’m sorry… but I have to do this before it’s too late.” Jong-in said so low for he also feels guilty on breaking someone’s heart but not forgetting to return the ring that he placed on the table beside him.

“Leave…” His fiancé ordered and louder as she repeats, “I said leave before I bury you alive here!”

“I’m so sorry…” Jong-in held her hand one last time before he marched out of the mansion, leaving his broken ex-fiancé in her room.

Her howls and cries radiated all over the mansion, alarming the maids and guards surrounding the place. Whatever she sees around her, she throws it against her walls, the vases, the glasses and even scattering the documents on the floor which she was working on before her heart crashed into pieces. The bottle of wine resting on the shelf didn’t escape from her wrath as it also fell on the floor and stained her white sleeping gown, the red carpet and worse, obtained some injuries on her feet.

“Ma’am, please stop it.” Guards soon came rushing to help their boss up from the cold dangerous floor filled with broken glasses.   

She shoved them away as she insists on staying wrecked on that cold floor, but she orders them, “There’s something I want you to do and do it flawlessly! Make sure you do it properly and I want it now! I want it to be done tonight before this day ends!”

“What is it, ma’am?” The guards went on alert as they wait for her orders.

With her fists clenching tight, she declares, “Proceed with our original plans before. Destroy Jennie Kim… make her suffer.”

“Understood, ma’am.” They all bowed and some already went on their way to conduct the plan.

Henceforth, the next day happened. The morning is bright but not for the JNK Cakes and Coffee as it starts its day with a disaster that no one would see it coming. Shocking the entire area as the bystanders gathered around and media are already on the area to cover, the café is destroyed. The windows are broken, the walls were vandalized, the door was cut in half and all of these are just the damage done outside.

It’s a whole lot worse with the damage done inside the café. The glass racks used for the displays were smashed into pieces, leaving it completely useless and unusable anymore. The walls are vandalized as well but worse than what’s seen outside as different paints were splashed all over, also staining the once shining floor. The decorations, the tables and chairs, all are broken into pieces as if the entire dining area has gone through the war.

Not only those things happened, but the equipment and tools at the coffee station were all stolen, nothing was left behind. The kitchen that Jennie has been taking care of, that one kitchen she treasures the most, it was mercilessly destroyed as the ovens and materials are all wasted. The damage done is something unimaginable that the café almost turned into an abandoned and old area of the district. And in the middle of all these modern buildings and trendy businesses, there’s the destroyed café tarnishing the good image of the town.

“Oh my God! Jennie! What happened here?” The ultimately shocked Jisoo dashed in urgency into the destroyed café when she sighted the disaster from afar.  

Jisoo didn’t bother going through the back door as she just bumped into those media blocking the way and passed through the caution line surrounding the front area of the café. Hearing her heart stopping its beat, she witnessed how the café turned into a complete tragedy and almost unrecognizable with the eyes. Nothing is left to be saved, not a single piece of chair can be sat on. The place she considers her second home is now in a total breakdown and seeing this happening in an unexpected day tied her heart so tight she couldn’t breathe easy.

“Jisoo…” Mino coming down from the second floor found Jisoo frozen in her stand in the middle of the café.

Jisoo breathes heavily as she asks, “Oppa, what the hell happened here? Why is it like this?”

“Jennie came here at dawn to start baking like she always does together with her assistants but unfortunately, she already found the café like this. She immediately reported this to the police and until now they are doing investigations all over the area. So far, we only know that there were armed men who came here past midnight to do all of these things as caught by the nearby CCTVs outside but sadly, we cannot confirm their identity as they are all masked and the car they used doesn’t have a number either.” Mino explained well but in a frown he couldn’t make his voice louder.

“Where’s Jennie then? How is she? Why didn’t she call me immediately about this?” Jisoo immediately thought of her best friend who is a hundred percent the most heartbroken at this unfortunate moment. 

Mino looks over to the stairs and said, “She’s currently being questioned by the police on the second floor. She’s in a total shock and she couldn’t talk well earlier that’s why I also rushed here to back her up.”  

Jisoo wasted no more seconds to go to her best friend. However, as soon as she entered the second floor, there she found more damage done by the perpetrators. And the most notable one is the rack where the trophies of her mother from her achievements used to be displayed, now empty and only one left yet broken on the floor. Just when she thought it couldn’t get worse from what she has seen so far outside, it’s now the worst.

“Jisoo-unnie…” Jennie ran towards her best friend enveloped her in an embrace as she cries onto her shoulders and let her tears flow freely.

Jisoo made sure Jennie feels secured and so she hugs her as tight as she can do. She’s so rumbled from what she’s seeing and even more now that Jennie is in her arms, broken and dejected. “I’m here, Jennie. I’m here.” She whispered to her gently in hopes to calm her hard sobs but it’s no use as Jennie’s cries became louder and she can feel her getting a lot weaker and she’s starting to be dependent in her hold.

“Everything’s gone…” Jennie wailed and found herself gripping tight onto Jisoo’s back.

Jisoo can say none, not a single word as she herself is in a state of shock and her troubled mind cannot search for anything right to comfort Jennie at this moment. She can only hold her, let her cry it out, hear her sobs and listen to her grumbles she cannot understand anymore. Jennie is pouring out the tears that Jisoo never thought she would see one of these days, perhaps in the future but not on this day they thought it’s going to be another prosperous day in the growing business.

“You’re the barista Kim Jisoo, isn’t it?” One of the police officers asked and Jisoo nodded but not letting go of the crying Jennie around her arms. “Is there anyone in your mind who could do this to the business? Or do you have any idea about those men who attacked during the midnight?” They interrogated.

“Ever since this business opened and since I was employed here, I don’t remember anyone who holds any grudges against our business. We did nothing wrong to anyone, not to customers and not to suppliers either. The business is clean and we have respect to our works. But recently, because our business has been growing so fast and we’ve been gaining a lot of feedbacks, I’m not really sure if we unknowingly made someone be this mad at us.” Jisoo explained.

But Jennie interrupts, letting go of her best friend as she faces the police, “I do know someone… She doesn’t hold a grudge against the business, but probably a personal grudge against me.”

“Now that you mention it…” Jisoo also started to recollect then she spills, “Jennie’s ex-boyfriend, he came here some time ago and it did caused quite a commotion because his fiancé hates Jennie so much. Right, she’s the only person I know who has a grudge against Jennie and maybe she knows as well that this café is Jennie’s treasure.”

“If you want to file a case against the person and once evidences that she’s the mastermind behind this, you may want to call for a lawyer so they can be punished by the law. For now, we’ll search for more clues and evidences that may lead us to the identification of those men who destroyed this place.” The police clarified.

Jennie though frowns and feeling so weak she asks, “How about our café then while you search for them?”

“Well… it’s really up to you if you can re-open and operate this again while the investigatio