“Good morning, darling...”

Sora was awaken abruptly. Cold sweats started forming on her warm skin as she stared on the white ceiling in harsh breathing. The dream that she had was blurry, but it felt too real that she ended up awaken by it. 

The loud beeping sound of her alarm clocks caught her attention and she glanced to her nightstand, staring at her phone.

Work.

Her hand was still shaking when she grabbed the device and she sat herself up on the bed, calming herself down. 

“That man is back.”

“That man is back.”

Sora wanted to puke as her own mind keep repeating the same words again and again. 

Why?

She just wanted to ask that. 

But, to whom should she asked that?

Sehun had his brows frowned the moment his alarm clocks blasted through the early morning. Nevertheless, his hand grabbed on his phone blindly and turned the alarm off. 

It took a few minutes from him to groan loudly and finally sat on the bed. With a tired look and exhausted body, he pushed the comforter away and stretched himself as he stood up. 

Getting ready for work was always a pain in the for him as he wasn’t a morning person to begin with. But, knowing that he was doing something that he likes makes up for it. 

Sure, his body was tired - but his heart was happy and he couldn’t asked for more. 

When he finished freshen himself up and doing his usual morning routine, Sehun went making himself a cup of coffee - knowing that he needed that before he can start on his day despite it was still too early for him. 

As he finished dressing up and getting ready, he just let his long legs trudged outside the house, while scrolling through his phone and looked through the texts and missed calls that he purposely avoided taking and replying. 

It mostly came from his mother - who was worrying for him since he was in a new environment and neighborhood without her supervision. 

He did called her once when he had arrived at the neighborhood, but apparently it wasn’t good enough for his mother.

And knowing his mother and how she was unpredictable most of the times, he was afraid that she might came to his workplace and ended up disturbing his work schedule.

That’s the least problem that he wanted. 

So he ended up texting his mother and telling about how he was getting cozy in the new neighborhood, while walking towards his coffee shop.

Finishing texting his mother, he fished his phone back to his pocket and slowly enjoying the cool morning air while trudging towards his workplace. 

Though, as a few minutes passed - Sehun felt his own heart picked a pace when his eyes caught the familiar figure walking on the opposite road from his. 

He pressed down a smile as he stared at Sora - who was looking down and kicking the road purposely as she walked. 

He paused on his steps and waited - until the girl was close to him. Just so he can greeted her in the early morning and probably see her annoyed face when looking at him. 

Thinking about that, he couldn’t wait for her to walked faster to his direction. He wanted to greet her. 

And when she was already so close, Sehun just cleared his throat and cheekily smiled.

“Good morning, darling...”

Sora had her shoulders jerked at bit at the sudden voice and she looked up, only to see Sehun in front of her with the most annoying smile ever. 

But Sehun felt his smile dropped a bit upon seeing her face. It was as if something was missing when he looked at her face. 

Sure, they didn’t know each other for that long, but he do remembered that she was far more cheerful than the facade that he was seeing at the moment. 

As if something had make her mood go down. 

But Sora just put on a stance and changed her solemn attitude to the usual cheerful banter that she always showed him. 

She put her hands into a karate knife - mimicking a karate fighter that was ready to strike someone if they were messing with her.

Sehun should have said something about her quick change of mood - but Sora was too cute with her angry pouty lips and not so threatening glare along with her small hands that she make into a karate knife.

“Brat.” she huffed. 

And Sehun couldn’t help the smile on his lips. “Wow. A new nickname? I’m flatter.”

“Stupid.”

“Thank you, darling.”

“Do you like being insulted or something?”

“Well, if you’re into that...I’m more than pleased to please you...”

Sora grimaced at that and she took down her karate hands while still glaring at the tall male and Sehun just smiled at her, tilting his head cutely and she rolled her eyes, walking away from him before she could be infected by his stupid smile. 

“Are you a stalker or something? Why do I keep seeing you?” she walked away and Sehun walked by her side, much to her displeased. 

“In case you forgot, our coffee shops are across each other, darling.”

“You don’t have to remind me that!” She rolled her eyes at that. 

“And why do you keep walking beside me?!”

Sehun just chuckled at her angry tantrum - only thinking that she looked cute while glaring at him. 

He knew that she didn’t mean anything bad so he didn’t bothered to move away and walked right beside her - only making a safe space between her so she wouldn’t be uncomfortable. 

“Why not? We are going to the same place anyways.”

Sora grunted at that. But she didn’t oppose more. 

As a matter of fact, she was rather glad that Sehun was with her at the moment. Even though she barely knew him, she needed an assurance that someone was with her at the moment.

So she kept her silence and just tugged the straps of her bag, while maintaining a silent treatment for the guy. 

But apparently, Sehun wasn’t that understanding of her attitude as he glanced at her from time to time and frowned to himself. 

“Are you okay?”

And she frowned at that. “What?”

“You seemed...discouraged this morning. Is something wrong?”

Sora glanced at him and she glared immediately. “Yeah. Because I saw you.”

“Aww, I’m that special that my presence can affect you this much?” 

“You brat, you’re not special.” she stopped on her tracks and Sehun followed her actions. 

“And don’t talk to me like I’m your friend. I’m older than you.” she faced him, glaring at him and Sehun felt his stomach was doing a back flip at the way she had her attention on him.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You’re so cute in my eyes that I forgot that you’re older...” he bend a bit and smirked as he stared into her eyes. 

“...noona...”

Her cheeks went warm at the way he lowered his gaze on hers and gave out such a sweet low voice for her to hear. 

“You - ”

Sehun gave another lopsided smile in return at her blushing cheeks. “You’re blushing.”

“I’m not!” she cupped her cheeks and turned around.

“You sure are.” he smirked. “Is it because of me?”

“You say one more word, I’m gonna punch you.”

“Can you even reach my face to do that?” he teased again - implying on how she was shorter than him and Sora went redder at that.

“You - stupid - ” Sora groaned inwardly and she unknowingly puffed on her cheeks as she glared at him.

“Just so you know, I can punch you but I won’t. Because I’m a nice girl and I still haven’t had breakfast so I’m weak right now.”

That was a lie. 

But anyways,

“But just so you know - ” Sora waved her finger like a diva trying to make a point. 

“Your pretty eyes are going to get swollen if I landed a punch.”

Sehun couldn’t help but to crack a smile upon hearing that, making Sora frowned at it.

“What? Why are you smiling?”

“You think my eyes are pretty?”

Her face went red at that. 

Sehun went chuckling. 

And she scoffed loudly. “I did not!”

“It’s already recorded here.” Sehun pointed at his temple with another annoying smirk and Sora glared at him for that. 

Before turning away and stomped away from him, hearing him chuckling and making her cheeks grew warmer than before. 

“Where are you going, noona?” Sehun sang and she just flipped him off, much to his enjoyment and he just laughed again for the nth time. 

“Cute.”

His small teasing somehow stopped when they arrived at the destined place and Sora was glaring at him as she backpaddled to her coffee shop - as if he was going to come at her from behind if she didn’t do that. 

While Sehun just lightly laughed and threw out a kiss for her, making her glared even more and finally turned around before flipping him off when she had walked inside her own coffee shop - much to his amusement. 

“Stupid brat.” Sora huffed out loud. She switched on the lights and glanced at the back to where Sehun was.

But... 

She tugged the straps of her bag and turned around. 

It felt nice walking with someone rather than being by herself to the workplace.

She sighed at that, patting her cheeks to make herself focused once more. The job wouldn’t be done if she was discouraged in the early morning.

Joohyun came the next hour, much to Sora’s surprise. She just stared at her friend who was making her way inside the coffee shop with a solemn look on her face, until her eyes caught with hers.

Sora just cheekily smiled, and came out from her peeking spot - which is behind the door. A first she thought that it was Joy, and she wanted to surprise the kid - but since it was Joohyun, she had to abort the mission since her friend probably going to kill her if she do that. 

“You came!”

Joohyun pressed down her lips as she stared at Sora, before a sigh came afterwards. “Yeah, I work here remember?”

“I thought you gonna take another day off. If I knew you were going to come, I wouldn’t ask Joy to come so early - ”

Her words were being cut off, and she ended up staring at the nicely wrapped sandwich that Joohyun was giving her. 

“It’s from Kyungsoo. I bumped into him when walking here.” Joohyun muttered slowly. And Sora didn’t have the heart to throw it away when Joohyun was the one giving it to her. 

She wondered why Joohyun didn’t throw the food like usual. Why the sudden change of acts? 

“Oh,” she laughed it away. “Thank you! I was getting hungry anyway.” 

“Sora...”

“Hmm?”

“Did - did Kyungsoo told you that the bastard is coming back - ”

“I will enjoy this.” Sora smiled brightly, taking the sandwich and jumped away happily from her friend. 

Leaving Joohyun alone, standing inside the shop as she stared at her friend retreating figure who just make her way to the kitchen.

And she knew that it was her cue. 

Nothing shall be asked, and nothing shall be said. 

It’s not like she will leave Sora unprotected this time.

As time passed by, having her workers came for the shifts, and the business finally starting for the day - Sora could feel that it was moving at a rather slow paced.

It must be because of that stinky new coffee shop. 

She glared at Sehun’s coffee shop across hers. Planting herself on the glass window and shot lasers to the said place. 

Contrary to her coffee shop that was in a steady and peaceful pace - Sehun’s coffee shop was more frantic and packed with people who couldn’t get enough of the new coffee shop. 

“Just what is so special about that stupid coffee shop?” Sora was huffing and an angry pout on her lips, somehow annoyed that her cafe wasn’t as popular as the new one.

“Maybe because they were all pretty boys...” Joy remarked behind the counter as she wiped on the cups that had been washed. 

Sora made a thinking gesture - tapping her chin and furrowed her brows before snapping her fingers with a loud ‘A-ha!’.

“What if we dressed up as boys?”

“No thank you, I rather quit than do that.” Joy throw the idea away. 

“Hmph! You are no fun, Joy. You’re not living up to your name.”

Joy make an offended look towards that statement. “Boss, excuse you! In this harsh world, the only joy people will see is me. That’s why I’m Joy. A joy to this harsh world - ”

“Meh...” Sora made a face, before turning around and stared back at the boys’ cafe.

Judging by the way their business is moving up - perhaps they will be stealing all of her customers in the future.

Sora went uneasy at that. 

Her stomach was churning badly and she hated it.

If that happened - what would happened to her? 

Would she still have something to hold on to? 

“That man is back.”

Those words stuck to her mind again and she balled on her fists, surpassing the urge to vomit at the spot. It irked her body and mind to remember the words again and again. 

“Boss?”

“Boss!”

Sora was startled, staring at Joy who was staring back at her. Immediately, Joy sighed playfully. 

“If you keep on staring, you might fall in love.” It was supposed to be a playful remark, but Sora just made a disgusted face by that statement. 

“The only thing that I’m falling - is falling out of business.” she corrected, before proceeded to wipe her nonexistent tears. 

“I’m too young to be a poor maiden.” 

Joy made a disgusted face following the moment Sora pretended to blow her snots away with the tissue that she didn’t know where her boss had picked it up. 

Just then, as Sora dramatically cried on being a poor maiden, the small bell rang and Joy looked at the front, expecting a customer to come inside. 

Her brows furrowed when she realised a delivery boy was walking inside with a bouquet of white tulips in his hand. 

“Gosh, is it a delivery for me or something?” Joy tried to joke around.

Sora, hearing what Joy was saying, slowly turned her attention to the front and her heart seemed to be pinched slightly upon seeing the white tulips. 

It has been a long time since she saw someone getting a bouquet of white tulips. Weirdly,  her heart was beating too loud for her own good. 

“Oh? Who is it for?”

The delivery boy was just smiling awkwardly at Sora’s question and Joy’s constant staring. 

“It’s for the most beautiful woman in here.”

Joy gasped playfully. “Oh my gosh, what to do...it’s for me.” she was acting bashfully, palms rested on both of her cheeks and Sora guffawed before trudged closer, taking the bouquet with her. 

“Who is it from?”

The delivery boy just shrugged with a small smile before walking away after his job was done. 

It smells nice. It looks beautiful too. The flowers looked expensive as its stems being wrapped around the small silk white scarves that was being tied elegantly. 

It looked pretty. Pretty enough to catch her eyes. 

Sora examined that, before she spotted a small card at the side of the bouquet and her stomach sank the moment she realised the handwriting. 

Miss me?