It had to start somewhere, somewhere among her endless schedules for shooting and practicing and basically fainting in the car. But since long ago, Hyejin had lost track of her life, she's almost a mouse in the running wheel, jumping from stage to recording room to her bed, and back again the next day.

So she kinda didn't remember when her life had become a bit more lively with sweets and drinks. 

menu 1: kaiser roll & herbal tea

It started with a rainy day.

August came with a breath of autumn and as the first leaf landed on her hair and a raindrop wetted her nose, Hyejin vaguely acknowledged her summer had passed. What a pity, she couldn't even go to the beach this year, even if she whined to Byulyi earlier about it. All her manager managed to do was shoot a kind smile, caressing her hair and suggesting a winter break in Australia. It would be summer there when December comes, she heard, but no! It's not summer if she's the only one who experienced it.

So she had to settle for the upcoming autumn in Seoul, slow days dragging its heel across her life, with chilly wind and rain. It made her lazy. Craved for a day laying on her sofa and doing nothing at all. Isn't that what everyone in the world dreaming about? The singer believes anyone that doesn't see the charm of free time is either a freak, or a maniac.

But, even not a freak or a maniac, free time remained as a luxury treat means for Sundays and vacation once a year since we all have to make a living, somehow. Ahn Hyejin wasn't that different from everyone else.

Hyejin cursed herself in low tone. She should've brought an umbrella, but autumn rain was always unpredictable, and the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to her with a big umbrella her company gave. Maybe Byulyi could help her, like she always does, but she hesitated as she thought about the older woman, with baggy eyes and tossed hair, the result of handing new projects nonstop.

It's 4AM now, there's no way Hyejin gonna disturb Byulyi's much-worthy break.

On one hand, she was not really in the mood to hear the older scold about her late-night habit. Today had already been bad enough. Some broken records, her boyfriend – ex-boyfriend, excuse you – decided 2AM was the best time to break up and announce he had a side chick. The worse was, Hyejin didn't even have the mind to rage at him. She just felt extremely exhausted, replied with an "okay", made a mental note to change her lock, then started losing herself in the neighborhood, wandered around the same, old, quiet roads.

And God had to sprinkle some rain on top of her exasperation. She just managed to find somewhere to hide after soaking her entire shoulder.

Knowing she's never been a favourite child, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

At least this patio came with a good smell, like newly baked cakes (who baked at this hour, she wondered?), also the lights were on, so it was less scary. An unexpected sign of humans at this hour made Hyejin happy.

She looked down at her fingers, bared from usual long nails and trembling in the cold. Vulnerable. Maybe waiting for a few more minutes, five or ten, then if it hadn't stopped, she would call Byulyi. A CF shot at 10 in the morning wouldn't be too pleased with her dead tired eyes, that's why a wink of sleep was much needed, even though Hyejin knew she would dream of her ex then.

Five, or ten more minutes.

Rain splashed on the roof, a drop fell on her neck and ran on her skin. The singer shivered.

Just five, or ten minutes...

Hyejin closed her eyes, listened to the rain. Maybe a raining background would do her new track a bit more sentiment, she would discuss—

The door suddenly swung open right beside, its wooden frame bumping on shoulder, leaving a shrieking Hyejin jumped into the rain, and a watchful woman panting hard.

"Are you a criminal?! I have a bat!" She yelled as Hyejin painfully squinted to catch the unfamiliar silhouette, who stood there with flour on her apron, a bat in hand, absolutely ready to crash it in Hyejin's face.

That's how Kim Yongsun came into her life: in their first meeting, she threatened South Korea's famous soloist – now soaking, freezing, shaking like a leaf in her wet clothes, bruised her shoulder – with a wooden baseball bat.

And she called her a criminal!

Oh my God, this was gonna pay—

-

Hyejin ended up in pink sweaters and sweatpants, wrapped in a thick blanket and she burst into tears. Right in front of a stranger.

Okay, but in her defense, she had a bad day and somehow, this stranger's blanket was the best (and warmest, both literally and figuratively) thing that happened to her in this chaotic hamster wheel.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cry." Hyejin sniffed, using the back of her hand to rub the tears away. The baker pushed a tissue box toward her, smiled kindly. "Thank you, I must’ve bothered you at this hour."

Yongsun – they had learned the names after the incident – put a Kaiser roll, still hot from the oven, on a plate for Hyejin. "Oh, it's nothing, don’t be sorry! I’m always up around this hour to prepare, just consider this an early opening. Which one suits your taste, butter or jam or fried egg and bacon?”

“I think I will do it plain, I'm on diet."

"Owh. Then coming here is a bad idea."

"Indeed."

Hyejin replied, tearing the bread open. Oh, she would regret this, she knew she would regret this when the sun came up, when she's no longer safe in the embrace of this small café next door but facing the stern of her PT.

But she tossed the fluffy piece in anyway. Drowned in a puff of heavenly scent of the mild bread, broke the thin crust outside gave a weird feeling of coziness.

A soft smile dawned on the owner’s face as the satisfied groan, without thinking twice, fell from Hyejin’s lips. Yongsun gave her a look to check on her, before continuing with arranging plastic cups and grinding her coffee.

Unlike others, Yongsun didn’t ask, that’s the first thing Hyejin noticed about her. Besides a worried “Are you hurt?” and “Do you need a shower?”, the woman didn’t ask anything else. Not “Why are you here at this hour?” nor “Is it love matter?” and absolutely not “TMI?”.

People always seemed to think of her much a narcissist that every conversation had to start with a question. Interviews, casual talks, meetings. Hyejin wondered if her life was actually so interesting that it beckoned the whole world to know where she went for dinner, who she’d met these days, and what she wore to the airport.

Considering the amount of paparazzi hanging out in front of her old apartment door, she guessed the answer was “yes”.

But this was not an interview, a casual talk, or a meeting. They were two strangers bumping into each other at 4AM on a Thursday, and this was nothing else but a coincidence.

Hyejin looked around, took a sip of her herbal tea that Yongsun recommended for “a damsel in distress”, animated with a grin and a playful glint in her eyes. The surrounding was like every other aesthetic café, with broad windows, now covered in raindrops. looking out to the streets. The coffee bar was neatly arranged right beside a glass display case which Yongsun was filling in with cakes and loaves of bread. The wall was painted in ecru white paint, paintings, and a pining board with colorful sticky notes on it. Pedant lights scattering around, hanging from the wooden ceiling.

The intention of cozy was unequivocal.

The city didn’t look the same, it was still raining, and Hyejin thought idly how long it had been from the last time she’s out the street, bare-face and wasn’t under a cap or a scarf, without anyone around. Everywhere she went, she was haunted by her own reputation, and even though it was flattering and what Hyejin’d dreamed about since forever, sometimes it was almost too much.

So this would help. A small escape from reality.

An escape she might never get to visit twice.

When Yongsun’s phone went off at 5:30AM and the rain stopped, Hyejin folded the blanket, stood up to pay. She came to the counter, pulled out her card, and slid it toward Yongsun.

“Thank you for accommodating me at this wee hour. I’ll give these pajamas back to you later, if you don’t mind?”

“I don’t.” Yongsun smiled. “You can keep it until you have the time to return it, you don’t have to rush.”

Hyejin nodded thankfully. As she put her card back in the wallet, Hyejin conveniently took a business card too. Blistering Sun, it said, in golden text.

Before she left the café with the delicious smell of fresh coffee and cake behind, Yongsun said, very lightly that she would miss it in a wink or if she walked a bit too fast.

“Hyejin-ssi!”

Hyejin paused, turned around. Her heart leaped in . The humidity the rain left behind only added to the impending static electricity, of a possibility of a question, of this café had never been a safe place at all and Yongsun would ask for her signature to post them on social media later, to promote for her shop, like hundreds of restaurants she’d been to before. It’s nothing wrong and she’d give one without thinking however—

But Yongsun just said, beamed like a ray of sunlight. “I like your necklace, Hyejin-ssi. It suits you and your tattoo prettily.”

And Hyejin unconscious touched the pedant, a small, simple one with an H carved on it. It’d been talked about a lot before, not with a compliment but a question of why would a fierce woman as Hwasa go with such simplicity.

But Yongsun didn’t ask. Not then, not now.

Hyejin nodded, with a polite smile, before walking out of the shop. A smile couldn’t help but graced her lips throughout her way home.

-

Moon Byulyi was one hell of a manager. Hyejin swore, she was the only one hitting her artist with a pillow to wake them up.

A few hours after the meeting, the young girl woke up exactly to that method, cracked an eye open to a vexed Byulyi with set in a grim line.

“These clothes don’t belong to you. Who do I have to negotiate with today, Ahn Hyejin?”

She grinned, and the older groaned. “Geez, unnie, since when did you start stalking my wardrobe?”

“Since I’m your only friend?”

“Touché.”, pouted Hyejin.

Byulyi sighed, gave out a hand to pull Hyejin up from her nest of fleece blankets. Stretched out like a cat and Hyejin headed to the bathroom for a quick brushing, with Byulyi following to tell her about today’s schedule.

Hyejin wasn’t listening, but staring at her reflection, looking right back at her. Not a sign of distress, or pain, as if hours ago didn’t happen at all. Unless she counted her heartbeat, unbelievably stable after all these events, as evidence of an early breakfast with Kaiser roll and herbal tea.

Maybe it really worked, a drink for a damsel in distress.

“… and Woosang-nim said he has to go on a business trip until the 15th so you can either man the studio alone or wait for him to come home.”

“Sure. By the way, unnie, can you ask someone to change the lock of my apartment while I’m not home? I broke up with my boyfriend.”

“What? Whe—”

“And remind me to buy some herbal tea too. Do you know it helps with sleep?”

menu 2: cookie & hot chocolate

Yongsun was unexpectedly stubborn. Stubbornly running in Hyejin’s mind.

She had never left ever since.

Which was a… delightful surprise. The singer wasn't even that good at remembering, even worse when her schedule was filled to the brim.

Hyejin hadn’t been able to brew any cup as good as Yongsun made.

Well, there was a reason that Yongsun was a coffee store owner and Hyejin wasn’t, the singer thought when sipped her ridiculously bitter cup of tea for the first time, about two days after knowing Yongsun, and frowned deeply. By now she knew the appropriate amount of tea to put in, but still.

She also hadn't come back to the café since. Works piled up and soon Woosang was back from his business trip, they got into recording right away, polished a few final details for the upcoming album. It would be Hyejin's second comeback this year, and everyone did expect her to break their expectation, like she'd done over and over again during her career.

She just saw Yongsun sometimes, days she had early schedules that demand her to be on the move since dawn and she couldn’t fall asleep. Therefore she held onto her string of awareness by catching glimpse of the owner through the glass window when the car drove past the café.

Before Hyejin knew it, mid-November came and brought the D-day right after her heels. After many panic attacks behind closed door with many more assurance from Byulyi, the album would be out tomorrow.

At this rate, Hyejin wholeheartedly believed she will never get better at handling the nerve of a comeback. It became a tradition on comeback day that Hyejin will not take any schedule before noon. Byulyi would cook or buy some breakfast and lunch before they started working.

That’s why it surprised her when she found herself in front of Blistering Sun, at six in the morning, a pack of soft clothes under her arm. The sun hasn't even been up yet, the clouds were clustering in shades of pink on top of the mountain afar, the streets empty. Normally, Hyejin was still in bed at this time as well.

Yet thirty minutes ago, she kept staring at the celling and somehow the thought of getting a cup of tea for ‘damsel in distress’ sounded like a good idea.

A girl giving one look and gasping “Are you Hwasa?”, on the other hand, wasn't the definition of a good idea.

Not. At. All.

Yongsun was nowhere to be seen. A petite woman with blonde bob hair, getting closer to Hyejin with every step, presented there instead.

“You are Hwasa!”, she exclaimed loudly, covered with one hand, and pointed at the singer with another, which still holding her paintbrush. “So the rumor that you live in this neighborhood is true!”

“I- It is but can you… keep it down? Please? I kinda run away from my manager to get here and it wouldn't be pretty if she finds out…”

“And you would be scolded at 6AM? Yikes. Anyhow, come in!”

The girl carelessly tossed her brush onto the palette as they walked inside the coffee shop, took off her messy apron. The snowflakes painted on glass windows were yet to be finished, being left in that state.

Hopping around the bar with way too much energy, the scent of fresh ground coffee lingered in chilly morning air, and with some whisks and stir and pour, she slid hot coffee towards Hyejin. The singer took it with a grateful smile.

"Here's yours, Hwasa-ssi."

"Just Hyejin is alright, miss..."

"Wheein." replied the woman. "Jung Wheein. We are the same age, Hyejin-ssi. Congrats on the Forbes Under 30, I've read it recently."

"Thank you. I like your painting too, fits the theme, but such a pity we gotta get rid of the autumn illustration."

"Yongsun said the same. But it will come back next year, and leaving makes memories stay fondly, no?”

Maybe. Consider the way Hyejin kept looking around for Yongsun, who still remained frustratingly absent, maybe. 

For the time being, Hyejin put aside her wandering thoughts about the absent shop's owner to focus on the freshly brewed, smoky coffee that warms people's cold winter hearts. Of course, the singer didn’t forget to order an extra drink to bring back to the poor manager, who would soon come to her house. The weather raised an infinite desire for a cup of herbal tea, but Hyejin, reluctantly, restrained herself from ordering. The idea no longer sounded enchanting when the person on the other side of the bar wasn't Yongsun.

And she watched the diligent artist-slash-barista happily humming some familiar tune that she suddenly couldn't remember for a moment, continued her artworks on the glass window. Snow slowly appeared under Wheein's brush , and pine trees too, and the twinkling lights reflected in her lovely eyes. She looked so happy. Smiled contently with each colour appeared. Her voice was also sweet, like cotton candy. Made Hyejin wonder if she herself have fun like that in the studio?

Maybe not. All she remembered were sighs, lengthy sleepless nights, otherwise hours of exhausting naps between schedules. Byulyi had more pictures of her sleeping and doing senseless things with slightly dark eyes and pouty lips than of her smiling lately. Even when the lyrics brought her heart to faraway places, tingled it with happiness, Hyejin couldn't smile as easily as before. She usually found herself curling up, choking on tears after getting into her car, or after coming home.

Pitiful. Sometimes Hyejin missed the old days, when she could trudge down Gangnam street without a mask, visit hot spots on weekends, have days off like normal people. The person in the old pictures now looked a bit strange to herself, to be honest.

All the things Hyejin would do to see her old self again.

But Hyejin knew that she would do the exact same thing she was doing over and over again if given the choice. She would never not have the urge to work herself to death.

She smiled quietly. Why were people so conflicted? She was no exception.

It's a bit sad to acknowledge.

Ahn Hyejin's train of thoughts abruptly interrupted by a voice, certainly too cheerful for six in the morning, which instantly made her blush.

Wait, why was she blushing?

“Wheeinie, I’m back! Next time you go and buy your own food, do you know how annoying it is when your satellites keep asking me where you are and why you don't reply to texts and a girl sends you breakfast... “ Yongsun complained.

Hyejin peeked at the owner through the glass window, through Wheein's unfinished drawings. There was Yongsun, in a white shirt with the top two buttons open, a black blazer that was neatly ironed, and much shorter hair since the last time she'd seen her. She put one hand in her pants pockets, glared at the sulking Wheein, a paper bag in her other hand.

Hot.

And the artist girl just chuckled. “That's because Yongsunnie made me work early, I usually just skip breakfast you know. Don't worry about her too much, I just love you."

Then she placed a kiss on Yongsun's cheek, without hesitation.

Felt like wasn’t supposed to be the audience of the intimate act, Hyejin turned away.

An invisible rope tugged around her heart.

For no reason at all.

She faintly heard Wheein's voice, along with the rustle of paper bags.

"You have a guest, it's Hw—"

“Hyejin!”

Bells jingled as the door opened.

Yongsun came before her eyes. Hyejin secretly prayed that she wouldn't see her flustered. “You came early! Coffee? No tea today?"

Hyejin caught Wheein's questioning look, as if to ask who Hyejin was, or why Yongsun's way too comfortable with her. She didn't answer, but focused all of her attention on the woman behind the bar, returned the pajamas with sweaters she borrowed.

"I need to boost my stamina for the day, unnie. Someone would be so mad if I overslept. I was just going to meet you to return the item, but um, I kinda bother Wheein…”

“Oh, don't worry, Wheeinie likes pretty girls. And I'm sure Hyejin falls into her ideal type."

"No , she's your ideal type." Wheein interfered, casually patting Yongsun’s bottom as she passed, making the older woman chuckle.

The atmosphere between them was enviously familiar. The artist sat on a chair, her feet not touching the ground, swaying as she ate a hot hamburger. Yongsun occasionally noticed crumbs on the corner of Wheein's lips, reaches out to wipe them away, and was always answered with a grin that reveals adorable dimples. If it weren't for the conversation just happened now – suggesting that Wheein kinda had some playgirl lifestyle and Yongsun in charge of dealing with her dates – Hyejin might have thought they were a couple.

The owner was still busy with the shelves, kneeling on the floor when she asked. "So how's your Audio Production exam, Hyejin?"

. Hyejin forgot she once said she was studying music. She caught Wheein opening to protest, and in the fastest motion possible, Hyejin covered it with her han