Hundreds of studies over dozens of years still couldn't find the answers as to why soulmates were not a universal thing, and there was no way of knowing who had a soulmark and who had a regular birthmark.


 

Soulmarks. Birthmarks. Soulmate identifying marks. Flowers and tattoos, fate or destiny.


 

They had many names, and came with many questions.


 

Sometimes, they didn't come at all.


 

Some people— around half of the world population, according to recent statistics— were born with these desired marks, but it could take them years to find their soulmate: the person with a perfectly identical mark.


 

Despite all the difficulties and logistics of the matter, it didn't stop people from looking for their soulmate, posting pictures online of star-shaped marks on the inside of their wrists or pretty, delicate flower tattoos that could lead them to the love of their life.


 

To Kim Jiyeon, it all sounded like the dreamy fairy tales she'd heard as a child; beautiful— but the chances of it actually coming true... were actually rather slim.


 

Jiyeon has never met her soulmate.


 

Well, not yet anyway.


 

The mark she had was on her collarbone, right below the bone near her left shoulder. A panicle of blue dainty little forget-me-not flowers stood out against her pale skin. Her mother had always told her that those flowers on her skin were special. It symbolized true love, faithfulness, and respect. A promise that you will always remember your loved one and will keep them in your thoughts.


 

She was always mesmerized by the flowers whenever she saw them when she was standing in front of a mirror. Tracing it with her fingers. She knew for sure if it was her soulmark. A sign from the universe tattooed on her body; also, perhaps, a promise from the universe that she will someday be with her soulmate, just like what the flowers meant.


 

It was one Monday in Spring, flowers were blooming, with cherry blossom petals fluttering along the wind, falling on the sidewalks— Jiyeon's favorite flower and season. Nonetheless, the season doesn't change the fact that she wasn't a fan of morning shifts; mostly because they meant opening the coffee shop early and waking up even earlier. Jiyeon was never much of a morning person.


 

She finished up another order, calling out a name and smiling at the person that stood up from their table and gave them the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino in her hand.


 

The cafe was blissfully quiet; only the voices of a group of college students, with the rhythmic tapping of laptop keyboards, and the mellow music that was playing inside the cafe were filling the walls. Jiyeon started to make a coffee for herself— a cup of coffee was much needed for her to function properly in the morning— adding sugar and cinnamon as Luda leaned back against the wall, typing on her phone with a lovesick smile. Probably texting Yeoreum, but she'd deny it if Jiyeon even dared to insinuate it.


 

There was no line of customers that needed Jiyeon's attention at the moment, so he took his coffee and was about to move to the back when the bell chimed gently, indicating another person had entered the shop. Jiyeon could still take his break and let Luda handle this order, but then she looked up and something stopped in her chest.


 

Pristine blonde hair clad in a navy blue suit under a neat white shirt came into her line of vision, a leather handbag hanging off her right shoulder. The woman moved smoothly, like she had all the time in the world, but instead of annoying Jiyeon, it just made her heartbeat stutter. She forgot her freshly brewed coffee for a moment.


 

"Good morning, welcome to Cosmic Cafe!" Jiyeon brightly welcomed the woman once she reached the counter; and cleared when her voice came out shaky. "What can I get you?"


 

The woman smiled warmly, all deep, gentle dark eyes and a honey-buttered soothing voice Jiyeon was not prepared for in the slightest. "Good morning. Can I get a cappuccino with a double shot and a..." she paused for a moment to survey the pastries on display, "strawberry lemonade cheesecake, please."


 

"Sure thing. May I have your name for the cup?" Jiyeon asked as she took a paper cup and a pen, hoping she didn't sound too eager to learn the stranger's name.


 

"Hyunjung."


 

Hyunjung... a charming name for a very charming person, huh. It suited her.


 

She paid for the food and stepped away. While Jiyeon busied herself making the drink, she watched through the corner of his eye as Hyunjung made her way to the table closest to the window. She took her blazer off and placed it on the back of the chair, and took out an expensive-looking laptop from her handbag, typing quickly for a while.


 

By the time Jiyeon placed a cup of Cappuccino and a plate with a strawberry lemonade cheesecake on the counter, Hyunjung had already made her way back, a politely blank expression on her face.


 

"There you go," Jiyeon said as she slid the food towards Hyunjung. "I hope you enjoy it."


 

"Thank you," Hyunjung said, her eyes flickering down to the name tag pinned on Jiyeon's apron, "Jiyeon-ssi."


 

"Jiyeon—" Jiyeon said before she could stop herself, and cursed internally as Hyunjung's eyes snapped back up in surprise. "No need for honorifics," she clarified with a nervous laugh. "Just Jiyeon... is fine."


 

The ghost of a smile passed over Hyunjung's face, the corner of curling up as she nodded acknowledgingly. "Just Jiyeon, then. Thank you."


 

Jiyeon breathed out steadily; her name on Hyunjung's tongue should not sound like that. She smiled as she retorted, "You're welcome, Hyunjung."


 

She watched as Hyunjung walked back to her table with her order and took a gulp of the cappuccino, smiling in what Jiyeon hoped was appreciation. She sat down in front of her laptop, sunlight illuminating her golden hair, and started typing smoothly as the world around her faded away.


 

Jiyeon didn't realize she was staring until Luda's voice startled her.


 

"I thought you were taking a break?" She said without looking up from her phone.


 

Jiyeon definitely hadn't forgotten that. "Yeah... I was. I am."


 

Luda looked up at her, flicked her gaze in Hyunjung's direction for a moment, and smirked down at her phone without saying anything. Jiyeon decided not to push her luck and stayed quiet too.


 

Her coffee was significantly colder when she picked it up again and finally took a gulp, but she chose not to dwell on it too much.


 

————


 

Hyunjung came in again on Tuesday morning.


 

She'd stayed the day before for a couple hours before leaving, shooting Jiyeon a small smile across the crowded room. It’d done little to untwist the knots in her stomach.


 

She arrived in a suit again, like she had just left a very important business meeting (or was about to head to one), but this time it was a beige one. It brings out the color of her midnight eyes, and Jiyeon has to force herself not to stare.


 

Instead of putting her bag down— the same bag she had yesterday too— on a table like yesterday, Hyunjung met Jiyeon's eyes and strided over to the counter. Jiyeon was suddenly grateful for the lack of line.


 

"Good morning, Hyunjung," she said with an uncharacteristically large smile for this early hour of the morning. "What can I get you today?"


 

"Good morning, Just Jiyeon," Hyunjung said teasingly, and Jiyeon's heart squeezed in her chest at the playful remark. "I'll have a cappuccino with a double shot and..." she trailed off as her eyes searched the menu by her side. "a chocolate bavarian mousse, please."


 

"Not a fan of the strawberry lemonade cheesecake?" Jiyeon asked as she took a slice of mousse and put it on a plate before getting started on the cappuccino, because— she just can't help herself.


 

Hyunjung's surprised laugh warmed her insides. "Oh, it was perfect. Did you make them?”


 

"Nah," Jiyeon admitted. "Luda usually takes care of the cakes and muffins." She pointed towards Luda, cleaning a table, and Hyunjung's eyes followed in that direction.


 

"Do thank her for me when you get the chance; it was truly magnificent." Hyunjung said.


 

"I'll make sure to do that," Jiyeon said with a chuckle. She placed the cup of cappuccino on the counter once it was ready. "There you go."


 

"Thank you, Jiyeon." Hyunjung said as she paid, smiling softly. God, she was adorable.


 

Just like the day before, Hyunjung walked over to the same table near the window and placed her food down before sitting on a chair. She took out her laptop again and spooned a bite of the mousse, chewing slowly for a moment before she started to type in earnest.


 

Jiyeon was definitely gawking.

————


 

Jiyeon really wasn't a morning person. She just was not. She liked to sleep in and stay under the covers for as long as possible, get up after 11:00 am and have a late breakfast, maybe read for a bit in the quiet morning light.


 

Thank God she didn't go to law school.


 

At first, morning shifts at the cafe weren’t well received on her end, but she learned to enjoy the quietness of it all, the few regulars she recognized showing up every once in a while, and new customers every day. She still gets to sleep in on weekends, but getting up early from Monday to Friday wasn't as difficult as it used to be— especially when she was hoping to see a pair of warm dark eyes and soft smiles.


 

Still, getting coffee spilled all over your clothes can really put a damper on someone's day.


 

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" The girl said as she looked at the now half-empty cup in her hand and the coffee stains on Jiyeon's clothes. It was Wednesday morning, and she had just started her work when the customer bumped into her. She was a bit relieved that it was not hot coffee that had spilled on her. "I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm seriously so, so sorry—"


 

"It was my fault," Jiyeon said, even though it wasn't. She gave her a soft smile, trying to calm her down. "Really, it's okay, I have a spare shirt."


 

"Are you sure? Oh my god, I feel awful, I should've paid more attention—"


 

"It's okay," Jiyeon said again, cutting her off gently. "Truly, it's no problem."


 

Luda stepped in to hand her a cloth and clean up the little amount of coffee that got on the floor. Jiyeon made her way to the back room, brushing the stain on the fabric to clean it as best as possible, but it barely helped. She'd let out a heavy sigh and gone straight for her locker, changing the shirt she had on to a clean one. She put her apron on again and ran her hand through her hair, taking a deep breath.


 

She just needed to get through the next few hours, and then she could go home. Maybe Hyunjung will even show up again, but Jiyeon refused to create expectations.


 

When she stepped back into the cafe again, her gaze immediately locked on a tall and slender figure across the counter with blonde hair and the darkest eyes Jiyeon had ever seen. She saw Luda already making a drink that smelled strongly of a cappuccino and sliding a slice of red velvet towards Hyunjung, and when she looked at the clock on the wall that read 8:17, she internally cursed herself for not being there to take Hyunjung's order.


 

Not that it was important, because it was not. It was just a normal situation. Really.


 

But then Hyunjung looked up and met her eyes, and Jiyeon didn't know how to react. She felt her face heat up and gave a little wave, probably awkward, but Hyunjung showed her a slow smile in return that calmed her racing heart.


 

"Hi, Jiyeon." Hyunjung said in that stupidly attractive voice of hers, completely unaware of Jiyeon's brain short-circuiting.


 

"Good morning, Hyunjung," she said in a voice that felt far softer than she intended


 

She pointily ignored Luda's curious gaze and pretended to busy herself while Hyunjung paid and walked over to her usual table, laptop already open and shining in the sunlight.


 

"Unnie, what was that about?" Luda asked as she watched Hyunjung raise the cup to her lips and blow on it gently, her eyes focused on the screen in front of her.


 

And what was Jiyeon supposed to say? "Nothing." and it comes out too quiet to be convincing.


 

————


 

When Hyunjung walked in on the cafe on Thursday morning, just four minutes past eight, Hyunjung immediately grabbed a paper cup and started to make a cappuccino.


 

Jiyeon smiled privately, hoping she was not making a huge fool of herself. By the time Hyunjung reached the counter— after leaving her bag on the same table she'd sat on since Monday— Jiyeon placed the steaming cup on the counter in front of her.


 

"One cup of cappuccino with a double shot," she said with a grin that grew when Hyunjung's cheeks flushed pink lightly. "Or were you hoping to broaden your horizons with a different hot drink? The tea and frappe here is amazing. I can vouch for that."


 

Hyunjung let out a breathy laugh and smiled at her. Jiyeon's exact thought was that it should be illegal. "I think I'll stick to cappuccino for now, but thank you. Am I really coming in so often that you already have my order memorized?"


 

Jiyeon didn't bother telling her that she already had Hyunjung's eyes engraved into her brain about thirty seconds after meeting her. "Only every morning since the beginning of the week," she said instead. "Besides, I can't have it memorized when you order something different every time, alongside the cappuccino." She tapped her pointy finger on the glass showcase next to her.


 

"Can you blame me?" Hyunjung asked with a lopsided smile. "They've all been amazing so far, and I've been eager to try the..." She stopped for a moment, concentrating on the displayed food for a beat, "blueberry cheesecake."


 

"Good choice," Jiyeon said as she took a slice and put it on a plate. "Well, not as good as the cinnamon rolls, but still a great choice."


 

Hyunjung raised a perfectly arched brow, biting her lower lip as if to stop a smile. "Is that so?"


 

"Yep." Jiyeon preened, popping the 'p' with a grin plastered on her face.


 

Hyunjung watched her for a minute, silent as she paid for the food with an unreadable look in her eyes. She grabbed the plate and cup, and just as she was about to turn, she stopped.


 

"Well," she said quietly, deep eyes Jiyeon could drown in holding her attention, "I guess I'll just have to come back and try it."


 

It took all of Jiyeon's willpower to not jump and cheer on the spot, but her wide smile definitely indicated how happy she was to hear that. It was not exactly a promise, but it made her heart beat like crazy nonetheless.


 

She felt Luda materialize herself by her side as she watched Hyunjung walk away, crossing the distance back to her table—in Jiyeon's head, it was already Hyunjung's table.


 

"Do not." She said tightly, and Luda feigned confusion.


 

"I wasn't gonna say anything," she retorted, an audible smirk on her voice, and Jiyeon pursed her lips, knowing that was not true.


 

"You could just ask her out, you know, unnie?" Luda asked unhelpfully, leaning back against the counter. "Nothing's wrong with that."


 

"It would be unprofessional." Jiyeon said after a moment, her voice too weak to be convincing.


 

Luda was starting to say something when the door opened and another customer walked in, saving her from the conversation.


 

It was not that Jiyeon hadn’t thought of that before; it was just that she didn't know if Hyunjung would say yes and didn't want to make things weird. Plus, it would be really a little unprofessional, so she was not quite lying.


 

She traced her skin just below the bone of her collarbone absentmindedly, exactly where the flower tattooed on her skin tingling under her clothes. There was also that.

————


 

Hyunjung didn't come in on Friday morning.


 

Jiyeon watched the clock anxiously as it slowly moved from eight am, to nine, then ten, eleven, and noon; Hyunjung didn't walk through the front door, not even a glimpse of fancy suits and little smiles. Jiyeon wanted to smack herself for hoping she would.


 

She tried to keep her face neutral and professional, but she must've not been doing a very good job.


 

"Jiyeon unnie, if you keep making that annoyed face, you'll scare all the customers away." Luda said, standing beside her, snapping her out of her thoughts.


 

"I'm not making an annoyed face." She denied, exaggeratedly enunciating the words.


 

Luda raised her eyebrows at her. "Yes, you are, Unnie. It's all over there." She gestured at her entire face and poked her cheeks before Jiyeon batted her hand away.


 

"This is just my face, thank you very much."


 

"Is it because a certain blonde didn't make an appearance—"


 

"No, it's because you won't leave me alone, go away."


 

Luda snorted but did stop tormenting her. A new line of customers formed, and they sprang back into action, taking orders and making drinks, working in sync side by side.


 

"Anyway, unnie, I need a favor," Luda announced when they were done a few minutes later. Jiyeon eyed her suspiciously, but she continued before she could get a word in. "Dayoung was supposed to take the last shift tonight and close the shop, but she texted me saying she's sick and can't make it. She asked me to cover for her, and I said yes, because I'm a very good friend. "


 

"Hmm, most of time, yeah." Jiyeon conceded, and Luda pouted at her. "But you can't do it?"


 

"Not that I can't, exactly, but I'm taking Yeoreum to a very nice restaurant tonight—"


 

"And that's all you're doing to her," Jiyeon hurriedly said, cutting her off. "Taking her to dinner, holding her hand, keeping it pure. Please do not tell me more."


 

Luda grinned wickedly. "As you wish. It's gonna be good, though. "


 

"I swear to God, Luda, I really don’t want to know."


 

Luda laughed, then her eyes softened. "Can you do it for me? Please, unnie? Yeoreum's been working like crazy lately and finally got a night out. She deserves a nice time. "


 

It was not like Jiyeon could say no; Yeoreum was like a younger sister to Jiyeon, just like Luda, and she knew Yeoreum had really been working extra hours for the last few weeks because of her latest book deal, and Jiyeon could see the exhaustion on her face and dark circles under her eyes.


 

She looked at Luda's pleading eyes and remembered the first time they met, how she'd noticed the marigold—Yeoreum's favorite flower—tattooed on her wrist; And Yeoreum got Luda's favorite flower too, tattooed on her ankle. Jiyeon remembered how both of their tattoos glowed for a moment when the two first met, something she'd seen before with Juyeon and Sojung; when Luda and Yeoreum started dating, she saw how both looked happier than ever and how smitten they were with each other.


 

Jiyeon sometimes wondered about her soulmate— what they were like, if she met them by chance and never realized it, or what kind of life they could have together.


 

She wondered if Hyunjung had a soulmate. If she'd already met them, if she was looking for them, or if she ever wanted one— then Jiyeon forced herself to stop thinking about it.


 

"Buy her flowers," she said, and Luda's face lit up. "Yeoreum likes flowers when she's stressed."


 

Luda jumped at her and gave her a tight hug. "You're a lifesaver, Jiyenon unnie! Thank you!"



 

She groaned but couldn't stop the smile that stretched across her lips. It's not like she had plans for tonight, anyway.


 

Thirty minutes before the shop was supposed to close, Jiyeon heard the door creak slightly and the bell chimed gently.


 

There weren't a lot of people left inside, just a college student reading her, what Jiyeon assumed was a reviewer, and a man writing in a notebook and sipping on a cup of coffee. Jiyeon was the only one working at the cafe; she took a moment to pray that whoever walked in wasn't a group of loud people she would eventually have to kick out, but that moment vanished when she actually turned around and saw who it was that walked in.


 

Hyunjung wasn't wearing a suit today— she looked soft and comfy in blue skinny jeans, a black hoodie, and that familiar laptop bag perched on her shoulder. Her steps faltered for a moment when her eyes fell on Jiyeon.


 

"Jiyeon," she said as she approached the counter, sounding almost surprised.


 

"Hi, Hyunjung," Jiyeon said back with a nod and a small smile. It took her a moment to realize her hands had already moved of their own accord to grab a cup to make Hyunjung's cappuccino, but Hyunjung didn't say anything about it, so she didn't stop them.


 

"I didn't know you worked the last shift."


 

"I usually don't, not on Fridays," Jiyeon confessed with a shrug and breathed out a laugh. "I'm just covering for a sick co-worker today. I didn't know you came here at this time of the day." She couldn't help but tease, a grin stretching on her lips when it made Hyunjung laugh too.


 

"I usually don't," she said, and her eyes were soft and mischievous in a way that made Jiyeon want to change the subject to avoid staring. "But I had to come back for that cinnamon roll, didn't I? After all, you spoke so highly of it."


 

"And you will not be disappointed," Jiyeon guaranteed, taking one from the showcase with a napkin and a plate. "It's the best thing that we serve. Well, after coffee, of course. "


 

There was a smile on Hyunjung's lips as she took a couple of bills from her wallet and handed them to Jiyeon, her hands curling around the steaming cup of Cappuccino and the plate with the cinnamon treat. "Thank you, Jiyeon." She said like always, and like always, it made Jiyeon's heartbeat stutter in her chest.


 

Jiyeon chose to focus on one tiny crumb on the counter in order to not watch Hyunjung walk away, striding her way to her table— it only half works.


 

Minutes passed, and the shop gradually emptied, with the gentle chimes of the bell every time someone left. Jiyeon started to clean up the place, wiping the tables and putting the chairs up on them so she could swipe the floor, feeling the ache in her body after a long day of work— but it was the good kind of ache, the one that came with doing what she loved.


 

All the while, Hyunjung didn't leave her table, and Jiyeon didn't bother her.


 

She was sitting in front of her laptop again, and she'd been typing for long minutes before going quiet, staring at the screen with her elbows on the table and cheeks against her hands, lost in thought. By the time the shop was supposed to close, Hyunjung hadn't moved, apparently unaware of Jiyeon tidying up around her.


 

She looked cute, Jiyeon thought to herself as she put down the broom in the supply closet again, making one last coffee before turning off the machine— decaf, because she can be aware of her own health from time to time. It was rare, but she could.


 

She took her cup and made her way to Hyunjung's table, stopping a few inches away. It had taken Hyunjung a few moments to notice her, blinking up at her slowly as a small smile reached her lips, warming Jiyeon's insides faster than any burning fire.


 

That smile quickly turned into a frown and a guilty expression when she noticed the empty space around her. "You're closing," she said matter-of-factly, her hands closing around her laptop as if to close it. "I— I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize—"


 

"Hey, it's okay," Jiyeon hurried to reassure, cutting Hyunjung off gently. "I'm not in a rush." Some tension Jiyeon hadn't been aware of snapped off Hyunjung's shoulders. Jiyeon tapped the back of the chair directly in front of her. "Mind if I sit here?"


 

Hyunjung managed a shake of her head, so Jiyeon pulled the chair back and sat down, smiling at the empty plate next to Hyunjung's hand. She pointed to it. "I take it you liked the cinnamon roll?"


 

Hyunjung looked down and let out a chuckle. "I did; it's probably my new favorite. You were right, it was even better than the cheesecake."


 

"I'm always right." Jiyeon claimed cockily with a grin.


 

Hyunjung snorted and shook her head again as she looked down, but it did little to hide the smile creeping up on her face. Jiyeon took a sip of her coffee and thought of what to say next, deciding on a question that had been sitting in the back of her mind for a while.


 

"Are you a writer?"


 

Hyunjung's eyes snapped back up at her, unreadable. She seems to hesitate for a moment before speaking, "I'm not."


 

"But you do write," Jiyeon guessed, gesturing to the laptop. "You always come in with that thing and type for hours."


 

"Observant, are you?" Hyunjung said in response, chuckling quietly when Jiyeon sputtered. "It's more of a past time than anything else. Something new I'm trying."


 

Jiyeon propped her chin on her palm, looking up at Hyunjung through her eyelashes. "What's it about?"


 

Hyunjung blinked. "What?"


 

"Whatever it is you've been writing there. What's it about?"


 

"Oh," Hyunjung's fingers twitched as she hesitated again. "It's still a work in progress," she said tentatively. "Probably not very good."


 

Jiyeon didn't say anything; she only tilted her head to the side and smiled, inviting Hyunjung to say more but not forcing her. Hyunjung stayed silent for a few minutes, searching Jiyeon's eyes, and Jiyeon let the silence sit comfortably between them before the remaining tension faded from Hyunjung's shoulders.


 

"It's a short story I've been planning for a while. It's about a demiromantic, demiual character in a world like ours, where soulmates exist but not for everyone." She divulged it all in one breath, her eyes glimmering and her voice steadier. "They watch the people around them fall in love, soulmates or not, as their own relationships crumble time and time again when their partners want something they can't give. They just... wish they could have a soulmate; someone meant for them, who'd want to stick around no matter what."


 

Oh. It's not exactly what Jiyeon was expecting, but she hung onto Hyunjung's every word. "Well? Do they have a soulmate?"


 

Hyunjung's eyes sparkled with something unreadable, a small, shaky smile reaching her lips. "I don't know yet. Haven't quite figured that part out."


 

Jiyeon had the distinct sense she was not just talking about the story.


 

"That sounds amazing," she said honestly, and Hyunjung's smile turned a little shy. "What do you do, then? If you're not a writer."


 

"I own a E-commerce company." She waved her hand dismissively. "Well, of a part of it, anyway."


 

Jiyeon registered her nonchalant tone and a pinch at the corner of Hyunjung's mouth, and tilted her head slightly. "You don't seem too excited about that."


 

Hyunjung laughed briefly, a humorless thing. "It wasn't my first choice. Or my second." She looked out the window as she sighed, and it came out a little sad. "Honestly, it wasn't my choice at all."


 

"Mind-numbingly boring?" Jiyeon guessed, and it got a more genuine laugh from Hyunjung.


 

"To say the least, it's a pain in the I can't quite get rid of."


 

Jiyeon watched her for a few moments. "So why do you keep doing it?" She asked, genuinely curious. "Why not just quit?"


 

Hyunjung was quiet for a beat. "It's a family business," she said finally, "one that's hard to walk away from." She took a sip of her coffee, and murmured under her breath, "Kim Bom Suk is one vicious man."


 

Wait. Jiyeon was sure she had heard that name somewhere...


 

She searched her brain, looking for the source; right. She'd seen that name so many times, plastered on billboards and in the headlines of the local news and tabloids. It took her a moment to place it... but when she did—


 

Jiyeon's eyes widened in surprise. "You own the Coupang Industries?"


 

The corner of Hyunjung's mouth tugged up almost imperceptibly. "A part of it, at least."


 

"Oh God, you've been looking like you were a business woman; I didn't know you literally owned a big company." Jiyeon mused, half joking, half serious, and Hyunjung just shrugged. "But... you hate it?"


 

Hyunjung looked like she wanted to say yes. "It's not that I hate it, exactly; it just isn't what I want to do with my life. I got pulled into it when I was younger and now... I wouldn't even know how to walk away from it."


 

Jiyeon went quiet for a minute. "Kim Bom Suk... is your father, right? Is he really that bad?"


 

"Not the best picture of a loving parent, let's say," Hyunjung said quietly, with a voice that suggested she didn't want to elaborate. Jiyeon didn't push.


 

They sat in silence for a while, but it didn't feel tense or uncomfortable; it was just quiet. Jiyeon watched as Hyunjung's hair fell on her forehead and itched to push it back with her fingers, looking into those calm, cavernous eyes that held something Jiyeon couldn't quite understand yet.


 

"For what it's worth," she said carefully, after several minutes had passed, her lips curling into a smile, "you're passionate about it, so I bet your writing is amazing. And you should do what makes you happy."


 

Hyunjung swallowed. Jiyeon wondered if anyone had ever told her this before. It broke her heart to realize the answer was probably no.


 

"Thank you," Hyunjung muttered softly, reciprocating the small smile. She hesitated for a bit before speaking again. "I had a last-minute meeting this morning. That's why I didn't come here."


 

Jiyeon's heart was pounding fast in her chest. "You don't have to explain."


 

Hyunjung remained smiling. "I know," she said quietly, the 'but I wanted to' going unsaid, and they left it at that.


 

Hyunjung's phone lit up with notifications, and she swore under her breath. "I should go home. I hadn't realized how late it was."


 

Jiyeon looked over at the clock on the wall, surprised to see it was almost nine; she hadn't noticed the time passing either.


 

"Hey Hyunjung, give me your phone," she blurted out impulsively. Hyunjung raised her eyebrows at her. "Come on, trust me."


 

Hyunjung slowly handed her phone with a curious gaze, and Jiyeon created a new contact. "There, now you have my number. You know," she hurried to add when Hyunjung stared at her phone like it was a strange object, "for whenever you want to rant about work or talk about your writing. I've been told I'm a great listener."


 

Hyunjung looked up slowly; Jiyeon's breath hitched in her chest at the sight of Hyunjung's dark mesmerizing eyes, so open and honest it almost made Jiyeon look away.


 

"Thank you, Jiyeon." She muttered, and her voice was even lower than before, but it echoed through the walls and bounced around in Jiyeon's head like a broken record.


 

"You're welcome," Jiyeon said, her voice equally soft, and Hyunjung smiled at her, closing her laptop.


 

Hyunjung was about to walk out the door when Jiyeon called her again. "Hyunjung?"


 

Hyunjung turned to look back at her, and the first thing Jiyeon saw was a mole she hadn't noticed before. It was right below Hyunjung's left eye, almost hidden behind her lower lashes, standing out against her light skin.


 

"Yes?"


 

Jiyeon looked at her in the eyes again. "Your main character; do they have a name already?"


 

"None yet," Hyunjung answered with a smile. "I'm keeping my options open for now. Good night, Jiyeon."


 

"Good night, Hyunjung." She called out as she watched Hyunjung disappear into the night.


 

Jiyeon ignored the heart beating rapidly inside her ribcage; the same with how the