I arrived at the café 10 minutes from the start of my shift. Stopping outside to catch a breather, I looked into the nearby blind-corner mirror to straighten up myself so I looked more presentable. I was a horrible mess from all the running. My hair was messy, my uniform crumpled, my cheeks were flushed, not to mention I was covered in beads of sweats. As I took out some tissue paper to wipe away the sweat on my forehead, I noticed that the place where I accidentally bumped into that person’s chin was turning red.

“Oh gosh, it wasn’t even a hard bump. Was it?” I wondered as I moved closer to the mirror, trying to get a closer look, “Well, I hope it doesn’t turn into an ugly bruise… I’m going to get laughed to death by Heechul and Kyuhyun if it turns out that way.” Shaking my head, I cleaned myself up and tried my best to straighten out my uniform. Suddenly, a thought came into my mind, “Is that guy’s chin alright? What if his jaw becomes dislocated… Oh well, not as if I’m gonna see him again.” The memory of that awkward accident came into my mind again, together with the embarrassment.

“That has got to be the most unglamorous thing that has ever, EVER, happened to me.” I complained in my head as I walked into the café that I was to work at. I shook my head again, trying to rid myself of the discomfort I was feeling in my heart. Suddenly, I became aware that everyone in café was staring at me.

Oops. Did I just say that out loud?

I threw the best smile I could conjure at everybody and hurried over to the cashier. “My name is An Yonni. I’m here today for my first day?” I smiled sweetly at the older woman behind the counter. She stared at me for a minute before asking me to take a seat and wait for a bit. I sat down at one of the tables nearest to the cashier that faced away from everyone else in the shop, face burning with embarrassment.

I started work right after I was given a brief introduction of the operations of the shop. My main duties were being a barista, and cleaning up the shop. Standing behind the counter, I caught my reflection in the shop’s window. “Oh! I look so cute! Haha! But I hope neither Kyuhyun nor Heechul see me in this uniform. They would probably make me wear this at home while cleaning…” I was silently chuckling to myself. My uniform consisted of a small maid cap and a pink Lolita-styled short dress. I looked like as if I was working in an Otaku café.

Two hours later, my frame of mind was starting to get fuzzy as I got sleepier and sleepier by the minute. As I went about my duties in the shop, I was trying to decide whether I should cook dinner and go to sleep straight after that or I should just buy something home for the boys to eat and jump right into bed. “One more hour before I can go, so far so good… Good job on your first day Yonni!” I congratulated myself mentally as I looked at the digital timer on the electronic cash register.

However, bad luck is a jerk. Just when you think nothing bad is going to happen, it jumps right out and punch you in the face. It was 15 minutes before the end of my shift, and I was putting the new supplies into the cabinet that were placed over the prep-counters when a customer came in and order an ice-blended coffee. Thinking that I could come back to packing in a short while as iced blended coffee only takes less than a minute to prepare, I left the cabinet’s door open. The coffee machine was on the counters in the front while the prep-counters were at the back. When the customer orders their caffeinated potions, we will get the coffee from the coffee machine before turning around to add in whatever extra ingredients at the prep counter.

Being new, I was not accurate in estimating the amount of ice or coffee to use. So as I was pouring the blended coffee into a cup, I accidentally poured too quickly. The excess content overflowed onto the counter, spreading like lava due to its liquidly nature. Panicking, I whirled around to grab the cleaning cloth. Since I was too lazy to close the cabinet door, I banged right into the corner of the door.

Fortunately, I was able to stop myself from cursing in time. Wincing in pain, I glanced across the café quickly, wondering if anyone had seen the stupid accident. Everyone else was focused in minding his or her own business, and it seemed as if no one else had seen my stupid act. I heaved a sigh of relief. Shouting out loud in the shop earlier on had already been embarrassing enough, I did not need this incident to add onto my “public display of stupidity” portfolio as well. I cleaned up the mess that I made and gave the customer his coffee that had costed me a hard knock to my forehead.

As I stepped out of the café after my shift, I was thinking grudgingly, “I supposed my ridiculous good mood in this morning was actually God’s way of preparing me for the horribly embarrassing remaining parts of the day… Damn it…” I ran over to the blind corner mirror outside the café again and inspected the damage. The spot where I knocked into that guy’s chin was now even redder than previously. I think I might have banged into the cabinet’s door at the same spot, as it was the only red spot on my entire forehead. It was definitely going to turn into a bruise. I shook my head as I turned and started walking in the direction of the nearby bus stop to take a bus home.

It was only a three stops distance between my home and the café, so I reached home in about 10 minutes. Looking at my watch as I waited for the lift, it was only 6.30pm. “I guess I have time to cook. Ouch… It’s really painful… AISH! AN YONNI! YOU ARE THE BIGGEST IDIOT ON EARTH!!!”  I thought in my head as I massaged the sore spot on my forehead.

When I reached home, I saw two pairs of shoes by the screen door that separated a small space we had between the front door and the rest of the house. “Heechul’s pretty early today… Doesn’t he have to work tonight? What is he doing at home?” I wondered silently as I took off my shoes, changed into my bedroom slippers, and stepped through the screen door.

“I’m home,” I said as I entered the living room. Kyuhyun was sitting at the couch in the living room, sipping a glass of red wine. “Seriously? Red wine before dinner?” I asked unbelievably as I threw my schoolbag by my bedroom door.

“Why not? I was thirsty…” he replied nonchalantly as he took another sip and looked at me. The sip of red wine that he just drank came out in small little beads as he spat them out in a sudden burst of laughter. He put his wineglass down on the table, slapping his thighs repeatedly with the other free hand as he bent over in laughter. I glared at him as I looked around the house. Heechul was nowhere in sight.

“HAHA!!! What… What….” Kyuhyun was gasping for air in between his laughter as he tried to speak, “Is that… IS THAT LIKE THE LATEST TRENDY MAKEUP? HAHAHAAAAAA!!!!” His evil laughter was echoing in the house. Walking in the direction of the bathroom, I grabbed a cushion conveniently from the armchair and threw it hard at him. “Shut up or you’ll be eating my fist for dinner.” I warned dangerously as I went into the bathroom.  Kyuhyun was laughing so hard that he didn’t even try to catch the flying cushion and just let it hit him in the face.

I slammed the door in a huff. “I knew this was going to happen if I get a bruise!” I hissed at the mirror angrily as I looked into it. Truthfully enough, there was an ugly purple bruise right in the place where I had bumped into things and people twice today. “Aish… How am I going to go to school?” I wondered as I touched the bruise gingerly. It seemed serious as even a gentle touch sent tingling pain through my head. I could still hear Kyuhyun laughing in the living room, but I also heard another door opened and the voice of another person. I could not hear the person clearly as Kyuhyun’s hyena laughter was covering his voice up. Heechul must have come out from his room to check out the irritating noise that Kyuhyun was making. I only exited the bathroom when Kyuhyun’s laughter was ceasing.

Heechul was standing at the balcony, looking out at the surroundings when I came out. I glowered at Kyuhyun, shooting daggers from my eyes, daring him to laugh again. He was in his breath, swallowing the laugh that was coming out. Then he smiled innocently at me, before grabbing the cushion that I had thrown at him, using it to muffle the laughter that escaped his mouth. “I’m going to get Heechul to kill you for me!” I silently mouthed revengefully at Kyuhyun, as I pointed at the balcony. Kyuhyun lowered the cushion immediately and looked as if he was going to say something. But he seemed to change his mind and flashed me another smile before diving back into the cushion with his face twisted from trying to stop laughing.

I huffed at him and started running to the balcony. I decided to employ the tactics of a bullied little sister in order to get Heechul to exact revenge for me at evil Kyu. “Brother Heechul!!!” I whined in my kiddy voice, giving him a bear hug around the waist from behind. I heard him gasped in surprise and I continued talking immediately so he cannot cut me off before I can complain.

“Brother Heechul! Kyuhyun is bullying me! You must take revenge for me! Do you know what an unlucky day I had?” I whined as I stamped my foot like a child, “You almost lost your sister today, do you know that?” I felt him gently attempting to pry my interlocked fingers from his tummy as he opened his mouth to talk.

I cut him off and tightened my arms around him so he cannot pry me off, “KIM HEECHUL! Do you have any conscience? Your little sister is hurt and you want to push me away?” I whined angrily, “Today is such a humiliating day for me! When I was on my way to work at that new café, I accidentally bumped into someone, and then I crashed into the person’s chin after he saved me from falling flat on my face! I almost died from shame and pain!”

As soon as Heechul heard that, he suddenly stopped trying to pry my fingers off. I took this to be a sign that he was shocked, and started to exaggerate the situation, “Yes! I almost DIED from pain! It was really painful! I think that person might have shattered his jaws from the impact! Not only that! Just now at work, I walked into an open cabinet’s door! The door almost came off its hinges! Can you imagine how hard a knock it was?” Heechul was starting to attempt prying off my fingers again, I tightened my hug and hurriedly continued, “Then when I reached home, hoping to seek the comfort of family and friendship love, Kyuhyun made fun of me instead! Brother Heechul…. I don’t care! You must do something!!!”

Okay, I admit I was over-exaggerating, but if I didn’t do that, Heechul will just join Kyuhyun in laughing at me, so I had to play the role of a super pitiful little sister who was being bullied by their friend after a rough day outside. Heechul seemed to be standing on my side, since he had not forcefully pried my fingers away. In fact, he was being pretty gentle to me. “Hehe… Yes! It worked! Revenge time!” I deviously thought as I turned my head around to give Kyuhyun a look of triumph.

Stupid Kyuhyun still had a grin plastered to his face as he sat there looking at us. He gave me a thumbs-up, and then looked away briefly, using his hand to cover up the smirk that was taking over the grin. Hmph. His happiness would not last for long, not after my brother seek revenge for me! Heechul was trying prying my fingers off again. This time, I let go of him.

I had prepared a ‘hurt-sister’ pitiable look on my face for Heechul to see when he turned around. In my head, it consisted of me slowly looking up at him with big puppy eyes, a sad frown and a small pout. I had my head down, and was looking at his feet, which was slowly turning around. I looked up slowly, with the pout and big eyes ready.

My timing was perfect. I looked up at him with the sad look at the same time when he completely turned around. However, except for the timing, everything else went haywire. Firstly, my big puppy eyes came out bigger than expected, then my mouth changed from a pout to a jaw-drop. The second error, and also the biggest error, was on Heechul.

What’s wrong with Heechul, you ask?

Well, nothing much actually. Just that everything would have been much better if the person the person WAS Heechul. For when he turned around, my ‘hurt-sister’ pitiable look instantly became a look of pure shock, coupled with the evil laughter of Kyuhyun as a backdrop.

Because, instead of seeing Heechul’s face with the playful big eyes, sharp nose and smirky smile, it was a different face. This face also had big eyes. Deep, round orbs that complemented his V-shaped face. The fair V-shaped face that now has an embarrassed smile on its peachy pink lips.

Sounds familiar?

Good, I thought I was the only person who remembered seeing this face before.

OH MY GOD.

Someone shoot me please.