“Hyung, here. I found a letter at the front door”

“Looks official.” Sungjong said with a look of disinterest as he proceeded to inspect his nails.

 

I wiped my hands on my dark green apron and looked at the white envelope.

It had a red stamp on it from an international company that did, indeed, look official.

I gently ripped the envelope apart and stared at the sheet of printed paper, scanning it briefly, before dropping it on the floor.

My eyes widened in surprise and I felt like I was about to faint.

 

“Yah, Hyung you dropped it on the floo-. Hyung? What’s wrong” Sungjong looked at me in surprise and bent down to pick up the letter to see what made me so shocked.

 

“Dear owner of café down Broadstine Avenue. Wow they didn’t even bother asking for your name. Rude.” Sungjong scoffed.

“We would like to inform you that we are highly interested in purchasing your coffee shop and the land upon it stands. Blah blah blah, yeah yeah, okay, yeah, wait what. You have fourteen days to reply, please do deeply consider our proposition. If the amount is not large enough, we can compromise the value in your favour…” Sungjong trailed off.

 

“I think they want your shop.” He stated the obvious after a moment of silence.

 

“I think so too, Jongie.” I stared blankly into space.

 

“And I don’t think they’re going to leave me alone without it.”

 

They couldn’t just take it, right?

As long as I still own the rights for it. I mean, I do have the land rights for the shop, I think. Do I need a lawyer? Should I be taking this to court? B-but I barely even have enough to pay the rent for this place. What am i-

Numerous thoughts ran inside and out of my head.

 

God, I needed to sit down.

 

Sungjong looked at me confused, before assisting me down in the chair and got up to make me an Earl Grey.

He always knew that the hot tea had a soothing effect which comforted me.

 

I couldn’t just give up this place.

This was what I had been working towards for the past five years. I’ve spent every single day in it for three years straight, I’ve never even closed on Christmas day or New Years Eve.

A steaming cup of tea in my favourite red mug was placed down in front of me.

I grabbed it with shaking hands and used it to warm at least some of the cold feeling that was spreading inside of me.

 

“Jong ah, what am I going to do?” I rested my elbows on the table and placed my head down with a resigned sigh.

“Hyung, it’ll be okay. Why don’t you go talk to the people or something.”

“They’re not going to reconsider. Look at them, they’re a multimillion dollar company. I don’t understand, what would they want with my coffee shop?”

“I don’t know, Hyung, I don’t know…” Sungjong mumbled, gently patting my hand.

 

The doorbell rang and signified another influx of customers in for their afternoon tea break. Sungjong gave me a light smile and got up to serve the customers with a happy smile.

I seriously think he was better faking it than I was, because I knew how attached he had become with this coffee shop as well. He’s been with me ever since I took over it and has always been the first one to suggest a new book shelf, or new chairs, heck he even suggested the grand old cuckoo clock.

 

I reached out and looked at the piece of paper again.

I’m not going to be able to compete with this company. I might as well just call them now.

A new burden just came to mind, this means I have to get a new job.

My heart dropped at the feeling of having to start afresh and go to university again.

But what would I study?

 

I never imagined myself being anything other than a barista, this was what I was made to do. I gave a deep sigh and continued to think of other options.

I need a way out of this mess.

 

A loud progression of beeps turned my attention towards my phone, idly sitting on the table next to me. I reached out to grab it and glanced at the screen, in no mood to reply to the flashing message inbox icon.

Nam Woohyun, the screen flashed the name at me.

I couldn’t help but feel a little lighter and gave a small smile.

I opened the message with a light tap on the screen.

 

‘Hey Gyu, I’m sorry I might be a little late to our date tonight, something came up I had to deal with. I’ll be… maybe 28 minutes and 38 seconds late? Give or take a few seconds, don’t wait up for me counting the seconds, kay? :)’

 

I lightly chuckled at his sly attempt to make up for his lateness. Well, at least he knew I would’ve been counting.

Ah, that’s 28 more minutes I have to wallow in my depression then.

 

Oh Sunggyu, you’re such a drama queen, even Sungjong wouldn’t react like this. Wait, okay he’d be worse, never mind.

I’m sure it’ll be fine. Maybe the company won’t want to coffee shop anymore.

Don’t give up, yeah.

I won’t give up.

Yes!

“I can do this!” I stood up and yelled ambitiously.

 

Oops, a little bit too loud, as all the eyes in the overcrowded café turned towards me. Some laughed whereas others just acknowledged that their usual café’s barista was going crazy.

Sungjong gave me a look of disbelief with a girly giggle and formed his right hand in to a fist and whispered “hwaiting!”

 

My spirits lifted and I decided I would go to talk to the company tomorrow morning. It’s so much better having Sungjong around helping out, it really does make my life so much easier.

I grabbed my apron, tied it on tightly, and started towards my daily customers with a bright smile.

 

You can do this, Kim Sunggyu.

 

 

 

I looked up from my crinkled newspaper as Woohyun appeared, breathless at the door. I rose and neatly folded the paper back on its stand as he stopped right in front of me.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry Gyu, traffic was really heavy, and I had to find my dad and talk to him about something and everything just went past really slo-“

“Hyun, it’s okay” I laughed, patting him lightly on the arm.

“You’re only 45 seconds late. Not that I was counting. Or anything.” I shyly smiled.

He gave a deep chuckle and grabbed my hand,

“You ready?”

Needless for words, I nodded with a smile.

 

 

 

It was completely dark outside the Mercedes and I had no idea where we were. I looked around, for a hint of a light or something to tell me we weren’t in the middle of a forest with werewolves roaming or trolls walking around or orcs with axes waiting for us to get out of the ca-

“Here, put this on. It’s cold outside” Woohyun interrupted my thoughts by handing me a black leather jacket.

I looked at him with a confused look, he gave me an assuring smile and a slight wink.

“You’ll see. Just trust me.”

And trust him I did.

 

 

As soon as I stepped out of the car, a heavy gust of wind swept my hair around. My nose was greeted with the faint smell of salt mixed with water as mist covered the air. I realised if I squinted my eyes enough, yes it’s possible actually, I could make out the dark outline of a lighthouse and its torch light shining bright the way for boats passing by the dock.

 

I held Woohyun’s hand tightly as I felt myself shivering. His hand was warm, and I wasn’t going to deny that feeling. He gave me a small tug on the hand and led me towards the lighthouse.

I gave him a look that questioned the way, and he nodded briefly with a smile.

 

It was a short ten minute walk as we discussed what we did for the day. I told him about the letter and he told me he was sorry, and told me he wished he could do something. But I gently shook my head and squeezed his hand tighter, “being here was enough”, I told him.

I smiled in embarrassment at what I had said, wow when did I get so damn…greasy?

He chuckled,

“that sounds like something I should say.”

I nodded in agreement and continued telling him about how everyone in the café looked at me weirdly after my sudden outburst in the café.

“Cute.”

He whispered again, carried by the wind still sweeping strongly around us on the beach.

Being the clumsy person I am, I slipped yet again, yes it happened several times already, on the sand, but Woohyun managed to support me every time with a tight grip on my right hand.

 

When we finally arrived at the lighthouse, a rusty red door led us inside.

“Hyun, are you sure this is okay? I feel like we’re committing a crime being in here.”

He smiled, “Gyu, relax. I come in here all the time. It takes me away from… things.”

 

A steep metal staircase led us to the top, where a balcony overlooking the ocean greeted us.

It was incredible, the inner city of Seoul was on the other side of the great expanse of sea, the city lights and tall skyscrapers spreading across the night sky.

“Hyun, it’s beautiful.” I continued to look out at the landscape. I had never been up this high before, and I never knew Seoul city could look this amazing.

I felt Woohyun reply softly, and turned to look his deep brown eyes looking back at me.

“Yeah, it is.”

 

 

 

“Hey. Here’s something I do all the time. Want to give it a try?” Woohyun asked me with a mischievous grin.

“Sure.” I simply nodded.

“Okay, you ready?” I looked at him curiously.

He turned away from me and looked towards the city lights.

“YAH.” He yelled loudly.

I gave a look of surprise as I realised what he was doing.

“Hyun, sh, won’t we get in trouble if people find us h-“

“NAM BOOHYUN. WHY ARE YOU NEVER HOME? UMMA MISSES YOU ALL THE TIME. WHY ARE YOU SO SELFISH.” He continued to shout as my sentence trailed.

I slowly realised what he was doing.

 

He had a look of disappointment, but also a hint of relief, before looking back at me with a smile.

“It feels much better to scream out everything like this. Try it.” He simply nodded, giving me an encouraging look.

I shook my head slightly and looked down in embarrassment.

He nudged my right elbow gently,

“Come on, you trust me right? There’s no one else that can hear us but you and I.”

I looked into his eyes and gently nodded,

“okay.” I whispered, as I too turned towards the sea.

 

I felt the wind sweep my fringe into my eyes and I slowly raised my hands and cupped them around my mouth,

“YAH LEE SUNGJONG, WHY ARE YOU SUCH A DIVA ALL THE TIME. YOU’RE SO NAGGY AND SOMETIMES I JUST WANT TO STUFF YOU WITH CARAMEL SLICES SO YOU CAN’T ANNOY ME ANYMORE.” I yelled, all in one breath.

 

Breathless, I turned towards a stunned Woohyun.

“I did not expect you to be that loud. Wow, I have some competition here.” He grinned before laughing at my confession.

I gave a shy smile and cleared my throat.

 

“Your turn.”

 

He took a deep breath,

“I WISH APPA WOULD STOP TRYING TO FORCE ME INTO WORKING AT THE COMPANY. I WILL BECOME THE BEST CHEF IN THE WORLD. JUST YOU WAIT, APPA.” He stuck his hand up in the air as if he had just won a gold Olympic medal, I laughed and nodded with a look of approval.

 

“I WISH THAT STUPID COMPANY WOULD STAY AWAY FROM MY COFFEE SHOP-P.” I started, my voice slightly faltering as it dawned upon me how much I was about to lose.

 

“AND I HOPE THAT STUPID COMPANY GOES BANKRUPT.” Woohyun yelled, emphasising our anger together. I laughed as he tried to comfort me by giving the tall skyscrapers an intense stare of hatred.

 

“YAH. GRANDPA CHOI, ARE YOU NOT SICK OF YOUR USUAL EGGS ON TOAST YET? I MAKE IT FOR YOU EVERY DAY. IT’S SO BOTHERSOME. WHY CAN’T YOU WANT SOMETHING DIFFERENT?” I yelled out my frustration.

I mean come on, after three years, he’s still ordering the same thing. It’s damn right ridiculous.

Woohyun laughed out loud and proceeded to complain about his head chef bullying him just because he was jealous that Woohyun was better than him.

We went on for about ten more minutes of random confessions, frustrations, and even curses ranging from people such as my regular customers, Woohyun’s chef assistants, our siblings, to even the taste of this really spicy Ddeokbokki on my behalf, (“YAH WHY’D YOU HAVE TO BURN MY TONGUE. I COULDN’T EAT PROPERLY FOR DAYS”)

 

…until eventually, we started complaining about each other.

“YAH. KIM SUNGGYU-“ Woohyun suddenly yelled, after a few counts to gather up his breath again.

I thought he was going to complain the loudest and burst my eardrums, so I flinched in preparation, but instead he breathlessly whispered,

“Yah, Kim Sunggyu for the first time I feel nervous around anyone. You make me doubt myself so much and make me unsure of everything I do. How do you do that? How do you make me like you more and more each day I see you?”

 

I stood there, stunned. He turned to look towards me with an uncertain smile and expected me to say something.

I blinked nervously and took a deep breath before cupping my hands around my mouth once again. If he thought just because he whispered, I would whisper too, oh he was so wrong.

“YAH. NAM WOOHYUN. WHY ARE YOU SO DAMN GOOD LOOKING? YOUR GREASY JOKES AND YOUR GRIN, SERIOUSLY YOU MAKE ME STUTTER AND BLUSH LIKE A GIRL AND I CAN’T DO ANYTHING RIGHT-” I started yelling at the top of my lungs,
“But honestly, I find myself liking you more and more too.” I gently whispered as I turned to look at his expression of pure surprise.

 

We looked at each other for a full ten seconds, without words or any kind of expression, before bursting into laughter and even though the it was dark and the only lights were in the distant city on the other side of the beach, it wasn’t hard to see the glint of happiness in our eyes and the light blush that coloured both of our cheeks as we started back towards the car, hand in hand.

 

 

#

second date, check!

So there's some extra things going on rather than woogyu's relationship, had to mix it up a bit , you know. just incase some of you guys are getting bored :O which i hope none of you are!

anyway all the best, have a great day!

do leave a comment if you have time, any more ideas on dates? i'll all ears!

thank you to my new and not-so-new subscribers again! <3