The staffs at Intae Coffee Shop gather around a table after the shop is closed for the day. Intae is there too, leading a meeting with Miran, Jisu and a couple more staffs. Intae clears his throat as he starts the ‘important’ meeting as he words it just now.

Intae taps his pen on the thin stacks of paper documents in his hand.

“As you can see here, sales have been a bit, you know, lukewarm. I’m thinking about making a special event this upcoming Valentine’s Day. Any suggestions?” Intae asks. Jisu pouts as his minds swirls into possibilities. The other two staffs who are way younger than Miran And Jisu look a bit clueless. Miran raises her hand, her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm.

“I have one!” Miran says with a big smile.

“Okay, let’s listen to Miran.” Intae gestures her to go ahead.

“Let’s propose special menu sets for couples with affordable price. Like a set of two caramel macchiato and pancakes and stuffs. We can serve them in pink cups and plates, or simply pink napkins if you don’t want to spend on new sets of cutleries. I bet couples in high school to mid-twenties would love to try that out.”

Intae nods. “That’s a good idea. Proposal number one, new menu set.” Intae jots it down on the paper, numbering it as well. “Other ideas?”

Jisu hums a long ‘Hm....’. The other two young staffs seem to be racking their brains for ideas too but to no avail. Once again, Miran raises her hand.

“Let’s decorate the shop a bit according to the theme. We should put flowers, it can be plastic, on each table and hang paper accessories in heart shapes.”

Intae nods multiple times. “Okay, that sounds good too.” He adds another point under the first point.

“Ah, hyung! You should stop agreeing to everything Miran says. You’ll look lazy!” Jisu complains.

Intaes smiles sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

“But I give good ideas! Right?” Miran briefly turns to the two younger staffs and they nod mindlessly. Miran looks back at Jisu with taunting eyes. “What about you? Do you have other ideas?”

Jisu clears his throat and looks away. He isn’t really into these mushy, cutesy Valentine’s stuffs to start with. Intae and the rest laugh at Miran and Jisu’s banter. They are all used to them doing that. It would be really boring if one of them is absent.

“Okay, okay.” Intae says, averting back their attention on the main focus of the meeting. “Miran has given use some really good ideas, so let’s finalize on those.”

Afterwards, the meeting receives much more active participation from every members. In about an hour and a half, they finally reach a conclusion. Everyone is now excited to prepare for the special occasion.

-

MIran and Jisu are in charge of the special menu set. Their proposals are approved by Intae a couple of days ago so Miran immediately works for the menu design. She is a major in art and graphic design so she is the most perfect person to work on a new design for the menu and fliers for promotion purposes. Everyday after her classes, she would help out with the shop decoration and then the new menu and fliers design after she gets home. After the design is finished, she has them readily printed and the two younger staffs do most of the flier distribution. The special day is only five days away but Intae wants everything to be finished at least three days before that.

Tonight is the last night before the due date and there is only a little decoration work left to be done. Intae helps out as well. He tells the rest of the staff to get home and he will take care of the rest, but Miran insists to stay until the decoration is finished.

“Juts remember that I’m not giving you day off tomorrow.” Intae playfully warns her. Miran scoffs and gives him judging looks.

“I’m stronger than I look, okay?” She stubbornly replies and heads to the window at the corner to hang a heart-shaped paper chains. Intae quickly leaves his spot and offers to help.

“Let me do that.” Intae takes away the paper chain from her hands and climbs onto the ladder and puts up the decoration piece.

“Like this?” Intae looks back at her for her opinion. Miran shakes her head.

“Oppa, it’s a bit lopsided. It has to be more centered.”

Intae adjusts the position of the paper chain a bit.

“No, no! Oppa, becareful! The paper chain is about to rip!”

“Okay, okay.”

“Ah, oppa! The paper chain looks stretched now! You should loosen it up a bit. No, no! That’s too much, just a bit!”

“Did we just switch place? Are you the owner of this place?” Intae asks jokingly. Miran huffs.

“Oppa, come down. Let me do it myself. Look at what you’ve done. You almost destroy the paper chain.” Miran stands next to the ladder, tapping on Intae’s legs impatiently. Intae sighs and gets down. His shoulders droop in defeat as he pulls out chair and sits on it. Intae watches as Miran climbs on the ladder.

“Becareful,” he reminds her.

“I can take care of myself. Oppa, you just finish the flower arrangements.” Miran orders, causing Intae to burst out laughing.

“You’re still as feisty as you were in high school.”

“Why? Are you scared?”

“No, it’s good. I bet the guys never make fun of you.” Intae smiles.

“Actually, because I’m so feisty, they like to tease me more.” Miran rolls her eyes as she adjusts the position of the paper chain. “It’s annoying. Good thing Simon backs me up most of the time. But he joins them sometimes too, ugh.”

Inate chuckles. “What’s up with you and Simon?”

“What’s up? Miran repeats, briefly glances to the back, looking quizzically at Intae. “What do you mean? We’re just fine. Why?”

“Are you guys dating now?”

Miran chuckles at the idea. “Where did you get that idea?”

“Just wondering. You guys look good together.” Intae smiles. Miran isn’t too sure, but she has a feel that Intae has long known the fact that Simon has feelings for her.

“We’re just friends. Always been, you know that.”

“What about other guys? Aren’t you interested in anyone?”

Miran briefly pauses before she answers. “No one else so far.”

 “Do you want me to introduce you to someone?”

Miran sighs. “No, thanks.”

“You’re so stubborn.”

“Well, my name is not Yoo Miran if I’m not.”

Intae laughs.

“Instead of me, you should worry about yourself. You’re thirty two now, oppa. You should seriously think about settling down now.” Miran adds.

“You sound like my mom.” They both laugh together.

“Well, you obviously need one here. You would never wake up early if not for Simon’s morning call every day. Also, if I don’t nag at you all the time, your office would look like it has been hit by a tornado.”

“You don’t have to worry too much about me.” Intae’s voice softens against the silence of the night. Or maybe that is just Miran? She has a feeling that there is an underlying message in his words.

“I won’t if you actually have someone who can take care of you by your side. Or you already have one?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I should find one.”

Miran’s movements slow down as well. Intae’s trying to be subtle about it, but it still pains her. She looks back at Intae and puts up a stern look. Miran frowns at him.

“I told you to finish the flower arrangements, didn’t I? Do it quickly or we’ll have to spend the whole night doing it!”