Two years ago.

Intae was a special person. Always been. He was originally just a neighbor ‘oppa’ to Miran, but everything changed on one fateful day. Miran came from a dysfunctional family. Returning home to bickering parents every single day started to get too much for a high school senior to handle. She decided that it was better to end everything by jumping off a building. Fortunately, Intae was there to save her right before that crucial moment between life and death. She was so thankful to him or she would regret her decision and didn’t even had the chance to feel it.

Ever since then, Intae had been lending so much moral support; as far as providing his coffee shop as her ‘refugee camp’ whenever home didn’t feel like one. She still remembered that one morning when Intae brewed coffee for her. The taste was so strong she spit it out in front of him. He laughed out loud, making fun of her childish reaction. She hated the taste, but the strong bitterness of the black coffee that was buried deep into her taste buds inspired her to reproduce the same brew one day; just to prove to him that she was capable to handle such drink.

Miran met young Simon at the shop as well. He ran away from home because of his father’s strong opposition of his dream of doing music. Intae, being the way he was, took Simon under his care. Under Intae’s guidance, Simon managed to prove to his father that he could enroll into a good university while doing the thing he just loved which was music; and Miran became forgiving towards her parents, which led them to fix their relationship towards each other though they finally separated.

Intae had always been that kind of person. He was special, but even more so in Miran’s eyes. Intae to Miran was her savior, her mentor, her father, her ideal guy. But he wasn’t one without his own problems too.

Intae and Kahi went way back. They both looked really good together Miran couldn’t help but got jealous sometimes. They both are gorgeous and smart and kind. However, Intae always had a humble planning for their future. He wanted to marry her, had kids, had a little happy family of his own, but Kahi had bigger dreams for her future. She was a professional dancer; a very respectful and influential figure in her field at that. One day she was offered to be a part of a prestigious performance group in UK and had to leave the country. Intae insisted to wait but she told him to give up because she still had a long possibilities coming after her future. They broke up on good terms, but Intae was crashed pretty bad. So bad that a person so righteous and wise and sober like him drank to sleep.

“Hey, is this ‘Miran’?”

Miran stared at her phone quizzically. The number surely came from Intae but it wasn’t his voice talking in the phone. Miran put back the phone to her ear.

“Yes, speaking.”

“Hey, I’m sorry to bother you but this guy is wasted. Can you come here to take him home?”

Miran wanted Simon to come along, but she couldn’t reach him that night. She decided to just handle that on her own. Miran took the taxi cab (she’d claim this in her next pay for sure) and brought him to his coffee shop since she didn’t exactly know where he lived. With all her might, she put the well-built guy on her back and brought him to his office upstairs in staggering, slow steps.

Miran sighed out loud when she successfully put the guy on the couch in his office. Intae rested his arm across his forehead. She watched him frown in his sleep, which caused her to frown as well.

Miran crouched in front of the sofa, wishing to see him in peace before she left.

“Miran, are you still there?” Intae whispered, his voice groggy as if he had been crying for hours. Who knew, though? He probably did.

“Yeah.”

Intae slowly opened his eyes. He pulled himself up and sat on the sofa, weakly leaning his back against the backrest . He threw his head back and chuckled bitterly.

“I’m so embarrassing, huh?” He asked. Miran shook her head.

“Anyone could have done the same thing if they were in your place.”

“At this age, I shouldn’t be crying over a broken relationship. But can you imagine? After all these years knowing that you’re not as important to her as much as she is to you. I can’t blame her though. It’s her life. Her dream.” Intae looked into her eyes and chuckled bitterly. A drop of tear escaped from the corner of his eye. It broke her heart to see him like that. Miran reached out her hand and wiped away the single tear.

“It’s okay. You can cry as much as you want.” She told him.

Intae covered his eyes with his hand and started to sob. His body jekred along to the non-rhuthmical sounds he made. Miran kneeled and reached for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and patted his back as he cried into her shoulders.

The next day, Intae came to his shop as usual. He had a long, calm talk with her, thanking her for being there for him. He also apologized for showing such behavior to her. She didn’t mind at all. If only he could see that she was more than willing to be the girl who would devote her life into making him happy.