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Chapter 28 - Revenge of the Past: Ice Cream Parlor's Closing Down?

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"Alright!"

Sungmin throws his right hand in the air as soon as he receives his first salary of his summer job. It has been half a month already. Manager Han promised to give them the half of their salary during the fifteenth day of the month.

"I am going to buy new headphones, new rubber shoes, new-"

"Uhm, not that I care but," Kyuhyun pauses and continues after he looks away, "you have something to buy with your salary, right?"

Sungmin frowns as he remembers that he has to buy planting materials and tools for his project in Biology. "Damn it. Why do I have to buy such things again!?"

"Because you failed the exam," Kyuhyun answers.

"I didn't fail it, I just barely made it," Sungmin corrects Kyuhyun who shrugs in turn. "Oh well, I still have half of my salary at the end of the month so I think I can still buy what I need! I'll just borrow my mom's planting tool and save money for the seeds."

They head inside the employees lounge. Manager Han closed the shop an hour before its real closing so that they can celebrate. The employees choose to go home to treat their families to something. They are the only ones left with Manager Han who is still inside his office.

"Oh, would you accompany me to buy-"

"Pass, I am busy," Kyuhyun answers. Sungmin pouts.

"Why are you like this to me? Am I your friend?" Sungmin asks.

Kyuhyun sighs and gets his bag from the locker. "Oh please, Lee Sungmin, stop using that as an excuse."

"If Donghae is here, he would," Sungmin says and crosses his arms. Donghae took a half day of work to be able to ride the last bus going to his hometown. He planned to visit his parents and spare some salary to help his parents to finance another expansion. "What a good son. He is really helping his parents even if it is  petty. He really wants to spend on their business expansion because he wants to keep it up by the time he graduates from college."

"When did you learn about that?" Kyuhyun questions. "I didn't know you were 'that' close." Kyuhyun emphasizes the word 'that.' His voice has a bitter tone, but as usual Sungmin does not pay attention to it.

"Because he is a friend, and he shares secrets and dreams to me," Sungmin replies. He is making Kyuhyun guilty. But it does not work.

Ever since that day, they have become 'real' friends. They would say annoying things to each other, but Sungmin, who usually takes everything that Kyuhyun says towards him seriously, rides with his statements. He would not feel irritated as if those statements were jokes. That created a lively yet peaceful atmosphere between the two. Even Donghae, who witnessed it, felt strange about it. But of course, he is happy that the two is starting to get along.

"Kyu!" Sungmin says in cutesy. Kyuhyun is very thankful with the locker door that Sungmin does not see him blushing.

"S-since when did you start calling me that. It is kinda weird," he comments, but his heart is having butterflies. He remembers the day when Sungmin first called him that - the day of their group study.

"What's weird? Calling a friend with a nickname is not weird at all," Sungmin reasons out.

"We are not close," Kyuhyun displays a blank face, trying to conceal what he feels at that moment, as he closes the door of his locker.

"Kill joy," Sungmin murmurs. "Okay fine. I won't call you that again."

Kyuhyun regrets, but he chooses to be silent than to say that he permits Sungmin to call him that. "Let's go then."

Sungmin automatically looks at Kyuhyun. "Where?"

"You said you want to buy new headphones or rubber shoes," Kyuhyun reminds him. "I guess it can't be helped."

Sungmin excitedly claps and runs towards Kyuhyun. "Yes!"

"But you'll buy a seed, okay?" Kyuhyun says as a condition.

Sungmin's energy lowers. "Fine. Let us say goodbye to Manager Han first."

○●○

"! I overspent!" Sungmin exclaims. Kyuhyun lets out of a sigh as they goes out from the thrift shop. "I thought that these rubber shoes are half the price."

He ended up buying the rubber shoes that caught his eye. He thought it was discounted. But when he bought the pair, he ended up paying for the original price and that left him with nothing as he bought two headphones and a pink t-shirt.

"Aish, this is bad," Sungmin pulls the paper bag where the box of the shoes is.

"You should have cancelled it," Kyuhyun says.

"Eh, I can't do it. I have difficulty in such things. And besides, I really like it," Sungmin tells his company.

Kyuhyun puts his hands inside his pocket. "It is as if those shoes wouldn't be available next week or so."

Sungmin stops walking that Kyuhyun stops as well. He looks at Sungmin who is staring at him skeptically. "You know, I really pity you for not knowing how the thrift stores work! If you see what you want, then you need to buy it as soon as possible! It has a heavy customer traffic. Others might get it first before you!"

"I will never understand," Kyuhyun continues walking. Sungmin follows him.

"You know, Cho, you need to try buying there," Sungmin suggests.

"I won't. It is useless to spend on such things," Kyuhyun tells Sungmin who is obviously against it. "I would rather buy food, or save it in a bank, or invest."

"We will never be the same, Kyuhyun. We will never be," Sungmin looks in front of him as he hears nothing from Kyuhyun anymore. "I have no worries. I still have half a month to buy the seed."

"It is as if the seed will grow in two months," Kyuhyun says.

"Don't be a pessimistic, Cho."

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They end up returning to the ice cream parlor because Sungmin forgot his house keys.

I would not be a problem if anyone was home. But everyone is not. His father says he is sleeping at his office because the hearing of his client is the next day. His mom is, as usual, on duty for the night. Sungjin is at his friend's house because he invites him for a sleepover.

"Thank you for keeping me a company back to the ice cream parlor," Sungmin smiles and thanks Kyuhyun.

"Well, I have no choice but to go with you since I have the key and I can't give it to you because... you might forget it as well. I can't entrust it to you," Kyuhyun says.

"You jerk," Sungmin mutters and crosses his arms. "It is the first time, alright?"

"I bet it's the first time that you forgot the keys, but not  the exam answers," Kyuhyun teases.

"I hate you," Sungmin snorts.

"I hate you, too," Kyuhyun answers with a smile.

Sungmin does not talk to Kyuhyun afterwards. They continue walking until they reach the ice cream parlor. Seeing that it is still opened, they enter. "Eh, is Manager Han still here?"

"Well, there is a car outside. Maybe Manager Han has a visitor," Kyuhyun deduces. "We must just go inside the lounge and look for your keys."

They do it as planned. They enter the room and Sungmin looks for the keys that he left inside his locker. "Found them!" He keeps it inside his bag. Kyuhyun does not speak but he goes out the lounge. Sungmin closes the lights of the room and closes the door after him.

Kyuhyun suddenly stops. Sungmin nearly bumps him.

"Why did you stop!?"

Kyuhyun turns to him and places his point finger on his lips to tell Sungmin to keep quiet. "Manager Han is talking with a woman," he whispers and informs Sungmin.

Sungmin leans forward, trying to see what Kyuhyun is seeing. Kyuhyun impliedly gestures to stay where he is and to stop being curious. But Sungmin does not listen. He walks beside Kyuhyun, but they remain unseen by the manager and his friend.

"This is your fault for not choosing me over her," the woman says. Her voice has an arrogant tone in it. She looks like she is using her authority, or whatever it is that she has, to threaten their manager. But the manager remains unmoved. Kyuhyun can see his face - determined and sure. "If we only... get married."

"I loved her. And even if we didn't end up together, I had no regrets that I only loved her, and I didn't marry you," the manager says with conviction. "I do not approve of you abusing your power to do this to me, but because I owe you a lot and you're my friend, I am letting you."

"Friend, it's always been like this," the woman laughs sarcastically. "I hate when you call me such."

Manager Han smiles.

"I am going. If you want to keep this business alive then you should please them," the woman turns around, facing the door. "You have one month and a half. Goodbye and goodluck."

The woman finally leaves.

"O-One month and a half?"

Manager Han glances at Kyuhyun who finally decides to show himself. Sungmin follows Kyuhyun. Baffled, he just stares at Manager Han. There is a cold silence between the three of them. No one dares speak for almost a minute.

Manager Han smiles. "I guess you heard."

"What did she mean? One month of what? Are you quitting this business?" Sungmin asks. "Are you hiding something from us?"

Manager Han sighs. "I guess I can't keep this to you anymore," he pauses for a while and looks at both Kyuhyun and Sungmin before continuing, "The woman you just saw is the daughter of the owner of this ice cream parlor. The owner, his father, assigns me to manage this ice cream parlor because he is trusting me too much. He has liked me for his daughter ever since we were still kids. We grew up together so she got close to me. When we were in high school, she told her father that she liked me to be her husband in the future and confessed to him that she loved me. He approved and let my parents knew. They fixed our future, to their happiness. Thinking that I would agree to our arranged marriage, his father let me manage this ice cream parlor. Then eventually, they informed me about the arranged marriage. I accepted it, thinking that it would be okay since I have known her ever since. But then I fell in love with someone else. I wanted to back out with the marriage but I knew I couldn't so I kept my silence. One day, my parents realized that I was in love with someone else, because I was crying over the fact that the woman I really loved was about to marry the man she loved. I blamed myself for not backing out from the arranged marriage earlier. It was too late to back out, but I realized that if I married her, we would not be happy. So I did. His father was disappointed in me, but he still let me manage this ice cream parlor. However, his daughter was not pleased of me retaining my position as the manager, so she tried a lot of things, as her revenge, to take this down. I resisted because I learned to love this shop, but this time, she was bolder. As you can see, this ice cream parlor is a bit old. She used it to bring some people from the sanitary inspection team. I was advised to refurnish and to renovate the area or the parlor will be closed down."

"W-What!? How can she-"

"I can't blame her. She really loved me and I hurt her," Manager Han says.

"You are both hurt!" Sungmin exclaims. "Why does she act like she's more hurt?"

"So you made us go home earlier because you knew she's going to come, right? You don't want us to know just yet?  And you have a one month to renovate the ice cream parlor, is that so?" Kyuhyun asks. "It will be closed down for a month and forever if it does not pass?"

Manager Han nods.

"! I can't let this happen!" Sungmin walks towards the ice cream parlor's door. "I'll talk to her-"

"No, you can't Sungmin. I know that it is her revenge but it doesn't matter now. All that matters is that I love this place, and I am doing this for the ice cream parlor itself, not for other things. I want to keep this not because I want to win over her again but because I love this place. Besides, I was planning to renovate it even before," Manager Han reveals. "I am sorry Kyuhyun and Sungmin for not telling you and the rest about this. I hope you understand."

"To be honest, even if I have been working here for two weeks, I learn to love this place, so I approve! I want to help as much as I can!" Sungmin says enthusiastically. "Let us show her that she can't take it down!"

Manager Han thanks Sungmin for his support. Kyuhyun tells him that he'll help too.

Kyuhyun and Sungmin bids goodbye again to the manager who wants to stay a little bit longer.  When they are walking, Sungmin suddenly remembers that the ice cream parlor is temporarily closed for a month and a half, meaning no salary. He stops from walking, and Kyuhyun asks him why. "Does this mean... no salary for the rest of the month and next month!?" Sungmin asks Kyuhyun back. Kyuhyun nods as a reply. "No! How can I buy the seeds!? Cho can you-"

"Nope," he answers and walks swiftly away from Sungmin.

"Kyuhyun!"

Kyuhyun smirks as he walks away from Sungmin. He thinks that he has something to do for Sungmin again.

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