@ Changmin’s House

Min was already placing his bags on the trunk of the car when he noticed another set of bags already inside the compartment.

MIN: Giles, is someone coming with us? There’s another set of bags in here (pointing to the other bags aside from his)

GILES: Yes sir! Miss Minji is going with us sir. (trying to hide his smile)

MIN: Oh I see. (realization starting to synch in) WHAT?! SHE’S COMING WITH US?!

Just then Min’s mom together with Minji’s mom, Cassie and Minji arrived together heading for the vehicle. Minji was silently walking with her head low, avoiding meeting Min’s eyes.

MIN-MOM: Dear, you have to take care of Minji okay? (she stated while hugging her son)

JI-MOM: Honey, you should always listen to Changmin okay, don’t cause him any troubles okay? (Minji nodded her head still with her head hang low)

CASSIE: Awww, I’m gonna miss my little sister! (hugging Minji tight) As for you Min, take care of her for me. arasso?! (she then hugged Min and whispered something in his ear) Give her time okay… she’s a bit shy from what happened yesterday.

MIN(looking at Cassie with a smile): Yes noona, I will… are you ready Minji? (looking at Minji who looked up at him)

MINJI: uh… yeah… bye mom! Bye unnie! Bye auntie! (she then went inside the care while Minji held the door of the car for her)

MIN: we’ll be going now… (he then walked around and got inside the car)

Min and Minji sat beside each other silently, stealing glances at each other, as Giles looked over the rear view mirror and saw the whole episode… he thought to himself that this will be a long ride back.

MIN: “What am I supposed to say? The kiss was great!? AISH! Stop talking about that Min! Erase! Erase! Erase!"

[Unknown to Min he was beginning to look like someone who was having motion sickness]

MINJI: Oppa? Are you ok?

MIN: huh? What?

MINJI: are you okay? You look like you’re about to puke?! (she touched his forehead to check if he has fever)

MIN: I’m fine Minji…

MINJI: Oppa… can you just forget about the kiss… so we won’t be this awkward… please?!

MIN: alright… I will forget about it… kiss me again so that I’ll forget about it. (teasing Minji and offering his right cheek to her)

MINJI(hesitated for a moment, pouting her lips then kissed his cheek): OPPA! There forgotten already?!

MIN: yup… I’ll just treat that special one as your gift for my birthday!

MINJI: right! It was a gift… from me to you!!! (trying to buy the idea to avoid the awkward situation between them)

MIN: so where are you going to stay… when you are studying at the university?

MINJI: the university has an in campus dorm. I’m going to stay there… part of my scholarship… oppa… can I come to the coffee shop?

MIN: we drop your bags first in your dorm then we can go to the café… arasso?

MINJI: yes oppa! Thank you!!!

@ the Café

Junsu looked like a zombie, he couldn’t sleep last night, trying to recall the promise he made with Ri In…

JAE: Junsu is the cake ready?

JUNSU: cake? What cake? (looking clueless)

YUNHO: Changmin’s cake?! He’s arriving today… did you forget?

JUNSU: Omo! I totally forgot! Mianhe!

[Junsu then hurriedly went to the pantry to get the ingredients he needed for the cake]

JAE: that’s so unlikely of him to forget!

YUNHO: seems like he’s still thinking about that Ri In girl…

YOOCHUN: he couldn’t sleep last night and kept bugging me to accompany him… didn’t get enough sleep myself…

Just then, they heard Junsu shout and pots and pans clanging on the floor. The three then hurriedly went to the pantry to check if Junsu was alright. They him standing still with his hands in mid air, in the act of reaching for something way up when it hit him… it was as if the word CAKE was the password to the memories he had of Ri In… all came flashing back at him… him baking every other day… leaving it on Ri In’s table… the last day and the last cake… the accident… the pain… the recovery from parents’ loss… everything came back… in the blink of an eye… he remembered.

YOOCHUN: Su… what’s wrong?

JAE: are you alright?

YUNHO: did you hurt yourself?

The three worriedly looked at Junsu and waited for him to speak

JUNSU(slowly looking at them): I remember her… Ri In was my first love… I gave her a cake…

[Junsu then paused and continued to get what he needed]

YOOCHUN: what are you doing?

JUNSU: baking a cake for Changmin… and let her know that I remember her.

The three then went back to what they were doing, Jae was now cleaning the coffee counter, as Yunho and Micky arrange the tables and chairs.

JAE: “Aish! Dara didn’t put the cups in the right order! Even the saucers are in disarray! If she was here she would’ve asked me a hundred different questions again! She’s leaving her trace every where I look… AISH!”

[Jae was so deep in thought that he didn’t notice that Yunho was talking to him]

YUNHO: YAH! Joongie! Are you listening?! EARTH TO JAE… EARTH TO JAE! (waving his right hand in front of Jae’s face)

JAE: huh?! What?! What is it?

YUNHO: I was asking if you’re ready, we’re going to open now!

JAE: ahhh… yeh! I’m ready! (scratching his head as he gave them a thumbs up)

As soon as their sign turned to OPEN… customer’s flocked the both the coffee counter and pastry counter. A long queue was formed until it was outside the café already.

Just when the line has died down and it was calm again… Yoochun looked at the Freedom Wall, he saw someone reading U N I’s post…

BOM: *sigh! I wish it was that easy to forget you… 

YOOCHUN: it caught your attention too… didn’t it?

BOM(shocked to hear Yoochun’s voice behind her): huh? Oh… it should… I wrote it!

YOOCHUN: Eh?! You are U N I?

[Yoochun then thought to himself]

YOOCHUN; “My at such a young age… she already felt this pain and was so good at expressing it through writing!”

BOM: are you Micky then? (Chun nodded) Cup of coffee?

YOOCHUN(smiled): why are you still here? You don’t have any classes? You’re not cutting classes are you?

Bom was confused at his statement, then after a while, it hit her, Yoochun must have thought that she was still studying or some underage…

BOM(slightly laughing): I don’t know if I’ll take it as a compliment or as an insult, but I’m not a student nor and underage anymore… I have my own business.

YOOCHUN: huh?! Own business? How old are you then?

BOM: 26 and you? (she asked with one brow arched and her hands on her waist)

YOOCHUN: Whoa! Noona! I’m 22 years old! Noona?! Just like Dara-noona?

BOM: you know Dara? (surprised and at the same time happy)

YOOCHUN: yeh… she is MAMA’s niece… you know her?

BOM: we go way back… she’s my long time friend… met her here yesterday after 4 years… which reminds me… where is she?

YOOCHUN: oh… she has no duty today, Changmin is coming back already, she filled in Min’s spot, whoa… Noona!

BOM: just call me Bom… if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

YOOCHUN: yeh… Bom-sshi… you can call me Yoochun then… anything I can get you?

BOM: how about that cup of coffee then? (she smiled)

YOOCHUN: yeh, one cup of brewed coffee, coming up.

Yoochun then walked and headed for the coffee counter, he repeated the order to Jae who was keeping himself busy with washing the cups in the sink.

YOOCHUN: Jae-hyung, brewed coffee please.

JAE(spacing out): “Aish! That Dara, how am I supposed to call her noona, when she doesn’t act like one?! It’s good that she’s not here… but why does it seem like I find things that would remind me of her?”

YOOCHUN(already raising his voice to be heard): JAE-HYUNG! WAKE UP!

JAE: huh? Yeah! What is it?

YOOCHUN: first Junsu now you? Brewed coffee and reality check for you hyung! Stop thinking about Dara-noona, next time ask her for her number… better yet… I’ll give it to you!

JAE(frustrated): shut up CHUN! (as he was preparing the coffee, he realized something) WHAT?! WHY DO YOU HAVE HER NUMBER?!

YUNHO(appearing out of nowhere): what’s wrong with that? I also have her number! (trying to corner Jae)

JUNSU: yeah, me too! Dara-noona gave her number to me… didn’t she give it to you too? (joining in the teasing)

JAE: how come she gave you guys her number and not me? I have been with her the whole day… enduring all of her antics!

JUNSU: It’s probably because you didn’t ask her.

YUNHO: yeah, we asked for her number and she gave it to us.

YOOCHUN: we even have a group picture with her see? (allowing Jae to see a picture of the three together with Dara)

JAE: AISH! Chun, here’s your coffee (placing the cup of coffee on the tray angrily, while pouting) Why am I left out?! Argh! YAH! Back to work! (beginning to get grumpy) Junsu, is the cake ready for Min?! Yunho, why aren’t you supervising?! Go back to work! What is this a picture taking session… this is a coffee shop for gosh’s sake!

Yoochun got the tray away from Jae before he vents his anger on it and delivered it to Bom. Junsu did the final touches on the cake he prepared, Yunho stayed at the coffee counter as the door opened and in came Chaerin.

YUNHO(teasing manner): grumpy Jae! (pretending to frown while looking at Jae)

JAE: “he he he… pay back time!”

[Jae thought to himself as he then smiled towards the customer]

JAE: good afternoon!

CHAERIN: hi! One caramel macchiato please, to go.

[ Jae then pretended to act poorly as he clutched his chest jokingly winking at Chaerin]

JAE: Yunho-sshi! Can you take over? My heart is aching from what you’ve said awhile ago! Oh my Dara!

YUNHO: what is it? (finally turning around and saw Chaerin) H-hi… Ch-chaerin-ah… what will drink you? Um, I mean… want to have me? Aish! Sorry… what will you be having?

CHAERIN(giggles): um, one regular Caramel Machiato please.

YUNHO: okay… for awhile.

[Yunho panicked as he tried to prepare her order, Jae enjoyed every moment of his struggle!]

JAE: Chaerin-ah, did you know that Yunho can’t sleep last night trying to practice his dance moves for your event on the 28th?

CHAERIN: what? But that’s a week from now?!

JAE: yup! He said that he must look cool on the dance floor, because you will be watching (Chaerin blushed)

YUNHO: shut up Jae! (giving Jae the death glare; then changes his mood and smiled when he face Chaerin) here’s your order… please don’t believe him?

CHAERIN: I’ll be looking forward to your dance then! (she then walked away)

YUNHO: really? Sure… I’ll practice even harder! (waving at Chaerin too eagerly much to the delight of Jae who was laughing so hard) bye… see you soon!

Meanwhile, Junsu already finished making the cake for Changmin, while on the other hand, he tried to put all his effort in making the cake he last made for Ri In (mango cheesecake). When he finished decorating it, he placed it on the display and put a card on top of it which says…

SORRY IT’S LATE… FOR YOU

JUNSU: “What will I say when she comes in? Hi! I’m sorry I forgot about you… but now I remember you? No, no, no! Not good! I’m sorry, here’s my apology… hmmm good but still lacking!”

He was then interrupted when he saw someone standing in front of the display… it was Ri In.

JUNSU(smiling): Ri In-sshi! I’m sorry, here’s my apology (handing the cake to her…)

What Ri In did surprised Junsu, she refused the cake and smiled sadly at him…

RI IN: Junsu… you remember… but I guess the feelings are not the same anymore, thank you for making the cake… thank you for remembering… but I guess, I can’t have it all.

[Ri In ran away and went out of the coffee shop hurriedly trying to fight off the tears that were falling down on her face, but this time Junsu ran after her]

JUNSU(holding her right arm lightly): Ri In, I’m sorry… I’m sorry for breaking my promise… let’s start all over, I am not the same Junsu as before, a lot has happened… and these things don’t come easy! Let’s take it slow… as friends… then we’ll take it from there.

RI IN: I guess we all changed…(she stopped then reconsidered) yeah, as friends. (she smiled as she wiped the tears from his cheeks)

JUNSU: I’m Kim Junsu, 22 years old, pastry chef/barista. Nice to meet you (extending his right hand to Ri In)

RI IN: Jang Ri In, 22 years old, hotel sales executive, nice to meet you too! (she then reached for his hand and shook it… much to her surprise, he pulled her to him and embraced her tightly!)

JUNSU(whispering to her while hugging her tightly): this time I’ll try harder, I definitely won’t force myself to forget you!

RI IN: we’ll see about that (she then pulled away from the hug, smiled and said) Thank you, have to go… duty calls

[Ri In smiled as she held out her cell phone which was ringing]

JUNSU(waving goodbye): yeh, see you around!

=o=o=o=o

a bit short... but i want to share it with you... so that i won't lose the idea...

thank you for sharing you ideas and thoughts about the story ahihihihi

really enjoy reading them...

dbsk <3