Jinki’s POV

Is umma too stressed nowadays?

Or is it menopause?

To actually say something that ridiculous, she must have gotten a bit crazy.

Maybe she has really seen too much television programs.

In television shows, it might be so sweet and natural for childhood friends to go together, but seriously, those are only in television shows isn’t it?

I can never ever imagine this type of drama to happen in reality.

I laughed off at my own thought as her face came rushing into my mind again.

Today, will be just the day that I can see her up close.

Just having these thoughts, my heart seems to be out of control.

“Bathump, bathump, bathump, bathump…”

I placed my hand on my left chest, “please be quiet will you? Why are you being like this?” I whispered as I took in a deep breath.

“Jessica! Ahnyeong!” I called her.

“Lee Jinki! Miss me so much that you can’t bear not to hear my voice even though I’m going back to Korea in two days time?” she chirped.

Luckily, there is still 2 days left, what would I do if she had came back yesterday or even today?

“Haha! You got it! What time are you going to arrive? You have to tell me otherwise nobody would pick you up and you would have to come all the way to my house all alone.” I tried my best to pretend that I actually called to ask when she is coming back.

“Wah, when have you been so good to me?” she teased.

“I’m your oppa! When have I not been good to you?” I defend myself as I said proudly.

“There you go again! We are of the same age Lee Jinki!”

“But, I am a few months older than you! You can’t deny that.” I said seriously.

“Neh, neh. Okay, I have a few things to do now. I will text you again. See you in two days time!” and she hang up.

-

“Annyong ha seh yo. Nan Lee Jinki imnida.” I bowed at 90degrees as I greeted to my fellow colleagues.

“I hope that we can work well together.” I smiled.

After being introduced by the boss, everyone smile and welcome me to this whole new environment.

It was everyone’s friendliness that I could adapt to the new environment very fast. Everyone are treating me very kind and friendly especially this person- Key.

Though he was younger than me, but he took very good care of me as if that he was my umma.

Soon, it was near 11pm and our café is going to close soon.

But, she is nowhere to be seen.

Why am I so unlucky? On my first day of my job yet she’s not here.

My heart sank.

“Hey, are you okay? You look so sad. Not used to it?” Key asked in concern as he cleared the area.

“No, just that… it’s ok. It’s nothing much.” not knowing where to start off, I decided to just leave the matter on its own.

“If there is anything you need help in, I can help you certainly. Though you are a hyung, but, I’ve been working here for at least 3 years. So feel free to ask anything you want.”

“Wow, you have been working here for 3 years?! You are only 19 years old this year!” I asked in amazed.

“I had to start working since young due to my family’s finance problem. Well, it’s just part of life.” He continued to clean up the area as he said like it’s not a big deal. Hearing from what he just said, I pitied him. To think of, I had never had a problem with our family’s finance. My father is the most famous baker in the whole nation, although he is just a baker, but, he had to work with a hundred of orders per day. And my mother, though she just merely a housewife you can see everywhere, but what you don’t know is that her father, which is also my grandfather owns a big company in Korea.

 However, never once had I seen him before. It was all because my umma eloped together with my appa who is very poor 20 years ago. And due to my grandfather’s disapproval, my umma decided to run away with my appa. But for what my grandfather didn’t know was that my appa would become such a famous baker. Soon, my grandfather did come looking for my umma, but my umma was still unable to forget her hatred towards him. Though I didn’t know why or what really happen that made my umma’s hatred so stong, but, it was because of this, that until till this day, I had not even see him for once.

“Wow, it must be hard for you.” I said, feeling pity for him.

“Anniya, I could gain more life experiences in this way as well. And I could find a better job in the future with more working experiences isn’t it?” he smiled and look up at me.

“Stop talking about me already. But, on the first day of work, how was it?”

“Well, just like this? Haha.” I forced out a smile.

“Don’t lie. You looked as if something’s bothering you. Besides, you have been looking around for the entire day. Who are you looking for?” he asked curiously.

“Anniya.” I denied immediately.

“Aish, don’t lie. It’s written all over your face that you are looking for someone, and that someone is someone special.” He looked at me again, smiling devilry as I start to perspire.

“Am I that obvious?” I muttered under my breath as he continued looking at me, as if he could read my mind and nothing can be hidden under his eyes.

“Okay, okay. I give up.” I stopped whatever I was doing and ask slowly.

“Is there a girl with short hair that would always come in during the late evening? And she would always stare outside of the window and is always alone?” as I asked, my stomach as if had grown out so many butterflies, flying randomly in my stomach.

“Oh! You are talking about seungyeon noona?”

Seungyeon, seungyeon.

That’s her name. This is so unbelievable, just by hearing her name, my heart started beating off at a fast speed. It was like my heart a sports car running off on the high way at the fastest speed it can ever go.

“She used to have long hair, and together with another guy, they would always come in together. For as long as I could remember, they are always so intimate and so loving together. They would always giggle and laugh together every time as they look out of the window together. Never once had I seen her stop smiling whenever she’s with that guy, her smile is so sweet, like a kid who would only look and smile to the person that she’s closest with.”

Slowly, my heart sank deeper as key continued the story.

“But, one day, all of a sudden, she came into the café alone with her long hair cut short. That certainly caught my attention as it’s my first time, seeing her coming into the café all alone. It has been the same situation for several days…”

-Flashback of 3 years ago.-

It was a night, a lonely night, there are no stars on the big vast sky, there is only the cold brief wind outside, leaves falling from trees and is blown to every corner of the country, alone. As if, there is no where that it can even go.

It was 11:30pm, the time that the café should be close yet in this quiet café, there is this girl, the only customer left in this café.

Looking out of the window, staring up at the big vast sky, it was dark, clouds gathered as the tiny rain drops started falling out of them. You can see no moon, no stars, nothing. It was as if the night has also been affected by this girl who was looking up at the sky, trying her best not to let her tears flow out.

“Miss, are you alright?” key asked as he sat down right opposite of her.

She looked up at him, with a bitter smile.

“Sorry for asking this so suddenly, but, where is your boyfriend? Isn’t he with you all the time?” key asked out of curiosity.

It was the sentence that triggered the point where she could not any longer control herself. To be asked this question in this café that they had always been so loving and sweet, how can anyone control when she was at the place where so many memories took place at? Slowly, her tears filled up the brim of her eyes. Certainly, that’s the absolute wrong question to even ask.

“Sorry miss, are you okay? I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you, it’s my fault.” Key started to panicked as he immediately took a few pieces of tissue and handled over to seungyeon.

“No, it’s my fault. My fault… my fault…” she started to cry, with tears over flowing, she looked down as she broke down. She was crying, crying so sadly, so miserably.

-End of flashback-

“During that whole night, I accompanied her, as the rain gets heavier and heavier, as if the sky is crying together with her. Though she didn’t say anything, but, that sad look on her face, I could never forget it. That was the first time I had seen her crying face. It would just make anyone’s heart ache. But ever since that day, she would come in almost every day, sitting at that same seat and would order the same things that they used to order, looking out of the window like what they would always do.”

I sat down, my whole mind was filled with her, I can’t help but to think what has exactly happen to her?

What has made her to become like this?

My face, my body are filled with sadness as key slowly finish the story.

My heart stop pounding, but instead, it feels that my heart is starting to curl.

It hurts so much. How could this happen?