July 2012: Two years later

He brushed back a loose strand of her hair and gently lifted her chin until they were face to face. He his parted lips and when their lips met, it was ecstasy. Passion overtook his senses and he moved his hands from her waist down to her hips, pulling her closer to him as their kissing got wilder. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and gasped when he left a trail of kisses from her lips, to her jawbone, stopping at her neck. She moved her hands up his thigh and could feel that he was getting h--

“You are SUCH a ert!”

Jade snapped back to reality and tore her eyes away from the affectionate couple in the back corner booth she had been watching. She smirked, “It’s not my fault they’re giving a free show.”

“Oh Jade…so sad…so ually frustrated… I think it’s time you found yourself a man,” Jonghyun said as he rustled her hair. Jade made a stink face and went back to work clearing and wiping tables while humming to herself.

Finally, the shift ended and she met up with Ji Eun and Jonghyun for their weekly ritual. Jonghyun was also a guitarist so the three spent hours in Jade’s room playing guitar, singing, and laughing. Under the tutelage of Jade and Jonghyun, Ji Eun had become a proficient guitarist.

This was why Jade loved the summers so much—spending time with her friends. No worries. Just the sound of music and laughter to accentuate her days. School was usually hectic. She was a bright student, but sometimes struggled in her classes since she didn’t have enough money to buy textbooks. Her income went to paying tuition and helping Han Bi pay the bills. Any remainder was usually sent home to her parents.

Jade arrived at work the next day to see everyone bustling and rushing around the dining room.

“Jade! hurry and get changed, we have VIP guests today!” Ho Dong said and pushed her toward the employee lounge. Jade bounced up and down in excitement. The last celebrity to dine here had been Lee Hyori, whose party was an absolute blast to serve.

After changing, Jade pranced over to her coworker cleaning glasses at the bar. “Jonghyun, Jonghyuuun!! I’m so excited! Who are the VIP guests today? I heard they reserved the entire place!”

However, Jonghyun looked less than amused. “It’s some boy group that debuted not long ago. EXO or whatever.”

Jade smiled. “Are you disappointed it’s not a hot girl group?” But before Jade could finish teasing him, he had firmly set his glass down and said coldly, “I’m taking a break.”

Speechless, Jade stared after him as he walked briskly toward the exit. He was nearly there when he stopped, spun on his heels and came back to where Jade was standing. With an earnest face, he said, “I’m sorry, I’m just having a rough morning. Forgive me?”

Jade grinned before saying, “For what?” Jonghyun finally cracked a smile for the first time that day and gave her a quick fist bump before going to take his break.

Jade started setting the tables with silverware. She grew giddy at the thought of seeing EXO, who she and Ji Eun had been gushing over for months. She did a little dance over to the next table and started humming. Before she knew it, she had gotten carried away, singing in a mock operatic voice, “Shoot anonymous, ahh-non-nee-muuuus ~”

“No one who care about meeee ~” A chorus of voices interrupted her.

Jade looked up and froze with agape. Standing in front of her trying to contain their laughter were the boys of EXO. Her knee jerk reaction kicked in and she did a low, exaggerated curtsy. Chanyeol was the first to break the silence by laughing and clapping his hands, causing all the boys to crack up. Jade couldn’t help but laugh along. After apologizing and flashing a sincere smile, she excused herself and speed walked to the employee lounge. Once inside, she collapsed against the wall and jammed her face into her hands before laughing out loud at herself. She had made yet another unfortunate first impression.