Small coffee shop. There is nothing much on decoration; just some lanterns hanging on the ceiling, under the yellow lights ading the vintage vibe; some wooden sets of table and chair along the narrow alley. This place is quite interesting in wood, main material to make the eye of the house. It is also main material of furniture, narrow stairs and green of plants and small road leading to the coffee shop.

Peaceful, ancient and lonely, just like its name, “Lost”. These two owners might be sunk in this place too long to become nonchalant toward the customer when he walked in. Or maybe, it just happens to him. Every time AJ pushed the door opened, and looking at those uninteresting eyes, the personal assistant felt so satisfied. He is deserved to be welcomed that way.

But, maybe, AJ liked to be treated coldly like that. The time he came, sitting at one specific table, listening to the old folk music, sipping his bitter espresso, he feels so strangely excited. Even in hopeless moments when Blonde Girl, the most beautiful of two, rather reading novel while leaning her head on the shoulder of the other girl than paying attention to him, or his fancy Rolls Royce car parking outside the shop. Like, in their eyes, this car is just as same as an old broken bicycle. And his elegant, sophisticated and formal outlook is just as same as a bunch of oily workers working across the street. The first time he has been this place, he is nothing more than a trivial customer. To make it worse, in Blonde Girl’s eyes, he is just a pain in the . Her cold glares and the way she slammed the cup of coffee on his table, the Assistant knew that she will has to come to “Lost” with AJ again and again. The chase is just beginning.

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Krystal has been AJ’s personal assistant for more a year and a half. It was a big new in her family when she first told them about this job. Her mom happily believed that there would be some sort of romance things happen, like in Korean movies or a fairy tales, that her beautiful, smart and talent daughter would be chosen to be a wife of the Prince aka the young owner of one of the successful financial firm in New York.  She just laughed it off and gently said “Don’t be silly” to her mom every time he mom brought this topic up. But this sentence also means “It’s not going to happen, there is no hope, mom” to her.

She got used to AJ’s hectic schedule for works and unstable schedule after work. She got used to falling asleep in the car while waiting in desperation at some hotel’s precinct, seeing her boss changing his girlfriends like changing his clothes, supporting her drunk boss into the car, being pulled into his embrace and be called by unfamiliar names...And when dragging her sore feet into her room, plopping her dead tired body into bed, she was so exhausted to take a shower before drifting to sleep, or maybe, she wanted a strong scent of CK 212 lingering on her nostril a little bit longer.

And the next days, she had to pick him up on time, and be stuck with him all day, from the company, lunch break with clients, business trips…Sometimes she wonders why she hasn’t quitted this job, and what hold her back. No, she doesn’t hate this job, she doesn’t hate working all day long with work files, schedules and meetings. She just hated the part “as required” in her job description. That’s mean she have to do whatever his boss asks her to do, like reminding him when, where and even who he going to date today for example. She hated it when witnessing her boss getting himself busy with dating random girls every night. She hated it when they are all in showy car and have no choice to be listened to her boss suavely whispering into that girl’s eyes ‘You are so pretty, do you know that you lighted up the whole party tonight?’ or ‘I feel so lonely, and it’s you I only want to be with’. She hated it to the point she wants to turn around and tells the girl that ‘he’s lying, he said that to ten thousands girls already’. But, in the end of the day, there isn’t any single word to be slipped out and all Krystal doing is watching the girl slowly falling into his arms.

But those are not frustrated enough comparing to the time when AJ cared about her when greatly elated. While choosing shoes for his girlfriends, he would chose a pair for her, and of course, they are not really fit her size. Or there are sometimes, he pushed a couple of dresses toward her, saying she would look great on them. Or when in middle of the party, a client kept pouring wine on her glass, and by the time she lifted the glass up, he managed to snatch it from her and drunk it for her after  smiling warmly at her.

What she hated the most is when he makes her heart skips a bit with a little thing he did for her.

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AJ has been at the president of this company since his father had passed away 3 years ago. This company is the life of AJ’s father. The old man contributed his whole life to place single bricks for this firm to stand from today. From the day AJ was born, to the day when the economic crisis 1997 hit it hard enough to stumble down and took away everything The Liu had. To the day AJ’s mother couldn’t stand the penniless life, and run into the ‘willing-to-help’ arms of his father’s best friend. AJ and his father had walked through it all, stood up again with their own feet. The Liu recovered fully and even expanded powerfully more than it used to be. And to the day the dearest father, the most admirable mentor, the only bloodline of AJ passed away, he had left his half-broken heart at somewhere.

Girls fall into AJ’s arms too quickly. Just in the moment he walks out of his car, or when he her hair, when he smiles or just when he handle his business card. His longest chase is about 3 months, to an arrogant copywriter of a well-known fashion magazine. That time, after finished his long meeting, and on the way to get back office, AJ suddenly asked the driver pulled over the side before the most luxury jewelry shop, and not to forget order his assistant for her help on choosing a perfect diamond ring.

And when the car slowly dissolved into crowed traffic line, Krystal almost had a heart attack when AJ asked her all of a sudden “Do you want to get married, Krys?” She was frozen for a while before hesitantly replied “W-what do you mean?”. He laughed it off without saying anything, then pulled out his cellphone, and called the Copywriter, asking where she is right now so that he could go straight to meet up. That was when Krystal sighed out of relief, ‘he didn’t mean me’ she thought. But she couldn’t get rid of the weird feeling inside her when the thought of her boss maybe finally loves seriously, that this is maybe going to be a long and deep love.

Krystal ended up waiting in the car because AJ asked her to stay, saying that this only takes a while. He walked in the coffee after asking Krystal “Do I look okay?” which only was replied with a forced smile and small nod. After seeing her boss already settled down in front of his lover through the glass wall of that coffee shop, she turned away, closed her eyes and forced herself to take a nap. But after a few minutes of shifting uncomfortably on her seat, blaming the traffic outside was so noisy for her to sleep or any kind of excuse she could makes up, she finally switched her sight toward the spot where her boss settled down through the transparent glass wall just in time to see her boss put the fancy ring box on the table. The surprised and touched Copywriter immediately nodded in agreement as the same time as the word “Don’t” be murmured by the assistant inside the car. Seeing the girl grabbed the ring, slid it into her finger with amused expression on her face, and feeling the hint of sadness in the eyes on AJ’s expressionless face, Krystal knew it was the end of the chase.

The date ended. AJ slid in the car, sunk deep into the back seat, closed his eyes, cover them with his right palm, and let himself drown in the deepest of desperation. The Copywriter should’ve refused his propose several times, or she should have thrown the ring into the aquarium nearby, or put it into the tips box on the cashier. So that he could believe her love for him is real, not because of that big and sparkle diamond ring in her hand; that she loves him because of him, not his fortune; that she would stay beside him even when he lost all his money; that she would never be like his mom.

This is the first time Krystal sees how distressed AJ’s life is. Through his arrogant, strong, independent shells he built up, he is nothing but a loner who money is all he has. She quietly sit a bit closer to him, laid her right palm on his left arm in the great success of fighting her urge to throw her arms around him and asked the driver not to go back the company. The drive went on the country side roads in silent.

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AJ knew the “Lost” coffee shop few days after he broke up with Copywriter. It was the night he just finished a cocktail party with some arrogant client, which added more stressed on his already tired mind in the past few days. He insisted driving his assistant home since her house is just on the trail to his house. And knowing Krystal had to speak with those people all night long and probably had nothing in her stomach, AJ asked the driver to stop at a nearest place for a late dinner.

It was kind of odd when a fancy, high-class car wandering around Brooklyn at night, but it even odder when that car parked outside the small and mediocre coffee shop. It was already late so there were just a few costumers remained in the shop. The two new customers walked toward the table near by the counter earning some curious glances.

That was the first time he knew those two girls. He was totally surprised to know that there are two beautiful girls in that doleful place. There is something about them drawing AJ’s attention.  The Black-hair Girl is cheerful, bubbly, and easy-going but the Blonde girl is ten times opposite. She always keeps her straight face toward the customers, only talks when needed. And if the Black-hair girl is pretty, the Blonde girl must be gorgeous.

AJ suddenly became more refreshed and his eyes sparkle again. Krystal subtly recognized her boss’s attitude changing, pretended to focus on her meal.

“pfffttt..Womanizer” she snorted audibly for AJ to hear

AJ chuckled with Krystal’s sly comment, turned his attention back to his meal. Krystal couldn’t help but smile at her boss behavior. She couldn’t figure out a sudden happy feeling run through her while seeing AJ’s smiles again, knowing that the AJ she knew is finally back.

Weeks passed. Krystal tried to feel elated when came to Lost with her boss several times a week, tried to ignore the heartache inside when AJ would stop the car to buy flowers, gifts for Blonde Girl sometimes. She told herself to like that place, to like those girls. She didn’t want her mom says that she is jealous. But why would she be jealous? She liked them, right? Especially the Blonde Girl, that girl still keeps her arrogant and the supercilious attitude toward AJ after all those gifts and his effort.

9 months passed. Lost had been through a little renew. The front gate, the wall was painted in another color, a small terrace was set up outside where it became to be Krystal’s usually spot while waiting for AJ. There still wasn’t any hope for Blonde Girl to fall for AJ. Yet he began to get close to The Black-hair Girl. They talked more often, laughing and joking freely.

And that is when Blonde started to be worried, anxiously stole some glance toward AJ and Black-hair Girl. Maybe she began to have feeling for AJ. She was willing to make a conversation with AJ, smiled sweetly when receiving his flowers before glancing at Black-hair Girl to check the latter’s expression. The Black-hair just quickly turned away, pretended not to care but ended up serving the drinks at wrong table.

The whole scene was observed by Krystal from outside. She felt like she was watching a drama movie which has AJ as the main actor. When he lovingly looks at this girl, she became the main actress. And the other girl keeps wandering around, finding excuse to clean the table, refilling the coffee even it is still fulfill, just for making those two people uncomfortable.

Somehow the audient has a small gripping pain in the stomach.

And maybe the movie reaches its end. When AJ finally had a hold of Blonde Girl’s hand, boldly leaned closer and gave her a kiss on her cheek. Krystal saw tears b in Black-hair Girl’s eyes. Somehow she could feel that girl’s pain.

And the next day was the last day Krystal worked for AJ. She asked the Secretary gave him her resignation letter after arranging a new assistant for him. He was dumbfounded, tried to call her for looking a reason. She picked up after 5 calls.

“I don’t like this job anymore.” -  Coldly Krystal answered

“But why all of a sudden? Then what do you want to do? I could arrange another position for you.”

“I don’t think it would be necessary” – Krystal squeezed her eyes shut, tried to keep her cold voice.

“H-how could I manage all the works without you?”

“I already transferred your entire schedule to Key, he knows what to do”

“But…Krys…I..”

She hung up the phone, afraid of hearing one more statement he makes, she would run back to the office, standing beside him through all the up and down of works. She quitted because she thought she is no longer capable of working as this position professionally as she used to. She is no longer capable of keeping another secret especially keeping it from him.

Two day ago when AJ already happily walked out of the coffee shop and settled inside the car, Krystal excused herself to use the bathroom. Just when she was about to turn right and walk back outside, she saw Black-hair Girl pulling Blonde Girl to the kitchen of the shop. Krystal saw they arguing, Blonde Girl slapped Black-hair Girl before walking away, the taller girl pulled the younger’s wrist turning her around into an embrace and finally they immersed themselves in a long deep kiss.  

Krystal was frozen, standing motionless at the spot. She didn’t know what she should do. She didn’t know how to face him and acting like she doesn’t know anything. She didn’t know what else she could do to rise him up again after this chase. She didn’t know what she could do with the faith of a sincerely love starting to bloom inside AJ is about to be extinguished. 

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