| t h i r d   c h a n c e |

    He was here.
    Minyeon watched in stone silence as the young man she'd admired through the TV and laptop screen began making his way toward her direction. What made her heart sink was the other young man to his right, but as they came nearer, the five boys split, each going off in different directions. 
    However, the one she admired the most was continuing down the road toward the coffee shop. 'Oh, what do I do?' she panicked, tightening her grip on the broomstick, studiously sweeping the leaves away and focusing hard on her task at hand. 'Maybe he'll walk by and not even notice me,' she thought hopefully.
    Fate laughed in her face.
    "Excuse me?"
    Minyeon was greeted with a bright smile. She stopped sweeping, "Hello."
    He glanced at the shop behind her, placing his hands in his jacket pockets. "Is the coffee shop open yet? It looks a bit empty."
    She felt her insides melting, her palms starting to sweat. He was actually talking to her. "Uhh... yeah, we will be in-" she pulled her left sleeve back and glanced at her watch, "-three minutes."
    He grinned, "Oh, cool. Do you mind if I hang out here with you then?" Minyeon wanted to say yes but she quickly shook her head. He leaned against the large pillar, peering at her name tag. "Kim Minyeon... is this a family business?"
    "Yes," she resumed her sweeping.
    "I've heard some good reviews about the place so I decided to try it out for myself," he replied. The three minutes felt like an eternity.
    "What were you and the others doing?" Minyeon asked to avoid any awkward silences. "I saw you guys split up."
    "Ah, well, we're just... bored..."
    Minyeon glanced up at him. His beauty was stunning. If only... "Jonghyun-oppa, can I ask you a question?"
    "Sure."
    "Do you know who I am?"
    He blinked in silence, a blank expression plastered on his face. Finally he answered, "Well, according to your name tag, you're Kim Minyeon... and I'm assuming you work here?" There was a puzzled look in his eyes.
    'What a nice first impression,' Minyeon thought miserably. To Jonghyun she smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, I just... I don't know what's wrong with me. Forget I ever asked." Inwardly to herself she added, 'Not like it would be difficult to forget.'
    "Well," Jonghyun glanced at his watch, "if you would order an iced caramel mocha and your favorite drink, I'll tell you the reason why I'm here." He grinned as he opened the door before Minyeon could reach for the door handle, handing her some won.
    "Omo, is our first customer of the day Kim Jonghyun from SHINee?" Minyeon's aunt gasped from behind one of the cash registers.
    "Hello, Noona," Jonghyun bowed as he entered.
    Minyeon headed to the second register and punched in the orders, handing Jonghyun the change to which he placed in the tip jar. Fighting back a smile, she went to make the drinks. She sauntered over to the table he was sitting at and set the drinks down. She stood there for a few seconds but when he didn't reply she began walking away.
    "Wait, you're not staying?" he asked.
    She turned around, a confused expression on her face. "Me? What?"
    He gestured to the mint chocolate mocha, "That's for you while I tell you my story. Sit." Minyeon slowly sat down across from him.
    "You didn't have to buy me a drink, I work here," she said with a nervous, shy smile.
    "Well, it's polite for the guy to treat his date, especially on the first one," Jonghyun replied before placing his straw in between his lips. 
    It took several seconds for the message to sink in. Minyeon's eyes widened, "What?" From behind the counter, Minyeon's aunt hid a grin as she wiped the countertops and tried her best not eavesdrop.
    "You're not drinking? You're going to make me feel bad," Jonghyun pouted. Minyeon quickly started sipping from her straw and Jonghyun's pout was replaced with a smile. "Ah, you're so cute... well, you wanted to know the reason why SHINee's out so early in the morning?" He waited until after Minyeon nodded, "Well, we're doing this game with our fans, maybe you've heard of it?"
    "Ah, yes," Minyeon replied, recalling that SHINee had made a deal with the Shawols. Whichever member had the most signatures of their fans would have the other members send all those Shawols a prize of some sort. She smirked, "Am I your first fan?"
    He shrugged, "I don't know, are you?"
    Minyeon nodded, "In all honesty Jonghyun-oppa, you're my favorite in all of SHINee, ever since your debut."
    He did a little happy dance in his seat, "Really? You don't act like it."
    Minyeon's aunt piped in excitedly, "You should see her at home. She has a shrine for SHINee and a special spot for you."
    Minyeon's smile faded, overcome with embarrassment. She sipped her drink in silence as Jonghyun's smile grew bigger, "Ohh, you're one of those girls?"
    "I'm not a sasaeng,  I swear," Minyeon quickly replied, choking on her drink. She excused herself from the table.
    Minyeon's aunt and Jonghyun looked at one another before the aunt commented, "I'm surprised you and Minyeon are getting along well."
    "What makes you say that?" Jonghyun raised his brows.
    "Well she- wait. She didn't tell you did she?" the woman quickly sealed her lips and shook her head frantically. "I didn't say anything. You didn't say anything. You didn't hear anything." The door opened and a couple walked in. She quickly turned her attention to them, her features changing into a friendly grin, "Good morning! Welcome to Minion's Cafe."
    'That was strange,' Jonghyun thought as Minyeon returned. "Are you okay?" She nodded with a small apology.
    "Omo! We found Jonghyun-hyung," the young man that entered said to the girl.
    Jonghyun smiled up at them, "Are you two Blingers?"
    The couple came over after Minyeon's aunt received their orders. They placed their signatures on a piece of paper that Jonghyun unfolded from his pocket. The girl glanced at Minyeon, "Are you not a Blinger?"
    Minyeon gave a shy smile, "I'll sign it after you."
    "Are you on a date?" the boy asked curiously, eyeing Minyeon and Jonghyun.
    "No," Minyeon replied but Jonghyun said otherwise. Her eyes widened in shock, "We're not on a date!"
    "It's okay, we won't tell anyone," the couple smiled.
    When they left Minyeon turned helplessly to Jonghyun, "Oppa, why would you do that?"
    "Because I like you," he replied smoothly, folding his hands on the table and tilting his head slightly to his right.
    'No, don't say that,' Minyeon thought, her mind racing. 'You can't like me.' She cleared , "Don't you have more signatures to retrieve? You won't get much by sitting in here."
    "Actually," Minyeon's aunt interrupted, glancing at the entrance of the cafe where people were peering in through the windows, "I think Jonghyun is going to make it a busy morning. Minyeon, I'm going to need you."
    Before Minyeon left, Jonghyun made her sign his paper. He watched her as she tossed her finished drink in the trash and retied her apron behind the register. 'She's not like any girl I've ever met. Why does it seem like she's pushing me away?' His eyes landed on Minyeon's aunt, 'I wonder what it was that Minyeon didn't tell me...'
    Customer after customer, it was exhausting, but in the end it would pay off. This would be one day the family that owned Minion's Cafe would never forget, especially not Kim Minyeon. She did all she could to ignore the K-pop idol sitting by himself on the table even as the sun was setting. He'd spent his whole day here.
    After a small push from her mother, Minyeon made her way toward him. She cleared , "Jonghyun-oppa? We're about to close." He didn't budge, he continued to stare outside the window. "Jonghyun-oppa?" Minyeon said again, gently touching his shoulder. Her fingertips burnt with a pleasing sensation that fired up whole her arm.
    He finally turned to look at her with a smile, "I'm sorry, I'll get going now." He placed the papers full of fans' signatures into his jacket pocket before handing her a slip of paper. "This is my number. I'd appreciate it if you called or sent a text."
    Minyeon's heart picked up its pace as she stared down at the slip of paper. She reluctantly accepted it, careful to avoid touching his fingers. "I'll think about it. Thank you."
    He smiled at Minyeon for several seconds before taking his half-finished mint chocolate mocha. He held it up to his face, "Did you know Taemin hates this? He used to be so obsessed with it but then one day, he just stopped and began gourging in banana milk."
    There it was -- the reaction Jonghyun wanted from Minyeon. She went slightly rigid, eyes wide, lips compressed in a thin line. She flashed a fake smile, "I didn't know about the mint." He knew she was lying. There was something about her when she tried to deny something. Now he was curious, curious about the mysterious girl that caught his attention from a block down the street when she was busy sweeping the summer leaves away with a beaten broomstick. "I hope you win."
    He would return again when she contacted him.

~

    "Wow, I should have done what you did," Key smirked.
    "That's cheating," Onew frowned.
    "Hey, you never said I couldn't stay in one place," Jonghyun grinned, waving his papers of signatures in the air. "You guys have to gift every one of these people."
    They sat on the floor that was scattered with the items in the gift set -- photocards, travel-sized hand sanitizers and lotion, a 'thank-you' message from Jonghyun, and a sticker of SHINee's name. Jonghyun stole a glimpse at Taemin who was crossing off names as they completed a gift bag. He briefly paused on the third name, brows furrowing together.
    "What is it?" Jonghyun asked.
    Taemin looked up, "Huh? Oh, uh... it's just... nothing..."
    Minho slapped Taemin's shoulders, "What's bothering you?"
    "It's just," Taemin sighed, "nothing. Like I said: nothing."
    "Do you know a Kim Minyeon?" Jonghyun raised a brow.
    "Kim Minyeon?" Key asked, lips pursed as he concentrated. As if a thought came into his mind, he clapped loudly and pointed at Taemin, "Wasn't your ex-girlfriend's name Kim Minyeon?"
    "Yeah, but it's most likely not the same one. She lives in Busan," Taemin replied.
    'Ex-girlfriend?' Jonghyun's mind went racing. Taemin had introduced Minyeon to SHINee before, but was it the same girl? He closed his eyes, envisioning the girl that stood beside Taemin two years ago. Long black hair with side bangs held in place by a hair clip. A stunning smile... Jonghyun's eyes shot open and he reached out for his phone, quickly scrolling through his gallery.
    It was her, but instead of the long black hair, she had a short brown bob and her bangs hung down above her eyes.
    "What is it Jonghyun?" Key asked, noticing Jonghyun being off-task.
    "Nothing, nothing," Jonghyun put his phone away.
    "What were you looking at?" Key raised a quizzical brow. "Something inappropriate?"
    Jonghyun made a face, "No, I don't have that kind of stuff on my phone."

~

    "Minyeon, it seemed like someone was into you," Minyeon's aunt grinned as she plopped down on the bed.
    "Yeah, he was just being nice," Minyeon replied from the bathroom, wiping her face dry. She peered intently into the reflection, "Even if Jonghyun was interested, not saying he is, but if he was, I would have to reject him."
    "Why? Just because he's in the same band-"
    Minyeon interrupted, "That's exactly why."
    Minyeon's aunt sighed, standing beside the bathroom door frame, "Was it really that hard for you when you and Taemin broke up?"
    Minyeon didn't reply, she didn't need to. What Minju asked was a question both knew the answer to. Minyeon thought sadly, 'If Taemin didn't have time for me, what made Jonghyun have time? Besides, I'm busy with my own life.'
    Minju followed Minyeon to the bed, where they sat together in silence. Finally, Minju handed out a slip of paper, "I found this in your apron."
    Mentally rolling her eyes and stabbing herself, Minyeon took the paper and glanced at the numbers, "I hadn't realized I left it in there."
    "You're a terrible liar, niece of mine," Minju clicked her tongue, "just like my brother. Look at your room, Jonghyun's everywhere. Why are you obsessing over a boy you'll simply reject?"
    "Because," Minyeon replied, "it's a fantasy. I don't expect the boys I 'obsess' with to show interest in me." Minyeon sighed as she scanned her bedroom. She never expected to move back to Seoul after moving to Busan to live with Minju and her boyfriend, but one day her parents called and said they were opening up a new cafe and they wanted it to be a family business.
    "He's human too," Minju said quietly, "and he likes you."
    "We just met," Minyeon replied, changing into her sleepwear. "How do you like someone you don't even know?"
    Minju ruffled her niece's hair, "That's what dates are for, getting to know one another. Well, in your case it would be him knowing you and you learning about the real Jonghyun... since you already know his blood type, height, birthday... and who knows what else. Good night."
    "Good night," Minyeon replied as Minju shut the door behind her. Minyeon turned off the lights and crawled into bed. She decided to add the number in her phone and named the contact ‘Java Bean.’ She read and reread the numbers, imprinting them in her mind. As a last minute thought she texted him. Before she managed to get comfortable, the phone beeped. Her heart pounding against her chest, she checked who the sender was: Java Bean.
    Java Bean: sweet dreams

~

    Minyeon was busy sweeping the leaves again. She sighed heavily; if summer had this many leaves, imagine how the fall would be. The summer breeze was too cruel to her. Minyeon became aware of a figure approaching the cafe, assuming it was another customer.
    “Good morning,” a friendly voice said.
    Minyeon looked up into a familiar face. She quickly averted her gaze back to the floor, hoping he hadn’t taken a good look at her face, “Good morning, sir.”
    “Are you Kim Minyeon?” Her heart seemed to stop. She replied hesitantly with a yes. “This is for you,” he held out a small bag. “Jonghyun won the competition and we’re distributing today.”
    “Oh,” she said, taking the gift bag, “thank you.” She let out a sigh of relief as he disappeared into the shop. Then she realized she had to enter also so she could put the gift bag away. Either way, they were going to meet again. Maybe if she waited until he left...
    “Hey, someone already came by?” a voice startled Minyeon and scattered her thoughts.
    “Yeah,” she replied when she saw that it was Java Bean. She gestured to the cafe, “He just went inside.”
    “That punk,” Jonghyun scoffed. “I told him I was covering you. He probably just misses his ex-girlfriend.” Minyeon’s heart echoed in her ears, her blood running cold. “Did you know she had the same name as you?”
    “Really?” Minyeon asked, attempting to mask her sudden flood of emotions. “Oh yeah,” she said nervously, because of course everybody knew about them, or at least the name. “Minty couple.”
    Jonghyun gave her a small smile, “Well, it’s nice seeing you again. Thanks for giving me your number.”
    Minyeon laughed nervously, tightly holding onto the gift bag in one hand the broomstick in the other. She glanced up at the trees, “It’s been really windy lately, too many leaves to brush away.”
    “It’s a free show,” he smirked.
    “I’ll let it slide this time since you brought in so many customers the other day,” Minyeon feigned a smile, her blood still cold as ice. ‘Please go away,’ she thought. ‘I love you, but I don’t want you to waste your time.’
    “Well, I’ll stop bothering you now. Hopefully I’ll see you later?” he raised a brow, the soft breeze blowing his blonde hair over his eyes.
    “You know where to find me,” Minyeon simply replied. That’s when Taemin came out and waved excitedly to his hyung. Taemin handed one of his drinks to Jonghyun and together they walked away arguing. Minyeon slowly shook her head; she should have stayed in Busan. Sure there were lots of idols walking out on the streets here in Seoul, but that also included him. She thought she’d gotten over it, but obviously she hadn’t. Just seeing his face again in person made her heart lurch. She wondered, ‘Did he get over me?’
    At the end of the day just an hour before closing time, Jonghyun entered the cafe. “Good evening, young man,” Minyeon’s father greeted him. He ordered two drinks and sat down at the same table as that first day he arrived. When Minju handed him the drinks, he sat back in his seat and waited until Minyeon was done serving the other customer.
    “That young man is waiting for you,” Minju winked at her niece. Minyeon mentally rolled her eyes and made her way toward Jonghyun’s little table.
    “Can we talk?” he asked with a smile.
    Minyeon sat down, but she didn’t take the drink. “I feel like you’re stalking me.”
    Jonghyun raised a brow and pursed his lips, “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. Who really knows?”
    “What did you want to talk about Jonghyun-oppa?” Minyeon asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. She was tired from the long day and all she wanted was some sleep.
    “I want to take you out on a date,” he stated, chewing his lower lip as soon as the words escaped him.
    “We already went out,” Minyeon replied.
    Before she could continue, Jonghyun interrupted her, “A real date.” She swallowed hard, emotions flooding inside her again. Jonghyun noticed the sudden change in her posture, the pained look that crossed her eyes. “If you’re going to say no, can you at least tell me why?”
    Minyeon parted her lips, but no sound came out. She wanted to say yes, desperately wanted to, but she equally wanted to say no. What should she do? “Jonghyun-oppa, I’m sorry.” She bit the insides of her cheeks. ‘I can’t refuse, yet I can’t accept.’
    Quietly, Jonghyun asked, “Does it have to do with Taemin?”
    Minyeon’s eyes widened, ‘How does he know that?’ Too late, she tried to mask her expression. “What makes you say that?”
    “I know we’ve met before. He introduced you to us in the past, aren’t I right? I have your picture with him on my phone. It’s really you, right? You just dyed your hair and cut it,” Jonghyun said urgently.
    Minyeon was dumbfounded. How did he know? How long did he know? "Jonghyun-oppa please, don't do this to me. Don't waste your time, there are other people out there."
    "But I want you," Jonghyun pleaded.
    That caught the other customers' attention. Curious eyes landed on the idol and the daughter of the cafe owner. She stood up and slightly bowed, "Forgive me." She scurried through the double doors behind the counter, hidden away from everyone. She leaned against the wall, crying into the palms of her hands. 'Why is this happening?'
    Jonghyun slowly got to his feet and made his way out the cafe, leaving his unfinished drink on the table along with the untouched mint chocolate mocha meant for Minyeon. He'd rushed in too fast, placed her in an uncomfortable position. He wasn't thinking clearly, was unable to think of anything except having a nice time alone with her, getting to know what laid beneath the girl that worked at the cafe. She was like a neatly wrapped present;  a box with an attractive appearance but what lay hidden inside was a secret that he desperately wanted to know.
    He returned to the dorms and tossed his shoes to the side carelessly. "Are you finally back?" Taemin asked. "Is it really her?"
    "Yeah, it is," Jonghyun replied, taking a seat beside him.
    "You don't look so happy," Onew commented, "something went wrong?"
    Jonghyun sighed, removing his jacket before answering, "I sort of shoved her into a room and told her to choose between two doors that led to her death." The members glanced at Jonghyun with confused expressions. Jonghyun sighed again, "I asked her out."
    Taemin's attention perked up, "What did she say?"
    "Basically no," Jonghyun sighed, heart-broken. He sank deeper into the cushions of the couch, tightly hugging a pillow against his chest. He sighed again.
    "Why her?" Taemin finally asked.
    Jonghyun glanced at Taemin, "It's not because she's your ex. I began to like her even before I realized she was. Maybe if I'd known ahead of time..." He shook his head, it wouldn't have mattered. "Maybe I should call her." He reached for his phone and dialed her number, but she didn't answer. He tried again.
    "You shouldn't waste your time, she's not going to pick up," Taemin said quietly. Jonghyun ignored him, dialing Minyeon's phone again.
    "What happened between you two?" Jonghyun asked finally, giving up.
    "We had our differences, not to mention she moved to Busan and I had a busy idol life," Taemin replied.
    'That's it? There must be more or else she wouldn't have reacted the way she did,' Jonghyun thought deeply.
~

    Minyeon didn't trust him enough. Life was unpredictable. Scrolling through her seven missed calls from Java Bean, she wiped her eyes with a piece of tissue Minju had given her. Her mother sat beside her, "Minyeon, can you tell me why you said no? I thought you loved him with all your heart."
    "I do," Minyeon replied, "but I don't want to be with an idol, especially not one from the same band."
    Aside from the live performances, dance practices, filming, interviews, no one really knew what an idol did behind closed doors. They were always surrounded by people, people who loved and hated them. They were always busy and rarely had time for their families, what made anyone think they had time for serious relationships?
    She was also afraid to open up her feelings after what happened with her first boyfriend. Young and naive, she had opened up her closed heart and poured everything out, trusting him a hundred percent, not realizing how vulnerable she was until he finally snapped and used her emotions against herself.
    Then Taemin came along and Minyeon took the opportunity to distract her mind from her first breakup, but she had closed her heart and their relationship was almost like an act. Taemin had tried to get her to open up about her feelings, but the scar remained and caution took over. She reminded herself that he was an idol and therefore the more she told him, the bigger the risk of humiliation and hurt.
    "You can't lock yourself in forever," her mother said, gently wiping some tears away.
    "I'm not. I'm just waiting for the right guy," Minyeon replied.
    "What if it's him?"
    Minyeon shook her head, "It doesn't matter. He shouldn't waste his time on me. He'll only end up wasting his time like Taemin did." Her phone rang -- a call from Java Bean. 'He's not going to stop, is he?' She declined the call and shot him a text.
    Minion: stop calling me
    Java Bean: let me talk to you
    Minion: no
    Java Bean: please
    Minion: no
    Java Bean: give me a chance
    Minion: no
    Java Bean: please, let me take you out on a date, just one
    Minion: no
    Java Bean: tell me why
    Jonghyun waited anxiously for her reply. Hoping for a real answer, his heart was disappointed when she replied back with a flat no. He turned to Taemin, "Tell me why she won't go out with me."
    "You're pushing it too far too fast," Taemin responded.
    "Just one date! I just want to get to know her," Jonghyun stated, "but she won't let me."
    Taemin formed the right words in his mind before replying, "She's afraid, that's all. She has... trust issues."
    "Was she like that after or before you?" Key asked, engrossed in the conversation.
    "Before," Taemin replied, "after her first breakup."
    Jonghyun's eyes widened, "You weren't her first boyfriend?"
    "That's all I'm saying," Taemin raised his hands up, "the rest you have to find out from her."

~

    It was a slow evening.
    Minyeon smiled at the customer as she handed her the drink, "Have a nice day."
    The girl smiled back, "Thank you, you enjoy yourself too."
    She was about to leave, but Minyeon quickly caught her, "Hey! You almost forgot you phone." Surprised, the customer thanked Minyeon again, glancing down at her screen. Her jaw dropped and she glanced up at Minyeon. "What is it?" Minyeon asked nervously.
    "I knew he was into you!" the girl shoved her phone in Minyeon's face.
    Minion, will you go out with me?
    Minyeon feigned surprise, "What are you talking about? What is this?"
    The girl accused Minyeon of lying, "Don't act like you don't know. Jonghyun's asking you out! Say yes!"
    Minyeon shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about-"
    "He calls you Minion, everybody that comes to this cafe is well aware of that. We see the way he sits alone and watches you from across the room, he's totally into you! You're a lucky girl, you should be grateful," the girl said excitedly.
    Minyeon shook her head again, "I-I can't... it's complicated."
    The girl frowned, furiously tapping on her screen with one thumb. Minyeon slipped away behind the counter again, and the girl quickly said, "Don't go anywhere."
    "Why?" Minyeon raised a brow. "I'm kind of on a shift, so I can't really leave."
    The girl squealed, dancing around in circles before sipping her drink. "Today has got to be the best day of my life," she giggled.
    'Oh no, what if he's coming?' Minyeon thought anxiously. She didn't want to see him, not now, not in real life. If only they could be friends, was that too much to ask? Minyeon was busy handing out some drinks to a couple when Minju ran in breathlessly, eyes wide and hair askew, "Minyeon, you're in for a treat."
    The girl from earlier got to her feet, peering out the door. She returned to her seat with a grin, "You have to say yes."
    "What's going on?" another customer asked curiously. Minyeon wanted to ask the same thing when the door opened and Jonghyun appeared in a well-dressed suit and a bouquet of a dozen plastic roses.
    'Oh no, please don't...' Minyeon wanted to hide but he'd already seen her.
    Jonghyun slowly approached her with a smile. Minyeon would have ran, but her feet were glued to the floor. Jonghyun  stopped about a foot away from her and knelt down, "Will you go out with me, Minion?"
    Minyeon bit her lower lip, face flushed with embarrassment. Finally, she said, "Okay, but just this one time."
    Jonghyun sprang to his feet and grinned excitedly, wrapping his arms around her, "Oh thank you so much! You won't be disappointed! Let's go!"
    Minyeon's eyes widened in surprise, "What? Go where?"
    "On our date! Unless you wanted to stay here," Jonghyun grinned, holding tightly onto her hand.
    "But... you're dressed like that and I'm..." Minyeon glanced down at her work outfit.
    "Honestly, you look lovely no matter what you wear," Jonghyun sighed.
    "Can't we do it later?" Minyeon asked hesitantly, suddenly aware of all the bodies inside and out the coffee shop.
    "Yeah, Jonghyun-oppa! Let her get ready," one of the customers commented. Reluctantly, Jonghyun released Minyeon.
    Several hours later, Minyeon arrived at a restaurant with her aunt, dressed in a simple gray dress with a white ribbon around the mid-section. Minyeon began panicking when she saw the empty chair the server was leading them to, "What if he doesn't show up?"
    "Relax. He shows up all the time at the coffee shop, why wouldn't he be at your date?" Minju rolled her eyes, forcing her niece to sit down. "You know what to do right?"
    Minyeon flashed her aunt a smile, "I've been on dates before. I know what I'm doing." When Minju left, Minyeon slowly glanced around. The restaurant Jonghyun had reserved for them two was on the line between comfort and discomfort; it seemed a bit more fancier than she'd like. She anxiously glanced down at her phone when it buzzed.
    Java Bean: i'm going to be late, i'm so sorry
    Minion: it's your loss, this is our only date
    Java Bean: what? are you serious?
    Minion: you'll see when you get here
    Jonghyun sighed heavily, "Manager, can you go faster?"
    "Hey, I'm trying to make sure you get there in one piece. Sit back and be quiet; you should be grateful I'm even driving you," the manager responded, stepping on the brakes.
    "Sorry," Jonghyun winced, "I'm just scared she's not going to be there when I arrive."
    Taemin glanced at Jonghyun, "I still can't believe she said yes."
    "I really gave her no choice," Jonghyun replied.
    "If you mess up, you're going to get it big time. She might even move again..." Taemin said quietly, his voice trailing off.
    Minho carefully asked, "Is that what happened with you?" Taemin didn't respond, he simply stared out the window.
    "I just don't want her to get hurt again," Taemin finally said. "Her first break-up was so bad... and then me..." He sighed disheartedly.
    "What happened?" Jonghyun wanted to know, desperately.
    "I was the one who influenced her to move to Busan. She was contemplating between staying in Seoul or moving. She was planning to ask me, but I'd gone first and told her that our relationship wasn't going to work. In a blink of an eye, we broke up and she moved to Busan with her aunt," Taemin answered.
    "Oh, I remember," Jonghyun muttered. He recalled the day Taemin returned to the dorms and announced that he broke up with his girlfriend because they weren't working out right. She wasn't returning the amount of attention and affection Taemin wanted... and now Jonghyun understood why. She wasn't healed yet.
    There was a strange grinding noise and the car stopped. Eyes wide, Jonghyun sat upright, "What happened?"
    The manager gave Jonghyun a look, "I don't know; engine stopped."
    "No, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening! I'm already late as it is," Jonghyun glanced at the time.
    "Guess you're going to have to catch a cab," Onew said, "or maybe even run. Traffic looks bad overhead."
    Jonghyun groaned, shooting Minyeon a text before hopping out the van.
    Java Bean: delayed, but i promise i will be there
    Minyeon stared at the text for several seconds. "You shouldn't even waste your time," she whispered under her breath. She began to feel anxiety creep up her spine and dive down her chest, doing flips in her stomach before it landed. The seconds turned to minutes; the restaurant began emptying. Finally, Minyeon stood up and made eye contact with her aunt.
    "Give him more time," Minju said but Minyeon shook her head.
    "I'm done waiting," Minyeon said, glancing at the time. "This was our date, he used up all the time. Like I told him, it’s his loss.”
    Before the two made their way out the door, someone ran in from the outside and blocked the exit. He was panting heavily like he’d ran for his life from invading aliens, “Wait… I’m here… don’t go yet…” Minyeon and Minju stared wide-eyed at the idol. He straightened his back and gasped for air, flashing a smile. “I’m not too late am I?”
    “Call me when you’re done,” Minju grinned at her niece and gave her a wink before leaving.
    “Well, the night isn’t getting any younger, let’s start,” Jonghyun guided her to their reserved table.
    Minyeon raised a brow, "Mind telling me why you took an eternity?"
    Jonghyun chuckled nervously, "Well, we went a little over our time recording, and then we had car trouble, and traffic. I had to run all the way here. I'm so sorry I'm late, but you know I'll never do it on purpose, right? I'm usually always at Minion's Cafe even before it opens. I try to make time for you. Anyway, here we are; what would you like to eat?"
    Minyeon attempted to fight back a smile, ‘He showed up after all. Maybe, just maybe, if tonight turns out all right… I’ll give him another chance.’