Chapter 6

Three years ago...

Ding Dong...

The sound of the bell just awaken the soul of the sleepy students in Seoul High School. Not all of them though, some of the student kept paying attention to the lecture of their teacher even the bell that signing the end of today's class was ringing. Including the nerdy student of first grade A class, Maeng Yunyoung. 

He's one of the best student at school, he always got a perfect mark on every subject and every teacher like him for being a good student. But unfortunately, he's not popular among the student with his black rimmed glasses and his shy attitude. The only friends he got at school since he entered the high school was Baek Seungdo, his middle school friends who happened to get into the same school as him.

"Yunyoung-ie." he looked at the door and saw his friend was standing there. Packing his things, he came to Seungdo. "Let's go to noraebang."

He shook his head. "You know I don't like noisy place, right?"

"Aigoo, chingu-ah. You need to expand your social connection." Seungdo put his arm on his shoulder. "I'll introduce you to the beautiful girls from our neighbour school."

"I know, and thank you for your good intention." he said. "But I really don't have any interest in that way."

Seungdo stopped his feet. "Yunyoung-ah, don't tell me that you are..."

He looked at the taller boy with much worry, frowning his eyebrow and put his right palm on his left cheek. "Interested in boy?"

"Are you crazy?!" Yunyoung pushed him lightly, earning silly laugh from Seungdo.

"I know! Just kidding!" he said punched his chest lightly. "Alright, maybe next time you could join me."

Yunyoung waved him a goodbye as they went separately on the crossroad. He plug on his earphone and pushed the random play on his player. Even though Seungdo always made fun of him, Yunyoung knew this friend of him never had bad intention to him. It's just that he still couldn't get himself comfortable when he need to get into his friend circle. Instead, Yunyoung prefer to go to somewhere quite and calm after they finished their school.

He took the paper from his pocket. Azure Cafe. He looked at the small name board hanged on the door. He pushed the door open and looked for the girl on his age. But in the end, he couldn't find the girl anywhere inside. 

That day, Yunyoung promised to be the tutor of his classmate called Yoo Hyein, his first crush ever. He was asked to be her tutor months ago, when their school made the classmate tutoring project to help student with lower grade to improve one of their subject. He didn't have any interest on it actually, but he changed his mind as he saw the goddess of his life was searching for a tutor for her biologic subject. And fortunately, she chosed him as her tutor. It's been his best luck he got after they got into their high school. 

Yunyoung took a seat on the first table near the door. The watch on his wrist reminded him that he came a little bit earlier than their appointment. Put his bag on the couch, he went to the counter to make an order. 

"Annyeong haseo. What beverage you want to order?" 

Yunyoung screened through the menu on the table. "Which one would you like to recommended? I prefer something with less bitter taste."

"Maybe you could try our Mocchachino, it's special from our barista." The clerk gestured to the one whose back now was facing him. "It's one of best recommendation."

"Alright." He paid for it and walked back to their table. She's still not here yet as he kept looking around the scenery outside while waiting for his coffee to arrive. 

"Here's your order, sir." The waiter put the hot Mocchachino on the table. 

"Thank you." Good aroma of the blending of chocolate and coffee stimulate his desire to try a sip of it. He's not a fan of a coffee, but the cup in front of him somehow really asking him to try it. 

The taste just so perfect for him. He looked up to see the barista who prepared it for him as he took a sip of it. He found that the barista today was the tall red-short haired girl who's enjoying herself in her own world. 

Smiled curved in her lips as their eyes met for a second. 

He smiled.

'Nuna, it was our first meet. It taste so bitterly sweet, just like the cup of your Mocchachino...'

***

Boa waved her hand in front of the younger man who was spacing on her direction. 

His eyes never left her for a few good seconds. 

"Are you,Ok?" Yunyoung got his soul back as he heard her familiar voice. He avoided her eyes as his rational part of him started to take control of him. 

"Ah, it's work now." Nicole suddenly popped up between them. "Thanks a lot Yunyoung-ie."

He looked at her with his forced smile. "Ani yo... It's just... The wire was off from its plug." He secretly took a glance to the elder girl. 

She's still look the same like three years ago...

"Yunyoung-ie, let me introduce you to my unnie." She pulled Boa closer. "And unnie, he's your soon-to-be colleague."

Boa looked at the younger man, smiled. "Annyeong haseo, Kim Boa inmida." She offered him a hand.

He took all of his guts to look straight into her eyes.  "It's been a while, Nuna." He said in an alomost wishper-like voice.

The older girl looked at the younger girl with confused look. "I'm sorry but, have we met before?"

She looked confused, so did Nicole.

He shook his head slowly. Unknown pain was rushing into his mind as he saw her clueless expression. "Maybe I'm mistaken her for someone I knew." 

I hope I did...

He took her hand. "Anyeong haseo, Maeng Yunyoung inmida." Only a forced smile appeared on his lips. "Nice to know you.."

"Unnie~" Min and Nana's transmitted from their kitchen. All of attention was drawn to their voice. "Do you make coffee today?"

Boa walked to direction, leaving Yunyoung and Nicole behind. "Ah, I'm planning to make mochachino, but I found that I run out of cocoa when I was brewing my coffee."

His eyes followed her into the open kitchen.

"So I went to the store to buy some." She showed them the plastic bag she put on the dinning table.

The two younger girls bouncing in happiness as they knew that they were able to enjoy Boa's freshly brewed coffee. Nicole started to prepare their meal for today's party while Boa was busy with brewing her own coffee. Yunyoung offered Nicole a hand with the dish, but refused by her no-boys-allowed restriction on her kitchen so he just staying in the dinner table while those two girls were having their own time on the living room.

Smile appeared when Boa's serious expression while brewing her coffee was caught on Yunyoung eyes.

'She always have that look in a time like this too...'

"Do you like coffee, Yunyoung-ssi?" Yunyoung left his gaze on her as she looked at his direction, offering her almost ready coffee.

He tried to put a smile on his lips. "Nae.."

Smile on her face. Boa put her first cup of coffee in front of him. "Here. I appologize if it's taste horrible." grinning. "It's been a while since the last time I made mochachino."

It's smelled good. So familiar in his nose.

"Oh, unnie!" Nana and Min rushed to her direction to make a complaint. "Why did you give it to Maenggu first?"

"He was sitting beside me." chuckles left as both of them pouting. "Served the guest first is a manner right?"

Yunyoung took his mochachino while three of them busy playing with each other. Sad smile never left his lips as he stared blankly on the hot stuff in front of him.

"Maenggu~" Min waved his hand in front of him. "Are you OK? You're spacing again."

"Ah, mianhe... I just..." he paused, "Have something on my mind." 

"Yunyoung-ssi, please try it when it's hot." 

"Here, it's a free service for you. Take mochachino might help you to feel better. Take it when it's hot."

His mind was rewinded. Mochachino, it was the thread that connecting them in the past. It was and it would always be. Yunyoung heaved a deep breath as the familiar aroma from the cup on his hand got their way into his way. He took a sip on it.

"How is it?" asked Boa.

Silent.

"Yunyoung-ssi?"

Still no words.

"Are you ok, Yun---"

"Mianhe Nuna, I need to go now."

Yunyoung got up from his seat without even looked at their direction, leaving the three girls in awe. He took his backpack from the living room, bowing his head to their direction then rushing out of the apartment with no words. Nicole who heard the loud slammed of their apartment door came out from the kitchen to look what was happened.

"What's happened?" said Nicole in her apron.

Both Min and Nana shrugged their shoulder in sync.

Boa looked at the cup of coffee he left.

'Did I really know him?'

***

Yunyoung kept running with all of his strength. Lot of emotion and memories flew out with together as the bitter sweet taste of her mochachino was left on his mouth. It's tasted the same like it was 3 years ago. He didn't know where his feet might take him to, but he kept running and running. Everything just came all of sudden.

Happiness came as he able to see the one that he thought he would give up on to. But in a second he was sent into the deep valley when he found he was not part of her memories anymore.

Yunyoung caught his uneven breath as his feet stop on the park near Azure cafe, the place that bring him to her. His eyes looked straight to the same door with the different meaning.

It's hurt him to see her again.

'Nuna... Why didn't you remember me?'

***

Ring.. ring...

Nicole looked up to her phone as it kept ringing for minutes. The digital clock on the right side show her it was 7 in the morning. She's groanning in pain as she didn't get a good sleep time yesterday.

Kim Jaejoong's calling...

'What does he want?!' She pressed the reject button continuesly to let her sleep in peace. But seems the caller was not planning to give up as her phone started to ringing after two minutes.

'Kim Jaejoong, I'll never let you alive the second I saw you!' Nicole took the battery off her cellphone and put it aside on the table near her bed. Interrupted her during her sleep was not a smart choice.

Time passed for hours with no ringing anymore. Nicole took her glasses she put on the side of her bed and took a glance on her alarm. Its 9 in the morning,she need to wash up for today class. Got up from her bed, she went straight to the washroom to brush her teeth and have a warm shower.

Her growling stomach asked her to find something edible on the kitchen. Something smell good invited her to go straight to the kitchen as she finished her shower time.

'Unnie's preparing breakfast?'

"Unnie?" she called as Nicole saw someone on the kitchen, but she couldn't see Boa was there, instead a young man with her apron was standing in front of her stove while preparing the dish.

"Kim Jaejoong?!" the said person was standing in front of her, make a slice of his french toast. "What are you doing---"

Her words was cut as he stuffed his home-made toast into . He took the left bite to his mouth, munching his own work while cleaning the syrup that stained on the corner of her lips.

"Annyeong."

"Whaf er hoo hoing heer?" chuckles was heard from him as Nicole tried to say something with her stuffed mouth. "Yah!"

He poured glass of milk and give