“You have to let people go. Everyone who’s in your life are meant to be in your journey, but not all of them are meant to stay until the end.”

 

     After a very exhausting fifteen hour flight from Louisiana to South Korea, Dallas was glad to finally be on land again.

     The altitude nausea, cramped seating arrangements, and the aggravating kid that seemed way too enthusiastic about kicking a hole into the back of her seat served as a reminder to never fly with coach seats again.

     Rubbing the crick out of her neck and ignoring the odd stares that she received, she let her eyes roam around the airport in search of a familiar mop of curly brown hair.

     She was so focused on finding her friend that she didn’t notice someone coming up behind her.

     “Dallas!”

     Although she was a bit startled, the said woman faced the other with a smile.

     “Bianca!” The other squealed wildly, shocking the quieter spectators around her as she practically tackled the smaller woman in a hug. “I’ve missed you so much! How’s Tamera by the way? I haven’t heard much from here either.”

     Bianca hugged the other back before they released each other.

     “She doing just fine with her new boyfriend.”

     “Wait, you mean that she got one?!”

“Yep. He’s such a nice young man…”

     Dallas looked over at the other and laughed.

     “Bianca, you haven’t changed a bit.”

     The curly haired woman took a duffle bag from the taller woman.

     “That’s not a bad thing, is it?”

     “Of course not!” Dallas answered as she followed the other out of the airport and to her Buick. “I love your old soul.”

     “Hey! I was born in the same century as you.”

     Dallas nodded.

     “But sweetie, you can’t deny that your soul has some miles on it. Honestly, you make me wonder if reincarnation is really such a thing.”

     “I don’t know, but this reincarnated soul’s about to leave you here if you keep spurting out nonsense. Besides, that’s not a nice way to talk to one of your hosts.”

     “Oh, so you talked to them?”

     “Well…”

     “Bianca!”

     “I was working on it, okay? Tamera’s been oddly quiet since her date, I’ve been meaning to talk to her soon and Mercedes is Mercedes...don’t worry okay? I’m sure that they’ll let you stay.” Bianca didn’t miss the huff that came from the passenger’s seat. “Just let me do the talking and you’ll be fine.”

     “I hope so, Bianca. I feel like I’m intruding now.”

     “You’re not, I promise.”

     The woman backed out of the parking lot and sped away towards their new home.

 

~*~

 

     Jongin shook his head as he sat the glass of ice water on the table of the little booth that Mercedes decided to wait for him.

     “Coffee is poison.”

     Mecedes almost choked on a mouthful of instant coffee.

     “You’re kidding, right? Kai, coffee is life!”

     “I don’t see it that way.” The waiter replied honestly as he grimaced at the cup in her hand. “It’s bitter and it stains your teeth. How do you drink that stuff?”

     Mercedes laughed.

     “With cream and sugar. Let me guess the problem here. Kai, have you only tried brewed coffee?”

     The young man raised an eyebrow.

     “What do you mean brewed coffee? What other coffee is there?”

     “Oh come on Kai, you’re a waiter at a café! You of all people should know that there are different choices that aren’t just brewed coffee. I’m pretty sure that you already know about Espressos, Hand-drip Coffees, Americanos, and the list goes on and on, but you don’t know about the other coffee drinks?”

     The brunette shook his head.

     He didn’t really share an interest about exploring the world of coffee.

     “Have you ever heard of instant coffee? I guarantee you that there’s not an ounce of bitterness in it. If I had to describe it, I would say that it’s very much like hot chocolate, but with a kick!”

     Mercedes pushed her cup in his direction.

     “Try it.”

     “I don’t know…”

     The secretary sighed dramatically.

     “Kai, I’m not trying to kill you,  just try it, please?” The other asked, pouting cutely at him. “Just a swallow and I’ll leave you alone.”

     “Alright, alright. I’ll try it if you stop pouting.” Mercedes nodded and smiled, much to the college student’s relief. Did she know how cute she was? That blasted pout drew all of Kai’s attention to her plump lips, making the waiter want to kiss her pout away automatically. What suddenly caught his attention was the elder simultaneously scooting closer to him. “Wait Mercedes, what are you doing?”

     “Giving you a taste, of course.”

     She may have meant what she said one way, but Kai took it another way. His breath hitched as she leaned in closer.

     “Open wide and sit still, this will only take a second.”

     Jongin complied and was surprised and slightly disappointed when he watched Mercedes cautiously raise her cup slightly above his mouth.

     Not wasting another second, Mercedes poured a small amount of the coffee along his tongue.

     Jongin closed his mouth mechanically and was shocked at the creamy sweetness that seeped into his taste buds.

     The warm liquid slid down his throat without any resistance, a comforting feeling settling in his stomach.

     “See? That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”

     “No,” Jongin answered with wide eyes. “Not at all. What was that flavor?”

     “English Toffee from a brand called ‘Coffeehouse Bros.’ I found this brand a couple of years back in America and I feel in love with it as soon as I tasted it. All it takes is a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee and sugar and presto! You’ve got a sweet and satisfying pick me up in under five minutes!” The other beamed proudly, earning a few chuckles from the other. “So do you really like it?”

     Jongin nodded enthusiastically.

     “Yeah. I like it a lot.”

     As Jongin looked over at the other, he couldn’t ignore how beautiful Mercedes looked in that moment. Her chocolate colored eyes twinkled with mirth in the golden light as she looked back over at him.

     “What’s with that look?”

     Mercedes teased as she leaned in close.

     The waiter backed up immediately, almost hitting his head on the window before her scratched his head sheepishly.

     He hadn’t noticed that he had been staring at her and the fact that had been caught doing so only fueled his embarrassment.

     “Uh, nothing. Sorry…”

     The woman could only smile at the younger.

     She had a pretty good idea of what was running through his head, so she decided to show pity and changed the subject.

     “So can you tell me why I’m here now?”

     Jongin blinked at her owlishly.

     “Well actually, there’s someone that I want you to meet. He’s a friend of mine and he’s certainly looking forward to meeting you.” Mercedes tilted her head slightly, confused by his words. “I hope that’s okay with you?”

     Why would one of Kai’s friends want to meet her? The secretary couldn’t think of a plausible reason for this, so she just decided to go along with it and who knows? Maybe this ‘friend’ could break the seemingly awkward atmosphere that seemed to linger around them.

     “Yeah, it’s fine.” She reassured the other with a smile. “Will he be joining us soon?”

     “He should be here momentarily. Trust me when I say that he’s never been one to be late for anything.”

     A series of beeps caught Mercedes’ attention and she completely missed the cafe glass door opening to answer a text from Bianca.

     Jongin smiled brightly and waved as he spotted Kyungsoo at the door.

     The older man returned the gesture, giving a more subtle smile to the other as he made his way over to the duo.

     The chef couldn’t see anything other than the woman’s wavy hair as she typed dexterously into her phone.

     Silently, he slid into the other side of the booth and made his presence known.

     “Hello,” The dark haired man spoke softly. “My name is Do, Kyu-”

     His words died in his throat when the woman raised her head, revealing just who he was talking to.

     And suddenly, he felt like running away. Far away.

     The dark eyes from across the table seemed to darken more as they bored into his threateningly while he contemplated his next move.

     “Hyung, what’s wrong?” The younger asked worriedly. “You look sick.”

     “Hmph, I wonder why.” Mercedes started as she leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “But I’d be lying if I said that I wouldn’t be looking the same way if I ran into my ex without a proper warning too.”

     Jongin almost dislocated his jaw at what she just said.

     “Wait, you mean he’s-?”

     Mercedes cut him off with a nod.

     “So, how’s life been treating you, D.O.?”

     It wasn’t the question that bothered him; it was the eerily calm tone that she used when she had addressed him that set him on edge.

     Kyungsoo knew all too well from the previous years that this was merely the calm before the inevitable storm, and he wondered if he’d be able to survive this one.

     “I-It’s alright, I guess…”

     The woman rolled her eyes at the answer.

     “That’s it? Just alright? Because I thought that surely it must be heaven now with me out of the picture.”

     “Merce-”

     The scathing glare that Mercedes threw his way silenced him instantly.

     “Who said that you could speak?” Mercedes snapped. “Don’t you dare think that you have the right to say one word to me after everything that happened, D.O. I thought that I could trust you. I thought that you cared enough about me to walk through our struggles. But no, you couldn’t even do that.”

     Mercedes faltered in her words. A whirlwind of different emotions hit her at once and caught her off guard. Shaking her head to gain control of her unsteady feelings, the woman once again narrowed her eyes at the man across from her.

     “Was our relationship really so helpless that you had to just give up? After all these years, it’s still hard to believe that you left the country without at least saying goodbye! What kind of a man are you to have ignored my calls?!”

     The chef sighed miserably.

     “If you would just hear me out-”

     “And why should I?” Mercedes rudely interjected. “Do you know how much crap you put me through? I was so embarrassed when my family found out about your little stunt.” The woman vented. “You didn’t even have the balls to tell me that you left! Why did I have to find out about your sudden departure from Baekhyun, huh? That jerk laughed in my face when he told me that you returned to South Korea!”

     Kyungsoo visibly shrunk in his seat. Mercedes was obviously pissed off and she had every right to be.

     “Why didn’t you just tell me that you wanted to break up with me?”

     ‘Because I didn’t want to leave…’

     Kyungsoo was lost in a sea of thoughts and regret.

     It also didn’t help that Mercedes was too misplaced in her rage for him to explain anything. He was pretty sure that his words would fall on deaf ears, but he chose to take another chance anyway.

     “Mercedes it’s not-”

     The chef sputtered as ice cold water ran down his face and chest.

     “Save it. Whatever you have to say can’t possibly change what you’ve done, so don’t waste your breath.”

     Mercedes grabbed her purse and stormed out of the cafe.

     Jongin didn’t chase after her this time; instead, he flung an unused towel at the older man’s face. He was heated after what he had just heard and he didn’t really know how to fix the problem.

     Mercedes was difficult to handle.

     The college student felt as if he was futilely trying to solve a puzzle that would no doubt fall apart again in another area. There was no progress in this process and it was beginning to frustrate him greatly.

     But Jongin was persistent by nature.

     And although he was a bit exasperated by the turn of events, he wasn’t going to give up just yet.

     Yes, there were cracks in his budding friendship with Mercedes, but he knew that if he kept working on those areas, they would without a doubt, heal.

     The chef murmured his thanks to the other and wiped his face before his gaze met Jongin’s harsh stare.

     “I’m sorry about all of this Jongin, really. I thought that I was doing us both a favor when I returned home. My parents were determined to break us up, so I thought that leaving was the easiest way out. I didn’t know that Mercedes would turn out like this-”

     “Wooyoung just sat one of my tables.”

     The younger stated icily as he started to get up from his seat.

     Technically, it wasn’t a lie, but Jongin really needed some space and right now, Kyungsoo was the last person that he wanted to see.

     Kyungsoo turned his gaze to the floor and exhaled heavily.

     He never thought that in his wildest dreams that he would’ve had to face Mercedes again and now the situation was even worse because now, Jongin was involved in his mess as well.

     For once, Kyungsoo had no clue about what he should do.

 

~*~

 

     It didn’t take long for Bianca and Dallas to unload the car and set all of the writer’s stuff into a corner of the living room.

     To Bianca’s luck, Dallas had apparently taken her advice and went easy on packing her things instead of taking her entire life with her like she had originally planned.

     With her car empty and Dallas settled into the flat for the moment, Bianca quickly changed into something more trendy and chic for her job.

     It was an oversized sweater that matched her tight grey leggings and comfy black boots. She wore a large black beanie over her curly locks that seemed to be unruly today even by her standards that morning and dusted her face with a thin layer of foundation and a barely there smoky eye before tinting her lips with a dark brown shade of lipstick.

     “Alright, I’m off to work now. Are you going to be okay by yourself, dear?”

     Dallas snorted.

     “I’m sure I’ll be just fine, Bianca. I am an adult, after all.”

     Bianca rolled her eyes at the other.

     Dallas may be an adult by society’s standards, but Bianca knew how childish the other could be at times.

     “If you say so. Help yourself to whatever’s in the fridge and remember to keep the living room tidy for when the others come home later. The remote’s by the flat screen and we have a good Wi-Fi connection, so you should be all set…Is there something that I’m forgetting?”

     “That you’ll be late if you don’t leave now?”

     Bianca nodded with her eyes closed in concentration before suddenly snapping.

     “That and that there’s a map for you to get around and a copy of the house key on the table because I know you too well, and find time to go job hunting today. Don’t get distracted either.”

     Dallas waved at the other woman dismissively.

     “Alright, I got it. See you later, Bianca.”

     “Bye. Stay out of trouble while I’m gone!”

     "Why does she speak to me as if I’m a pet?"

     Dallas mumbled as the door was shut behind her.

     Like any other guest that was given free reign over an empty flat, Dallas made sure to take advantage of everything.

     The woman flipped through the channels expertly, stopping occasionally on anything that managed to catch her eye before she resumed her channel surfing among the infinity of networks.

     When boredom seeped in, Dallas abandoned the television for the internet, but her languor soon turned to frustration when she realized that despite the incredibly fast internet in Korea, there are certain sites that she couldn’t access and she was absolutely floored when YouTube videos buffered every couple of seconds.

     “Are you serious? Why is it so hard to watch an eight minute video when I can download movies here in less than a minute?”

     Completely giving up on YouTube, Dallas searched the web for anything AMBW related on WordPress, Twitter and Tumblr.

     Pretty soon, she was bouncing from one website to the other in an effort to find out why AMBW was so popular nowadays.

     Dallas found many pictures of Asian men and Black women together and it surprised her that it wasn’t just the big three that everyone knew about either. Not only were there Chinese, Japanese, and Korean men in relationships with these women, but she had found a couple of pictures that included men from India, Singapore, Malaysia and Bangladesh.

     There were a lot more, and Dallas smiled at the fact this kind of love was indeed spreading. Other links included AMBW Teens and Blasian kids.

     While she was in America, Dallas had already begun her AMBW research on YouTube and it was very refreshing to see videos of black women expressing their love for Asian men. 

     It was all very nice, but Dallas couldn’t help but to notice the lack of response on the Asian guys’ end. Sure, there were those handfuls of men that would speak out and clarified that they did like black girls and why with some very good and sometimes; laughable reasons, but then they would get swarmed by black women and overall, the way that both sides communicated with each other seemed to be off to an awkward start.

     Not all of the female you tubers seemed to help the problem either, some were Class A Weeaboos or Koreaboos and they made their ignorance painfully obvious too through their confessions with generalizations and labels.

     Dallas paused in reading another AMBW related post. Just what was she doing anyway?

     This was her first day in South Korea; shouldn’t she be exploring and seeing all that Seoul had to offer?

     Throwing on her black coat, Dallas stuffed her key in her pocket before leaving the residence, quickly taking to the busy streets of Seoul.

 

~*~

 

     Just barely early and still fuming, Mercedes couldn’t hide her irritation as she made her way to her desk where she took a couple of deep breaths, not that it helped much and looked over the files in her tray.

     No matter how much she tried to immerse herself in her work, her mind kept wandering back to Kyungsoo and their relationship years ago.

     It wasn’t fair.

     She thought that she was over this; she thought that she would’ve had more control if she had ever encountered her ex-boyfriend again. She was supposed to be more detached, more stable than the performance that she had just given. She was supposed to show that he meant nothing to her and that he didn’t affect her at all when he left all those years ago.

     But she was wrong, so painfully wrong.

     The truth was that Kyungsoo’s actions had left a deep cut that she had thought had healed over time.

     ‘How delusional have I been to not notice?’

     The secretary on the side of her cheek and turned her vision to the right where a couple of plushies that sat on the neighboring desk caught her eye. A small box sat in the chair under the desk.

     Curious, Mercedes left her place to get a closer look at just who her new neighbor was.

     There were no pictures, but there were other trinkets like little music notes made from glass and a little piano statue.

     “Strange, who would bring this stuff to work?”

     “Well a lot of it’s from my girlfriend, so…” Came a masculine and yet, lenient tone behind her that almost stopped her heart. Mercedes spun around frantically, embarrassed to be caught snooping. “I didn’t scare you, did I?”

     “You did actually, but I deserved that. I shouldn’t be over here, my apologies.”

     The young man smiled reassuringly. His curly brown hair falling in his eyes adorably as he fumbled with the box that he was carrying. He was dressed in a normal black and white business suit and he exuded an extremely friendly aura that somehow made him even more attractive.

     “It’s ok. In all honestly, I’ve already took a look at your desk, so I guess we’re even?”

     “I guess so.”

     Mercedes couldn’t help but to wonder just how this guy managed to get through the door. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing to have a nice personality, but places like this were pretty competitive and often cut-throat.

     She wondered if he could hold his own.

     “You must be Ms. West, right?” Mercedes nodded and the other smiled wider. “Great, I’m Kim, Jongdae and I have a feeling that we’ll be working together often. I’m Xi, Luhan’s personal secretary.”

     “Secretary?”

     The young man rubbed his neck awkwardly.

     “He didn’t tell you?”

Mercedes shook her head.

“It probably just slipped his mind.” Mercedes smiled sweetly, but she knew better than to think that. “Welcome to the Wu and Xi Law Firm, Mr. Kim.”

     She bowed to Jongdae and he followed suit.

     In that moment, Mercedes made a mental note to keep a close eye on her new co-worker and Mr. Xi.

 

~*~

 

     Still reeling from the morning rush, Wooyoung had to take a moment to pull himself together and straighten up his host stand.

     These days, Café Moonlight was quickly becoming one of Seoul’s hot spots and a growing tourist attraction.

     Their usual customers had apparently been praising their excellent service and cuisine online and by word because more and more people were stopping by for a good experience at a reasonable price. With more and more people to attend to, Wooyoung found himself lost among the ever present crowds that would enter his door.

     Despite what others thought, being a host was about as difficult as being a server, barista, or cook. In fact, Wooyoung considered himself as the third in command because he not only had to deal with the customers when problems would arise, but he had to handle his co-workers too.

     Basically, when Yixing wasn’t around, Wooyoung was the babysitter.

     Numerous cards and papers were strewn about the smooth surface as the host’s hands worked in a quick and efficient manner to tidy up his station. As his work space got neater, he found himself relaxing. He was so focused on getting everything in order that he had failed to notice the presence of another nearby.

     “Um, excuse me?”

     Woyoung stopped his task immediately and looked up at the guest before flashing a polite smile the man’s way.

      The man was dressed in bright colors and looked to be quite young, but this guy had a very significant aura about him. His facial features may have been a bit childish, nevertheless they held an obvious boyish charm as the brunette stared back at Wooyoung unflinchingly.

     “Hello and welcome to Café Moonlight. Is there anything that I can help you with today, Sir?”

     The brunette nodded eagerly.

     “Actually, I’m looking for Kim, Minseok. Is he around?”

     His Korean was clear, although it held a barely noticeable foreign dialect that made the other curious.

     “He is.” Wooyoung informed him. “I believe that he’s fetching something from the back, so if you’ll just wait for him at the bar there, he should be with you shortly.”

     “Thank you.” The man reached into his pocket. “Here, you deserve it for your professionalism.”

     The host flushed as the man handed him a twenty dollar bill. It was his first tip from a customer and it really did mean a lot to him.

     “Thank you, Mr…?”

     “Xi.” The other replied. “Keep up the good work.”

     “I will sir. Thank you once again.”

     The man smiled and walked to the bar and sat at the end of the counter, where he was spotted immediately by the barista.

     “Lulu?”

     “Baozi? Wow, you’ve changed a lot since the last time we’ve met!”

     “I’ve been working out.”

     “Obviously,” Luhan commented as he looked the other one over. “I’m going to be devastated if you say that you’re single.”

     “I’m actually seeing someone right now.”

     Luhan’s eyes widened at the other.

     “Really? What does she look like? Is she pretty?”

     Minseok smirked and fished out his phone from his pocket.

     “Very. Here’s a picture of her.”

     Luhan’s smile faded as he looked at the woman on the screen.

     “Her?”

     Minseok nodded.

     “But she’s…” The woman wasn’t ugly, but she certainly wasn’t what Luhan was expecting in the slightest. “She’s…”

     “A foreigner?”

     “Black.” Luhan stated bluntly while he continued to stare at the picture. “Why’d you pick her?”

     “Well, she’s pretty and nice and-”

     “Taboo.” The brunette interrupted as he raised an eyebrow at the other. “Do your parents know?”

     The barista shook his head.

     “I don’t think that they need to know about her just yet.”

     “You know that they won’t be happy with her when the time comes for the three, no four of them, to meet. Your mother’s still trying to get over me and I’m an Asian. What will she do when she sees you two together? Let’s not even bring in your sister…”

     Minseok sighed.

     “I figured I’d give it a shot. I really like this girl Luhan. I don’t want to give up on our relationship just because it’s unorthodox.”

“Well you certainly can’t keep her a secret.” Luhan handed the phone back to the older. “It might be better if you considered that though. Girls like her are risky anyway.”

     “Risky?”

     Luhan nodded.

     “Black girls just aren’t keepers, Minseok. That’s all there is to it. It’s not like they’re the most loyal kind out there either. You may not be the only one that she’s with.”

     Minseok stared at the picture in thought.

‘You say that, but Lu, would you still say that after you actually met her?’

     “Hey Luhan, why don’t you join us at the movies this Friday? I want you to meet my girlfriend, Tamera. What do you say?”

     “I don’t know…”

     “Luhan.”

     The elder said sternly. He knew just how to make the younger give in.

     “Alright, alright. I’ll be there.”

 

~*~

 

     As Dallas walked past many of Seoul’s boutiques and high fashion outlets, the writer couldn’t close as she oohed and aahed over practically everything that she came across. Everything was just so pretty and unique that she couldn’t help but to gawk at her surroundings.

     The men weren’t bad either.

     Now Dallas wasn’t one to fall for the stereotypes that America would often show in the media so easily, but she couldn’t believe just how tall Korean men were. Most of the ones that she had ran across were 5’6 and taller. It was really surprising when she found herself lost in a sea of tall males.

     The woman kept her head down as she felt their eyes bore into her back. She knew that she would get some attention, but she wasn’t prepared for some men that would blatantly stare her down. It was a bit unnerving, but Dallas knew that she would have to get used to this sooner or later.

     Dallas was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice that she was heading straight for a busy crosswalk.

     “Look out!” In a moment, she felt someone grab her arm and pull her back onto the sidewalk just as a car honked noisily and sped past her. She blinked at the near death experience and realized that she was still being pulled backwards, further onto the sidewalk. “Were you trying to get yourself killed, girl? Pay attention next time! Foreigners are so oblivious!”

     Dallas turned around to confront the other and nearly froze at the extremely tall teenager looking down at her smugly.

     This young man was quite the lady’s man from what she could tell. With his streaked brown locks styled messily atop his head and his stunning visual, there was no doubt that he was thought of as very handsome here.

     And sadly, Dallas had too agreed with that assumption.

‘Wow, he’s fine!’ She inwardly squealed while she continued to take in every detail. ‘If I knew that the men looked this good, I would’ve moved here ages ago…’

     “Hello?” The younger waved his hand in her face. “What’s wrong with this girl?”

     He may have been hot, but his attitude was a complete turn off.

     “Are you always this rude, boy?” Dallas snapped as she yanked her arm out of the other’s grasp. “Thanks for the assistance, but did you help me out of kindness or just to insult me?”

     The other shrugged carelessly.

     “To be honest, I really don’t know. You should be grateful for me being here, though.”

     “And yet somehow, I’m feeling anything but that.”

     The woman hissed and walked past him without another word, making sure to ram the other with her shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.

     She wasn’t going to let one run in with a jerk ruin her day, so she let the unpleasant encounter go and resumed her journey throughout the city.

 

~*~

 

     As the group of students grabbed their things and exited the pool area, Gyeong watched Tamera as she quietly gathered her things and headed to the locker room to change.

     ‘What’s wrong with her?’

     Gyeong was pretty much left to he own devices today.

     Sure, Tamera had helped her physically, but the other wasn’t nearly as vocal or excited as she usually was and not only had that affected Gyeong’s teaching style, but it also seemed to impact the high school students too. They weren’t nearly as engaged as they usually were.

     “Tamera, we need to talk.” Tamera glanced at her friend in the doorway before she silently nodded. “What’s going on? Why have you been so quiet today? Is there something bothering you?”

     The woman shook her head.

     “Okay. Tamera, talk to me. You have a voice, use it!”

     “I…” The woman sighed. “I let her get to me and I shouldn’t have…”

     “Who?” Gyeong was completely lost. How could she help Tamera if she didn’t specify. “Who’s she?”

     “Nayoung, Minseok’s ex-girlfriend. They had broken up because she kept harassing him about his weight.”

     “Wait, when did you meet her? I don’t understand?”

     “Minseok took me out the other night and Nayoung just happened to be there too.”

     Gyeong cringed.

     “And that didn’t go too well, I predict?”

     “Of course not.” Tamera groaned. “She made some outrageous claims against our relationship and I guess it’s still bothering me…”

     Gyeong didn’t need to be told more. She could imagine some of the things that the other girl said and now that she knew what had happened, she couldn’t blame Tamera for her silence.

     “Well did you ever think of just think of why this ‘Nayoung’ girl said those things? Have you ever thought that she was just lashing out at you because her former boyfriend found someone better that genuinely loves him for who he is?”

     Tamera smiled sheepishly.

     “I didn’t…”

     “And you’re letting this girl’s words get to you? Tamera, don’t ruin this relationship just because someone doesn’t agree with you.” Gyeong grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. “So what if this one girl hates you because you’re with Minseok? From the way you talk about this guy, which is constantly, might I add;” Tamera giggled. “He makes you happier than I’ve ever seen you before. You two are good for each other. Don’t let girls like that tear you down so easily. Don’t let them win.”

     “Alright, I guess you’re right.”

     “You guess? You know what, since you still doubt me, I deserve a Bubble Tea!”

     “Gyeong-”

     “And I won’t take no for an answer.” The woman smiled. “Only Passion Fruit or Black Milk Tea will do.”

     “Fine, you’re so greedy.”

     “But you love me anyway.” Gyeong hugged the other. “We should hurry, it’s starting to get dark and the Bubble Tea Shop closes early.”

 

~*~

 

     The sky had faded to a deep indigo by the time Mercedes was able to leave her job. Both mentally exhausted and emotionally burned out, the woman just wanted to go home and get some well-deserved rest.

     As she made her way to her car, Mercedes recognized a figure emerging from the darkness.

     “Kai?” She was surprised to see him out and about on this side of town. Where she worked wasn’t necessarily a bad place, but it certainly wasn’t a place that you’d see teenagers roaming about often, especially when night was fast approaching. “What are you doing here?”

     The man hesitated in his reply.

     “Oh, I was just visiting a family member.” Kai said with a smile. “Her café is just down the street from here. I haven’t seen her in a while so…”

     Mercedes unlocked her car door.

     Kai really wasn’t that far from his destination, but Mercedes still considered it to be safer if she drove him there and then home.

     “Want a ride there? I know you’re almost there, but I really don’t want you to walk this street by yourself.”

     Kai may have been a young adult, but Mercedes still saw him as a teenager. If she were to just leave him, she knew that she would feel guilty about it later.

     To her relief, the other accepted her offer and slid into her passenger’s seat.

     “Okay. I know you that said that it’s down the street, but I’ve never gone this way. Can you direct me?”

     “Sure.” Kai said. “It’s really just three blocks down from here.”

     Mercedes shrugged and sped out of the parking lot towards the location.

     “So what exactly am I looking for? A shop? Boutique?”

     “Try a café.” Kai smirked knowingly.

     “Okay…so what does it look like?”

     “Trust me when I say that you’ll know when you see it.”

     That certainly threw Mercedes for a loop how would she know which one was the right one?

     As she came upon the third block, Mercedes breath hitched as she came face to face with…Kai?

     “Wait, what?” She blurted out and looked at the fairly amused male next to her. “Why…? That’s a very nice picture of you by the way, but I’m so confused right now.”

     “This is Kamong Café.” The younger explained nonchalantly. “My older sister’s the owner.”

     “Wow…”

     “Want to come inside with me?”

     “Um, I’m not sure that’s a good idea…”

     Mercedes was skeptical about meeting Kai’s family. She really didn’t like the idea of just randomly meeting up with people. Not to mention that this was indeed, Kai’s family. She didn’t want to leave a bad impression and ruin anything.

     Kai saw her hesitation in her eyes and held out a hand to her.

     “I promise you that there’s nothing to be afraid of. My sisters are very friendly. Please?”

     Sighing, Mercedes left the comfort of her car and walked towards Kamong’s large glass doors and traveled up the stairs with Kai leading her to a trendy room with a quaint and cozy atmosphere that was very similar to that of Café Moonlight.

     The tiles were black while the chairs and tables were white. There appeared to be two levels and along one of the ebony walls, an old black and white movie was playing.

     One of Micheal Jackson’s many hits played softly in the background as the duo reached the counter.

     “Jongin!”

     A long haired girl with brown hair sporting a burgundy asymmetrical zip up trench coat and black skinny jeans, waved at Kai from behind the counter.

“Jungah? What are you doing here this late at night? Why aren’t you at home?”

     He questioned the younger as he hugged her tightly when she approached him.

     “I just needed a break from studying, oppa. I’m pretty sure my head will burst if I read one more page.”

     “Aren’t you being a little dramatic? I never had that problem when I was in high school.”

     Jungah sighed and Jongin rose an eyebrow.

     “I’m tired, Jongin. I don’t want to see any more books tonight.”

     The dongsaeng winced as she felt her brother flick her forehead.

     “Don’t say things like that, education is very important.”

     “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that mom and dad sent you all the way here just to scold me.”

     “I just want the best for you, Jungah.”

     As the two separated, Jungah turned her gaze to the woman who was standing behind her brother quietly.

     “And who’s this?” The brown haired teen wondered aloud as she not so subtly pushed Jongin out of the way. As she stepped closer to the woman, she smiled brightly. “Are you on a date with my brother?”

     The daring enquiry snapped Mercedes out of her stupor. She didn’t see that coming in the slightest.

     “I-I’m sorry?”

     Not a second later, Jungah was pulled away from her by a frantic Jongin.

     “I apologize for my sister’s rudeness.” The older said as he glared down at his little sister who grinned giddily in reply. “She’s always been the outspoken one in our family.”

     “No I’m not-”

     Jungah’s mouth was suddenly covered by the elder’s hand.

     “Why don’t we just go ahead and order?” Jongin winced as he felt something wet drag across his palm. “Ew, you’re so disgusting.”

     Jungah smirked and she retreated behind the counter.

     “Welcome to Kamong Espresso!” The girl chirped happily. “I can take whoever’s next!”

     Jongin shook his head at his sister’s ridiculous actions and place his order.

     “Do you want anything, Mercedes?”

     The secretary shrugged and glanced over the menu.

     “Can I have a Mocha Kamongccino?”

     Jongin nodded and added her choice to his order and paid for their orders before leading them towards a cozy little table for two towards the back of the café with their drinks in hand.

     Mercedes didn’t miss how the eyes of girls followed them closely, analyzing every move and every gesture that occurred between her and the young man who seemed to be making a very obvious attempt to not even look their way.

     As they sat down, Mercedes realized that the majority of the customers at Kamong Café were teenaged Korean girls.

     They all gradually became particularly rowdy as they were sure that Jongin was there, glancing back at their friends and having them look back at them just to be sure that they were right.

     Soon, they were whipping out their phones and snapping pictures of Kai.

     The brunette pointed to a sign nearby that clearly said no photography, but the young women continued to take pictures of him anyway.

     Sighing, the other gave up and opted for ignoring the amateur paparazzi while Mercedes looked around curiously at the rapidly changing atmosphere.

     “Is it always this hectic here?”

     “Only when fan girls are present.” The other murmured as he took a sip of his Mint Chocolate Kamongccino. “This is why I visit so rarely.”

     Mercedes furrowed her brows together. This night was growing more complicated by the minute.

     “So what are you to have flocks of fan girls, hm? And here I thought that you were just a college kid with a side job.”

      “I am!” Jongin waved his hands defensively. “I posted some dance videos online and they got more popular than I expected them to. All of these fangirls are the result.”

     Mercedes looked around the café at the other girls who were smiling giddily and struggling to get better pictures of the internet star.

     “Mercedes?” The said woman turned her attention to the suddenly nervous youths before her. “About this morning…”

     The secretary had to refrain from letting her head drop to the table. Of all times to discuss her previous relationship issues, now was not the right time to do it.

     She was still so salty about the whole situation.

     “I really don’t want to discuss this now, Jongin. Please just give me a bit more time to get over it. I’m not ready.”

     A large plate that held a golden waffle decorated in fruit and lines of chocolate syrup clattered softly along the surface of the table as the woman continued to lower the dish with careful hands.

     This woman looked very similar to Kai, perhaps a sister or cousin?

     Her short black hair was pinned into a rushed bun that showcased her oval face.

     “So this is the girl that Jungah’s going to going crazy over? Wow, you really are as pretty as she said you’ll be.” The woman smiled pleasantly at Mercedes before bowing in greeting. “Hello, I’m Kim, Jinyeong and I’m Jongin’s older sister and the store owner of Kamong Café. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

     “It’s very nice to meet you too.”

     Mercedes said as she returned the bow.

     “I’m completely in love with the design of your shop, by the way. Inside and out.”

     “Why, thank you!” Jinyeong beamed. “But my brother here, also helped with that. You see the logo on your cup? He actually designed it himself.” Mercedes examined the logo while the Jinyeong continued. “Fun fact: The café name ‘Kamong’ is actually a combination of Kai’s name and his puppy, Monggu.”

     Mercedes smirked as she let the information sink in.

     “Oh wow, a shipper name for Kai and his dog? And you said Monggu, right? We’ve met before. He’s a very sweet dog.”

     “Like owner, like dog.” Jinyeong stated as she ruffled her dongsaeng’s hair, earning an annoyed sound from the other. “Both of them just so happen to have hearts of gold.”

     “Well, it sounds like I need to return to my post before Jungah ruins anything important.” Jinyeong smiled at the duo. “Hopefully, we’ll meet again soon, Mercedes. And thanks for stopping by Jongin, and be sure to bring more of your friends next time!”

     “I will. See you later, noona.”

     “Bye, Jongin.”

     She waved as she left.

     Jongin waved back with equal enthusiasm and Mercedes couldn’t help smiling at the closeness that the three siblings shared between one another.

     Mercedes thought about her sisters back home and wondered what they were doing at the moment. Did they change considerably from the last time that she saw them? And what about her mother?

     Now that she thought about it, when was the last time she had at least talked to her sisters? Or called her mother for that manner?

     She was completely alone and that realization made Mercedes feel just a bit hollower inside.

     “Are you okay?” Mercedes blinked as she felt a warm hand touch hers. “Mercedes?”

     “Huh?”

     Kai squeezed her hand gently.

     “Is there something bothering you?”

     “Um…” Where could she begin? Today had been a very trying day for Mercedes as it seemed like anything and everything that could go wrong, did. “It doesn’t matter.”

     Mercedes concluded as she shook her head stiffly.

     If she were to be honest with herself, she had quite a bit of things that she wanted to get off her chest, but she didn’t feel like this was the time or place to talk about them and she didn’t want to bring Kai down with all of her problems, so she kept shut.

     “I think it does if it’s affecting you this much.” Jongin stated as his gaze linked with hers. “If you don’t want to talk about it then I won’t push you, but just know that I’m here for you if you ever do and I’m all ears.”

     Something fluttered inside of her at his words and suddenly his hand felt a lot hotter than before.

     “Why are you doing this?”

     “Isn’t this one of the responsibilities of being a friend?” Mercedes smiled at the younger’s response. She couldn’t argue with him there. “Was that a smile just now?” The woman lowered her head in embarrassment. “I haven’t seen you do a lot of that tonight. You know, you’re very pretty when you smile.”

     “Thanks, Jongin.”

     Mercedes turned her vision to the table as she felt her face grow hotter; neither of them noticed a figure approaching their table.

     “Kai-oppa? Can I have an autograph? Please?”

     A young girl with medium length black hair begged as she held her little purple book to Kai.

     The younger looked at Mercedes who only shrugged in reply.

     “Sure.”

     A couple of scribbles along a leaf of paper later, Kai had returned the book and sent the girl off with a bright smile.

     Despite the occasional interruption from Kai’s fan club, the duo enjoyed the waffle that Jinyeong had left them earlier and spent most of their time talking and learning more about one another as their conversations stretched on late into the night.

     As she slid into the car with Jongin, Mercedes felt as if the immense pressure that had been weighing her down all day had been reduced after she talked with the college student.

     She was reluctant to take him home now, but they both most likely had to either work or go to school in the morning, so she started her car.

     “Where do you live anyway, Jongin?”

     The brunette smiled at the use of his real name.

     “It’s about two blocks from here if you make a right at the next turn.”

     Mercedes complied and turned her car in the aforementioned direction and cruised down a much less busy street that gave off a suburban feel.

     As Jongin directed her, the atmosphere from the café blossomed again and soon enough, the two were laughing at whatever humored them and funny little mishaps in their lives.

     As the silhouette of Kai’s apartment came into view, the two fell into a somber silence that seemed almost unnatural.

     “Well, I guess I better get going-”

     “Wait,” The elder spoke with a soft tone, but Jongin caught it regardless. “Thank you for tonight,” She started as she focused solely on the steering wheel in front of her. “I didn’t really know how much that actually helped me...”

     Mercedes was surprised when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and tug her a little towards the passenger’s seat in an unexpected tight hug.

     “Thanks for accepting my offer.” The other spoke gingerly, making something flutter about the woman’s chest. She pushed the feeling away, but was powerless to stop herself from burying her face into his chest. “I’m glad that you’re feeling a lot better.” With a deep sigh, Jongin released her. “Take care of yourself, okay Mercedes?”

     The said woman nodded and cranked up her car as Jongin disappeared into the darkness of the night.

     Mercedes took a moment to collect herself. What just happened? The fluttering that she had felt not long ago had returned and it bothered her more than she’d like to admit.

     She wasn’t ready for any of this.

     Putting the strange feeling on the back burner, Mercedes pulled her car into reverse and headed home, trying to forget about it the entire way there.

 

 

 

Author's Note: Alright, I'm finally back!

It's been a while since I've updated, I know, but I needed to take care of some loans and stuff...ugh. I want to let you all know that I have no intention of abandoning this story. AMBW is a topic that I have to research and write by trial and error because not only do I have no experience in these relationships, but it's a very complex topic and I want this story to be as accurate as possible. With that out of the way, I can finally say, 'On with the show!"