Jooyeon’s POV

It was one of those days where I was wandering around my neighborhood after school ended. Unlucky enough, my house is located at the worst location where most it is mostly surrounded by entertainment companies. It wasn’t rare for me to see idols in this district neither was it rare to see fan girls/boys loitering around here in the midst of who knows what time. I wouldn’t say that my family is rich, but just fair enough for my parents to own a café that sells bubble tea where idols happened to drop by once in a while for a sip. Talking about idols, my parents had decorated the café wall with photos and signatures of the different idols that had visited our store.

I checked my watch and there was still some time before my shift starts. It wouldn’t hurt to help my parents out in the café once in a while. Besides, the only benefits that I could get out from working there were to enjoy my cup of coffee and occasionally spot some idols dropping by the café. Suddenly, my stomach started to protest out of hunger. Guess I have time for some snacks. I decided to drop by a convenient store that was just a street across my parent’s café to get some food.

As I stepped into the convenient store, I spotted a tall figure dressed in black hoodie and training pants paying his bills at the cashier. Without thinking much, I shrugged and walk past him to the fridge to get my milk. I assumed that he left after seeing no one at the counter. After paying for the carton of milk, I was about to push the door when suddenly someone pushed the door into my face, causing me to hit against it. (Curse the person who made it a two way door!)

“WHAT THE HELL!” I shouted while rubbing my nose. Wait, isn’t he the same guy from before? He looked paranoid and nervous as if someone was chasing after him.

“S-sorry...” he stuttered and quickly walked past me to the bread section with his head bent low.

“YAH! My nose i-“

“Kyaaa!!!! Oppa!!!!” I couldn’t finish my sentence after hearing some high school girls running past the convenient store screaming the hell out of their souls. I smirked and finally understood the whole situation. Fan girls huh?

“Bwoya! How did he run so fast?” one of the high school girls came into the convenient store searching for something. I didn’t know why but I panicked once I saw them coming in. But I wasn’t really in the place to panic, right? I mean, they are looking for him after all…

I was in a dilemma when suddenly the girl started walking towards the bread section. I made my way through the aisle as quickly as possible and opened the fridge door which was directly opposite the rack before it was too late.

“Squat down!” I hissed at him. He gave me a confused look but I didn’t have the time to entertain him anymore so I pushed him down and pretended to look for another carton of milk. The girl slightly glanced towards the end of the aisle not noticing that there was someone hiding beside the door.

“Guess he’s not here.” the girl mumbled to herself and left the store.

I heaved a sigh of relief and looked at him. He was curled up into a fetus position. I slammed the fridge door a bit too hard to make him flinch.

“She’s gone.” I said to him.

“T-thanks…” he trailed off staring at my face.

“What?”

“Your nose is bleeding.”

I touched my nose and felt something wet. OMG. BLOOD.

“This is all your fault!” I pointed at him and he just stared blankly at him. I sighed.

“Could you at least get some tissue from my bag for me? Can’t you see I’m bleeding here?” I said, feeling frustrated.

It finally hit him and he fumbled with the zip on my bag and managed to dig out a pack of tissue from it.

“I’m really sorry.” he repeated.

I looked at him in the face for the first time. He seemed familiar but I just couldn’t put my finger anywhere. He was tall and had a messed up chocolate brown hair that made him looked…cute?

“Why are those girls chasing you? I thought you were a trainee or something.” I asked out of the blue.

He seems surprised at my question. “Don’t you know me?”

“Uhhh…there’s like millions of people out there and do you expect me to know everyone in Korea?” I said.

He smiled. “What’s your name?” He asked.

“The name’s Jooyeon.” I said busy cleaning my nose.

“Thank you, Jooyeon.” He said and smiled again. That was weird. That smile, I have seen it somewhere before. Before I could even ask any further, my phone rang and 4minute’s Crazy started playing on my phone. I was so embarrassed by my ringtone. Why did it have to start playing at this awkward timing?!

“Sorry I got to go. My mum’s looking for me at the café.” I smiled apologetically.

“Thanks again!” he shouted as I exited the convenient store. I waved to him without looking back and I ran across the street towards my parent’s café.

“What a weird guy.” I thought.

 

Hyuk’s POV

“Thanks again!” I shouted.

I seriously thought that I was going to get ambushed by fan girls again today. Thanks to Jooyeon, I managed to get rid of them. She’s somewhat special, she’s not one of them. She didn’t even know who I was. I watched her as she ran across the street into a café.

“So that must be her parent’s café…” he thought.

My phone rang when 4minute’s Crazy started playing. How ironic. I picked up my phone and N hyung went shouting into the phone.

“Hyuk ah! Where are you?! We are going to be late for Mcountdown!”

“Arraseo hyung, I’m on the way back now.”

I made my way out of the store and took a last glance into the café.

“I hope to see you soon.” He thought.

 

 

 

A week later…

Jooyeon’s POV

My best friend, Hana, decided to drop by my house since it was Friday. Hana was fan girling over a video on her phone while I was flipping through the channels on my TV.  

“Oh it’s Music Bank.” I mentioned when I switched to the KBS channel. It suddenly hit Hana that her favorite group, so called “Vixx”, would be on Music Bank today.

“Yah, don’t switch the channel anymore. Vixx is performing today!” she giggled, mentioning her favorite oppas. I rolled my eyes and continued watching 4minute’s performance.

“Michin geotcheoreom geurae michin geotcheoreom…”  I was grooving to my current favorite song when Hana suddenly started spazzing.

“OMG! Vixx’s next!”

I frowned and laid back onto the couch. As if on cue, Vixx appeared on TV with one of their member’s aegyo face plastered on the screen. It’s not that I hate Vixx, it’s just that I didn’t bother check their members out. Besides from Hana’s occasional fan girling sessions, I did manage to remember one or two member’s face. I could recognize Ravi and N but the others were a NONO.

In the midst of watching their performance, one of the members managed to catch my eye. Not because he’s handsome but because he looked familiar. So familiar to the point that it felt like I’ve seen him recently.

“Hana, who’s that guy with the white beanie?”

“Oh him? He’s the maknae, HYUKKIE!” she spazzed.

“Hyukkie? What a weird name.”

“Noooooo it’s Hyuk. Hyukkie is just a nickname you pabo.” She stuck out her tongue at me.

I rolled my eyes yet again and stuck my tongue back at her.

“Ne saenggageul jamsido haji anko jamyeon andoelkka…” it was his turn to sing again when he suddenly smiled to the camera.

“OMO! THAT SMILE…” I held back.

“I KNOW RIGHT! HE’S SO CUTE!” Hana added.

I was so drowned in my own thoughts that I didn’t hear what Hana was saying. It was him. It was that guy that I met at the convenient store that day. That smile and that height! No wonder he looked familiar. He was an idol after all! I’m not planning to tell Hana at all judging by how she spazzes over the littlest things about Vixx. She might murder me if she knew that I talked to one of her favourite idols.  

“OMG JOOYEON! THEY WON FIRST PLACE AGAIN!” Hana suddenly screamed in my ear. Ok nope, definitely not telling her.

“Erm, congrats?” I faked a smile, trying to find the right words to fit.

 

 

 

 

The next day…

I had to help out at the café again because it’s the freaking weekend. WEEKEND.

I was busy handling the cashier while my dad and brother completed the orders. My mum on the other hand was clearing the cups and plates from the tables. My legs were sore from standing the whole day and my mouth was tired of repeating the same lines over and over again.

“Hi! Welcome! What would you like for your order?” that was the 29840812640^th time I’ve said that line.

“What’s your specialties?” the customer asked.

“Our best sellers are our caramel macchiato and…” I trailed off as I saw a familiar smiling face in front of me. “It’s you.”

“Hi Jooyeon. I didn’t expect your parent’s café to be so near.” Hyuk replied.

“So, what would you like? It’s on the house!” I offered.

He smiled again, “So, you do know who I am now right?”