Eun Mi should not be doing this.

She should not be getting up before dawn to wash her hair, spending extra time twisting it this way and that before simply clipping it away from her face with a pretty flower pin. She should not be carefully applying her makeup, lightly lining her eyes with liquid liner that really was quite unnecessary to begin with. She should not be second guessing the outfit so thoughtfully laid out the night before.

Eun Mi most definitely should not be sneaking out of the dorm without letting anyone know where she was going. Never mind that she had done it thousands of times before, the truth was that she always told Su Jong where she’d be. This time, however, she hadn’t even told him.

She tip-toed her way to the front door, listening to the snores of their youngest manager. She bit her lip, feeling a little sorry for the trouble she would cause if they woke up before she was back.

Eun Mi felt a little guilty, a little unsure, and a whole lot excited as she closed the dorm’s door behind her. She headed to the elevator, then thinking it over, ended up taking the stairs.

The wind was cold, but not vicious. She shrunk within herself, smiling with excitement as she placed a surgical mask over her face.

Song Eun Mi had somewhere to be.

Taewoon did not sleep a wink.

He got up before his alarm went off, showered, and dressed faster than ever. When he caught sight of his reflection, he pulled his shirt over his head and raided his closet. He ended up wearing the same thing he’d discarded; all black, with a long-sleeved plaid shirt over a black tee that brushed the back of his knees.

He listened closely for any signs of life outside his bedroom door, venturing out only when he was convinced that no one had stirred.

Zico’s sleeping figure on the living room sofa nearly killed him of a heart attack. He skidded to a halt, creeping the rest of the way to the front door.

Taewoon owed no explanations to anyone, really. He could always say that he’d gone out for a schedule of sorts, but today felt different.

Today was special. It was a day when no one could find out just what he was up to, where he would go, and who he would see. Today was a secret; one of the good kind.

He locked the door behind him softly, a large smile plastered on his face as he bolted towards his car.

The sound of a car’s engine roaring to life startled Zico awake. He fell out of the sofa, crashing loudly on the ground.

“Ow.”

Standing, he peeked through the curtains, catching a glimpse of his brother’s car exiting the driveway.

The sky was still dark. Zico wondered where his brother could be going so early for a second or two before staggering back onto the sofa.

The moment his head hit the cushion, he’d forgotten everything about Taewoon’s early morning escapade.

The café was tucked away between two boutiques. The scent of coffee beans swirled in the breeze, luring the would-be wanderers of the morning in.

Eun Mi slipped into the alley beside the shop. It never ceased to creep her out despite the many times she had been in it. The alley opened up into a small yard just beyond a tall fence. She pulled a tiny key from within her purse, a cherry blossom key chain dangling from one end. Inserting the key in dim lighting had become her specialty over the many summer days she’d worked the morning shifts. The gate swung open gently, quietly.

“Good job, Su Jong-ah,” she whispered. “You’ve been coming to help out!”

“Who’s there?”

“Auntie, it’s Eun Mi.”

“Eun Mi? What are you doing here, child?”

Ms. Kang stood by the back door, the porch light bathing her in faint light. She looked just as beautifully frail as the first time Eun Mi had met her, tall with a frame so thin she seemed to be made of paper. The only wrinkles discernible on her face where the ones on the corners of her eyes, the ones she’d acquired from smiling too much. Not even laugh lines tarnished her youthful face.

She’d pulled her hair into a high ponytail for the morning rush. She even had her apron on. She wiped her hands on it as Eun Mi walked up to her.

“Did you come to help out? No, wait, that’s impossible. You leave for Hanoi the day after tomorrow, what are you doing here? Su Jong hasn’t even stopped by for a few days now.”

“A—auntie,” Eun Mi took her hands in hers. “Y—you see, I—well…”

Ms. Kang raised her eyebrows. “Eun Mi-ah, did you give someone our address?”

Eun Mi’s cheeks burned. “I—I know I should’ve asked you before, b—but it happened so suddenly! A—and I didn’t know where else we could m—meet. A—at least not somewhere safe.”

“How did you even get here, child?”

“A taxi. I got lucky.”

“How are you getting back to the dorms before the managers notice that you’re missing? Or did you let Jongie know where you’d be?”

Eun Mi’s silence gave her guilt away. Ms. Kang sighed, petting her daughter-like Eun Mi on the cheek.

“You’ve finally met someone. It was about time, too. You’ve been so focused on your career Minah and I worried that you wouldn’t give yourself time to meet someone.”

“I—It’s not like t—that.”

“Isn’t it? Well, should I call Jongie and tell him to pick you up later, then?”

“Please, don’t, auntie.”

Ms. Kang smiled. “Come inside. I’m sure you’d like to make him a drink yourself. Don’t worry, no one has clocked in yet and Jin isn’t due for another half hour. I’ll make sure to keep them away from the back porch.”

“Thank you, auntie!”

“But, tell me one thing,” her eyes glittered as she Eun Mi’s soft hair. “Would he happen to be a member of L6?”

Eun Mi’s brow furrowed. “L6? Ew. Of course not.”

Kang Young Mi laughed heartily at her disgust. Everyone had expected Tae Jun to charm Eun Mi, but neither had seemed the least bit interested in the other aside from what was normal between friends and label mates.

Now she was curious. Choi Tae Jun ranked high in her list of boys she’d like Eun Mi to be with; she wanted to know just who had been the one to finally awaken Eun Mi’s blushing cheeks and fluttering heart.

Taewoon had no difficulty finding the café. He followed Eun Mi’s instructions, parking in the underground garage that belonged to the boutique to the right.

“The owner doesn’t open until mid-morning. She often lets us use the first spot on the left when we visit,” Eun Mi had said.

The deserted parking lot shone with eerie light, but nothing could deter Taewoon from feeling excited. Not even the narrow alley that he’d been instructed to follow or the empty yard just beyond the gate.

Eun Mi had arrived earlier just as she’d said she would, leaving the gate open for him. Nervously, Taewoon crossed into the property of the café, shoulders tense with anticipation.

The tiny backyard was empty. The light over the back door illuminated the tiny porch, drawing him to it.

He started to wonder if he should knock when the door swung open carefully. A woman poked her head out, her black hair just beginning to pepper with age. Once she spotted him waiting awkwardly, she exited the building. She placed her hands on her hips, examining him. Taewoon bowed self-consciously, resisting the urge to disappear into the earth.

“Well, good morning, tall stranger” she said with a small smile.

“G—good morning, ma’am.”

“I would introduce myself, but I’m sure Eun Mi would like to do that herself. C’mon, follow me.”

She led him down a hallway that opened up to a clean, organized kitchen. The scent of pastries tickled his nose.

“I just put those in the oven. They should be ready by the time the first wave of costumers hit. You kids will have about an hour to escape after the morning rush. Then we’ll get hit by our second wave. Eun Mi knows this, but I figured it would be a good idea to tell you. Did you park where Eun Mi told you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Ms. Kang smiled at him over her shoulder. “You listen well, that’s wonderful.”

Taewoon’s lips twitched with a nervous smile. His nervousness soon gave way to excitement as he caught sight of Eun Mi behind the bar.

She looked tiny, lost among all the machinery required to brew coffee, yet she fit right in. She’d pulled her hair back in a loose low-ponytail, rolled up the sleeves of her soft yellow sweater, and donned an apron. She went this way and that.

“Auntie, who has the morning shift again?”

“Jin does.”

“Tell him that he should be careful when putting things away. Everything’s so cluttered! He needs to work on roasting the beans. They taste funny.”

Taewoon raised his eyebrows. Eun Mi sure was full of surprises. He hadn’t expected her to know anything about running a café, much less have some sort of barista skills.

“Eun Mi, have you finished with the drinks?”

“Yes, I’m just about—”

The sight of her turning around, with her hair falling over her shoulders, in a café setting with an expression of pure surprise made Taewoon’s heart stop.

“Mr. T—Taewoon!”

“Good morning,” he said with a smile.

Eun Mi rushed to pull her hair loose. She gave him her back briefly as she tried to calmly remove her apron and regain some sort of—well, there really was nothing to regain that wouldn’t be lost as soon as she saw him anyway.

“U—um, auntie, this is Mr. Woo Taewoon. Mr. Taewoon this is Miss Kang Young Mi, she’s Su Jong’s mother and my auntie.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Taewoon greeted her with a proper bow.

“Mister?” Ms. Kang raised her eyebrows after she’d returned his greeting. “Shouldn’t you be calling him ‘oppa’ instead?”

Both flushed a deep shade of red.

Eun Mi could not begin to imagine addressing him so familiarly! Taewoon, well, he really quite hoped that one day she would feel comfortable enough to drop all and every formality between them.

Ms. Kang, on the other hand, stood bewildered by the awkwardness that had settled between the two. Shaking her head, she shooed them out, handing Eun Mi the tray she’d loaded with small pastries, fruit, and yogurt cups.

“And stay out of sight!”

“W—we will.”

Taewoon took the unstable tray from Eun Mi, carefully balancing the weight in his hands, steadying the swaying mugs of steaming hot chocolate. She smiled at him gratefully as she led him to the back porch.

When he’d first arrived, Taewoon had not seen the quaint little sitting area. The pretty loveseat coated in vintage flower patterns with square and oval lace pillows was situated against the building’s brick wall. The coffee table before it had a vase with flowers on its surface. Eun Mi removed the vase, setting it on one of the smaller tables to the side of the loveseat.

“We use fake ones during the winter.”

Taewoon set the tray on the now available table, taking his seat beside her. She pulled her feet up, tucking her right leg underneath her as she propped her left one up; she wrapped her arms around this one and clasped her elbows.

She couldn’t stop staring at Taewoon. She wasn’t trying to memorize his features, there was no need for something so dramatic; Eun Mi simply wanted to look at him.

Taewoon could feel her gentle gaze on him as he reached for a small muffin and popped it in his mouth. He chewed slowly, wondering if she would say anything any time soon.

Suddenly, Eun Mi unfurled her legs, reaching for the steaming mug of hot chocolate. She offered it to Taewoon with an excited smile. He could already tell she’d been the one that made it. He found her excitement cute; it made her forget her shyness.

The beverage tasted extremely different from what Taewoon was used to. He could taste the chocolate she had utilized apart from the milk; the flavors assaulted his taste buds together and apart. He stared at the mug in his hand. Tiny grains of the sweet, sweet chocolate floated in the milk, at the same time solid and dissolved in the liquid.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it, but, what is it?”

Eun Mi beamed taking a careful sip from her own mug. “Chocolate Abuelita, it’s a chocolate brand from Mexico. It can be found in the States if you live near the border or the local grocery store has a ‘Mexican/Latin’ food aisle. My uncles in Mexico ship it to us every once in a while. I only use it in very special occasions.” She sent him a soft sidelong glance as she drank again. “You should feel honored.”

Taewoon choked on the precious beverage. He held the mug away from his body as his body struggled to decide whether to laugh or choke first.

“Hey! I just told you that it’s made out of precious ingredients!” Eun Mi handed him a napkin, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

“You can’t just order someone to feel honored,” Taewoon wiped his lips and chin.

“I’m just stating the obvious.”

“Hey, just what kind of person are you?”

Eun Mi tossed her hair over her shoulder, sitting straighter. “A wonderful one, can’t you tell?”

Taewoon gawked at her. “Wow. Just, wow.”

He had not expected her to be full of false bravado. He found it even cuter when she squirmed in embarrassment at her own actions. He raised his mug in her direction as if in cheers and drank.

“When do you leave for Hanoi?”

“The day after tomorrow.”

“Are you excited?”

“I’m more nervous than excited.”

“You should enjoy it. Don’t go sneaking out of the hotel, though. I’m sure there will be fans waiting for you to try and escape. It isn’t as safe in a place you’re not familiar with.”

“I won’t. I’m more worried about L6 being stalked all the way over there.”

Taewoon paused, raising his eyebrows. “Stalked? They have stalker fans?”

Eun Mi nodded. “AMORES were really good at respecting their privacy. They’re one of the best fandoms, to be honest. But, suddenly, Ryouta found himself a group of stalkers.”

“Ryouta is the…”

“He’s the youngest. He’s still at that age where he’s more cute than handsome, so I can see how he would have noona fans but stalkers…”

“Damn. Stalker fans are always a pain to deal with.”

Eun Mi rubbed the rim of the mug with her thumb, holding it with both hands underneath her lips. Her eyes lost focus for a few seconds. Taewoon could see her turning her worry over and over in her head. He could practically hear the concerns making their rounds.

He dipped a strawberry in the yogurt, chewing it slowly as he allowed her time to think. After a couple of seconds, Eun Mi emerged from her preoccupied trance.

“Don’t eat all the strawberries! Leave some for me!”

Taewoon hugged the bowl of strawberries closer to him, shielding them with his arms. Eun Mi tried to find a breach in his defense. She gave up after a couple of attempts, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Do Gwiyomi Player and I’ll share.”

Where others would hesitate, Eun Mi didn’t. She jumped right into it, delivering a flawless performance.

Still, in the back of her mind she knew that she looked awkward. Her face was not made for cute expressions. Her eyes were a little too big, her face a little too round, her lips a little too full, her nose a little too small. Eun Mi always believed these kind of things suited her members best, especially ReNA and Ienna, the doll-like visuals. But she’d found that faking confidence often led to good results.

And so she faked it. She faked believing she was cute enough to go through with Gwiyomi Player. Eun Mi did not only fake Gwiyomi Player, she faked so many things in order to survive variety shows that she’d developed a false confidence thick enough to keep her from showing just how embarrassed she was over doing such foolish things.

As she kissed her soft fingertips, she looked at Taewoon from under her eyelashes, a trick she’d learned from a senior actress at B.Star ENT., and proceeded to press her thumb against his cheek.

“Gwiyomi,” she concluded.

Taewoon stared.

He opened and closed his mouth several times, easily relinquishing the bowl of strawberries when Eun Mi reached for them. She munched on them happily, bouncing in her seat as she kicked her feet.

“Wow…you’re shameless.”

To drive the point home even further, Eun Mi winked at him.

Taewoon just about died. He hid his face behind his hand, bowing his head as he tried to calm his pounding heart. He regretted many things in his life; he added having challenged Eun Mi into the list. Somehow, he felt he should’ve known better. Her Gwiyomi Player was bound to haunt him for months to come, unsettling him, making his breath catch and his cheeks hurt from smiling.

“So, erm,” he cleared his throat, pressing a fist against his lips. “This café belongs to Su Jong’s mother?”

“Yup! They used to live in the upper levels, but after Su Jong debuted, well, you know how it goes.”

“Is Su Jong your relative in any way? Maybe through a marriage?”

Eun Mi shook her head as she offered him a piece of sliced kiwi. “Su Jong is my best friend. We met the first full summer I lived here. That would be what? During my first year in Seoul? It sounds about right. Anyway, the company thought it’d improve my social and language skills if I worked part-time somewhere. I tried several jobs before finally settling here.”

“How long did you work here?”

“Just that summer. Su Jong and I come back to help sometimes. Once, L6 held a mini fan-meeting here. Another time CELESTIAL came to wait on the patrons. The earnings of that day went to charity. It was Ms. Kang’s idea.”

“So, you’re telling me that this café is known for having close ties with L6 and CELESTIAL and we still met here?”

Eun Mi grinned. “Scandalous, right?”

“Scandals is what we’re supposed to be avoiding,” he laughed.

“As long as we keep out of the front, we’ll be alright. We usually announce when we’re coming to visit through SNS.”

“Aren’t you guys too carefree?”

“We work hard in everything we do. This café is a safe haven for us. We’ve never had issues with fans respecting that.”

Taewoon finished the last of his hot chocolate. “You seem to trust your fans a lot.”

Eun Mi held her fingers in a “V” sign up against her eye. “You know it!”

Taewoon laughed, setting their empty mugs on the coffee table. He twisted his body to see her better and continued asking her questions.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“I like a few. Pastels are my favorites, especially blue and yellow.”

“Do you have siblings?”

“No.”

He didn’t miss the faltering in her smile.

“What about your parents? Did they come with you to Seoul?”

“No. They’re back in the States.”

Again, he noticed how her smile seemed to lose its glow.

“Are you here on your own? Surely not!”

“Of course not. My aunt Minah came with me. She works as at the company every now and then.”

“Favorite food?”

“Chicken carbonara. It’s delicious!”

“Favorite animal?”

“Bear.”

Eun Mi avoided his eyes. Bears had not been her favorite animal before. Being with Taewoon made it difficult to like anything else, though.

“Favorite group?”

“That’s a secret!”

“Is it SPEED?”

“It’s a secret!” she pressed her finger against her lips. Her eyes shone.

“So, it’s SPEED.”

Eun Mi rubbed her hands together. “I’m sorry.”

Taewoon laughed. “Traitor!”

“Is CELESTIAL your favorite girl group, then?”

“AOA! It’s AOA!”

Eun Mi gasped, smacking his arm gently. “Fine! I’ll call Yuna and tell her to come meet you.”

“You know them personally?”

“Yuna and I are same-aged friends.”

“Great! Can you get her to autograph my copies of their albums?”

Eun Mi’s jaw dropped and she released an incredulous laugh. Taewoon grinned, nuding her playfully.

“Tell me your favorite group, maybe I can get them here.”

“It’s a secret.”

“What? Even after all of this you’re still keeping it a secret?”

“Yes.”

“C’mon, can’t you at least give me a hint?”

“They’re perfect.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Hey now, that wounds me. Stop smiling like that!”

“I can’t!” Eun Mi cupped her face. “They’re just so perfect! Together, they’d make the perfect man!”

Taewoon felt the stab. “Hey, call Yuna. I’m sure she’d be better company. Hurry up, call Yuna.”

Eun Mi’s sweet peal of laughter soothed his wounded ego. She apologized half-heartedly as she held onto him. The firmness in her grip reassured him.

Eun Mi did not want him to go anywhere and Taewoon would not move if she did not command it.

Kang Young Mi watched her surrogate daughter from afar, safely concealed behind the screen door. She heard her hiccupping laughter, noted the happiness in her voice. Eun Mi easily gave in to laughter, but this was certainly different.

There existed no trace of reserve. Her laughter did not ring out as if following a cue, it did not cut itself short when she realized it gone on for a little too long. It most definitely did not disappear to give way to the false, hallow sounds that she’d been known to produce.

She exchanged a meaningful look with her best friend Song Minah.

“It seems like you were right.”

“I told you.”

Young Mi laughed softly, closing the back door. “I should’ve believed you. How much do I owe you?”

“Fifty.”

“This is outrageous.”

“No,” said Minah. She gave Young Mi a smile trembled between happiness and grief. “It’s about time.”