(Recap in italics)

"That's enough, you old ert.  No need to sweet talk every girl that likes your food and speaks politely," Daeho chimed in, grabbing Caden gently by the shoulders and steering her out the door.

"What??" the owner cried, incensed. "How dare you say such rude things to me.  And in front of customers.  I should have you fired!"

"No need, Manager nim.  See you on Monday," Daeho called over his shoulder as he walked out the door, still ushering Caden forward by the shoulders.  She couldn't see around his tall frame, but she vaguely heard the owner snort indignantly.

"Just don't be late," they heard him bark as the door closed behind them.  Unable to control herself any longer, Caden burst out laughing.

"The interactions between you guys are so ridiculous," she gasped through her laughter. "Completely over the top..."  Daeho chuckled, leaning against the building, waiting for her to calm down.

"Why is it that you seem to be constantly holding back laughter during our conversations with him, while for me it's more like holding back tears?" he pointed out when she finally stopped laughing.  This made her chuckle once more.

"I'm not really sure," she replied cheerfully, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes. "It doesn't seem fair, does it?"

"No, it really doesn't," he responded brightly, stepping away from the wall. "And now that you've recovered yourself - ready to continue our tour?  I have a few good stops in mind."

"By all means," she grinned.  Smiling back, Daeho turned and began making his way leisurely down the street, with Caden following closely behind.

 

"Ah!" she said, suddenly remembering. "Now that we're out of the restaurant, should we speak English?"

"Sure, why not?" Daeho replied, now in English. "I like to keep up with it whenever I can."

"How long have you been speaking it?" Caden asked curiously. "That is, when did you first learn English?"

"Hmm," Daeho murmured thoughtfully. "Well, I first started learning when I was about 8 years old, maybe?  But I've only been more or less fluent since about high school."

"Wow," Caden said in surprise. "No wonder you hardly have an accent!  I can't believe you've known it for that long... Why'd you start so early?"

"Actually, that's not really considered early here in Korea," he said smiling. "They usually start teaching it to everyone in elementary school - but in my case, I was also given extra lessons from my parents.  They were very determined that I learn it fully."

"Why is that?" Caden asked, comfortable enough with him by now to be sure he wouldn't be upset by any of her probing questions.  As expected, Daeho only looked thoughtful before responding,

"I guess to them, learning a second language is the most useful skill someone can have."  He made a face as he continued,

"Plus, they were determined that I should have a career in International Business, so in their eyes learning English was a must."

"Mmm," Caden responded thoughtfully, unsure of the best way to respond to that.  They walked in comfortable silence for a while before Daeho turned back to her with a smile once again,

"And how about you?  How long have you been speaking Korean?"

Now it was Caden's turn to look thoughtful, mentally counting backward,

"Hmm, I'd say about... three months?"

"Six months??" Daeho cried in Korean, forgetting himself, eyes bulging slightly in surprise.  His outburst caused several passersby to look over at them in alarm - a few even moved away slightly.  Caden couldn't help but laugh at his intense reaction and weird expression.  This gave him time to recover somewhat, shaking himself out of his shock.

"Six months??" he repeated in English, only slightly quieter this time.

"Well, it was about six months ago that I decided to start teaching myself Korean," she explained. "My contract for the program I was working for in Japan was coming to an end and I decided that after two years, it was time for something a little different, so instead of re-signing, I looked up the teaching programs for other Asian countries and decided Korea sounded promising, so I started learning the language at the same time I was looking for jobs."

"You taught yourself to speak Korean this well in six months?" Daeho asked, disbelievingly.

"Oh, not exactly," she explained, grinning. "I taught myself for the first two months, then I began taking lessons online, then once I was hired, I lived with the teacher I was replacing and she taught me for the past month.  It was a pretty intense regiment.  I definitely wouldn't be this good without her.  Although there are plenty of words I don't know - especially in non-polite speech and slang."

"Well non-polite speech and slang are two subjects I happen to excel in," Daeho joked, "and I'd be happy to help you expand your vocabulary."

"Somehow that sounds so devious coming from you," Caden teased.  Daeho scoffed,

"Fine, if you don't want my help-"

"No, I do, I do!" Caden interrupted, laughing. "That would be wonderful - I love learning new words!"  Daeho couldn't help but grin at the sincerity she put into that last statement, as if nothing could be more enjoyable than a vocab lesson.  Then he looked confused, remembering something she'd said.

"Where is it that you teach, exactly?" he asked curiously.  "I didn't know that public schools move employees in together..."  Caden froze for a second, not expecting the question.  Having spent the past month in a YG family bubble, where fame was usual as opposed to special, she almost forgot how outsiders would view it.  As much as she liked Daeho and as well as they got along, she still didn't know much about him.  

She decided that from now on, whenever she made new friends in Korea, she would wait until she knew them well enough before she told them who her students were - just to make sure they didn't go all fan crazy on her.  Not that she thought Daeho would, but just to be safe.

"Oh, yeah... I work as a tutor for a private company, that's why," she said carefully, recovering as quickly as she could.  Daeho nodded thoughtfully,

"That makes sense...  So you teach English to a bunch of snobby rich kids, or something?" 

Caden grinned in amusement.

"Something like that," she said before hastily changing the subject. "So did your parents send you to a tutor as a kid?"

"Sort of," he replied pleasantly. "My mom is an English teacher at a fancy international high school - you know, the kind where rich businessmen and foreign diplomats send their kids, and it's all exclusive and overpriced - and when she came home, she'd tutor me."

"That sounds like a good way to learn," Caden responded brightly. "At home, on your own time."  Daeho snorted at this.

"Yeah... more like on her time.  Which was endless, by the way," he said, shaking his head in long forgotten frustration. "I mean, of course you'll learn faster if the lesson is constantly being pushed on you, but as a kid sometimes you just need a break, you know?"

"I can understand that," Caden said sympathetically. "I guess that's the hazard for having a teacher for a parent..."  As she said this, she unintentionally thought of Teacher Park.  She tried not to giggle, imagining her as a drill instructor, brandishing grammar exercises.

"Yeah..." Daeho agreed. "But there was one really cool thing about my mom working for that school - we always hosted foreign exchange students from the time I was little, through when I was in high school.  Actually, my parents still host exchange students, even though I'm out of the house...  Anyway, that was the one thing that made me really love speaking English.  I'm an only child, so it was great always having another person in the house who wasn't my parents - almost like siblings.  Except my siblings changed every six months or so."

"Wow, what an interesting way to grow up," Caden mused. "So different from most people's childhood - I have two sisters and they were around all the time. Actually, there were plenty of times when I wouldn't have minded trading them for a few months..."

"I was ready to give a few of them up by the end of their stay," he confirmed, grinning. "But most were great and treated me well; like unusually forgiving brothers and sisters."

"Ooh, sisters too?  Did you ever have a crush on any of your 'sisters'?" she teased.  Daeho shook his head, grinning widely.

"I did, but not in the way you think," he told her, amused. "We only ever had girls in the house when I was still young - once I started getting older, the exchange program 'mysteriously' began sending us only boys."  Caden laughed at this.

"I didn't mind though," he continued. "Living with foreign boys around my age taught me a lot."  He paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, before adding,

"I'd say, on the whole, I almost prefer foreigners to Koreans - their lifestyle is so much more laid back."

Caden's eyebrows raised slightly in surprise at this, but overall she was beginning to get used to the frank way he stated his opinions.  And now she knew where it came from - there was no one better to learn to be frankly opinionated from than Western teenagers.  She reminded herself that she would never be surprised by any of his so-called "shocking" statements if he were American.  She imagined that he might get into trouble with fellow Koreans, however.

They had been walking for some time now, but Caden didn't bother asking where they were headed.  Daeho would probably just make some vague, teasing remark and not tell her anyway.  Plus she was enjoying chatting as they walked leisurely through the city.  It was a beautiful summer day - an extreme rarity in Korea (it was usually humid and hot to death after the end of monsoon season) and the wind was cooling them just enough to make being out and about perfectly comfortable.  Caden was glad to be able to take advantage of this bizarre day of perfect weather by being outside.

As they walked, Caden noticed that the laces on one of her shoes had come undone.

"Oh," she said casually, pausing.  She moved over to one side so that she wasn't in anyone's way before kneeling down to fix it. "Could you hang on for just a minute - I need to tie my shoe."  To her slight chagrin, he kept on walking as if he hadn't even heard her (although she was fairly sure that wasn't the case).

"Hey!  Where do you think you're going?" she called out teasingly.  Daeho took a few more steps before he finally stopped.  He turned back to her dramatically, with an overly surprised expression,

"I'm sorry - was it me you were addressing just then?" he asked innocently.

"Um, yeah it was," she replied jokingly. "Who else would I be talking to?"

"Oh.  It's just that I don't usually respond to that sort of title," he informed her casually, leaning against the nearest building. "I was always taught that it was rude to address someone as 'hey you!'."

"What are you talking about, crazy boy?  I never said anything like 'hey you'," Caden insisted, unintentionaly pulling her laces too tight in her indignation.  She could tell that her reaction had amused him, but he kept a straight face as best he could,

"Alright, maybe the words were exaggerated slightly, but it's still pretty presumptuous to call out to someone like that, just assuming they know who you're talking to."

They had been arguing in English several feet away from each other on opposite sides of the sidewalk, forcing the people passing to walk between them - casting looks of confusion and alarm between the quarrelling pair.  Finally Caden stood, walking over to where Daeho was reclining against the wall.  She gave him her worst look, to which he only returned a smug smile,

"Well, considering that you're the only other person with me and that I addressed you in English, it didn't seem too presumptuous..."  Daeho shrugged casually.

"I'm just saying... Is it really so hard to call someone by their name when you want their attention?" he pointed out, feigning sincerity.  Caden rolled her eyes, but couldn't help grinning.  So that's what he'd been getting at this whole time?  And he just had to make a big production out of it, instead of simply asking.  Why was it that he could be overly frank about some things, but completely refused to be straightforward about others?

"Fine," she said, shaking her head, deciding to indulge him. "Thanks for waiting for me, Daeho ssi."

"No need to be so formal," he said brightly. "Especially in English.  We're friends, aren't we?"

They had begun to walk down the street once more.  Caden couldn't help but chuckle a little.  So this was the conversation all that setup had been leading up to.

"We are friends, yes," she affirmed, grinning. "If not 'Daeho ssi', what would you like me to call you then?"  He tilted his head to one side, considering.

"Just something more casual, I guess.  It feels weird to have you call me so formally.  Since I'm younger, why not 'Daeho-yah'?  Or even just 'Daeho', American style - I don't mind."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd just as soon keep in practice with the suffixes," she replied brightly. "Daeho-yah it is."  He smiled, seeming satisfied.

"Perfect, Caden noona," he said, grinning widely. "Now we've got it all figured out."  Caden grinned at the title.  She'd never been anyone's 'noona' before.  She'd thought it would seem strange hearing a boy calling her 'sister', but coming from Daeho it felt oddly appropriate.  It was easy to be comfortable with just about everything he did.

 

They had been walking for almost twenty five minutes when Daeho turned and said,

"Sorry it's taking so long to get there - I'm not taking the most direct route on our tour today, but I wanted to make it to this particular place before my friend got off work."

"We're going to visit your friend?" Caden inquired, interested. "Are they also part of the English club?"

"No, he's not," Daeho replied cheerfully. "He actually doesn't go to my school.  His name in Ryu Jung Su.  He goes to a nearby art college.  He's always been really good at drawing and painting."

"How did you meet him if not at school?" she asked curiously.

"Well, his girlfriend is in my English club and is another good friend of mine, but actually I've known Jung Su hyung since we were young.  He's my cousin - a distant one, but still.  Our families were together a lot growing up, so we've been together almost our whole lives.  He's two years older, but we always got along."

"That sounds nice," Caden replied, smiling. "Do you often visit him at work?"

"Fairly often," he answered, grinning. "My whole group of friends often comes.  He works at a small coffee shop that's owned by a nice old couple.  Students sometimes came there before, but it's become much more popular since he started working there - especially with girls."  He grinned wickedly at that.  Caden laughed,

"Is he very handsome then?"

Daeho shrugged, still smiling.

"I'm not really one to know, but it would seem that way, judging by all the attention he gets."

"Not like you?" Caden teased.  He made a face at this.

"It's not like I usually compare notes about that kind of thing," he said somewhat sullenly, causing her to laugh again.

"I'm just teasing," she said, bumping him gently with her shoulder.  Daeho grinned down at her, bumping her back.

"So this coffee shop is one of your friends' hangouts?" she asked.

"Yeah," he responded brightly. "Being an artist and all, Jung Su is always experimenting with coffee art and mixing flavors and stuff.  We're usually the guinea pigs for his experiments."

"Oh, kind of like that handsome, long-haired guy from Coffee Prince?" she said straightforwardly.  Daeho unintentionally snorted at this.

"Such an old reference... but yeah, kind of," he said through his laughter. "Just don't tell him that."

"Oh, does he get that a lot, or something?" she asked, grinning at his reaction.

"Probably.  Regardless - our visit won't end pleasantly if he hears you say that," he said, half joking and half serious. "Don't worry, we're almost there.  It's just down the next street."

A few minutes later they turned down a small street with several food tents and other simple looking shops and restaurants.  Daeho stopped in front of a shop halfway down the street, once again opening the door for her, but this time without the yelling ridiculous things.  He followed and Caden glanced around, taking in the setup.  

This shop was much brighter and more welcoming than the first restaurant they'd visited.  It was much wider, with tables scattered all around the room, save for an aisle that lead from the door to the square counter on the far right side of the room.  Also unlike Daeho's restaurant, it was fairly busy, despite being a weekend.  Like Daeho had mentioned, it was mostly clusters of high school and college age girls that occupied the tables.  

There was only one employee in view - an attractive boy with shaggy hair stood behind the counter, bent over a cup of coffee with what looked like a toothpick in his hand, concentrating intently on moving the foam around.  He didn't look up when they entered.

Daeho brushed past her, indicating that she follow, making his way to the counter.

"I'll have two macchiatos, hold the foam.  And make it fast - I'm in a hurry," Daeho demanded in Korean, smacking his palm on the counter.  The other boy ignored him completely, finishing a detail he had been working on.  Only then did he look up at his friend with an unamused expression.

"I'm sorry sir," he said sarcastically. "We don't hold the foam here.  And we don't make it quick.  If that's what you're looking for, I suggest that you take your business to the nearest coffee chain."

"Does the nice old couple know you're sending their business away?" Daeho teased.  Jung Su only scoffed.

"You know I'm just kidding," Daeho continued. "Gosh, don't make such a scary face, hyung.  You'll frighten my guest."  He moved aside to reveal Caden, who smiled politely.  Seeing Jung Su up close, the first thing she noticed was the stark contrast between the two boys' appearances.

Even though Daeho had said that they were only distantly related, she had somewhat expected to see a resemblance.  In reality, the only similarity in their looks was that they were both noticably attractive.  Daeho was more masculine looking, with a strong jaw and broad nose, but the roundness of his face and his large eyes gave him a youthful, innocent vibe (one, she suspected, he used to his advantage).  His hair was dyed a redish brown color, and was cut slightly shorter than was fashionable, though it seemed to be somewhat styled.

Jung Su, on the other hand, was all sharp features and high cheek bones.  His eyes were much smaller and almost rectangular.  His thin nose, pointed chin, and full lips gave him more of a pretty look.  His hair was a natuaral jet black and he wore it longer than Daeho.  He had the sort of mussed, just-rolled-out-of-bed look that stylists spent hours perfecting on idols (though she was fairly certain his ended up like that naturally).  He was fairly tall, but still a good few inches shorter than Daeho.  He looked every inch the broody, artistic bad boy.  Caden could see why he seemed popular with girls.

Finally Jung Su's response pulled her out of her thoughts.

"It's not like you to bring your tourists to our private hangouts," he said bluntly. "Why this one? Trying to impress her or something?"  Caden raised an inquiring eyebrow.  Maybe their frankness ran in the family...

"Oh, she isn't a tourist.  She lives here in the city," Daeho responded brightly, not even batting an eyelash at his friend's statement.

"Yes, I'm his new friend," Caden piped up. "Since I moved her recently, I asked Daeho to show me around to all the good local spots."  Jung Su didn't appear at all surprised when she started speaking Korean, although it was obvious that he hadn't expected her to.

"Oh, is that so?" was all he replied.

"Hyung, this is Caden noona.  Noona - Jung Su hyung," Daeho introduced, grinning broadly.

"Noona?  Really? She said you were friends," Jung Su inquired somewhat skeptically, looking back and forth from Daeho to Caden. "She doesn't look like a noona..."  Caden couldn't help but make a face at this.

"You're saying I look younger than a second year college student?" she demanded. "I don't know whether to feel complimented or insulted by that..."

"Just feel complimented - it just means you'll look young longer," Jung Su commanded dismissively.  Caden laughed at the unexpected response.

"Well when you put it like that, how can I be insulted?" she joked.  He gave her a small smile, before turning to Daeho,

"Wait here.  I'll go get the chairs for you guys."

With that, he disappeared through a small hallway at the back of the kitchen.  He returned moments later with two barstools.  He passed them one by one over the counter to Daeho, who placed them on the far side of the bar, facing the kitchen.

"Give me a few minutes to make your coffees," Jung Su continued, making his way back to the kitchen.

"Oh - is he really going to make us those macchiatos you asked for?" Caden inquired, considering that was the only coffee either of them had ordered - even if it was a joke. Daeho chuckled at this.

"Naw, I was just kidding about that," he said, grinning. "When it comes to his friends, we're forbidden from ordering - he brings us each a new experimental flavor he's been working on.  They're usually good, but every once in a while I have to question his judgment - like the orange peppermint cappuccino."  He shuddered briefly, making Caden laugh.

"But he always gives them to us for half price, which in my book, is worth the occasional dud."

"That discount doesn't apply to people who refer to my drinks as 'duds'," Jung Su said, bringing two steaming cups over to their side of the counter, but not yet handing them over.  Daeho rolled his eyes.

"It isn't good to be so confident in your abilities," he joked. "Constructive criticism helps you grow as a coffee craftsman.  You should be thanking me."

"And charging you full price helps me grow as a business man, so forgive me for not thanking you quite yet," Jung Su retorted, sounding completely serious.  Caden giggled at this and Daeho opened his mouth to argue, but Jung Su cut him off,

"Hang on, I have to give this to a customer."

They watched as he approached a table with three girls that looked around high school age, two already clutching drinks and the other still empty-handed.  As he neared them, all three seemed  to be trying (unsucessfully) not to hyperventilate.

"Here you are," Jung Su said politely, setting the coffee cup down in front of her. "I hope you enjoy it.  Thank you for your patronage."  The girl seemed to be trying to respond, but she was too busy pressing her lips together as tightly as she could in order to keep from screaming or crying (or both).  She could only manage an affirming nod.

Once Jung Su turned away, she all but collapsed and her friends began doting over her with a combination of excited squeals and concerned murmurs.

'Jeez, can they really react like that every time he comes near them?  They're going to need a nap after this...' Caden thought.  She considered asked Jung Su if that was, in fact, the case, but there was an underlying annoyance in his expression as he returned to the counter that stopped her.

"So how come you keep these chairs hidden in the back?" she asked instead as he began working on designing the foam in their coffee.

"If I left them out here, people would sit in them," he stated simply, without looking up from what he was doing.  Caden couldn't help but laugh at his straightforward answer.

"And it's bad when customers sit in the chairs?" she prompted teasingly.  He glanced up at her now, fixing her with an ironic look.

"Have you seen the way these customers behave around me?" he asked pointedly. "I'm sorry, but I don't want them hanging over my shoulder while I'm working.  Do you have any idea what it's like trying to work with a group of high-strung teenagers staring you down?"

"Well, actually, I kinda do..." Caden responded jokingly.  Jung Su raised a disbelieving eyebrow at this.  Daeho jumped in before she could elaborate.

"She's an English teacher, hyung," he explained. "She teaches snobby rich kids for some private company."  Again Caden couldn't help but grin at his description of her students.  She was sure the members wouldn't be thrilled to hear someone talking about them like that...

Meanwhile, Jung Su didn't respond, pausing for a moment before an amused grin played across his face as he got the joke.  He turned his attention back to the cup in front of him.

"Plus I taught high school kids in Japan for two years," she added cheerfully, "so when it comes to high strung teenagers..."  She broke off when she caught sight of two girls glaring daggers at her over Jung Su's shoulder.  They looked a little older than the girls he'd delivered the coffee to - around Daeho's age, maybe a little younger.

"Although, I'll admit, your situation seems a bit harder to deal with," she said, alarmed by the apparent hatred that was being directed toward her.  She leaned over to Daeho.

"Is it me, or are those girls giving me the stink eye?" she asked in a stage whisper.  He chuckled, looking over at them.

"Yeah, probably," he answered, almost in his usual joking tone, but Caden heard an underlying hint of disgust. "Girls like that get it in their head that a popular guy belongs to them because they go to his school and know where he works.  They convince themselves that he returns their feelings..."  Suddenly Caden wasn't sure if Daeho was talking about Jung Su or himself.  He grimaced, shaking his head.

"Delusional..." he muttered quietly.  Then he seemed to shake himself out of it, glancing back down at Caden with a grin, "I'm not saying all girls are like that.  Just the extreme ones.  Although there are still more than I'd like..."

"They do that to every female friend of ours that comes in," Jung Su added flatly, without looking up.

"Except his girlfriend," Daeho piped up in a stage whisper of his own. "None of those girls dare mess with her.  They're too afraid that she'll come after them.  With good reason too..."  Jung Su only grinned at this description, appearing proud.

"Now that's the way to be," Caden said, glancing over at the glaring girls glumly. "How do I get ahold of some of that power?"  Jung Su laughed, leaning close to the coffee in front of him to complete some tiny detail.  Daeho grinned at the two of them.

"You two seem to be getting along well," he pointed out.

"Seems that way," Jung Su stated casually.

"Yeah," Caden agreed teasingly. "I guess it's a good thing I listened to Daeho and didn't mention anything about you reminding me of the long haired, broody guy from Coffee Prince."  As soon as the words were out of , Daeho reached his hands out, claw-like, as if instinctively trying to cover and prevent any further damage.  He managed to resist this urge, instead running them through his hair anxiously with a look that screamed 'what, are you trying to kill me??'.  Caden resisted a giggle fit that threatened to erupt at that, instead turning her attention to Jung Su for his reaction.

He'd frozen in the middle of a flourish, but didn't look up from what he was doing.  After a beat he continued his design, replying casually,

"Good thing, indeed.  I probably would have gotten the wrong idea about you if you had."

Relieved, Daeho - who had apparently been holding his breath - made a noise akin to an untied balloon being released.  Caden didn't bother to hold in her laughter this time.

"Although, I almost think it would have been worth it to see Daeho's reaction," she joked.  Jung Su chuckled, while Daeho just made a face.

"You think it's funny?  You nearly gave me a heartattack," he lamented, causing the other two to laugh even harder.

"It doesn't really matter, I guess, because I don't really think you remind me of the Coffee Prince guy anway," she continued with a mischievous gleam. "You're more of a Lee Shin of Heartstrings.  Except you're an artist rather than a musician and without all his annoying angst."  Jung Su paused again, this time looking up at her.  Daeho only smacked his hand to his face, apparently giving up.

"I've never seen that one," Jung Su responded slowly, clearly unsure of whether or not to be insulted by her characterization.

"Well check it out and let me know if that's an acceptable comparison," she said, grinning brightly.  He looked her over thoughtfully for a moment before saying to Daeho,

"Your friend is pretty funny."

"I know, right?" Daeho responded in his usual cheerful tone, while throwing an arm over Caden's shoulder and yanking her toward him rather aggressively until she was almost in a headlock. "It was good that I brought her, right hyung?  She's a regular barrel of laughs."  He tightened his grip slightly at that last statement, giving her a couple of firm shakes.

Caden, who had been attempting to pry herself from his clutches, let out an exasperated sigh.

"Is this some kind of punishment?" she choked out from beneath his iron grip. "Your friend thinks I'm funny.  You should be happy.  You should be thanking me!"

"And you think that's enough to make up for almost killing me?" he demanded as she continued to swat at his arms.  He retaliated with the ultimate childish gesture - he balled up his fist and began rubbing his knuckles vigorously against her head.  Caden couldn't help but let out a small yelp of surprise, although she had been trying her hardest not to cause a scene (which was made infinitely more difficult by the fact that Daeho did not seem to be putting forth the same effort).

Jung Su, who had been ignoring this little tussle in favor of his coffee design, now sighed.

"That's enough children," he said condescendingly. "You're disturbing the customers."  Daeho finally released her.

"Jeez, such a bully," Caden said in Korean before momentarily switching to English. "Wow, I can't remember the last time I had to wrestle my way out of a headlock..."

"Well you'd better get used to it," Daeho retorted mockingly in Korean. "I am not afraid to resort to the most juvenile measures to get my point across!"

"Yes, you've made that abundantly clear," she shot back sarcastically, delivering a crippling flick to the foreheard for good measure.  He let out a cry of pain and surprise, complaining about her treatment, but Caden simply ignored him, directing her next statement to Jung Su.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be obnoxious and speak in a language you don't understand - I just had absolutely no idea how to say that in Korean..."

"'...wrestle myself out of a headlock'," Daeho grumbled in translation, still clutching his forehead where she'd flicked him.

She needn't have bothered to explain herself, however, because Jung Su seemed to have gone back to ignoring them almost immediately.  She watched as he put the finishing touch on the coffee before placing it in front of her.

"Wow," she breathed, staring down at her coffee in awe.  The foam was designed, more intricately than she ever thought possible for that particular medium, in the shape of a flower.

Being unfamiliar with many varieties of flowers, Caden wasn't sure of the name, but judging by the large pointed petals and prominent stamen, she was betting that it was based on some sort of exotic hot-house flower that wasn't usually sold in shops.  Although this version was various shades of white, beige, and brown - she could almost see the bright, tropical colors.

"I've never seen a coffee design so detailed," she cried, still staring down at it in amazement. "It's so pretty I almost don't want to drink it..."  Daeho leaned over to see for himself.

"Jeez, you're not kidding about it being detailed," he lamented jokingly. "You couldn't have just gone with something basic, could you hyung?  You had to go all out.  No wonder it took so long..."

"Great work takes time," Jung Su responded icily, though Caden had a feeling he wasn't serious. "Besides, you're the one who brought her here to show off your friends.  You should be thanking me for taking the time to give her my best work."  Caden giggled at this, but Daeho dodged the accusation by immediately returning one of his own,

"I don't think your girlfriend would be too happy to hear that you've been dedicating your best work to strange girls, willy-nilly.  Maybe I should inform her of this habit..."

Jung Su snorted, completely unaffected by his threat.

"First of all, you know very well that Soonbok expects all of my work to be my best - especially if I'm showing it to someone for the first time.  And secondly, she'd probably just beat you up for trying to cause trouble."

"Hmm, that's probably true, actually," Daeho admitted, deflating.  Caden laughed at this and Jung Su just grinned, victorious.

"Anyway, back on the subject of your coffee," Daeho said, perking up once more. "Don't think twice about drinking it.  He makes designs like this every day of his life - you'll definitely get another one that's equally pretty at some point.  Besides, the coffee itself is usually good enough to merit messing up the design."

"'Usually'," Jung Su muttered, turning his attention to Daeho's coffee now.

"I guess you're right..." Caden replied, gazing down at the design sadly, "but I have to at least take a picture of it first!"  She turned to reach for her phone.  At the same time, Daeho grabbed a spoon from behind the counter.

"Oh come on, don't get so attached.  Just dig in," he teased, aiming to stir up the foam with the spoon in his hand.

"Don't!" Caden shrieked, knocking the spoon practically across the counter and nearly dropping her phone in the process.  The buzz of conversation throughout the shop ceased for a moment.  Everyone seemed frozen in surprise (even Daeho) until Jung Su let out a snort of laughter.

Caden gave an apologetic look out at the customers before turning back to Daeho, who was now laughing hysterically.

"Okay, take your pictures if it's that important to you," he gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"It was just because you did a surprise attack," Caden muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed by her overreaction.

"I don't think I've ever seen anyone react quite so strongly to one of my designs," Jung Su teased, but there was a note of pride in his voice at her appreciation.  This made Caden feel better and she grinned at him before snapping several shots of the foam flower.

"There," she said, after clicking away on her phone for a moment, "now it's my background."  She shoved the phone in Jung Su's face, forcing him to look.  He only grinned again before batting her arm away, returning to his second design.

By this time, Daeho had finally regained his composure and, having gotten up retrieve the spoon that she had swatted out of his grip, brandished it once more.

"So now can we ruin the pretty flower so you'll actually drink the coffee?" he asked pointedly.  Caden sighed.

"Fine," she said, resigned. "You do it.  I can't look..."  Daeho rolled his eyes, but did as she asked.

"Now try it," he urged. "What flavor did he give you?"  Caden took a tentative sip.

Although it had been a little while since the coffee was made, since the design had taken so long, it was at the perfect drinking temperature now - very warm, but not scalding.  The coffee turned out to be mocha, her favorite, with a subtle underlying flavor of something else.

"Mmm, it's mocha and... raspberry?" she guessed, her lips before taking another sip. "Or... cranberry maybe?  That would explain the slight tang..."

"Very good," Jung Su said, impressed.  He smiled up at her, "It's cranraspberry actually, so you were right on both counts.  How do you like it?"

"It's really good!" Caden exclaimed, still drinking. "Chocolate and raspberry are always good together, plus the cranberry gives it a slightly sharper, tangy flavor that I like."  Jung Su nodded at this assessment, looking back down at the coffee he was decorating to cover a proud smile.

"I hate to interrupt the important talk of you two 'coffee connoisseurs'," Daeho spoke up sarcastically, "but that does look pretty good.  Can I try?"

"Oh yeah, sure," Caden agreed amiably, handing her cup over.  Daeho took a tentative sip, as if preparing to spit it out if necessary.  Caden laughed, shaking her head, while Jung Su only rolled his eyes.  Once he'd tested it, Daeho nodded his head approvingly.

"Hey, this is actually really good," he said, taking a huge swig now.

"Hey!  Don't drink the whole thing!  I still want that, give it back!" Caden insisted, snatching it back from him.

"Jeez, alright.  No need to be so stingy," Daeho joked.  Caden ignored him, taking a long sip before sighing luxuriously.

"Mine," she said again, eyeing Daeho suspiciously while guarding the cup protectively with both hands.  He rolled his eyes, opening his mouth to comment, but was interruped when Jung Su set his coffee down in front of him.

"There.  Your simple design, as requested," Jung Su said, casually wiping his hand with a wash cloth before turning to clean up the coffee supplies in the kitchen.

"Was that so hard?" Daeho called after him cheerily. "And see how much shorter it took this-"  He petered off suddenly as he finally glanced down at his cup.  Caden, who had been busy drinking her own coffee, took notice of his sudden silence.  She peaked over his shoulder, looking with interest at what had caused this.

She was immediately forced to choke back her laughter when she caught sight of his foam design (hearing this, Jung Su shot her an approving smile over his shoulder as he washed out his utensils in the sink).  The design itself was a typical one that struck her as a bit spider-webby, but written on top of the design in chocolate syrup were the words 'stupid moocher' in Hangul.  Daeho shot Jung Su a sour look.

"Oh, very mature," he called at his friend's back.

"I think this coffee design calls for another photo session!" Caden announced, grinning as she quickly rummaged around for her phone.  Daeho grabbed the nearest spoon and stirred up the foam as fast as he could, leaving Caden holding up her phone in disappointment.

"This time I'm the one who gets to freak out over foam," he said matter-of-factly, taking a large gulp of his coffee.  Caden watched in alarm as his eyes nearly bulged out of his head and he almost choked, coughing and gasping.

"Daeho-yah, are you alright??" Caden cried in concern, slapping him on the back in an attempt to ease his choking.

"He's fine," Jung Su announced casually as he returned from the kitchen, but Caden thought she heard an underlying hint of deviousness.

"He's just being dramatic," Jung Su continued dismissively before smiling teasingly at Caden. "Your slaps are probably doing more damage than his actual choking."

Daeho had finally recovered himself by this point, turning on Jung Su,

"Jeez hyung, what did you put in here??  It tastes like hangover morning breath!"

Caden looked over at him in surprise, almost too thrown by the comparison to laugh.

"For your information," Jung Su began rather snottily, "it's a lemon-lime cappuccino with chocolate syrup."  Daeho's sour look returned.

"And you can honestly tell me that you thought this drink was a possible sale item?" he demanded.  Jung Su shrugged.

"You never know what tastes good together until you try," he replied innocently, causing Caden to giggle.  Daeho glared at both of them before raising the cup to his nose and taking a careful sniff, gagging slightly.

"I can't do it," he announced, setting the cup back on the bar roughly.  Then he turned a probing gaze on Caden, who was in the middle of sipping her own drink.  Sensing danger, Caden quickly looked over at him, hugging her cup protectively to herself once again.

"Noo--na," Daeho called in a sing-song tone, giving her a glowing smile.

"Back off," Caden snapped, moving her cup further from him.  His smile disappeared, replaced by a look of determination.

"Oh, come on.  I just want a little," he complained, trying to reach around her. "I just need to get the awful taste out of my mouth!"  Caden caught Jung Su rolling his eyes as she turned her body away from Daeho, moving her cup further down the bar and out of his reach.

"You already had some earlier!" she insisted, nudging his arms away with her elbows. "Besides, I know you're not just going to take a sip!  You're going to try to steal it because you don't like your coffee!"  Daeho sighed.

"I promise I won't.  Just let me have some," he insisted, attempting to reach over and around her with new vigor, trying to get to the cup.

"No!  Quit it!" she cried, keeping the cup out of his reach as best she could - a task made much more difficult by the fact that his arms were about twice as long as hers.  Unable to keep it out of his clutches on the bar, she was forced to hold it out in front of her, trying desperately not to spill anywhere.  She turned to yell at Daeho about this, finding that they were practically nose to nose - close enough to make her go a little cross eyed.  She jerked away, eyes focusing just in time to see Jung Su put a purposeful finger on Daeho's foreheard, pushing him back into his seat.

"That's enough," he said firmly. "You're going to make a mess."

"Me?" Daeho demanded, but was silenced when Jung Su gave him a definitive thump the the head.  As Daeho grumbled to himself about how he wasn't the one at fault, Caden took the opportunity to down the remainder of her coffee.  Daeho glared at her once more.

"Great, now how am I supposed to get this horrible flavor out of my mouth?" he demanded.

"There's still a teensy bit left, if you want it," she offered innocently.  Daeho sighed.

"I guess that'll have to do," he said, feigning annoyance. "Give it to me."

"Gladly," Caden replied mischievously, dipping her fingers into the cup before flicking the last remaining drops onto his face. "That's what you get, you pushy coffee stealer!"  Daeho blinked slowly, causing several drops of beige to drip from his eyebrow down onto his cheek.  He seemed momentarily stunned.  Jung Su, on the other hand, immediately burst into laughter, shaking with the effort of trying to keep his cackles quiet.  Caden grinned proudly.

"I can't believe you would resort to something so immature," Daeho sniffed condescendingly once he finally recovered himself.  He snatched up a napkin from behind the bar, mopping his face up as best he could.

"Well you'd better get used to it," Caden quoted mockingly. "I am not afraid to resort to the most juvenile measures to get my point across."  This caused Jung Su to crack up all over again, while Daeho only gave her a dirty look.

"Yeah, haha," he said sarcastically, still wiping his face. "Throw my own words back at me, I get it.  Very clever."

"I thought so," Caden teased, patting him sympathetically on the shoulder.  He couldn't help but chuckle slightly, but tried to cover it up by complaining even more.

"Ugh, I'm going to smell like coffee for the rest of the day," he muttered, crumpling up the napkin and attempting to toss it into a small trash bin behind the counter, but failing miserabely.  Jung Su gave him a look as he bent down to put the trash in its rightful place, but Daeho was off in his own little world, grumbling to himself about every little thing.

"So," Caden began, addressing Jung Su as they both ignored Daeho's lamenting, "you girlfriend - Soonbok ssi - is she an artist too?"  Jung Su looked slightly surprised by this question.

"She is, actually," he answered slowly. "Did Daeho tell you?"  Caden grinned.

"Oh, no," she said cheerfully. "It's just - you said that she always expects you to show your best work, so I figured she must also be someone who knows a lot about art."  His surprise look receded, leaving a small, quirked smile in it's place.

"That's a very adept observation," he replied, leaning his arms on the counter.  Caden followed suit, crossing her arms on the bar, smiling warmly at his praise.  His smile faltered for a second, but then he grinned in amusement, continuing,

"Although our styles are quite different.  I focus on realism, while Soonbok's work is more abstract and modern."

"You'd think the chocolate syrup would cover up the lemon-lime, but it just makes it taste worse," Daeho muttered to himself, swirling his cup disdainfully. "Lemon-lime and chocolate DO NOT mix."  Caden ignored him.

"So Daeho tells me that your girlfriend is also in his English club," she directed at Jung Su. "Does that mean she doesn't go to the art college with you?"  He chuckled slightly at this.

"No.  Soonbok says that she doesn't want her style influenced by 'professors who are little more than had-beens or wannabes'," he said apologetically.  Caden laughed in surprise.

"She does realize that she's describing the same professors that teach you, doesn't she?" she asked teasingly.

"Yeah.  She's just kind of obnoxious like that," he replied affectionately.  This made Caden smile.  It was obvious that he had strong feelings for his girlfriend, but not in a gross or mushy way.  Caden thought it was cute.

"So if not art, what did she decide to study?" she prompted curiously.  Before Jung Su could respond, Daeho's grumbling interrupted once again.

"It's not so bad if you take it a teensy bit at a time," he said, taking a microsip of his coffee. "Then it doesn't have much taste at all."  They both ignored him.

"I never said that she didn't study art," Jung Su answered teasingly. "She's majoring in art history.  She says 'If I'm going to learn art theory, why not learn from the best?'.  She's unusually knowledgable on art from every region and time period, but her focus is Western art because that's were her abstract, modern style began.  That's also why she knows whether or not the work I do in my style is my best.  It can make her a little irritating at times, but I put up with it as best I can."

"Wow, that's impressive," Caden exclaimed. "I graduated with a history degree, but art history was always really hard for me.  I only had to take a few classes, but it was all memorizing names and dates and painting styles - way beyond me."

"You're a history buff too?" he asked in surprise. "What branch did you study?"

"My focus was on Western Civilization with an emphasis on 20th Century - so basically I know a lot about world wars and Western imperialism," she joked. "I got my degree in the history of Europe and America, but spent my life since graduation exclusively in Asian countries teaching English.  Who'da thunk?"  Jung Su grinned.

"They say it doesn't really matter what you study, as long as you graduate.  I guess that really is true," he said, smiling.

"At least it is in my case," she agreed brightly.  He gazed down at her for a moment, seeming somewhat curious.  Caden raised both eyebrows receptively, tilting her head slightly, expecting a question.  His lips twitched into a small smile and he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted as Daeho's attention finally turned to their conversation.

"Why are you guys talking about such boring things?" he demanded, leaning his face between the two of them. "School and majors?  Man, I'm not leading the conversation for two minutes and you guys pick the worst topics..."

"Aw, am I getting the sense that little Daeho-ah doesn't enjoy school?" Caden teased.

"Some of us happen to do well in our subjects and enjoy discussing them," Jung Su added snidely.

"I'm just saying," Daeho countered passively, leaning back in his chair, "it's the weekend - a time to relax your mind and body, and to briefly forget about the crippling debt our students loans are putting us in."  Caden giggled at this explanation.

"Yeah, but unlike some, most of us don't choose to be in debt to begin with," Jung Su joked.  From behind Caden's back, Daeho's expression suddenly turned dark.  Seeing this, Jung Su blinked a few times before looking slightly apologetic.

"Wait... what?" Caden asked, still chuckling slightly, looking from Jung Su to Daeho.

"What?" she demanded again when she didn't immediately get an answer.

"Ah, hyung is just mad that I get two days off from work instead of one, like him," Daeho explained in his usual cheerful tone. "I guess I could work another day... but, for me, the extra money was never worth giving up my weekend.  A man's gotta know when to relax."

"You're got the relaxing part down so well, I think you're forgotten how to do anything else," Jung Su announced sardonically, casually grabbing a rag and wiping down the counter.  Caden laughed, causing Daeho to glare daggers at the two of them.

"I'm not sure it was a good thing that I brought you two together," Daeho joked, feigning disdain. "There seems to be a lot of ganging up on me happening, and I have to say - I'm not a fan..."

"I don't think that has anything to do with the two of us and everything to do with the fact that you make it impossible not to give you a hard time," Jung Su said factually.  Caden nodded solemnly.

"It's true," she agreed. "I've only known you for a short time, and I already know that to be the case."

"There you have it," Jung Su said seriously, gesturing toward her.  They both nodded solemnly at each other, then at Daeho, who eyed them with distaste.

"Yes, that - that, what you're doing right now?  I don't like that," he stated matter-of-factly, gesturing in their general direction.  The other two laughed conspiratorially and Caden reached over to give Jung Su a playful nudge.  He grinned at this in apparent amusement.  Daeho sighed loudly at them before glancing at his watch.

"Oh wow," he said in surprise. "We'd better get going - I have a couple more spots I want to show you before it gets too late."

"Alright," Caden said agreeably, wiping down the area around her spot on the bar before carefully handing Jung Su her empty cup.

"Thank you for the wonderful coffee and foam art," she said cheerfully, hopping off the bar stool. "It was really nice meeting you.  I hope the rest of Daeho's friends are as easy to get along with as you are."  To her surprise, Jung Su turned a little bashful at this comment, while Daeho burst out laughing.

"Wow hyung, I don't think anyone has ever accused you of being easy to get along with," Daeho teased before turning to Caden.

"You're the one who's easy to get along with," he explained, grinning. "Hyung is notoriously broody and standoffish toward new people - especially girls.  I guess you're actually personable enough to power through that barrier.  Wow, I never thought I'd see the day..."

"Shut up you stupid moocher," Jung Su ordered.  Then he turned to Caden.

"It was nice to meet you too," he said hastily. "Usually the girls who Daeho is friends with are kind of obnoxious and stupid.  It's... it's nice to meet one that isn't like that for a change."  He said that last sentence all in a rush, almost shyly.  This surprised Caden - he hadn't struck her as a person who was every shy about anything.  She smiled at his awkward compliment.

"Well, thank you," she said brightly. "It seems you think very highly of me."

"Okay, that's enough mushy crap from the two of you," Daeho announced firmly, lifting one of the barstools over the counter toward Jung Su. "Am I going to have to report to Soonbok that you're actually being nice to another girl besides her by your own free will?  Very suspicious behavior... I wouldn't believe it myself if I hadn't witnessed it in person."  Jung Su scowled, accepting the stool, but didn't say anything as he set it down behind the counter.  Caden rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Oh shush," she teased. "Just because the conversation isn't revolving around you for two seconds doesn't give you the right to get your in a twist."  Jung Su laughed appreciatively at this, reaching out for the other chair.  Daeho obliged grudgingly, giving Caden a dirty look.  She grinned victoriously, sticking her tongue out at him for good measure.  As he lifted the second chair, he it toward her slightly, pretending to hit her with it.  Caden only scoffed, rolling her eyes as he handed it over to Jung Su.

"I guess we'll be going then," Daeho announced as Jung Su set the stool down. "Bye hyung, I'm sure I'll see you soon."

"Not too soon, I hope," Jung Su responded casually, smiling at his friend.

"You say that, but I know you love me," Daeho responded grinning widely, starting to walk away.  Jung Su only rolled his eyes.

"We'll let you get back to work," Caden said cheerfully, reaching her hand across the counter.  Jung Su looked down at it for a moment before completing the gesture.

"Hopefully we'll run into each other again," Caden continued, grinning, making to follow Daeho.

"Hopefully," Jung Su echoed, smiling ever so slightly.  She waved before hurrying to catch up with Daeho, who had paused to wait for her.

As they made their way through the small aisle, back to the door, Caden couldn't help but overhear the conversation between the girls at one of the tables they passed.

"Man, who does that girl think she is, being so forward with Jung Su oppa and his friend?" one girl asked, not even bothering to lower her voice.

"I know!  Maybe they do things differently where she comes from, but being a Westerner doesn't give her a free pass to act so outlandishly," the other replied just as loudly.  It was clear that they didn't think she could understand them.  Caden glanced at Daeho to see if he had noticed and, although she couldn't see his expression because he was walking ahead of her, she noticed that his shoulders seemed to stiffen as they continued.

"Really!  They must have a thing called Common Decency where she comes from and, Western or not, she violated it," the first girl added.

"It's so sad to watch girls throw themselves at Oppa like that," the second girl continued. "And his friend is handsome too.  If anything, why can't she pick one?  It's so shameful to see her throw herself at both of them."

Caden finally glanced over her shoulder to see that the girls who were talking also happened to be the ones who had been glaring daggers at her earlier.  She arched an inquiring eyebrow before turning back and tapping Daeho on the shoulder.  He paused, looking back at her inquisitively.

"Can you hang on just a minute?" she asked sweetly with her widest, most genuine smile on her face. "There's something I need to do."  Daeho's expression turned to one of pure alarm as he glanced from her to the table over her shoulder, which made Caden smile even wider.  Before he could respond, she patted his hand reassuringly, then turned and waltzed over to the table where the two girls sat.

Behind the counter, Jung Su had been about to replace the barstools where they were stored in the back room, but he stopped when he caught sight of Caden walking purposefully back toward a table near the counter.

Having been caught up in their own conversation, the two girls hadn't noticed Caden approach.  She slammed her hands down firmly on the table, causing them both to jump.

"Ladies," she began warmly in Korean, pleasant smile still plastered on her face. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation.  I know that was awfully rude of me, but I feel like we have some things to talk about.  May I sit down?"

Unlike Jung Su, these girls couldn't hide their utter surprise at the easy way in which she spoke Korean.  They were left gaping up at her like dead fish.  Caden took their silence as an indication to sit.

"I have to say," she began, intertwining her fingers and crossing one leg casually over the other, "although I admit, it was rather rude of me to eavesdrop, the two of you weren't making it particularly easy for me to ignore you."  She was speaking in the most polite speech she could muster, still smiling brightly, but from the look on the two girls' faces, she might as well have been kicking their puppies.

"We're sorry-" one started to say, but Caden only held up her hand to stop her.

"Don't worry, ladies.  I'm not here to yell at you - I'm not your mother," she continued, smiling with some amusement. "I'm much too old to be getting caught up in teenage gossip..."

The two girls looked at each other, unsure of how to react.

"...and if I've learned one thing," she went on, "it's that I much prefer making friends to enemies.  So instead, I've simply come to offer you a little piece of advice."  She smiled widely again, looking back and forth between the two girls with anticipation.  They still looked wholey alarmed by the conversation they now found themselves in, but they nodded.

"Aside from the obvious - that is, being a little more quiet could help you avoid confrontation," Caden began warmly, "I happen to know that no matter what country you're in, no one likes a person who talks big behind the scenes, but can't deliver.  So my advice to you girls is this: don't fawn over boys who you never plan on approaching.  And considering Jung Su ssi is currently in a commited relationship, and his handsome friend - Daeho-ah over there-"  She paused, indicating her friend.  Not expecting the sudden attention, Daeho - who had been watching this production unfold - waved over at them awkwardly.  The girls waved back, equally as awkward.

"-Daeho doesn't like it when people aren't nice to his friends, I'd say your chances with these particular boys are unusually slim.  However, there are plenty of other handsome boys in this city for the two of you to devote all of your energy toward.  And trust me, the next time you spot one, a willingness to approach them - rather than worship from afar - does wonders to help your chances."

The girls looked and each other once again, then back at Caden, unsure of whether or not to respond.

"That's all I wanted to say," Caden announced sunnily with a shrug, giving them her most dazzling smile.  She gazed at them in silence for several moments

"Thank you for the advice..." one girl stated cautiously, hoping to turn Caden's focus away.  It worked.

"Of course," she said graciously, standing with a smile.  She paused before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her wallet.

"And to mark our new friendship, allow me to treat you to another coffee," she said pleasantly, slapping the money down onto the table.  The girls looked down at it, then at her, unsure of whether they should feel afraid or thankful.

"Thank you for the coffee, unnie," the first one said carefully.

"Yes, you're too generous, unnie," the other added, picking up the money cautiously.

"It's nothing," Caden said graciously. "Enjoy ladies!"  As she turned to make her way back to Daeho, she noticed that Jung Su was staring over at her with an expression of awe.  She grinned.

"Bye again, Jung Su ssi," she called politely, waving. "I'll be going first!"  Her words seemed to break him out of his stupor.  She watched as a wide smile broke across his face - the first full, genuine smile she had ever seen him wear.

"Come back anytime," he called sincerely, still grinning.  Caden turned, nodding once more to the girls, and made her way over to Daeho, who was grinning broadly.

"Nicely handled," he said quietly, allowing her to walk past him before following her out the door.

"I try," Caden said matter-of-factly, without looking back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N

Hey guys!  I am SO sorry it took so long to update.  Between my friends from LA coming up on the 17th for a Christmas party for all my friends (not to mention said friends from LA getting FREAKING ENGAGED at our party), then family back from school for the holidays, then Christmas, then post-Christmas, I have a lot of excuses for my lack of posting, but we all know my laziness also played a part. :P

It also didn't help that, with this chapter, I'm officially caught up to my writing.  I'm going to work hard to try to post regularly, but expect slightly slower than what you're used to (not this last chapter slow, but less fast than normal :P)

Anyway, it's trying to get all the rest of the stuff that soley features Daeho to be crammed into this and the next chapter, so you can expect the YG fam to be back in business in chapter 19. :D

As for the picture for this chapter, I've already stated that I am not a Korean speaker.  I tried to look up the Korean words for 'stupid moocher' but I think what I put more closely translates to 'stupid. beg.', but it'll have to do. :P

Well, I think that's it for the updates.  I'm not exactly sure when my next post will be, but I will make sure it's within a week from today.  So look forward to the first chapter of the New Year within 7 days. :D

Remember to comment and subscribe, because I love when people do that. :D