Friday August 7th, 2015

 3. Reflection of the past.

      “Is this our monthly financial report?”

Junsu looks up. “I haven’t fully checked March and April’s report. What’s there?”

      “June.”

      “Give it to me.”

Yoochun pushes Junsu’s hand away from the paper in his hold. “I’m in charge for accounting here, kiddo. Your part is managing the café.” He pulls a chair and sits next to Junsu. “But you are good in accounting too. Where did you learn it from? Junho? Your husband?”

Junsu shoots his partner a look. “From you? Remember long lectures you sit me through on the first year we opened this café?”

Yoochun laughs. “You were so ignorant that time. You nearly sent us to drainage.”

      “I know. I wish I had had taped your lectures. It’s great for our new recruited staff.”

      “Very funny, Kim Junsu.” Yoochun snorts. “March, April, May, June?”

      “Um.” Junsu reaches the paper at the bottom pile. “January, February, May, done. I’ve crosschecked them with Zid’s note and Vera’s. March and April are half done. I haven’t seen this month’s report yet. Here.” Junsu extracted a thick book from the desk. “This is our quarter manual input including income, expense and prive. I have inserted the number to our computer. January, February, and half March.”

Yoochun whistles. “You’ve worked hard, buddy. I’m deeply impressed.”

      “Don’t insult me yet. Please check them again. I might slip one or two digit in our computer. You’re the official accountant here, right?”

      “This is good enough even for share holder semester appraisal.” Yoochun teases. “Why didn’t you take accounting in college? You could have pinched laude if you did.”

Junsu rolls his eyes. “Like you didn’t know my father.”

      “Hahaha. Our beloved Mr. Kim missed a great financial potential by sending Kim Junsu to management major.”

      “Thank you.” Junsu punches Yoochun’s arm. “I’m flattered even though your praise implied me as a management failure.”

      “Eeeiii.. I didn’t say you’re a failure.”

      “Not anymore, I hope.”

      “Come on, Su.” Yoochun groans. “We agreed to restart everything anew. No hard feeling.”

      “Lower your voice, Chun. People might mistake your words.” Junsu glares though his lips smile at the business partner.

      “This is our office. Who might overhear us?”

      “Lisa?” Junsu sticks out his tongue. “Woman has four ears. Especially those who date a slippery man like you.”

      “You mean Lisa is a fox demon?”

Their laughter fills the room.

      “I didn’t say that.” Yoochun warns Junsu. “She’s been a bit too demanding lately. Five minutes late means all time screeching and interrogation.”

      “I told you woman has four ears. She might find out you flirted with those college freshmen.”

Yoochun kicks Junsu’s shin. “Enough about woman. Andy checked our coffee beans stock. It’s low. Time to say hi to Vera.”

      “I thought you said enough about woman?”

Yoochun pushes Junsu hard.

Hara café is a trial joint business initiated by Park Yoochun and Kim Junsu. It’s opened four and half years ago and reopened a year ago. Park Yoochun comes from a mid-wealthy family, the son who turned to be the man in the family after his father passed away. He’s the sole bread winner for his mother, brother and sister. He graduated from SkyBee University a year before Junsu. How did he enter the most prestigious and competitive university without good financial back up and background? Scholarship. He studied very hard to keep the scholarship going and also worked very hard to lessen his mother’s burden.

He tried to apply for jobs but most of them only put him in the corner. Hopeless and scattered pride. Even if you graduated with flying color and good experiences as part timer in several vacancies, if you didn’t have good connection, you may kiss your laude GPA good bye.

Kim Junsu was an acquaintance he met when he worked part time in one of the beauty salons. He didn’t know Junsu was the youngest son of the salon’s owner since most customers visiting the salon were either the elite society profiles or the top names in entertainment industry. Judging by Junsu’s look and appearance, Yoochun mistook him as one of the famous name wannabe. Haha.

Lucky him, Junsu wasn’t the arrogant snobbish type of a person though he’s cocky sometimes. They became friends when Junsu met him again in a restaurant working as a waiter.

After graduation, Junsu didn’t bother hiding his reluctance joining his brother in the line of Hotelier management. He wanted something else. There’s cold tension between Junsu and his parents which quickly melted down thanks to Yoochun’s advise. Junsu offered a position in the Kim’s hotel. Yoochun hated to be treated like a disabled person begging for pity. He told Junsu he would open a small street food stall. Nevermind the small profit and the extra hard work as long as he worked for himself.

Next thing he knew, Junsu took the idea seriously and they ended up sitting in front of Mr. Kim. Yoochun found himself explaining long and in detail about his ‘sudden’ random idea. His experiences as part timers in various work places won Mr. Kim’s approval.

They opened and launched Hara café four months later. Mr. Kim lent money as the starter of the business. They made it black and white because Yoochun refused to be seen as charity box. The loan included the payment Yoochun and Junsu had to meet every month, the penalty if they failed to repay half of the loan within a year and stuff.

Kim Junho came to meet Yoochun in person a week after Yoochun met face to face with Mr. Kim.

      “I hope you know how to deal with my brother.”

Yoochun didn’t mean to frown. “I beg your pardon, sir?”

Junho smiled. “He’s a bit spoiled.”

      “Oh.” Yoochun tried to understand.

      “He might find it boring next month and you’ll be the one handling all the things going on with your business. are you okay with it?”

      “With all respect, sir. Junsu was the one insisting and dragging me in this joint business deal. I planned for small mobile food stall I can pull to public places but he just took it over and here we are.”

      “I know.” Junho nodded. “He told me everything. I’m with him here. You are an honest hard worker. You’re full of potential. You’re not afraid of taking risks. I trust his judgment. I just want you to see from the other side.”

Yoochun soon learned the meaning of every word Kim Junho spoke to him.

Junsu had big interests in their Café business at first. He’s serious and eager to help Yoochun but after four months, Junsu gradually lost the interest. It dawned on Yoochun and two hired staffs in the café later that Junsu used the café as an excuse of not taking his position in the Kims’ company. He came leisurely, talked with some people, helped a bit in the storage room (looking around) then sat for hours in his fave spot doing everything but the real work.

On the fifth month, Changmin happened.

The next year, Junsu was married to Changmin. Again, Hara café was just a name for occupation when people asked what Junsu did for life. He didn’t actually work or contribute any work toward the café. Yoochun had to struggle alone to keep the café going. Junsu’s sudden crazy ideas when he was in bad mood due to his marriage life with Changmin always resulted in crowded customers but more loss than benefit. Yoochun was mad at Junsu a lot of the time for not taking their café seriously. For Junsu, it might just be an escape of his well planned career but for Yoochun, it’s the source of his family survival. Three years and they gained more debt than profit. The net profit was just enough to cover two employees’ salary and restocking supplies. Three years hard work that meant the world for Yoochun and just another side play for Junsu. It went so bad that Yoochun had to close the café down for two months unable to cover the basic necessities and demand. The debt was getting deeper while the daily operational cost didn’t go lower. Junsu was barely a help since all he did was sitting on his fave spot, spacing out, and sipping his drink.

Yoochun couldn’t tolerate it anymore. He confronted Junsu right there in their empty closed café after Junsu called him asking why the café didn’t open. Yoochun poured out all his frustration, his anger, his disappointment, his well schooled sharp knocking down words, his dissatisfaction, basically everything. Junsu was quiet all along. He took in Yoochun’s words in cold hardened face, stiffened shoulders and fisted palms. Yoochun didn’t regret the stinging accusing words he lashed out onto Junsu. He didn’t even feel guilty on the next day but on the following day afterward, when Junsu came to him handling a big bag of money, yoochun couldn’t help but worrying.

      “Where did you get this much money from? We can’t borrow from your father anymore. We barely covered our loan from him, Su. We can’t-

      “I put my car on mortgage.”

      “You what?”

Junsu’s car had invaluable emotional baggage. It’s priceless. Not because it’s one of the most expensive cars Yoochun’s eyes had ever laid on and he had seen so many luxurious ones when he worked as valet boy. Not because its model was limited edition. Not because its original features were than enough to kill any car lover by one look. Not because Junsu rose up defying his parents and brother when he bought it. Not because it was Junsu’s beloved ride or because it’s another form of Junsu’s identity. It’s because that car brought Junsu to meet Changmin. They dated because of that car.

      “I want to restart.” Junsu said. “My life is in mess right now. I need to sort things out. I need to fix my work first if you don’t mind me and still see me as your partner.”

Yoochun stared at the big bag full of fresh money. “I-I-I..

      “I’m bad in managing money. You said so last time we talked. Please do something with it to fix the screwed parts of our business.”

      “It’s not that simple, Su.” Yoochun breathed. His eyes got sore just by looking at the money. “You can’t just come shoving money onto me like this. This is not right.”

      “Then teach me. Please.”

Yoochun slowly learned that someone who lived well like Junsu could also has his days of feeling bitter, low and useless.

He heard about the big fight Junsu had with Changmin upon knowing Junsu’s on mortgage car. It was one of the worst fights Yoochun had ever seen on Junsu that the impact stuck on his business partner for more than a week. Two weeks! That, plus the constant demand of self explanation from the Kims. Yoochun was dragged in it. He was summoned to meet Mr. Kim privately. He didn’t meet Junsu’s father. The one sitting across from him was Junsu’s mother.

      “What did you say to my son that made him sell his