I see Hae Jung sitting down at the cafe all alone. She was staring into space, not even glancing at me who was already standing in front of the cafe door. I find this weird because usually she would have spotted me straightaway. She'll be waving at me, urging me to come faster, but this time she just sat down there, not even looking at me once.

I quicken my pace and entered the cafe. The rich aroma of coffee and the sweet smell of cakes entice me. I took in a deep breath of the air in the cafe, and smiled a bit. I will always love this cafe. This was the cafe that allows me to know Hae Jung. This was the cafe that made Hae Jung enter my life, my heart.

Taking my seat, opposite of Hae Jung, I snapped her out of her day dream.

"Hae Jungie~ Yah, Jung-ah! What are you thinking about? Me?" I made a joke to make her laugh.

Looking at her crestfallen face, makes me upset. She only manages a slight smile, which I know she forced herself to do so. I was confused with her actions. Hae Jung was never a girl that will show her down side. She usually will have a smile on her face no matter what happen, be it when she's happy or sad.

" Oppa, You're not going to order anything? I know you're hungry since you rush here after work. Palli, go and buy something." she told me with an assuring smile on her face.

Only when she said that, did I realize that I really am hungry. I've rushed here right after my part-time work at the bookstore, thus I've not have any lunch and it's already almost dinner time.

I told her to wait for a moment and if she needs anything else besides her cappuccino which was on the table. She just shakes her head and urges me to go and buy my food.

I went to join the queue to order my food. The queue to order my meal was short, but the amount of people waiting for their orders to be ready was quite a handful. I wanted to go back to my seat and have a talk with Hae Jung, but I noticed that she was on the phone with someone and she looks slightly agitated. I know better than to interrupt her phone call with whomever it was. I let her be and just sat at the table near the counter waiting for my order to be ready.

I looked at the surrounding of the cafe. It's been a few years since this cafe was set up, and the age of this cafe almost equates to the number of years I've known Hae Jung.

5 years and counting to be exact. I've known her for that long. From my senior year in high school till now, my graduating year in college. Our first meeting was an unexpected one coming from both parties.

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The bustling noise coming from the newly opened cafe was telling me that the response was amazing. Judging from the amount of people queuing up to get their food and drinks, I bet this cafe will be a success.

To know how the food and drinks really taste like, I stepped in the cafe and find a seat for myself before I could go and order anything. My eyes scanned all around the cafe, but not one seat is made available. Almost three-quarters of the cafe were filled with high school students like me. From where I was standing, I could see some of my juniors and schoolmates.

I guess I could only buy my meal and eat it at the park or somewhere else since the cafe was packed. I queued up behind a middle-age ahjumma, to get my food.

After waiting in line for ten minutes or so, alas, it was my turn to order my drinks and food. I was surprised at the swiftness of the worker taking the orders. They were not even flustered by the number of people queuing up.

"Thank you sir, please wait for your orders on the left,"The worker told me with a smile plastered on his face all the time.

I shifted to the left side of the counter, waiting for my orders to be ready.

"Dark Mocha Frappuccino and double chocolate muffin!"  The worker on the counter rang a bell at his counter shouting out his order.

I came up to him and collect my order. I took the bag from him and walked away.

I looked around the cafe, trying my luck in finding a seat so that I can enjoy my meal properly. Fortunately, I saw a table for two which was empty, tucked right at the corner of the room. I quickly rushed to the spot before anyone else can get there.

Taking a seat at the table, I sigh in relief, thanking god in silence that I get to enjoy my meal comfortably.  I took out my muffin and drink from the paper bag and place it on the table.

Just as I was about to take a sip of the Frappuccino, “Jogiyo, can I share a table with you?”, a soft voice called out to me.

A girl in a high school uniform was standing right in front of me. Her hair was in a loose French braid with her fringe being swept aside by a bobby pin.  Her eyes were almond-shaped and it was a piercing blue colour. Her face was hinting to me that she was not a full Korean. To conclude everything about her, she’s beautiful.

“Ah, ne. Take a seat.”I told her gesturing my hand towards the empty chair in front of me.

I took a sip of my drink while she was seating down to avoid any awkwardness in the atmosphere. I look up to see what she was doing when our eyes met.

Her cheeks turn red and she quickly faces down again. I can start to feel heat creeping up to my cheeks too. My hands grab the muffin that was in front of me and I started to take huge bites of it.

“Ah, jogi..”

“Ne?”I turned to face her while putting down y half-eaten muffin on a piece of napkin.

“Uh, you smeared some chocolate on the side of your mouth, here.” She passed me some tissue toclear the mess I made.

I take the tissue from her, slightly embarrassed and gave her a small smile. She chuckled a bit while I was wiping my mouth with the tissue.

Suddenly, her hands reached out towards me and she swipe her thumb at the side of my mouth.

“You were clearing the wrong side of your mouth. Choseonghamnida. I didn’t mean to be so bold.”She spoke up once she noticed that I was surprised by her sudden actions.

I shook my head, saying that it was okay and thanked her in return. We continued eating our own meal, keeping the silence between us.

For no apparent reason, the silence between us was suffocating me and I felt like it was a need to break the silence.

“So you’re not studying in this area?”I asked her while looking at her school uniform logo.

The school was not familiar and I’ve not seen it anywhere around this area.

“Ah, aniyo. I live in this area but I ‘m schooling in a boarding school, I’m just coming home for the weekends,”she replied with her smile on her face.

My heartbeat quicken when she smiled. I was not sure why but it just happened.

From then, our conversation continued on and the once awkward silence between us melts away.

After what must have been several minutes of talking, I got to know that she is a Korean-American but she was born in Korea.  Hae Jung, that’s her name, is a year younger than me and she had an older brother. Those are the information that I got off from her after our short talk. Somehow or somewhat, I find this girl interesting. Very interesting. She makes me want to know more about her.

“Ah, Seungwon, mianhae, I’ve got to go now. My brother is outside waiting for me,” she suddenly told me whilst we were talking.

I looked outside and there was a tall guy outside the windows, smiling and waving at her. She laughed heartily at her brother’s actions and waved back.

She quickly got up and grabbed her bag that was on the floor. Just as she was about to walk away,

“Ah, Hae Jung, can I have your number? Mian..”I asked her, while scratching the back of my neck trying to hide my embarrassment.

She chuckled looking at my reaction and wrote down something on a piece of paper. She then gave it to me and walked away, waving m goodbye at the same time.

I looked down at the paper that she passed to me. There inked in blue pen was her phone number. I grabbed the paper and quickly stuffing it inside my wallet, careful not to lose that precious piece of note.

I went out of the café with a wide smile stretched up till my ears. My heart was filled with happiness, until I thought that it might burst.

I kept on checking my wallet, making sure that the piece of paper is there and have not flown away. I still could not believe that Hae Jung’s number is in my hand. I’m not sure how I mustered up the courage to ask for her number, but I glad I did.

Upon reaching home, I quickly take the piece of paper out of my wallet and stick it to on my mirror.

“SEUNGWON! PALLI BATHE AND COME DOWN FOR DINNER!”

Omma. She broke me free from my thoughts as she called out to me.  I tore my eyes off from the piece of paper and grabbed my towel to take a quick bathe before dinner.

I went down for dinner, the wide smile still etched on my face, never leaving my face once.

Once I was done with dinner, I quickly went up back, not bothering to help omma with the cleaning up of the table eventhough it was my turn and not hyung's today.

"Yah! Won-ah! It's your turn to clean the table! Come down now! Aish jincha!" Hyung shouted, completely furious that I din't do my chores as I've promised when we made the deal years back.

I turn around back and just stuck out my tongue at him, running up the stairs towards my room.

I plucked out the piece of paper that I pasted on my mirror and stare at it once again. I mustered up my confidence to write a short text message to Hae Jung before I go to bed.

Annyong Hae Jung-ah! Seongwon here :) Still remember me? We met earlier at the cafe and we talked for quite some time before you left!

Ahh, this sounded way too excited and all.

I typed and deleted the text message quite a lot of time befor esettling on something that I thought souded casual, yet friendly.

Hey Hae Jung :) Seongwon here. We met earlier at the cafe remember?

I pressed the sent button befor my confidence went away again. I heaved a sigh of relief once I sent the message. Now I just need t wait for her reply.

I don't know for how long I've paced back and forth in my room, but when my phone vibrates in my hand, notifying me that there was a text message, I quickly sat on the edge of my bed and I open the text message.

It was a reply from Hae Jung. I smiled unknowingly when I read her reply.

Ah ne Seongwon-ssi. Of course I remembered :) So.. what are you doing now?

I jumped up and down on my bed when I read her reply. I calmed myself down befor replying to her text. Our texts replay went on for ours before she said that it was time for her to go to bed since she have to wake up early tomorrow. With a heavy heart I sent her a goodnight text and put away my phone, drifting away into my own dreamland.

Our daily text messaging became a habit that dies hard. Everyday, its either that she'll text me first or I'll text her first.

After a few months of daily texting, I braved up and asked her out for lunch.

To cut a long story short, our friendship blooms and we became closer. Little did I know, my heart started to beat faster for her. I wanted Hae Jung to be mine. I wanted her to be my other half. But everytime I wanted to confessed to her, my mouth can't find the right words to say and my chance will chance fade away.

I tried to find out she felt for me, but everytime I was on the topic her reply will be "Won-ah, you're my bestest best friend do you know that?". And with that I know that I'm only a friend in her heart. A friend, and not more than that.

2 years and the half into our friendship, and it was the day after Hae Jung's birthday that I had my heart broken because of my first love.

"OPPA!" Hae Jung called out to me as she quicken her pace towards me.

Although Hae Jung have called me "Oppa" many a times, my heart still flutters everytime she said it.

She hugged me once she reached me, and I embraced her with my arms. I patted her head, giving her quick smile before we both stepped in the cafe

Once inside, we both snagged a table at the end of the cafe, where we usually sit down all the time. A waiter came up to us, asking for our order before going off to make what we asked for.

A sliced of raspberry cheesecake and Hot Chocolate for Hae Jung. Dark Mocha Frappe with a plate of mint chocolate cookies. As usual, without any change.

"Oh yes, Saengil Chukahae Jungie! Mian I couldn't atttend yesterday.. Mian!!" I told her, while sliding a small blue box towards her side of the table.

"Ah, jincha oppa. It's alright. You don't have to get me anything.." Hae Jung shyly answered my questions while slowly reaching her hand out towards the box.

I waited for her to open the box to see her reactions. Hae Jung open the box with care, afraid of breaking anything fragile inside. I chuckled slightly looking at her actions making her pouts her lips showing signs of annoyance.

"Ahh! Oppa, it's so pretty! Jincha yeppeo!"  Hae Jung squealed with the delight upon looking what was inside the box.

I smiled to myself knowing that she really like the present that I gave to her. I observed her taking the bracelet out of the box, putting it on her wrist. She admired the designs on it as she turn it round and round her wrist. She trace her fingers around the letters around the bracelet that forms her name.

"Now that you have gotten my present, why did you ask me to meet you here?" I asked Hae Jung since she was the one who wanted to meet me tonight instead of the next day after school's over.

"Oh, ne. OPPA! SEUNGYUL OPPA JUST ASK ME TO DATE HIM!!" Hae Jung started to scream right in my ear.

It took me a couple of seconds to sink in the information inside my mind. SeungYul asked Hae Jung out? Oh, of course I know who SeungYul is. He is the biggest player in my school. He's well-known in other schools too, thanks to his good looks and his musical skills.I admit that I'm jealous. That guy have everything except for a heart. He just toy around with girls and throw them aside once he gets sick of them.

I wonder if Hae Jung knew about him. Apart from wanting Hae Jung myself, I don't want to see my best friend to get hurt. If she gets hurt it equivalent to me getting hurt too.

I didn't know how to respond to Hae Jung's statement. I knwo as her best friend I ought to be happy that the guuy that she's been having a crush on asked her out, but as a secret admirer? I have to admit that  my heart was crushed.

I put on a wide smile and pats her head.

"Aww, uri Jungie have grown up! Oppa still can't believe that she's starting to date!" I , wile wiping away a stray tear that was threatening to fall from my eyes.

"Ah, jincha oppa. You always tease me.." Hae Jung scrambled to my side and hide her face in my chest.

I just pats her head and chuckled lightly. She looked up at me and I saw that her cheeks was tinted pink, blushing from my statement earlier on. She gave me a shy smile and sat up back.

Oh Hae Jung, how I wish you would know what's in my heart.

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