One fine winter day in January, Coffee Bean, 2:39 PM

 

A laptop, camera, a pile of books, disordered papers, a piece of cheese cake, and two cups of coffee—yes, two cups of coffee. Those things were awfully placed on the table in front of her. She had been there since 2 hours ago, reading, sometimes writing two or three sentences, throwing the paper aside because she felt frustrated with her own works. Even after she sipped the last coffee she had, she still didn't have any idea for her project yet.

Konkuk University, College of Art and Design, she went to that place to study. It's her first year and everything happened not according to her wish, her plan. By taking Film Major, she thought it would be easier for her since she was going to watch some movies a whole day—or to analysis some movies she had watch because basically she loved watching movies so much. Yes it did, mostly. It was just out of her expectation that in her first year, she had to make a movie from zero including making the plot, working behind the camera, acting the plot out, and else. It was just too frustrating.

This girl was about to order another cup of coffee when someone—a guy, made his walk to her seat, looking here and there, feeling unsure until he stopped in front of her and made totally absurd gesture. He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly. That girl could only look at him cluelessly. She herself was also confused by his sudden come. Nothing's wrong with her--the way she dressed, just fine; putting too much make up, not at all.

She wondered a lot until he greeted her officially. “Hey, excuse me. Perhaps, you're waiting for some people by 3 o'clock?”

“Oh—” she exclaimed.

She remembered that she had an appointment with a guy she had never met before. Well, she knew how his face looked like. In his profile, he put his picture and he changed it quite often, so she was quite familiar with his face, and well—worth looking.

Last night, they talked in the chat room each other and agreed to meet by 3 o'clock in Coffee Bean. The guy just coming here had to be that guy in the chat.

“Yes, are you—Mino?” She asked in quite awkward gesture.

“Definitely, I'm the one who use 'mino mino nine three' username”

“Ah, I see…”

Mino chuckled. “Wow, we often chat but this is the first time I get a chance to see you in person. So, you've been waiting for damn terribly long?”

Hyemin laughed awkwardly and hurriedly cleared her stuff away, so Mino could comfortably sit without feeling disordered too. “Not, really. I purposely come here to do my works before our meeting, but, well, time flies too fast really.”

“You surely a coffee maniac! Now I got the answer why you're always on the line in the middle of the night.” He commented after spotting two empty cups of coffee she had before his arrival.

“It's not because I like, but because I need. I need them to stay awake. You know—” she winked, then, added, “So ing lots of work.”

“I see—”

“Don't you want to order drink or snacks? Let me treat you...” Hyemin offered and was about to stand when Mino suddenly pushed her back to hear seat.

“I’m the one who asked you out, so—do you want another cup of coffee or another bite of snack?”

“Everything will do.” She replied briefly.

Mino restrained his laughed and nodded before leaving his seat to buy drinks and some snacks. He bought another cup of coffee for Hyemin—but this time he bought light coffee with cream since Hyemin had had a lot of coffee, and a slice of tiramisu and black forest. He didn’t know what Hyemin liked personally, but no one could deny black forest. The basic principal, that if you were confused to choose what cake to be given to a girl, just chose black forest.

When he got back, Hyemin was done tidying all her stuff. She even tied up her long-wavy-brownish hair, making her look so damn fresh and—no more sluggish. He put the coffee and black forest in front of her while, after that, he sat and stared at her quite long, waiting for her reaction.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something wrong with my face?” Hyemin quickly had her hand both cupping her cheeks while Mino laughed at her—for him, it was quite cute reaction—for a cold-city-like girl like Hyemin.

“No, no, nothing’s wrong with your face—except the frustrated-like one. I’m waiting, just in case you don’t like the black forest, I can change it to something else.”

Hyemin gave a sign with her eyes to the abandoned cheese cake she had before, saying that it was no need since she still had her cheesecake, and again, Mino laughed. She was now feeling sure that Mino was just a type of guy who had a lot of humor, and the point was, he wasn’t that boring. At least, he could cover her who was typically a boring person—because she didn’t talk much, unless, it’s important.

“I like black forest and whatsoever. Cake is my favorite.”

Mino nodded while restraining his unstoppable smile.

“Anyway, is it really okay to meet you like this? I’m afraid someone dislikes our meeting, just maybe.” Mino said.

“Boyfriend, if it’s what you mean by someone—well, no, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Yeah, you’ve told me about you’re having trauma to have a boyfriend. Let’s just change the topic then.” He said, and again, he smiled. To be honest, Hyemin couldn’t resist it yet she couldn’t deny it, that he was a lovely figure behind his swag style. Yes, he was totally-damn-freaking swag, maybe because he was a DJ? It could be.

“How about you, Mino? Have you got any girlfriend?” Hyemin bluntly asked.

Mino chuckled. “I want to, but I can’t.”

“Why you can’t?”

“Because I can’t let her suffer. It’s better for her to be with someone else than with me.”

Hyemin sealed . So, in this case, Mino was trying to say that although he didn’t have anyone to date, he had someone that he loved. She quickly caught the point Mino was trying to say.

Hyemin closed her eyes. No, although she was deadly curious with Mino’s love life, she didn’t want to know his past, nor his future because Hyemin—although she denied it so much, but slowly she fell for him. Anything related to his past love-life, Hyemin didn’t want to know. Let it be.

“We have to meet often. I find you’re funny, Minnie-sshi…” Mino said after slurping his cold cappuccino.

“Let’s have a drink sometimes…”