“I hope tomorrow all of you will do your best. I know that tomorrow game is just only a friendly or perhaps a warm up match for all of you. Just do your best and give your everything. Please do not waste anything that you have learn here for almost a month. Is that clear?”

I nodded quietly along with the other players who were also focus on listening to the coach who mainly in charged for this special training here in Australia. He probably be few years younger than our couch back in South Korea based on his appearance, the way he acts and also his face. Or maybe I was wrong about it.

Whatever.

All of us bid goodbye towards each other, saying that we will meet again tomorrow; later in the evening for our third small match between an ice hockey club here in this country. I drank some of the mineral bottle, my throat felt so dry and my body was exhausted after being practicing for almost how long – I also lost count about it.

I did not realize that Kai already stood next to me, also packing up his own things.

“Hyung, do you want to go somewhere after this?” I heard Kai asking, turning his face to look at me.

I threw a quick glance at him with the corner of my eyes before slowly shaking my head. “No. Why?” I asked him back then without looking. “Well, just asking. Who knows that you might want to go somewhere else after this. Calming that storm in your life.” he casually replied, also not looking at me which caught me a bit off guard.

“What do you mean by that, Kai?” I asked him which was a bit unusual because most of the time, I just shrug it off and let it go without asking the young man another question.

Kai’s lip curved into a small grin then. “You know what I mean, hyung. I know that half of yourself is not here with you. I can see it. You may be pretend like no one notice but I do, hyung. I know you for long already. I respect if you don’t want to tell me about it – it’s your choice after all. But hyung, please don’t be like this. I know that this is not the real you that I’ve known all of this time.” Kai’s words were meaningful and deep as I absorbing every single thing coming out from his mouth.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, hyung. Get some rest. You really need it for tomorrow match.” Kai told me, gave me a small pat behind my back before turning around, walking away then with one of his hand waving at me without even looking back at all.

I let out a small sigh before rubbing my face full with my palm roughly, shaking my head slowly.

I know, Kai. But, I also lost in searching myself. All I need right now is time.

Time to heal this already broken pieces of mine.

I let out a small relief sigh when I saw the sign of that small building is still open even though it was already late, already past the midnight. I half ran myself towards the small building, thanks to the sudden drizzle rain that suddenly poured from the dark, pitch black sky that cold, winter night.

I could not believe that I’m still out here, alone by myself heading towards a small building – a medium sized bistro that located between a florist shop and also an old classical book shop which actually giving services such as borrowing, donating and also at the same time selling old books which the shop gained from most people who willingly to donate them.

There wasn’t many people from the outside view as I looked; only a middle aged woman with a teenage boy who sat opposite from her and also another young man who was all alone by himself, looking out through the glass window of the small bistro.

Warmth heat greeted me as I stepped myself inside the cozy, very homelike and not to mention simple yet modern style bistro that I’ve been going by myself for last couple of weeks – if I’m not mistaken, starting two weeks ago. Trust me, even the owner of this bistro already know me and they already think me as one of their regular customers. I found it a bit amusing to hear from them when they told me that because as far as I know, I’m not really a type of person who regularly go to a same shop over and over again.

It just a rare situation in my dictionary life.

“Mino!”

I politely greeted the old lady whom I addressed as Mrs. Brian with a small smile on lip as I took a seat on a stool which directed me right away with the service counter in the bistro. Mrs. Brian was standing behind the counter, her hand was holding a small towel. “I thought you’re not going to come here tonight.” she told me with a warm smile plastered on her lip as her eyes twinkled a bit when she was smiling at me.

“I was hold back because of my hockey practice, Mrs. Brian.” I answered her curiosity that probably playing in her mind at the moment. She formed an ‘O’ expression before nodding her head slowly. “So, as usual tonight?” she asked me then, wiping the front counter, glancing at me.

“A cup of hot caramel coffee will do for tonight.” I replied to her, smiling a bit. She raised one of her eyebrows before letting out a small chuckle, nodding her head then. “One hot caramel coffee coming up.” she murmured with a lively, cheerful voice as the late night did not effect on her at all. I watched her figure as she slowly disappeared into the kitchen located at the back of bistro.

I took some time to look around; it just only me and that young man who still sitting all by himself by the window, still staring at the outside view as if he already lost on his own world, the same position he being from the first I saw him when I reached this place.

A month.

It’s been almost a month already since I left my country. It’s also been almost a month since the last time I saw her. The last time I saw her before I left her all alone by herself, without having any courage to tell her that I’m leaving for two months the most for this special training that I currently having right now. It was wrong. I know that. But, I tried to pretend like I did not care although every inch in my body, every air that I breathe, every veins in my body that running along with blood denying that fact. That one fact where I told myself I did not care at all for her, for leaving her out of blue without telling her first.

Deep inside, I know the truth inside of me.

I know that I’m lying to myself.

“What’s with that deep thought, young man?” I looked up almost immediately as Mrs. Brian’s voice spoke. Beside her, Mr. Brian put up his hand as a greeting to me, a smile pasted on his lip at the same time.

“Erm, nothing, Mrs. Brian. Just thinking about tomorrow hockey match, that’s all.” I quietly mumbled and not to forget to say my thank you towards the old lady.

Mr. and Mrs. Brian exchanged few glances before both of them looked at me with a smile on their faces that I know I failed in lying towards them. “Mino, did you see that young man over there?” Mr. Brian suddenly spoke, his index finger pointing towards the young man whom I observed when I came here just now.

“He also like you. Around eleven, he will come here, order two cups of hot latte drink and sit at that same spot almost every time. If there is someone else sitting there, he will wait until that person walk away and he will sit at that spot. Those drinks he ordered was never touch, he just sit there – looking out the window for how long I also don’t know. By the time we’re going to close this bistro, then he will go home. The same thing will happen the next day and so on.”

I wrinkled my forehead before turning to look at Mr. and Mrs. Brian then. “Why?” I simply asked, curiosity build inside me as the young man story sounded interesting yet mysterious to me.

“He always come to this bistro with a woman before this – perhaps his lover or someone special in his life. But then, one day he did not come here for like a month before suddenly he came back, ordering the same thing he ordered when he came here with that woman. But, the weird is, he never touch or drink it. He just let it be until it gets cold and left it there without untouched when he left.” Mrs. Brian the one who spoke now.

“From what we heard, that woman died in awful accident. Her car was hit and run by a lorry in the early morning and she died at the scene. The most saddening was that both of them agreed to get married with each other last night when that young man proposed to her. Until now, that young man always like that.”

“He is?” I asked in disbelief, feeling sorry and sympathy for what he had to go through in his life.

Both, Mr. and Mrs. Brian nodded their head slowly. “Of course, that just what we heard. We don’t know whether it is a true story or not. Maybe he become like that because of something else.” Mr. Brian murmured then, flashing me his already cheeky, warm smile.

One of the reasons why I end up going to this bistro almost every night because of these two people. It really is weird. I just know them within a month but I felt like I’ve known them for long. To be honest, I’m a type of person who hardly open to others that easy. I’m much prefer to just keep myself quiet and do my own things. That’s why, most people around me thought that I’m a cold, heartless man with expressionless feeling.

The first time I went to this bistro was because I felt so hungry and needed something to eat despite that it was already late, the clock already shown almost to two in the morning. What shop would open at time like this, right? But still, I tried my own luck, hoping that I would find something to eat even if it just a plain bread or something like that. Besides, I’m not a picky eater at all. For me, as long as I have something to eat in order to regain my energy back, that’s already enough. Plus, being a sport person, I always need to take precautions about my health including fitness, my balance diet and everything that is related.

Relief washed over me when I saw this bistro which was still opened that night. At first, I thought that I just go buy something to eat and head back to where I stay but I did not know why there’s this kind of attraction that pulled me to just stay at this small place and have my own time all by myself.

Mr. and Mrs. Brian did a very great job in decorating the bistro that they both own. Although the place is just a medium sized one; possibly less than eighty people could fit in at one time but still, the decoration inside this place was awesome and to be truth, wonderful and has its own charm.

When I first met with the old married couple, I was a bit surprised knowing that only two of them along with few other workers which can be counted with fingers that helps to run out this place. Plus, looking at Mr. and Mrs. Brian whom both of them already reached over sixty years old, I felt amazed with their hardworking and non-stoppable spirit. I mean, look at them. Mostly, people around their age would much prefer to play with their own grandkids or perhaps, spending their time together. But, it was an exception for this married couple.

Seeing how supporting and loving between them almost all the time somehow made me think about something. About me and her.

“I appreciate that you both told me the story about him. But why?” I asked both of them again, creasing my forehead in confusion then.

Mr. and Mrs. Brian smiled then. “Well, maybe that would make you realize a bit. For whatever happens in our life, there