“You need to get married.” 

Jihyo swears her ears are bleeding when she hears those words. 

“You're 30 years old and,” an exasperated laugh, “still has never had a boyfriend! What good are the genes I gave you? Aigoo, my pitiful daughter. Jihyo… You know I love you, right? But I'm getting old. I want a child, please, give your mother a gift before she dies.”

“Umma.” The said daughter gulps down her tea and practically slams the plastic cup on the dining table. “I want to focus on work.” She says, massaging her temples. 

Did her day really have to start like this?

With her mom coming to her workplace uninvited, if that much is obvious, and claiming they had to discuss "something important” before opening hours. But Jihyo is certain she wants to see her coworkers, (which she does, she'd even prepared food for them). And her primary goal: seeking for decent men working around her. 

Which there isn't. Jihyo makes a point by subtly glancing at the worker behind her. The new worker --Kim Hanbin-- wiping down the tables is definitely listening.

Talk about nosy.

…not that he can really help it.

“Dear, you work at a cafe--”

“Yes, yes I know. But in order to get an even better job, I want to focus on my studies to get into college again and get a higher degree.” She retorts, holding down a blush. Because it sounded like bull and those listening were definitely gonna call her out on it. Like her friend who had just came out of the dressing room, or her mom, who wasn't believing a thing she was saying. 

But she is desperate to get her mom to be quiet, so all sorts of words come out. 

“Jihyo… excuses won't work on me. You already have a master’s degree. Are you going to become a doctor? Not to mention your age…”

“Age doesn't matter when going to college!” Jihyo defends strongly. “I, for one, have never heard of the rule that ‘those thirty and over can't enroll.’”

Her mother sighs.

“I hope you make finding a husband your new year’s resolution.” 

“Should I set some blind dates up for you?” 

Jihyo isn't surprised by her nosy friend’s words upon entering the dressing room. She had been expecting it to be sooner or later, though it just happens to be the former.

“Do I look that desperate to you, Nam Bora?” She speaks politely as she puts on the cafe apron, wrapping the straps around her waist to tie up in a tight bow. 

“Ah, don't play the stranger card on me. I know you probably didn't want anyone to hear, but if you're going to speak out in public like that…” Bora shrugs, following Jihyo out and flipping the sign on the glass door to ‘OPEN’.

“Okay, well talking in public is one thing but don't think I do it on purpose.” Jihyo takes a pair of plastic gloves from a shelf and puts it on. She takes her position behind the pastries. “My mom came unexpectedly.” 

Bora, the cashier, settles next to her. “Does she live around here?” 

“No, she comes from Incheon.”

“Hm…” Bora hums in thought, “that's not too far from Seoul. At least it's not Busan or Jeju island. If it was, I would definitely find you husband material.” She pouts. “I miss my mom.”

“Firstly, I am fine without your help. And while I do want to make my mom happy and become a housewife, there's just no one decent around me.” 

Jihyo’s words clearly went through deaf ears, her point proven when Bora leans in to speak. “What about Hanbin? He's hot.” 

“He's a university student.”

“So?”

“How is he going to support me?”

“Um… working couples are really common nowadays.” She says after a moment of thought. “You know, you have to sometimes sacrifice for love.”

“Well, there's that, but I'm not into younger guys.”

“Talk about picky,” Bora grumbles under her breath. “No wonder you still haven't had a boyfriend. It's weird that I'm the one to notice, but I think you have all the luck with younger men.”

Jihyo is quiet as she contemplates her friends statement. As she mentally goes through her list of male friends, she notices that Bora is right and that most (if not all), her friends range from high schoolers to a dongsaeng one year younger. Her older friends are not an option for marriage, simply because they are already married.

Well this .

“So then your options are… date a younger man or meet an ideal type that stumbles across here.” Bora decides. “You still don't want to take me up on my offer for a blind date? I mean, I know they’re younger and all, but it's better than nothing.”

All this love talk and Jihyo swears she will get sick. “It's fine, Bora. I'll handle it. But since when were you interested in my love life?”

“When I found out about your situation. I just want to help an unnie in need,” she nudges Jihyo’s elbow with hers. “You know I'm all about romance. On that note… um, I'm guessing you're a too?”

“Uh…”

Do people usually get laid when they don't have boyfriends?

The first customer of the day comes in and Jihyo makes that her excuse to not speak anymore of her personal life. “Welcome!” She says a bit too enthusiastically. 

When Jihyo’s five hour shift is over and the cafe is cleaned, she finds herself going home with Hanbin. Not side by side or anything, she just happened to leave right after him and found herself following him for a very long time. (Though it was only a fifteen minute walk to her house, it felt much longer).

Jihyo isn't doing anything bad or planning anything, she's just going home. But for whatever reasons, she finds herself tip-toeing home. She makes an effort to be as quiet as possible in order to not be noticed by Hanbin.

Seriously, she's not a creepy person.

And when Jihyo reaches home, Hanbin is still on her trail and so out of curiosity, she watches where he goes. She's peeking behind a pole now, with reasons, of course. She couldn't just have him notice she had been following him now, (not that she was purposely), not to mention stare at him in the open so blantly. That would be embarrassing. 

…(The not-creepy-stalker-woman fails to notice her neighbors whispering and looking at her from across the yard.)

Hanbin must live close to her if he would walk home. And she wants to know so she can better avoid him. Because, hello, Bora and her mom just had to talk about how she's a forever single and thirty year old woman. And that boy was definitely listening. 

Jihyo just wants to save herself from embarrassment. 

But he stops walking straight and turns into the sidewalk right next to her house. 

Right. Next. To. Her. House.

Why the hell hadn't she noticed him before?! 

A/N: Wow, I'm just befuddled that this story has so many subscribers! Σ（ﾟдﾟlll）
 I hope my writing is up to par, I'm still practicing so I hope you can bare with me along with my writing experimentations. Don't hesitate to give your honest opinions on my grammar, style, or this story and all that good stuff. Also Happy New Year!! (Albeit late) I hope goodness is in store for you <3

So maybe she'll get involved with Hanbin next chapter, not too sure yet :P