Is He For Real?

Jung Jun Young is that kind of coworker who terrorizes anyone who dares to enter his lair. According to Jackson, Jun Young was supposed to be the sole baker of the cafe. He owns all the recipe to their desserts so he doesn't want anyone else to do the baking. What a perfectionist.

"Once you get to know him, he's actually nice," said Jackson.

"I don't know about that," I replied as I took a sip of the Strawberry Lemonade he made me. I kind of got addicted to their weird flavors.

He just smirked as he wiped the counter.

I was at the bar seats on the reading area side in my casual clothes. My shift has finally ended though I was supposed to do it full-time for a few weeks. I don't know. When I saw Jun Young, a glimpse of how my future days will be, working with him, scared the out of me.

I glanced at Jackson who was leaning his left side on the counter opposite me. He was playing with the towelette in his hands. There were only a few customers who were just busy chatting and reading so he used his idle time to entertain me.

He looked at me and said, "But at least we'll be in good terms because of him."

What does he mean? Is Jun Young some kind of a delinquent that Jackson befriended and they became best buddies that only they understand each other? No, too dramatic. "Why so?" I asked.

He didn't answer. He instead gave me a wide smile that reached his eyes. Oh, those smiling eyes.

He sprung into action when a customer entered the coffee shop. I made the mistake of having eye to eye contact with the customer that looked so familiar. I froze in my seat at the sight of my sister that I haven't seen in eons. I wanted to break the eye contact first but I couldn't.

Is it time to finally talk to her? I've already graduated anyway.

Once I took my time to actually look at her, I noticed that she aged a bit. She looks older than her age. It might have been difficult for her, too, to live alone.

But knowing her, she was probably elated with my absence. On the first few months, I would ocassionally call the maids at home to check on her but their reports would always consist of the words party, alcohol, away, and hangover, so eventually I stopped calling. I told Aunt Se Ra to take care of her since she was already here at Erinville to take over the company. So it's not entirely my fault if Mi Yeon drifted away from the right path.

"One Leche Flappe, please," she told Jackson. She batted her eyes flirtily and I wanted to yank her hair out of the cafe.

"Leche Flappe in five!" Jackson cheerfully responded, winking at her afterwards.

I knew it! He uses his charms to keep customers coming back. What a flirt.

Unknowingly, I rounded the bar toward Mi Yeon. She raised an eyebrow as I approached her. "How are you?" I asked with a slightly y tone. I saw Jackson through my pheripherals cautiously doing his job, glancing at us from time to time.

"Excuse me. Do I know you?" She feigned ignorance and her facial expression made me want to slap her real hard.

Unbelievable. I took a breath of air and let it out to keep my cool. But I failed when I saw her roll her eyes. "Really? Is that how you talk to your sister?" I chastised.

"Last time I checked, my sister left me four years ago," she shot back, folding her arms on her chest. "So pray remind me, who are you?"

"Because you were being such a . That's why everyone was leaving you." I countered. "And looking at you now, nothing's really changed. How many boyfriends have already left you?"

All hell broke loose when she grabbed my hair. I grabbed hers too and pulled it as hard as I could.

I felt a firm hand that tried to take my hands away from Mi Yeon's hair but I remained unfazed. "Mi Yeon, you! Go to hell!" I shouted on her face, her hair entangled with my fingers.

"After you, !" she shouted back.

I started to feel a burning sensation in my head due to her constant pulling of my hair. But I only pulled hers harder.

"Stop it, you two!" I heard Jackson exclaim furiously.

Upon hearing his voice, I snapped back into sanity. I got reminded of the high school girls who are here for their afternoon caffeine and the college students trying to study for an exam. I loosened my grip and in seconds, I was pulled away from my sister. Her look was murderous.

Jackson looked pissed. His grip on my arm started to hurt. He has every reason to get mad and fire me. I'm more than willing to take responsibility for the havoc I have caused.

The customers and the entire crew were surrounding us. One waiter was holding Mi Yeon back. Even Jun Young was watching with an amused smirk on his face. Shame started to swallow me up and I wanted to run away.

"Show is over, everyone," Jackson announced, smiling to the girls, clapping his hands to get them to go back to their seats.

As soon as they dispersed, Jackson turned to us, his face so serious I got goosebumps.

He smiled sweetly to Mi Yeon and said, "Your beverage is ready, on us," gesturing to the beverage on the counter.

"But it's not for take-away," she argued.

Jackson smiled again. He seriously is starting to scare the hell out of me. "Have a nice day," he greeted with a genuine-looking smile, now gesturing to the glass door.

She rolled her eyes with contempt and then marched away, not after pushing the waiter who was holding her back.

Before exiting the door, she turned around to face me. "Don't you dare come back to my house," she warned and then got out.

"It's not even your house," I muttered.

I, then, was dragged by the wrist to Jackson's office. He locked the door as soon as we got in. Fear started to creep up on me. I bit my lip and closed my eyes, not wanting to see whatever he is going to do to punish me. I tried to tune out so I wouldn't have to listen to his sermons.

I heard him heave a sigh and it almost made me jump out of my skin. "Are you okay?" he then asked.

Did I hear it right? I opened one eye to check his expression if he's being serious but worry is what I saw on his face. I then loosened up a bit, relieved that he's not mad. In fact, I don't even see a hint of anger about to ensue. "You're not mad?" I cautiously asked, just to make sure.

"I am but you're badly hurt so I don't think that's what matters right now," he responded.

An "aww" wanted to escape from my mouth but good thing, I was able to hold it back.

He walked toward the medicine cabinet and then came back after he got everything he needed. He gently pushed me down to sit on the couch and then sat beside me. The couch is only good for two so we were practically invading each other's personal space. I looked down at my fingers fidgeting because if I turned to face him, our faces would be only a few inches away from each other, considering that I could actually already feel his breath on my skin.

To my surprise, he gently pulled my chin with his fingers to make me face him. I couldn't do anything. I was frozen like a robot that only moves when it's controlled to.

He carefully put an ointment on the cut on my temple that I didn't know I got. It stung like a . I'm going to kill that brat when I get home.

"Does it hurt?" he asked all of sudden. He then gently blew on the cut when I made a face.

Why is he acting like this? Is it to rid of the guilt when he fires me afterwards? Well, I did cause a serious trouble. Fortunately, the charming waiters were able to prevent the girls from recording a video.

"I-It's okay now. It doesn't hurt anymore," I told him, pulling my face away from his hand that held my jaw with tenderness. This is getting awkward. "You don't have to nurse me before firing me. I can take care of it at home." I added.

"I'm not," he replied curtly.

"Huh?"

"I'm not firing you," he cleared.

"But why not?" I asked, confused as to why he wants to keep a trouble-maker like me.

"But in return, you have to tell me your story."

My story? "But why?" I asked.

"I got curious. Your catfight was really intense," he answered with an amused smile.