When Donghyuk woke up from his sleep the next morning, he continued lying down on his bed staring into the distance. There were a lot in his mind; especially how he noticed that Ahyeon had the soulmate timer in her arm last night. He took a glance on the timer and he only saw the number zero on it.

That discovery made him think about it all night, that he couldn’t go to sleep.

“Kim Donghyuk! Are you gonna sleep in the whole day? We have work to do today, you—”

The person who barged in his room without permission stopped talking when he sees that Donghyuk has already awake from his sleep.

Donghyuk only moved his head towards his door, where his cousin Kim Jinhwan stood at. He felt way too lazy to even move that day compared to any other days. Not to mention that he had a lot on his mind. He smiled cutely at the older male in an attempt to escape his fury; Jinhwan has always been known as someone who easily gets annoyed when someone doesn't listen to him.

Jinhwan didn’t look like he fell for Donghyuk’s attempt as he stepped towards the bed and pulled the blanket over the younger male, revealing Donghyuk’s topless state.

“Ah, hyung! You don’t need to do that!” Donghyuk complained as he sat up lazily on his bed.

Jinhwan only rolled his eyes before he turned around and stepped towards the door.

“Get ready quick, I prepared breakfast today. Plus, we have to go to the company.” Jinhwan stopped right at the door and turned to look at Donghyuk. “Your dad summoned you.”

With a sigh, Donghyuk got up from the bed and walked to the bathroom, dragging his feet along lazily. Of all days, his father just had to call him in today. It must have something to do with his supposed training to be the next heir of Kim Electronics.

The Kim Electronics is one of the biggest electronic companies in the whole Asia; the company had branches in every countries in Asia, with the main branch located in Seoul. While Donghyuk had an older brother to take on the position as the next heir of Kim Electronics, his brother opposed to their father’s idea to make him the heir and ran away to Europe three years ago. He even cuts all ties with the whole family, leaving Donghyuk to deal with the consequences.

Donghyuk still remembered what his brother said to him the night when he left for Europe.

“I know that you’re more than capable to take over the company, don’t follow my footsteps and obey whatever dad asks you to do.”

Following those words, he obeyed everything that his father asked him to do. He becomes the top student in his class since elementary, he’s active in sports and he’s the student council president. In short, he’s the exemplary student that his father asked him to become.

As if those achievements weren’t enough, his father asked him to come to the company whenever he calls him in for his training during the whole summer break. Donghyuk had a hidden dream of his to be a dancer but he never really has the choice to choose his life path.

He never had the choice to make any sort of decisions, anyway.

“Hyung, I want to ask you something.”

Jinhwan stopped eating for a second and looked at him, urging him to continue.

He felt silly for asking this kind of question but if he couldn’t sleep thinking about it, he should as well just ask someone to get some closure.

“Ahyeon implanted the timer yesterday.” He breathed. “When I saw her yesterday, the timer had reset itself. Do you think her soulmate is me?”

As expected, Jinhwan rolled his eyes at the question.

“You should ask her, maybe she knows. Besides, you’ve also implanted the timer sometime ago, don’t you? You should know who your soulmate is.”

Donghyuk furrowed his eyebrows when he heard Jinhwan’s words. He wanted to pretend that he never implanted the timer because he was embarrassed at the fact that he believed those imaginary superstitions like a little girl.

He never wants to know who his soulmate is either.

He only wanted her.

 

****************************************

 

     “Today was supposed to be a great day,”  Ahyeon told herself while she was cleaning up the mess that she created on her own.

A few minutes ago, her mind was reeling with questions about who her soulmate is and she ends up tripping over her own feet, causing the tray she held to fell along with the orders on the tray. Luckily, the orders that she was holding were only two cups of coffee. She still needs to clean up the stains on the floor, though.

“Too bad your prediction didn’t come true.” A monotone voice came to her field of hearing which compelled her to look up to the owner of the voice.

It was Kim Hanbin, her new co-worker that just came in this morning to replace one of his friends for today’s shift. In all seriousness, she never would’ve thought that he would be her co-worker albeit just for two days, moreso befriending her. In her eyes, Kim Hanbin has always been a temperamental student who belonged in a gangster group in their school and never fails to cause trouble due to his bad temper.

So if someone told her that he would be the one who helped her cleaning up the stains she caused, she would never believe it.

Or at least it looked like he was trying to help, judging from the way he suddenly bends down to take something from her.

“Hey, no need to help me—“

“I just wanted to take the tray, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Hanbin’s nonchalant answer made her cheeks heat up a bit in embarrassment. Of course a gangster like him won’t help anyone, why did she even thought he would help her?

“Just take it, I still need to clean this up anyways. Are we out of trays?”

Ahyeon tried to brush off the embarrassing situation by changing the topic. Besides, she really needed to know if they are out of trays so that she could bring out another set. She continued cleaning off the stains on the floor, finally reaching the very last spot.

“I think so, I searched everywhere for empty trays but there’s none in sight.”

She only nodded at that information before standing up and handed the tray to Hanbin, going off to the toilet to wash off the rag that she used to wipe the stains on the floor. Since the broken pieces of the cups have been cleaned up earlier, she just needed to wash the rag and her extra work is finally done.

After she washed the rag, she dried it off and went to the staff’s room to take four extra trays. When she stepped out of the room, her older sister suddenly ran in baby steps towards her before she whispered something that made her sigh in annoyance.

“Please close off the cashier section, I have a stomachache. Pretty please, my dear sister?”

Unable to resist her sister’s pleading eyes (Jimin looked like a squirrel when she pleads, which was Ahyeon’s one and only weakness), she took off Jimin’s cap and put it on her head as she patted Jimin’s back in an attempt to comfort her and nodded to her request.

“You’re the best, Ahyeon!”

That was the last words Jimin said before Ahyeon heard her footsteps running towards the toilet in urgency and Ahyeon finally got into the counter.

“Your sister is quite adorable, don’t you think?”

That question made Ahyeon’s head shot up from staring at the counter to look at the presence just in front of her. It was already a bit late and there wasn’t any customer inside the shop, which made the workers sat down amongst themselves and chat away with each other to wait for the shop to close.

Ahyeon never really chatted with the other workers since they seemed like they were staying away from her just because her sister is their boss.

But then, it wasn’t like she was dying to have a company at the workplace either. She enjoyed solitude more than socializing with other people. So when Hanbin tried to converse with her, she wanted nothing than for him to shut up and let her do her work in silence. She couldn’t handle awkward conversations, unless if it’s with her group of friends.

“Lots of people say that,” Ahyeon replied while looking down at the counter, counting the money inside the cash register.

“Do you keep gold bars in your mouth? You rarely speak to people. I wonder if—“

Hanbin wasn’t able to continue his words when Ahyeon suddenly looked up from the counter and stared at him dead in the eye. Her eyes reflect annoyance and anger.

“I don’t like pointless conversations. If you like my sister, just say it to her. I won’t even be able to help you even if you tell me you like her.”

It was the first time in his whole life that someone dared to talk to him in that kind of way. Most of people he met don’t even dare to look at him right in the eye, let alone to talk to him so bluntly like Ahyeon did. He felt anger built up inside of him.

He hated being treated so badly like this when he tried to be nice to her.

“You do realize that I was just trying to talk to you because you seemed like you’re being ostracized by the other workers. If you can’t even reply nicely to my simple question, it’s no wonder that you have no friends.”

When Hanbin walked to the staff room and got out wearing his casual clothes, Ahyeon realized that it was already closing time. With a sigh, she closed the cash register and locked it before walking towards her sister who just walked out of the staff room, already changing out of their work attire.

“What’s with the sour face?”

Jimin’s question left unanswered when Ahyeon just gave her the key to the cash register and walked inside the staff room to change.

When she got out of the room a few minutes later, Jimin was still looking at her with a concerned look on her face. She ignored her sister and walked out the door to lock it; she was the one who held the keys since Jimin is quite forgetful at times. She didn’t even feel like talking about what Hanbin had just said to her.

Because deep in her heart, she knew what he said was true.

She wasn’t cheerful and friendly like Jimin is, she only smiles when she feels like it. That was why Jimin was the most popular student during her high school days while Ahyeon was just her sister’s shadow; always unnoticed by most people.

“Shin Ahyeon, tell me what is up with you. Why are you frowning?” Jimin asked her when they finally get home. “If you have problems, please tell them to me. I don’t like you holding in your problems.”

Ahyeong sighed when she heard Jimin’s last sentence. She doesn’t trust many people except her circle of friends and her sister, and she knows she can never hide anything from her sister anyway. Jimin practically took the role of a mother in their household pretty well since their parents were rarely around.

She sat on the couch before patting the place beside her, gesturing Jimin to sit there. Once Jimin sat down, she began to talk.

“It’s nothing, it’s just that... someone told me that I have no friends because of the way I talk.”

“What is wrong with the way you talk? There’s nothing wrong about it.”

“No... like, I talk to strangers differently than how I talk with my friends and family. Maybe that’s why he thought of me like that.”

Jimin’s expression changed from almost angry to curious the second she heard the ‘he’ as the object in Ahyeon’s story.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Ahyeon began to feel that it was a wrong decision to talk to her sister about this. If Jimin knows that it was Hanbin who said that about her, Jimin would turn into an annoying sister--matchmaker. Jimin had always wanted to see Ahyeon dating a boy because she was in ‘the perfect age to start dating’ just like she said and would always inspects the guys around Ahyeon to see if he is worthy to date her younger sister.

Then again, the only boy Ahyeon ever get close with was Donghyuk and Ahyeon only like Donghyuk as a friend.

It’s not like Donghyuk would like me either, Ahyeon thought for a while. He likes cute and bright girls instead of someone like me.

As if reading what was on Ahyeon’s mind, Jimin shrugged her shoulders before getting up from her seat.

“It’s just interesting to see that you’ve finally met someone who’s as blunt as you are. No one has ever told you that in your whole life, right?”

Ahyeon furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at her sister’s words. Now she feels like this conversation is getting nowhere.

“Whatever, I’m just gonna watch BTS’s new stage. I’m lucky I get to record it before going to work.”

Giving up with the conversation, she took the remote on the coffee table and switched on the television while ignoring Jimin who went to the bathroom to take a shower.

No one has ever told you that in your whole life, right?

Those words were still on her mind as she watched BTS performing their new song on television. Just then, she remembered that school will open in about four days.

“, I haven’t done my homework!”

 

****************************************

 

      “So what you’re saying right now is, you want to apologize to Hanbin?” Jimin’s question almost made Ahyeon wanted to facepalm in embarrassment. She doesn’t need to rephrase my statement, it’s not like she didn’t know what I meant, Ahyeon thought while sipping on the warm milk.

During breakfast, Ahyeon decided that she would see Hanbin today at work and apologize for her words yesterday after thinking about it the whole night. Besides, today was Hanbin’s last day of working.

“Shin Ahyeon is apologizing to people. Wow, this needs to be recorded in the history.”

Ahyeon rolled her eyes at Jimin’s remark. She was fully aware that she wasn’t the type to apologize to people because most of the time, she was actually right.

Not this time, though.

“Unnie, you really need to shut up before I put wasabi in your dinner tonight.” Ahyeon threatened while drinking her milk calmly.

Jimin can’t eat spicy foods and wasabi is one of the most frightening food on her list. So it was understandable when she finally shuts up and finished her food after hearing Ahyeon’s threat.

“If you’re finished, let’s go to the cafe. It’s almost opening time.”

With those last words from Jimin, Ahyeon immediately finishes her breakfast and went to the sink to wash the dishes before hurriedly walking to the front door to follow Jimin out. Usually, she was the one who would urge her sister to be quick but today is a different story.

Maybe it’s because she had too many things occupying her mind that morning.

When they passed by Donghyuk’s house on the way to the elevator, Ahyeon wondered if he was in there. Since two days ago, they never met each other despite having their house just beside each other and he also hasn’t been active on his social medias like always.

Maybe he’s too busy with the work in the company and whatnot, the thought crossed Ahyeon’s mind before the elevator door opens and the thought dissipated by itself just as the elevator door closed after they stepped inside.

By the time they finally arrived at the cafe, few of the workers already waited outside the cafe. As soon as Jimin unlocked the front door, the workers immediately do their tasks for opening; mainly sweeping and mopping the floor, switching on the machines, and cleaning the kitchen. It was only after finishing their tasks do they change to their work attire.

Hanbin came a little late to the cafe, earning some dissatisfied glances from few of other workers. He ignored it since it was his last day of working there anyway.

He went straight to change his casual attire before walking to the cashier where Jimin was at.

“Miss Shin, I want to apologize for coming in late this morning. I had to send my sister to her kindergarten today.”

Ahyeon who was waiting for the orders just beside the cashier counter pretended that she didn’t notice Hanbin was talking to her sister but her ears were actually taking in every word. He has a younger sister? That’s new. He didn’t seem like someone who would have a younger sister.

“You had messaged me about it yesterday, right? So don’t worry, it’s okay,” Jimin replied with her usual friendly tone before she pointed to a new customer and asked Hanbin to serve the new customer.

“Order for Table 2!”

Ahyeon heard one of her co-worker saying before she realized that it was the order she waited for.

Before long, it was already time for their lunch breaks. The system at the cafe was that the breaks are divided into two shifts, with each break lasted for an hour and a maximum of four people in each break time.

Usually, the workers would eat outside for lunch but Ahyeon prefers to eat inside the cafe since it’s easier and she actually prepared packed lunch for herself every day.

As she took a seat at one of the table and opened her packed lunch, she then realized that she didn’t bring her chopsticks. , now how am I gonna eat this? She internally slapped herself for forgetting an extremely important thing aside from her packed lunch.

Just as she got up from her seat and planned to take a spoon from the counter, someone had handed her the spoon.

“Here, you might need this.”

She looked up and felt a bit surprised because it was Hanbin.

His face was still the same stoic expression like yesterday and other days when she saw him in school. Not a single hint of a smile or even warmth from his whole expression. Sometimes she wonders if he ever smiles in his whole life.

But more than that, her head was filled with the apology that she wanted to say to him since yesterday night.

She took the spoon from him and blurted out the apology, unable to meet his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

That apology elicited a bit of expression from Hanbin, as his eyes widened in a surprised fashion. He was bewildered when she suddenly apologized to him.

“What are you apologizing for?”

She finally looked up at him and stared in confusion. Wait, he didn’t remember what I said to him yesterday?

“Before anything else, let’s just sit first. People are looking at us weirdly.”

Following his instruction, they both took a seat at the table with their seats facing each other. Ahyeon gulped the saliva that collected itself in before thinking of how she should phrase her explanation.

Hanbin was waiting for her answer while opening his canned drink, staring at her.

“Umm... I’m sorry for being rude to you yesterday. Like, I don’t know if you actually like my sister or not but I shouldn’t reply to your question like that. So yeah, I am sorry.”

To her surprise, there was a slight smile on Hanbin’s lips before he suddenly chuckled and shook his head at her apology.

“You haven’t changed at all.”

Ahyeon blinked in confusion.

“What do you mean..?”

Familiar footsteps came to Ahyeon’s sense of hearing; she had an extremely good sense of hearing that people often joked that she was actually a superhero in her past life. Just from the footsteps, she already knew who it was.

“Yeon! Guess what I bought for you--”

Donghyuk stopped talking when he saw Hanbin got up from his seat and walked away from them, bringing along his canned drink with him. A mix of curiousity and anxiety he felt yesterday morning came back to his mind.

 

Because he knows too well who Kim Hanbin is.

 

Or what he used to be to them in the past.

 

---

A/N: I'm sorry for the long wait, but now here it is! I'll probably update this story once a week or when I have the time to actually write since college will starts in less than two weeks. 

Plus, I finally get the inspiration to continue writing this story after I actually met iKON and ideas for this story are coming from me so suddenly after that day LOL.

Expected update: 31/8/2016