My eyes fluttered open. Where am I?

   I slowly recognized the familiar blue-papered walls of my bedroom. I found myself laying underneath the covers on my bed, apparently just waking up from a very deep sleep.

   As my groggy eyes adjusted, I was just barely able to make out today's date circled in red hanging on my bedroom wall. It was the first day of my job as the new barista at Seoul Beans Café!

  What a vivid dream... It felt so real.

   A disappointed sigh escaped my lips as my eyes closed once more, trying to capture the feeling before it was completely gone. I could still feel the warm sensual embraces of the boyband turned stalkers called BEATWIN.

   A rosy blush heated up my cheeks at the memories. I bit my lip and let out a giggle.

   Was it all a dream? Had I made them up? Sometimes my brain likes to work overtime, but damn...

   I struggled to crawl out of bed. The alarm clock on my nightstand read 7:30 AM.

   Oh no! I’m going to be late for my new job!

   Vaulting to the shower, I hurriedly got ready for work.

   Making a mental note, I would be sure to do some internet searching when I got home. I must have seen something somewhere to have created such an in depth dream world.

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   “Annyeonghaseyo!” My fellow barista, Ari, greeted me with a smile. “Are you ready for your first day?”

   "You bet!” I tied my apron around my waist and began writing out the menu for the day.

   Monday morning bustle in downtown Seoul was just getting started and the doors would be open soon. I could already see streams of people hurrying past the storefront on their way to work.

   “We need to make some more cookies for the display.” Ari spoke over her shoulder as she headed back to the kitchen. I finished the menu and hurried after her to help.

   She was already rolling the refrigerated dough out on the counter top. I washed my hands and began helping roll the dough into balls to put onto the baking sheets.

   Ari looked up at me inquisitively from the task before her, motioning to the dark panda eyes I was sporting with her dough-covered finger. "Did you sleep ok? You seem tired."

   “Ne…I'm just a little worn out. Gwenchana.” Putting a smile on my face to help prove my story.

   Truth is, my brain was still trying to cipher through things. I felt like I had already been to my first day at work and it was creeping me out.

   The clock on the wall read 7:59. We slid the cookie dough into the oven and set the timer.

   “Time to open up! Hwaiting!!” Ari cheered me on as she headed out front to unlock the door.

   The whole shop smelled like heaven with a mix of coffee and freshly baked cookies.

   I could get used to this!

   Ari was really helpful in taking me under her wing and showing me the ropes. I was doing just fine until a customer with a picky order came in. By picky, I mean like grocery list length OCD order. And it didn’t help that the customer was already in a bad mood. I almost got their order wrong but thankfully Ari saved me.

  “Kamsahamnida!” I mouthed to her.

   She gave me a cheerful thumbs up, going back to ringing up another customer.

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   A little while later on our lunch break, Ari and I sat behind the counter sharing our lunchboxes.

   Her phone started ringing as a catchy tune filled the air. "Yeoboseyo? Oh Eomma! Ne! I will pick it up after work. Ok! Saranghaeyo!" Blowing a kiss, she ended the call.

   Shoving another bite of rice in my mouth, I looked at her curiously.

   "It's my little brother's birthday today. Eomma wants me to pick up his cake." Ari continued eating her kimchi.

   "Hey, what was that catchy ringtone you have?"

   "Oh you like it? It the new title track of my favorite Kpop group!"

   I never knew Ari was a fangirl. She got out her phone and searched the internet for something.

   I took a swig of my soda, as she pulled up a music video to show me.

   "Stalker by BEATWIN!" She introduced proudly.

   I choked on my drink, staring at the screen in horror as five blond majorly hot, eerily familiar guys in suspenders started dancing to the song I had just heard.

   "They are real?!" My voice came out in a hoarse whisper.

   "Of course, they are real, silly! I saw them once in concert! They signed my hoodie! Youngjo was a total sweetheart!" Ari gushed like a schoolgirl.

   I stared blankly at the screen. Those voices... Those eyes... Those smirks... This was all too much for me to handle! 

-------

   For the rest of the day, my mind was elsewhere. I could not concentrate on anything, and I kept getting orders wrong.

   Next thing to happen was the embarrassment of spilling hot cappuccino all over another customer. The shouting and cursing was so loud that the boss came out of his office from making orders to see what the problem was.

   I literally wanted to crawl under a rock and die. I don't think I have ever apologized so much in a single day in my life.

   The boss apologized to the customer again and gave them a free dry-cleaning coupon and a free coffee refill, which I knew would be coming out of my pay.

   Great. Could my life get any worse?

  It was my turn to wipe down tables, so I grabbed the rag and cleaner, hoping to hide away from the embarrassment in the back of the café for a little while.

   Preoccupied with thoughts and fantasies of the boyband that had officially ruined my life, my mind wandered back again to the mysterious dream I had the night before as I wiped down tables.

   A deep blush painted my cheeks red at the memory of Jungha cornering me in my bedroom…

   Wait…why am I thinking about this now?

   I shook my head, trying to dislodge the mental image of Jungha's playful smirk and that y look in his eyes. Picking up the trash and empty dishes off the table, I turned back towards the kitchen.

   Then I noticed a guy sitting at a booth in the very back of the café. His head was down and his arms were resting on the table in front of him. He lifted his head to look at me. As soon as his dark eyes met mine, my heart stopped and the dishes slipped out of my trembling hands, crashing to the floor.

   Jungha...

   That smirk... No... How is this possible? It was just a dream. Am I hallucinating? What is happening to me?

   I was literally shaking by the time Ari arrived at my side.

   “Gwenchana?!” She asked, frantically trying to get me out of the waking coma I was now in.

   I blinked and he was gone, like a figment of my imagination. I was sure I was going crazy. Maybe I should start seeing a psychiatrist. Did I grow so fond of the boys in my dream that I was now projecting them into real life situations?

   Ari’s pleas brought me back to reality. That, and her violent shaking of my left arm. I blinked again and looked down at the mess I had made.

   Cringe...

   My mind was becoming a basket case. I couldn't tell what was real anymore. My heart longed to understand this crazy situation I had suddenly found myself in; to return to the dream world that was so much better than my reality at the moment. But the rational part of my brain told me my wish could never be.

   But now… I have no idea...

   “Ari?” I asked cautiously. “Did you happen to see the guy sitting in the back booth just now?”

  She gave me a funny look. “Ani. It was empty all day.”

   My heart sank. Just as I thought, I had imagined it.

   “Are you sure you're alright?” My friend asked again for the fifth time, as we mopped up the spilled coffee and pieces of broken dishes.

   I nodded. “I hope Sajangnim doesn't fire me on my first day.” Tears were threatening to fall.

-------

   5 PM could not have arrived any sooner. All I wanted to do was go home and go to bed and never wake up. The embarrassment, stress, and confusion of the day had literally drained the life out of me.

   I clocked out and bid Ari goodbye and quickly made my way home through the rundown business district of Seoul.

   My head was throbbing. My back was aching. And my feet were killing me from standing on them all day.

   Looking down at the heels I had on, I really should have picked better shoes to wear to work. Reaching down with one hand, I pulled them off by the strap and walked barefoot the rest of the way on the warm asphalt; breathing out a heavy sigh.

   Suddenly, I heard the sound of a heavy metal door swinging shut.

   I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart skipped a beat and began thumping crazily inside my rib cage. Déjà vu overwhelmed my senses. I longed for it to be true, but I couldn’t handle any more disappointment.

   The sun was quickly setting behind the tall brick buildings. I stood completely still and counted the seconds, distinctly remembering two doors closing in my dream. Holding my breath and waiting impatiently for the second sound that never came, I felt my shoulders slump just a little.

   I should just go home. My bed is waiting. Dreams are better than reality anyway.

   I rounded the corner onto my street and skidded to a screeching halt. There, standing just outside my front door, was a group of five familiar guys. They looked over at me and big smiles spread across their faces.

   My aching heart felt like someone had ripped it out of my body and sewn wings on so it could fly. I felt tears running down my cheeks as they ran to greet me and my fragile body was suddenly smothered in a giant group hug.

   "You came back…” Was all my voice managed to squeak out.

   The corner of Sunhyeok's mouth turned up into a knowing smirk. “We never left."