°

My manager drives me to a nearby Cafe that I usually go to. There was a small line inside its small interior. The Cafe has a very refreshing atmosphere, nature aesthetics, with hard wooden flooring, natural light radiating from the glass ceiling and a lot of neutral and warm colors in the decor. The aroma of fresh brewing coffee and pastries made me feel comfortable. I sat in the corner waiting for the line to shorten. As I sat browsing on my phone, I could sense someone intense gaze, staring at me. As I was annoying the awareness, it became more uncomfortable. Their heated eyes felt like it was scanning me, in and out. As I was about to get up and move, I heard a voice that made my heart stop for a second. In that second, time stopped. Then, looking up slowly, my eyes widen. I froze. I couldn’t believe that this was real. Is this real?

“Jeonghan…” She said softly, as she stood before me.

“......”

I couldn’t response. My brain felt like it wasn’t functioning. I just sat static, staring wide eyes at her.

“Jeonghan…., how are you...hmm,” she said while mustering a smile. Her plump rouge lips glimmer in the natural light. Her jet black hair, fine as silk was full and wavy. Almost below her navel. ….And those eyes, those large almond eyes, deep and filled with energy. I-I can’t believe that this is happening. As I continued to be lost in my thoughts, I could sense her uncomfortableness and her expression slightly changing.

“Are you okay?” She asked with a troubled expression.

“....Ha- Hana...hello, sorry- hello Hana, how are you?” I said incoherently

“I’m doing good, I mean wonderful, now that I met you. I mean Seoul’s not all that big, but I never thought we’d meet.”

“Yeah, yeah, me neither. I’m still kinda shocked,” I said, feeling a little embarrassed, looking at the somewhat interesting floor. Then a sudden chill ran down my spine, my hands started shaking nervously, at the thought I became aware of.

“Auh...hey, is Henry with you?” I asked in a low tone, with my eyes still directed to the seemly interesting flooring arrangement.

“No, he’s at work. Not in Seoul though. He when back to his hometown-” as she softly spoke, I suddenly interrupted her

“-after his recovery?”

“Yeah,’ she said sounding kinda taken back, ‘once he recovered, his parents told him to move back and well-”

Suddenly realizing that she was still standing, I quickly stood up and took her hands, to usher her to sit down. All the while, attempting to avoid eye contact. Which she was aware of. She sat across from me, still looking at me.

“-well,’ she continued, ‘ I have a stable job in Seoul, so I couldn’t go with him, but we still talk and meet up. So…, how about you?”

“Ummm, heh, well I’m in the entertainment business…,” I said awkwardly smiling.

“I know,” she said smiling, even her eyes were smiling. “Seventeeeeen,” she said in a sing-song tone. I pouted unconsciously, a little-no, a lot embarrassed.

“Heh-heh, yeah.”

“Whoa. You’re amazing, you know.” She said smiling widely. If you were an onlooker, looking at our interaction, you’d think that she was flirting with me, and we were on a date. But, that’s just Hana for you.

“Why am I amazing?” I said smiling. I felt giddy.

“Because, well, after everything that happened, you know,” She said shyly, in a sad voice.

“Hehe, I know right. Who would imagine…” I said feeling a sudden sadness.

“That’s why you’re amazing.”

“Well, if I’m amazing, then you’re an angel,” I said smiling and looking gently at her.

“Ayyyye. That’s too much Han.” She paused and looked at the table. Like she caught herself. “I just realized it’s been long since I called you, Han.”

“Heh- Now you know how I feel,” I said rubbing the side of my neck

“Well, you used to call me Aphrodite, hehe.” She said with glee.

“OMO,” I said feeling dead inside. Beyond embarrassed. My hands pressing down my flushed, heated cheeks. “Omoooo, kill me now, or forever hold your peace,” I said, as I felt the cloud gloom over my head, soaked with hot water. Let me die!

“Yeah, remember~,” She said smiling ear to ear.

“Hanaaa, why~”

As we spoke it started to feel like we had been friends forever. Like nothing had happened. Like there was no distance. All the horrible things we both utter to each other, all the hurt I held onto, for what felt like forever, was dissolving all at once. Yet, it didn’t feel right, not at all.

“Jeonghan….? I’m so sorry for what happened in the past. So sorry...I was so angry. I couldn’t grasp the situation you were going through, and since-” She let out a deep sigh. Her voice began to shake.

“It’s okay. Really, Hana, it’s not your fault.”

“But it is. It is. If I never introduced you to it, then those things would have never happened,” She said on the verge of crying.  

While the soaked, gloomy cloud above me, started to drip cold water, and ruin my already ruined mood, my phone started to ring. At first, I was ignoring it because I wanted to comfort Hana, but the ring got louder.

“Answer it, Han.” She said, still soaking in her feelings.

I looked down at the caller I.D and saw that it was In-Sung.

“Excuse me,” I said as I got up to go outside to answer his call.

“Yeah, I wait. Oh um, do you want me to get you something? Don’t say no,” she said, half-smiling.

“Yeah, off-course. Thank you,” I replied while walking away.

“The usual.” She said, getting up.

“Omo, you remembered,” I asked shocked

“Off-course, your strawberry milkshake. It’s literally all you drink.”

“Hehehe”

°

“Why are you calling me,” I asked, pretending to be irritated.

“ You busy?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, sorry. I’ll make it quick.” He said worriedly.

“It’s okay, I'm kidding. I’m really not that busy.”

“You’re a mess.” He said smiling through the Phone.

“In-Sung, we should chill today.”

“Right. That what I was calling ‘bout, but you know, sense you’se busy and all.”

“ Hehehe...your accent, I swear,” I said smiling.

“That’s how I rap though. Don’t be busting on my chop.”  

“-umm, what the hell,” I said, trying to hold my laughter.

“Yo, I’m not busting, sense you’se ‘bout that life,” I burst out laughing. Still trying to be composed outside, while people are going inside the Cafe.

“I can’t, I’m dying alone right now,” I said trying to contain my crazy laughter.

“So, Netflix and chill?”

“Yah,” I said, dragging the word.

“Later then,” he said half upset and smiling through the phone.

After the conversation ended, I stood near the Cafe, giggling.

Notes

Yeah, man, I really wanna Netflix and chill, but I gotta work, work, work. XD. See ya~