She didn't come to school the next day. Of course nobody knows where she went, or what happened to her. Nobody even knows her number or SNS. I know it's strange realizing that I started thinking about her. Honestly, I always think about how a girl like her can be so mysterious like that, but that's just all. Just after the semester started, things, little by little, are uncovered. She likes SHINee music, which I like too. Moreover, because of a secret that I've been keeping from everyone.

She actually speaks like others, although we, or I exactly, should initiate it first. She has a beautiful smile which turns her eyes into crescent moon everytime it shows up. And she can be flustered as well...

Did my heart just skip a beat when the image of her holding her pink cheeks out of my sight just passing my mind?

"Yaa! Do Kyungsoo! Get a grip of yourself."

Hyunsik grabbed my arm just before I walked down the pavement while the lights still red and the cars were on the high speed crossing the zebra cross in front of us.

"What are you thinking?"
"Ah that's nothing. I just... Just remembered of something." I answered and rubbed my hair clumsily.
"Watch out, Kyung. I think your eyes are getting worse."
"Not if I do this" I glared to the things in front of me to make the sight clearer.

Hyunsik just laughed seeing me glaring like that with a certain expression he told me like I'm going to kill someone.

"Take care. I'm going now." He told me when the lights turn green and pushed me to the zebra cross. 

"Yeahh, see you on Monday"

I shouted at him before I walked. He then took a right turn to go to his hagwon (course).

I was speeding my steps because I thought I'd be late for today's practicing.

It has been 6 months already.

I go to the studio right after the school finishes, take the bus from the nearest bus stop from school to Cheongdam-dong.
Every night, plus every day on weekends.

Not even Hyunsik knows about it. He thinks that I'm still taking the same vocal course. Well, the truth is... I'm not. It's no more course, it's what we call as training.

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Tonight's customer were exploding just like other Saturday. My hands were busy all the night on the cashier machine. I couldn't make the line got traffic jam, and made people got mad. If they cancelled their order and going out of the cafe, the shop owner will be disappointed knowing my presence here just to make their business lacking. I didn't want to disappoint Hyerim-Unnie so then a smile never leaves my face when I greet people and take care of their order.

"One medium green tea latte and large bubble chocolate milkshake." I tossed the copy of the receipt to the kitchen staffs.

I took some of the cups ready on the tray and called the names written on it to deliver it to the customer.

"Thank you and enjoy your drinks." I thanked every customer, most of them are youngsters, spending night with their couple.

Some of them took away their drinks, while the rest were staying inside and order some school snacks. The cafe is cozy enough, at least in my preference. The almond-color-wooden furniture dominates the room, while the decoration are simple just to give a hint of vintage and warm broken white lightings were chosen to make the cafe more cozy, best with some trendy music played on the speaker, those songs which are jazzy or have soft melody. Sometimes I am allowed to play SHINee's on speaker. 

We sell some drinks and school snacks like, coffee, tea, and milkshakes. The snacks are just cheesy sticks, sweet potato sticks, and toppokki. Typical menu for our market target, Youngsters.

I worked here part time, only at nights between Monday and Friday, and full day on weekends. Honestly, I never feel burdened when I'm here. Because the people here care for me so much and treat me just like their own little sister.

The clock almost hit 10.30 when the last couple stood up and headed to the exit. 
"Please come again to our cafe." I said humbly from our counter, replied by their yes in sync.
I looked outside and finding that it was light raining. I started thinking how I got home, because I remembered that I didn't bring umbrella today.

"You've worked hard, Sora. Take a rest for a while." said Jonghoon-oppa.
He brought me a cup of hot chocolate and put it in the counter. 
He is the one who makes drinks in the cafe. He's also the one who cares for me the most, I almost believe that I had a brother because of him.
"Gomawo, oppa." I thank him as I was ready to sip the hot chocolate.
"Be careful, it's still burning hot." He told me before I sip it. He chuckled when seeing me suprised and put the cup back down.
"You know, Bokjoo noona has come home earlier because she had to buy something from the store before it closed.  And now I have to go as well to pick Hyerim from her meeting."
"Oh yeah, it's okay. I'll clean the table first then closing the shop. It's 10 minutes more to 11."
"So sorry I let you do this, Sora-ya."
"It's okay, it's not a big deal. Hurry up before the rain gets heavier, Oppa."

I insisted him to go, so then he hurriedly pulled off his apron, took his umbrella and left the key on the counter next to my cup of hot chocolate. 
When the door closes, the bells on top of it rang, just before the sound of rain became louder. It was raining cats and dogs out there.
I sighed long and heavily, knowing that I'll be spending some time here before the rain stopped.
The first thing I did was flipping the close sign on the door, and turned the front light off then I cleaned the last table. When I was going to the kitchen to throw the trash to the bin, I heard the bell on the front door rang with a man sound.

"Sorry, sir but we're closed already."

I hurriedly came back to the counter and saw a man or a boy dressed in black tshirt, trousers, and cap covering his face, fully wet. His entering made some watery traces and the place where he stood up making a puddle.

"Please just let me stay until the rain stop"
He was saying without stopping his movement to make himself dry a little.
Somehow I felt something familiar with his sound, but before I think more, I got back to the kitchen and take a large towel. He almost took it from my hand before I dropped the towel to the floor to absorb the puddle.

"I thought you were giving me that tow..."
He said while I was adjusting the towel to make it work better and using it to absorb all water traces from the door until the place the man standing.

This man just burdened me somehow.

At the same time I looked up to speak to him, he took off his cap and suddenly

"Han Sora?"
"Do Kyungsoo?"

We both freezed at the moment, each other seeing the other unbelievably.
"How could you?"
"Yaa! Get out!" I shouted at him and made him suprised.
I went behind his back and pushed him to go out of the shop, deliberately.
"Stop it." He almost yelled. He supported his weight and turn back to face me. He restrained both of my arms and make me hissed in pain.
"Yaa!"
"Stop it, Sora-ya."
He breathed so fast, hinting that he was hol ding his anger that moment.

I looked up and find that his eyes locked at me, almost going out, with his clenched teeth, shutting me up just with that certain expression.
"I don't expect to see you here, but you can't just kicked me out like that." He finally let go off my arms.

I was standing there, dumbly while he walked to the nearest chair and almost sit there.
I prevented him to do so, because the chair has some upholstery on it. He would make it wet just by sitting on it.

"Sit on the wooden ones instead."

I told him, with a softer voice, this time, afraid that I would turn him into the scary mode.
"Aigoo, jinjja.."
He moved and took the wooden chair to sit down.
I was doing nothing in front of him for a moment, seeing him drying his hair and his shirt by squeezing it a little. I initiatively dragged the towel into the floor near him so the water dropped from his body wouldn't make puddle anymore.

"You did that to insult me, didn't you?"
"Not really, it's a floor towel by the way. I'm just using it properly."
He still looked at me with those eyes, those ugly round eyes.

I escaped from his glares, going to the counter and took the remotes to make the heater on, so the temperature could be warmer.
When I put the remote back, I remembered that my hot chocolate should be warmer now. It's warm enough to sip, but still hot enough after I took one sip directly from the cup.
Feeling a little hot, I put the cup back down.

"Are you making me something?"
He asked from his chair, not able to see what I'm doing.
I wasn't replying but I think that he deserved this cup of hot chocolate more than me so I brought it to him.
"It's mine actually." I offered it, which with no hesitation he took it from my hand.

He didn't sip it hurriedly, he just held the cup thoroughly with his hands instead, maybe to feel the warm on its wall for a while. After smelling the steam, his lips captured the cup walls where I sip the liquid before.

"Not there, I sip it from there before."

He stopped and stared at me for a while, then he closed his eyes while sipping from the same spot although I have told him.

"You don't really think that we just have an indirect kiss by that, huh?" He smiled playfully when he said that.

"A..a..aniyo." I almost died of embarrassment because of his laughter. 

"Gomawo, Sora-ya." This time his eyes turned into more calm, and the same feeling when we were on the rooftop coming back again, made me do nothing but to hide my face from him.
"So, you work here." He paused for a second before he asked me with some of surprise hinted in his voice.

"You're not telling you quit school and working here, are you?"

"What are you talking about? I'm just a part timer here..." I said in my mumbling mode.

"Aaah... It's good then" he smiled before he took another sip again.

"You want some?" He offered me the cup with his teasing laughter.

"Aniyo! Why are you doing this to me?"
"What? What do you mean?"
"The rain is stopping. You can go now."
He inhaled air so much before drinking all chocolate left in the cup. 

With no words, he headed to the kitchen, 
"I'll wash it first." He said that coldly with his eyes telling me to stay where I am now.
But I insisted following him to the kitchen, watched him wash the cup, and show him where to put it.
I tidied up the floor until it dry and put the towel back to the kitchen. There was no water coming from him anymore, no doubt his clothes still wet. 
After I turned the lights off, I locked the door. 

"What direction?"
"What?"
"Your home."
"..." He couldn't stop making me confused with his every action. I couldn't think clearly to let out any word.
"I'm not going home before I take you home." He said in a very soft voice until I hardly heard it.
"I'm not going home if you're following me."
"Jinjja. Then you're the one who should follow me."

We glared at each other for a moment when he finally took my hand by surprise and lead the way.
"I'm going wherever I want unless you tell me where to take turn. Or you will come home at early morning tomorrow."
My effort to let go off my hands was just useless. No matter I whine, he just walked without saying anything.

His grip wasn't rough, but strong enough not to let my hand slipped off his. His steps are fast enough for me to follow it hurriedly.

"You should turn left here." I finally told him where my apartment is. It's over 12 and I don't want to stuck with him walking as long as he wanted until morning. What kind of nightmare I had tonight?

"And take right turn here." As we walked by, his grip loosened and his steps became slower.

Suddenly, he sneezed. I could feel the vibration through his hand. I thought his whole body vibrated so he stopped for a while, and rubbed his nose with his other hand.
His hand felt so cold, so I speed up my steps and he finally let go off my hand. He followed me without other sounds, other than his sneezes. When it's already in front of my apartment building, I looked at him. Even his face was covered by the cap, I could see that his face reddened a bit, mostly his nose.

"We're here."
"So it's your house..."
"Aniyo, I live at the second floor."
"Ah... Apartment. Okay then, I'll go home now" then he sneezed again.
He laughed a little just to ease me. Even I knew that he had caught a flu from his voice.

"Do Kyungsoo,..." I called him just before he pivoted his shoes.
"Yeah?" He barely saw me this time as he massage his head a little.
"You can take your sweater I borrowed yesterday." 
He sneezed one more time. 
"It's okay, my home is not too far away from here." He showed me a forced smile.
"It's really cold out here. I won't offer you twice."

I walked towards the door and tried to find my keys. I didn't look back, and opened the door quickly. Just as the door successfully opened, I could hear his breath behind me.

"Are your parents at home?"
"No..."