Every weekday morning Kwon JiYong wakes up at 5.30am. He gets dressed, has his regular breakfast which is normally a cup of milk and a banana and then he gets on the 6.30am bus to work.

The trip will take 20-30 minutes.

He reaches his workplace by 7 and gets everything ready.

He opens the register and makes sure that all the pastries are accounted for in the display fridge. While Seungri, his coworker sweeps the floor and arranges all the chairs neatly.

By 7.30, he walks over to the glass door to flip the sign that says 'close' to 'open'.

The smell of coffee and the sound of customers chatting away filling the atmosphere.

JiYong has loved the taste and smell of coffee ever since he was a kid, when he had his first cup of coffee.

So when he got out of high school, he didn't go to college.

He got all the money he had in his savings account and decided to open up a cafe.

His parents were against his actions in the first place, especially since his father is a wealthy businessman in the trading market but after much persuasion, he finally got their approval.

He did research on which kind of coffee beans are the finest and he made his own recipe every drink on the menu. His partner Seunghyun who for some strange reason likes to be called Top made up the recipes for the pastries that they served.

His longtime buddy YongBae who was an interior designer helped him design the cafe into looking like a mini greenhouse. Using minimalist colors like white, green and brown.

Business was booming ever since the opening and JiYong was proud that finally "G Cafe" was taking off.

"Hyung, won't you ever get tired of this? Waking up so early and doing this routine all the time?" asked Seungri.

"Never. You know you can tell a lot by a person depending on their coffee choice or even their choice of pastry. Also you get to see so much that's going on in this tiny cafe all the time."

"Oh really? What can you tell me about a person who drinks black coffee?"

"They are individuals who are more straightforward and they like to keep things simple, just like their coffee. Sometimes they can be abrupt and dismissive."

"Woahhhh, hyung. Now that is cool."

"See, I told you. You can tell a lot about someone just by what they drink."

Suddenly, the bell rang which meant a customer just came in. 

JiYong looked at the clock,

8:15AM

Spring had just arrived when she first walked in through those doors.

She took small steps as she walked towards me, as I was in charge of the register that day.

"Hello, welcome to G Cafe what can I get you?"

With no words coming out from , she pointed at the menu

"White Chocolate Mocha Latte"

and held up her index finger.

"Alright so one white chocolate mocha latte, anything else I can get for you?"

She pointed at the menu once more,

"Cinnamon Roll"

"So one white chocolate mocha latte and one cinnamon roll. Will that be for here or to go?"

She pointed down.

"For here?"

She nodded.

"Your total will be $8.05"

And she handed him exact change.

 

JiYong watched as she grabbed the tray when her food and drink was served and she walked to sit at a table at the corner of the shop.

Somehow, JiYong felt sensed a different vibe from her.

He has seen so many people come into his shop every single day but never has one managed to catch his eye like she did.

 

She came every single day after her first visit. Always entering the shop at 8.15AM.

"Hyung, hyung!"

Seungri's voice called JiYong back to reality.

"Your daydreaming again hyung."

JiYong looked at the door to see a gentleman dressed in a business suit coming in.

The man walked over, his suit wrinkled. Dark circles forming under his eyes.

"Hi, welcome to G Cafe. What can I get for you?"

"Can I..can I have a cappucino please?"

"That's all?"

"Alright, your total will be-"

His phone was ringing which prompted JiYong to stop talking.

"Mom! I told you to stop calling me, you're making me feel more nervous. I'm at a coffee shop next to the building right now. No mom my interview is in another 30 minutes. Alright I'll call you later, bye"

"I'm sorry, how much was that again?"

"Forget it, it's on the house."

The man looked at him because JiYong took him by surprise.

"Hey buddy, don't be nervous for that interview ok. Go for it."

The man bowed and kept thanking JiYong as if he were his guardian angel giving him luck with a free coffee.

"But I still need your name for the coffee though, you can collect it over there when my coworker calls out your name."

"It's Daesung"

"Well, Daesung good luck for that interview. You got this"

......

JiYong started placing her drink and her cinnamon roll at her usual table before she came in one month after she started frequenting his shop.

She was took by surprise at first when she walked in and JiYong pointed at that table.

But sooner or later, it became a routine for both of them.

JiYong would place her order on the table before 8:15 and she would walk in the door at exactly 8:15.

She would read a novel or be on her laptop but she will always leave at exactly 12PM, leaving the exact change on the table.

JiYong likes to observe her. She is always so gentle and elegant.

JiYong always wanted to interact with her, and one day he got the chance.

 

As she walked out of the doors at 12pm once more, he went to the table to clear the dishes.

Only to find out that she had left her novel behind.

A smile formed on his face as he grabbed the book and went out the door.

"Seungri, I'll be back in a bit!"

 

"Excuse me, miss!"

She kept on walking without turning back.

He held onto her book in my hand as I tried catching up to her.

"Miss!"

With his last sprint, JiYong finally caught up and placed my hand on her shoulder.

She turned around and looked at him surprised.

"You...you left this behind." JiYong was trying to catch his breath as he showed her the book.

Her eyes widened as she reached out for the book to take it back.

She bowed to him and was about to leave.

"Wait! Can I know your name?"

But she never looked back once more,

For JiYong hadn't realize yet, that she could not hear or speak to him.

 

JiYong really wanted to get to know her more ever since that encounter.

So the next day, he slipped a note under her drink and placed it on her table.

"Hi, I'm the barista that returned your book yesterday. My name is Kwon JiYong what about yours?"

He tried to perfect the note so many times but the best he could come up with was that.

"Here goes nothing," he thought as he placed the drink, cinnamon roll and note on the table.

 

"Lee JiEun"

Those 3 words were written on the note when she left.

A smile crept onto his face.

---

Daesung came back to the shop 2 hours after he left,

JiYong was preparing a drink for another customer when Daesung came up to him.

"Hey mister!"

JiYong stopped everything and looked up,

"Oh it's you again, what's up?"

"I really want to thank you! I got the job!"

JiYong smiled,

"Congratulations kiddo! Guess I will see you here around often?"

"You bet! This place will be my favorite coffee shop from now on!"

JiYong smiled seeing how Daesung skipped out of the coffee shop.

Then, nostalgia hit him once more.

Once JiEun wrote down her name, JiYong decided to write her a note every day.

 

"That's a really nice name. Also I've read the book that I returned to you the other day, it really is a good book!"

"Really? I've just started reading it. The plot is kinda confusing though"

 

"It is but as soon as you get to chapter 15 (I think), things get so much better from there."

"Alright, I'll try to hang on to this book a little longer"

 

The notes never stopped, JiYong would place a note on her table and he would get a reply everyday. They've been doing this for almost a month. So JiYong decided to take things further instead of just talking to her on paper, he wanted to talk to her in person.

 

"JiEun-ah, can we possibly meet up for lunch sometime during the weekend? I would love to know you more."

But he never got a reply.

 

And she stopped coming.

 

JiYong felt stupid for writing that note, he felt stupid for chasing her away.

"Did I move things too fast? Was I irrational?"

He didn't see her for one whole week, but JiYong never stopped bringing her drink and cinnamon roll.

 

The week after, JiYong was hesitant whether or not he should still bring her drink to the table.

He looked over at the clock,

8:10

"Will she appear in 5 minutes time?"

The bell rang at that moment and it was her.

She looked directly at JiYong and her gaze never left him as she walked closer to him and handed him a letter.

JiYong slowly reached for it and JiEun smiled at him before leaving.

 

"Hi JiYong, I really enjoyed our note passing daily conversation and I would love to get to know you more as well. But I am afraid the most you will get to 'hear' from me is through my writing. 

I'm deaf-mute JiYong. I was born this way.

It took me a while to get the courage and write all this down.

But yes, I would love to know you more as well. Lunch sometime soon? Here's my number, I hope you don't find me weird or anything

JiEun xoxo"

 

She was deaf-mute. That would make sense why she didn't turn around when he went after her to return her book the other day.

That would explain why she would order her latte while pointing at the menu.

But still, that made JiYong want to know her more and protect her as well.

 

That Saturday, they finally met.

JiYong even brought a notepad and a pen to initiate conversations with her.

JiEun found JiYong cute as well, seeing how he prepared the notepad and everything.

 

Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours.

JiYong would scribble something down and pass it to JiEun, who would do the same and pass it back to JiYong.

They shared everything about each other and became really close friends.

 

Things changed ever since, JiEun would still frequent the shop. 

But she never sits at the corner table anymore,

she would sit at the bar while JiYong would be on the other side.

When JiYong is free, he would go to her and they would start slipping notes to each other.

Things started blossoming between the two.

And so one day, JiYong put down her drink with a latte art love

and a note right under it.

"Lee JiEun, will you go out with me?"

.

.

.

"Yes"

...

"Hyung, you are like a lucky star to that kid now. When he walked in this morning, he was a complete mess. Now look at what you've done! You gave him the job!"

"Shut up, Seungri. All I did was give him a free cup of coffee. It's not like the coffee helped him in landing his job."

"You gave him hope"

JiYong froze with that sentence.

JiYong started learning sign language for her.

He went to classes in secret, because he wanted to surprise her on their 6 month anniversary.

"Sir, could you teach me how to say I love you?"

"Ah, it's easy. All you have to do is how up your thumb, index finger and pinky. Like you are doing the rock and roll sign."

JiYong did it, "You mean like this?"

"Yup, you got it kiddo."

 

And so when he picked her up for dinner the other day.

She got in the car,

and JiYong signed for her.

"Why don't you look beautiful today?"

JiEun gaped at him as tears started forming at her eyes.

"You know sign language?"

 

'I've been learning.'

and then he held his thumb, index finger and pinky up.

JiEun did the same and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

'Thank you' she signed.

 

"There is nothing to thank me for, if I am with the one I love. Shouldn't I experience her world like she does as well?''

"No, JiYong. Thank you for giving me hope when I thought there wasn't any left."

---

Business was slow after Daesung left. It was a Thursday and the crowd usually died down around 3 pm.

Normally they would close up at 5.30 but JiYong decided to close early today.

"Hey Seungri, let's just pack up and call it a day. I doubt any more people will come in at a time like this."

"WOOHOO!"

 

JiYong needed some fresh air after closing up.

Some days staying cooped up in the cafe too long will take a toll on him.

He drove with no destination in mind.

But still ended up there.

...

JiYong loved everything about JiEun, he found her lovable, sweet, kind, caring and gentle.

JiEun loved everything about JiYong, she found him her pillar of hope, strength and comfort.

It was JiYong who gave JiEun the courage to start working once more instead of just staying cooped up at home.

It was JiYong who looked up jobs suitable for JiEun in a comfortable environment,

It was JiYong who dropped her off at the newspaper company for the job interview.

It was JiYong who picked her up when she got the job and the new chief editor for the e-copies department.

It was JiYong who stood up for her when he heard how some of her coworkers defined her because they felt that a deaf-mute chief was not eligible to be in charge.

It was JiYong who got down on one knee and profess his love for JiEun when they were having a picnic.

It was JiYong who saved JiEun.

JiYong was going to pick JiEun up from her company and treat her to dinner.

It was their 1000th day together and they were only 3 months away from their wedding.

JiYong bought a bouquet of pink roses, JiEun's favorite and was across the street from JiEun's workplace. He waited around 10 minutes, and then he saw his angel walking through those revolving doors.

She was wearing a white dress with a black blazer. JiYong felt like he was falling in love all over again which he considers he key to a successful relationship.

They made eye contact, and she signed to him saying that she will be crossing the road. Not like the usual where JiYong would cross the road and pick her up.

The light turned green and JiEun was crossing the road.

However, JiEun couldn't hear the sound of the tires skidding as a car was losing control.

JiEun couldn't hear the sound cars honking warning her to get out of the crossroad nor could she hear the sound of civilians telling her to move away.

But JiYong could.

And so JiYong dropped the flowers and ran to her.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

JiYong was looking down on her, she who was sleeping peacefully in her room.

JiEun never took off their engagement ring.

And pasted throughout her room was pictures of them and all their notes.

JiEun never heard his voice till the very end, and she will never be able to.

 

Seungri, or should I say an immortal being who took on the form of Seungri suddenly appeared next to JiYong,

"You ready?"

JiYong nodded and as he blinked, tears started streaming down from his eyes.

"You did good kiddo, you even gave that Daesung kid some good luck today. Not many people will do that even in the afterlife."

JiYong smiled at the Seungri lookalike.

"Thank you. For letting me see her one more time."

He turned around, getting ready to leave but he sneaked a glance at JiEun once more and whispered underneath his breath.

"I love you, Lee JiEun"

 

JiEun suddenly woke up from her nap, tears streaming from her eyes.

She had a dream once more, a dream about JiYong on the night that he passed.

She dreamt about how he ran over and pushed her aside, but right before he was hit by the car.

She could actually hear JiYong say, "I love you, Lee JiEun"

She heard a voice in her dream. 

Although she had never heard JiYong's real voice, she chose to remember that voice as his.

---

[A/N] Hello hello I am back with one shot story of my favorite ship! I hope you all enjoyed this story! Comments and loves are much appreciated.