"Two lattes and a chocolate chip cookie, coming up!"

 

Jiwoo made her way across the café carefully balancing a full tray and watching her every step. The café Expresso was full around two in the afternoon – those who had just come off work were picking up coffee to bring home and those who sneaked away after lunch break they needed a boost to keep up the good work. 

 

"Here you go." Jiwoo said after delivering the order safe and sound with a smile. "Enjoy your drinks and let me know if you need anything else." 

She pulled up her notepad on the way back to the counter and checked the next thing on her list. 

"Oppa, is the order for Table 4 ready?" 

"It's brewing." Minseok responded and gestured towards three drinks next to him. "Until then, could you bring these out, please? Hot chocolate for Table 2." 

"Yes~" 

"Jiwoo-ya, could you come back for these afterwards?" Jongdae called, just returning from the kitchen with a tray of fresh-out-of-the-oven cinnamon buns." 

"Of course." 

"Thank you." 

Jiwoo picked up the tray and went to complete the task. Just then, a group of four sat down to the table on the side. She turned to them after delivering the hot chocolate drinks and scribbled down their order. She figured she might as well do if she happened to be right there. 

After that Minseok called her name to pick up the drinks for Table 4. Jiwoo quickly turned around because the table has been waiting for their order quite already but she forgot to check her surroundings and successfully collided with a very busy Baekhyun giving out lemonades. 

The glass exploded on the floor, sprinkling the two baristas and the unlucky onlookers with juice. Baekhyun could fortunately keep his balance by grabbing the edge of the table last minute but Jiwoo slipped and while she reflexively put down her hands first, palmed right into a broken piece of glass. 

"God, Jiwoo, are you okay?" Baekhyun leaned to help her up after the initial shock. 

"I'm good. Sorry, I didn’t look." 

"It's okay... Wait, you cut yourself." 

"It's nothing." Jiwoo shrugged it off then turned to the surprised customers and bowed. "Please, excuse my mistake. We're going to replace your drinks in a second." 

"Until we clear this up, please, everyone, stay in your seats!" Baekhyun added in a loud voice so the rest of the café won't get hurt. He said to Jiwoo after. "Go and find Kyungsoo, I'll go get a mop." 

"No, you should get the drinks. I'll get the mop. It's my fault." 

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes at his disobedient co-worker. 

"Jiwoo." 

"Think about like this then, if I get blood in anything, we'll be in even bigger trouble." She reasoned and deeming her reasoning already a success, hurried back to the counter. 

"What happened over there?" Minseok asked upon seeing her hiding her fist behind her back. 

"A minor accident. The lemonades for Table 3 has to be redone and maybe you could, you know, add a muffin or something for holding them up. Baekhyun will come to pick it up. Oh, and is the mop in the storage?" 

"Here it is." Jongdae stepped to her with the item in hand. "But first you should -" 

"Thanks, oppa, you're a lifesaver." 

Jiwoo mopped up the spilled juice while apologizing profusely to anyone whom she might have disturbed with her actions. She tried to keep a straight face and act like nothing happened but her forefinger kept throbbing, sending an uncomfortable, stinging feeling across her hand. 

When she could finally squeeze in a bathroom break, she immediately held her finger under the tap with a whine. 

"Oh, damn it." 

Her pain tolerance has never been the highest. Sure, she could hide it well when it hurt, but the pain didn’t become bearable the slightest because of it. She really needed a band aid... but coming to think of how many dishes await her to wash, there were no use of drenching one. 

"And it's not that big of a cut anyway. I'm a big girl, I can do this." Jiwoo murmured to her reflection in the mirror and with that, went back to work. 

The rest of her shift passed uneventfully, luckily. A little after four, Jiwoo put the last glass on the dryer and wiped her hands into a washcloth. 

"I'm going to change, unless you need anything...?" 

"No, just go. We can handle this much." Jongdae smiled at her kindly. "Do you want me to prepare you an espresso before you go? So you won't fall asleep on the bus." 

"Oppa, that happened only once, you don’t have bring it up all the time." Jiwoo complained, used to the teasing but embarrassed nevertheless. 

Baekhyun grabbed the tray he had come for and left while saying above his shoulder: 

"We don’t have to but we will. Your drooling face was all kind of disgusting and priceless." 

"I didn’t drool. You weren't even there!" 

"But I was and although Baekhyun is completely wrong about the disgusting part; he's right, it's too priceless to forget about it." Minseok chuckled. 

Jiwoo stomped off with a huff. 

"You all hate me." 

"Excuse me, but I'm making a drink for you!" Jongdae shouted after her. 

"Whatever!" 

The girl changed her uniform for a comfortable combo of jeans and a hoodie. She would have loved getting into the shower but she was already late for practice. After practice though, she thought while fixing her makeup in the mirror, after practice I'm getting a nice, long shower. Nobody can stop me from it! 

She was getting her coat when Jiwoo heard knocking on the door. 

"Jiwoo, are you done?" 

"Yeah, come on in." 

Kyungsoo closed the door after himself with a stoic face and a baby pink box in his hand. 

Jiwoo had to stifle her laugh with her sleeve at the comical contrast. 

"If I were you, I would cry instead. Show me your hand." 

"It's already sealed and healed." 

"I said show me your hand." 

"And I said –" 

"Jang Jiwoo, for the love of God, shut up and give me your hand." 

At the icy tone, Jiwoo shut and sat down on the bench. Kyungsoo sighed out relieved and reached into the first aid kit. 

"I see its nothing major but a cut is a cut." 

"Yes." 

"If you get an infection, you're doomed." 

"Yes." 

"Are you listening to me?" 

"Kind of." Jiwoo answered honestly, causing the corner of Kyungsoo's mouth pulling up a little. "In my head, I'm already at the studio. Today was a really long day." 

"Well, Minseok never pleaded you to do ten-hour shifts." 

"I'm feeling bad leaving at two though. That’s when it’s the most crowded." 

Kyungsoo was applying the ointment expression tired. 

"You could start later then. At eight, for example." 

"But then you have to do the preparation the four of you. And that’s a lot of work." Jiwoo argued before shaking her head. "I'm sticking to my ten hours even if it's long." 

"Stop complaining then." 

"I wasn’t complaining. I just said today was a really long day. Because it was." 

Kyungsoo put a band aid on Jiwoo's hand and closed the kit. 

"And it isn't over yet." 

"True." Jiwoo got off the bench then picked up her bag and smiled at the other. "Thanks, oppa. You didn’t have to but at least this way I'll have an excuse why I'm late from practice again." 

She had time to drink up quickly the espresso Jongdae made for her – she almost burned down her esophagus but nevermind – before she had to run to catch the bus. Baekhyun, Minseok and a few of the customers watched her dash down a street with a grin. 

Jiwoo sat in her seat sweaty and hot but energized. It was partly because of the strong coffee she had just had but more because of the practice she had ahead of her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first time Jiwoo come to check out a practice at the Supernova Dance Studio she thought she was going to die. 

First of all, she only intended looking. Having practicing only in front of her full-length, partly cracked mirror at home, she thought the wise thing to do is look first before she actually tries dancing out. But her plans fell through twenty seconds in because the instructor and head of the studio, Hyoyeon, called her out and said she either joins or leaves. Jiwoo reluctantly joined because if she already came, she might as well try it out, right? 

The next hour was a straight nightmare. Jiwoo didn’t feel just unskilled or slow but clumsy and worthless and only noticed she's crying when a fellow dancer tapped her shoulder and asked if she's okay. She wasn’t... but when Hyoyeon asked her if she wants out, she shook her head and continued. 

She wasn’t going to give up. Dancing was her secret passion. And she knew she will only grow and get better if she works for it. Her muscles were straining horribly the next day but she showed up next week as well, and the week after, and the week after after and just when it was her one-month anniversary of attending dance classes, and Hyeoyeon asked her if she wants to join her team, Jiwoo agreed with tears in her eyes. 

It's been five years since then. Five years of hard work and joy. Jiwoo hasn’t regretted anything. 

That proved to be a stretch soon because as soon as Jiwoo set foot in the practice room, a shoe flew across the air and if she didn’t dodge in the last minute, it would have landed on her face bless the good aim. 

"Jang Jiwoo, you're ing late!" 

"I know and I'm incredibly sorry~" She apologized and ran to take her spot next to Jongin silently. 

The boy smiled at her teasingly. 

"Missed the bus?" 

"Not exactly." 

"Noona, why is there a band aid on your finger? One would think you're immune to scratches now considering you keep a cat." Minhyuk added after grabbing Jiwoo's finger and inspecting it from closer. 

"Midnight doesn’t claw at her anymore. Let me see." Mira shooed the curious boy away. 

Yujin rolled her eyes and dragged Minhyuk back to his place. 

"So, what if it’s a scratch or a viral disease, she survives. She always does." 

This Jiwoo couldn’t let go without a word. 

"Hey Park Yujin, at least try to sound like you pity me a little." 

"Oh you're miserable, unnie. I pity your existence, don’t worry." 

Jaehyun just laughed at the side. 

"Oh my God, can you leave her alone?" 

"You better do before I throw a shoe at you all!" Hyoyeon raised her voice again and cocked a well-defined eyebrow at Mira to finally let go of Jiwoo so they can continue practicing. "ing finally. I wanna see your feet moving not your mouth. Take your places, I won't stop the player again! This bunch of kids..." 

Jiwoo and Mira grinned at each other mischievously before concentrating on their respective partners. Hyoyeon often got annoyed at their antics but never got mad at them for real. 

Their latest routine was to Camila Cabello's "Havana". Jiwoo liked the song upon first listen and could already imagine what dancing to it could be like – sensual, emotional and a tad bit of y. Outside the studio Jiwoo didn’t consider herself to be like that but when it comes to dancing, she always felt like she can be anything. And if the song demands a y performance, she can put aside her embarrassment in order to show a great performance. 

In all honesty, the thing she didn’t have such a hard time with adjusting to the song also had to do with Jongin being her partner. That boy was the living embodiment of passion when he danced and that attitude quickly got to Jiwoo as well. Dancing with Jongin wasn’t easy because he is a way more skillful dancer than she is but at the same time it felt ridiculously easy – Jongin's energy was impossible not to follow. 

Jiwoo let the music lead her as she swayed her hips to the beat before Jongin spun her around just to bring her back and have their fingers naturally intertwine. During moments like this, Jiwoo often forgot about her environment, as well as the time. She just enjoyed the music and her movements. Dancing felt like breathing. 

They were getting towards the end of the song when suddenly the music player stopped. Everyone whipped their head around to Hyoyeon questioningly. 

"Unnie, didn’t you tell we won't stop again?" Yujin asked slightly annoyed. 

Jaehyun let go of Mira's waist, eyebrows furrowed. 

"Hyo, is everything okay?" 

Jiwoo shared his worry. For a second, Hyoyeon looked like she was afraid of something, very unusual of her – their leader rarely showed weakness, she was always strong and confident. 

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." 

The next moment the door of the practice room opened. Two men stepped inside. One of them was wearing a baseball cap backwards, the other his hoodie up. 

For a few seconds it was only silence. The tension could have been cut with a knife. 

Then the one with the hoodie covering his head, broke into a smile, causing a dimple show by the corner of his mouth. 

"I guess they aren't as happy to see you as you told, huh?" 

The one with the cap shrugged. 

"I think they just need to get used to me again... Right, guys? Hi all. How have you been?" 

Jiwoo tore her eyes away from the door and lowered them instead to the ground. She didn’t want to believe her eyes. Jongin left his arm around her shoulders reassuringly but they didn’t do much. 

Jiwoo couldn’t help but feel a little bit upset seeing her ex after two years on her doorstep... Well, not quite but still, just what was Sehun doing here? 

this has been the first chapter among many... how do you like it? as always i had a hard time writing a first chapter but i think it turned out just the way i wanted. share your thoughts with me in the comments! i would love to know what you think =^^=

until next time:

- ow1994