“You ready to go?” Minseok asked as he walked into the living room.

Kyungsoo sat on the sofa in his dark attire. He had been nervous for this day ever since Minseok had made the appointment to meet with the lawyer. He hadn’t slept very well last night thinking about it. “Yeah.” He responded as he stood up.

Minseok smiled at him, “I’m nervous.” He told him.

Kyungsoo merely smiled as he opened the front door, “It’ll be fine.”

They both walked out, Minseok held a folder that had the essentials they needed to bring.

“You need anything else?” Kyungsoo asked before he locked the door.

Minseok shook his head, “No. We have everything we need.”

Kyungsoo nodded and turned his key to lock the door. They both walked side by side towards the car. Kyungsoo wasn’t really sure what he should expect. All he knew was that Junmyeon had nothing but good things to say about his lawyer, which put him at ease. But he wasn’t sure what exactly would be happening, he had only seen court shows and had never actually been in one in person.

They both quickly climbed into the car, Minseok took the driver’s seat as Kyungsoo held the folder. The both of them sped away and got to Junmyeon’s office very quickly. The both of them knew the route by heart and knew a lot of shortcuts for it too.

They walked towards it and Kyungsoo opened the door for Minseok. Junmyeon sat at his desk working on some paperwork, but his head flew up when he heard the door open. Once he saw who it was, He smiled wide and stood up, “Hey guys, you’re early.” He told them. He walked around his desk to greet them.

Kyungsoo shook his hand and hugged him, “We didn’t want to make a bad impression.”

“He’ll be here in a couple of minutes, he’s very punctual.” Junmyeon said as he reached out for Minseok.

Junmyeon lead them through a door behind his desk. Inside was a circular table with six chairs surrounding it. “You guys can talk in here.” Junmyeon told them. “There’s a coffee machine right over there, so help yourselves.”

Minseok went straight for it and Kyungsoo followed, after he placed the folder on the table.

“Do you use this place for private matters Junmyeon?” Minseok asked as he poured coffee into a cup.

“Not really, it’s for when I have more than two clients.”

Kyungsoo looked around, it was small, but it was arranged in a way that made it seem as though it was spacious. Junmyeon’s office in general seemed spacious and neat. Everything was organized and put away in a tidy manner. They heard the front door open and Junmyeon turned his head towards it, “That must be him.” He said. He glanced at his watch, “Yup, just like I said, punctual.” Junmyeon scurried off leaving Kyungsoo and Minseok alone in the room.

Minseok sat down in one of the chairs and Kyungsoo sat next to him as they took sips of their coffee. Kyungsoo heard voices from outside and slight chuckles as they got closer. He recognized Junmyeon’s and there was another that he didn’t recognize, it sounded friendly though, he had to admit.

Junmyeon walked in with two people beside him and Kyungsoo’s eyes widened as he realized he knew one of them.

“Sehun?” Minseok inquired, curiosity in his voice.

Junmyeon and the lawyer’s mouth both went into a little “o” and Sehun’s mouth dropped. “Hyung? You’re our clients?”

“Our clients? You’re a lawyer already?”

Sehun shook his head, “I’m an intern. I told Kyungsoo hyung about it.”

Minseok looked at his roommate, “You knew?”

“I knew he was interning, I didn’t know it was with Junmyeon’s lawyer.”

Junmyeon and his lawyer both began to laugh. “What a small world.” Junmyeon said in between chuckles.

Sehun and the lawyer took a seat in front of them, “I see you know my intern.” The lawyer said with a smile. He wore a navy blue tuxedo and tie with a white shirt underneath. His hair was black, parted slightly to expose his forehead. He had a slight accent that Kyungsoo couldn’t quite pinpoint. He had a friendly smile and innocent look to him. The dimple on his right cheek helped give him an even more kind appearance.

Kyungsoo nodded, “We met him in university.”

The lawyer chuckled slightly, “I should introduce myself.” He straightened up and extended his hand towards them, “I’m Zhang Yixing.”

Minseok shook his hand first, “Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Minseok.”

Yixing nodded and looked at Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo took his hand and shook it. “Do Kyungsoo.” He replied.

“And you know my intern already,” Yixing gestured towards Sehun. “He is here to observe, but if you would prefer it to be just us, then that is alright too.”

Minseok shook his head, “No, it’s fine. We trust Sehun.”

Yixing smiled as he nodded, “Very well.”

Junmyeon brought coffee for Sehun and Yixing and placed it in front of them. “If you need anything, I’ll be right outside at my desk.” He told them.

“Thanks Junmyeon.” They all replied before he shut the door to give them privacy.

Yixing took a sip of his coffee and placed it down before taking out his briefcase. “I like my clients to feel as comfortable as possible and I understood that you felt comfortable talking here, correct?”

Minseok nodded, “Yes, after what happened we were a little weary meeting in a stranger’s office.”

“Ah yes, that’s understandable.”

Yixing took out the contract and a pen from his briefcase. “I made a copy of the contract that you emailed me and I looked over it vigorously.”

His eyes looked up to meet theirs. “Junmyeon told me what happened, but would it be alright if I hear your version as well?”

“Well…we want to run a café, so we met with a realtor and she showed us a property in Seoul. We signed the contract and she told us that once it was signed it became ours. And that when it was paid halfway then we would be able to move in things and have the key to it officially. But once we did pay it halfway, she had sold it to someone else.”

Sehun was taking notes as Minseok spoke, Yixing listened intently as he spoke and when he was finished Yixing nodded and straightened up.

“That story matches with the contract. What I mean by that is that the contract states what you just told me. It also states that the contract is void once someone pays in full.” Yixing flipped to a page that was highlighted and made bold to read more clearly.

“Yeah, she told us that and we examined the contract the same day.” Kyungsoo said.

Yixing nodded again as he looked over the highlighted area. “Technically speaking, since it says it in the contract, then there is no law broken.”

Kyungsoo felt his throat go dry, “Then nothing can be done?”

Yixing looked up at them and smiled, “However, a fake contract is a crime. She scammed you and scammers are against the law.” Yixing smiled wider, “We can win this, all we need is the proper word choice and for her to admit that she made the contract herself. That will not only give you a full refund, but it may shut her entire business as well.”

 Kyungsoo felt a satisfying feeling growing inside of him. He wanted to set things right after he had been lied to and knowing that her business would be terminated would mean that no one could fall victim to her scheming ways.

“Alright, so what can we do to help?” Minseok asked, eagerness in his voice.

“We need to come up with a court date. If you could please tell me the days that work best for you, then I can set up a date and call you later to tell you when it will be.” Yixing looked over at Sehun, the intern quickly nodded and looked towards Minseok and Kyungsoo. He was ready to jot down whatever they said.

Minseok looked in Kyungsoo’s direction. “Wednesdays?”

Kyungsoo nodded, “Wednesdays work best for us, but I would be willing to miss work if another date is chosen.”

Minseok looked back at Yixing, “Same goes for me.”

Sehun wrote down vigorously, “Ok, got it.”

“I assume you also asked her for a refund correct?” Yixing asked.

Kyungsoo nodded, “We told her to give us our money back that same day. And we each sent her an email telling her to give us a refund or that we would settle this in court.”

“Did she respond?”

“Yes, she said no.”

Yixing smiled, “Could you please forward me those emails as soon as possible? That will help us with our case.” 

Minseok took out his phone, “I’ll do it right now.”

“One more thing to note, courts are always busy, therefore we may need to wait a while and I can’t guarantee we will get a courthouse close to your home.”

“It’s worth it.” Minseok answered. As long as they could have their money back, then every sacrifice was worth it.

“I do have a question.”

Yixing and Sehun looked over at Kyungsoo. “Yes?”

“Do you need her name?”

Yixing shook his head. “The contract has the name of the company, the address, as well as the woman’s name.”

“So in terms of other information, nothing is needed?”

Yixing shook his head. “Nothing else is needed.”

“I actually have a question too.”

Yixing looked at Minseok, smiling. “Yes?”

“Do all lawyers do this for clients? Because I appreciate everything you’re doing, but I don’t want to put such a burden on you.”

Yixing laughed, “Don’t worry, it’s no burden at all. I enjoy helping my clients as much as I can due to the fact that I know and understand the laws. I love what I do and do my best to help out my clients in whatever they need. In addition,” Yixing’s voice got really soft and his smile wider, “I get paid no matter what.”

“Ah…because of the program you’re under?”

Yixing smiled as he straightened up. “Precisely.”

“I’m going to join that unit after I graduate.” Sehun added, “I’m going to be the best of the best.”

Yixing looked at him, “You need to prove yourself first, they don’t just let anyone in.”

Kyungsoo smiled as Yixing said that. He felt so comfortable and safe knowing that he had Yixing as his lawyer. The latter was trustworthy and he felt more secure knowing that Sehun and Junmyeon trusted him too. He was so grateful to Junmyeon who helped them out with this one, without him, they would most likely be paying a lawyer and having to pay more expenses for a court hearing.

Yixing looked at them again. “Is there any other questions or concerns?”

They shook their head, “No, everything seems to have been answered.”

Yixing nodded, “Okay, so the agreement is that Wednesdays work best for you, we are suing for all your money back, and I will notify you right away when I get a court date and time.”

They both nodded, “Yes.”

Yixing smiled, “Perfect.” He reached for his briefcase and pulled out something from inside and held it towards them, “This is my business card, my number and email are on it. You can contact me at any time.”

Kyungsoo took it and looked it over. It was a simple black and white with a picture of Yixing smiling.

“When I have your information, I will contact you using the emails that sent me the contract and the forwarded messages.”

The both of them nodded, “Thank you so much for everything.” Minseok said.

“It’s no trouble, like I said, I love what I do.”

All of them stood up from the table and Yixing extended a hand towards them. “I’m sorry you got scammed, but I promise we will get justice.”

Kyungsoo shook his hand, a wide heart shaped smile on his face. “Thank you so much.”

Yixing smiled at him, “It’s no trouble at all.” He led them outside into Junmyeon’s main office, “I’ll see you soon and remember any concerns, contact me.”

They nodded, “Yes, thank you.” Minseok said.

Sehun followed as Yixing walked outside but not before whispering something to them, “Yixing is amazing at what he does, you guys have nothing to worry about.” The younger quickly shut the door and ran outside.

“You guys are in great hands.”

Kyungsoo looked over at Junmyeon, who had looked up from his computer.

“Some people wait months to get an appointment with lawyers under the unit Yixing works under.”

“Thanks Junmyeon. This means a lot.” Kyungsoo told him.

Junmyeon smiled. “It’s nothing. You guys worked hard and didn’t deserve the bull you had to go through.”

“Without you, we wouldn’t have gotten an appointment with Yixing today, we would have needed to wait months!” Minseok pointed out.

“We owe you one.” Kyungsoo added.

“It’s what friends do.” Junmyeon replied, “by the way, there is something else I want to tell you guys.”

“Hm?”

“I was talking to someone I know and they are selling a place in front of a plaza in Seoul. The plaza is known for plays and performances.”

Kyungsoo and Minseok looked at each other then back at Junmyeon. “You mean the place is located in front of music halls?” Minseok inquired as his head turned back to face Junmyeon.

“Yeah, it doesn’t cost much and it used to be a bakery.”

Kyungsoo bit his bottom lip. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to see new places right after what had happened. He didn’t have the most money right now and he needed to wait first and see if he would get his money back in full.

“I don’t know if right now is the best time.” Kyungsoo told him honestly.

Junmyeon nodded, “It’s just a suggestion. Can I at least give you her business card? You guys can decide if you want to call her or not.”

Minseok sighed and looked at Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo gave him a small smile, having her business card wouldn’t hurt anybody.

“Sure,” Kyungsoo responded as he looked back at Junmyeon.

Junmyeon smiled wide and pulled out a card from the drawer in front of him and handed it to him.

“Her name is Sandara, she won’t scam you, I promise. And I told her about you guys and she said she would do everything she can to help you, just tell her that you’re my friends.”

“Help us?”

“Yeah, in terms of price and holding it for you. She is very kind, I’ve worked with her a couple of times.”

“Holding it for us?” Minseok asked in disbelief.

“Well, if you guys show interest in it and tell her you guarantee buying it, then she will be more than happy to hold it for you guys.”

Kyungsoo’s mouth dropped, he didn’t even know real estate agents could do that.

“And I promise, she will give you honesty. But if you want my opinion, getting a cafe in front of music halls is great business. Not only from the people going to see the shows, but a lot of tourists pass by too.”

Minseok sighed as he scoffed, “We’ll see what happens.”

Junmyeon smiled, “I’m not trying to convince you, I’m just stating facts.”

Kyungsoo shook his head, “I don’t know if—“

He was cut short when they heard the bell jingle on the front door. A young couple had just walked in the office. Junmyeon quickly stood up and smiled, “Hello, is there something I can help you with?”

“Yes, we want to sell our home.” The woman replied.

Kyungsoo took that as their cue to walk out. They gave a quick wave and smile to Junmyeon.

Junmyeon waved and smiled back, “Bye guys, see you soon.”

Kyungsoo opened the door and Minseok followed after. They walked towards the car and made their way inside, Minseok sat in the driver’s seat.

“What do you think?” Minseok asked.

Kyungsoo shrugged. “About calling?”

Minseok nodded.

“I don’t know.”

Minseok turned the key, “I think we should do it.”

Kyungsoo looked at him, “We can’t just rush into this. That’s what we did last time.”

“Yes, I know. But this time Junmyeon is recommending us the realtor. Besides, we would just be getting information and she knows our situation.”

Kyungsoo twisted his mouth to the side.

“Come on Soo, we can’t give up on this. We are so close now.”

Kyungsoo sighed, “Fine, let’s say we go and fall in love with the place and she does hold it for us. Then we lose the case and don’t get our money back, what then?”

Minseok got out of the parking lot and into the street before answering, “We start off being honest and telling her the whole situation. And if the price is right and she wants to hold it for us, then we do it. But if we lose the case and don’t get our money back, then we tell her to not hold it anymore.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, “You really think she would be willing to hold it for a long time?”

Minseok shrugged, “I don’t know. That’s why we should be honest from the start. We would just be getting information Kyungsoo. For sure we won’t be signing contracts right away.”

Kyungsoo sighed and looked out the window. In reality, he wanted his café. But he was scared, although meeting up with her sounded like a good idea, he couldn’t be too sure. He pulled out his phone and began typing a message. He needed a second opinion from someone who made him feel secure and confident.

[ Kyungsoo: Hey, you busy? ] 5:09 PM

The phone vibrated quickly revealing that he had received a reply.

[ Baekhyun: Hey Kyungsoo ^ ^ no, I’m not. I just got off work!!! Did you want to take me out?  ] 5:10 PM

[ Kyungsoo: Yeah, I need someone to talk to. Want to grab something to eat? ] 5:11 PM

[ Baekhyun: Sure. I’ll be ready in 30 minutes ❤ ] 5:13 PM

***

“Why in such a rush?” Baekhyun asked as Kyungsoo drove them to a burger place in the area.

Kyungsoo had gone home and told Minseok he was going out and quickly grabbed his car keys.

“Where you going?”

“I just need to think.” Kyungsoo had answered.

He wasn’t lying, he did need to think. But he didn’t tell Minseok that he was going to pick up the neighbor and go with him to eat.

“I’m not in a rush, just a little hungry.”

Baekhyun looked at him, “You knocked and asked in a serious tone if I was ready. I didn’t even get a chance to respond properly.” He pouted as he said the last word, Kyungsoo could see it from his peripheral vision. He couldn’t help but laugh at the elder’s antics.

They arrived quickly and each of them ordered a cheeseburger and sipped on water as they waited for their food to arrive.

“You know, burgers can be really unhealthy.” Baekhyun teased.

Kyungsoo shrugged, “As long as they taste good.”

Baekhyun laughed, “You’re cute Soo.”

Kyungsoo looked up at him and saw Baekhyun giving him those little crescents. He didn’t know how to react and instead looked down at his lap, “Shut up.”

Baekhyun giggled, “Actually I been meaning to ask you something.”

Kyungsoo looked up again.

Baekhyun took a sip of water before speaking again. “What ever happened with your café?”

“Um…that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Baekhyun tilted his head to the side, “Did something happen?”

“Well…yeah. We’re going to sue to get our money back.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened. “Wow…okay. When is your court hearing?”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “Our lawyer is managing all of that. But we went through it with him today and everything seems like it’s going to work in our favor.”

Baekhyun smiled wide. “That’s great! Do you want me to go to the court with you?”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened, “Huh?”

“Well…I mean if you need moral support. I’ll be there.”

That hadn’t even crossed Kyungsoo’s mind. Would he want loved ones to be there with him in the courtroom? 

“If you don’t want me there. I don’t have to be there.”

Kyungsoo smiled at him, “It’s not that. It’s just…I hadn’t thought that far ahead yet.”

Baekhyun grinned back at him. “Maybe I’ll have a car by then and I’ll drive you.”

Kyungsoo let out a scoff. “You practically worship the bus.”

Baekhyun shook his head. “No! I actually went to look at some used ones the other day. I’ll probably end up with a cool black one. Then I can drive us around.”

“You plan on going out with me a lot or what?”

Baekhyun opened his mouth as if to say something but then shut it. Kyungsoo didn’t think before he spoke, but now he realized what conclusions one could come to with that phrase. He suddenly felt a butterfly form in his stomach. As if to make matters worse, he suddenly remembered the day he leaned in to kiss Baekhyun. He felt his ears beginning to go bright red and he tried to will the thought away. He noticed Baekhyun also looked a little nervous.

Kyungsoo sighed and cleared his throat, “Um…what I meant was—“

“Oh look! Our food is here!” Baekhyun exclaimed, eyeing the cheeseburgers that were making their way towards them.

Kyungsoo felt a bit of relief knowing he didn’t have to think of something to ease the tension. The waiter placed the food in front of them. He told them that he hoped they enjoyed it before briskly walking away.

“This looks good.” Baekhyun remarked as he took a bite. “Tastes good too.”

Kyungsoo smiled as he took a bite as well. It was good.

“Anyways,” Baekhyun began. “I’m glad you’re getting your money back.”

Kyungsoo swallowed. “Yeah…hey Baek, there is actually something else I want to ask you.”

Baekhyun looked up from his meal. “Yeah?”

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “Well…our friend, Junmyeon, he recommended us a real estate agent that is selling a place that he thinks would be perfect for our café.”

“Oh, really?” Baekhyun’s voice sounded bright and hopeful.

“Yeah…and he said we should make an appointment to look at it.”

“That’s great news!”

Kyungsoo looked up to see Baekhyun smiling with determined eyes. “I’m…scared.”

Baekhyun’s smile dropped a bit. ”What?”

Kyungsoo bit his bottom lip and looked away. He was never good at this kind of thing. He had a tendency to cover up emotions, but he wanted to tell Baekhyun. He trusted him.

“I—I don’t want to get scammed again.”

“You won’t. Junmyeon wouldn’t recommend someone unless he knew they were trustworthy.”

“But, what if we don’t get our money back? What if we agree to it and then have no way to pay?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “You’re smart Kyungsoo. I know you won’t do anything rash right away. Just calling her to get information won’t hurt right?”

“Well…no.”

Baekhyun placed his hand on top of Kyungsoo’s “I say, go for it. Remember, life is . It’s how we grow from the experience that matters.”

Kyungsoo felt a wave of relief wash over him. Baekhyun always knew what to say to make him feel better. The latter just seemed to have a way with words and his mere presence alone made Kyungsoo feel at ease.

“Thanks.” Kyungsoo told him.

Baekhyun gave him a wide grin as he pulled his hand away to take a bite of his burger again. “Don’t mention it. I wish I could be more for you.”

Kyungsoo looked him in the eyes and he saw Baekhyun’s eyes, bright under the light. Kyungsoo smiled wide at him and in a soft whisper, he answered: “You are.”

He wasn’t sure if Baekhyun heard him, his expression didn’t seem to change, but it didn’t really matter. Kyungsoo was content with how things were moving along. Eventually, he would make Baekhyun his officially, if the elder would have him.

They finished their meal and Kyungsoo left the restaurant feeling more confident than before. He stretched as Baekhyun held the door open for him. “You ready to go?” Kyungsoo asked.

Baekhyun imitated the way he stretched in a silly manner, “Yup.”

Kyungsoo chuckled as he fumbled with his car keys, “You’re hilarious.” He said sarcastically.

Baekhyun laughed and pulled open the car door.

“Baekhyun?” a voice suddenly called out.

Kyungsoo turned his head towards Baekhyun as he heard someone call out the elder’s name. Baekhyun had stiffened in his stance and his eyes were wide open as he looked inside the car.

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow and looked in the direction of where the voice came from. He couldn’t see very much due to the fact that it was dark, but he could have sworn he saw a figure standing in the darkness.

“Kyungsoo, why aren’t you inside?” Baekhyun called to him.

Kyungsoo opened the car door and peeked inside. “Do you know that guy?”

“Hm? What guy?”

“I think someone called you?”

Baekhyun shook his head. “I didn’t hear anything. Hey, can we leave now?”

Kyungsoo turned back towards the darkness and saw that the figure he had seen before was now gone. Maybe he imagined it? He let out a slight scoff but entered the car. “That was weird.” He remarked as he started the engine.

Baekhyun let out a small scoff and shut his eyes. “I’m sorry. We promised we wouldn’t lie to each other.”

Kyungsoo turned to look at him. “Hm?”

Baekhyun looked at him, eyes a bit watery. “I do know that person, but I’m not ready to tell you who he is.”

Kyungsoo stared at him, he had received a glimpse of Baekhyun’s past because of Minseok. But his gut feeling told him that he didn’t know the full story. There were still missing pieces. 

I have a feeling that Baekhyun would let you know more.

Kyungsoo had a feeling that Minseok was right. Baekhyun would tell him the full story, maybe not now, nor tomorrow, but one day.

“I understand. My only concern is that you’re alright and happy.”

Baekhyun smiled wide. “I’m both of those things.”

Kyungsoo smiled back. “That’s good.”

***

Kyungsoo stopped in front of Baekhyun’s home, “Good night.” Kyungsoo told him as his eyes wandered to the elder’s face.

Baekhyun sent him a small smile, “Good night.” He said as he walked inside, “You don’t want to come in?”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “I need to talk to Minseok, we need to make an appointment to see a real estate agent.”

Baekhyun giggled, “Good luck Soo. I’ll be here rooting for you.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help that his smile grew into a heart. Knowing that Baekhyun was going to be there had his heart doing somersaults. “Thanks.” He waved and walked towards his home. Baekhyun shut the door slowly, peeking at Kyungsoo until he could no longer see him.

Kyungsoo entered his home and went straight for Minseok’s room, “Hey.”

Minseok was on his laptop and looked up at him. “Hey.”

Kyungsoo sat next to him in bed. “We should make an appointment with the realtor.”

Minseok laughed, “I guess that walk helped huh?”

Kyungsoo nodded, “It really did.”

“But we’re going to have to call tomorrow.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Let’s just go to her office and ask about it.”

Minseok’s eyes widened. It wasn’t like Kyungsoo to do things spontaneously. He needed a routine or some sort of plan. “You want to just walk in and hope for the best?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Yeah, you down?”

“Uh…yeah.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “Alright. I’m gona shower.” He walked out, leaving a bewildered Minseok.

Minseok shook his head and chuckled. Kyungsoo had been with Baekhyun. Minseok knew that for sure because Baekhyun was rubbing off on his friend.

***

It was two weeks later when Minseok and Kyungsoo walked inside the real estate office. They had gotten busy working at the coffee shop and the days seemed to just fly by. A lot of things had happened in those two weeks, Yixing had called them to confirm their court date. It was a month away, but Yixing insisted they needed the time to prepare. Kyungsoo didn’t argue with him, Yixing knew this better than he did and he trusted in him. Jongdae had also given them the date to their mini Los Angeles vacation. It was two weeks away and to say Kyungsoo was excited would be an understatement. He would be able to relieve stress, but that wasn’t the only reason he was excited. Baekhyun was going and to imagine being on a vacation with Baekhyun seemed almost too good to be true. Of course, he was also happy Minseok and Jongdae were going.

The office was a bit bigger than Junmyeon’s. Once they entered inside they saw someone lift their eyes up from the desk. She looked up to face them completely then sent them a smile. “Hello.”

She had dark black hair and a very friendly smile. She looked around their age.

She stood up from her desk and that’s when Kyungsoo noticed that she was wearing a black dress with a black necklace to match. She was very petite and looked tiny due to her height and body type.    

“What can I help you with?” She asked.

“Hello. We are looking for Sandara?”

She giggled, “Yes, that’s me.”

“Our friend Junmyeon told us you are selling a place that used to be a bakery?”

“Oh? Are you the boys that want to have a café?”

Kyungsoo nodded, “Yes.”

She gave them a wide grin. “I have been looking forward to meeting you!” She sat down and gestured towards the seats in front of her. “Please, sit.”

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but smile.

“Or…do you want to see it instead?”

Minseok and Kyungsoo let out a chuckle as they sat down. “Maybe later. Can we get information on it first?”

She stood up as she walked towards a rack that had folders placed neatly inside of it. “Of course.” She walked back and sat in front of them.

She opened up the folder to reveal pictures of a space with boarded up windows. It was located in a corner and next to it was a small clothes store.

“The place used to be a bakery, but it needed to be sold because an elderly couple ran it and their children didn’t want to take ownership of it. It’s been abandoned for years and I was able to buy it off for a very low price.” She took out more pictures from the exterior. It seemed bigger than the one they had originally wanted.

“You’re the owner and the real estate agent that is selling it?” Minseok asked.

She looked up at them. “Yes. I bought it because the agent selling it was tired and wanted to get it off his hands.”

“How much are you selling it for?”

She took out the contract that was under the pictures and pointed to a number on the second page. It costed the same as the space they had wanted before, they could afford it. “But this price includes more than just the space.”

“What else does it include?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Well since I know it’s abandoned, it needs a bit of redecorating. Therefore, my team will decorate the interior and exterior in the way that the buyer wants.”

Kyungsoo felt his eyes widen. That means that he wouldn’t need to clean it nor worry about buying the supplies to model the inside or outside, it would be done for them.

“Does that include tables, chairs, and counters?” Minseok inquired quickly.

“Well if you want that, it would cost a bit extra because my team just offers the paint job and cleaning for free, but I promise that I will make it cheaper than if you go out and buy it on your own.”

Minseok looked at Kyungsoo. “What do you think?”

It all sounded really good, but he wanted to see it in print. “Could I read the contract?”

She handed it to him, “Of course.”

Kyungsoo expected it to be long, but it was only two pages. “This is…short.”

She giggled, “Did you expect a packet? I try to keep it as short as possible.”

Kyungsoo laughed, “I expected an essay.”

Sandara laughed along with him. “No, no one likes to read long contracts. It should be short and concise so my clients can read it at their own pace.”

Kyungsoo looked it over and he was surprised that it was so easy to follow. He read it word for word and it simply stated what Sandara had been telling them. It also explained that they had the option to pay the property in payments or pay it all in full. He finished reading in a few minutes and handed it to Minseok who began reading it.

“Do you have any questions or concerns?” She asked as she crossed her hands on her legs.

“No, honestly it sounds really good and the location itself is great. But we want to be honest with you.”

She nodded as she motioned for him to continue.

“If we see it and it is to our liking and we want to get it, we won’t be able to sign the contract due to the fact that as of right now we don’t have much money.”

She gave him a gentle smile. “You don’t need to worry about that. Junmyeon told me about your situation and I understand what you went through is awful. If you fall in love with the place and want it, I would be more than happy to reserve it for you until after the lawsuit is over.”

“He told you about the lawsuit too?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. He told me and I really want to help you in any way I can.”

Kyungsoo shot his hand up, “No, no. It’s fine.” He smiled at her. “So would the deal be that we don’t have to sign anything until after the lawsuit? It’s a month away.”

She nodded, “If you want the place, then yes. I can wait until after your lawsuit.”

Minseok placed the contract down on the table after he finished reading it. He looked up at Kyungsoo, “Everything sounds really good.” He told him.

Kyungsoo nodded, “It does.”

Sandara stood up, the black dress flowing as she walked towards one of the drawers in the back. “Would you like to see it?”

They looked up to meet her bright eyes and genuine smile. “I want you to come to a final decision certain of what you want. If you see it and want it, then I promise to reserve it for you.”

Minseok smiled, “If we see it and fall in love with it, then we promise to sign the contract if we win our lawsuit.”

Kyungsoo stood up smiling, he suddenly felt joy swelling up inside of him. He couldn’t believe he had been scared of coming to see her before. She was honest and the contract was simple and easy to read. Not only that, but she was kind and understanding.

She grabbed the key and jangled it. “We can all go in my car.” She exclaimed happily.

Kyungsoo laughed, her enthusiasm was contagious and she was so cute, there wasn’t any way they could say no to her.

She led them outside and they followed, climbing into a black van. They both sat in the back while she sat in the driver’s seat.

“You can look over the folder until we get there if you want.” She said as she handed them the folder that held the information inside.

Minseok took it, “Thank you.” He replied.

She drove them into Seoul, which wasn’t too far to begin with. They estimated and by car it would probably take them 20-30 minutes to arrive here from their home.

She parked in a parking lot that was pretty spacious. Only a few cars occupied the lot.

“Is this lot for the clothes store?” Minseok asked as he climbed out.

“Yes, it’s for the clothes store next door and the space we are about to look at.”

Kyungsoo looked around. Parking would not be a problem when he came here by car.

She led them towards the street and sure enough, there it was. It was by the corner next to a clothes store. The windows were boarded up just like in the picture.

“So, your team would also redecorate the exterior?” Minseok asked as they approached it, he eyed the paint that seemed to be chipping off and the old sign that was getting rusty. She stood in front of the door and placed they key in the slot to unlock it, “Yes, they would remodel it to your liking.” She turned the key and opened the door. “Go ahead.” She said as she gestured inside.

They walked inside and looked around. It was much more spacious than the place they had originally wanted. The floor seemed newer as well as the walls. It was painted a light brown, but she said her team would paint it to a color of their choosing.

Sandara stood in the corner as they walked around. She didn’t crowd them or say anything, simply letting them observe it at their own pace.

“Hey Soo!” Minseok called out. Kyungsoo headed towards the back where Minseok was. “There’s an oven here already implanted to the wall.”

Kyungsoo looked it over, it was much bigger than the one from work. They wouldn’t need to worry about buying their own, it was already here.

“Does it work?” he asked.

Minseok went to a knob next to it, “It should. But I don’t know if there is gas to power it right now.” 

This place just seemed too good to be true. Kyungsoo felt that there had to be a catch, but he read the contract, he knew there wasn’t.

“You like it?” Minseok asked.

Kyungsoo nodded, “How much do you think utilities will cost a month?”

Minseok shrugged, “We can ask her. But it’ll probably be the same as the other place.”

Kyungsoo nodded, “I really like it.” His eyes darted around the back, there was already places that could be used to store ingredients. In terms of redecorating, they wouldn’t need to spend anything.  All they would need to work on are small tables so guests could sit down.

“Maybe we can look around the plaza in front and see if there’s competition before we make our final decision.”

That hadn’t even crossed Kyungsoo’s mind. He doubted there would be coffee shops by the music halls, but one could never be too sure.

The both of them walked towards Sandara. She looked very excited, “What do you think?” She asked.

“Honestly, we love it, but is it alright if we look around the area?”

She nodded, “Yes. Take everything into account.”

The three of them headed outside and she locked the door behind them, “Most of these places are clothing, there isn’t much food places around and no beverages either.”

Kyungsoo looked around and all he could see were hairdressers, makeup places and clothing stores. There were no beverage places anywhere and hardly any food places.

“What about crossing the street?” Minseok asked.

She looked over at the music halls that dominated the other side. “Um…honestly I have never been there because I assumed it was full of venues only, but I could be wrong.” She looked at them, “We can check it out!”

Minseok chuckled as did Kyungsoo. “That would be great!” He replied.

She offered to drive but it would be easier to simply cross the street, which is what they ultimately did.

Sandara’s assumption was right. The only thing that surrounded the plaza were music halls. There were people walking around taking pictures in front of them and others waiting in line to get inside. It was busy and crowded, which meant good business for a café.

“It’s a little crowded,” Sandara commented as she walked ahead.

There was a person standing in front of one of the halls passing out flyers, “Auditions!” He yelled out. He shoved a flyer in each of their faces and they had no choice but to take it. Kyungsoo looked down at it. In big bold letters it read:

Singing in the rain!

Auditions soon!

“Well…that was interesting.” The realtor said as she stood in the main street.

Kyungsoo looked up, he decided to read the rest later.

“Yeah, it was.” Minseok replied.

Kyungsoo folded the piece of paper and put it in his back pocket, he may need it later.

“Would you like to look around more?” She asked.

Minseok looked at Kyungsoo and he smiled at the elder. Minseok had known Kyungsoo long enough to know what he was thinking.

“We love it! Can you hold it for us?” He said as he turned to face her.

She smiled wide and nodded, “Of course!”

“If we lose though, then we—“

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about that right now, as of now, focus on your lawsuit and give me the good news a month from now.”

Kyungsoo chuckled. He felt confident that he would win his lawsuit and he felt that he loved this place more than the first. But Sandara was right, they needed to focus on winning their lawsuit, then they could get back on track with their café.