"Why can't I just make coffee like you guys?", Yena complained as she slumped on the table, effectively wrinkling all the papers underneath her. "This is sooo hard."

Sakura looked up from wiping the table and laughed at her friend's misery. She went over to where Yena was sitting and pinched her side, effectively making the her straighten up and finish her work. Yena glared at her best friend but Sakura just laughed it off and went behind the counter. 

"Come on, that's easy. You can do it.", Sakura encouraged.

Yena grumbled and squinted her eyes. "Easy for you to say! You're the pretty front man of the business while I have to suffer secretly from behind."

Instead of being offended, Sakura only laughed but not without throwing her cleaning rag at Yena, to which the girl was too slow to avoid. 

It was only a normal day at the cafe. It was noontime, which means business was going slow with only a few customers inside, making it totally okay for Sakura and Yena to bicker and tease each other like how they normally would. Cafe 48 was Yena's family's business. It has around 5 branches in Seoul, but the biggest and busiest one was where Sakura was currently working now as operations manager. Yena put her up initially in services---taking orders and whipping beverages---but Sakura effortlessly handled multiple tasks at once and was promoted by Yena herself. It seemed a little biased you would say, but Sakura earned it and Yena was doing her best to help her friend move forward.

Keeping her busy was Yena's aim. 

Yena groaned. "Why did I even take up a business course in college? What was I thinking?"

Seeing as no one was coming in, Sakura left the counter for a while and sat across her best friend. "You whiny duck, let me help you out."

Yena made a small sound that Sakura took as a yes and grabbed a bunch of papers from the table. Immediately she zeroed in on the words 'Investment'

"You're looking for investors?", Sakura asked to which Yena nodded. 

"Yeah.", Yena replied. "We've been meaning to expand, you know, other options. Since my brother just graduated culinary school, my parents thought that it would be great to merge the cafe and restaurant together.  I mean it's possible, but we will need to cut back on the costs, which means--"

"You'll be closing the other branches.", Sakura finished her sentence as Yena nodded at her. "So then what's the problem?"

"Well, the branches we want to close down are on very good locations and my mom doesn't want to give it up. So we've turned to looking for investors, you know, those whose filthy rich enough to invest their money on our business."

Sakura nodded. "I see. If you want, I'll help you out on the business proposal. What do you say?"

Yena looked as if she was about to combust into tears. "You're godsend, you know that right? Whoever is going to end up with you is one lucky fella."

Sakura gave her bestfriend a reassuring smile, but she cringed mentally. No one's going to end up with anyone. She'll grow as an old maiden and raise a bunch of cats inside her apartment 'til there will be no more space for all that love junk.

--

After college Sakura wasn't expecting to have and love someone, but Kang Hyewon had proved her thought wrong. She walked into her life so unexpectedly that Sakura wasn't prepared, because somehow it all seemed rush. Picking up the remnants of her heart that her ex-lover in college had shattered, Hyewon had showered her with so much love and attention---things that she never knew she needed. With Hyewon, it all became easy. She never had to work because Hyewon made her feel secure. They had lived together, with Hyewon awkwardly proposing to her during one of their movie nights. Sakura had said yes, but their life as an engaged couple was short lived. Eventually, Sakura realized that being engaged with a relationship that had only been 6 months along was too fast. Still, she would have married Hyewon, if only Hyewon wasn't in love with somebody else.

So she almost got married. Close call.

So imagine her surprise when she bumped into her at the lobby of Lee Circle Corporation. She had come here to submit that business proposal she and Yena had worked all night on. Hyewon was wearing a flowy long-sleeved top with ruffles, a pair of skinny jeans that hugged her legs nicely and black high heels. She looked regal with her wavy hair parted to the right. Compared to her. Sakura was only wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and a pair of old jeans coupled with her old Vans sneakers. Her hair was a little messy as she scrambled to comb it with her fingers.

The contrast of their looks totally defined their lifestyle. Naturally, Sakura felt embarrassed as Hyewon looked at her from head to toe, like she was deciding if she wants to acknowledge her ex or pretend they didn't meet. Sakura hoped Hyewon would choose the latter.

But instead, Hyewon gave her one of her tiny smiles. "Hey, how've you been?"

Pretty much the same when you left me almost homeless, Sakura wanted to answer that but instead, she went with "Fine."

It came out pretty cold than what she intended for it to sound, and she winced a little when it left her lips. But if Hyewon was affected, she didn't show. Hyewon nodded at her and gestured to the small cafe situated inside the lobby. "Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me?"

"Uhh, I'm in a bit of a hurry actually.", Sakura declined. I'm in a hurry to get out of here.

"I see." Hyewon looked down and noticed the file Sakura was holding. "Are you here to file for investments too?"

There was no reason to keep it a secret so Sakura nodded, but she heard Hyewon say 'too'. "Are you here for that as well?"

"Yeah." Hyewon smiled. "My fiancee and I are thinking of opening an agency."

Fiancee. Sakura loved hearing that back then, when the title was hers. "That's...great."

They stood there for a moment, both of them silent. Neither knew what to say next until Hyewon checked her watch. "Oh dear, you should get going soon." 

Before Sakura could say goodbye, Hyewon stepped forward and enveloped her in a hug. To say that Sakura was suprised is an understatement. She felt frozen in between her ex's arms. She couldn't move. There was buzzing in her ears and her hands felt clammy. She didn't hug Hyewon back and she refused to breathe because she caught a whiff of Hyewon's scent, and Hyewon ALWAYS smells good. That alone was a warning signal.

She broke up the hug, gave her ex a nod and rushed to the elevators.

--

She was bored out of her life. She'd been stuck inside the meeting room for four hours already. A few of the board members were reviewing business proposals, each of them presenting ideas to her about where to invest next. She didn't listen that much because she was already planning to review those proposals later in her office alone. 

"So boss, what do you think?", one of the men asked her. She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry, could you repeat the question."

The employee explained again. "I think it would be fitting to invest in the food industry now. The company has invested in other branches of businesses already, and the food industry is the one we've left untouched, for now."

"A reasonable suggestion, Seunggi.", she replied, her feet shuffling on the floor, anxious to get out of this stuffy room. "Hitomi, why don't you put it in the pile."

The guy named Seunggi was confused until a rather petite woman approached him and took the business file from his grasp. Hitomi placed it on the table with a growing pile of papers. Hitomi named it 'the big pile for the big boss'.

"I think that's all of it. Meeting adjourned. Good job team.", the person in-charge declared and soon enough the meeting room was empty. She slumped back down on her chair and groaned. Hitomi approached her with a glass of water. 

"Exhausted?", she asked. Her boss nodded as she drank all of the water in one sitting. 

"Very.", her boss replied. But as fast she drank the water, she stood up and fixed herself. "Hitomi, how do I look?"

Hitomi looked up at her boss up and down. "Shirt's not so crisp anymore, but it'll do."

"Great." Her boss smiled at her. "Have you got the address?"

Hitomi pulled out a slip of paper that was hidden underneath all the papers on her clipboard. She gave the slip to her boss, who looked at it gingerly like she was having nostalgic feelings about it. 

It took a while, but her boss straightened herself. "Let's go", she said and headed for the door.

--

A/N: so it's like 1:21 AM here and ive written all this in one sitting! normally that doesnt happen but because this story got a warm response, i felt really inspired to update even if i have an early class tomorrow (rip my health) anyway i hoped you guys like this chapter! it's pretty long ehehe

also if you've noticed, i'm introducing sakura's exes. it's in reverse order. I'm doing it in reverse order from the song (thank u next - ariana grande)

so minjoo is the one who died, and now hyewon is the one she almost married.

upvote if you guys liked this and don't forget to comment! have i mentioned i love reading comments???

twitter: @hunkkuras