“I have two Iced Americanos for order number 7? Thank you for coming to Café de Rêves, and have a wonderful day,” Jiwoo happily chimed as she handed the customers their order with a smile. She nodded her head to them as they grabbed their cups and left, the doorbell ringing after them to bid them farewell. Sunlight poured through the windows of the small shop, casting a bright, natural light inside. The warm yellow hues softly kissed the surfaces of the store on the spring afternoon.

            A few patrons took refuge in her shop, occupying their time with some conversation, music, art, literature, and, of course, coffee. If there was one thing that customers returned to Café de Rêves for, they would say it was the ambiance that is the store and owner.

            Jiwoo couldn’t help but smile at the happy faces seated around her store, enjoying their food, drinks, and company. Not a single person looked upset or angry. Rather, they were all soaking up the relaxing energy that buzzed around the room. She couldn’t ask for anything more than this.

            Taking up her usual spot behind the register, Jiwoo picked up her book and flipped open to her bookmark, scanning the text for where she left off. Finding her place in the prose, the story eased her into a world of wonder and mystery, pulling her into the stream of consciousness that were the characters on the page. Immersed in the world of dreams and fantasy, Jiwoo didn’t even notice the doorbell lightly ringing as a new customer entered the store.

            This customer was far from new, however. Rather, she entered the premises with familiarity, greeting the smells and sounds like they were an old, distant friend. But, they weren’t as distant. Because not two weeks ago, she was standing in this very shop, her career quite literally in the hands of none other than Jiwoo.

---

            Young Mi walked towards the counter, smiling as she approached the young café owner. She could see the younger girl sitting behind the register, her nose buried in the yellowing pages of an old, leather bound book. Her eyes slowly traced over the words, travelling across the worlds and realms contained in the cursive script, drawing her further into her own fantasies and dreams. Young Mi smiled at Jiwoo’s focused expression. Although she had her brows furrowed, there was an air of tranquility that emanated off her – a calming presence.

            She didn’t want to disturb the young café owner, but Young Mi was here with a purpose. Softly clearing , Young Mi chuckled lightly as Jiwoo quickly looked up from her page. She noticed the younger girl’s fluid movements as she grabbed her bookmark without a glance, gently tucked it between the pages, and carefully set it aside in one graceful movement.

            “Hello, I don’t know if you remember me. I came here about two weeks ago?”

---

            Jiwoo didn’t know how long the customer had stood at her counter, but she definitely felt bad for making them wait even a minute. How she let herself get so immersed in the story was beyond her, but that was the beauty of reading. You can never tell when you fall deep into the words until you have to pull yourself out. As quickly as she could, Jiwoo set her book aside and looked up to greet her customer. Her apology barely made it past her lips when the customer cut her off and asked if she remembered them from two weeks back.

            One of the strengths that Jiwoo was proud of was her ability to remember names and faces. It came naturally to her, and was never something she struggled it. Her customers appreciated this fact because it made them feel at home in the store. Her familiarity and personable demeanor were definitely traits that kept her patrons returning.

            “Of course, I remember you. Young Mi, was it?” Jiwoo asked.

            “Yes! Good memory,” Young Mi commented as she picked up the menu book from the counter. “I was in the neighbourhood and thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing. I also wanted to personally thank you again for helping me with that order. You really saved my job that day.”

            Jiwoo shook her head, waving her hands in front of her. She felt her cheeks heat up with the compliment as she cleared . Even after all these years, compliments from customers always made her feel awkward.

            “It was nothing. I was just doing my job,” Jiwoo responded. Young Mi looked up from the menu with a frown, but Jiwoo chimed in, gesturing at the menu. “Is there anything you would like to order?” she asked, smiling innocently at the older woman. Young Mi gave her a look, tapping her nose and pointing at her with a knowing smile as the topic came to a halt before she could navigate it. Knowing when a conversation has ended, Young Mi flipped the menu open to the drinks and pointed at the latte.

            “Could I get this for here please? Oh, and perhaps a chocolate croissant if you have any?” she asked. Jiwoo nodded as she punched in the order.

            “You total well be $7. Would you like to pay by cash or card?”

            “Card, please.” Young Mi grabbed her wallet and pulled out her credit card, tapping it against the reader before placing it back into its slot.

            “Thank you for your purchase! Please have a seat anywhere you like. I’ll bring the order to you when it’s ready,” Jiwoo motioned to the tables in the shop before grabbing the receipt from the printer and turning to the machines behind her.

            Picking up some tongs, she grabbed a croissant and placed it into the toaster oven, setting the temperature and timer to heat up the pastry. Once that was set, she turned to her espresso machine and prepared her coffee grounds, leveling them out with ease. She tamped the grounds carefully, moving in a methodical rhythm that no other person could follow but herself. Setting the filter into the machine, she placed a cup under just in time for it to catch the extracting espresso shots. She heated up the milk and gave it a couple of taps on the bench before pouring it into the espresso. No cup of coffee was complete at her store without some latte art, so she made a quick leaf design.

            Grabbing a tray, she placed the coffee on it, along with the croissant. She double checked that everything was secure on the tray before picking it up with steady hands and bringing it to the table Young Mi chose. It happened to be her favourite corner along her bookshelf. She delicately placed the drink and pastry onto the table, giving Young Mi a smile before heading back to the counter with her tray.

            “Join me? If you’re not busy, that is,” Young Mi called out to Jiwoo, who slowly turned around. She unconsciously held the tray to her chest, scanning the store to see how everyone was doing. The customers were absorbed in their own conversations, and none seemed too bothered by the owner taking a quick break from her duties, so she placed the tray on the counter before walking towards the table.

            “Sure. I guess I have some time for a break.”

---

            “So, how did you get into this field of business?” Young Mi asked, taking a sip of the latte as the younger girl looked around at her shop, her lips pulled up into a gentle smile. She watched as Jiwoo’s eyes traced over every corner and surface of the store before coming back to Young Mi.

            “I had a dream and I wanted to see what it felt like.”

            Cryptic as her answer might have been, Young Mi understood Jiwoo’s sentiment. She felt the response sit in her chest, a familiar feeling that brought her to another time. How so few words could bring her back to a moment in her life where she, too, felt her dreams. Now, she was already living her dream, paving her way in a company that she had always wanted to work for. As young as Jiwoo might have seemed, Young Mi knew her maturity level was different compared to others her age.

            “It’s interesting how you put it that way, feeling the dream. Usually people say they have a dream that they want to accomplish. An idea that they want to complete. You speak of dreams as if they’re more than a thought,” Young Mi said, thinking aloud more to herself than to Jiwoo. The latter let out an airy laugh, nodding her head as she brought her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees and looked out the window as she pondered the thought.

            “I think people forget that dreams aren’t just goals, or thoughts,” Jiwoo mumbled, eyes drifting into the distance with her mind. “Humans are built to have visions and make memories. And with these memories, they’re tied to emotions. You can do more than feel an emotion. You can create emotions, see it, hear it, touch it, smell it. Make it concrete. It’s something that we all know and feel within ourselves, but it is also something that is individual. Therefore, it is also unknown to anyone but the individual themself.” Jiwoo paused for a moment, tilting her head towards the setting sunlight and closing her eyes as the warmth embraced her. She didn’t know where her train of thought was going, but she continued, “It really depends on the person, whether they want to share the feeling of their dreams with others. Some people might choose to keep their dreams to themselves. Others might choose to wear it on their sleeves for the world to see.”

            Young Mi couldn’t help but let out an impressed breath. Jiwoo was truly wise beyond her years. “And which category do you fall under?” she asked, watching as Jiwoo softly smiled as the rays of light shifted from orange to a gold.

            “I guess I fall into the latter category, don’t I? I mean, isn’t this shop proof enough?”

---

            After their short conversation, Young Mi decided to stick around the shop and do her work. Even though she finished scouting locations earlier, she still had some reports to write for her team along with double checking schedules for all the idols she oversaw. This promotional period she was with NCT 127, and to say she was being spread thin was an understatement.

            “Would you like another latte? Pastry? Sandwich? On the house, of course,” Jiwoo asked, suddenly appearing next to Young Mi at her table.

            “Sure. I’ll take another latte, if you don’t mind?” Young Mi replied. Jiwoo gave her a simple nod as she grabbed the used cup and plate from the table, placed it in a cart with other used dishes, and went to her station behind the counter. Rinsing her hands, she dried them off on a towel before making another latte for Young Mi.

            Jiwoo returned to the table after a few moments with a new latte and an iced americano for herself. She placed both drinks on the table and took a seat on one the chairs, joining Young Mi.

            “I don’t have any more customers right now. I hope you don’t mine me joining you here?” Jiwoo asked, pulling her book out her front apron pocket with a shy smile.

            “Not at all. I could use the company,” Young Mi responded, turning back to laptop and report. Neither spoke to each other, however both embraced the calm and peace within the store.

            Young Mi couldn’t quite concentrate on her work, though, as her mind wandered back to the question she meant to ask when she first arrived to the store. Though it was out of the best interest for Jiwoo, she wasn’t sure how the younger woman would take it. Would she be offended by the thought, or would she be understanding and take up the offer? Either way, Young Mi would never be able to find out unless she tried asking.

            Looking up from the screen, Young Mi watched as Jiwoo carefully flipped the pages of her book. The weathered pages were worn at the edges, aged with the years. Jiwoo was unconsciously mindful of how she flipped them, carefully turning the fragile leaves as if they were made of thin glass.

            “Jiwoo, I know I asked this in passing last time, but I was just wondering, have you ever thought about doing catering for large events? Similar to the one you set up for me?” Young Mi asked, carefully observing the way Jiwoo responded.

            Jiwoo placed a finger at her spot in the book and looked up at Young Mi. She processed the question for a moment and shrugged. She honestly never thought about catering in her three years of operating her business. She got by with her daily sales, and she didn’t have to speak to a landlord since she owned her building. It just never crossed her mind to expand to catering because that was never what her dream was about.

            Her shop was her home, her life. It embodied her feelings in a tangible way. The fact that she could share her world with her little neighbourhood in Suwon was more than enough. But, was it really enough? Was it now time for some change? To bring her world outside of Suwon? Was she supposed to dream bigger?

            Young Mi could see the inner turmoil cloud Jiwoo’s mind as the younger girl pondered her questions. She wasn’t looking for an immediate answer. That wasn’t her purpose. She just wanted to give Jiwoo an opportunity, much like how the people in her life once did for her.

            “You don’t have to give me an answer right now, nor am I going to force you to accept or reject the thought. I’m only going to suggest you consider it because you’ve got something going on here that many people are looking for. It all depends on whether or not you want to take up the opportunity when it’s being presented to you,” Young Mi spoke up, cutting into Jiwoo’s turbulent thoughts and bringing her mind back to the table.

            “Sorry. I … ,” Jiwoo mumbled, smiling apologetically at Young Mi to which she shook her head.

            “It’s okay. I did throw the question at you rather unexpectedly. Anyway, I think it is time I --,” Young Mi paused as her cell phone vibrated on the table, drawing both the women’s attention to it. Excusing herself, Young Mi picked up her co-worker’s call. “Hello? No, it’s okay. I’m not busy. Yeah … In Suwon. Right now?” Young Mi looked over at Jiwoo who had drifted back into her own world. “Yeah. I can grab something for them. Sure. I’ll see you in a bit. There’s not that much traffic, so I’ll be there in about 30 minutes, give or take? Okay. No problem. Seriously. It’s okay. Yeah, I’ll see you later. Bye.”

            Jiwoo heard the phone call end, but she kept her eyes on the darkening alleyway outside, her mind still swimming with the new ventures that Young Mi introduced. She didn’t know whether to be grateful, or terrified at the thought of expanding her business. On one hand, she knew why she opened her shop, and she was proud of her local success so far. But, was she ready to take this business to another level? Before her thoughts could completely take over, Young Mi’s voice brought her back to the present.

            “Hey, I’m sorry for doing this again, but could I possibly do another order for my team? It’ll be much smaller this time, I promise,” Young Mi laughed, seeing the slightly horrified look on Jiwoo’s face. The younger girl joined her laughter and nodded at the request while clearing the table of the dishes and her book. She dropped everything off where they needed to be before going behind the counter.

            “What would you like or order then?”

---

            “Are you sure they all want cold drinks? The ice will melt by the time you get to where you’re going, and it’s not going to taste good,” Jiwoo asked, looking over her shoulder at Young Mi in concern. Young Mi only smiled back and shook her head.

            “It’s okay! I have the company car. There’s a cooler in there. They’ll be fine,” Young Mi responded, giving Jiwoo a reassuring nod.

            “Okay then. I just don’t want any complaints because of this,” Jiwoo replied, a playful smirk flashing across her lips momentarily. Young Mi could only shake her head at Jiwoo as she leaned against the counter while she waited. The drinks were quickly packed into neat carrier trays so that they wouldn’t tip over before Jiwoo placed them carefully into some take out paper bags.

            “Don’t forget to throw some business cards in there!” Young Mi chimed, grabbing a handful from the display on the counter and holding them out Jiwoo who looked back with a frown. She reached for the cards hesitantly, her thoughts clearly expressed through her furrowed brows and skeptical eyes. “Don’t worry. It’s not for catering or anything. I won’t do that without your permission, of course. This is for my coworkers. The least you can let me do is introduce your store to some friends, right?”

            It sounded like a harmless idea to Jiwoo, so she took the stack and placed them at the bottom of one of the bags before carrying them around to the front of her counter.

            “I’ll help you take these to the car. It’s late and there are a few bags here,” Jiwoo offered, handing two to Young Mi while she held another two. Even though this was only the second time she met her, Young Mi knew there was no arguing with Jiwoo when her mind was set.

            “Thanks. I appreciate the help,” Young Mi replied. She grabbed her keys and the both of them left Café de Rêves. The van was parked just around the corner, so they arrived quickly. It required a little bit of Tetris, but the two of them managed to get all the cups to sit securely at the bottom of the cooler. “Thank you, again, for the help. I hope you really do consider the offer. I know a lot of people who would love to support small, local shops like yours.”

            Jiwoo thoughtfully nodded in return and bowed her head in goodbye. “I’ll think about it. If anything, I’ll call you with my answer,” she said as she slowly turned to leave. “Thank you for stopping by again. It’s always nice to see people return.”

            “It was my pleasure. See you around, Jiwoo.”

--

            “Okay, good! Excellent work, everyone. Take a 10-minute break. We’ll continue when you come back,” the instructor dismissed the NCT boys as they all scattered and took refuge in separate parts of the practice studio.

            Jaehyun sat down in one of the corners of the room and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes as he took deep breaths to control his racing pulse. If the last promotional period didn’t kill him, this one definitely might. But, the pain was only more motivation for him to work harder to perfect everything because he couldn’t have it any other way. He needed to be the perfect idol. It was his dream, after all.

             “Boys, I’ve got a special delivery for you,” Young Mi called from the door. They all looked up from their resting spots to see her walking in with another manager, food delivery bags in tow. Scrambling feet and hands quickly grabbed the bags from the two managers and were set down in the middle of the practice room. “I got you guys drinks and some chicken. Don’t tell the boss or he’s going to kill me, alright?”

            A chorus of “Thank you for the food!” echoed through the room as all the boys settled in, minus one. Jaehyun watched as the 127 members huddled around the chicken and drinks, grinning as they gobbled down the deep-fried snack. The sinful smell lingered over to him as he took in a delicious breath.

            That will suffice. I’m not going to eat. Not this late. He shook his head and the smell out of his nose before dragging his sore body up from the ground. He knew they still had some time left, so he thought about going outside for some fresh air.

            However, something from his peripheral caught his eye. He headed over to s who made room for him in their circle, telling him to join in and eat with them. He shook his head with a gentle smile, telling them he wasn’t hungry.

            “Is there any more coffee left, though?” Jaehyun asked, scanning the scattered bags discarded by his friends.

            “I don’t think there are any here. I did see the managers leave with some more bags. Maybe you can ask them?” Taeyong responded, pointing towards the meeting room across the hall. Jaehyun gave him a nod before walking towards the other room. He peered through the glass walls, catching the attention of his manager, Young Mi. She met him at the door and opened it with a curious frown.

            “Is there anything wrong?” she asked.

            “No, nothing’s wrong. I was just wondering if there is any more coffee left? I think there were only enough for the other 8,” he said, scratching his neck nervously. Young Mi was one of the managers he could say he feared the most because she was all business, no games. Her presence was intimidating, but highly respected in her field. He just knew not to mess with her.  

            “Oh, yeah. I can grab you one. I guess we should’ve grabbed an extra cup, huh?” she said as she turned to the table with the other staff. Jaehyun let out a sigh of relief, though he quickly straightened his posture when he saw her return. “Here. There’s one left. You can recycle the bag when you’re done with it.”

            “Thank you, noona. I’ll take care of it,” he replied as he accepted the bag from her. He felt the weight of the cup inside and couldn’t help but smile at the familiar scent. Other than being an idol, his second love in his life was coffee. He brought the bag back to his corner in the practice room, placing it on the ground as he sat down next to it. Reaching in, he grabbed the iced americano, pulling it out as his smile grew wider.

            Ah, yes, my sustenance. He set the cup down and grabbed the bag once more, looking into it in search for a straw. Although he didn’t need it, having one wouldn’t be too bad. Turning the bag over, he gave the bottom of it a tap and heard some objects hit the floor.

            “What’s this?” he wondered aloud, picking up the straw along with a small card. The words “Café de Rêves” was printed in black script across the center of the cream coloured business card, along with an address in Suwon. Jaehyun sat up in attention as he studied the address carefully.

            This is it! he thought, flipping the card to the other side. The name “Seong Jiwoo” and a phone number in the same script as the store name was printed on this side. Grabbing his phone, he typed up the store and pulled up the searches to check some reviews.

            The best place to go for coffee…The most unique shop. 100% recommend…Jiwoo has the best suggestions for coffee, as well as for music and books. If you’ve got a soft spot for local shops, hers is the best place to go to…A truly unique experience…If you ever meet Jiwoo, you can tell she put her heart and soul into the shop.

            Curious by the reviews, Jaehyun clicked on the image search to try and find some pictures of the shop. However, he couldn’t find a reliable source and was left feeling disappointed. Picking up the card, he flipped to the side with the store name, perplexed by the French. Doing another quick search, he translated the phrase.

           Café of Dreams, huh?

            He grabbed his coffee and straw, inserting it into the drink to give it a stir before taking a sip. The sweet and bitter tones were smooth on this tongue and just as good as he remembered it. The coffee still held its flavour and body, even though some of the ice had melted.

            Whoever this person is, they know how to make a good cup of coffee. Jaehyun reached for his backpack and pulled out his wallet. He slipped the card into one of the card slots for safe keeping. One of these days, he was going to go to this café of dreams.

---

            Jiwoo sat at one of the tables in her store, sipping on some black coffee as she read her book from earlier that day. The last of the late-night customers had already left, and she had just finished the last of her cleaning. Now was her wind down time, which was usually her favourite time of day. However, today was different.

            She couldn’t quite let go of the question Young Mi asked her earlier that evening. Catering didn’t seem too difficult, that she knew based on her experience two weeks ago. But, was she ready for it? Did she need it? Was it truly what she wanted?

            The thoughts simmered in her mind, as her eyes vacantly skimmed over the words, unable to retain any information they had to offer. With a sigh, she set aside her book and locked up the front doors, closing the curtains in the process. She left one lamp on in the front, it’s low, yellow light casting a muted glow that illuminated the store. Her customers knew to ring the bell whenever this light was on, and Jiwoo would be ready to serve them whatever time it might be.

            Double checking that the front lock was secure, Jiwoo grabbed her book and placed it at the register for the next day, her mind too occupied to continue reading. She entered her kitchen and went through the back doors to her living room, turning quickly to go upstairs to wash up. Once she was clean and ready for bed, she turned off all the lights and burrowed herself into the comforts of her blankets, letting her mind drift into darkness, though thoughts of the next day and catering still lingered as she fell asleep.

Here's chapter 2! My apologies for the delayed upload. I work full time, so it's a bit difficult to find a moment to write. This chapter sort of dives into the world of Jiwoo and her coffee shop, why she opened it and all that jazz. We also get a glimpse of Jaehyun and his inner struggles as well. Again, not too much action happening, which will be the same for all chapters, give or take a few. 

Hopefully you enjoyed this insight and development to Jiwoo and Jaehyun. 

Also, thank you to those of you who commented T__T I really appreciate the feedback and kind words. It really means a lot to me to get some response from readers. Hopefully you were able to see the replies >___<

Anyway, please be patient with me as I write the next chapter! Until then!

Cheers~