Jiwoo sighed as she turned over in her bed, hugging her blanket to her chest as she stared into the darkness of her room. Checking the clock, she sighed once more as she calculated the hours she had left before she had to get up and prepare for her trip into Seoul.

            Even though it was her favourite time of the day, when time was suspended between dusk and dawn, where anything could happen, Jiwoo felt a sense of dread weighing down on her, wrapping her in a blanket of fear and doubt. The events from hours prior replayed in her head like a broken record, reminding her of how her boldness got her into this mess.

            I’m not mad about this. I’m not, she thought, trying to convince herself that the deal wasn’t as bad as she was making it out to be. And yet, her emotions crashed down on her like a wave in a storm, crushing her logical thoughts and sending them down to the bottom of the sea. Her emotions foamed at the surface, bubbling with doubt and desire, with fear and triumph of her actions.

            Unable to fall back asleep, Jiwoo rolled out of bed and slowly washed up before dawdling down the stairs. She paused for a moment and looked up at the skylight, hoping to see a glimmer of the stars. Much to her disappointment, a blanket of dark clouds covered the skies above.

            Luck is not on my side today, is it? She sighed once more before walking down the steps and entering the kitchen. She grabbed a few brown bags and some logo stickers from the storage shelves, along with some twine and other tools before going out to the front room. Double checking that the light above the door was on, Jiwoo opened up the curtain for good measure before going behind the counter to pack up some beans and roast a fresh batch.

            Jiwoo carefully applied all the logos onto the bag before scooping out two kilograms each of her different roasts and pouring them into the individual bags. She folded down the tops of the bags and punch some holes through, and then measured out some twine to tie off the bags. With her preparation for the delivery now complete, she grabbed a bag of raw beans to begin roasting a new batch.

            It didn’t take long for Jiwoo to finish roasting the beans, which left her to fall back into her spiral of emotions and self-doubt. It had been a while since she felt so lost in incompetence especially now that it was happening more frequently. Her new business ventures really lived up to the idea that in order to change, there needed to be some discomfort.

            But, at what point is the discomfort too much? she wondered, pulling herself a shot of espresso and sipping it straight. She sat at her stool, looking at the darkness outside as she let her thoughts consume her. She tried to sort through them, filing and categorizing them one by one by priority, compartmentalizing her emotions.

            Oddly enough, she had quite a few emotional thoughts to deal with, though she had set them aside for another day where she didn’t have too much on her plate. Grabbing a notebook, she penned down a couple of her tasks and thoughts before tucking it away under the counter for when she would be freer to look at it.

            Checking for the time, Jiwoo had a little under two more hours left before she had to go. She knew it was still too early to leave for Seoul, but she also didn’t have anything better to do. So, she grabbed her stuff, packed them in her bag, locked up her shop, and headed into the city.

            The commuters all paid no mind to their surroundings as they sat distanced from each other. Some dozed off and tried to squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep before starting their work day, while others listened to music or played on their phones. Each found their own distractions as the train silently rode along the tracks leading into the heart of Seoul.

            Jiwoo, like usual, had her nose in her book, lost in the fantasy world once more. She eagerly soaked in the words, diving deep into the action on the pages when she suddenly looked up with a start. The train came to a halt at a station, jostling her out of her fictional haze. Checking for the station name, Jiwoo realized that she was about two stops away from where she needed to get off, so she put her book away and pulled out her phone. She opened up her maps and searched around the area of the SM building, looking for places she could go, or for something she could do while she waited for Young Mi to start her shift.

            She spotted a small urban park on the map that was about a five-minute walk from the building and pinned it. Might as well get some fresh air and relax a bit before going in, she decided as the train pulled up to her stop.

            Travelling during the early hours really was an otherworldly experience, to say the least. Jiwoo felt more relaxed with all the room to breathe. Nobody bothered to make any noise, for they were all on the same, silent page. They were far too tired to chat and needed to simply shut off their brains for the last, fleeting moments that they could. Jiwoo hoped that the commute in the city would be similar, but life needed balance. And sometimes, balance meant busy buses in the city.

            By the time she was in Seoul, people were already getting a start to their day. She exited the train onto the platform and made her way out of the station and up to the main streets. The maps directed her to take the same route as last time, so she headed to the stop across the street. A crowd had already formed at the bus stop as she joined the line that s around the waiting area with a sigh. Adjusting her backpack, she prayed for luck to tip her way and let her get onto the approaching bus. Otherwise, she would have to wait for the next one, and she wasn’t too sure she would have time to go to the park.

            Even though it was a last-minute decision to go to visit the park, Jiwoo couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement trembling in her. Whether it was because she was stepping out of her usual comfort zone, or that she had made the decision on a whim, Jiwoo knew that going to the park was meant to be a part of her day.  

            The bus pulled up to the stop and slowly the line moved forward as people entered the vehicle. With each step, Jiwoo felt a gnawing at the pit of her stomach as the bus began to fill up. She couldn’t help but glance through the windows, frequently checking to see if there were any seats left, counting the heads of the people in line in front of her just in case.

            It seemed like luck was starting to trickling onto her side because she managed to grab one of the last seats on the bus just before people had to start standing in the aisles. Checking her map one last time, Jiwoo noted the stop she had to get off at and settled into her seat for the remainder of her commute.

---

            Jiwoo lost count of how many times she sighed for the day as another one escaped her lips. She looked out to the street, internally screaming at the bumper to bumper gridlock of cars around her. The bus groaned forward, moving all but an inch in the Tetris game of traffic. Glancing at her watch, Jiwoo took in a deep breath to calm down her nerves as the seconds ticked away, counting down the time she could’ve had to herself.

            I guess I’m not going to the park now, she thought, reaching up to gently massage her temples. Although her plan was foiled by the traffic, Jiwoo was determined to go the park, even if it meant going after the drop off and during high noon.

            Finally reaching her destination, Jiwoo got off the bus and briskly walked towards the building. She sent Young Mi a text as she approached, hastily walking up the steps and squeezing through the doors before walking towards the café. One of the workers recognized her and bowed their head with a smile and Jiwoo returned it with a strained smile of her own. They pointed at the seating area at an empty table with a reserved sign, and Jiwoo silently thanked them with a nod.

            Jiwoo let out a shaky breath as she sat at the unoccupied table and placed her bags down. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes, counting slowly in her head as her racing heart settled to her beat. Something moved next to her and she cracked an eye open just in time to see the worker from earlier leaving and a fresh cup of coffee now on the table.

            Sitting up in her seat, she picked up the cup and subtly raised it to the employee who dip their head in response and turned back to the counter to work, a dusting of pink creeping onto their cheeks. Jiwoo sipped on the coffee and unconsciously sighed as the bitter liquid embraced her in its warmth, soothing her senses and calming her down. Her phone buzzed on the table as she reached for it, swiping to pick up the call.

            “Hello?”

            “Hi, it’s me. Are you already downstairs?”

            “Yes, unnie. I’m at the table.”

            “Excellent. I’ll be right down in a moment. See you soon,” Young Mi said as she quickly hung up the call. Jiwoo placed her phone back onto the table and turned to her attention back to her coffee, taking another sip of it as she felt her pulse finally settle into a steady beat. She nervously glanced around the café, unnerved by the crowd of people occupying the space. She hadn’t noticed it when she entered, but the seating area was rather busy with young patrons. Many of them looked to be scanning the area, scoping out the room for something that Jiwoo clearly did not know about, or rather did not care for.

            “Good morning, Jiwoo!”

            Jiwoo looked towards the voice and quickly jumped up onto her feet. She bowed her head at Young Mi and the CEO, offering her chair for him to sit. He politely declined with a smile and motioned for her to take a seat.

            “I’m not going to be staying for long, Jiwoo. I just wanted to personally come down to thank you for doing business with us before I get back to work,” he said, extending his hand out for a handshake. Jiwoo firmly gripped his hand and shook it before he nodded to her and Young Mi and left.

            “Thanks for the heads up, unnie,” Jiwoo quietly hissed under her breath as the two of them settled into their chairs. Glaring at Young Mi, she grabbed her coffee and downed it, ignoring the bright smile she received in return.

            “He came on his own. I couldn’t say no to my boss,” Young Mi laughed, cheekily shrugging at Jiwoo as the younger girl scowled further. “Besides, it’s not like you do business with his company and not meet him from time to time,” she said, crossing her legs and leaning back in her chair with a smug smile. Jiwoo rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with a huff.

            “Whatever. Anyway, I brought the coffee beans. Let me know how much you guys use by the end of today so I can figure out how many bags I need to order from my manufacturer,” Jiwoo hastily spoke, getting straight to the point of their meeting. “It would probably be easier if I just ordered it all myself and then charged you guys a set unit price for each bag roasted plus the cost of labour and packaging.”

            “That sounds great. We’re all really excited to have your coffee here. The staff in the office are already talking about the plans to come down for break and lunch for the coffee,” Young Mi teased, a grin plastered on her face. Jiwoo coughed and turned to the window, rubbing the side of her nose as she looked at the scenery outside. Young Mi lightly chuckled at the response and let the conversation naturally end there.

            Leaning forward in her seat, Young Mi curiously peered into the bag and smiled at the cute packages that lay inside. “You have a really curious style, Jiwoo. I can’t quite pinpoint the exact term to describe it, but it is both unique and distinct to you. Not truly vintage, nor is it fully cottage core. It sits right in between that, with a little bit of Victorian flair. I love it.”

            Again, Jiwoo continued to look outside and covered with her sleeve as she felt her face grow hot from the sudden compliment. She didn’t have to look into a mirror to know that she was red from her cheeks to her ears, and she absolutely knew that she could do nothing to stop the blush from spreading. Blessed with being an open book of emotions, Jiwoo picked up her cup and tried to take a sip only to awkwardly place it back down as it was as empty as it was before she picked up.

            “Thank you, I guess.”

            “No problem. Anyway, I’m going to get these to the kids. Thank you, again, for coming by here to drop these off. We will be sending a delivery service to you, though, for future orders. I don’t think you would want to commute with all the bags alone now, do you?” Young Mi said as she stood up from her chair. Jiwoo took the opportunity to follow suit and got up from her chair with her cup. Young Mi gently took it from her hands and bowed before turning towards the café, while Jiwoo followed close behind.

            “It was nothing. I should be thanking you guys for even allowing me to do this,” Jiwoo mumbled, “although I sort of forced the matter on you as well.” She timidly scratching the back of her head as Young Mi shook hers.

            “We’re both grateful then,” she said, “so let’s end it at that. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to work. Thank you again, and I’ll see you around?”

            Jiwoo nodded and bowed her head before heading out of the building and stepping into the bright, morning light. Taking in a deep breath, Jiwoo inhaled the fresh, spring air that enveloped her in warmth and ease. It washed away the tension that had wound her body tight like an arrow pulled back on a bow, taut and ready for the kill shot. Releasing the tension out with her breath, Jiwoo pulled out her phone and opened up the map. She plotted her course towards the park and began to make her way over there.

            She merged into the ocean of bodies that crowded the city sidewalk, keeping her head low and eyes glued to her phone screen, watching the little blue GPS dot tracking her steps and movement. She smiled bemusedly at the map as she got closer and closer to the park, wondering why the map couldn’t show her foot traffic like it did with vehicles.

            I would pay to see that happen. It would save me the hassle and avoid crowds, she thought as she peered around at the busy streets. Though it was still quite early in the morning, people gathered in throngs at the busy park to take advantage of the beautiful spring day. The area hummed with conversation and distant cars as Jiwoo inched her way through the masses and found an open spot to sit along the edge of the water fountain. Situated in the center of the park, Jiwoo had a clear view of everything around her and observed the sights, sounds, and smells of the area. Couples, friends, coworkers, families, people from all branches of society gathered in this small haven of a park tucked in the knolls of an urban city. It was the most open and clear area of the city.

            And yet, Jiwoo was hidden in plain sight. Nobody paid each other any mind as they were lost in their own worlds of conversation. The clear expanse of the park opened up the world to private spaces, pockets of time that existed together and yet were unconnected from each other. People gathered as one, yet separated from the whole.

            Jiwoo loved this kind of feeling. It reminded her so much of being in her own café. Her customers would gather in one spot to chat, relax, or get work done, yet were also in their own space and comfort and time. Their worlds were contained within the perimeter of their table, undisturbed by others except for Jiwoo.

            She loved being able to enter their world, invited to catch a glimpse of what mattered to them much like how they have entered hers. Her dreams, her desires, her interest that shape and mold her mind and thoughts lay scattered throughout her shop waiting to be discovered and explored. Which book would they choose to dive into for the day? Which vinyl would catch their eye? And for the more adventurous ones, which art media would they try out for the first time?

            Her shop was her life. It encompassed all that she dreamt of, all the emotions that she felt. And she was happy to be able to share her world with others, to venture in and out of the small realms that invited her in. Though the park covered a larger domain, the feeling of being able to capture moments of other peoples’ time satiated Jiwoo’s desire to connect while being disconnected, to experience the strange yet familiar things in life.

            Her eyes and ears wandered across the conversations in the park, soaking in the sundry sounds of laughter and frustration. The spirits of the environment whistled around her, though they never fully entered her thoughts for she had drawn a line at eavesdropping unsolicited. Rather, she fed of the emotions and tones that surrounded her; feeling their experiences rather than living them.

            Snapping out of her thoughts, she rummaged through her pocket and pulled out her ringing phone. She swiped to connect the call and set it against her ear, her mind still lingering with the captured moments around her.

            “Hello?”

            “Jiwoo, I’m sorry to bother you, but we have a situation here. Do you think you could come back to the café? I don’t care how long it takes, we just need your expertise,” Young Mi hurriedly spoke, her voice oddly two pitches higher than normal. Jiwoo hummed in response and told her she would be there shortly as she was not too far away from the building.

---

            Jiwoo entered the SM building for the second time in a few short hours and wandered over to the café. She could sense an air of tension as she approached and watched as the employees worked the machines with flustered movements. They were making simple mistakes that they really shouldn’t have, though Jiwoo quickly found the source of their stress.

            Young Mi stood behind them, dark eyes glowering at their incompetence, her hands resting threateningly against her hips. She barked out an order and grimaced as the worker scrambled around the work station, their moves become more frantic as they handed off a cup to her. One sip was all it took for Young Mi to toss the cup into the sink and snap at them again.

            “Why can’t you get it right? I’ve seen all of you make these a thousand times, why can’t you get it right now?”

            One of the workers courageously responded, “It’s the new beans, ma’am. I don’t think they’re…”

            They couldn’t even finish as Young Mi stormed over and held up a finger to the worker, “I dare you to finish that sentence.” They looked down and shook their head, taking a few steps back to get away from Young Mi. She looked up right at that moment to see Jiwoo standing at the counter and waving nervously. “Thank God you’re here. Please save us.”

            “What seems to be the issue?” Jiwoo asked. She had witnessed the entire exchange, though she didn’t really want to admit. It was probably easier for her anyway to hear it from Young Mi since she clearly had a problem that needed to be fixed.

            “Well, we’ve been trying to make some coffee with your beans, but these hooligans can’t seem to get it right,” Young Mi sighed. She was rather harsh with her words, but her frustration was unbearable and her filter was essentially nonexistent because of it.

            Jiwoo nodded as she pulled back her hair, quickly washing her hands and drying them on a towel before joining the employees at the counter. “Do you have any samples left of what you’ve made?” she asked, smiling softly at the employees. One of them handed her a cup with shaking hands, and she accepted it with a soothing smile. She peered in, giving the liquid inside a little swirl as she observed its characteristics before taking a small sip. Though it looked like an espresso, the taste was definitely far too sour. She set the cup down and walked over to the machines.

            “Where’s your knock box? I just want to see the pucks,” she inquired. The employee pointed to a silver tin nearby and Jiwoo pulled it towards her. She reached in and delicately grabbed some of the spent grounds, placing it on a saucer and separating the grains with a spoon with a hum. “Your grind is too coarse and it wasn’t tamped evenly,” she murmured, walking over to their coffee grinder. Turning the dial to a finer grind setting, Jiwoo grabbed a new filter, place it under to collect some new grounds, weighed it, leveled it, and then pressed the freshly ground coffee into the basket. She carefully set up the coffee for extraction and placed a cup below it.

            “Is that really going to solve the issue?” Young Mi asked, scoffing at how simple the fix was.

            “Yes and no. Adjusting the grind is one part of it. Since you still have the manual tamp and not an automatic one, your employees will need to practice applying the right amount of pressure. Applying too little leaves too many gaps between the grains and will yield a sour pull. Too much pressure and it’ll taste bitter,” Jiwoo explained as she pulled the shots and handed them over to Young Mi. The familiar, chocolate tones coated her palette as she drank the shot in its entirety, a satisfied grin spreading across her lips.

            “Ah, that’s more like it. If you don’t mind, could you give these ones a refresher on how to make espresso again? I know you need to head back to your own shop, and you’ve got quite a distance to cover, but I would owe you a favour if you could stay.”

            “I’d be more than happy to help,” Jiwoo responded. The day was already escaping her, and it would be far too late for her to go back to her shop to open for the day. Besides, being able to help others learn how to properly pull a shot was more than enough fun for her.

            “Great. Everyone, take turns and listen well. You’re in good hands with Jiwoo,” Young Mi said as she left Jiwoo on her own.

---

            It didn’t take long for the employees to get the hang of the techniques Jiwoo taught them. From learning how to adjust the grinds to the method of leveling and tamping the grounds, it took them a little over an hour to get the right flavour notes of a well extracted espresso.

            “Excellent. Well done, all of you. I think you guys don’t need my help anymore,” she said, congratulating the crew as they tasted their own espressos and were happy with their improved skills. “Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions down the road. Here’s my card,” Jiwoo smiled, handing out her business card to each them and setting extras down on the counter for those who were not on shift. “Pass on what you know to your coworkers. It’ll take some time and more practice to pull consistent shots, so work hard!”

            “Hey! Are you heading out?” Young Mi appeared at the counter with a smile. She gave a firm nod to the workers before turning her attention back to Jiwoo.

            “Yeah, they’ve all improved, so I think my work here is done,” Jiwoo said, slipping off the borrowed apron and handing it to one of the workers. She grabbed her jacket and bag and gave the workers an encouraging smile and wave as she exited from behind the counter. “If you need me for anything, just give me a call. I’ll be more than happy to help.”

            Young Mi nodded and gave her a quick side hug that Jiwoo stiffly returned. “You really are the sweetest. I owe you a meal for saving my ,” she laughed. Jiwoo timidly nodded with a thumbs up before turning around with a bow.

            “I’ll be going now. Give me a call at any time for whatever,” she said as she ducked past a group of people behind her. She mumbled some quick apologies, having bumped into a few of them, before making her way towards the exit.

            The sun stood at high noon, shining bright amongst the wispy clouds as the crowded streets became even more crowded. Jiwoo tucked her hands into her pockets and stood for a moment, wondering what to do with the rest of her day. She considered going back to Suwon to open up shop for the rest of the day, but thought against it because she just wasn’t in the mood. The day was still young, and she wasn’t too keen on spending another hour and more on the bus and train, especially at this time of day. With a sigh, she turned and shouldered her way through the packed sidewalk, heading down the same path towards the park. The spring day was too tempting to waste on being cooped up inside. Besides, when would she be able to take advantage of the beautiful weather herself if not on a day like this?

            The park called out to her, inviting her back into its serenity within the bustling city sounds. She wasn’t going to simply ignore it, though a small, nagging part of her wanted to. Her shop hadn’t been closed for so many consecutive days since she first opened, so she couldn’t even lie and say she wasn’t anxious about it. She was. She most definitely was. It gnawed at the pit of her stomach and made her want to regurgitate its contents, but she held it back because she knew that feeling this way was part of setting boundaries. And, boundaries were so important to her. Learning how to draw those invisible lines that determined what was right or wrong, what was acceptable and what wasn’t, was of the highest value in life. If she hadn’t figured out how to set her boundaries, she would still be sitting behind her desk in a cubicle drafting up contracts that the life out of her and whoever her previous company was after. And she was not going to fall back into those ways again.

            Jiwoo shook her head and pulled herself out of the rabbit hole she was falling into and made her way to the fountain. She searched for an open seat, but the noon hour rush made it a daunting task in itself. Luckily, she found a small, empty bench tucked between a few hedges nearby and quickly took up residence in the seat. It was cozy and almost hidden from view, open yet not. The perfect hideaway. Drawing up her knees to her chest, she pulled out her book and made herself comfortable before opening up to where she left off in the story.

            Conversation buzzed around her as she read her book, letting the vibrations occupy her senses as her mind focused on the words on the pages. She tuned out the actual contexts of the conversations, but kept the white noise around her to fill the silent void because if she hadn’t, she would be inviting in the dark thoughts that so often tried to consume her.

            She didn’t know how long she was going to stay at the park. If she could, she would stay there until nightfall. But, she knew she still had to get back to Suwon, so she set a last call alarm before she dove right back into her book, unaware of the other person who decided to join her on the bench.

---

            “Oof,” Jaehyun instinctively let out a soft groan as someone bumped into him. He heard a hushed apology before the person disappeared into the crowd around him. Though he lost sight of the person, the distinct aroma of coffee drifted past him and he froze in his tracks craning his neck over the crowd, eyes scanning.

            “Sorry dude. Didn’t expect you to stop. Hey, are you okay?” Johnny asked, nudging Jaehyun’s shoulder as the bump hadn’t seemed to have affected him. Jaehyun breathed in the dissipating smell of coffee before sighing and shaking his head.

            “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry. Someone bumped into me,” he said, sniffing as he readjusted his bag with grin. “So, what are you going to do with the rest of the day?” he asked as they headed to the café.

            “I don’t know, man. We don’t usually get let out early. Maybe go shopping or something? You wanna come with me?” Johnny asked as they ordered some coffees.

            Jaehyun weighed the thought as they grabbed their coffees and headed out the building. As much as he wanted to hang out with Johnny, he wasn’t sure he was prepared to be followed around in the mall. Shutters clicked around them as fans rushed forward to take pictures as they headed to the waiting vans. The smile automatically formed on his lips as he nodded at them and waved courteously.

            Just like they taught you, Jaehyun. Smile and wave, he thought, reminding himself to play his role. He made sure to give extra attention to his fan site masters when something from his peripherals caught his attention. Or rather, someone. The familiar figure was standing away from the crowd, alone and seemingly in their own little world. He watched attentively as they sighed and turned towards the other direction and headed down the street, disappearing once again into the crowd. He swore he could smell the coffee again.

            “Hyung. Is it alright if I walk around here for a bit? Get some fresh air?” Jaehyun asked. He didn’t know why he had the sudden urge to follow after the person, but he reacted before he could think.

            “Uh, are you sure you want to do that with all your fans around?” his manager asked under his breath. The fans were far enough away from them to not hear what they were saying, but Jaehyun knew his manager was trying to be cautious.

            “I know, but I just don’t want to be inside right now,” he mumbled. The manager nodded in understanding, yet his frown did not leave his face. He could see that Jaehyun wasn’t going to take no for an answer, so he sighed and came up with a compromise.

            “How about I drop you off somewhere instead? Just tell me where to go and I’ll drive you there,” the manager offered. Jaehyun was used to being put on the spot, but he couldn’t think of how to answer his manager. It’s not like he could tell him to just follow that person walking. That would be weird. So, he said the first thing he could think of.

            “Could you drive me to the park nearby then? The one around the corner?” The manager nodded and turned around in his seat.

            “Just remember to wear a cap and mask. It’s not going to do much, but it’s better than nothing,” his manager said as he grinned back.

            “Thanks, hyung.”

            The car inched out of the driveway as the fans crowded around the van. The manager honked the horn, though his efforts were futile as they were all so used to the sound and didn’t move for it. As usual, the security had to step in for the van to move forth and drive off. Jaehyun looked back to see the crowd chasing after them, running into the streets without a care in the world except for the boys in the van. He flinched at the thought of them getting hurt and about how he and the other boys would be the reason for it. It would definitely make top news, though Jaehyun wasn’t sure it was the type of publicity the company would want for them.

            Pushing the intrusive thoughts aside, Jaehyun felt the van slow down and he got ready to jump out. Once they were tucked into a parking spot in a hidden alleyway, Jaehyun got out and thanked the manager. “Give me a call later and I’ll come by to pick you up. Just let me know where to grab you.”

            With a wave, Jaehyun closed the door, his bag and coffee in hand. He pulled down his cap and adjusted his mask on his face before heading to the park. He didn’t know why he chose the park over any other place. Maybe it was because he had to think quickly. Or, maybe it was because he frequented the park so often during his trainee days. Regardless, he was just glad to be out in the open and out of sight for now.

            The park came into view up ahead, and Jaehyun unconsciously adjusted his mask and cap once more. He didn’t want to be found out too soon, but the lunch crowd was much busier than he had anticipated. The park buzzed around him and he stopped for a moment, seriously considering going back to the company when someone walked past him and a familiar wave of coffee enveloped his senses once more.

            He watched the person move towards the center of the park and look around for a spot before running off to a hedge and disappearing behind it. He circled around the other way, trying his best to lay low and not catch anyone’s attention which proved to be easy given the number of people in the park. Slowly, he turned the corner and found the person sitting comfortably on a hidden bench, nose already buried in a book.

            He had only met her in distant passing, but he knew she was the same person from before, the one who made their coffee and met with their manager, Young Mi. The one at the bus stop. The one who smelled like dark roast coffee.

            His body moved on its own accord as he took a seat on the other end of the bench. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Even though they were closer this time, he still couldn’t really see her as she was buried deep into her book and jacket, her legs propped up on the bench. Extremely curious of who she was, he was tempted to start up a conversation with her.

            But, he didn’t. Why would he? He’d never met her before and Young Mi hadn’t introduced them. Also, it would be rather strange of him to suddenly just start talking to her unprompted. And not to mention it would be extremely creepy. No. I’m not going to talk to her. Not today, at least.

            Sitting back in the bench, he pulled down his mask slightly to take a sip of his coffee, savouring the smooth taste as he sat in silence and observed the busy park, hidden in plain sight, yet completely out in the open.

---

            Jiwoo chuckled at the story as she flipped to the next page, though she paused at the scent of coffee. Her coffee. She looked up and looked around, jumping a little bit as she finally noticed the person sitting next to her.

            The man was sitting in his own world, looking down at his phone and scrolling mindlessly through the apps, his foot tapping to the beat of the unknown music playing in his headphones. Jiwoo peeked discreetly at the cup sitting next to him on the bench and noticed the familiar pink cup sleeve, the one from SM Café.

            So, I’m not going mad, she thought smiling at the coffee before turning back to her book. She didn’t know why, but she felt content in seeing her coffee being consumed by people at the company. She wasn’t necessarily convinced that the coffee would do well outside of her own little shop, but this moment just proved her wrong. People did drink the coffee. And, it seemed like they enjoyed it too given the hum of satisfaction the man made when he took a sip of his drink.

            She fought hard not to look or react to his reaction, though she was on top of the world giddy. It never got old for her, seeing people enjoy her coffee. It was what kept her going, what made her continue doing what she loved. And the fact that she got to see how happy people were when they drank her coffee was more than enough to make her happy as well.

            Her joy was short lived, though, as an annoying clicking suddenly tickled her ears. She looked up from her book and glanced around the park, her sharp eyes honing in on the giant cameras that were pointed her way. Confused and alarmed, her eyes darted about and counted at least half a dozen other cameras, with more probably scattered about.

            Or, rather, they weren’t on her. No, they were on the man beside her. It didn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out what was going on, and that this wasn’t the most ideal situation for her since it seemed like she was sitting next to a celebrity of sorts. So, logically, she packed up her stuff and quickly left the bench and park. Although she had hoped to stay a little bit longer in the outdoors, it seemed like fate did not want her to stay away from Suwon for too long.

So, I've updated! I've been distracting myself as of late with writing, so this could be a good thing for this story, but not so much for my life LOL Hopefully this chapter was a bit more exciting. I'm working on the next and have the storyline planned ish for the next few chapters. Again, this is quite a slow moving story and it'll focus a lot on character development and connections rather than on action and relationships? I mean, who knows, the entire plot can change on just a simple action. Anyway, Happy Lunar New Year, everyone! Wishing all of you a healthy and prosperous new year!