"The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce."
— Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

After another sleepless night, Su Min arrived at work with the chain of events from last weekend still fresh in her memory.

The last chance, the second promise, and once again possessing the ring Kai urged her to keep—all of them confirmed that the past few days weren't just a dream. It was real, and it was happening.

|| SM Entertainment ||

With an armful of materials, Su Min rushed to their assigned conference room and immediately began setting up for today's important meeting. But just as she placed the first pamphlet on the table, she noticed a familiar presence standing by the door. Knowing exactly who it was, she froze in place, her mind entering a state of panic.

"Good morning," he greeted charmingly, letting his cool yet sweet voice echo throughout the room.

Suddenly empty minded, she acknowledged his greeting with a nod.

Since when did he make me so nervous? She wondered.

Kai flashed a half-smirk.

Though they both felt the awkwardness looming about in them, he was always so good at handling it well—and Su Min was envious. Why was she feeling edgy when he was the one who asked for this?

Kai lifted a chunky plastic bag into view and contorted his smirk into a gentle smile. "I got us breakfast," he announced as he made his way over to her and grabbed a seat. 

"Um, thanks," she responded quietly, sitting down on the spot like a poorly programmed android.

He handed her the container at the same time she reached for it, causing their hands to touch—yes, another cliché scene.

To her surprise, a slight tingly feeling ran through her fingertips and pinged her heart. She quickly pulled back and turned away to hide the streak of red visible on her cheeks.

Kai's smile widened at the sight, but he shifted his gaze right after and pretended not to see her blushing face. Without saying a word, he happily opened the container and began to eat his first meal of the day.

After taking some time to breathe—ensuring the excess blood had left her cheeks—she followed his lead and ate her food quietly, commencing silence.

Though she expected it, Su Min didn't think her anxiety would return as quickly as it did. Slightly choked from nervousness, she reached for her cup of cappuccino and took a sip, forgetting about its temperature. As the hot liquid swirled in and slid down , her face instantly became flushed once more—this time from the burning sensation.

"Ump!" she let out a short, pained shriek and immediately fanned her singed tongue with her hand.

Taken by surprise, Kai looked up. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly as he subconsciously placed a light hand on her back.

Su Min stopped fanning at his touch. "I'm fine. I just burned my tongue," she answered and bit down on the throbbing muscular organ.

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