“One of us has to lose then.”

“I’m sorry, Sora...” Kyungsoo blankly stared at her.

“Are you okay?!” Joohyun was holding her tight.

“Sora,” his voice was steady, accompanying with the same handsome smile that she used to love but it was eerily scary for her at the moment as she stared longer. 

“you think a mere threats can stop me?”

Sora was awaken abruptly, eyes bulging open as she stared at her empty ceiling. Her lips were trembling along with the harsh pants and heavy sigh that came afterwards. 

“.” she went groaning, sitting up on her bed and blinked at nothing as she swallowed hard. Her sweats were trickling on her skin and she didn’t know whether it was because of the warm summer air or because of the sudden nightmare that she was having. 

It has been a while since she had nightmares. She swallowed her own spit to calm herself down before her eyes glanced to her right hand and she gripped on her trembling hands. 

“.” her left hand harshly hold her hand tighter.

“Don’t be like this.” 

Her eyes closed in between frustrations on having the nightmares, and between the fact that she was still sleepy and tired. 

How could Kyungsoo found her?

She thought she had done a good job hiding herself away even though she didn’t need to. 

She ended up being more tired when morning came - since she kept waking up to her hand shaking uncontrollably with the same repetitive faces and scenes being unfolded in her dreams the moment she closed her eyes. 

Nevertheless, she forced herself to wake up, and doing the same morning routine that she had been doing for every day in every year.

She went mumbling some random recipe that suddenly popped in her mind before she dressed up and went doing her bed.

She didn’t bother on taking any breakfast, just grabbing on her bag and fixed on her hair at the mirror that she had fixed on the wall and her eyes glanced at her right hand that was fixing on the hair. 

“Should I take the pills?” she stared on her hand - noticing that the trembling had stopped, but still didn’t make her mind calm down. 

“Nah...” she tossed the idea away, before patting her baby fat cheeks and beamed on the mirror. 

“It’s going to be a wonderful day today.” she told herself that, before skipping out from her house and scrolled down on her phone along the way. 

Earphones were on and she was already humming down to the happy vibes from the song that she was listening to - somehow making herself jumping in glee and let her forget about her sudden dream and Kyungsoo’s dejected face from yesterday. 

She wouldn’t let a guy ruin her day for her. She had suffered enough before, and don’t want to feel the same thing again for the nth time. 

As she sang incoherently to some song on her earphone, her legs were already picking up the pace to her coffee shop. In the way, she managed to give a few greetings and mornings to the neighbors that had woke up just as early as hers for their own work in the day. 

When she was close to her coffee shop, her feet skipped happily, until she somehow caught someone walking to the same direction as hers and her smile stiffened. Her voice that was mumbling to the song earlier was silenced immediately as she glared at the person that was on the other side of the road. 

Sehun couldn’t help the smile on his lips - already tugged upwards without any doubt. He had noticed her when she was skipping her way before as he was walking to his coffee shop from the other direction, and just decided to stand still and watch on her carefree behavior.

The way her head bopped to the song that she was listening and incoherently mumbled to it, the way that she greeted every neighbours that had passed her with such a pretty and wide smile - all makes him couldn’t help but wanting to watch. 

And when she finally noticed him, he couldn’t help but to let out a smile - an amused smile upon seeing her frowning face and glaring eyes. 

Sora was scowling, taking out her earphones and squinted her eyes at him disgustingly. “What is this? A creep? You decided to be a creep now? Did you stalk me or something?” 

Sehun was snorting at her loud voice that was accusing him. He let his hands into the pocket of his jeans and stared at her. “If you forget, my coffee shop is the same way as yours, Tinkerbell.”

She faked a disgust look upon the name. “Don’t call me that!”

“Should I call you, darling?”

“Eww!” she yelled loudly from the side road that she was standing at. While Sehun was just snickering at her from his own side of road that he was standing at. 

“Babe?”

“I will burn your coffee shop!” she yelled loudly, while Sehun chuckled at her response. 

“Don’t be like that Tinkerbell, I know you want me.” He teased more, loving the way she unconsciously puffed her cheeks and balled on her fists to slow her anger at him - looking like a cute hamster that was throwing a tantrum. 

“I mean, you’re the one who wanted to hold my hand yesterday - ”

Sora grew pinked, and she yelled out randomly to shut the teasing from him.

“Did I make you embarrassed?” he teased even more, having the slight annoying smirk on his stupid face that Sora just wanted to claw it away and stomped it on the ground. 

“Shut up!”

He smirked at that and boy - did her heart get more warm at that? 

“How about you come here and make me?” his lips taunted teasingly and for once - Sora felt her brain shut down for a moment. 

What? 

But before she could say anything, a voice somehow interrupted both of them and she glanced to the side, eyes flickering in recognition upon seeing Kyungsoo walking to their direction. 

Sehun seemed dissapointed that his morning was interrupted, but never said anything about it - and just raised his head to acknowledge his friend who just smiled at him before stared at Sora and make his way to the girl. 

And Sehun noticed how Sora was looking rigid, almost frozen in her place, but nevertheless - have the small smile on her lips, and Sehun was frowning to himself. 

“I knew I could catch up to you just in time.” Kyungsoo was smiling and Sora swallowed hard. 

“Aww did you miss me, Kyungsoo?” 

The man went smiling. “Yeah I did. Here, I make you some croissant.” he handed a paper bag filled with croissant that he had make beforehand and Sora pressed down a smile at it. 

“Oh...”

“Jeez Kyungsoo, trying to bribe your way in?” Sehun went chirping at the actions and Kyungsoo glared at him in return. 

“ off, Sehun.”

But Sehun didn’t seemed like he cared that his staff just cussed at him. 

“You should make some for me.”

“I did.” Kyungsoo went sighing, signalling another paperback that was filled with his baked goods and Sehun smiled thinly, before staring at Sora who didn’t seemed amused. 

But she pressed down a fake smile when Kyungsoo turned to her way. “Can I see you later?”

She blinked at that. “Y - yeah, sure.”

Sehun raised a brow at that - noticing her sudden discomfort. 

“Set another time, Kyungsoo. We gonna be busy today. I’m not giving you time to meet with this girl.”

Kyungsoo went glaring at Sehun. “Show some respect, Sehun. She’s older than you.”

Sora felt her brain shuttered to work again and she gasped at Sehun. “You’re younger than me?!”

Sehun blinked at that. 

“And you had the audacity to act like I’m your friend?!”

As Sora went glaring, Sehun seemed amused - lips tugged upwards as he chuckled to himself. “Older than me, huh?”

“Better treat me with respect!”

“How about I treat you with some love?”

But before Sora could retorted to that, Kyungsoo had already moved to Sehun’s direction and pushed him to their own coffee shop, bidding byes to her and she huffed loudly, gripping on the paper bag tight in his hand. 

“Stupid.”

Joohyun went blinking, opening the coffee shop with her own keys as she didn’t see Sora inside. Her friend wasn’t someone who would be late or skipping works for no reason, and even if she did - she would have informed her in the first place. 

Besides, the works in the shop was done - floor had been mopped, tables had been cleaned, the coffee had been brewed, cakes and breads had been displayed. 

The only thing that’s missing was Sora. 

And Joohyun walked to the kitchen after changing to her uniform. Immediately, she heaved a relief sigh upon seeing Sora was busy mixing the creams while having the kitchen smells good with the bakery goods inside the oven. 

“You look stressed.” 

Sora didn’t even bothered to look up to know that Joohyun was there - standing on the doorway with her arms crossed. 

“It’s because I am.”

There was no playful aura around her, not a hint of joke behind her words and Joohyun kept quiet. 

Just then, she managed to look at a paperbag on the table near the doorway that she was standing at and she frowned. “What’s this?”

“Kyungsoo gave it to me.”

Those words were let out slowly, and Joohyun felt chills in her spine at hearing that. 

Quickly, she grabbed on the paperbag and pushed open the dustbin nearby. The bag was still heavy with its content - but Joohyun doesn’t even care when she throw it away nonchalantly. 

“Thanks.” Sora muttered, still looking away from staring at her friend and pretended to be busy with making the cake. 

“You shouldn’t take it.”

“I know.”

“Bye boss! Bye our beautiful manager!” Joy went yelling, throwing her hand aimlessly as she was already tipsy from the second round that the girls had go through. 

Wendy was trying to pull Joy into the taxi while Seulgi was drunk and just laughing at her misery on the passenger seat. 

“Hey, why is Joohyun the one that’s beautiful!” Sora huffed loudly and Joy just beamed at that, waving happily and was gone with the rest, leaving Joohyun and Sora sitting on the bus stop - waiting for the next bus. 

And knowing that Sora was left with Joohyun - her smile earlier went away and she sighed, swallowing hard as she stared down on her shoes that was on the ground. 

Joohyun went in silence, knowing that her friend was in distress. 

“Do you...” Sora voiced out, but let her words paused for a few seconds. 

“Kyungsoo is back. Do you - do you think he’s here?”

She looked at her friend with a solemn look, knowing what she was thinking and gently, her hand clasped onto her friends. 

To which Sora grasped it back with the same gentleness and Joohyun heaved a soft sigh. “I don’t think he’s here. I didn’t hear anything about him.”

At that, Sora nodded her head - trying to let the words entered her mind and make herself grew calm.

“Are you okay?” 

Sora nodded. 

“Don’t lie.”

“I’ll be okay.” she pressed down a smile and Joohyun sighed at that. 

It has been a while since she saw that fake smile.

“er.” Joohyun cussed out of nowhere as she walked to the door and the opening sign. 

Kyungsoo was also turning on their opening sign and somehow caught her staring at him. But he just looked down, seeing how disgusted she stared down on him. 

“Is boss okay? She hasn’t come out from the kitchen.” Joy went asking, tilting her head at Joohyun and the older just nonchalantly shrugged it away. 

“She’s fine. She’s just trying a new recipe.” and with that, Joohyun went to the store room, busying herself and leave Joy with Seulgi alone behind the counter. 

And Joy frowned at that. While Seulgi was still busy with trying to shoo a customer that was trying to ask for her phone number. 

“This is weird.” Joy said, walking closer to Seulgi and glared at the male customer who was bothering Seulgi. 

“What is?” Seulgi managed to let her focus back to Joy as the male that was bothering her had gone away. 

“The aura for today...” Joy frowned, and dramatically rubbed both of her thumbs with her index fingers - as if trying to feel the aura that was building up in their coffee shop. 

“The aura is gloomy...I can feel it.” 

Seulgi just looked at her friend blankly, before her eyes stared at Wendy who just walked out from the kitchen, carrying a tray of baked goods and she gawked. 

“Another one?” she exclaimed and Wendy just shrugged at that. 

“Boss is weirdly productive today.” Wendy said, arranging the baked goods for the forth time that day and the display panels was almost stacked with all the baked goods. 

They didn’t mind that, since their baked goods always sold out and it was mainly their main attraction. But still, knowing that their boss was weirdly productive unlike usual makes them creeped out a bit. 

Usually, Sora would be joking around, playing with the flowers, sometimes gossiping with the aunties from the nearby shop or sometimes bothering Joohyun and leave all the job to Wendy. 

But at that time, she was weirdly productive.

“See, the aura is different.” Joy pointed out and Seulgi frowned at that, rubbing her chin as if she was a detective that was trying to solve a very hard case. 

“This is complicated.” she said. 

“Maybe she’s worried because of the new coffee shop?” Wendy remarked and the three glanced at the busy coffee shop across them. 

“Hmm...”

“Wait, speaking of coffee shop, why isn’t boss ogling them today?”

Sehun glanced at the coffee shop across his. Despite the busy surroundings, he still managed to let his eyes wandered to find a certain someone. 

Though, his anticipations were drowning when she wasn’t ogling him like the usual peeping Tom she was. Instead, he was being greeted by nothingness. 

Perhaps the way she was always humored him makes him wanted to see more, that he couldn’t help but to anticipate her stupid acts. 

“Enjoy.” Sehun monotonously muttered as he put down on the coffees that the customers had ordered, making them blushed uncontrollably at the sight of his well build body and handsome face. 

Though, he didn’t mind the staring and just walked away - eyes still searching for someone from his glass window as he let his long legs trudged away. 

“This is so unfair.” Minseok muttered behind the counter and Baekhyun blinked at that. 

“What is?”

“Why can’t Sehun make out a smile or something when he gave out coffee. Customer service is essential to our business.” Minseok went huffing, still glaring at Sehun who didn’t even bothered to lift up a smile at the customers who were smiling at him, just a mere head nods to acknowledge them. 

“You know Sehun, he won’t give a flying about anyone other than someone who catch his eyes.” Baekhyun muttered, washing on the dirty cups at the sink. 

“He will smile when he wants to. You can’t do anything about it.” 

Minseok faked a crying at that. “But I don’t want any customers thinking that we are rude or something.”

“Sometimes, I feel like you are more like a boss than Sehun was.” Baekhyun joked and Minseok was just sighing.

“Sehun is a great boss, he just lack customer service.” Minseok muttered, and Baekhyun laughed at it. Before he somehow remembered something. 

“But you know, he smiles awfully lot actually...these past few days.”

“Ah...because of Sora, right? Kyungsoo’s girlfriend?”

“Friend. Not a girlfriend.” Jongin somehow entered the scene after finished cleaning the tables, correcting Minseok’s words and the male scoffed at that. 

“Same thing, same thing...” the older waved nonchalantly and Jongin make a face at that. 

“She’s cute.” Baekhyun commented. 

Minseok shrugged at it. “I guess. But she’s a bit crazy.”

“I guess that’s why Sehun likes her.” Baekhyun muttered, and Jongin frowned. 

“Does he really like her?”

“Well, he’s not denying it.” Minseok retorted. 

The three looked at Sehun, noticing that he was walking to the counter with an empty tray. He just raised a brow at their looks on him. 

“What?” 

“Do you really like Sora?” Jongin asked, out of nowhere and had his stomach fluttered in a way. 

Is that what people call butterflies in their stomach? 

Sehun scowled at that, but couldn’t help the corner of his lips that had tugged upwards and had Minseok scoffed at it.

“You didn’t want to smile at our customers, but you are smiling when her name popped?” Minseok accused and Baekhyun smirked teasingly, wiggling his eyebrows for the male and Sehun rolled his eyes. 

“Shut up.”

“Was it love at first sight?” Jongin teased along and Sehun walked away. 

“Back to work, stupids.”

But his smile stilled a bit when he saw Kyungsoo went staring at him from the kitchen’s doorway. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, but Kyungsoo pressed down a smile and just shook his head. 

“Nothing.”

Sehun was confused - but didn’t say anything about it. 

Kyungsoo always had a change of mood without no explanation so he didn’t bothered much - somehow grew used to it.

“I’m done!” Sora exclaimed loudly and Wendy was there to clap at her - applauding her boss for finished with all the baked goods for the day and Sora was laughing in such a boastful manner because of it. 

“Aren’t I the greatest, Wendy?”

“Yes, you are boss.”

At that, Sora laughed even more - acting like a witch who had finished making her spells and potions. 

“Shut up!” Joohyun hollered to the kitchen and Sora faked a pained look. 

“Oh my God! Joohyun, how dare - ”

While Joy just heaved happily behind the counter. “Ah...now the aura is back to normal.”

By normal, it means that Sora was back to being dramatic and get back to her emo stages when Joohyun glared at her. 

But amidst the glares and rolling of eyes, Joohyun was glad that Sora had let out her pent up frustrations by baking. 

So, she don’t want to let her friend have all the negativity lingering around her anymore. That’s why, when they were about to close, and she had saw Kyungsoo walking to the coffee shop, with a soft smile on his face, Joohyun was rigid. 

Sora was still oblivious to that fact, since she was busy cleaning the kitchen with Wendy and Joohyun looked at her friend quickly. 

“Sora, you close the shop alone today, okay? I have stuff to do.” 

Sora jutted her lips at that. “Meanie...”

But Joohyun just ignored that and walked away, somehow opening the door of the coffee shop before Kyungsoo could even walked closer. 

Her eyes went sharp at Kyungsoo and the male stiffened on his steps. 

“Kyungsoo...”

He blinked at that. 

“Let’s talk.” 

“I thought you said not to talk to you anymore.” 

“I’m making an exception today.” Joohyun retorted back, and she noticed that the coffee shop across hers was also on their closing hour. 

Kyungsoo looked directly into her eyes for once and Joohyun blankly stared back. 

“I don’t know what the you’re trying to do. But stop it. You’re not her friend anymore.”

He had his jaw tightened at that. “I think Sora can be the judge of that.”

“Don’t walk into her life like you did nothing wrong.” 

“I think I can do whatever I want, Joohyun.” Kyungsoo went remarking next, already looking the girl with all his hardened gaze and probably the way that his voice went lower than usual that Joohyun thought that he looked a bit scary. 

“I know I did wrong, and I’m gonna get her to forgive me.”

“You’re ing selfish.”

Kyungsoo snorted at that. “Selfish? Then what about you? Didn’t you stay in her life so she can forgive you too?”

Joohyun went still, somehow frozen in her place and the male smirked. 

Sora looked at the time, and glanced at Wendy. “Wendy, you should go now or you will miss your bus.” 

The said girl went staring at her boss. “But, I didn’t finished cleaning yet.” 

“It’s okay, I’ll finish everything here.” 

“But - ”

“Go!”

Wendy glanced at her time and she gasped out loud. 

“See? I told you - ” Sora didn’t even managed to say anything more when Wendy had dashed out from the kitchen.

“I’m sorry boss! I’m so sorry - ” she was practically bowing like a crazy person when she finished changing her clothes and Sora just waved it off while tossing on the leftovers baked goods to which she happily took it.

And that’s all it takes before she began running full speed to the bus stop, despite knowing that she might not make it since she was such a slow runner.

The time was ticking fast and she wanted to cry out loud at her slow self. 

True to that, her bus was already there and was about to move and she yelled out loudly - hoping that it would wait for her. 

“Grab my hand!”

She glanced to the left, looking at Baekhyun who was also running by her and without waiting for her to say anything, he just grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her fast. 

Her cheeks tinted bright red. 

What in the kdrama is this? 

In the end, she ended up being dragged by the boy in the dim nights.

“We made it!” Baekhyun exclaimed happily inside the bus while Wendy was dying and felt her muscles contracted painfully from the harsh dragging. 

“Th - thank you.” she panted, feeling sweats went trickling her forehead. 

Baekhyun was just smiling at her and she looked down at that, fixing on her hair that might looked like a mess from the running earlier. 

“Wendy.”

She halted, eyes widened at Baekhyun and the boy laughed softly at it. Before he pointed at a seat and she forced a smile, taking the seat that he had pointed at. 

“You know...”

Wendy tensed up when he took a seat next to her on the bus. But Baekhyun didn’t look like he was least bothered by it. 

“You smell really delicious.”

She stared at him and he laughed awkwardly, putting his hands in a defense manner. 

“Not - not in a creepy way, but like in a good way. You smell nice.”

Wendy took a sniff from her clothes. 

“Oh. My boss keeps on baking like crazy today. So I guess I smell a bit. I’m sorry.”

Baekhyun laughed at that. “You don’t have to say sorry. You smell delicious.” he said, before clearing his voice when she stared at him.

“Again, not in a creepy way.”

She hide her smile at his words. Before her eyes noticed the leftover baked goods that Sora had gave her and she gave it to Baekhyun. 

“Here.” 

He smiled at it, like a kid who just got a candy. “Thanks.”

“I’m sorry that I can only give you a leftovers.”

Baekhyun shook his head at that. “I don’t mind.” he said. 

“Your boss must baked a lot of these.”

“Yeah. She’s pretty stressed nowadays, so she baked a lot.”

“Really? Why?”

Wendy looked at him innocently. “Because of your boss.”

Baekhyun ended up chocking on his own spit at that. 

Sora was humming, finished with cleaning the coffee shop and switching the lights off when she noticed that Sehun was closing in as well. 

She ended up scowling at that. “Why does I keep on bumping into him? Does God not love me anymore?”

She hurriedly closed her shop and intended to ignore the male, until she felt his gaze on her and she couldn’t help her curiosity - that she ended up looking at his direction.

Sehun smirked, tilting his head to the side as he stared at her. “There you are. I thought you are gone. Why aren’t you ogling me today?”

She scowled at that. Hands on her hips and body fully faced him that was standing on the road across hers.

“You think you’re worth to be ogled at?”

Sehun chuckled at that, before trudging closer and crossed the road to meet with her, making Sora frowned at that, but didn’t move away - because she didn’t want to lose to him. 

“Am I really not worth to be ogled at?” Sehun stopped in front of her, leaning down so his eyes could level up with hers and Sora blinked at the way his brown eyes stared at her. 

“Mind yourself kid. Did you forget that I’m older than you? Didn’t your parents taught you anything?” 

Sehun snorted at that, straightening his back and stared at her. “Jeez, we just started dating and now you wanna talk about my parents already?”

She went red at that and huffed loudly. 

“We are not dating!” 

He laughed at that and Sora glared at him even more. 

“I’m sorry to say, but younger guys are not my type...” Sora smirked, looking proud to have said that and Sehun smirked at her. 

“Hmm...but what to do, older girls are exactly my type.”

The corner of his lips tugged upwards teasingly as he looked down on her. 

“One of us has to lose then.”

And Sora had never hated herself more when she went blushing under his confident smirk and flirty wink at her.