yeon boreum began to take in the scenery that was unfolding out of her office windows as the skies are now painted in orange, yellow, purple, pink and blue. she started to take sips of the liquor that’s in her whiskey glass, a method to soothe the occasional hollowness and numbing sadness that comes and goes as it pleases. ugh, this is the life. as she became deep in thought, she wondered about the few family members she has left in this world, “i wonder what he’s doing right now... should i just go and talk to him? if i don't do anything, i’ll just be walking on thorns…”

the more she wondered and worried, the more she kept the liquor coming into her body. she knew her psychiatrist will hate her for this because she promised not to indulge. another promise broken. another reason for boreum to loathe on herself. another internalized despair that causes her to rely on medication. another fear seeping into her bones that the familial bonds between her family may be strained because of her. boreum closes her eyes as she tried to massage her temples and snap out of the spinning migraine she had before sighing and partially giving up.

“oh well, i’m ed either way so might as well…” she mumbled as she grabbed her phone and started to dial a number she memorized. as the phone went to ring, boreum bit her lip. what if he doesn’t answer? what will she do then? should she continue to drown in liquor? should she just go home and lit a candle for “headspace”? what then?

fortunately, for boreum, the owner of the number picked up at the last beep as she could hear the answer from the other side, “hello, noona…?”

have you ever wondered what it’s like to be working behind the counter and machine of a coffee shop? to see people come and go, to have your pupils follow an eye-catching customer only to have no courage to approach them or to take peaks at the tables of the young people who seem to be focused on their own works? we surely have had our share of going to a coffee shop and not caring less about our surroundings—unless perhaps, you came alone and ask a nearby staff to look after your belongings when you want to excuse yourself to the bathroom—but for cheon maru, such thoughts or observations are what springs the joy in his current job as a stand-in owner for his father at get well soon coffee.

to cheon maru, people watching is equally fascinating to diving deep into interpretation when going through the episodes of an ongoing drama or television series. sure, people may say he enjoys his jobs because there’s not a day without a customer asking for his contact information, even more so, when it’s regardless of age or gender. such incidents are just a bonus to how he can be of service for tired or stressed souls looking for a caffeine fix, especially when some of the students come back months later to keep him an update of their lives over coffee. he could only imagine what it felt like for his father since he’d be able to see some old familiar faces years later considering he held the fort for around twenty years.

at that moment, yong hada walked in to report for her shift and maru couldn’t be more welcoming with that signature wide grin of his and a wave. “oh little, dragon, you’re lucky it’s not a packed house today,” the young owner chuckled as hada rolled her eyes at the nickname before giving him a high five and going to the staff room for her apron and name tag. “so, how many people have hit up on you so far? at this rate, we might have to keep track of rejections going on, yaknow, boss,” hada joked nonchalantly as she wiped some coffee cups and processed several bills.

“don’t worry about it, lil’ dragon, i turned them down gently so fear not!” maru said as he finished a latte art and bragged to her about it.

“all the swan and tree latte arts can’t fool me,” hada said as she rolled her eyes at the shenanigans of the young stand-in owner. when will the dad come back? maru is lucky the pay is too good for her not to quit.

“too bad because you and every staff here are stuck with yours truly,” maru replied with a grin that showed his dimples to which hada could only start praying for her sanity… and mind you, she’s atheist.

so yeonwoo stepped out of the administration office at his department building with a folder in hand. relevant important documents have been officially signed by the department head and his academic supervisor in approval of his departure for the 2022 winter olympics in beijing which would mean he’d be missing the first month or two of the spring semester.

as if on cue, the oldest of the short track team, kwak yoon-gy called him, “our little maknae~ have you finished stuff at your school?” yeonwoo could already smell something fishy from this eldest senior of his and so, he replied, “of course, our hyung-nim, how may i be of service to you?” this situation may be a loose example of how you maintain and manage your social life within the national team as a young junior.

“no, i just wanted to check up on you but… me, dae-heon, jang-hyuk and dong-wook may be a bit… famished,” the fake giggle at the end of his senior’s sentence gave the intention up for yeonwoo. this would mean that he would run over to a nearby restaurant and take away some food for his hyungs but he didn’t mind. they baby him due to the considerable gap of age between them (he and yoon-gy are nearly twelve years apart, for god's sake!) and share their wisdom to him unconditionally.

“alright, mr. worldwide youtuber kwak yoon-gy, your wish is my command,” yeonwoo played along to the impromptu skit and waited before yoon-gy hang up on him, “thank you, little maknae~ we all love you~”

such is the life of the youngest member in the national short track team but honestly, he wouldn’t have it any other way. he had the coolest hyungs and noonas above him to learn from so hopefully, he could repay their guidance and friendliness with a medal on the podium next year.

it was a race against the clock at the hwang-ok e-commerce office for do baron as he was looking forward to getting off of work at precisely five thirty o’clock. he kept stealing glances of the digital clock on his desk as his fingers went into a typing speed he never knew he possessed. he can't wait to go home and take a refreshing cold shower before opening a cold canned beer and listening to some jannabi or 10cm.

though he wanted to curse senior manager shim, he should’ve seen it coming. with the big project approaching, that damned shim cheolsu would allocate half of his work to the younger ones below him while he’ll get the compliment at just how great he handled this project and managed the team. this time, he had been that younger one. ugh, the audacity!

“assistant manager do, i’m leaving,” assistant manager sung who sat in the desk next to him said as she began to pack her things to which baron raised his eyebrows. assistant manager sung never left the office this fast—she's a self-proclaimed workaholic—and it seemed she noticed the look on his face as she continued, “i’m going on a blind date so i have to go and freshen up a bit. good luck on this one. think of the flattery, compliments and support you'll get from him as a reward.”

his co-worker was not at all wrong. for the amount of work senior manager shim gave you, you'd be reaping in much praise and esteem from him. “have fun, then! i already emailed him the report from last month’s survey and campaign and also all the resources you asked for earlier. if there’s anything else you need, just text me later and i'll think about it,” baron said quickly as he noticed the impatient fidgeting from his co-worker. the lady went on to say her goodbyes before making a beeline for the lift.

baron smiled at the sight of his co-worker getting excited before he, too, packed his belongings and went to the lift. he glanced at his smart watch for the time. five thirty, just as planned. as the lift descended from the tenth floor, he can’t help but recall assistant manager sung’s face.

a blind date, huh? how formal and unnatural. though many would point out he wasn’t in a position to choose, do baron believed in natural and unexpected encounters. even under all that ambition and drive for professional success in his career, baron still preserves the idea of romance no matter how hopeless or wishful his views may be. there is still love in the world and he believes his is waiting to be found.