Four cousins made of two sets of sisters, Serena and Melanie, and Kierra and Linna, were currently on winter break from their university and working part-time at a cafe. While living in Seoul, the four went by their Korean names out of convenience. Park Minseo and Park Youngseo and Jung Hayoun and Jung Jiyeon, respectively, but amongst just the four of them they would use their English names, having been born in the States.

"So there's an order of seaweed rice ball, a loaded mochi waffle, a lemon cloud ade, and a cherry blossom ice cream." Melanie read back the order before announcing the overall total.

"That'll be a total of thirteen thousand and five hundred won."

Melanie ran the register while Kierra, Linna, and Serena made the orders as two others, Moon Chanran and Lee Eunchan, ran out the orders and cleaned the area. The cafe, Simplistic sold various items from bottled waters, canned milkis, fruit ade, fruit ade with cotton candy, ice cream, ice bars, rice balls, corn cheese, tteokbokki, bagels, and mochi waffles. If you came in during the last half an hour before closing, all items were half off, so the shop could start afresh the next day.

"Less than fifteen minutes left and I can actually snack to my heart's content." Serena muttered to herself, but the others clearly heard her.

"I know right." Kierra agreed with a sheepish laugh.

"I mean, it's easy to take a drink and then work, but snacking is a bit harder."

"True that." The others chimed in with a laugh.

"Go ahead and eat a rice ball and mochi waffle or whatever you want." Eunchan said with a smile as Chanran nodded in agreement.

"Yes, go ahead."

"Y'all deserved it for working hard all night tonight."

The cousins happily cheered at being given the small treat.

"Thank you!" They thanked the pair as they each made their own rice ball and mochi waffle.

"Welcome."

The duo laughed at their behavior before walking to the back of the store to double check products and others things for tomorrow. The cousins had finished making their own rice balls and taken a satisfied bite out of it when a group of seven young men entered soon after.

"Oh, it's kids and friends." Serena commented with a chuckle upon recognizing three of them right away.

Despite knowing all seven, she was more familiar with the three younger ones as they bothered her the most.

"Um, we'll be in the back." Linna said as she and Melanie ran off with only Kierra hearing them while Serena didn't.

Serena took noticed and leaned closer to Kierra to ask her about it.

"Why'd they leave?"

"You're so clueless despite making fun of them and using their situations as inspiration for your story plots." Kierra commented as it finally dawned on Serena.

"Ah, right, right. I never really think about it though."

However, Serena cast her cousin a playful look.

"But you're my favorite muse of them all."

Kierra scowled with a roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, I know, but I hope that you'll get your own karma with one of the other four."

Serena scoffed.

"Ni-Ki, Jungwon, and Sunoo are babies."

"Then that leaves you with Lee Heeseung."

"Yeah, right. If I didn't like him back in high school, then what makes you think I would like him now?"

"You never know."

"I do know. Besides, he's too tall."

"You're just short."

"I'm considered slightly tall for an Asian girl and so are you. It's our sisters that are tall for an average Asian girl."

'Yeah, that's pretty true. People always think you and I are the younger sister."

"I know right."

Serena chuckled before casting her cousin with a look.

"By the way, does that mean you accept your fate with you-know-who?"

"No. Now shut up." Kierra declined with a sharp look.

The two nudged one another playfully while awaiting for what the seven wanted to order. Anyway, Linna had a crush on the one named Park Sunghoon as they were also classmates. Melanie is friends with and tutored by another named Sim Jaeyun, who also went by Jake. Kierra has this weird relationship of sorts with a third named Park Jongseong, who also went by Jay, as the two were also classmates. As for Serena, well she had had classes in the past with Heeseung, but their paths hardly crossed and didn't interact much out of school where all eleven attended the same university, Hyebi University.

"Now it's your turn."

Kierra nudged Serena to work the cash register. Serena shot her cousin an annoy look before facing the young men with a polite smile.

"What can we make fresh for you tonight?"

Ni-Ki leaned closer with a lovable smile.

"You think you could add in a bit of service for us, Minseo?"

"Not for you."

The others busted out laughing at the unexpected interaction while Ni-Ki rolled his eyes in good-nature as Serena smiled.

"Is Youngseo and Jiyeon around?" Jungwon inquired, curiously.

"Yeah, they're in the back. Do you want to talk to them instead?"

"Nah, I'll talk to them later, but I can talk to you, too."

"No."

"Wow."

Jungwon scoffed, eyeing Serena as she chuckled before turning her gaze over to Sunoo.

"How about you, Sunoo?"

"Do you have any mint choco related items?" Sunoo asked, looking around the menu and the display.

"I don't see any listed."

"Why, yes, we do, Mint Choco Lover." Serena cooed playfully with Sunoo chuckling.

"Yeah, yeah. So, what do you got?"

"We have a mint syrup we can use to make some stuff like putting it on the mochi waffles and ice cream. We could try blending some as a shake if you like."

"Oh, perfect. Yeah, I'll think about it."

Sunoo flashed her smile as Serena did the same thing while inputting more than the half-off discount before glancing at the others as it was getting near closing time.

"Alright, so what would you like to get started with?"

Some spoke at the same time while the others glanced at one another wondering what the other was gonna order. Serena heard a few items, but did not input any of it into the register, wondering if this was gonna end well.

"Yeah, we'll take one of everything."

She glanced over at Jay who had spoken with Kierra shooting him a disbelief look.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, Hayoun, seriously."

Jay shot her a wide smile as Kierra scowled, but still spoke in a polite tone.

"Let me double-check on the ice bars."

"Okay."

The smile remained on Jay's face as Kierra's scowl shifted to a netural expression while she crouched down to double check on the ice bars. Serena hadn't noticed as she continued inputting one of every menu item into the system after hearing each of them order.

"Um, anything else while she checks that?"

They once again spoke over one another before they got their order in control. Serena inputted all the other additional orders into the system while preparing all the bottled and can drinks as they continued to order. Serena re-confirmed the group's order as it got bigger once all seven mentioned in detail what they wanted for sure.

"Alright, your total will be ninety-eight thousand and seven hundred and seventy won."

"Wow. Really?"

"Mmhmm."

They were surprised of the total, expecting it to cost more. Serena refrained from chuckling at their reaction before hearing one of them speak. Suddenly four cards were offered to Serena by the oldest four although she wasn't sure which one to take. Each one insisted that he would be paying for all of them with neither of them backing down. Serena did the only thing she knew that would settled it faster

"Hey, Hayoun."

"Hmm?" Kierra hummed while grabbing all the ice bars after getting the rest of the bottled and can drinks.

"Left or right?"

"Left."

"One through four."

"three."

"Me or them?"

"You."

"Thanks."

"Mmhmm."

The seven were confused about what had just happened, but realized what it was for as Serena tapped the card of the third person, counting from the left side of her which was Heeseung. Serena gave him a polite smile after indicating for him to swipe.

"Your order should be out with you shortly and your number is five. Please have a seat anywhere you like."

"Thank you." The group thanked her as Heeseung shot her a smile while he took the number tent.

"Thanks, Minseo."

"Welcome, Heeseung."

He lingered around and she watched him, curiously.

"Did you need something else?"

Heeseung smiled, shaking his head.

"Not really, but weren't you working at that Gong Food place earlier this year?"

"Ah, that. Not anymore. I quit."

Serena wasn't aware that Heeseung knew that. Before Heeseung could comment, Jake interrupted him and Serena's focus went towards him.

"Hi. Sorry, but could we push like three of the tables together?"

"Yes, Jake, you can." Serena replied.

Jake smiled as he and the others pushed two small tables to make an even bigger one together while thanking them.

"Thanks, Minseo."

"Welcome."

Heeseung shot her another smile before walking away as Ni-Ki lingered at the counter this time around while he pointed behind Serena.

"Can I have one of those first?"

She glanced over her shoulder to see the jars of lollipops she and the others had brought for themselves before focusing back on him.

"No."

"Not even one?"

"Nope. They're mine."

"There's like a lot, Minseo."

Ni-Ki pouted as Serena shook her head still.

"And your point is, Ni-Ki?"

"You're mean."

"I know."

"Please?"

"Not uh."

"Fine."

Ni-Ki made a face before changing topics.

"Anyway, what are y'all doing on Christmas day?"

"Working."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"All day?"

"No. Just the day time."

Serena eyed him.

"Why are you asking?"

"Just asking."

"I ain't gonna give you no lollipops."

"C'mon. There's like so many."

"Yeah, I know."

"You're mean."

"I know. Didn't we just go through this earlier?"

"Yes, but I thought you would change your answer."

"Not with you."

Serena chuckled as Ni-Ki made a face, but relented.

"Fine."

Serena flashed him a smile as he walked away, sulking.

"Alright, so it's just me and you as our sisters preferred to keep their distance at the moment." Kierra informed Serena as the latter's brows furrowed.

"Wait, why do they wanna do that?"

"You know why, but anyway, we'll just take it out per set to make it easier."

"Okay, cool."

Serena lifted the tray of canned and bottled drinks with two hands before remembering something. She set the tray back down before grabbing a handful of lollipops and placing them onto the tray with a knowing smile. The rest of the night went fine despite Melanie and Linna staying out of sight until the group had left, not wanting to interact as they preferred to do it on school grounds instead of outside of it despite their sisters teasing them afterwards.

"Let's turn back." Kierra suggested, whispering for only the three to hear.

Come Christmas evening a couple of days later, Kierra and Serena eventually found themselves at Lotte World alongside their sisters, a few close friends, and several others they attended school with and were more or less friends with. Ni-Ki and friends were present and were casually conversing with their other mutual friends, too. Still, Serena and Kierra were a bit apprehensive as they preferred a smaller outing due to not socializing as much as their sisters. Then again, Melanie and Linna weren't looking forward to the nightly outing either upon seeing Jake and Sunghoon, respectively, within the crowd.

"They did not say that he would be here and so I don't want to be here." Kierra continued.

By 'he', Kierra meant Jay.

"I'm with Kierra on this though. I thought it would just be a girls' night out and not like a classmate slash friend trip." Linna agreed with a slight nervous tone.

"I didn't think he would be joining us, too."

For Linna, 'he' was Sunghoon. Despite how she found him cute and all, that didn't mean she wanted to be around him like this. She was okay at keeping her distance.

"Maybe it won't be that bad. I mean, Woojoo and Sujin would've told us." Melanie reasoned with a calm demeanor.

Woojoo was Sunoo's sister. Sujin was Jungwon's sister. Serena shot her sister a weird look.

"Didn't you like run away last time from Jake when the others came to Simplistic?"

"I didn't run away from Jake. The dishes needed to get cleared up."

"Right."

"Anyway," Kierra interjected, "Melanie actually gets along with Jake though."

Linna nodded.

"Yeah. They're a lot closer compare to me and Kierra."

Melanie rolled her eyes.

"He's just a classmate and my math tutor."

"Again, why did you run away when he came in that night with the others?" Serena inquired with a quirk brow, not dropping the matter.

Melanie nonchalantly gave her sister a vague answer.

"Because I can."

"Right."

Melanie dimissed the issue.

"Besides, I mean, if you actually think about it, we all don't have to do the same thing as them since there's so many of us and it's not like they would notice."

"Yeah, that's true." Serena agreed with a nod.

"Like we can hang out in different areas and even do different things, too."

"Oh yeah, true."

Melanie cast the others with a knowing look.

"Besides, it's not like Ni-Ki, Jungwon, Sunoo, and the others are gonna just hanging out with only us for t