“Seunghee!” Xiumin her co-worker called to her, while she was double checking that the cash register was properly organized.

Seunghee glanced behind her, eyebrows raised to see Xiumin eating a chicken wing, squatting behind the counter to hide himself from the customers, and with another chicken wing on a small plate beside him.

“Yeah?” She said, surprised, closing the register. XiuMin continued munching, but spoke, a look of enjoyment on his face. “This is soo good  you have to try it!” He emphasized.

Seunghee let out a chuckle, nodding at this. “Okay, let me just..” She started to say, when the bell in front of the register incessantly dinged, interrupting her .

She turned back around, to see Eli his hand poised over the bell, a smirk on his face. She was about to give him her best death glare, but remembered that her boss was at a far table, and might be watching her.

She gave a forced wide smile but spoke in a sarcastically cheery voice. “How may I help you?” She asked.

Eli kept the large smirk on his face, which was really making Seunghee tense up in annoyance, but tried her best not to display this.

He glanced down at the laminated food and drink menu in front of the cash register, running his pointer finger over it, thinking of what to order. Seunghee noticed he was wearing the same silver band on the middle finger of his right hand, and how long his eyelashes were.

Xiumin cleared his throat at the back counter, and Seunghee glanced back at him. He mouthed to her. “You okay?” She nodded once. “I’m okay.” She replied back, and turned back to the front of the register.

Eli glanced back up at her after a moment, and Seunghee struggled with trying to look cheerful, in case her boss was watching, but also trying to let him know she was only faking the smile.

The muscles in started to shake. Eli kept his eyes steady and wasn’t smirking anymore. If anything Seunghee would’ve thought she detected sadness somewhere in his eyes, despite his cocky exterior. But she shook this thought away.

“Can I get the strawberry and banana crepes with nutella?” He asked. Seunghee nodded, and stopped her wide smiling, jotting this down on the order pad.

“The regular or large?” She asked, specifying. “The large” He replied, raising his eyebrows up then down.

Seunghee couldn’t tell if he was trying to be funny, but she glared at this.

Xiumin overheard and started to speak. “Woah dude, wait a minute!” He started to say, and got up from his squat behind the counter, about to approach Eli.

Seunghee, grabbed Xiumin by the shoulder, shaking her head. It wasn’t worth getting into a ruckus over, or their boss getting mad at Xiumin.

“Forget it.” She whispered to Xiumin who glared at Eli and stalked off to the back kitchen.

“That’ll be $7.45” She told him briskly. He handed over a ten and she opened he register, giving him his change.

Eli then moved over to wait at a high table nearby, to let the next customer order. After about ten minutes, the crepe order was ready and Seunghee boxed it up, placing it in a plastic bag and tying it securely.

She walked over to where Eli was waiting and placed the box on the table, putting her cheery expression back on again, in cae her boss was watching. “Thank you for waiting come again!” She said, and started to walk off, when Eli opened the box, and glanced at the crepe.

“Damnnn this looks like .” He said loudly. Other customers eating and drinking nearby glanced at him wide eyed. Seunghee had the last straw. She knew it looked presentable and he was just trying to give her a hard time.

She noticed Xiumin was making a green protein shake, and grabbed the cup he was just about to put a lid on. XiuMin looked startled. “hey Seunghee what?..” He started to say, and watched in shock as she tossed the shake straight into Eli’s face.

Everyone gasped, and the Mocha For You boss stood up from her chair at the back table. “Lee Seunghee!” She said scolding her.

Eli winced slightly and felt for a  napkin on the table, and wiped his eyes. Seunghee just glared at him.

“Fire me if you want! The customer is NOT always right! And sometimes they can be complete s!” She retorted. And stalked out of the café, fuming.

The boss, hurriedly walked over to Eli, apologizing profusely, as he shook his head. He tossed a few dollars onto the table to pay for the drink Seunghee had tossed at him, knowing he had been out of line, and walked out of the café.

Seunghee walked to the back storage, exhaling loudly, and sat down at the side curb. She had heard about some idol’s being jerks, but having to encounter it herself, .

She watched the cars drive by, occasionally someone with road rage would honk at another driver. Yappy dogs barked in the distance.

Hearing footsteps approach, she glanced up beside her, surprised to see Eli with a stoic expression.

Her eyes grew cold, and she started up lecturing him. “Do you think you being a celebrity gives you the right to act the way that you do?! Some two faced egotistical jerk who thinks they can just treat people like crap?!” She retorted. Eli remained silent, which was a bit startling to her.

Seunghee was tired of yelling so she stood up from the curb, and walked off. “Hey wait” Eli called out. But she just walked back into the café.

Xiumin was mopping up the green shake mess, and glanced at her with wide eyes. He gestured to the back kitchen, where their boss was waiting.

“Sorry for the mess” Seunghee told him apologetically, and he nodded in understanding. She walked to the back kitchen, and braced herself for her scolding and possible job firing.

Her boss’s arms were folded. “You created quit a scene today Seunghee, but Xiumin informed me that the customer had been harassing you, so I won’t fire you. This time.” Her boss warned her. Seunghee bowed repeatedly, and thanked her and apologized for the trouble she caused.

Her boss handed her five dollars, and told her to put it inside the register, which confused Seunghee.

Seeing her employees expression, the boss explained. “That young man you threw the drink at left, this to pay for the drink that you wasted.” She told her.

Seunghee looked surprised. And her boss walked off. She put the money in the register, feeling a bit guilty at not waiting for Eli’s explanation.

She glanced up from the register and mouthed a “thank you” to Xiumin for explaining her situation to their boss. He nodded, and finished up mopping.

Who was Eli Kim really?

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Isabel Santos Copyright 2012.

All rights reserved.