I thought he was just another typical customer but when the man before me lifted his hat and stared at me. All I could do was to stare back at him.

“Can I talk to you for a sec?” the lean man from yesterday asked.

“Sir, I can’t leave my station during working hours, please just tell me your order and I’ll get it for you,” I said, trying to hold on to the patience that was already wearing thin.

“Unnie… are you alright?” Jungmi whispered beside me, probably sensing the tension between us.

I did not answer her though. I was afraid I could yell at the innocent kid. I was just standing there, glaring at him.

“I’ll just borrow you for a sec,” he said.

“No,” I firmly said.

“What is this?” Manager Jaesang entered the scene. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Sir. He’s just another customer,” I said, not taking my gaze off the lean man.

He shifted his gaze to our manager. “Sir, could I just talk to Miss Sandara for a sec?”

“Mister, you’re holding up the line. Just order and-“

“Fine! Fine!” the lean man said, fishing out his wallet and taking out bills and bills of money and placing it in front of me. “Get me anything. Then talk to me.”

“Fine then. If it is money you are talking about, then, I guess it’s alright,” Manager Jaesang said. I widened my eyes at him but he was too busy counting the money. “Go, Dara! Get his order now.”

I shifted my gaze at the lean man who was now pasting a smug smirk on his face. If I could just wipe it off that face of him, I would!

Because it was the order of the manager, I couldn’t do anything but to give him the order. And I was planning doing just that – nothing more, nothing less.

I placed the cup of Affogato, one of our bestsellers, in front of the lean man who was reading a newspaper, acting as if he was just a typical customer. I also placed the Raspberry Chocolate Cake beside it. I was doing the job too quickly that I almost spilled the food, if not for the quick instincts of the lean man, catching my clumsy hand midair.

He was still holding my wrist when Manager Jaesang appeared beside us. He let go of me and I stood upright.

“This is my choice for you, Mister,” our manager happily said. “This is our bestseller and Dara here especially made it. She’s one of our treasures here even though she’s still new. Try it!”

I was already turning my back when Manager Jaesang told me to stay. I just sighed as I watched the lean man taking a sip on the coffee.

“Hmmm… very good,” he said. “I’ll come back here every day,” he smiled.

I creased my brow and rolled my eyes as I turned my back once again.

“If you need something, call Miss Dara,” Manager Jaesang said.

I scratched my head impatiently as I mumbled incoherent words under my breath.

“Oh, I still need her. I need to talk to her,” the lean man said.

“Oh, right! Dara-ah! Come here!”

Aish! What am I? Some kind of a puppy which you could call to entertain you once you’re bored to death?

“Manager, I still have a lot-“

“Hayi, Jungmi! Cover for her!” Manager said.

Aish!

I stomped my way towards their table.

“Take a seat, Miss Sandara,” the lean man said.

I glared at him.

“Okay then, you two, just sit comfortably here. Don’t worry, Dara-ah, I won’t deduct your salaries,” manager said, winking at me.

I glared at him too, following his retreating back towards his office.

“Take a seat,” the lean man repeated.

I shifted my gaze on him and roughly sat on the seat in front of him. “What do you want?!”

“First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Danny Im. I have been a butler of your grandfather for eight years now and-”

“Just tell me what you want!”

“Miss Sandara, I already told you yesterday-“

“I don’t care if he’s dying. He shall also feel what my father felt. He wasn’t there for his own son for Pete’s sakes. What made him think that I will be there for him now, eh?”

“Just give him a chance. He’s your grandfather anyway.”

“I don’t have a grandfather,” I firmly said.

“He’s the only living relative you have right now, your own flesh and blood. Why don’t you just try and make it up with him.”

What? Me? Make it up with him? “What? Me? Make it up with him?” I repeated my thoughts. “If there is anyone who has to make it up to someone, it’s him to me!”

“So, you on?”

He caught me. “Aish!” I was too exasperated already. “The answer is no.”

“Just try.”

“I already said no! Whatever you say, the answer is no!”

“He can help you with your financial problems.”

That shut me up and so, I glared at him.

“Miss Sandara, you’re the granddaughter of one of the wealthiest man in Seoul. Why the heck are you working in this kind of shop?”

I just stared at him, my eyes softening as I thought of the exact reason why I was working here – to finish college and eventually reach my dreams.

“Exactly,” Danny said, even though I was sure this time that I did not voice out my thoughts.

He started standing up. He pulled something from inside his coat and gave me a business card. “Just think it over.”

I stared down at the business card on my hand, reading it over and over.

PARK CORPORATION

Park Jinhwan

President

Contact numbers:

xxx-xxx-xxx

xxxxxxx

But instead of being tempted, which I was sure that Danny actually intended to do, I left the business card on the table and continued my work.

It was yet another day at work. It wasn’t my shift today actually, but since Jiyong was out with his grandmother, I decided to go to work instead of boring myself out at the apartment. Jiyong did insist on going with him but thinking of the last encounter I had with the witch, I refused.

And I was wishing that today will be another typical day, unlike what happened yesterday with the unexpected visit of Mister Lean Man.

And it was almost the end of my shift and I was on the mood today. Not until a monkey showed himself in front of me, and unlike the last time I saw him, he was now wearing a coat and tie. He looked too formal for his own good.

“Manager! I’m done with my shift!” I shouted towards the kitchen where our manager was.

“No, you’re not! You still have half an hour!” he shouted back.

Aish! I tried masking the irritation I was feeling right now. “Annyeong haseyo! Welcome to Happy Bean Café, what can I get you, Sir?”

Teddy was stifling his laughter. I might have been quite a sight while trying to mask my irritation. And then finally, he burst out laughing.

“Aish! Just tell me what you want!” I shouted, unable to keep it in.

“Whatever you’re good at,” he said, in between laughter.

“Just choose among our menu, SIR!” I said, emphasizing SIR.

“Okay, um, ehem,” he said, clearing his throat to try not to laugh again. “Caffe Americano, please.”

“That would be-“

“And I want you to make it for me,” he added.

“I am obviously on another work station, SIR. We have enough crew who are also equally talented at making coffee so if you excuse me, I still have other customers to serve,” I said, pointing at the line behind him.

“Oh, please?” he pleaded, trying to act cute.

“No!” I refused, already shouting, pounding my fist on the counter. The customers jumped in surprise and some of them even left the café while mumbling to each other.

Uh-oh.

I stared at the monkey in front of me who had an evil smirk on his face. “So?”

“Aish!” So, I stomped my way to the kitchen and asked another co-worker to take up my place.

“Hmmmmm…” Teddy said, his lips. “You are soooo gooooood!”

I turned my back but he caught my wrist. He pulled me to the seat beside him, since it was styled as a couch.

“You sure are awesome!” he said, marveling at the sight in front of him – the coffee on his hand. “How do you do this?”

“SIR, I have to go to work now.”

“If it weren’t for Jiyong telling me you work here, I wouldn’t have known. I kind of missed that hot Choco you made me the other day.”

I stood up and bowed. “I have to go.”

“I’ll come back here tomorrow!” he called.

Aish! This would be awesome. Note sarcasm here. Hayyyyssst.

JIYONG’S POV

It felt like it had been so long since the last time that Dara cuddled beside me. Since she started working, she would sleep the moment she comes home. I can’t blame her though. She was tiring herself up every day because of work, even though it wasn’t really necessary to work all day. Sometimes even, she reaches until the store closes during the night.

Her manager was quite impressed of her hard-work. She was incredible, he said. And he even told me that their sales had been hiking up ever since she started working there, and that they were even earning some loyal customers.

Déjà vu? Yes, indeed. I remembered Kwanghee telling the exact same thing to her, which she then told me. This girl is a sales magnet. I swear, if she would have her own store, whatever store it was, it would be a hit.

“You still awake?” she cut my train of thoughts.

“Yup,” I said.

She looked up at me. “What are you thinking?”

“You.”

She blushed involuntarily and I found it cute. “I-it’s… um… school will start tomorrow, let’s sleep,” she said, turning away and covering herself with the blanket.

I propped myself with my elbow and peeked on her side. “Who’s shy now?”

“Sleep!” she ordered.

“What were you thinking? You’re thinking of me too, right?”

There was silence.

“You weren’t thinking of me?” I said, pouting and then nibbling on her arm.

She slapped my arm. “Well… actually I am thinking of my grandfather,” she started.

I remained silent. I knew she had to let it all out. Since a week ago, she hasn’t told me anything about it. She kept it to herself. And I didn’t ask. It was after that night when she told me that she needed to be alone. And I gave her the space and time to be with herself.

“Danny, the lean man, told me to give him a chance,” she continued.

“What’s stopping you?”

“I hate that old geezer, Ji.”

I was shocked on the term she called her own grandfather. “Why?” I urged.

She exhaled and bit on her lip. “I guess I have to tell this to you too. Well, the thing is, when Omma and Appa met the accident, and Omma died and Appa got into coma, I learned that there was still a relative of mine living here in Seoul. I learned it from my Dad’s phone. There was a contact named ‘Appa’. I tried calling but it was out of reach. I searched for his address and so, I tried writing to him asking for help for my Appa. I didn’t even know what his name was. That time I was still very young, very innocent and helpless.

“So, when I wrote him, he never answered even once. I wrote to him numerous times, telling him of Appa’s condition, how he was suffering. I was asking for financial help. I was clueless back then, anyway.

“But, he rejected each and every letter I wrote. Thinking that maybe he never received any of them or the return address was wrong, I personally visited his place. He lived in a mansion, almost as big or maybe as big as your grandmother’s. I asked for him but the guard refused to make me enter. I told him that he just have to tell my grandfather that it was me, his son’s daughter. But, when he did, I was still driven away. But before completely kicking me out, the guard threw some cash towards me like they were just pieces of paper. Since I was really helpless, I picked them while tearing up.

“That was when I stopped writing to him, stopped asking for his help, stopped hoping for his kind and sincere help, and stopped thinking that I had a living relative. So, when Appa died…”

She trailed off, a tear escaping her eyes which I willfully wiped away.

“He never visited. You were there. But he wasn’t. You weren’t really a part of the family, and he was. But you were there…” she trailed off again. And buried her face on my chest. “…but he wasn’t there.”

I her back up and down to calm her down.

Her tears were already falling endlessly, soaking my shirt, but I didn’t. “I don’t know what I did, much more what my father did to deserve that kind of treatment. So, after a few days of my grief, I received a letter from him, introducing himself, telling me his condition, how he wanted to make up with me. But I just threw the letter away, not minding it, convincing myself that I didn’t know him. I called him ‘Creepy Man’.

“After that letter, tons and tons of others arrived. But I did not dare open each of them. I just threw them, in anger,” she said, her voice hardening, giving away the exact emotion she was feeling - rage. “He never stopped writing. Well, at least, not until I moved here.”

I stiffened.

“And I don’t even know how the hell they knew where I lived. I thought I was safe now, thinking that I was already kicked out of my old apartment,” she continued ranting, while I felt my heart stopped beating. “Now, he found me again.”

---------

*poster credits to  akkire