Chapter 4

There was so much excitement around INFINITE LOVE during Valentine's Week, did you know that?

Sungjong was so excited to see you again, he created an heart-stopping, brain-frying chocolate-mint masterpiece of a cake.

He named it "Noona's Love," much to our amusement. 

Swore it would bring in more customers than the fanservice.

Of course, Woohyun and Hoya couldn't let that go unchallenged, and put on their best acts as waiters that I'd seen in all my years of working here.

The amount of fanservice they doled out was near embarrassing, but it brought in the customers.

Sungyeol and Dongwoo were working on a Valentine's Day special drink.

On a whim, I asked them to add a spicy cinnamon flavor in addition to the peppermint.

They gave me the strangest looks, but did as I asked.

It tasted almost exactly like your kisses.

Sungyeol, being the evil hyung that he was, dubbed the drink "Noona's Kiss."

Too soon, Valentine's Day rolled around.

All of us were running around multitasking and helping each other out.

Even the mostly-reclusive Sunggyu made a rare appearance as the cashier. 

Having been away running errands the day you'd come back, he made it his personal mission to see you again before something else took you away.

He also promoted the Valentine's Day Limited Edition "Noona's Love" cake and the "Noona's Kiss" drinks, much to our collective dismay.

It was a brisk day, but not too cold to keep people from coming in swarms.

Most of the customers came to try the Limited Edition coffee and cake.

We didn't even have time to answer our phones.

Mine went off quite a few times, but I couldn't pick it up.

I made mental apologies to whoever it was that called, hoping it wasn't anything important.

Most of our customers were high school and college-aged girls, rushing over every chance they got: before, during, and after school.

ALL of us had at least three packets of cookies/chocolates and cards, even Sunggyu.

Most of them came because of Woohyun and Hoya's now-(in)famous fanservice.

By the end of the afternoon shift, we were dead tired. A mountain of cards and home-made treats were stashed behind the counter.

Still, you didn't show.

Bored, Sungjong the TV and started flipping through channels. It was 5:00 pm by now, so all the news channels were giving their reports.

What with the weather starting to turn stormy, all the major news channels were recommending safe driving and generally staying indoors to prevent accidents.

One news channel had a breaking news update about a Valentine's Day tragedy.

All of us groaned. On this day of love and romance, what could possibly go wrong?

I should've seen it coming.

Sungjong was about to change the channel to something more cheerful when a grim-faced news anchor popped up on the screen.

A few moments of silence, she told us the breaking news.

"On this globally celebrated holiday for romance and love, tragedy strikes at the Shinchon Casaville Apartments.

"A husband returning home from grocery shopping found his wife lying unconscious in a pool of her own blood in their apartment."

All of us had a sinking feeling in our stomachs.

I sent Sungjong back to the kitchen to clean up... he didn't need to hear what came next.

Images of a trashed apartment flashed across the screen.

Broken vases, overturned furniture.

The tiny kitchen was in a similar state of upheaval.

Pink and red cellophane sheets were scattered on the floor, along with pots, pans, and various utensils.

​Batter-covered mixing bowls and spoons were oddly strewn about the kitchen.

Your name and picture flashed onto the screen then, followed by the rest of the newscast.

"Choi ______, age 20." 

You never DID tell us what your married name was.

Now we knew.

"Described as a quiet, hard-working university student by their neighbors, she was taken to the Severance Hospital emergency room not ten minutes ago." 

"The distraught husband has declined an interview."

"We will keep you updated on this story as we get more information."

The TV clicked off. Silence reigned in the tiny cafe.