It was at the end of the day when Jang Mi sat on one of the café’s seats, holding her head between her palms, still looking completely shock. Lay went to her bringing two cups of cappuccino and put it in front of her and another one to Lu Han, who was crossing his arm, waiting for Jang Mi to calm down.

“You don’t have to be that shock, you’ve seen what all of us can do,” Lay said as he left the table to his place as a barista.

“Yeah… but no one told me that you can do magic! You made those books float. You’re basically a Harry Potter!” She eyed Lu Han with disbelief. That boy, just made books flew on the top of her head.

Kris rolled his eyes behind the café’s cashier counter. “You’ve seen me do that before and you were not exaggerating like this. Why are you fussing over a few flying books?”

She snapped her head to Kris, “Because that time my whole instinct was dead! There was a freaking meteor falling in front of me, aliens came out of it, one of them covered a hole in the ground just by stomping his feet on it, and another one made typhoon out of thin air and you expect me to get shocked hard when you fly? Hah! I was not just shock. I thought I was going to get sent into mental hospital!” She growled at the Captain. Kris scoffed and looked away.

“Jang Mi… calm down,” Lu Han reached for her hand and her shoulder fell down. “I’m sorry that I shocked you. I will not do it again. I promise. I did it just because those books nearly fell on you. I’m sorry,” she squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Jang Mi bit her lower lip and sighed. She looked at Lu Han’s hand covering hers and quietly pulled away and gathered her hand in front of her with red face. “No…. I’m sorry. Captain Kris was right, I exaggerated,” she said sheepishly, lowering her head down. “And thank you,” she peeked from under her glasses, “thank you for saving my life. I didn’t know what would happen if I really fell down.”

“That would be huuuurt,” Chen grinned from the other table he was cleaning on.

Jang Mi found herself giggled. “Yeah, that would be hurt.”

Lu Han smiled at her giggle, “No problem… that’s what friend for, isn’t it?” He took his cappuccino cup and sipped it.

Jang Mi smiled and nodded. “Yeah… friend, that’s what a friend for.” She felt her heart grow warmth at the friendship Lu Han said they were in.

“Oh! This thing is amazing, what is this?” Lu Han pointed at the cappuccino. “It’s strangely sweet with a little bitter taste in it!” he beamed.

Jang Mi laughed at his reaction. Kris raised his cup from behind the counter. “That, my comrade, is cappuccino… I know how amazing that is.” He nodded and sipped his own cup.

“This is waaay better, taste it, Lu Han…,” Se Hun came over with his bubble tea. Lu Han reached for it and took a sip.

“Oh!” he exclaimed. His eyes were round with excitement for the bubbly sweet taste in his mouth. “I love this one too… It’s much sweeter.”

“I know right?!” Se Hun held up his hand and Lu Han high fived him. “I’m definitely bringing this thing back home. Bubble tea is just amazing.” He left Lu Han and went back toward the kitchen.

Jang Mi laughed out and put her hands on her stomach. “Silly Aliens.”

***

It was Jang Mi’s morning shift at the bookstore. She was cleaning the dust from the book and wiped her perspiration after 10 minutes of cleaning up, still weak as always. The boys were in the café, even Lu Han hasn’t come down after he said he was going to talk with Kris for a minute. She was mumbling about Lu Han being irresponsible when she heard thunderous steps from the stairs.

“Lee Jang Mi!!! Lee Jang Mi!!!” Tao rushed down the stairs and jumped over the hand holder like a parkour athlete and landed right in front of Jang Mi, causing the latter holding her chest, startled.

“What is it, Tao?” she asked when she finally find her breath again.

Tao beamed brightly and tucked her toward the stairs. “Wait, wait! What is it?!”

“Come on, Lee Jang Mi! Come on! Something amazing just happened!” He pulled her impatiently, dragging her on the stairs.

“Tao! Tao! You’re going to pull my hands off, slowly!” She followed Tao’s wide steps as the boy took two stairs at a time. He was so excited he would not want to wait for her and released her when they reached the top of the stairs.

“Look! Look!” He pointed at the window where the boys gathered up, looking at something. Tao was practically jumping up and down full of excitement. All his scariness that Jang Mi saw the first time they met was nowhere to be seen. He looked like a kindergartener waiting to show his Mom his first amazing drawing.

Jang Mi came closer to the boys. They were whispering excitedly to each other while pointing at a container near the window.

“Excuse me?” Jang Mi came forward and Lu Han beamed. He reached for Jang Mi’s hand and pulled her closer to the window.

“Lee Jang Mi! The plant grows!” He stated and pointed at the tip of newly growth bud of crimson and green in the middle of the container.

“I thought you were playing with us when you say it will grow,” Kris patted her shoulder and she grinned to him.

“Now you believe me, don’t you?” she smiled thoughtfully at the Captain. “This Earthling is not a liar, Captain Kris.”

“I know… I’m trusting you now, Lee Jang Mi,” he gave her a gentle smile and Jang Mi grinned widely.

“You really should,” she nudged his side with her shoulder. Kris chuckled and kept staring at the bud.

“How long does it take for this flower to bloom?” Lay asked as he examined the bud intently.

Jang Mi shrugged. “It depends, if you take a really good care of it, it will bloom within a month. But if you just stand there, watching and doing nothing, it will wither in no time.”

“No!” they chorused all together, so loud that Jang Mi flinched and had to cover her ears.

“We’re not here to watch another tree die,” Kris gave her that piercing glare again.

“We need to save it! It’s newly growth,” Lay panicked. He scanned the container left and right, trying to see if any part of the bud began to wither.

Jang Mi suppressed her laughter. But she cleared when she felt all of them gazing down at her seriously. This was no laughing matter for them.

She took the container in her hand so they could see it. “Okay, so you need to take care of them. Give it water twice a day, at morning and evening. Give them some food….”

“Food? Will it eat the pancake I made?” D.O asked while waving his spatula.

“It will, your pancakes taste amazing,” Chan Yeol gave him a thumb up and they did a high five.

Jang Mi shook her head. “No, guys. This little plant here needs fertilizer to be given from time to time.”

“I’ll give it everyday,” Kai offered.

“That’s very kind of you, but that’s going to kill the plant,” they gasped in horror. “You just need to give it a little amount once a week. So does water, it doesn’t need too much. Like humans, they can feel full too. So don’t feed it too much.”

“It can feel?” Se Hun’s eyes rounded.

“Yes, Se Hun. It can,” she nodded and put the container back to window side. “If you don’t treat it well, it will be sad, and then died of sadness. You’ll treat it well, don’t you?”

“I will! I’ll protect it will my life,” he saluted at her.

“Good,” she smiled and patted his shoulder. All of the other boys also hummed about taking care of the flower and started to divide who was going to do it first. Se Hun volunteered immediately.

Mr .Yoo suddenly showed up from the stairs. He looked around at the boys and Jang Mi who were still fussing about the newly growth plant.

“What is going on here? Is something great happened?” his eyes lit up as he looked around, expecting for a beautiful actress to show up in his café.

“Yes!” Tao bounced up and down toward him. “The plant Lee Jang Mi planted just growth!”

Mr. Yoo’s face fell. “Ah… is that so? Good for you. Now come back to work.”