Morning came and L was already on his way going to the cafe. Just like yesterday, Ah Ri was outside stretching and breathing the morning air.

L stood there looking at her. Once their eyes met, Ah Ri smiled and bowed, before going inside the café to work.

“Weird… Why didn’t she say hello?” L shrugged and being optimistic he thought that probably Ah Ri didn’t saw him. L walked inside and sat at the same place as last time.

“Oh my gosh! He came back! Ah Ri, he’s here~” Yeon Ni chirped.

“Who’s here?” Ah Ri asked, confused.

Yeon Ni rolled her eyes and pointed at L. Then it struck her that Ah Ri might not remembered whom L was.

“Ah… A customer and a very handsome one too. Shouldn’t you be serving him?”

Yeon Ni blinked a few times and shook her head. “Nah… He’s way out of my league and plus, I can’t be bother to serve him, because probably he’ll ended up saying ‘I want someone else to serve me’.” Yeon Ni said in a mocking way. “You should go.” Yeon Ni told her with a hopeful smile.

“Arasso…” Ah Ri chirped and leaves to serve L.

“How can I help you, sir?” Ah Ri smiled an angelic smile.

L raised a brow. ‘Doesn’t she know me?’ Ah Ri coughed a little to get L’s attention back on the menu. “Sorry. Erm… I would like to have what you just had this morning, which is…” L looked at her.

“Excuse me, sir. You want what I had this morning?”

L nodded.

Feeling very weird, Ah Ri said, “Okay… It’ll be pancakes and earl grey tea, then, if that’s fine with you.”

L nodded. “Just what I had in mind.” L flashed her a smile and she smiled back still with a curios and weird feeling inside.

“Just like…that?” L pouted. ‘She’s acting like a stranger, but why?’ L thought for a while. ‘Probably, she wants to test me, or something. Okay then, I’ll just go with the flow.’

*****

“So?”

“So, what?”

Yeon Ni gave her a look, what is more like tell-me-everything-you-know.

“Ah… He just asks me what breakfast did I have this morning and he wants to eat the same thing. Weird, right.”

Yeon Ni gave her an are-you-serious look and sort of pitied her and L. Yeon Ni sighed and takes a look at L with soft gaze. ‘Why must you fall for her?’ Then, she shifted her gaze at Ah Ri who was doing her job really well. ‘Why must you be the one that has to get hurt in the end? And, the one that hurt someone?’ Yeon Ni let out a sigh, how she wanted to cry right now, but she held it in because she doesn’t want to look weak. This thing had been a repetition for quite a long time. ‘I just hope that that guy will not be too heartbroken in the end,’ Yeon Ni hoped and continued with what she had to do.

L’s order was up. “Come and have a seat with me, please,” L did his aegyo to make her say yes. At first, Ah Ri wanted to because L looked so cute and no girl could resist it when he did that. But, coming to her senses she said no and walked away.

‘What is up with that guy?’ Ah Ri thought and weirdly looked at L who was disappointed. ‘I’m sorry. Wish that I could say yes, but you’re a stranger. I don’t know you, plus I’m just a waitress.’

Ah Ri’s manager who is also her uncle was watching her and L just now. ‘It’s that guy who had went out with her yesterday.’ Mr. Hyo walked towards L who was eating his breakfast.

“Are you enjoying your meal?”

L stopped eating and look up. He nodded.

“May I sit?”

L just gave a nod and took a sip of his tea.

“And, you are?”

“Oh, sorry. I’m Mr. Hyo, ‘Infinity Love café’ manager and Ah Ri’s uncle.”

“I’m Kim Myungsoo. Currently Ah Ri’s boyfriend.”

“I thought so.” Mr. Hyo let out a sigh. “Listen here kid, do you love her with all your heart?”

‘This must be one of those over-protective people, again.’ L thought in his mind.

“I’m not that over-protective people.”

L just gave him a look and answered his question, “Yes, I do.”

“Really? What if you’ll get hurt in the end? What’ll you do?”

L was confused. “Why would I get hurt?”

“Don’t know. Maybe because someone interfere in and she forget about you.” Mr. Hyo said.

“Molla…” L said looking down. Mr. Hyo knew it, that L would end up getting hurt in the end.

“Leave her, let her go, if you don’t want to get hurt.”

L was taken aback by those words. His eyes widened.

“You’ve two choices. That is one, let her go now and forget about her, and second that is to continue being with her either forever, till miracles shows up or you ended up getting hurt.”

“What miracle?” Now L was really confused. He’s about to blow up when Mr. Hyo calmed him down by saying, “So, you’ve chosen number two. Okay, I’ll call her over and I’ll be waiting. Don’t show up to me someday after you’re hurt and cursing and crying at me. Don’t say that I didn’t warn and inform you, Myungsoo.” Mr. Hyo gave him a stern last look and called Ah Ri over to have a seat with L.

“Some uncle you got there.” L sipped his tea.

“Yeah,” Ah Ri looked at L who was in some kind of a way showing his couple ring. “What’s that? Couple ring? Who’s the lucky lady?”

L looked at her unbelievable. He almost choked and spat out his tea, but managed to gulp it down before any of that happens.

He bit his lips and being the brave L. He extended out his hand and held Ah Ri’s hand into his. Ah Ri was shocked and wanted to yell, but when L’s eyes met hers’, she didn’t yell. She calmed down and had her eyes lain on the tender and warm eyes of L’s. L beamed and smoothly inserted the ring into Ah Ri’s delicate finger. He could see that the bandage was still there and that yesterday was real. All of it was real. Ah Ri looked down at the ring, still puzzled, she tried to ask him a question but words just won’t come out from . She was speechless.

“Do you like it?” L gave her a passionate smile.

“Yes. But, I shouldn’t be the one wearing it. It’s not me-”

L had cut her off, “You’re the one that I love, my angel. I love you so much.” L gave her hand a little squeeze saying that he was sincere.

“But, I don’t know who you are. Who are you?” Ah Ri let go of her hand and looked straight into L’s brown eyes. L’s heart shattered and almost stopped due to the question that was thrown by her.

“You don’t know me? I’m Kim Myungsoo, your boyfriend. We met and dated yesterday.” L tried to make her remember. Ah Ri shook her head.

“Look. That cut you had, it was from yesterday.”

Ah Ri looked at her fingers. L was right, her finger did have a cut that she didn’t knew existed before, she was wondering how did she had cut herself, confused and puzzled she was.

“You got it because you had cut yourself when you were chopping the vegetables at my place last night. We were preparing dinner.”

“I’m sorry. Nothing hit me. I can’t remember.”

“Then, do you remember this,” L kissed her right cheek like last night. Ah Ri felt like it was like a déjà vu. Unfortunately, she didn’t remember anything that had happened last night, between her and L.

“Mianhea,” Ah Ri apologized and got up. L had stopped her by grabbing hold tight of her wrist.

“Don’t go. You are free at lunch?”

Ah Ri turned to look at L, who would never gave up, in this so-called game. Ah Ri nodded.

“See you then, exactly when the clock shows 12 noon. I’ll be here waiting for you, okay.” L grinned. Ah Ri had a smile on her face, even if she was blushing. L waved goodbye and leave the café. He had promised to meet and took Ah Ri out to lunch today.

*****

It was 12 noon, Ah Ri bid goodbye to her workmates, as soon as she turned around, a bouquet of Hibiscus was right in front of her face.

“For you. See, I made it on time! Just when the clock shows 12,” L beamed happily and proud of himself for being ever so punctual. Ah Ri’s nose reddened and she sneezed.

“Hibiscus…? I’m allergic to it,” Ah Ri said while sneezing.

L eyes widened in horror. He throws the hibiscus away and ran to the nearby pharmacy to get an allergic pill. After about 5 minutes L was gone. He came back panting, with a medicine and water in his hand. He handed Ah Ri the two things and helped her soothed her allergy reaction down.

“Mianhea! Cheongmall Mianhea!” l bowed and apologized continuously.

“It’s okay… you didn’t know, but it was sweet.” Ah Ri smiled at L. L heart did a flip-flop.

“You’re so nice and innocent. Of all the questions that I asked, why didn’t I asked you what things are you allergic to? L, you babo,” L scolded himself and pouted, now he felt really guilty for making her allergy reacted.

“Hey, I said it’s okay. Don’t sweat about it. You don’t mean to. Anyway, when did exactly do you have time to ask me?” Ah Ri asked.

“Look, usually a guy would already asked for the girl’s number before going out, but check your phone first,” L winked.

Ah Ri did what she was told and she gaped. “L? With love symbol?” Ah Ri raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that your name?”

“Call.”

Ah Ri called the ID number and L’s phone rang. L picked it up and Ah Ri was on the other line. Ah Ri narrowed her eyes. Questions floated in her mind. She looked at L and in an instant L knew that she want an explanation.

“The ID number is mine, so I guess that we’ve met before, right.”

“I guess so… But, how-”

Before Ah Ri could finish her statement, L had dragged her away and had brought her to Infinity Love Café, even if she worked there, but she is now a customer. L ordered western for them. While waiting for their order, L had put up a conversation and they two of them seemed to be getting along really well. It was the first time Ah Ri met L, but for L, it was the second time.

‘Everything about you seems to take my breath away. Your smile, your voice, your eyes, everything about you is perfect. The thing that I want to know is why are you doing this? Pretending not to know me, but you seemed to enjoy this. Are you pretending or this is real? Was yesterday just a dream?’ L zoned out as he stared her, and studied every single thing about her.

“L… L… L!” Ah Ri waved her hand in front of L’s face. L blinked several times.

“Yes?”

“Are you done?”

“Ne. Shall we go?” L paid the bill and holding Ah Ri’s hand, he took her to the arcade.

“What are we doing here?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Having fun, of course!” L pulled Ah Ri inside. Without her knowing it, she was already enjoying herself with so many games there. They played the racer game, the dance game, battle game and so much more. L had tried the claw game but failed, to his surprise when Ah Ri decided to have a go on it, she had managed to get a white teddy bear with a heart shaped pillow on it’s tummy. It was really pretty and cute, like L.

“This is for you.” Ah Ri handed the teddy bear to L. L shook his hands. No way ever he’s going to accept a teddy bear from a girl. Ah Ri pouted and did her aegyo so that he would say yes, and as she’d expected, L had his hands on the teddy bear.

“That teddy bear, keep it and make sure that you take care of it. Every time you look at it, think of me and our first date.” Ah Ri innocently said and smiled, with those big and shiny eyes of her. L’s heart sank when he heard ‘first date’, it was their second date but Ah Ri had said that it their first. L bit his lips, he wanted to tell her the truth but before he could tell her, she was already dragging him to try other games. Hours passed and it was 8 p.m. L had dinner with Ah Ri at Infinity Love Café. They had ordered Salmon, just like last night.

Once they’ve finished dinner, L had sent her home and again, her house was dark, like no one was even living in there, totally pitched black.

“Hey, Ah Ri. Are you sure that your parents are out and will come home later?” L asked in a worried tone.

“Yes. Don’t worry, L. I’m fine with it. Anyway, I’m old enough to be living alone. So, don’t worry.”

L nodded. Before he leaves, he had kissed her goodbye. He thought about kissing her on the lips but was too shy to do it, so he just leaves a kiss on her left cheek this time.

“See you, L!” Ah Ri waved at L.

“See you! I love you!”

Ah Ri blushed at those three words. “I love you too!” Then, L was the one blushing by those three words.