[March 2005]

‘Oh, you’re here again.’

I could only answer with a weak smile. Soon, he came back with a cup of hot Cappuccino in his hands. And again, he sat in front of me at the exact same spot inside the small café like he did when I first came here.

‘I thought you already got back to your home. It’s been like what, two weeks? So, grown fond of this island, boy?’ He suddenly asked after a while of awkward silence.

The truth was, I was waiting for the golden haired girl to appear before the windows again. Her smile, I wanted to see it again. There was nothing I enjoyed doing here but looking for her and at her that my heart was dying to know more about that interesting girl. But sadly, there’s no sight of her anywhere since the last time I saw her at the beach a few days before.

‘I’ll go home soon, next Saturday probably.’ I answered carefully.

‘Drink that, son. It’s for you. You don’t have to pay.’ His fatherly smile reminded me of my own father’s. Well, it seemed that fathers did have something in common and for that, my heart soothed a bit from the all unwanted insecurity that I kept towards him before.

And with much care, I took the cup and sipped its content. Delicious, very delicious but there’s more about the coffee, some kind of weird tastiness in it that I myself couldn’t explain.

‘What’s your name?’

‘Uh? N-Nam Woohyun.’

[November 2011]

‘Woohyun-ah.’

I opened my eyes at the female voice and that’s when I realized that I was back to the real world. Dreams that I had lately were all about the past that I experienced when I was in Jeju years ago. Maybe it’s because Jihyun’s with me now, so old memories suddenly came back.

‘You fell asleep here? Sorry that I kept you waiting. And sorry I couldn’t attend your wedding months ago.’

‘No, it’s okay. I know about your busy schedule back at the university and all...’ I answered with a gentle smile as both of us hugged each other warmly.

‘How are you feeling these days? Oh, and did you receive my congratulatory message that I e-mailed to you?’ Her voice was always tender, not too soft and not too pushing. That’s why I liked talking to her. Ever since I was twelve, she was the one of the women who said comforting words to my ears up until today but for these past few years, we rarely met because she said I was getting better.

‘Yes. Thanks.’

‘So, you want to talk about something? It must’ve been bugging you that you asked to see me.’ She asked, raising her brows.

‘Yes.’ I replied, adjusting my position into a more comfortable one. She just rested her chin onto her hand, waiting for my story.

‘I still remembered about what you said to me about believe and patience. It’s been a few months already and I know it’s still too early and all but I–I’m starting to feel doubt about my wife, Jihyun. She seems to dislike me, very much and I know it’s still early for her to realize her love for me but. I feel. I don’t know. Afraid. It started off okay. It was great. Well, not too great. I was happy. But she didn’t seem like she’s