Days were tough for her.

Adults always tend to say that the school time was their best time of their lives, and students always complained about their tough time on school. Rayoung wasn't any different than the students and sometimes even hated her school time, but somehow she knew that it wouldn't be easier when she was out of the familiar school building. It would be even harder and that was what she was afraid of. She didn't want to have any hardships in the future like she had now. Her young, childish heart always wanted the easiest way out possible and never wanted to face any hardships.

She hated the fact that school almost her free-time, causing her to study even when she was home. Rayoung belonged to the type of persons others would call "smart", but she always described herself as "hard-working". Because she knew that all her good marks came from her hard work at home, not from some given intelligence. And to keep up the good marks, she had to learn more, which took her more of her free-time.

So, when she hadn't any tests – which were quite rare – she would always enjoy a cup of coffee in the coffee shop right next to her apartment. The owner, a small-eyed guy called Sunggyu, was nice, and there seemed to be love whenever she enjoyed the coffee. The barista seemed to enjoy his work and put all his efforts in it.

However, the reason why she always visited the shop was the waiter of the shop and a close friend of Sunggyu.

He was her own and special angel.

It rained on that day. Usually, Rayoung would enjoy every single free moment she got, but she somehow couldn't. She couldn't free herself from the stress she had, and her boyfriend wasn't a great help. Moreover, they quarreled today again about nothing and this fact was giving her more headaches than anything else. Sitting with a thoughtful, almost depressed look, Rayoung looked out of the window, watching the other people going through the rain.

"Your order?" the waiter asked with a deep, smooth voice. Without even looking at him, Rayoung answered, deep in thought: "I need an ear to listen."

"Excuse me, Miss?"

"Huh?" At that moment, she realized that he was a waiter, a complete stranger to her. She looked at him, and as she did, he smiled what made his eyes sparkle.

"What is your order?" he repeated.

"Erm, I'll take a cappuccino," Rayoung answered. The waiter nodded and went behind the counter. She looked again out of the window, without thinking anything. She saw girls passing the shop casually, kids running because it rained so much and adults talking on the phone.

"They aren't feeling the rain, they just get wet."

Rayoung turned around and much to her surprise, it was the waiter who was sitting right in front of her. He smiled and handed her the cup of warm coffee. "When you're holding it, it feels warm, but when you try to drink it, it's hot, so I wouldn't drink it now," he suggested.

"Why are you here?" she asked him.

"You needed an ear to listen, right? That was your original order. Sometimes it's better when a complete stranger listens to problems, because they aren't biased at all. So, there is a quite objective opinion what they have." He chuckled a bit before he added, "And we want that our customers leave with a happy face."

She chuckled too because of the sweetness he answered. He seemed to be honest, though.

"I…um…"

"What is your problem?"

After Rayoung overcame the fact that she was talking to a stranger, she told him about her problems, about her hardships she had in school and about her boyfriend who wasn't supportive at all. The waiter was just there and nodded sometimes. But he always looked straight into her eyes, as if he really listened.

"It seems like your boyfriend is a jerk," was his only comment. "He should support you, not quarrel with you all day long. I don't like these types of guys who are extremely hedonistic and egocentric too."

"What does hedonistic mean?" Rayoung asked.

"Hedonistic is someone who just cares about the pleasure. Hedonists always want to have fun and don't care about hardships. And your boyfriend is the type who doesn't care about you, but rather on his own pleasure. I don't like that."

"He is quite nice, actually…" Rayoung answered defensively. She didn't like the fact that a stranger told things about her boyfriend without even knowing him, but maybe he was right.

Or it was her fault because she only told the bad sides about him.

"He surely is. I don't doubt that. But I really think that he is a jerk, even when you told me the bad sides of him only."

"What would you do if you were me, then?"

"Woohyun-ah! Come here quickly!" a guy behind the counter yelled. So the waiter's name was Woohyun, Rayoung noticed.

"Just a minute, hyung!" Woohyun shouted back before turning back to Rayoung.

"What I would do? Enjoy my coffee I hold in my hands right now." He smiled. "Don't worry, everything's going to be alright. And if not, I am here to help."

"Thank you very much," she said truthfully. Woohyun's smile widened.

"You're welcome," he answered before he went to the guy who called him. Even without drinking the warm coffee, Rayoung felt a warm feeling in her heart, spreading over to her whole body.

She came really early today, just to see Woohyun brightly smiling to her, to see Sunggyu watching the two of them eagerly, and the other customers who were pretty surprised and sometimes even angered by the fact that a waiter was casually talking with a student. Most people told Rayoung that she looked way more younger than she actually was, and so it wasn't really surprising for her when her friends started asking her if she was interested in older boys or if she was deceiving her boyfriend.

What made things worse was that her boyfriend had also thought this way.

It didn't rain; it was quite sunny for a day in January and the snow was slowly melting. But inside Rayoung's heart, it did. On that day, she only looked at the art on her nails, and she wanted to rip these fake nails off so badly. Her thoughts were always turning around her boyfriend. She did everything for him, and yet, it was him who was envying her friendship with Woohyun so much. Saying that he broke up with her wouldn't phrase the sorrow correctly; it was more dumping than actually breaking up.

"Rayoung-ssi, it's unusual seeing you like this. It reminds me of the day where you wanted an ear to listen, remember?" Woohyun said and sat right in front of her, just like he always did.

"Why do you even call me Rayoung-ssi? Call me Rayoung-ah…" Rayoung answered instead, not even saying that her boyfriend used to call her like that because he was younger than her. Woohyun already knew that; he also knew that Rayoung loved the way he called her like that.

Woohyun didn't reply in an instant; Rayoung knew that he looked at her in a way he would always do – soft and caring, but also curious.

"Is it something with your boyfriend again?" he asked. She nodded slowly, feeling the tears running down her cheeks.

"It's going to be alright, Rayoung-ah…" Suddenly he was right next to her, carefully rubbing her back and looking softly at her.

Rayoung realized that she did had a shoulder to lean on, that there still was someone who cared for her, someone who wanted that she was happy at all.

Jiggling her feet in impatience, Rayoung looked at the little shop. It read Café Clover and was a decent, nice building in the center of the city. It had a green-grey façade and curtains in the same color. Once you got in, there was a simple, calm atmosphere and no one was in hectic. Not even the waiter. When he talked with a customer – which he always tend to do – the customers would wait and enjoy their time with the books. Ranging from Murakami to Rowling, the library of the café was in fact Sunggyu's own library that he provided. Because most of the customers feared him (mostly because of his death glares), they wouldn't even dare stealing one of his books. Truth be told, Rayoung had never touched one of them because she had been either there for learning or to tell Woohyun all of her problems.

"Haven't you read one of our books?" he casually asked.

"No, I haven't yet. I was always busy telling you my problems." She chuckled and he joined in.

"You're right."

"Woohyun-ah, if you like to, you can always tell me your problems. Don't be a Namu, okay?" she said and smiled brightly. He laughed after a couple of seconds. It wasn't like he hadn't understand it – who knew how many people had made fun of his name and called him "tree" just like Rayoung did now.

"I surely will, Rayoungie," he answered. But he didn't sound quite genuine.

"Are you really alright, Woohyun-ah?"

"I am, really," he said.

"Really really?"

"Yup, really really."

"Woohyun-ah… thank you for being there," she said, smiling in an honest way. She didn't really feel shy though.

"Ah, no need to say thanks, really. I was just doing my job," he answered and scratched his head in shyness.

"You did far more than just your job," Rayoung insisted and locked her hand in his. Fixing her eyes on him, she winked him with both of her eyes. He laughed a bit coyly, but then winked back.

And Rayoung had never been happier at this moment.

"Excuse me, do you look for someone?" a voice asked her – and it didn't sound familiar. Rayoung turned around and faced a tall guy who had sharp features. He wasn't as handsome as Woohyun was, but he had his own chic charm.

"I am waiting for the shop being opened," she answered politely.

"Ah, really? I'm waiting for it too. We can wait together if you like."

Hearing that, she raised her eyebrows. No one came this early usually, and considering his almost suit-like clothes, he seemed like an employee of this shop. But then again, there only were Sunggyu and Woohyun. Café Clover had always been run by two friends. Who was he even?

"Who are you?", she asked.

"I'm the new barista of this little shop, Lee Sungyeol. Nice to meet you.", he said and bowed politely.

"H-hold on. Where is Woohyun?"

"Woohyun?" he repeated.

"Yeah. He was the waiter of this shop."

"Hmm..." Sungyeol said and jiggled his feet in impatience.

"Wait. You don't have the keys?"

"Of course not. I'm new here; I have to wait for Sunggyu-hyung."

"Where do you know Sunggyu?" Rayoung asked, getting more and more impatient.

"Sunggyu-hyung? Ah… I have my connections." He laughed.

"I see."

"Why are you here, anyways? It's not like you work here, right?" Sungyeol asked after a while.

"I'm waiting for Woohyun."

"You said he was the waiter, right?"

"Yup. Why do you ask now?"

"Erm, well, I think he isn't here anymore."

"What do you mean, he isn't here anymore?"

"I think he isn't here anymore, because Sunggyu-hyung came up and told me that he needed a waiter urgently. I was unemployed at that time, so I decided to apply for this. I mean, what could I do? It was like a big opportunity, so I didn't want to miss it."

"Urgently," Rayoung repeated.

"That's what he said." Sungyeol lifted his hands, trying to prove his innocence.

"I see."

"Well, I can ask Sunggyu-hyung a bit later, if you like."

"No, no, it's alright. Bye."

"Bye! Don't forget to drop by!" Sungyeol said cheerfully, as Rayoung went back to her home again. Tears emerged from her eyes, and she wiped them off clumsily. Somehow, she knew that it would happen – that her angel would leave her because she was happy enough to live without one. But Woohyun had become so important for her, that she couldn't live without him.

Rayoung realized that she loved him when he was missing. She had realized his importance during his absence.

What an irony of life.

~~~

She took a shower and tried to erase the memories that were almost overflowing her mind. But she couldn't. The colors were still too strong, and Woohyun's smile was lingering through her mind.

"Damn! Damn! Damn! You tree! I hate you!" she swore and started to punch the wall. It wouldn't bring anything but physical pain, she knew that, but she couldn't help but freeing her anger in some way, even if she harmed herself like that. Rayoung used to laugh at the people who threw things in anger because she thought that they were pathetic; now she wasn't any better than that.

Just because of a single guy. A stranger.

She stepped out of the cabin, dryed her hair and put herself some clothes on. As soon as she went out of the bath, the bell rang. Rayoung titled her head at first – who would even visit her? – but then opened the door.

It was Woohyun. Wearing some odd, almost ridiculous clothes, he just stood there, with a solemn look in his eyes.

"How do you know my place?", she asked in confusion.

"You told me, remember?"

Recalling that moment, she nodded slowly.

"Rayoung-ah, I'm… first of all I'm really sorry because of the café. I left it."

"Sungyeol told me," she answered.

"So the newbie's name is Sungyeol," he noticed. "I hope he does it as well as I did."

"Please come in," she offered.

"I'm in a hurry, but I will remember that offer for later," he replied and laughed. Rayoung didn't ask why he left Café Clover – she just accepted it. Woohyun wasn't the type to tell this, and a voice in her mind told her that he surely had his reasons on leaving.

"Did you tell Sunggyu about it?"

"Yes, I did. He became angry at me, as expected, but he accepted it in the end."

"I see."

"Rayoung-ah, I am really sorry that I didn't tell you. I considered the option to leave way earlier, and that's why I was quite weird back then."

"You could've told me! I told you that you could tell me everything!"

"I-I know, but just think about it. I wasn't even sure of myself if I really leave or not, and you would just beg me to stay, right? So I didn't tell you. I'm sorry for it, though."

"Apology accepted," she said, honestly smiling. "But next time, you tell me everything!"

"I will."

And at the way he smiled at her, Rayoung believed him in an instant.

He was her own and special angel, after all.