December 20th, 2011                                              

 

“Aaah! Wait a minute!!!” The girl in a dark maroon coat with a pair of matching pink ear muffler yelped.

”Did you left something behind again, Younghae?” I widened my eyes, searching for clues on her blank face. Younghae blinked her eyes repeatedly, looking puzzled after hearing my question. She hummed, “Hmm… No…”

Taking a deep breath, I replied, “Then let’s go. We are so late now.” However, she stood still in her position, and was mouthing something.

”AAAAAAH!” Both of us shrieked in unison out of nowhere.

 

This was when my love-hate relationship with this winter began.

So everyday at about six o’clock in the evening, when all the workaholics are on their way going back to home in the hustle and bustle city of Seoul, Younghae and I headed down the street of Seoul and round the corner. There was a nondescript concrete building along a dead-end road. I stood on the other side of the street and stared up at the windows of the first ground floor above the sign that said “Starbucks”.

It has been a daily routine for me and Younghae to buy a hot cup of coffee or latte or whatever we feel like drinking. But the timing was extremely bad this time, considering that we were on our way to attend a very special occasion. Believe me, when I said it was special, it was very SPECIAL.

 

“Come on! Let’s go in,” Younghae grabbed my hand and I trailed her as I walked nonchalantly into the shop. The sweet, bitter aroma of pure brewed coffee was in the air.

When I got into the front of the queue, a pair of dark brown eyes met mine and widened with surprise. He was wearing a complete set of Starbucks’ uniform with a cap on and was accompanied by this other guy that wore no cap that stood behind the counter with him too. These workers were new I supposed, since I have never met them before. Well, the guy without the cap was quite cute I must say. And even Younghae was checking him out… straight at his . Wait… ?! Younghae’s eyes darted towards the duck- guy and I swore there was drool escaping from .

”Hi,” the guy with the cap said. There was a question in his eyes. I am lost and confused. It took me a while to remember that I am in a Starbucks, and he was behind the counter, and I am supposed to tell him some sort of coffee order. I know I had one. I just can’t remember what it was.

”A cup of black coffee,” I said without thinking. “…Without sugar.”

He marked it down on a cup and passed it down the line. “One cup of black coffee with no sugar please,” he said to the other guy. “Anything else?” He added it in one go, almost like rapping.

 

He gave me his half-amused expression, as his lips was turning into a line of curve.

 

Such a beautiful smile. . .

 

“Miss?” He said again.

I realized I have not answered his next question. And then, I remembered what I really came for.

”I mean, no- sorry. It was supposed to be a Caramel Macchiato for me and a Cappuccino with skimmed milk for this lady here,” I replied as I turned around towards Younghae. Younghae in her case; was deeply immersed in her own imagination and was amazed at the sight of the guy with the duck--alike .

”Younghae?” I called out for her name. No response.

”Well, hello earth to Younghae??” I started to shake her body and after a few tries, she snapped back to reality.

”Uhh… Yes, alien?” Her face was totally blank as she said that. I took out a piece of tissue from my sling bag and wiped off her drools.

”There you go, miss,” He said again with the half-amused smile plastered on his face. Oh… That smile. . .

I paid him for our drinks and headed for the pick-up point without another word. I grabbed Younghae’s out of the sight and dashed out from the Starbucks.

                                                            ~*~*~*~

 

 

“HAHAHAHA!” She burst out laughing, pointing at me, noticing what I had done.

 

“YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR FACE WHEN YOU WERE EXPLAINING THAT!” She continued laughing again, this time, slapping Younghae’s shoulder.

”Yah yah yah. You shouldn’t laugh that loud. Plus, you’re the centre of the attention tonight.” I leaned over the table, trying to hide from all this embarrassment.

”Are you telling the truth, Hyemi-ah?” Younghae looked up to see Taeyeon in her engagement dress and gave back her stares to me.

”Yes. I could tell that you were so in love,” I answered.

”But-but… You can’t blame me. That guy was so good looking,” Younghae continued munching her cupcakes. And now, she was taking her fifth cupcakes from the cupcake stand.
 

“But all you did was staring at his… .” I added in.

Taeyeon chortled but soon after that, she stood up and fixed her blue stunning dress, sparkly with fringes at the bottom of the asymmetrical-styled cut. ”Hmm I guess he is, Younghae. Well, I’m going to greet some of my relatives. Sorry honey.” Both of us nodded in unison as a reply.

Jang Wooyoung, Ahn Taeyeon’s fiancé was walking nonchalantly in poise towards her and wrapped his arms around her wrist as he gave her a peck on her cheek. He was a fine, handsome and decent young man in his twenties who cares a lot for our Taeyeon. We were all at the same age, which were 22. Apparently, it seemed like Taeyeon is going to be the first one among three of us soon to tie the knots. It’s in her family tradition to settle down at a young age. We were deeply touched and even cried on the day before the engagement. Well, I couldn’t tell how we will react when it comes to her wedding. Perhaps we were going to cry till our eyes bleed.

As they walked away out of our sight, I scanned all the people in the room and to my utmost surprise; I saw someone that could make Younghae floats on the cloud nine… well, cloud eleven even, if there is such a thing.

 

“Oh  my God, Younghae! Look who’s there!” I gasped, trying to steal Younghae’s attention from the cupcakes.

”Hmmmm… Who?” Younghae mumbled, rubbing off all the mess from .

Instead of replying, I bowed slightly towards him and gave him my greetings. If staring for 30 seconds and then blinking his eyes was how he greeted people, then, yes, he did greet me back, very politely.

 

“Duck- guy!” I threw my arms into the air, dramatically. Still, no response. “Starbucks, remember?!” Now I felt kind of embarrassing from all the shouting that I have done.

The duck- guy said nothing and leisurely walking towards us.

”OMONA! HYEMI-AH!!”

 

That was Younghae’s voice. The fact that she has finally realized that the man of her dream had finally came, wearing a prince charming clothes riding a white, beautiful royal horse. Uhmm- scratch that prince charming riding a horse part. I guess this duck- guy was trying very hard to show his cool, y side but too bad he wasn’t anything like that. And what happened next proved it all.

”UFFFFPH!”  *PANG*

I swallowed hard and saw Younghae making her way towards the duck- guy, almost like a paramedic.

”Are you okay?” she muttered, offering a hand for him.

But the duck- guy didn’t flinch, only tightened his grip on the table cloth of a table adjacent to the house garden. His face turned red, and before we knew it too, I trailed Younghae and helped him to get up. The weird thing was, he was staring her as if he was seeing food after starving for a month.

Okay. A couple is going to born. A couple is going to born. I smelled LOVE!! I was panicking, and squealing at the same time.
 

“Yes, thank you.” He replied, his eyes still glued to Younghae’s.

 

He stood up, fixed his clothes and offered a handshake to her. “Hello, I am Kim Junsu. I think we met before at… Starbucks?”

 

She nods excitedly, exchanging his handshake. “My name is Choi Younghae. Yes, you’re right.”

 

Darting his eyes up and down awkwardly for a few seconds, Junsu flashed his cheesiest smile I have ever seen. Dayum, that was scary- well, for me.

 

“Heyyyy!” I came in to break their moment. “I’m Yoon Hyemi! Nice to meet you, Junsu!” I retorted.

 

“Ohh.. Heyyy.” His voice almost cracked.

 

“Oh right. This is my girlfriend, Yoon Hyemi. We knew each other since seven, along with Taeyeon at the same elementary school.”

He nodded with her explanation. “You meant… You aren’t straight?? Since…”

”AHHH! NO!! I am straight!” She yelped.
 

He nodded again.

 

The next two hours was the most boring moment in my life. I was sitting in the corner drinking my smoothie, trying not to ruin Younghae and Junsu conversation. Taeyeon was busy welcoming all her guest and bided them a goodbye after the ceremony ended. Well, I always have an urge to ask Junsu why his friend from the Starbucks earlier didn’t join in.
 

“Hyemi-ah, we are going now” Younghae came, patting my shoulder. Wait?? WE?! She was going to leave me behind, I knew it.

 

I nodded in silence, motioning to her that I was okay. But I believed it was too fake to be real anyway.

”Sorry,” she said.

”Don’t worry; I’m going to take care of her well!” Junsu added, and raised his hand to wave at me. And they left.

Heartbroken, I flipped open my hand phone and quickly found the number I needed. I was going to call Taeyeon to tell her I am going since she was nowhere to be found in the house. Her house was a huge and spacious mansion by the way.

 

Soon enough, I started to take all my belongings and left the house, alone.

 

The night in Seoul was never dark, and had always been filled by shimmering specks of lights in the city. I looked at the dark sky as the cold windy breeze of winter brushed against my hot cheeks.

 

Sigh…

 

It’s time to go home.

 

I made my way down to a dead-end main street and walked in a slow pace across the nondescript concrete building. Though it’s kind of dark there since it was a bit hidden but it was the only short cut I could use on my way back home.

 

I tilted my head to gaze at the sight of the sky again. Sparkling stars hovered themselves on the sky above me. True, I was alone.

 

I don’t know but there was a sad soundtrack playing in my head like a cassette player. Secret Garden’s OST Track #8.

 

Ugh.

 

Feeling rather frustrated, I started to kick some pebbles on the road in my way to home. As I kicked the last pebbles off its place, with all my might and strength, it flew and landed right at a streetlamp that was far from the place I stood.

I guess I can be a good soccer player, I smirked at that thought.

 

“Damn! JUST GIVE IT!”

 

Out of a sudden, I heard a man voice yelling from the corner of the street.

 

“Ouch. What was that? A meteor shower?” Another voice said again.

 

Shoot. Did I do anything wrong? And where did that sound came from?

 

Shivering, I hid myself behind a bush and looked around at the surrounding. The view was crystal clear here from here.

 

“Go make a wish now that you will still be alive tomorrow. Oh no, wish that your mom will come and feed you milk!”

 

Then, I heard echoes of laughter. “HAHAHAHAHA.”

 

“You are scared now aren’t you? Now give me your wallet!”

Damn those brats. It must be a group of street teenage gangster wannabe yanking other people money.
 

“GIVE IT, YOU FOOL!”

”What the freak?” I lowered my voice. Alright these guys were starting to wreck my nerves.

One of the guys, wearing beanie started to hit the poor young guy who’s now shivering but it seemed like he was not going to give his wallet to them.

”WHY THE HECK ARE YOU SO STUBBORN?!” He hit him again on his head. Now, it was harder… and painful. The victim tried to loosen his grip from him and punched him hard on his face.

”YAH!” The guy in the beanie yelled out loud, trying to hold the pain and the blood gushing out from his nose.

 

Surprised at their act, I stumbled on my two foot and lose my balance. Three, two, one. Poof!

 

Oh no.

 

God, please have mercy on me. God, please have mercy on me.

 

I crossed my fingers and shut my eyes tightly.

 

A swish of air surrounded me as two pairs of feet rushed over from behind; the gangster wannabe- they have found me! One of the boys gripped my armed harshly and pulled me into the scene.

”Look who we have found, Boss. She was peaking from the bush.”

All the attentions were centered on me.

”We are going to kill two birds with one stone tonight, fella! HAHAHAHAHA” He let out a grumpy laugh. There were four of them in total.

What? Well no, you’re not.

 

I took a glimpse from the victim face, and it was kind of familiar though. Puff of warm breath came out from his mouth as he breathed heavily in the cold weather. That dark brown eyes… His appearance can be seen vividly now under the glooming street light.

 

“OH MY GOD! IT’S YOU!” I said as I widened my eyes.

”What the heck is this? A family reunion?! Who the hell are you?” The gangster wannabe leader interrupted obnoxiously.

 

I knew I have to do something as train of ideas queued in my mind. Pretending- that was what I’m doing now.

 

“What are you staring?” One of them asked me harshly.

 

“No-nothing.”

 

“Oh…” He replied.

I nodded like an idiot. Well, this is playing quite well.

 

Hachooooo!

 

“Oh ewwwwwwww. You’re disgusting.” He said with a total disgusted face.

 

“God Bless Me. And Sorry.” The constipated look was still there on his face.

 

I’m so gonna be a star on a theatre tonight. “Omo! I- I think-“

”BOSS!!! OH PLEASE! I THINK THIS GIRL IS TRYING TO TRANSFER HER SWINE FLU TO ME!”

Swine- what? Tch. “Oh yes, that’s what I was going to tell you, but I guess you’re so clever that you found it out.” I frowned, to spice up my act.

 

“OH DANG!” He said again.

 

“Oi. Shut up, will you?” The wannabe gangster leader interrupted.

 

Okay, the fact that he still had his very disgusted face really cracked me up on the inside. I can be an actress too, I smirked again. Credits to all the Korean dramas that I watched.

 

Since, he was now gripping my elbow loosely due to the fact that I have ‘Swine Flu’, I marveled smoothly out of the guy’s grip and started to kick the guy’s member.

 

Phew.

 

He screamed out aloud, covering with both of his palms and restraining the real pain he got there. The others were surprised, and were on their mark to attack me. Seeing the action, one of the guys that stood beside me trying to grab my elbow but I yanked his head with all my vigor.

 

This was a great opportunity.

 

Using my momentum, I brought my knee up and kneed him…hard. Strange animal-like scream escaped from his mouth and soon enough he fell down as I flied my fist straight on his not-so-buff-stomach.

 

Two down, two to go.

 

Feeling anxious and surprise, guy #3 took a wood from a broken bench nearby and run towards me.

 

What a gentleman.

 

He swung the wood in the air at his greatest momentum towards my direction. I gasped out aloud and ducked from the whole blitz. Joy to the world! The wood landed right on the face of guy#1 as he tried to stand up and bombarded me from behind. The time collision of us was like a thousand-watt speed in between interval!

Great.

I caught a glimpse of guy #4, whom I supposed was the leader, snatching the victim’s backpack. In a blink of second, he motioned guy#3 to evacuate out of the scene leaving two of their fellow member behind. And now, they were gone.

 

This sounds pretty good to me because they left. But it might sound pretty bad to the half-amused-smile-guy because all his belongings were taken by those brats.

 

“Hey, are you okay?” I started to poke him as I marveled closer to him.

 

“Uhh…” He shrugged.

 

Well, I’m sure he’s not.

 

He looked up close to me, leaving a great impression to me… Dang, those beautiful eyes- SCRATCH THAT! 

 

“Why?? Why didn’t you…” He said, unable to finish his sentence.

 

“Huh? What?”

”Why didn’t you chase that guy? MY BACKPACK!!!!” He gasped dramatically.

 

“Yeah… So? Our life is more important.”

”BUT THERE IS SOMETHING PRECIOUS IN THERE!”

”But we might get killed!”

”BUT YOU CAN JUST CHASE THEM YOU KNOW!”
 

The impudent young man began to cough, and now, rubbing his chest.
 

I clenched my fist and replied, “Well you should have said thanks to me at least! You might get roasted for their Christmas meal you know!”

 

“I don’t need your help, you know.”

 

I stomped my feet hard, and bolt jolted up my spine. “Fine whatever you want! I’m not gonna talk to such an ungrateful brat like you. I hope you freeze to death out here. Bye!”

 

And before I left the scene, I took out some money from my sling bag and handed them to him. “It’s for your taxi bill. Pay it back later.”

My brain started to work at a rapid speed, and I stormed back leaving the guy there, alone.

 

This was it.

And it was just a beginning.