Ji Hyo arrived at the doorstep of the café in the late afternoon hesitating to go in. She was not able to sleep well last night after the conversation she had with Jong Kook. Her mind kept repeating the conversation they had last night. She heard Lizzy’s chirpy voice outside of the café speaking to someone so she hesitated to step inside. She was not ready to see Jong Kook at the moment after last night.  Those words from yesterday should not be affecting her since there were friends. Yet, she felt slightly heartbroken.

Gathering all her courage, she stepped into the café and heard Lizzy’s excited voice. “Unnie! Look at who is here!” Ji Hyo turned to the place where Lizzy is pointing and saw an extreme tall figure carrying a backpack. “Hello noona, I’m back. “

“Oh Kwang Soo yah!” Ji Hyo smiled as she walked up and gave him a hug. “When did you come back?”

“I came straight from the airport and immediately came right here.” Kwang Soo replied. “Noona, you are touched from seeing me right?”

“No.” Ji Hyo coldly said. “Since you are here, you should start work immediately right now.”

“Eyyy Noona, how could you do this to me? I feel so tired from my backpacking trip.”

“Speaking of which, I have not scold you. You supposed to get me a replacement but he did not come!” Ji Hyo slapped the back of Kwang Soo while saying. “You should compensate our time and effort!”

“JinJia?!” Kwang Soo asked with his mouth wide open.

“Yeah! There were some days where Ji Hyo Unnie worked alone. She even collapsed on one day.” Lizzy answered.

“Are you alright Noona? I promise I will start work right now to compensate you! I don’t need the additional day of rest.” Kwang Soo said anxiously. “Please don’t tell Joong Ki, he will kill me if he knew about that.” Kwang Soo began to worry how his best friend, Joong Ki would strangle him. Before Joong Ki went for his mandatory military service, Kwang Soo promised him he would take care of his precious Noona. In addition, Kwang Soo was genuinely concern for Ji Hyo. Even though they had no blood relation, Ji Hyo treated him the way she treated Joong Ki. She was like the sister he never had.

Ji Hyo laughed at Kwang Soo’s reaction. The presence of Kwang Soo made her feel happier. She realized how much she missed her dongsaeng when he was not around. “It’s alright. I know you are tired.” Ji Hyo giggled. “But where is my present? You promised to get me lots of it before you left.”

“Oh Noona! You reminded me! Apart from my gifts, I brought you the biggest present!” Kwang Soo remembered. “You will be so happy that you will forgive my misdeeds. Look who I found when I was at the airport.”

Ji Hyo turned behind to see what Kwang Soo was talking about. To her surprise, she saw a beautiful lady standing behind her. “Ji Min!” Ji Hyo exclaimed and both ladies excitedly hug each other. It had been a long time since she saw her best friend. They had known each other since school days and had been best friends ever since. “Why are you back with Kwang Soo?”

“I was on a different flight as him. But I saw him at the airport and we decided to come here and see you.” Ji Min answered. “I missed you Unnie. We have not met for so long!”

“It’s because you were busy and you went on a trip. Tell me more about it.” Ji Hyo grabbed Ji Min to a corner of the café and started chatting. Kwang Soo decided to stay and work despite Ji Hyo asking him to go back and rest. He insisted on staying to help Ji Hyo so that Ji hyo could catch up with Ji Min and rest for the day. When he saw his Noona step into the café in the morning, he thought she looked extremely pale and tired. He felt very guilty as he assumed it was because of him, his noona had looked so weak.

Ji Hyo’s mood was changed from the return of her dongsaeng and best friend. She was so glad to see both of them and the dejected feeling that she had in the morning was gone. Ji Hyo and Ji Min spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the vacation that Ji Min went. By night time, they closed the café slightly earlier than usual and went for dinner. Lizzy could not join them as she had to go to the hospital and visit her mother. Therefore, Ji Hyo, Ji Min and Kwang Soo head up to Gary’s restaurant.

As soon as they arrived, Gary greeted them, “Ji Hyo yah, what brought you here?”

“Gary-sii…. No Gary Oppa.” Ji Hyo changed the way of calling Gary after looking at him, remembering that day they agreed to talk comfortably. “I brought my friends here for dinner. Do you still have space? I know your restaurant can be very busy on a weekend.”

“Yes I do, this way.” Gary led them to the VIP room where usually Jong Kook and Dong Hoon had their dinner. Since they had no plans of meeting today, he decided to let Ji Hyo had that room instead. Ji Hyo introduced both parties to each other after ordering the food. Three of them joked while having the food that Gary served. “Gary-sii, please join us.” Ji Min said.

“Ah yes.” Gary grabbed sat at the empty seat beside Ji Hyo.  “So… How is the food?”

“It was good Gary Oppa. Thanks for the great hospitality.” Ji Hyo mentioned.

“You are welcome Ji Hyo yah. Like I said before, you can always drop by my restaurant and eat if you want.”

“I would, provided if you promised to let me pay for all the food from now on.” Ji Hyo said. “I can’t have you giving me food for free.”

Gary laughed at Ji Hyo’s words. “Yes Ji Hyo, but make this meal the last treat. The next time I would definitely charge you higher to compensate for all the food that you had eaten previously.”

Four of them laughed at Gary’s comments. “So Gary-sii, how did you and Unnie met?” Ji Min asked. “It seems that you make great friends after moving here Unnie.”

Both of them chuckled but wondered how to answer Ji Min’s question. ”Well…” Gary started. “There was one day I had a long night, so I decided to get a cup of coffee. That’s where I went to Ji Hyo’s café and met her.” Gary paused.

“I still remember Gary Oppa looked so dazed and shocked when we first met.” Ji Hyo continued. “Come to the think of it, you look quite funny Oppa.”

“Eyy…” Gary felt slightly embarrassed. ”Don’t remind me of that day.”

“Noona, you make Gary-sii sound like you.” Kwang Soo mentioned. “Ji Hyo noona sometimes can be so dazed, we wonder if she is even awake. She even earned the nickname ‘Mong Ji’.”

“Yah! Lee Kwang Soo, do you want to die!” Ji Hyo threatened.

Gary and Ji Min laughed at Ji Hyo’s reaction. “Maybe next time I should call you Mong Ji too.” Gary joked. 

“Go ahead! Right, Mong Ji Noona?” Kwang Soo mentioned.

“Yah Lee Kwang Soo! Anyone could call me that except you!” Ji Hyo shouted as she stood up to hit Kwang Soo’s head.

Gary burst into laughter and startled Ji Hyo, she began to felt slightly embarrassed to show a different side to Gary.

“So Unnie, where shall we go now?” Ji Min asked. “Shall we?” Ji Min hinted Ji Hyo to go partying.

“Not today Ji Min yah, I feel quite tired.” Ji Hyo said.

“Then at least some drinks! I spotted a bar opposite the mall.” Ji Min mentioned. “Come on Unnie, it’s been a long time since we hanged out.”

“Well... I guessed I couldn’t say no to you Ji Min.”

“Gary-sii, join us too!” Ji Min said excitedly.

“Well...”Gary hesitated slightly. “I guess I could after I closed my shop. Why not you head over there first? I will catch up with you all later.”

When the three of them left, Gary was wondering if he should informed Jong Kook about it. Even though he knows Ji Hyo had no relations to Seong Im, he knew his hyung was particularly concerned for Ji Hyo too. However, he decided there was no need to.

By the time Gary closed and arrived and at the bar, he saw slightly tipsy Ji Hyo and a soon-to-be drunk Ji Min. Kwang Soo did not drink a drop because he promised to send both of them home. Ji Min looked like she was going slightly crazy when Kwang Soo was trying to calm her down. On the other hand, Ji Hyo was just simply laughing at Ji Min’s action. “Oh Hi Gary Oppa you had arrived! You are so late! We were all waiting for you.” Ji Min said in a slightly drunk tone.

“Noona, you are drunk. Let me send you and Ji Hyo Noona home.” Kwang Soo signaled to Gary that Ji Min could not drink anymore. “I’m sorry Gary-sii, we had to call it a day. And I apologized for Noona’s tone.” Kwang Soo apologized to Gary.

“No it’s really okay. I’m the one who was late. And call me hyung will do.”

“Sure Gary hyung. Come Ji Min Noona we got to go.” Kwang Soo tried to pull Ji Min away.

“No! Gary Oppa had not drink yet. We can’t just leave like that.” Ji Min insisted.

“It’s really okay Ji Min-sii.” Gary said. “We could drink another day together.”

“No! If I had to go, at least Ji Hyo Unnie has to accompany Gary Oppa for a while.”Ji Min insisted again.

“Kwang Soo yah, just send Ji Min home with my car.  Let me stay here a while longer with Gary Oppa.”

“Okay if you insist Noona.” Kwang Soo said. “I will fetch you later.”

“Why not let me send you home Ji Hyo? So Kwang Soo does not need to make a double trip.”

“That would be great!” Kwang Soo exclaimed.” Thanks Gary Hyung, I will repay you someday. Come Ji Min Noona, let’s go.” Kwang Soo barely managed to drag Ji Min away.

“Shall we go for a walk?” Ji Hyo asked Gary after seeing Kwang Soo drove off. Gary agreed and two of them had a quiet walk. Ji Hyo was slightly tipsy but still able to walk straight. She did not drink as much as Ji Min because Kwang Soo forbad her to since he knew she was tired. However, she could feel the alcohol slowly taking effect.

“Seong Im...” Ji Hyo started after they sat down at some bench. “Do we look very alike?”

 “Er...” Gary was startled by Ji Hyo’s sudden question. “Yes very alike. Why did you ask that?”

“It was a random question.” Ji Hyo giggled. “It must have been. If not you all won’t recognize me as the same person.” Ji Hyo laughed to herself, feeling that the alcohol was starting to influence her action.

“But I think you two are quite different.” Gary explained. “Except for the looks, the ways you two act and behave are quite different. It’s totally two different people.”

“But someone else does not think so.” Ji Hyo’s laughter turned into an empty one. “I might be another form of replacement to him.” Some tears fell from Ji Hyo’s eyes and she quickly wipe it all off.

“What happened, Ji Hyo yah? Do you want to talk?” Gary sensed that something is wrong with Ji Hyo after seeing her wiping her tears away. His first instinct told him it had something to do with Jong Kook. “Is it anything related to Jong Kook Hyung?” 

Gary got his answer when Ji Hyo kept silent. He was not sure what happened to both of them, but he clearly knew that the woman in front of him was terribly upset by his hyung. “Do you... Like Jong Kook hyung?” He asked with caution.

“No... I don’t know...” Ji Hyo denied. “He is just a friend to me right, but why am I so upset when he could not answer me?”

“What answer?” Gary questioned.

“I don’t know.” Ji Hyo’s tears fell faster as she could no longer control herself. For the whole day, she had been holding back her feelings when Ji Min and Kwang Soo came. She thought she felt better when she saw both of them. However, the alcohol had proven her otherwise. She was terribly upset. Her heart was aching thinking about the incident last night. “I don’t know what I am feeling Gary Oppa. Why am I like this Gary Oppa?”

Gary placed his hand around Ji Hyo’s shoulder to comfort her. “Ji Hyo yah…” Gary had no idea how to comfort Ji Hyo except to let her silently let go of her emotions.

“Ji Hyo yah, please don’t cry. My heart hurts to see you act this way…” Gary silently thought.