SHINee Café

The polite Taemin opened the door for Yui and she walks inside the café before he does. She looks around the quaint and peaceful café filled with quite a number of people. Most of the customers were female as she observed.

“Yui-chan, do you want to take a seat first? I’ll have to call Onew hyung from the back since he might be in the middle of baking and stuff.” He said to her with a calm smile.

“Sure, I’ll wait over there.” Yui answered casually and then walked to the vacant area by the window.

Watching her sit down at the corner, he smiles at her before he briskly walks to the back of the café’s counter, “Great. Won’t be too long.”

Yui’s eyes trailed to the window, looking out at the waves crashing at the sea shore. It surely is such a beautiful sight. Her mind started to wander off as she remained to gaze at the surroundings of SHINee Café from the outside.

“Konnichiwa, ojou-san.”

Hearing this warm greeting, she tilts her head up to the right and saw this blond boy smiling down at her, standing just a few inches from her.

He continues to speak, turning his smile into a proud-looking smirk, “What would a lovely lady like you have on this fine day?”

“I’m waiting for someone.” She tells him, looking back at the waves crashing on the shores rather than the boy.

His eyebrow rose, speaking again with a hint of interest in the girl, “Eh, is it your boyfriend? I feel a bit jealous, ojou-san.”

Yui sighs, still not looking at him, “It’s not what you think.”

“Having a complicated relationship with someone is just so… Complicated.” He said and then leaning against the wall beside the window she was looking at, adding as he crossed his arms over his chest, “Why not take a chance on someone who can speak out his heart to you, loud and clear.”

Glancing at him with stern-looking eyes, the boy felt a slight chill hit his spinal cord, “I’m waiting for someone, so please leave me alone.” She says without any emotion, glancing away from him once again.

“Ya, Kim Jonghyun, get back to work.”

This boy stood up straight upon hearing someone speak with command. Yui looks to her left and saw Taemin walking to her direction with this other boy beside him. Jonghyun walks to the boy’s side, placing his arm over his shoulders.

“Hyung, this chick’s pretty scary, but no doubt she’s a cutie.” Jonghyun whispers to the guy, eye-ing at the girl sitting in front of them.

Taemin walks behind Yui and places his hands onto her shoulders, “Yui-chan, the guy you just met is our head waiter, Kim Jonghyun hyung, and with him right now is my hyung, Lee Jinki. We call him Onew.” He introduced them to her.

Standing up from her seat, she says courteously before bowing at him, “Annyeong, I’m Yoshioka Yui and I’d like you to help me in baking again. I would also like to work here if it’s possible.”

“She speaks Korean?” Jonghyun asks Taemin as he walks behind him, looking a bit confused.

Taemin simply nods, “Yup, our neighbor, the kind old woman, told a few stories about her. I’ll tell you later.”

Onew bows as well, reciprocating her greeting with a kind smile as well as his eye smile, “Annyeong, I’ve heard about you from Mrs. Yoshioka. You do speak Korean well and yes, I can help you… Though might I ask why do you want to work here?”

Yui looks at Onew with her eye twitching a bit, explaining to him, sounding a bit sheepish since she’s still not used to talking to people so much without getting nervous or acting all cold at them, especially if she’s sharing something about her, “The truth is, I’ve recently moved in and I need some money. I want to take my mind off of some things too.”

“I see… I don’t usually hire just anybody, Yui-san. I’ll have to see your skills in baking tomorrow since the café is closed on Sunday and Monday mornings.” Onew said to her, adding after glancing at his friends standing near her, “Your grandmother loved sharing stories to me and Taem, and I did hear that you’re quite talented in baking. I’m sure you’ll do well tomorrow.”

“I understand and komawo.” She replied, bowing her head at him again and then half-smiling for a quick moment.

Taemin said when Onew left after giving a smile at her, “I can’t wait to see you bake, Yui-chan. You’re granny also said that we’re the same age.”

“We are and thanks again, Taemin-ssi.” Yui said to him as she briefly nodded at Taemin, walking away in a slow pace.

“You’re leaving?” He said, almost feeling sad.

She replies, pausing from her pace, “Yes, but I’ll be roaming around here in town for a while.”

“Ah, take care and I’m happy I met you, Yui-chan~” Taemin told her in a cheerful manner, waving his hand at her direction even if she was facing the other way.

Resuming her pace, Jonghyun goes in front of her which makes her stop again, “Yui-san, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about earlier… And good luck tomorrow.” He smiles warmly, holding his hand up for a high five.

The boy seemed to be sincere even if he was cocky before, so she sends a high five at him as she speaks with a straight face, “Thank you.”

Walking to the door, he says to her with a hint of his flirty self before he gets back to taking customers’ orders, “Oh and don’t forget to smile. You looked really cute earlier with that smile of yours.”

She heard him, but she didn’t mind responding as she exits SHINee Café. A lot of people did tell her that she did look better with a smile, in fact everyone looks better with a smile. But how could she smile if the negative things keep lingering inside her mind and heart?

Yui walks near the shoreline, watching the waves crash on the seashore. She takes her camera out and starts to take pictures of the sea and its wonders. In her mind, she thought, “I guess it wasn’t a bad idea to come down here. The people seemed to be okay. All I have to do now is to keep calm and remember the things granny and my so-called-mother taught me.”

Her peace of mind was distorted when she heard screeching and screaming of girls nearby. She looks around the area and saw this group of girls with a tall guy standing not too far from where she was and was quite near the café. She couldn’t help but watch them as much as she hated noise.

“Oppa, remember to call me before school starts in one and a half months.” Says this girl, batting her eyelashes at him.

“Me too, oppa. I’ll bring you lunch on the first day too, okay?” The other girl with a ponytail said.

The guy sighs, expressionless as he gazed at all of his girls who seemed to be his fangirls, “Please, I have to go back to work, so let me do my deliveries in peace.”

The girl with braces said, poking the guy’s shoulder, “You look so hot doing it too~”

The girls all giggled in agreement and the guy just literally facepalmed himself, “Girls, I’ll just see you on the first day, all right? So, no disturbing me while I’m working in the summer also after school.” He sighs again but in a defeated manner.

“Uwaa~ Okay, that’s a promise.” Said the girl with delight.

“Okay, girls. Let’s go and let Minho-kun have his peace. Sayonara~” Said another girl, leading the group away.

Now alone, this guy stretches his arms upward and grunts, “Finally.”

“Just wait ‘til you see them on the first day. It’s like having a bunch of meat wrapped on you while going inside a tigers’ cage.”

Yui spots this other blond who is not Jonghyun, walk up to the guy. She then figures that these two are part of SHINee Café’s staff.

“I know, but it’s better than having them strangle you all summer.” He replies, tapping the blonde’s shoulder before speaking again, “Where did you park the car?”

“Beside Onew hyung’s… Tch we’re waiters and yet we also deliver to some people…” The blond complained.

“It’s part of our job. Let’s go inside.”

“Ne…”

The blond guy went ahead of him, walking in a brisk manner. Yui was still watching them and suddenly felt a bit surprised when this tall guy met her gaze as he was looking around while he followed his friend. He had almost the same look in her eye, guarded but his eyes were much more fierce. Yui averted her gaze and shook her head, walking away to the town proper’s direction.

“Ya, Minho… Hurry up.” The blond groans a bit at his companion.

Turning to his friend, he nods, “Coming.”

…

She went home at about dinner time. She spent the rest of her day walking around town, taking pictures of different things that caught her interest like the beach, the sea, and more. Standing in front of the door to her house, a sticky note was stuck on the door.

“Yui-ssi,

This is Seohyun unnie. You’re granny told me to come by here to tell you that dinner for tonight and tomorrow night is inside the fridge. Just use the microwave and you’re good to go. If you want to cook something, just be careful.

Don’t worry, she’ll be back on Monday morning. You’ll get used to it and I hope you’re enjoying your first day exploring the area.”

After reading it, she smiles for a few second and places the sticky note inside her pocket. So far, she’s made Korean companions in Japan. Who knew, right?

“Yui-chan~!”

Before entering her home, she turns around upon hearing someone call out her name. It was Taemin getting out of their white car. He was all smiles, waving at Yui, whom he considers as his newfound friend. Onew gets out as well, smiles at her before he walks to the door step of his home.

Taemin spoke loud enough for her to hear and then runs inside his house, “I’ll see you tomorrow, fighting~!”

Inside, she had to admit that having someone cheer you on felt nice. Not to mention that she sort of made new friends on her first day roaming around. “I can’t believe that I’ll have to thank granny for spilling stuff about me to other people without my permission.” She thought, entering the house.