“One Grande Mocha Frappe for Miss… Sulli?”

Sulli shifted her vision from her phone and looked up, only to see a dashing man in front of her.

He’s so beautiful…

She blinked her eyes to make sure. Sulli Choi, what are you doing? Get your head straight!

She cleared . "Yes, that's mine. Thank you," she said as if she was not astonished by the great view in front of her.

Minho gently placed the drink at the table. "Enjoy your drink, ma'am!" He walked straight and returned to the counter.

Taemin strolled with light steps as he returned from the throne. "What a relief! TY again, hyung!" 

"I should thank YOU Taeminnie. Yeah, you're right. Did I just see an angel?" Minho replied with much enthusiasm.

"And earlier you were telling me to shut up? Look who's amazed no-" Taemin was not able to finish his speech as he was surprised by the sudden commotion.

Look at those popping veins in his arms! Sulli's sight followed the serving waiter's motions as he placed her order on the table.

Her eyes continued to trail the waiter's broad back until it vanished from her sight.

Oh right, Jiyoung-ie... The thought of her troubled friend invaded her mind once again.

She reached for the cup at the top of her table. As she was about to take a sip, a tall figure rushed inside the shop, nearly tumbling in panic.

"Miss Sulli, where are you?" Kwangsoo glanced to his left and right, looking for his boss. As his sight found Sulli, he rushed to her location.

"We really need to go home now, Miss! I was already ordered to take you home immediately or else I’ll be greatly damned!” the poor guy frantically exclaimed. “No buts, no excuses! Let’s go!”

He pulled the lady’s arm and dragged her across the shop. He gripped her tightly, making sure she’s not going to escape from his hold.

“But I haven’t even had my sip of coffee!” Sulli was very irritated. “Let go of me! I can walk on my own, just so you know!”

Not giving her any chance of escape, Kwangsoo continued to drag her until they reached the car.

Finally, he let go of her arm. “Get inside, miss!”

“Alright! There’s no need to tell me!” Sulli opened the backdoor herself and got inside the car. She slammed the door close, full of force and frustration.

Kwangsoo rushed to the driver’s seat, and the car sped up, immediately leaving the area.

“What was that?” Taemin’s focus turned to the skyscraper-like man rushing inside the shop.

Almost all of the people inside were surprised and frozen to their positions, watching a tall man dragging a woman outside.

Minho returned to his senses. Wait a second…

“Hey, she has not paid yet!” He hurried outside to follow. Unfortunately, the two, with the car, already left.

Tall, baroque-styled gates opened as a black Mercedes-Benz reached them. Light posts flickered one by one as the car passed through a lane that leads to the front of the Lee Mansion. The car stopped at the entrance, and a man wearing formal clothes opened the backdoor.

“Welcome home, Miss Sulli. Chairman is waiting for your return,” the butler said, full of courtesy.

Sulli alighted the car immediately, frustration still hasn’t left her face. She climbed the red-carpeted stairs, going inside the mansion.

“At last, my beautiful granddaughter is home!” An intimidating-looking old man welcomed the newly-arrived woman.

This is weird. He is in a good mood. Why is grandfather not angry? Her frustration turned into confusion. Sulli looked at her grandfather, suspicions never leaving her thoughts.

“You’re not angry? It’s already past 7 in the evening. You’re usually enraged whenever I come home past 6.”

“Why would I be angry with my only granddaughter? You’re already 22, a fine, young woman you’ve become!” Mr. Lee roared a laughter. “And I have good news for you! Do you still remember Woobin, the firstborn grandson of Mr. Kim of Sori corp.? He’ll be having his art exhibit tomorrow, and I want you to be there.” He continued.

“Aha, so that’s why you’re not enraged right now. You want to get on my good side, harabeonim?” Sulli scoffed. “So what’s your plan after this? You’ll set me up in an arranged marriage with that Woobin?” Her voice was cracking, gradually getting louder at every sentence she was uttering. 

“So now, even my marriage is all up to you? Oh, no wonder, you dictated and decided where I should study and what course I should take. You even drove away my friends before because you said that they do not belong in our society! I even bet that you are the one who’s causing Jiyoung’s trouble right now! And for heaven’s sake, I’m already 22! I shouldn’t be having this 6 pm-curfew. I should be the one controlling my life! Since when did you become Sulli Choi? Since when did you-“

A loud slap echoed through the four corners of the huge room. Mr. Lee’s right hand was up in the air, shaking. His grinning face was suddenly filled with fury.

“To answer your questions, yes, and I have every right to meddle with your life as long you are under my authority! As long as you are under my care, I have the right to choose who should be your friends! While you are still in my house, you will need to follow everything that I tell you!”

“Not anymore, harabeonim. Not if I leave your house.”

“What did you say? A customer hasn’t paid?” The old Mr. Kang screamed at the two young men. Good thing it was already closing time, or else the customers could have seen an embarrassing situation.

“B-but it was not our fault, Mr. Kang! Everything happened so fast that we were not able to catch the customer.” The younger man of the two tried to reason out.

“Excuses, not accepted. Every money that goes inside my business is very important to me!” The frugality and tightfistedness of Mr. Kang was really showing. “To take back my money, I’ll deduct what I lost to your pays!”

Minho and Taemin weren’t even able to budge when the old man continued. “And you, Choi, I’ll also deduct half of your pay for today for being late! You two can leave now!”

Hey! That is too much! If only Minho could complain, but he’s afraid that his salary will be further deducted, or worse, he’ll be fired. He can’t afford to lose one of his jobs!

Minho and Taemin both let a heavy sigh while they were leaving the shop.

“Hey, hyung, I’m sorry. It is really my job to charge the customers. If only my stomach was not stubborn…”

“No worries, Taemin. It’s just that Mr. Kang is so greedy with his money, like that crab in that cartoon Yoogeun has been watching.” Minho assured, but he was still upset. “And that lady! She looked rich, how could she forget to pay?” He questioned while he climbed his bike.

“I’m really sorry, hyung. I’ll go my way now, bye!” And Taemin left the opposite way.

“Yeah!” Minho also went his way, biking down the road.

It was not that long until Minho reached his home, just two blocks away from the coffee shop. He parked his trusted bike outside and went inside the building.

“Ahjumma, it’s me, Minho,” he said, knocking at his neighbor’s door.

A woman in her 50’s opened the door. “Yoogeunie, your brother’s here!” She signaled the little boy to go to his brother.

“Yoogeunie, did you behave or did you make Mrs. Heenam angry?” Minho looked at Yoogeun while ruffling his brother’s hair.

“Don’t worry, Minho-goon. Yoogeun was a good boy. He even helped me while I was making Kimchi,” Mrs. Heenam said with happiness in her face.

“I’m so sorry for the bother, Mrs. Heenam. With my new part-time job in the coffee shop, I can’t go home as early as before. I need to make ends meet by having multiple jobs.” His worry was obvious in his voice.

“Here you go again, young man. I understand your situation. I don’t find Yoogeun as a bother when he stays at my house. He makes me happy and he fulfills my longing for my son who went to the military.” Mrs. Heenam patted Minho’s shoulders.

“We are heading now, Ahjumma. Thank you!” Minho earnestly bowed to the elder woman. “Yoogeun, say goodbye to Mrs. Heenam. Don’t forget your manners,” he told his brother. Yoogeun did what Minho said and also bowed. “Bye, Ahjumma! See you tomorrow!”

And so, the brothers went upstairs to the topmost apartment.

“So, what happened to school today, Yoogeun?”

In the night streets of Seoul, Sulli was standing still, admiring the different night lights everywhere. She raised her arms up high and closed her eyes, feeling free.

“Finally, Freedom!”

Time seemed to freeze for a while. Everybody stopped walking and glanced at the strange lady who shouted out of nowhere.

“Is she going crazy?”, “Tsk, tsk, what a waste for such a pretty lady.” The people sighed as they continue on with their lives.

Sulli heard what the others said. Feeling embarrassed, she hurried and continued to stroll the sidewalk.

“Now, where should I go?” Sulli asked herself, looking at every building she passed. “Ah! Perfect!”

Once again, she dragged her pink luggage as she headed to the hotel nearby.

A/N: Harabeonim is a formal way of saying grandfather in South Korea. 

I'm so sorry if there are any mistakes in grammar or spelling. This is still not yet proofread so... haha :)) 

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