Dilemma

[Song of the Day: INFINITE - Dilemma]

The room was filled with a cold silence. It was already three o’clock in the morning. Letting his body rest on the soft mattress of his bed, Kim Sunggyu was resting alone inside the spacious room. After a stressful day of being stuck with paper works inside his office, with him either attending meetings or signing and finishing back-to-back contracts and proposals, he decided to cut off some slack. It is a very rare thing that someone like him will do.

Alone. Being alone inside his big house was nothing new. Enduring the cold yet sickening silence that fills up every corner of his house, he has been used to deal with this kind of life. Rather than making him feel bored, it makes him feel lonely. Yes, very lonely. Though he had always wanted to come to his mother’s house at Jeonju, he couldn’t because he had to deal with the busy yet stressful life of being the professional Mr. Kim Sunggyu, the executive director of Nam Corporation.

“I am all alone again.” The man grinned bitterly. Feeling the emptiness inside him, his eyes were staring the ceiling blankly. “Just like the usual. All by myself.”

He never complained about it, but there is something inside him that wants to. Why does he have to be alone all the time? Why does he always have to live the lonely life he never expected to have? The man keeps questioning himself. Why? He might be asking such questions always to himself, but he certainly knows the answer. Kim Sunggyu does. The answer is because he is Kim Sunggyu. He needs to be that kind of person, and he chose that kind of life. He chose to be the lonely angel who deals with his life alone.

However, right at the moment, that was not the reason why he was feeling empty. Certainly, it was not. There was another reason behind it.

“I wonder why she is being like that. Did I do something wrong? Did I say something wrong?” The man asked himself before he let out a big sigh. “Kim Sunggyu, you are just thinking too much.”

The man picked up his phone on top of the bed dresser, and started dialing a number. After a few rings, he heard the person whom he called answering on the other line, “Yoboseyo? Good morning, this is Jo Kwon.”

“Kwon-ah, good morning. This is Sunggyu.” He answered back in a gentle tone.

“Oh, Sunggyu-hyung. It is still early. May I ask the reason why you gave me a call?”

“Well, I am sorry for bothering you. No need to call me hyung. We are just in the same age, right? Just call me Sunggyu. Anyway, I am actually feeling—feeling—Oh—how should I say this? I am bored right now, so I decided to give you a call.” Sunggyu hesitantly said on the line.

He heard Kwon chuckling on the other line, and said afterwards, “Alright. I will just call you Gyuzizi. Oh really? Bored? Wow! This is a miracle! I never knew that Kim Sunggyu feels bored too.”

“Unfortunately, Kim Sunggyu does. By the way, I saw you few days ago at the café that I was managing before. You should have told me beforehand that you will work at Hope Café. At first, I thought I had a vision problem, but I was really certain that it was you.”

Kwon chuckled once again and said, “I just wanted to keep it as a surprise to the great Kim Sunggyu. Actually, I saw you there. I just hid at the kitchen, and observed you from afar. No, not just you. You were with someone.”

“Oh, really? You did?”

“Gyuzizi, who was that girl? Don’t tell me that she is your girlfriend.” Feeling intrigued, his friend questioned all of a sudden. “Aww. Tell me honestly. Ya! Malhaebwa. Are you keeping something from me, Gyuzizi?"

“Girlfriend? Oh, no. She is not. She is Go Woori, a good friend of mine.” Sunggyu immediately defended.

“Jinjja? Jinjja? Why does your voice sound unusual?” Kwon teased on the other line. "Good friend? Are you sure of that? Or perhaps, you mean your GIRLFRIEND?"

“Anio, she really is not. I swear! I swear that I am not lying.” Sunggyu firmly denied his friend’s claim. "I still do not have a girlfriend. I do not think this is the right time for that."

“Alright. It seems that the bored Kim Sunggyu is speaking defensively right now.” Kwon humorously remarked before his laughter was heard on the other line. “Then, is she the ‘woman’ who you were talking about last time?”

“Girl? Ah that—she isn’t.” The man quickly denied his friend's claim. "Believe me, she is not that girl."

“Really? Is that true?”

“Of course, it is. I am not lying.”

“Really? So, it means to say that you were talking about someone else. Oww.. I hope I won’t be hearing a love triangle scenario here.”

“Love—what?”

“Love triangle, Gyuzizi.” Kwon teased as he laughed hardly.

Sunggyu spat out as his small eyes widened in surprise, “MWO?”

“Aigoo! Tell me that I am wrong with that love triangle thingy, Kim Sunggyu.”

“That is not it—that is not it. I do not know what you are talking about.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I am saying the truth.”

“Jeongmal?”

“Nae, it is. That is impossible to happen. Woori is just a good friend of mine while—uhhh—” Sunggyu stuttered in a defensive before he became oddly silent on the line.

“While who? The ‘unnamed’ girl you were talking about before is the one you like, but does not notice you no matter how hard you try. Tell me I am wrong, Gyuzizi.” Kwon blurted on the other line. "Now, tell me."

“Uh—uh, Kwon-ah.” Sunggyu let out a sigh and soon admitted honestly, “Yes, that is right.”

“Aigoo! Aigoo! Now, I know that you are not feeling bored as what you have told me earlier. I get it now! I get it now." Kwon straightforwardly expressed, and he continued, "I can feel that you are not bored, but rather lonely.”

Sunggyu innocently questioned, “Lon—lonely? Me?”

“Yes, it is you who feels lonely. Who else could it be, Mr. Kim Sunggyu?” Kwon scoffed inwardly.

The older one lied, “Lonely? No, I am not. That is impossible. I’ve told you that I am just bored. It is really boring here inside my house. I have always been used to it, but I think I am starting to get bored being alone.”

“Oh, lying. You are lying, Sunggyu. I know you a lot. Aish~ Why do you always have to pretend to be okay even if you are not?”

“Pretend? Me? I am not good in acting, Kwon-ah.” He defensively answered back.

“Yes, Gyuzizi. You are. Tell me the problem. I am willing to listen.” Kwon’s voice turned serious, giving him the signal to open up with his problem. "I really am serious here. And not good in acting? Yeah, you are not because I am not believing your act."

"There is not really something wrong with me. Well, I called you to ask what food should I cook for myself for breakfast later." Sunggyu pretentiously assured his friend. "Now, tell me. What do you think should I cook for breakfast? I know cooking eases up boredom, but I do not have an idea what to cook. Should I make a French toast or a Tomato basil pasta? What do you think?" His voice was faltering though he was trying not to make it obvious which gave Kwon the notion that he was actually telling a lie.

"Gyuzizi, I know there is really something wrong. Do not make cooking or anything else as an excuse. Don't worry about it. I am willing to listen to your problem." His friend sincerely said, his voice indicating that he was not buying any of his lies. "If you admit honestly your problem to me, perhaps, I can give you advice on how you can solve it."

Still pretending he did not understand what Kwon was talking about, he feigned an innocent tone as he asked, "Or should I just simply make a poach egg and bacon for breakfast?"

"Gyuzizi."

"Um?"

"Just be honest."

"Honest?"

"Eung."

"Honest? But, I am not lying, so why is there a need for that?"

"Kim Sunggyu."

"What?"

"Kim Sunggyu."

"But.."

"Kim Sunggyu."

"Well, how do I say this?" Sunggyu sighed and stuttered, "Actually, I am—I am—Hayy.. There is—there is someone—"

"Okay, continue with what you are saying, Gyuzizi."

The man sadly expressed, "It is her—the one I was talking about last time. Well, the situation is not that different from what I have told you before, but it became more complicated. These days, she avoids me whenever I approach her. I actually wonder why. I wonder if I did something wrong, or say something that offended her." He paused for few seconds, and continued, "I know that I do not have to feel uneasy because of it, but I cannot help myself to do so. I also have the thought that perhaps I am just thinking too much because I am making it a big deal."

"Is that so? That must have been very difficult for you, Gyuzizi. Did you ever try reaching out more to her?"

"I did. But unfortunately, she seems to avoid me all the time." The older one answered back in a sad tone. "She really does. I want to ask her, but I can't. I just can't do it."

"Really? Oh, that seems hard."

"We have officially become friends for quite some time now, but I do not know why we seem to be in a situation where we are like strangers again. She treats me as if we are strangers. Do you think that she is doing that because I did or say something wrong?"

Kwon inferred on the other line, "That girl is very different from others. Very very different. Possibly, she needs space. As what you have said, I can say that she is the type of person who dislikes too much attachment."

"That seems to be true. What should I do then?"

"I guess it will be more appropriate if—oh, how do I say this?" Kwon sighed as was hesitating if he would say it or not, but his words were immediately cut off by the older one.

"..if I avoid her for the mean time." Sunggyu stated in a monotonous voice, pretending a laugh, but it sounded bitter, bitter like the painful feeling encompassing his heart. "Kwon-ah, is that what are trying to say?"

"Actually, it is. Maybe, I made you feel worse. Mianhaeyo, Gyuzizi. I do not have a bad intention with that. I just think that will be the best thing to do." His friend apologetically expressed. "I am sorry. I really am sorry. Oh, but if you wish to do what you want to do, then do it. Do not mind what I have said earlier. Just follow your own instincts."

"No, it is okay. You are actually right, Kwon-ah. I should give her a space. I should not force myself too much since she feels uncomfortable having me around her. Well, thank you. Thank you for making me realize that." The older one guaranteed as he forced a smile on his face.

"Sunggyu-ah, I am sorry. I am really sorry." Kwon apologized once again. "I am sorry."

Sunggyu guaranteed once again, "Anio, anio. Please do not apologize, Kwon-ah. It is alright. I will keep that in mind because that is the best thing to do."

"Don't be too dejected because of it. Who knows if one time she will no longer feel awkward with you? It may take time, but who knows?"

"I hope so. I hope that is true."

"Well, can I ask you something? is she always like that? Wait. Does it go like this: one time, she is friendly towards you, but the other day, she becomes unusually cold?"

"Unusually cold? Anio. Unusually is not the applicable term, but rather usually." Sunggyu plainly answered back as he let out a soft chuckle escaped from his soft lips. "But, I do not mind it though. That is her. Her cold personality is what made me fall for her."

"Really? Cold? Haha. Well, you also have that kind of personality, so I do not wonder why you like her." Kwon humorously remarked, and laughed upon saying his statement. "It goes by the saying: 'birds of the same feather, flock together'."

"Whatever you say. Cold, cold. May people say that. Nae, nae, nae. You are right." Sunggyu childishly blurted as he pouted his lips. "But, that isn't a bad thing, right?"

"Not really. That is actually what makes you cuter. Anyway, let me guess. Gyuzizi, you are pouting right now."

The older one stammered as his narrow eyes widened instantly, "Mw—mwo?! How did you know that I—"

Kwon quickly replied back, "I have known you for years, so don't wonder why."

"You are funny as ever, Kwon-ah. Aigoo~ You have never changed."

"Well, yeah. Time changes, people change, including I, myself, but my humor always remains. That is my nature after all."

"Nature? Well, that is true. I suddenly remember how I called you Mr. Clown back then because of your funny personality."

"Jinjja? Do you still remember that?"

"Of course! Even our professors and classmates would not dare to do so. Ahh! Ahh! I also remember how you had a costume of a clown during our halloween party during the second semester of our sophomore year." Letting out a soft laughter, he continued, "Dude, it was the funniest costume I've seen! It was not a simple clown costume because as far as I can remember, it had silly design and not to forget the fancy decorations dangling around it. It was really COOL! If I am not mistaken, you were the emcee of that program."

"Aish! You really have a sharp memory! You should not have mentioned it! If you just know how embarrassed I was when I wore that. It was our classmate, Ahn Suroh who made it. Aigoo! I was just forced by Professor Jung to wear such crazy costume to attract the attention of the guests!"

"But, you really did. Mr. Jo Kwon, you successfully did."

"Aigoo! Oh my poor dignity and shame! I did not know where both of them go at that time." Kwon sheepishly expressed. "Aigoo! Aigoo! That was very awful!"

Instantly, their laughter was clearly heard on the line. After a few minutes, the laughter turned into a major silence.

Sunggyu decided to change the subject of their conversation, he asked, "Anyway, how is work so far? Is everything doing smoothly? Are you getting along with the staff members and Woohyun-dongsaeng?"

"They all treat me well, including Woohyun-ssi. I did not even feel out of place even once. Those colleagues are really cool. They treat both Dongjun-dongsaeng and I as if we have been with them for years now, which I think is pretty overwhelming." The younger one candidly answered back with a genuine smile forming on his face.

"Really? I am happy to hear that. Yes, they are all nice, including Woohyun who might be silly at some times, but he really is a nice person. "

"Oh, back to the 'cold' personality that we were talking about earlier, I have this colleague of mine who seems to be cold. But, I can say that her coldness is not in a bad way. I think that she is just naturally a reserved-type of person, but she is really diligent and polite. She is Kim Taeyeon, the only female employee of the café.” Kwon stated, and soon asked, “Gyuzizi, you know her, don't you? You are the former manager of Hope Café, right?"

Upon hearing his friend's words, the reaction drawn on his face immediately changed. He stuttered, "Kim—Kim—what? Sorry, pardon? Did you just say Kim— who?"

"Kim Taeyeon."

"MWO? Kim Taeyeon?"

"Eung. Nae, she is Kim Taeyeon. Waeyo? Aren't you the former manager of the Hope Café? Of course, you will be able to know her somehow."

"Yes, that is—is right. Of course, I know her. Though the time she started working at the café was my last week as the manager, I was still able to know her— what I mean is to know Ms. Kim." Sunggyu was literally stammering with his words, but he tried not to make it sound too obvious. He let out a soft yet awkward chuckled as he added in a shaky voice, "Who wouldn't—wouldn't remember—her if she is the only female employee, right? Ms. Kim—Kim Taey—Taeyeon. Yeah, that is her. I know her."

"Really? Oh by the way, why do you sound like you are trembling? Gyuzizi, are you alright? Is there something wrong?" Kwon worriedly asked on the other line. 'Oh, something's strange here.'

Many suspicions were formed inside his mind after hearing Sunggyu's drastic change of tone. Why in the world would he sound like that as if something odd was going on? Did he say something wrong for Sunggyu to speak as if something caught his tongue? As far as he knows, someone like Kim Sunggyu is never like that, not unless...

But wait, he mentioned something. Yes, he did. Oh not really something, but someone. Is that person the reason why he suddenly sounded strange over the phone? Or maybe not? Who knows? The only one who can answer that is Kim Sunggyu himself, and being a concern slash curious man as he is, Kwon wants to know the answer. He wants to know it. Why? That is his secret for now.

'Shoot. I should not get caught.' Sunggyu bit his lower lip, and let out an unheard sigh. "Trembling? No, I am not. Why would I? Don't mind me. I am alright. Where are we again?"

'Jinjja? Kim Sunggyu, I think something going on, and I am ready to dig it up. I hope I will get it with the slip of his tongue' Kwon grinned and soon plainly answered back, "Mentioning Taeyeon-ssi again, I can say that she is really kind yet she seems to be somehow apathetic. As what I have said earlier, her cold personality does not seem to appear in a negative way, but I could not help to wonder if she is upset all the time."

"Upset? I think that is just her usual personality. But you are right that she is kind." He answered back with a sad smile forming on his face. 'I hope I am just thinking too much. Stop being a paronoid, Kim Sunggyu.'

"Hyung, if you would not mind, is Taeyeon-ssi like the girl we were talking about earlier? I mean the girl you said who is avoiding you. Or perhaps, is that girl colder than Taeyeon-ssi?" His friend asked out of the blue in an innocent manner, not wanting to sound like a nosy man. But somehow, he is, right? A sheepish smile was drawn on his face as he let his fingers play his messy hair. 'Well, well, well. Let me try if this works.'

'Kwon-ah, if you just know that girl and Taeyeon are just the same person.' Sunggyu sighed as he monotonely said, not showing any hesitation in his tone, "Colder? Actually, I do not know Taeyeon-ssi personally, so it's hard to say if she is like. Ummm.. like her. Besides, I do not think Ms. Kim is very cold. I guess she is just naturally a quiet and reserved person."

"Is that so? Sorry for blabbering silly things. I was just curious because I thought you know Taeyeon-ssi somehow." Kwon said as he fixed the hair covering his eyes. 'Oh, so Sunggyu does not know Taeyeon-ssi well. But, I really thought it was her. I do not know why something told me that it was her. Phew. Maybe, I just exaggerated. Perhaps, it is not her. Of course, she is not the only cold woman in South Korea who Kim Sunggyu likes. I think it was just a mere coincidence. Ay! Jo Kwon, just forget about it.'

'Kim Sunggyu, pretend that you do not know her. Pretend that girl is not her. Just once. Pretend that you don't. Juseyo. Sorry if I had to lie, Kwon-ah.' The older grinned bitterly before he plainly stated, sounding too realistic with his excuse, "Too bad that I was not able to know a lot of things about her. But as what I observe, Woohyun seems to be befriending her, so he probably knows things about her. Why? Are you interested on her?" The moment he let those words escape from his mouth, he felt a pang of jealousy inside him. Why? Perhaps, it is because that is how much he likes her. Obviously, Kim Sunggyu likes Kim Taeyeon very much.

"Interested? Well, I must admit she is an ideal type of woman many men would like, but I do not think it is the time for me to wander around for women since my priority now is purely work. Anyway, speaking of interested with her, I agree that Namu seems to be befriending her. I do not think it is a bad thing because I've never seen him before smiling like there's no tomorrow. Do you think the reason behind that smile is Taeyeon-ssi?"

The man's narrow eyes widened upon hearing his friend's question. Certainly, Sunggyu knows that Woohyun seems to happy these days. His smile, laughter, and even his positive aura in work, all of those never existed before, but when the woman named Kim Taeyeon appeared in their lives, everything has changed. The dismal face, showing reactions of annoyance and disgust of his brother whenever he is around, drastically turned happy the moment Kim Taeyeon started working at the café. There may be times Woohyun bullies her during work, but Sunggyu is absolutely not a fool not to know that his brother does all of those things just to be noticed by her. Those may be foolish tactics, yet they seemed to work well. During the past few days, Woohyun would stick around with Taeyeon like a greasy ball.

And what about him? Unfortunately, every time Sunggyu would approach Taeyeon, Woohyun would appear like a mushroom, and steal the chance of him to speak a single word to her. Whether his brother does it intentionally or not, Sunggyu does not know. The only thing that he knows is he kinda feels annoyed whenever his dongsaeng does it.

Well, Nam Woohyun has never been motivated with work, but look at him now. He is working his off in as the shop's manager, shredding his bratty, lazy and good-for-nothing image before. Many things changed. The only thing that remains is the distance between the two brothers which grows big, and will continue to become bigger as time passes by. And the reason why it is growing bigger is the new rivalry between them that seems to be far from over.

Blank of what to say, he bit his lower lip and felt how his fists balled up. There is a possibility that Woohyun likes Taeyeon. But whatever the answer is, he does not know, for the only person who knows it is Nam Woohyun himself.

Bracing himself up, he safely answered, "Ah that. I am not sure if my brother likes her. I have not keep in touch with Woohyun yet because I am busy with work. Besides, that is his own life. If I dare to meddle with it, he will surely get angry with me. You know that guy does not like talking to me, right?"

"Oh, is that so? I understand. Well, I can say that seeing Namu smile is not a bad thing. I hope he will always be like that. Whoever his inspiration is, I am very thankful to that person, for making him happy." Kwon genuinely expressed, and continued, "I also hope he will stop distancing himself from you. You guys are brothers, so it will be better to see that there is no awkward tension between the two of you."

'I hope that won't be impossible to happen. I hope it is not too late for that.' A weak smile was formed on his face before he mumbled, "Thank you. Thank you for that. I hope that will still be possible to happen."

"Nothing is really impossible. If it is bound to happen, then no matter what happens, it will happen. Same goes with your situation with Woohyun, if it will happen, it will happen. Anyway, I am hoping for the best of you two."

"Oh, I guess I have to prepare now for office. It is already three forty-five in the morning. Thank you for lending your time for me, Kwon-ah. I am sorry too for bothering you."

"That is nothing. You did not bother me, actually. It was really nice talking with you, Gyuzizi. Take care. Just call me whenever you feel like you want to talk with someone because I am willing to listen anytime."

"Thank you again, Kwon-ah. You too. Just call me too if there is something you want to talk with. Take care." Sunggyu replied back.

"Annyeong."

"Annyeong." After a few minutes, Sunggyu heard the beeping sound, signalling that his friend hung up on the other line. He placed the phone over the bed dresser, and momentarily, he closed his eyes, and let his body rest on the soft bed.

"I wonder how I will face the every day that awaits me." Letting out a sigh, he gently rubbed his temples. "I hope everything will be alright. I hope it won't hurt me that much."

And soon.... Thirteen days have passed...

 

Those thirteen days have passed like a gentle breeze. The scenario in the café was nothing special. Everything was running according to its usual course. The only difference was the café manager was absent. The day after he was almost killed by those men, Nam Woohyun decided to take a leave of absence, so that the others will not wonder why he obtained those injuries on his body. Manager Nam hated being intrigued, so he just decided to take a rest, and left his duties for a while to the assistant manager.

There were only two people who knew about what happened, and one of them was his mother. When his mother saw how badly he was injured, Woohyun did not have a choice, but to admit what happened to him wherein there were four men who almost stole money from him and killed him, but he was fortunately saved by 'someone' from dying from the hands of those filthy men.

Though Mrs. wanted to tell it to her in-laws, Woohyun's grandparents, she just kept it as secret to keep them from being worried. Kim Sunggyu, his older brother did not know about what happened too. The others might find out what happened to him if he will know about it, so Woohyun also kept it as a secret to his brother.

Like the others, the staff members of the Hope Café were not aware of what happened to him too, except for Kim Taeyeon who saved him from the almost death happening he experienced. Fortunately, she kept shut, and pretended not to know anything about Nam Woohyun's unexpected leave of absence. And besides, Taeyeon never wanted to meddle with others' affairs to begin with.

"I wonder when will Manager Nam will come back. It has been two weeks since he did not come here. Did something bad happen to him?" Dongjun asked his fellow staff members as he wipe the a table with a white cloth.

Junho who was mopping the floor responded to his colleague's question, "It was just said that he was sick that is why he took a leave of absence. But actually, I am wondering about it too. I hope Sir Woohyun will get soon."

"Yeah, that is right. It is quite sullen here because Manager Nam is not around. He is usually the one who would crack up some jokes to ease up the mood. I hope he will come back here soon." Kikwang added as he sighed.

"But Kwon-hyung, don't you really know what happened to Manager Nam? I heard he is your friend." Yoseob asked Jo Kwon who was busy who was busy fixing the chairs.

Kwon answered, "I am sorry, but Manager Nam has not informed me a single thing about his condition. When he texted me five days ago, he just said that he will be back after seven days. Now, I wonder when the specific day he will come back is because it has been thirteen days since he took a leave of absence. I am hoping too that he is doing okay."

"What about you, Taeyeon-noona? Do you know what happened to Sir Woohyun?" Baro who was counting the money inside the cash register asked the only female employee.

Wiping the plates placed on the counter with a clean cloth, she gave the youngest one a shrug, and thriftily responded without any hesitation, "Nope."

"Ah, alright. Well anyway, I hope that Sir Woohyun is not seriously sick. Perhaps, he will be back tomorrow or two days from now." Baro, the youngest staff member said.

"Okay, everyone. I know you are wondering why our manager has been absent for thirteen days now, but let us just set aside that for the mean time because he expects a lot from us, and we should do our best to fulfill his expectation by doing our hundred percent in our respective works. I received a call from him yesterday that he will be back soon." Mr. Bong, the assistant manager who had just went out of the kitchen requested. "As the assistant manager, it is my responsibility to do the duties of the manager in his absence. For now, let us work harder and double are efforts since Manager Nam is not around."

"Yes, Mr. Bong." The staff members answered back in unison as they bowed their heads.

"That is right. Let us be more determined to boost up the sales of this café. By the way, there is a good news. I am happy to announce that based on the café weekly report, the sales went up from 17.5% to 36%. Thus, the café sales doubled from its past performances." Mr. Bong happily stated which brought smile to the staff members who were delighted of the good news. "So, give yourselves a round of applause, for making this possible. Let us make it 50% or higher next time, eo?"

"Really? Wow! That is surely amazing!" Yoseob expressed in awe. "Manager Nam will be really pleased to hear this."

'I hope he is alright now.' Taeyeon plainly smiled, and continued what she was doing while the others were crazily rejoicing after hearing the good news. She murmured, "Yes, I think he will really be."

"Guys, work harder, eo?" Mr. Bong requested.

They said in unison, "Yes, Mr. Bong. We will work harder." The staff members clapped their hands as they were happy to hear that their hard work is being paid off.

 

Suddenly, someone who apeared out of nowhere. It was a man in a gray dress shirt and black pants. A smile beamed his beautiful face as he expressed, "Really? I am very pleased and thankful to hear that you are more determined to improve this café."

 

Stop. Surprised. It turned into a cold silence.

 

 

Surprised upon hearing that person's voice, they were stopped from rejoicing when a man appeared behind Taeyeon. He happily stated, breaking the silence, "It is really nice to see that everyone is doing well while I am not around."

"Oh, it is Sir Woo—" One of the staff members, Lee Junho stuttered as he pointed the man who stood behind Taeyeon.

With his eyes widening in surprise, Kwon stuttered, "Is that you, Manager Woo—"

"Manager Nam, is that—" Mr. Bong asked as his mind tried to process what he was seeing. "Is that you?"

"Sir Woohyun, is that—" Kikwang, Yoseob, and Dongjun questioned with a surprise reactions shown on their faces.

"Yup, it is me. Annyeong haseyo." Woohyun nodded his head and greeted.

'Oh, he is back.' Taeyeon faced the man behind her, and she bowed her head and politely greeted, "Annyeong haseyo, Sir Woohyun. Welcome back."

"SIR WOOHYUN?" The rest who were snapped out did the same, and greeted politely, "Annyeong haseyo. Welcome back to the café, Manager Nam."

The man who had the pleased reaction on his face smiled as he bowed his head and said, "Annyeong! It has been a while since we have seen each other. I am really pleased to see how hardworking everyone of you here. I apologize for my absences for the past few days because I was sick. I hope everyone of you will give me a kind consideration and understanding."

"That is nothing, Sir Woohyun. We are very happy that you are fine now." Yoseob said.

"That is absolutely right, Manager Nam. We are very pleased to see that you are fine." Mr. Bong agreed as he gave the young man a big smile.

"Well, to recompense for my absences, I am giving you a 45-minute break first before the café opens." Woohyun friendly offered as he kept his hands inside his jeans' pockets.

"Will that be alright, Sir Woohyun?" Dongjun hesitantly asked, knotting his fingers shyly.

"Yes, Dongjun-ssi." The manager assured as he nodded his head in affirmation.

"Aww~ You really are the best, Manager Nam~" Kwon gratefully expressed.

"Thank you, Sir Woohyun." Baro said as he bowed his head down gratefully.

Manager Nam answered back, "You are welcome, Baro-ssi. You may all go ahead now."

"Thank you very much, Sir Woohyun." The other three men,

"Okay, guys. What are we waiting for? Manager Nam said that we can take a 45-minute break." Assistant manager Bong said as he clapped his hand, signalling them to follow him.

"Yes, Mr. Bong." The male employees said in unison as they bowed their head down and turned their heads towards the direction where Woohyun was standing. "We will go ahead, Sir Woohyun."

Dongjun asked as he stopped walking for a while, "Oh, Taeyeon-ssi. Won't you be coming around?"

She shook her head and politely declined, "No, thank you."

"Okay. If that is what you want." The man said as he bowed his head before following the rest behind.

After a few minutes, when all the male employees left the café, Taeyeon continued wiping the plates, and she let out a sigh.

Woohyun went in front of the counter where the female employee was quietly wiping the plates. He asked, breaking the silence between them, "Taeyeon-ssi, all of them went out to take a break. Won't you be joining them?"

Without looking at her boss, she continued wiping the plates, and thriftily answered, "No, Sir Woohyun."

"Why not? Don't you want to take a breakfast? It is still early, so I think it is better if you will take at least a few minute break." The manager said as his eyes shifted from the plates to her face who seemed not to show any trace of reaction.

"No, thank you. I am alright, Sir Woohyun." She politely refused, and looked up to him where she finally met his gazes.

'Still the cold woman. Aigoo~ I miss her.' The man tried to hide his disappointment before he looked away and said, "Alright, Taeyeon-ssi. If that is what you wish."

"Are you alright now, Sir Woohyun?" She asked out of the blue as she paused from what she was doing. Woohyun's initial reaction was surprise, but he dismissed it soon, not to be embarrassed in front of Taeyeon.

The man nodded his head and assured, "Nae, I am alright now. I was able to take a rest during those days of my absences."

'That is a big relief to hear. I am happy that he is feeling well now.' Taeyeon continued what she was doing earlier, and plainly stated, "That is a relief to hear then."

"Yeah, it is." Woohyun smiled, and afterwards, he friendly offered, "Taeyeon-ssi, do you want some help in doing that?"

"No, thank you. I am fine doing this by myself, Sir Woohyun. Besides, it is also almost finished."

"Ah, okay. I understand."

"By the way, if you want to eat something, I have made cupcakes. Sir Woohyun, I kept them inside the refrigerator. You may have any of them if you want."

"Jeongmallyo?"

"Yes, Sir Woohyun." She gave him a nod before finally finishing what she was doing. 'Finally, it is finished.'

"Okay. I have not taken a breakfast yet, so my stomach is growling right now. Wanna join me have some breakfast, Taeyeon-ssi?" The café manager asked.

"No, thank—"

Hearing that she was about to turn down his friendly offer for the third time, he joked, "Aigoo! Aigoo! Aigoo! That will be the third refusal I will received from you. Since I am badly hungry right now, I won't take a NO as an answer."

Suddenly, she felt how her stomach growled in hunger. 'Alright. Alright. Besides, I am hungry too right now.' Taeyeon let out a sigh and replied, "Yes, Sir Woohyun. By the way, I have brought some ramen too. Do you want to have some?"

"Ramen? That will do!" The man happily affirmed.

With his mouth full of food, he expressed in delight, "I did not know that spicy ramen will perfectly suit with cupcakes."

'Sir Woohyun looks like a cute child when eating.' Taeyeon unconsciously broke into a sweet smile. She shyly said, "Really? I did not know about it too, Sir."

"Before I forget, I want to express my sincerest gratitude for saving my life." Woohyun sincerely expressed. "I know I owe you a big thing, and I promise to pay your kindness back in the future."

"That is nothing, Sir Woohyun."

"And thank you too for visiting me and bringing delicious foods at my house three days ago. Please also send my regards to Aunt Gongjoo who visited my house with you, and to Sungjong and Uncle Ilbong who helped in preparing those delicious foods that you gave me. I feel blessed and thankful to know you and your family who are very kind to me."

"I will tell them, Sir Woohyun. Eomma wants me to tell you that she feels apologetic for not being able to visit you immediately. Appa and Sungjong also want to, for they were not able to visit you. Appa is really busy with his work while Sungjong is busy with school because examinations are forthcoming." Taeyeon explained as she smiled weakly.

"Please tell them that it is okay. Actually, my mother wants to meet you, the one who saved my life to personally thank you for what you have done, but because you are busy in work, I was not able to ask you to visit me once again and meet her." The man said as he took a big bite of the cupcake he was holding.

"All of us here in the café are doubling our efforts during your absences, so that you will not be disappointed once you come back, Sir Woohyun."

"And all of you did well. The performance of this café continuously improves, and I am very impressed with that." He genuinely complimented. The man took a quick glance on his watch, and said, "There are fifteen minutes left. Let us finish our food before we open the café, eo?"

The café was immediately crowded with many customers after it was opened few minutes ago. In order to return the efforts of the staff members for the past two weeks, Woohyun decided to work as one of them for that day. Even just for one day, he wanted to experience how to be a staff member, and not as the manager who only does the managing stuff and bosses the others around. Though the others really did not like the idea of letting the manager who had just recently come back from a sick leave, they did not have a choice, but to allow him since he literally begged to do so. The only condition is Mr. Bong will take over Woohyun's position only for that day which means the old man could actually reprimand him if in case he does some sort of stupidity or any form of fuss in work.

"Annyeong haseyo! Welcome to Hope Café!" Woohyun who was wearing a uniform he borrowed from Dongjun, brightly greeted as he opened the glass door for the customers. "Annyeong! Je ireumeun Namstar imnida at your service. It is a pleasure to have you, beautiful princess here in our café. " He immediately led the women towards a table for four.

The female customers who were mesmerized by the man's charm and alluring voice, almost had their hearts dropping as if a beautiful statue has come to life. One woman from the group giggled, "Thank you. Thank you for that uh..."

"Beautiful princess, it is Namstar. You can call me Namstar, Namprince or simply Namu Knight." The man cheesily introduced as he throw her a sweet gaze, taking another step as he gentlemanly gestured them to follow him.

"Aigoo~ He is really handsome. Is he an angel or what?" Another woman from the group of female whispered to the other woman who is taller than her. "Aigoo~ I think I am in love with him."

"Ya! Stop that. That's too embarrassing." The woman earlier lowly said to her friends as she tried to suppress the smile and blush forming on her face. 'But actually, he is really handsome. Is he a prince from a fairy tale? Aish! What am I thinking?'

With the man's mesmerizing winks and charming smile, many customers were really delighted to see him. Well, many people know that Hope Café has its good looking staff members, but this man is different among the others. He has this effect that can hypnotize many people, particularly women, and drive them crazy. The funny thing is that little did these people know that the man is neither a new employee nor a trainee of the shop, but rather the real manager of the café. Can't blame them though since Nam Woohyun has always been inside his shell—oops, I mean—his office where he either busily does tons of paper works or play his favorite Starcraft alone.

'Women really like Sir Woohyun that much. Can't blame them though.' Taeyeon stole a glance of her boss before she continued serving the foods to the customers. 'I do not think letting him work as a staff member for a day is bad.'

Gentlemanly pulling out chairs for the women, Woohyun said in a greasy manner, "For beautiful princesses like you, I think this area will suits you."

'It seems that female customers like Sir Woohyun a lot.' She took a quick glance of the café manager who was busily doing 'fanservice' to a group of female customers before she placed a tray of food on a customer's table. She smiled and politely said to the customer, a man who seems to be in mid-twenties, "Here is your order, Sir. One Penne pasta and one frapuccino. Should you have anything you need, you may approach me or any of us."

"Thank you, Miss." A bright smile was plastered on his face before he bowed his head. "Oh before you leave, may I ask something?" His accent seemed to be quite different from the Seoul dialect, more like of a foreigner which gave Taeyeon a notion that the man came from another country. Noticing his looks, the male customer's appearance seems to be of a European person, but a part of his facial features also seems to boast an Asian descent. Looking at his physique, he has a broad body and he seems to be tall as seen on his sitting height.

The female staff nodded her head, and asked politely, "What is it, Sir?"

"If you wouldn't mind, may I ask what your name is?"

"Sorry. Pardon?" Taeyeon confusedly asked the customer.

"It is actually my first time here in South Korea. I am glad to see a beautiful and nice woman like you. My name is Vincent Song. I am half French and half Korean. It is nice to meet you. What about you, beautiful Miss? What is your name?"

Though she was quite surprised upon hearing such compliment, being a professional person she is, Taeyeon maintained her composure, and politely replied, bowing her head, "Thank you, Mr. Song. My name is Kim Taeyeon. "

"Taeyeon? That is surely a beautiful name." The man named Vincent genuinely complimented, and soon asked another questions, "Ms. Kim, where do you live? Are you a part-time or a regular employee here? What do you do besides working here?"

The female employee felt awkward being bombarded with such questions by a stranger. She did not want to appear rude, so she was literally froze from where she was standing.

"Sir, I am a regular employee here. I am very sorry, but I cannot answer the other questions." Taeyeon formally answered back as she bowed her head. To avoid being questioned further, she politely excused herself, "If you wouldn't mind, I will be excusing myself first."

Once again, she bowed her head. Suddenly, the moment she turned back, Vincent held her left hand to stop her from leaving.

With her eyes widening, she was literally frozen like a statue from where she was standing. 'What is the problem of this customer?'

Not far from the table where the half-French and half-Korean customer was, Woohyun saw Taeyeon backfacing him. What shocked him was the man was holding Taeyeon's left hand. Instantly, his body tensed up and his eyes were fuming with ire. He was literally ready to burst up like a mad man who may eat anyone alive.

"Cheogiyo?" Taeyeon confusedly asked as she gently tried to release her hand from the man's grip. Unfortunately, the man did not let go of her hand. 'What is his problem?'

"Ms. Kim, actually, I want to know more about you." The man answered back straightforwardly. "Can I be friends with you, Ms. Kim?"

"Sorry. Pardon?" Obviously perplexed, and wondering if she misheard it or not, Taeyeon's face puckered up a little. 'It is the first time he met me, and now he is saying that. Well, that is not the problem. This man is holding my hand tightly for who knows what reason. Very odd.'

'That is so bold of you, Mister! How dare you touch her hand? Aigoo! Probably, he is hitting on her! You'll pay for this, rascal' Upon reaching the two of them, Woohyun broke the two's atmosphere when he spoke up, faking a big smile on his face as he faced the man, "Annyeong haseyo, Mister! I am Nam Woohyun, a staff member here. Is there something bad happening here?"

Taeyeon switched her gaze to Woohyun who she did not know was suppressing the igniting anger inside him. She stuterred, "Sir Woo—Oh, Woohyun-ssi. There is actually nothing—"

Without looking at her and minding what she said, Woohyun asked the man once again, "Sir, did my fellow staff member do something wrong? Is there any complain you want to say?" Still with his eyes on the man, he commanded Taeyeon monotonely, not losing his pretentious smile, "Taeyeon-ah, if you did something wrong, please apologize now."

"Oh Mr. Nam, there is nothing—" Finally, Vincent broke his silence without losing his grip on Taeyeon's left hand, but he was immediately cut off by Woohyun.

"Are you sure of that, Mister?" Woohyun asked, feining a concerned tone in his voice.

"Yes, Mr. Nam. There is no problem here at all. Actually, I just wanted to know with Ms. Kim. By the way, I am Vincent Song. It is nice to meet you." The man answered back, returning him a genuine smile. "It is very nice to see a beautiful woman like her that is why I badly want to know her."

'Really? Then, why in the hell are you not releasing her hand? Do you plan on holding her hand forever? I do not care if you are 6 feet tall! If you aren't a customer, my hand would have landed directly on your face!' Woohyun furtively took a glance of the man's right hand which was literally holding Taeyeon's left hand tightly. He bowed his headand said, "Is that so, Mr. Song? I apologize that I misunderstood it. Joesonghamnida. My bad that I thought Taeyeon, my girlfriend committed a mistake which is very rare to happen." Woohyun flashed a fake smile again upon lifting his head. The last sentence of his statement sounded low, but it surprised both Taeyeon and the male customer.

Shocked of the last words he stated, Taeyeon stuttered as her eyes widened, "Girl..friend?"

Unconsciously, the man released her hand from his grip and backed away from her. Mr. Song mumbled in disbelief, "She.... She is your girlfriend?"

'See? This rascal surely planned to hit on her. Aigoo! If I did not come in time, it would have probably happened!' Shifting her gaze towards her, Woohyun lowly said as he feigned an apologetic look, straightly looking into her eyes, "Yeobong, I hope you will forgive me for misunderstanding the situation. I did not mean to do so. I swear."

'Geotjimal. What the hell are you saying, Nam Woohyun?' Girlfriend? Me?' The woman shot him an exasperated look. 'Michyeosseo! You are crazy, Nam Woohyun!'

Bringing himself closer to her, Woohyun murmured near her right ear, "You'll gonna thank me for this. Kim Taeyeon, you owe me one."

The man was left fazed from where he was standing. He sincerely bowed his head and apologized, "Joesonghamnida, Mr. Nam and Ms. Kim, I really did not mean to.."

"Mr. Song, there is no need for that. Well, I am fully aware that she is very nice and beautiful. I cannot blame others for having the desire to be friends with her. I actually do not mind it." Woohyun confidently stated as he clung his arm on her shoulders. "Anyway, we will be going now. It is nice to meet you, Mr. Song. Should you have any concern, you may approach any of us. If you wouldn't mind, we'll excuse ourselves for a while." As he bowed his head, he held the back of her, forcing her to do the same. Woohyun held her right hand tightly and pulled her along with him.

Soon, they reached the area near the storage room where Mr. Bong and Jo Kwon weree standing. The old man greeted, "Oh, Woohyun-ssi and Taeyeon-ssi, annyeong."

"Annyeong, Woohyun-ssi and Taeyeon-ssi!" Jo Kwon happily greeted the two of them.

Taeyeon lowly greeted as she bowed her head, "Annyeong, Mr. Bong and Kwon-ssi."

Jo Kwon noticed both of their sullen faces, but what caught his eyes was how their hands were glued together. 'Did I miss something here?'

Before entering the storage room, Woohyun bowed his head without uttering a single word as he opened the door with his other hand. Taeyeon tried to remove her hand from his grip, but because he was too strong, she ended up being pulled by him inside the storage room.

After hearing a loud thud when the door shut, Mr. Bong stuttered, "What is going on between the two of them?"

"Well, it goes by the saying that jealousy is the grave of affection."

The old man stated as he smirked, "Oh, I see. I am used to it, so I should not be suprised."

"Really? Are they always like that?"

"Often. Jealousy has always been the culprit."

"Is that so, Mr. Bong?" Jo Kwon asked as he pressed his ear against the door.

"Yes, Kwon-ssi."

His eyes immediately widened and his mouth dropped dumbfoundedly. Kwon worriedly asked, "Oh, is he shouting? Are they fighting or what? Will Taeyeon-ssi be alright? I hope Woohyun won't hurt her."

"I guess you have to continue working now, Kwon-ssi. Don't worry about that. That is just how a jealous man rants over a trivial thing. He won't be hurting her. That will be the most impossible thing he'd do in his life. Well, I will just be the one to settle it. Please help the others now with work, Kwon-ssi."

Though he wanted to eavesdrop further, Kwon did not have a choice, but to do as what Mr. Bong requested.

After Kwon proceeded to work, the old man pressed his ear against the door and heard a loud voice of Woohyun who seemed to be venting his anger to the female employee.

Mr. Bong sighed as he muttered, "Kids these days are different. Since I have the full control of the managerial authority for this day, it will be the best choice to punish this stubborn kid who lacks professionalism in work. Ah, no. Since the other one is also involved, I guess I also need to do it to her as well. Aigoo! Is this really what love can do youngsters of this generation?"

"YA, KIM TAEYEON! HOW CAN YOU LET THAT MAN HIT ON YOU? ARE YOU NUMB, DUMB OR WHAT?" Woohyun's veins in his neck were almost popping out as he shouted like a man for who in the hell knew what reason. "YOU ARE IN THE WORK FOR PETE'S SAKE! HOW COULD YOU DARE TO SHOW LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM AT TIMES LIKE THIS? IT WAS ING OBVIOUS THAT HE LIKES YOU!"

'Mwoya? Why is he shouting like there is tomorrow?' Standing like a dumb, Taeyeon was fazed and confused on why he was ing shouting like there was no tomorrow. In fact, she should be the one getting angry because Nam ing bastard told the customer that they are in a relationship. Since she does not make a big deal out a trashy reason, Taeyeon decided to let it pass. If she is an unprofessional wench who gets easily angered by sh*ts like that, he would have instantly received a hard punch that will crush his face into pieces. But thankfully, she is not.

"YA! ANSWER ME! WHY CAN'T YOU? IS IT BECAUSE YOU LIKE THAT GUY TOO?" The man angrily questioned.

"MWO?" Taeyeon's eyes widened upon hearing his words. 'WHAT THE?! WHAT IN THE HELL HE ATE TO SPAT SUCH THINGS?' She had the urge to shut his mouth by punching his face, but she tried to maintain her composure despite hearing such words. Violence will just worsen the situation. Besides, that will be very unprofessional and disrespectful of her. Nam Woohyun is her boss—nothing can change that fact.

Woohyun held her shoulders shoulder and angrily hissed, "YA, KIM TAEYEON! WON'T YOU BE SAYING SOM—"

A deep voice cut him off in an instant, "ENOUGH. Enough of that, Nam Woohyun." A man suddenly appeared inside the storage room. "Please let go of Taeyeon-ssi now!"

Taeyeon was surprised to see him, and she felt embarrassed that he saw them in such situation. It was the first time she saw his angered face. As the man slowly let go of her shoulders, she bowed down and politely apologized, "Joesonghamnida. I apologize for everything. It was my entire fault."

Woohyun turned around to see who it was. Much to his surprise, his eyes were welcomed by the assistant manager's appearance. He stammered in embarrassment, "Oh, Mr. Bong."

"Who said that you two can fight here inside the storage room? Don't you know that it is still working hours? Your colleagues are busy with their works while the two of you here are busy fighting." Mr. Bong scolded the two of them. It may sound calm, but his voice was apparently filled with disappointment and irritation.

"Ah.. that.. Joesonghamnida, Mr. Bong. It is just that I got angry because Taeyeon-ssi—" The young man tried to explain the situation, but Mr. Bong did not let him finish his explanation when he lifted his hand, and signalled him to stop.

"Woohyun-ssi, I do not need any of your excuses right now." The old man sternly stated. "Taeyeon-ssi is not even blaming you, but you're blaming her. I am not defending her, but you saw how she apologetically said that everything was her fault."

"Mr. Bong, it was really her—"

Again, he was cut off by the old man who showed no interest in hearing his explanation, "Enough, Woohyun-ssi. Since both of you are both at fault, you need to learn a lesson which will help you reflect from your mistakes. I do not tolerate wrongdoings here, so as a punishment, I want the two of you to work at the garden at the backyard."

Woohyun childishly complained, "Gar—garden? Mr. Bong, I do not think I should be punished since everything is Taeyeon's fault."

'Aigoo! You thick-faced man! How dare you say that? Aigoo!' Taeyeon gritted her teeth, but she just kept quiet and put her head down humbly. 'You were the one who started everything! You shouted like a lunatic man and blame me of baseless accusations! Now, you are telling that everything is my fault. How shameless.'

He added, "But Mr. Bong, listen. Taeyeon showed unprofessionalism at work. She let—"

"Remember that it was you who wanted to work as a café staff member for today. If you will continue pulling off that attitude, better back off, and go to your office now, and work on with the paper works you have to finish instead of causing ruckus here!" Mr. Bong coldly hissed as he pointed the door. "There is really no need for you to work as a one-day staff member today just because you want to recompense for your absences. Honestly, you are just causing inconvenience because of your hot-headed attitude rather than of help!"

"Mr. Bong, listen. Taeyeon was—"

"Stop the blame. How can you act like that? I will no longer ask what happened. Whatever it was, you should have not vented your anger to her like that. You may be working today as a staff, but in reality, you are the café's manager. Woohyun-ssi, you should be responsible and open-minded enough of your colleagues' flaws. You should know that emotions should not interfere work. If things can be settled in the calmest way as possible, then do it. Anger will not solve anything." The old man sermoned in disappointment.

Surprised and a bit hurt of what the old man said, Woohyun became silent. It was like he heard something like his grandmother's usual scold. They are friends after all. But he knew that the old man was right. He is the café manager. That alone is the reason why he should act and talk responsibly towards his colleagues. Why did he become angry? Why did he shout at her and blame her like crazy? Was it because she showed unprofessionalism as what he was claiming, or perhaps, was he just jealous? Obviously, he knew the answer, but he knew he'll get butthurt if he admits it to himself.

Though she felt irked that Woohyun showed antagonism towards her for whatever reason he has, she felt guilty that he was scolded by Mr. Bong. She knew that he was right with what he said, but it struck her deeply to see the sadness on Woohyun's face after hearing such words. Taeyeon humbly apologized, "I am sorry again, Mr. Bong. Please do not scold, Sir Woohyun. He did not do anything wrong. I am willing to do the punishment all by myself. It is all my fault anyway."

'Kim Taeyeon, are you saying this to make me feel guilty?' The young man stole a quick glance of her before he let out an exasperated sigh. He bowed down and sincerely apologized to the old man, "Joesonghamnida, Mr. Bong. I promise to be responsible of my actions and words next time."

"No need. Don't apologize to me. The two of you should apologize to each other." Mr. Bong answered back as he crossed his arms. 'Ay! Kids these days are really different. Sorry Woohyun-ssi if I scold you. I just do not want to see the two of you fighting. Aish~ If you like her, then you