A little note: Hello! This is my second update in two days so if you haven't read the chapter I posted yesterday, go back one more chapter! :)

Hana was absently wiping the area of the bar top that a couple of customers who had just left occupied. She was half sitting on one of the stools and looking out through the cafe’s glass walls as she scrubbed, but her mind was elsewhere.

Spending the day with Kyungmi had been amazing. When they got to YK store in Gangnam, they were treated like princesses by the mall staff. At first, Hana was uncomfortable with all the doting, but Kyungmi told her to just go with it. It’s not everyday they get that kind of treatment after all. It took some getting used to, but Hana convinced herself that she’ll probably never have this kind of opportunity again so she abandoned all hesitations out the door and decided to just enjoy the day – even if it meant having everyone wait for her hand and foot.

Hana and Kyungmi had escorts following and assisting them while they flitted from store to store, earning them fascinated looks from the other shoppers. It was a welcome change to get a different kind of attention, unlike the cold stares she and Kyungmi got from YG High students. Hana found it a bit thrilling, to be honest. She even overheard a couple of comments from people who passed by, wondering if they were actresses or idols or chaebols. Knowing she was being watched, Hana couldn’t help but act a little more feminine than she normally would to keep up the facade. I wonder if this is how celebrities feel, she thought with a flutter in her stomach when a group of girls pointed at her and looked on with envy. Of course in reality, she’d never go for that kind of life, but it was entertaining for one day of make-believe. Who would have thought it would be so much fun to act like an heiress?

There were even a few cute guys who smiled their way when they rested at a coffee shop after hours of walking around. One of the guys eventually came up to them to introduce himself. Hana only remembered his name to be Jaebum or something similar to that. She and Kyungmi agreed to act cool and chic, so they only spoke for about a minute before Jaebum came back to sit with his friends. Hana even caught the other guys teasing him for ‘striking out’. As soon as the guys were gone, a waiter delivered two pieces of cake to Hana and Kyungmi’s table, saying that the gentlemen who just left paid for them. They both looked at each other and no sooner were their chic personas gone, reducing them to a fit of high school girl giggles.

An extravagant lunch and three more hours of shopping later, Hana had a total of seven big shopping bags – excluding the smaller purchases – while Kyungmi probably had double that number. She fully intended on just tagging along while Kyungmi shopped, but her friend forcibly bought her things, too. No matter how much Hana refused, Kyungmi just kept insisting, arguing that spending money (that she didn't even earn herself) can never compare to what she did for Kyungmi back at the auditorium. By their third store, Hana completely gave up stopping Kyungmi from buying things for her. It seemed to make her friend happy, and she wasn’t opposed to a few new cute outfits. She had to remind herself repeatedly that Kyungmi was rich so she didn’t have to feel too guilty accepting her gifts. She’ll just have to return the favor by giving Kyungmi an awesome present when she gets her next paycheck from the Cafe.

All in all, the day had been awesome, save for some tiny disappointment on Hana’s end that Kyungmi didn’t tell her what really happened in the auditorium. Then again, maybe Kyungmi didn’t want to dwell into negative things anymore, especially since they had a blast spending time together. Talking about those bullies will just ruin their perfect hooky day.

So Hana resolved to give Kyungmi time, and when she was ready, she’ll tell her what really happened.

“Do you plan on turning a wooden bar white? You’ve been wiping the same spot for fifteen minutes now,” Gikwang’s voice came out of nowhere, disrupting her thoughts.

Hana looked down at her busy hands and stood up straight. In her momentary stupor, she’d forgotten she was no longer in Kyungmi’s mansion or in that elegant shopping mall, rather she was in her place of work: the quaint but lovely Cafe Sonata. She gave the barista a smile before mouthing, ‘sorry’. She bit back a laugh. How ironic was it that she spent the day like an heiress, but was ending it as a waitress? Not that she was complaining, of course, but it was still funny.

Gikwang sighed and plopped onto the bar stool next to her. He didn’t seem to be in a good mood, and she had a feeling it might be because Ha Neul wasn’t back from the business trip yet, transferring the responsibility of running the cafe onto Gikwang instead. Hana never pegged him for a leader, to be honest, since he was more the type to not take things too seriously. But since he had been working in the cafe the longest, there really was no choice for Ha Neul but to leave him in charge.

“Sunbae, just because the Boss isn’t here doesn’t mean you can just mope around,” she joked, in an attempt to liven up his dreary aura, sitting back down in front of him. She scanned the cafe and it was almost a full house. “It’s Friday, remember? Busiest day of the week!”

“That’s actually the problem,” he leaned forward and placed his chin on his palm, his expression getting darker.

“Is there something wrong?”

“Everything is wrong!” Gikwang threw his hands in the air, startling Hana. “This is the worst time for Ha Neul hyung not to be around! Lee Ma Ri was supposed to perform tonight, but she just called and said she couldn’t since there were some scheduling problems she overlooked. She’s still in Samcheok.”

It took a while for Hana to process what Gikwang had just said before her eyes rounded. “Lee Ma Ri? You mean the indie singer-songwriter Lee Ma Ri?” Her voice was abnormally high-pitched as she waited impatiently for an answer. Hana had been an avid fan of Lee Ma Ri since she released a self-produced album three years ago, and the singer was only nineteen then. Ever since, she’s always wanted to be exactly like Ma Ri, so the prospect of meeting her filled Hana with excitement.

When Gikwang nodded, she thought she was going to scream in joy. It took a few seconds before she realized that Gikwang literally just told her Lee Ma Ri couldn’t come – the reality hitting her like a bucket of ice cold water.

But aside from her personal disappointment, Hana knew this was a big problem. “What are we going to do? Are there no replacements?” Hana asked, looking around. “How about Yixing? He can do it! Where is he anyway?”

“Yixing can’t come tonight since SM is making them undergo some sort of boot camp all weekend, and they’re leaving later,” Gikwang massaged his temples. “Seriously. Why is this happening to me?!”

“Don't you have musician friends? How about the other regulars here? If Boss has the connections to get Lee Ma Ri to sing here…”

“You don’t think I already tried calling them? It’s not that easy. It’s a Friday night so most of them already have gigs. Music night is in an hour and they can’t just drop their commitments to be here,” Gikwang explained, looking more sullen. “And even then, people are expecting Lee Ma Ri. Ha Neul hyung has been trying to book her for months!”

Just then, several customers came into the cafe, looking all excited. She heard someone say Lee Ma Ri’s name and Hana automatically frowned, thinking about how disappointed they were going to be when they find out she couldn’t come. Heck, even she was disappointed that she can’t see her idol, but she only found out about her performance a few minutes ago.

She was about to go and wait on the new customers, but Gikwang stopped her. “Let Jimin handle it,” he jerked his chin to the waiter who was already welcoming the customers with a menu. “Help me deal with this first.”

“How about if we just call the Boss and ask if he can help?”

“No,” Gikwang said firmly. “I don’t want to bother him. He’s already dealing with enough things in Busan as it is. This will just make him panic.”

For a second, Hana wondered what those things were, but she brushed those thoughts aside and nervously chewed on her bottom lip.

Gikwang buried his face in his hands. “What are we going to do?”

A thought came to Hana’s mind and she almost dismissed it. But she knew it could be their best shot at salvaging Music Night. She cleared . “Kang… Seungyoon?” She ignored the rapid thump in her chest when she said his name. After what happened at the auditorium this morning, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see him just yet.

Gikwang rubbed his face before looking up at her. “I already called him and he said he’ll do his best to be here. But I’m not hopeful since you know how their training sessions can be. And to be honest, Ha Neul hyung doesn’t want Seungyoon overworking himself. But I’m desperate.” Gikwang looked around the Cafe that buzzed with chatter. “You go to YG High, don’t you? Do you think he’ll be able to make it? He’s our only hope right now.”

Hana shrugged, unable to answer. It wasn’t like she knew WINNER’s schedule. Maybe Rude Hyomin or one of the fangirls know, but not her. She’d ask Kyungmi, but she wasn’t even in school the whole day.

Hana slumped her shoulders and watched as Gikwang stood up and rounded the coffee bar, looking depressed. She sighed, and hoped there was something more she could do. She found herself wishing Seungyoon would follow through and show up tonight. For Cafe Sonata’s sake, she thought.

It didn’t take too long before the cafe was packed with customers. Some have even resorted to just standing up because there were no tables. Hana looked at Ha Neul’s closed office and wondered when Gikwang was going to face the crowd. The barista entered Ha Neul’s office thirty minutes ago and hasn’t come out yet. She’d learned from the other baristas that this has never happened before, so Gikwang really had no idea how to handle it.

If Hana were in his position, she’d probably talk to the customers right away, and tell them Lee Ma Ri couldn’t come. But that wasn’t her call. Gikwang was in charge.

It was already fifteen minutes past eight o’clock, and she could feel the customers growing weary. Several of them have asked her and the other waiters about Lee Ma Ri, but they couldn’t give them a proper reply. Her heart pounded against her chest, and she honestly considered just banging onto Ha Neul’s office door just to get Gikwang to come out and explain what’s happening.

She was nervously clutching her locket with one hand, and biting the fingernails of her other hand. It was something she only did in moments of extreme anxiety.

Just then, the cafe doors opened and a panting Kang Seungyoon appeared, his guitar slung over his shoulder. When Hana saw him, she almost screamed his name in happiness. It was as though a giant burden had been lifted from her shoulders – a reaction she’d never have associated with Seungyoon ever.

They locked eyes and he immediately approached the counter where Hana was standing. She knew it was no time to fidget under his gaze, but he hasn’t stopped staring into her eyes as he walked closer, with an expression that seemed as if he had come for her. Oddly, the first thing that came to her mind was how she talked