Hana survived the first day of school, but not without being traumatized by a number of things: 1) her nasty seatmate who made it pretty clear she was an unwelcome presence in class, 2) the size of YG High campus that caused her to get lost a few times and be embarrassed in front of a cute-but-off-limits boy and a whole classroom of kids who, again, didn’t like her, 3) that stupid, snobby rule about ordinary students not being allowed to talk to music majors like they were sacred beings – which she unwittingly violated, earning her a target on her back, and 4) Kang freaking Seungyoon.

The last one was the worst. She’s never been accused of being a creepy fangirl stalker before – not even when she followed 10CM (an indie band) all the way back to their van after their Busan concert. But a fangirl for a rude idol who hasn’t even debuted yet? Please. She scoffed.

Drained of all life, she approached the school gates like a prisoner who hadn’t been out in the sunlight for a decade. She didn’t even mind that several students deliberately bumped into her as they were going out. She was just happy to finally be able to go home to her loving Grandmother – who was basically the only reason why she hasn’t hopped on the next bus back to Busan.

As soon as she was out of YG High premises, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Already, she felt much more refreshed.

She decided to walk home since her Grandmother’s house was only a few blocks away. Maybe seeing the sights around Seoul would help erase the awful memories at YG High, and the bitter taste that WINNER left in . As much as she still preferred Busan, she’d be lying if she said Seoul and its hustle and bustle didn’t fascinate her. She was about to cross the street when a sign caught her eye.

“Cafe Sonata,” she mumbled, staring at the quaint-looking shop. There was something about the place that seemingly drew her in, and she found herself approaching the cafe instead of continuing her walk home. Maybe it was because the sign had a gold treble clef right next to a cup of coffee, or because it looked very different from the modern and posh cafes littered around YG High.

Getting close enough, she peered through the glass windows and saw that there weren’t a lot of customers inside. But she’d been right about the vibe of the whole place. "Cafe Sonata," she repeated. The name of the cafe fit the area perfectly.

She pushed the door open, and a tiny bell rang above her. The small clink was a pleasant sound, and she found herself smiling when the delicious smell of coffee filled her nose. Her eyes immediately fell on the piano at the corner of the cafe. She realized there were other instruments, too: a cajon and two guitars. There was a man playing with one of them, while a woman was listening to him with interest. She could tell they were lovers, and judging by the way the man was playing the guitar, he wasn’t very good. And yet, the woman looked mesmerized. Hana couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Hi, student! Are you here for the part-time waitress job?”

Hana turned around to see a handsome man staring at her. He was dressed in a plain white button down shirt, but his brown apron made it clear he was a barista there. “Come again?”

The man smiled warmly, giving Hana the impression that he belonged impeccably with the atmosphere of the cafe. She was liking this place more and more.

“I was asking if you’re here for the part-time job,” he repeated. “Unless you’re a customer, in which case, I’m really sorry. We just don’t get a lot of high school students here,” he looked at her apologetically, but he still kept smiling.

Hana bit her lower lip when a thought crossed her mind. Part-time job? It wasn’t entirely a bad idea, and she wasn’t inexperienced either. She’d helped out for about two months at one of her friends’ restaurant back in Busan when they were short on staff. Plus, she’ll get paid, which means she won’t have to ask for allowance from her Grandmother. She loved the place already, and maybe this was something she could look forward to after spending hell days in school. There was no down-side to all of this.

“I’m here for the job,” she chirped eagerly and smiled back.

“Great!” The handsome man clapped his hands together. “I’ll go get the application form and you can look around, get acquainted with the place. I’m not hiring you just yet, but I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”

After he left, Hana scanned the area more closely and saw photos of musicians and old vinyl records lining the walls. She recognized some of them, but only because her Father had exposed her to older music. She marveled at the collection, and wondered if any of the customers who come here had any idea who these artists were. She felt a tinge of pride that she knew.

“Here you go.”

She turned around and saw the handsome man extending a sheet of paper to her. “I’m Kang Ha Neul, by the way. I own this cafe.”

Hana’s eyes widened. “You own the cafe?” She gave him a once over. He didn’t look a day older than twenty-five, to be honest. If he wore a uniform, he could even pass for a high school student.

He chuckled. “I’m guessing I look too young? Well technically, my Father owns this place, but he practically gave it to me already, so yeah, it’s mine.”

“Cool,” she muttered, sounding every bit not cool that she was gushing. She cleared and took the paper from him. He pointed to an empty table, gesturing her to sit and fill the form there. After making a joke about being a hardass boss despite his baby face, he left her alone to go back to the counter. If all bosses were like Kang Ha Neul, Hana thought there would be no reason to quit any job.

She scanned the page briefly as she walked, when she zeroed in on a specific number.

Plays musical instruments (Yes/No). If yes, specify which ones:

She pressed her lips into a tight line, wondering how this was relevant to being a waitress. But then again, this was clearly a cafe that specialized in music so maybe it would be a plus if they hired people who were musically inclined?

After a few minutes of thinking it over, she decided to circle the ‘no’ option. She didn’t plan on playing music anymore, but music was still an important part of her life. She looked around the cafe once more and smiled to herself when the memories of her guitar-wielding days came back to her. Just because she decided to give up music doesn’t mean it has to completely be absent from her life, right? She sighed and filled the rest of the form before walking over to the counter where Ha Neul was. After a rather quick interview, she was accepted on the spot. She found it a little odd how quick and easy it was to get a job there, but who was she to push this luck away when she’d been unlucky the whole day at YG High?

Feeling a hundred times better than she did the moment she stepped into her new school, she decided to stay and hang out for a bit just to get more ener