Way back in two years (The first eight months in Seoul, South Korea)

               “Baek, I’ll be fine. Seriously. Don’t worry yourself too much. I told you, I just really came early.” I convinced.

               He was really insisting that he was truly feeling guilty for making me wait and his conscience was bugging the heck out of him and that I just have to say the magical words and he’ll get himself here immediately when in real, I’m really not. I mean, I don’t mind waiting. I really came here at the café pretty early than expected. I did this in my own will so there’s no need for him to be so worried sick and guilty. Plus, I’m from San Francisco! You know Americans, they are always early and so do I. And I love the atmosphere here! Coffee shops are always the best place where you can relax. The smell of the aromatic coffee lingering around the air-conditioned room was just surely nice for me. Just giving me the New Yorker feeling you know!

               And if you’re wondering about the magical words, just don’t mind that. He was just trying to say that I can just tell him to pass the phone over her mom, Mrs. Byun, and told her to make him bypass the errand for now because we have to meet this instant. Sounds too ridiculous right? And what? Trying me to make him save? Heck, no can do.

               Bad best friend I am, right? Ha!

               But really, I’m not that kind of person who wants my friend just for myself only. I’m not selfish you know! If his parents needed him, then go. I don’t want to be a hindrance or something. I seriously understand. I don’t want his parents, too, to think of me as some best friend who doesn’t care about his own personal life. Even if we’re best friends and we’re like almost brother-and-sister and his parents even treated me like their real daughter, still, there are some things that must be keep like that… the fact of life.

               “You really sure?” He asked for the umpteenth time.

               I sighed as I closed my eyes. Just for how many times did we say this lines now? “Gosh Baek, for the millionth time, I’m fine. Just finish whatever you’re doing and get yourself here after, okay?”

               “You’re exaggerated, Sandy. Million is too much~” he uttered in a singsong. Trying to play now, are we?

               “Tss! Speaks the one who isn’t making a fuss for the past twenty minutes,” I retorted feeling slightly irritated.

               “Well then, I’ll really hang up now. I will finish this, really fast. Promise! Just stay still, alright? Bye!” He speaks so fast that I can barely understand what he was saying. It was like he was rapping. But good thing I managed to understand. And with that, he finally ended the call.

               At last, he decided to seriously end the call. Just how many times did I heard him said that?  We’re just going on a circle for the past twenty minutes for goodness sake! And it was just senseless. Once is enough. But to him, a hundred times is. Or maybe a million. Oh gosh!

               “You may want to take your order now, Miss Yoon?” Just then I heard a sweet voice that made my mood go all light again.

               “Yunhee,” a smile crept up my face at the sight of her. She just really looks sweet. And actually, she looks like my pretty cousin back in SF. Now just giving me the longing feeling. “Just water would do. And wait, how many times do I have to tell you? Please don’t call me with that name. You don’t have to be so formal around me. It makes me feel so uncomfortable. Just Sandy would do…” I told her.

               To tell you, Yunhee’s a close friend of mine. She’s a worker here at this café. And we just met here as well! You know she’s very friendly. When I first came here, I already intuited something really good in her that made me want to be friends with her. And here, we’re friends now! Awesome, right? Or maybe not? Whatever.

But really, there are some people that just by the first glance, you would already feel something, either positive or negative. But it’s not like you’re being judgmental or something. Even if you really didn’t want to feel that way, you cannot really avoid it anymore when it’s already there… in there.

“Ah, he! He!” she awkwardly chuckled as she rubs the nape of her neck. Getting shy now, are we? “It’s… it’s just really uncomfortable. I mean, I’m not used to it. Every customer has the right to be called formally. Service meant serving people with high respect. I’m sorry…”

“What are you sorry for? Don’t be, please. It’s not like you spill out the hot coffee onto me, right?” I joked trying to calm the shaking girl in front of me. “Just relax. And I don’t mind. I would be gladder if you called me by my real name. I thought we’re friends? Please, for the last, no formalities around me anymore, mmm?” and with a timid smile, she just nodded in response.

Calling me so formally just makes me feel like I’m a lady already. It’s not like I’m not either, okay? But sure you know the difference between the term girl and lady, right?

Okay, so what I’m trying to say is, like I’m already around the age of forty and up. Like heck, I’m still young… young, indeed. You know I cannot afford to see my face having horrible wrinkles and all. Just not yet. Not until I really came to that age. Oh my pretty face~

“So uhm… I’ll go back to work now, S… S—Sandy…” She was so cute. Really. I can see that she was hesitant. But she’ll get used to it too. Sooner or later. Just practice.

Letting out a light chuckle, I then just gave her a light nod signalling just go ahead.

               Fifthteen minutes had passed and finally, a panting Baekhyun barged into the café. He seems like he just came from a running marathon though. His hair was sticking out to different directions and sweat dripping down his forehead. He looks like a total mess if you ask me. A very nasty one. But on the contrary, an attractive mess. I don’t know. Just saying what I’m seeing though.<