"No no no.. Please don't do that. NOOOOOOO!!!! It hurts. Please let me go!!!!!! Someone help. Please! Mama help me!! MAMA PLEASE!!!!! SOMEONE HELP!!!!" Then everything went black. I'm underwater. Drowning. I can't breath. I know this place. It's that lake. That dreaded lake. I struggle, trying to find the bottom but I can't find it. But then somehow I emerged from the lake.

Now I'm at the cemetery. On that unfortunate day. Staring at that one tombstone that captivated me none like the other. The top was covered with a thin layer of snow. The earth that surrounds it is a beautiful combination of dark brown and white. The colours of death. As I was standing there, I felt sharp prickles on my leg. Thinking it was the frost bite biting, I look down and to my horror i find numerous skeletal hands grabbing my leg. Pulling me into the earth. The hands just keep coming with great number. Pulling me with great strength. As I was inching down slowly I struggles, and I tried to scream but my voice just seem to stop midway in my throat. I was underground now and the skeletal have crept onto my face, clawing, suffocating me even more. And then I heard it. The bone chilling scream of a women. 

*******************

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP* I woke up with a start at the sound of the blaring alarm clock.. My uniform is drenched with sweat. My heart thumping fast and loud that I thought it might burst out of my rib cage. I groaned. My head hurt like a in giant elephant just stomped on it. 

I climbed out of my bed, turned off the alarm clock grab my towel and head to the shower. I discarded my sweaty clothing and have my warm shower. All the knots in my body loosen up as soon as the warm water hit my skin. I sigh. It's always the same dream. Maybe with some changes sometime but it always ended with same thing. The scream. The scream that I don't even know where it originated but it somehow quite familiar. My head throb by just thinking about it. 

I finish showering and stagger out of the toilet. I head to the kitchen and raid the cabinet for some aspirin. Thank god I kept a large amount of aspirin in this house. I gulp down two aspirin with a glass of cold water. This bloody headache better be gone fast because I have a in work to attend to. Stupid headache. Stupid dream. Everything is just damn bloody stupid!!! I throw the glass on the floor. Well thats a good way to start your morning isn't it you ray of sunshine.

I walked back to my room. Never bother to to clean the mess i just made. Maybe later. I need to get ready ASAP or my head will be on the chopping block on my boss table. Plus it's morning and there's always what we like to call 'The Morning Rush'. I thought Americans were the only one who went gaga for Starbucks in the morning, well I was wrong then. Even Korean went to Starbucks to get coffee in the cold morning. And their orders is just as complicated. Uggghh. 

I quickly finish dressing and I did not forget to take the cardigan to cover up my recent cutting. I look myself in the mirror and damn my eyes are puffy. Oh well what the heck. Not like anyone will notice and take great concern of me anyway. I put on my fake smile grab my umbrella and head off to work. Another jolly day at work. Hoorayy!!!!

*******************

"Yay FINALLY you've arrive" Ren greets me with a pinch of sarcasm in there. 

"Hello my beautiful cousin. You're really early today aren't you? Thats a good start for your pathetic life." We stared at each other. Then we laugh. I put away my umbrella in the staff closet and started cleaning the tables. In just a few minutes the sign will be changed to 'Open' and a good number of coffee lovers will barge in through the doors with their overly complicated orders that always give me a headache.

"Taemin I need your help with this coffee grinder. It doesn't seem to grind." Minho called out. 

"Coming!!" yelled Taemin back. 

"Quickly get it done will ya. The store is gonna open soon for Gods sake. And the coffee beans haven't even finish grinding. Please move at much glacial pace because you guys know how much it excite me." Sooman, my boss said. Damn sometime he really can be a pain in the but man hes a real sweetheart when hes mood is right.

"Aron! Aron Kwak!!" I look at Sooman's direction. Suddenly aware that I'm daydreaming. About what I'm not so sure. 

"Yes? Yes boss?" I look at him intently. Waiting for a blow. 

"I think that table that you're wiping for the past 3 minutes is very clean now thanks to you. Now care to clean the others?" Typical Sooman. Always with the sarcasm.

"Yes sir. I get on with it." Smiling at him. Hope he buys it as an apology.

"By the way, why are you wearing that cardigan? May I remind you that it is Summer?" He raised a brow.

"I know Mr. Sooman, its just that the weather feels rather chilly this morning so I ought to wear one, rather than catching a cold. If you don't mind, do you?" He looked at me strangely.

"I don't mind. As long as you wear your uniform underneath that thing it should be fine. Now please continue your work then." He looks at me one my time and then left to the store at the back. Probably checking on our stock supplies.

"You ok? You look a little under the weather today. Your eyes are all puffy." Asked none other than my nosy cousin. 

"Look my most beloved beautiful I-am-confused-with-your-gender cousin. How about you shut your mouth and bother other people with nosiness. As you can see  I have work to do. Thank you." I smiled. 

"You're a douche" he blows air out of his nose, stomped his foot and go to help Minho with some stuff behind the counter. Such petulant 19 years old Ren is. But nevertheless he is the only one I think that can brings out the genuine jolly side of me. Sometimes I wonder how can I be related to that guy. I giggled.

After I was finish with the table, I go behind the counter and started setting up. It's hard being a barista at Starbucks. The wage is just enough to put you through to month. If you're lucky and handsome enough, the tips that sometime customers gave you is enough for a bottle of cheap wine. Taemin sometimes scold me and said I am too handsome to be a barista and he rather like to see me becoming a model. I just shrugged it off and laugh. Me. A model?! That is just absurd.

*******************

"Here is your change ma'am. Thank you and have a nice day. As I was handing back the change to the lady, a particular guy that just walk in caught my attention. Something about him stood up from anyone in this dull coffee shop. Maybe it's his blonde mohawk or his extremely masculine figure or maybe its his beguiling smile. As he bend his arm to look at his phone, his biceps flexed. I gawked at that sight. 

He queued at my counter. Only two customer separating me from him. I smile. A genuine smile. I think it might be love at first sight. But then the smile drop. As fast it came. I curse myself for being so easily fell in love with a total stranger. One heartbroken is not enough for you isn't Aron Kwang. Idiot.

"Excuse me sir. Hellooooooo. Sir!!" 

"Oh yeah sorry about that. What was your order again?" The lady's hand waving in front of my face bring me back to this ty reality. But at least it was worthed. That guy look at me for a mere second and went back to his phone. But that brief moment of eye contact is enough to make butterflies appear in my stomach.

"I said may I have a Cappuccino with frothed milk and some powdered cocoa on top. And less sugar please. I am trying to lose my weight for my wedding you see." The lady customer giggle. Do I look like I gave a about your personal life women? ing no. I rolled my eyes and turn my back on her to start working out her order. My mind wandered elsewhere all the time I was preparing the order. As I was about to add the frothed milk I must have pressed something wrong on the machine because instead of going into the cup, it sprayed onto my face and and cardigan. . Great. ing great. Juuuuuust great. Thank you world for your kindness you've shown to me today. Thank you so much.

I ask Taemin to take over for a while while I go and clean myself up in the toilet. I wipe my face and my cardigan with tissue in hurry. I don't want Mr Sooman to notice I'm missing or I'll be dead. As I make sure I'm less of a mess than earlier, I headed back out there. To my liking, it's that mysterious and charming guy's turn. I quickly took over from Ren.

"Hello. How may I help you?" I smiled at him. Quite nervous. My heart pumped blood all over my body at much quicker pace. 

"I'll have one Americano please." God. That smile. With his perfect teeth. I can't help but to smile back. And his voice. So velvety. 

As I handing him his Americano he said "Usually I would order an Espresso but seeing your unfortunate event with the milk earlier I thought its better not to humiliate you for a second time, Aron-ssi" he chuckled. God. Even his laugh sounds like it came from heaven. I laugh too. It feels good to actually laughing. Then it comes to my attention. 

"How do you know my name? Have we met before?!" The thought of meeting him somewhere before makes me blush. Damnit. I hope he doesn't notice I'm blushing.

"Not that I'm sure of. I would certainly remember a face as handsome as yours. As for your name, its on you name tag." He smile a sweet smile at me. I blush. Because I forgotten about my tag but mainly because he said I was handsome. For God's sake Aron. Pull yourself ing together. You can't afford another heartbreak. You remember what had happened to you last time.

"Well then, wouldn't it be fair if I know your name since you've knew mine?" 

"Baekho. The name is Baekho. Oh and one more thing." He take out his handkerchief from his right pocket and reached out to me. I jerked back a little.

"Don't worry. It's not that I'm gonna do anything wrong" he said as he wipe some froth at my chin that I didn't notice earlier. I was stunned. Unable to say anything. My face feels warm especially where he just touched. I'm so sure that my face is as red as a tomato now. 

"T-tha-thank you. I-I never kn-knew it was t-the-there." Damn you Aron for stuttering. Now he's gonna think that you are a complete fool.

"Your welcome. So how much was it? I'm happy to stay and chat but I need to go to work." 

"It's fine. It's on the house."

"Really? Thanks! If thats all I better be going now or I'll -" He do a line across his neck with his finger. Then he laughed.

"Bye. I hope I can see you again." I yelled at him before his goes out the door.

"Oh certainly. You'll be seeing a lot more of me starting today." He smirked while winking at me before he goes out the door. He wave at me from the window before disappearing behind the wall. I wave back a bit too enthusiastic to my liking. 

"What were you thinking? Giving free coffee like that? Luckily the Beast is not here. But I gotta say he got quite the look. Lucky you." Said Taemin. Minho then hit him in the arm. They continue to fight like some 5 year old. I laugh at their behavior. Sometimes I think theres something going on between those two. Something more than just being best friends. Lucky them. 

"Well someone is smiling a lot today. Where did the sarcastic, cold and distance Aron I always knew hmm??" Asked Ren.

"Oh he is alive don't you worry kid. Now excuse me  I better take a look at myself in the mirror again."

"You better not be so shock when you look in the mirror tho. That ugly face does belong to you." He yelled at me then laugh.

I went to the bathroom and look myself in mirror. More intently now. The puffiness is gone now but I notice something. I was smiling. Ren was right. I do smile a lot today. I have never felt this way before in years. Not after that incident. My left hand touch the place where Baekho wipe just now while the other hand is rested on top of my heart. Trying to calm it down but to no avail.

*******************
The rest of the day is pretty boring and dull but surprisingly it went quite fast. Just like the wind in autumn. After my shift has ended which is around 8.00 p.m. I walked home with Minho before we parted at an intersection. Today has been the greatest day I've had in years. I felt more alive somehow. Not since the incident. I shake my head vigorously to shake that idea out of my mind.Don't let that rotten idea get you Aron. Don't let it spoil your mood. 

I arrive home and started to clean up the mess I've made last night and this morning. After that I strip off my uniform and went to take a long, nice warm bath.

Because of too exhausted  and happy, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. 

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Second chapter is up... Happy reading. Hope you subcribe, comment and upvote!! And I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes.. Annyeonghaseyo!!