Youngbae flicked my forehead three times to get me out of bed. Like how he used to from before we were artists. We all stayed in one dorm from the beginning years of our career until we were let loose, and we all bought our own houses. 

I couldn't remember going to Youngbae's house last night, but I rememberbeing drunk - and then that was the end of it, because a skull pounding pain distracted me from trying to flashback to my memories. 

"緒にいたい"  (I want to be with you.)

I ignored the text message and proceeded with the articles and top searched list, with my squinted eyes because the pain was killing me. No articles about megetting drunk or being high. I was on the top 20 on the searched list, too. But what's new with that? 

"Quick, get up! We need to go to YJS. Someone is coming for us," Youngbae shook my arm. It was then that I realized that I slept in his couch. And there were more soju and beer bottles in the coffee table. We must have drunk more last night, and watched some movies. There was a DVD case on the carpet just below the couch. 

"You didn't even bother letting me sleep on your guest room!" I claimed, trying to get up. But god, the pain was horrible, and I felt my world turn around. I sat on the couch instead. 

"I told you to get up last night, but you were busy kicking my hands off your feet," my friend for only-god(if there is)-knows-since-when replied meekly, while picking the bottles and shot glasses up from the coffee table. "You said, you're good and that I should let you rest, you dummy."

"Whatever," I mumbled while massaging my temple. "I'm not going, my head hurts like hell."

"You tell that Ted yourself, I'm not covering up for you anymore. I already did more than enough. For you, and for your car." 

The driver buzzed at 10:30 AM Youngbae left the house around thirty minutes after, told me to cook my own lunch and to make sure I turn the airconditioning off when I leave. I stayed in the couch for another fifteen minutes, just keeping my eyes open in total silence. When I felt like I could finally stand up without feeling like throwing up, I made my way for the bathroom and took a quick shower in the main bathroom. 

The moment I got out the shower, I heard my phone ring on the tiled counter or sink. I ignored it completely, without checking who it was. It was either the president (YJS) or Reiko anyway. 

I wore the same clothes I had the night before, got my phone and my car keys and went out the apartment building. 

I forgot to turn off the apartment's conditioning. 

"Forgot to turn it off, sorry."

A good friend would go back to turn it off. But before I even wait for his reply, I got inside my car, and drove off. 

I wandered off the highways without much thinking, and took left and right turns on a familiar corner. It was still a quiet and narrow street, just like how it was before. There were few new small restaurants, most of which were stalls packed inside a space; and another coffee place which looked relatively new. I couldn't help but do my lazy one eyebrow raise. The last time I left, one coffee shop was matchless.  No one even dared to put up another coffee building. After two more blocks, there it was. 

The coffee shop with a friendly porch.

The coffee shop with a rooftop studio.

It was almost seven years since I last went to that place. 

Eight years when I first someone in that place.