"Hyung!" Jiyong bumped fists with the barista, who also became the owner of the old coffee shop. "I didn't think I'd still see you here!" There was a strong roar of laughter and excitement. Like a brother coming home for a holiday. 

"So do I!" the barista replied, walking towards an old stereo, clicking on something and suddenly the pop music stopped. "I wouldn't think you would ever come here, GDragon! With your fashionable white shirt, and ripped jeans, and the dark shades," he added, while acting out like a hiphop wanna-be. 

Jiyong took off his shades and placed them on the familiar counters. "Not much has changed, huh. Except I like the old owner," he joked, pointing on the a picture frame on the wall near the bookshelves. It was a photo of the barista and the old owner, the same person who adopted Jiyong and Youngbae to her rooftop space. 

"She moved back to Gwangju," the barista nodded. "Since her daughter studied and got married in the US, she didn't see the point of managing a coffee shop." 

Jiyong took another look at the space. The coffee shop had no backdoor except for the door that lead to the owner's house, so both him and Youngbae were given a spare key for the coffee shop. Most days, they arrived home at 2:00 in the morning and when they entered the coffee shop, that owner would leave some packed pastries on the counter for them to eat. On lucky days, the owner would leave her portable gas stove on one of the tables. She'd leave a note that said meat in the fridge, don't burn my coffee shop.

He and Youngbae swore to each other that they would buy her meat if ever they become famous, but they didn't have much freedom to go to places after their debut. When they were let loose, Youngbae finally came by but she was gone. Jiyong, on the other hand, thought it was no longer necessary. 

"Is anyone living upstairs?" 

"None. When you left, she made sure it would be kept the same in case you visit."

It hurt a bit. But Jiyong dodged it so quickly, avoiding any sort of guilt that would surely bother him for a long time. "So my things are still there?"

The barista shook his head. "Had to give it to a family. They lost their house to a fire, and needed some furniture on the new place they moved in to. And that was two years ago, and I assumed you wouldn't come here either. Sorry."

"That's okay. Those were old things anyway, and it was for a good cause, you know." But it bothered Jiyong, more than it would ever bother the nicer Youngbae. 

"But your wooden bedframe was still there, just in case. I didn't have a heart to give that one away."

Jiyong chuckled. "Now, we're talking." He snapped his finger and pointed it towards the barista, before opening the back door and taking a peek. "You live on her old house?" 

"Yes. She took everything but the couch and the fridge. You can come in if you want, you never got to enter that one anyway. The interior is still the same." 

Jiyong and Youngbae were off-limits from the house, because the owner had a daughter who was also around their age. They didn't really try to come in though. "No, it's okay. But would you mind if I climb up to the rooftop?"

"Go ahead. I'm opening up in a few hours so I'm setting up things here."

The furnitures and appliances were gone. Even the light bulbs. Everything.

Except for The Brown Comfort. 

"I'm Kwon Jiyong."

"Kim Taeyeon."

"What are your plans? With the audition."

"I don't know yet. For today, I just want to celebrate that I passed."

"Aren't you bothered that you might be talking to the next superstar?" 

"Well, you told me you wanted to run away. So I'm guessing maybe you're not that comfortable if people try to act careful around you. And what kind of superstar would offer a yogurt for a drink?" 

"What would you prefer then?"

"Coffee?"

"That's expensive."

"Because supestars are rich."

BRRR - BRRRR- BRRRRR.

Jiyong's phone vibrated from his back pocket. 

It was YJS. 

"we're having a meeting in 20 minutes, you better show up."

He heaved a deep sigh. Jiyong turned his back from The Brown Comfort and dialed someone on his phone. 

"Youngbae, tell him I'll come but I'll be late."

"Where are you anyway?"

"In the coffee shop."

"You mean-?"

"Yes."

"Fine, take all the time you need. But tell hyung about it."

"No, I'm coming. I'll be a bit late, just that."

Jiyong rushed down the stairs and went inside, grabbing his shades from the counter and wearing it. "Hyung. I have to go. Something came up."

"Yes?"

"We might need this place for some days."

"Why?"

Suddenly, Jiyong didn't know what to say. He thought having a documentary was a good idea. He agreed to it. But the idea of explaining that idea to someone else felt awkward. "Nothing, Youngbae will tell you." 

He took a notepad and a pen from the side table and wrote his bestfriend's phone number, the only phone number he had memorized, aside from his mother. He held it out to the barista. "Make sure to call him!" 

"Okay."

Jiyong was already near the glass door but he turned around. "Sorry if I was not able to come by all these years. Maybe we should have some drinks sometime, hyung."

"That would be nice," the barista gave a nod. 

He nodded back and left. 

A rush came to his senses at that moment. The barista-hyungs. He and Youngbae trusted them so much back then. 

The traffic was heavier than usual at 1PM. He reached for his phone on the passenger seat. To the Notepads.

There were proposed chapters for the documentary project. Most of them, he talked about with Youngbae. Most of them, Youngbae's ideas. He typed on it. His very first original idea. 

Chapter N: The people I trust.