This day is becoming more interesting by the minute. I found myself with a stranger, who has charmed me in so many ways.

1. He looks so pleasing to the eyes. His facial features fit his small face so well.
2. I can tell just by how he treats children that he’s one good guy.
3. He is a free soul. So chill. And easy to be with. Normally, it takes some time for me to warm up to people, most especially to someone I just randomly met, but with him, I feel like I knew him long ago.

“You didn’t tell us you got a girlfriend, Oppa” a girl, about ten years old, said to him.

My nerves shoot up upon hearing this. Mark looked at me, then to the little girl who obviously doesn’t want me around (she keeps on eyeing me from head to foot with her eyebrow raised and her arms crossed on her chest). “She’s not my girlfriend” he told her, and the little girl sighed in relief “She’s new here in the island…her name’s Areum” he looked at me again, smiling. It made me blush.

“Your name agrees with your face” a little boy walked towards me and holds my hand “I have a crush on you now” his boldness made me laugh.

Mark messed the little boy’s hair, “Yah! You’re still so young to have a crush” he told him.

“But…didn’t you tell us that you had your first crush at age five?” a bigger boy asked, earning nods from the other kids.

“Well…” Mark cleared his throat. He looks lost for a moment there. “I did have my first crush when I was five…but…it didn’t really last long” he countered.

The little girl who is clinging on to him like a koala bear, smirked. “You said that, that Noona is your one great love”

And this is where it gets more interesting. Kids nowadays, they really do know how to spill tea.

“Yah!” Mark playfully tugged his arm, making the little girl hold on to it tightly. “You guys are embarrassing me in front of our friend” once again, my heart skipped a beat when he looked at me. This guy seems to have an invisible string wrapped around my heart that every time he looks at me, he secretly tugs the string, making my heart skip.

After playing with the kids for an hour and a half, Mark decided to bring them back to the orphanage already. As bummed out as they were, the kids don’t have a choice but go with it even when they still want to play outside. According to Mark, he’s one of the only two volunteers who were given permission to take the kids outside the orphanage from time to time.

“Those rascals have the energy of a puppy…they need to make use of it and tire out” he said while driving on our way to the coffee shop. “Sometimes I bring them for a field trip to the ocean…it’s their most favorite of all the places I bring them to”

I haven’t heard his whole story. I don’t know how he got into volunteering, but I can see intense passion in his eyes. There’s no doubt he loves what he’s doing, and of course, the kids he’s helping to shape into better people.

“Here we are!” he stopped in front of a stylish looking coffee shop. One thing I noticed is that it doesn’t have a name.

“Welcome!” he opened the door for me and we were greeted by a teenage boy and girl in white shirts and black pants, and striking orange aprons. “These are Sunye and Jihoon…they are the best employees in the whole wide world” he gave them high fives and the teens took it happily.

The staff giggled. “We are the best because there are only employees here” the girl said, making us laugh.

I don’t have to ask Mark if he’s close with the staff of the shop because it’s obvious that he is. Maybe he’s a regular customer here, that’s why he knows them well.

There’s no denying that this coffee shop is one of the hottest hangout places in this area, for most of the tables are already taken, we even need to wait for one to be empty.

“It’s really cozy in here” I said after settling in my seat. I’m sitting on the fanciest chair I’ve ever seen in a long time. It’s like a throne but with a cool twist.

He took the seat in front of me, and that’s when I got the best look at his face. The good lighting is helping me see and appreciate it more. I don’t know what’s going on with me, but I’m smitten by this young man as if I’m with no kids and a man who I’ve committed myself to.

For the first time, I cannot see anything of Jiyong in him. Not even the color of their eyes is the same. His hair, even when Jiyong has wear the same color in the past, looks so different to me. They both are charming but in different ways. This is strange.

“So!” he clasped his hands and stared at me for a few seconds (yes, I was shaken for a bit). “Hungry?” he asked and as if he got me under a spell, I nodded even when my stomach doesn’t have a space for food anymore. “This might be a coffee shop, but we also offer pasta” he said with a chuckle.

“What do you recommend?” I asked. I have the menu in hand but I’m not looking at it. Rather, I’m staring at him while he’s checking the menu for himself.

He looked up at me and smiled, “Tilly’s spaghetti Bolognese is the best” he answered.

“I’ll get that then”

“Very well”

While waiting for our food, my eyes wandered around while Mark is on his phone. I see family pictures hanged on different sides of the shop. There are paintings as well. More than stylish, this place is homey. It’s like an actual stylish house that is open for the public to hangout. So unique.

“Where are you staying, Noona?” Mark asked all of a sudden, snapping me back from my senses.

I fiddled with tissue paper in my hand, “At a three-star hotel near the park where we met” I answered.

He nodded slowly, “Tell me…why are you here in the island?”

If there’s one person I can compare his personality to, it’s Gino’s. They have the same approach. So casual. No awkwardness too.

“I’m…” as much as I want to hide the truth about the reason why I’m here, I decided to just be honest. I won’t drop names, of course.

And that’s when I told him the story of Jiyong banning me to see my children and my decision to runaway from my family for a while. Mark is very expressive. He gasps at something he finds shocking (which is mostly my whole story). He frowns at the sad parts. He smiled sweetly when I told him about Ethan and Emma. And he was obviously angry at Jiyong (that he knows by the name “J”).

“I just want to say…” he suddenly looks shy “You don’t look like you have two kids…I mean…you can still pass as someone in her twenties”

“Tell me you’re kidding” I told him in a flirtatious kind of way. I’m shocked at myself.

He laughed, “No. I’m not kidding”

“Whatever”

Mark shakes his head, “I cannot believe that a seriously gorgeous woman like you doesn’t have confidence at all” then, he stared at me, that kind of stare that can melt even the coldest heart. “You are very beautiful” by the tone of his voice I can tell that he’s sincere about what he said.

Blushing, I bowed my head down, smiling widely. “Aigoo…you like hearing that, huh?” he teased, making me laugh.

My mouth watered when our food was served. The pasta dish looked so tasty and smelled so great. And the pastries! I think Mark ordered every one of them in the rack.

“Oh my gosh!” I am in awe “This spaghetti is one of the most delicious I’ve tasted!” I am indeed full, but I cannot let this superb dish slip through my fingers.

Mark looked at me proudly, “It’s my Mom’s recipe”

In disbelief, “Really?” I asked and he nodded “Oh wow!”

He giggled, “Yes” he replied “Tilly is my Mom…and this isn’t the only pasta dish she has mastered…there’s another one but it’s not on the menu”

“Why is that?” I cannot believe that I’m stuffing my face with food for almost the whole day already.

“Let’s just say that she’s saving it for her future daughter in-law” he said. “According to her, the only person who can get the recipe of that pasta dish is my future wife…given that I’m an only child”

“That’s so cute! It just means that your Mom is very sentimental when it comes to her pasta” I joked, making him laugh hard.

So yeah, this coffee shop is Mark’s. This is only one of his businesses. What’s interesting is that, all its earnings go to the orphanage he’s supporting. And the staff, they’re from the orphanage too. According to Mark, they are siblings (fraternal twins, actually) abandoned by their Father when they were three years old. They were supposed to be adopted, unfortunately, it didn’t push through. And as the orphanage can only take them in until they’re sixteen, he decided to give them jobs and a place to live in. He’s also sending them to school.

“I came from a family of businessmen and businesswomen” he emptied his plate and grabbed a chocolate croissant “My parents are in the textile business…they built an empire from scratch”

“There are only three of us in the family…but we’re in different sides of the world” he smirked “My Dad is in America…he’s the one managing their business…while my Mom goes from one country to another for charity work”

“Now I know where you got your passion for helping orphaned kids” I told him and he gave out a heartwarming smile.

With a nod, “Ever since I was little, I’m already exposed to the harsh reality that there’s rich and poor in this world” Mark’s way of telling a story is very enticing. I just want to hear him all day long. “That the rich can get everything in this world…and that they get richer as time goes by…while the poor…gets poorer” his face falls in disappointment. “I was five when we left for America…I’m totally against us leaving Seoul but because I’m still a kid and there’s no way my parents can be stopped from leaving…I ended up a loner until I was ten…I was homeschooled…so I don’t really have friends…my only companion is my dog, Marky” he said and we both laughed “I named him after me” he explained and I laughed once again. He’s so cute!

“Then one day…while I was walking Marky at the park…I met this kid…he’s the same age as me…we connected on a brotherly level…I always invite him to our house to play or sometimes sleepover and he never missed out a day…it’s like his parents doesn’t care about his whereabouts” he emptied his cup of dark coffee and asked for a refill, then continued “But…I’m really thankful that they always permit him to go to our house…in one way or another…I’m not just with my dog but with an actual person”

“For a couple of years…I’ve been so happy…all because I found a brother who I can rely to and share my thoughts with…” Mark suddenly stopped talking. I noticed his eyes starting to moist. “But then…one day…that friend just didn’t show up…I tried everything just to find him…I even begged my Dad to hire an investigator…but…he wasn’t found”

“A year passed by with me alone again…one day…my Mom went to my room for a chat and there she told me that my friend…has died”

His long pause brought tears to my eyes as he is tearing up. The story that I thought will end up funny, turned out to be tragic.

“We learned from someone who knows him that he is actually an orphan…he lived at the park where we met…lying on benches…out in the cold…the only time he gets to sleep comfortable is whenever he’s sleeping over at our house…and he also get to eat decent food at our house as well…it was said that the day he died…he was escaping from his Uncle who has custody of him but is very violent…he was hit by a car while running away…and the sad thing there is that…they didn’t even give him a good funeral”

“I was down and depressed for some time after that” Mark inhaled long and exhaled heavily “If only I know about his condition, I would’ve helped him”. I can feel his sadness just by his voice. “Until my Mom brought me to an orphanage…it must be the deep connection I had with that one friend that made me connect really well to orphans. I feel so comfortable around them…whenever I’m with the kids…I feel like I have siblings…many of them” he chuckled “A dream of mine that never came true” he looked at me and I smiled at him. “From then on I volunteered in orphanages and give donations…I am sponsoring a good number of institutions and is planning to add up some more”

I knew it. This guy has a good story, so inspiring. I was deeply moved by his sincerity in helping others. I’m speechless, as a matter of fact. He’s too…saintly.

“Tell me more about you, Areum” he looked straight into my eyes, making me blush (yet again).

We are now both on our second cups of coffee and I must say, the coffee here tastes amazing.

“Well…” I straightened up and sighed “Aside from being a Mother and having a seriously complicated relationship with my children’s Father…I am a Doctor…as a matter of fact…I’m in the middle of my residency when I left Seoul”

“I see” he took a sip of coffee and cleared his throat. “This might be too personal…but…may I ask…why aren’t you and your children’s Father not married?”

I know I shouldn’t feel ashamed, but deep inside I feel embarrassed that I’m like a mistress, for I’m unofficially tied up with a married man.

“He’s married” I told him with my head bowed down “He and his wife are separated for years now…but…their marriage isn’t divorced yet…so technically…he’s still married” I pulled out a smile, and he gave out a genuine one.

And that started the story of me and Jiyong. Over cups of coffee, I shared our happiest and saddest stories, that he listened so well to.

“It must’ve been hard to be in your shoes” Mark gave me half of his blueberry muffin, that I ate without question. Couple of hours in and we’re still eating or shall I say, “pigging out”.

I chuckled, “Hard is an understatement” I sighed “I’ve been through hell and back…or maybe that’s just what I think…but…I’ve been through so much and even when I have a solid support system, sometimes I feel like I’m going through it alone, most especially when it comes to my love life”. Our eyes met. We smiled at each other and I felt a spark.

Why does this sudden meeting feel so right and wrong at the same time? Why am I connecting so much with this person, when really, he was just a stranger hours ago? Why do I feel so attached already?

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