Yoona picks up the whiteboard marker as she approaches the notice board to leave a note for her seven dorm mates – who are still in slumber - under the little light dawn provides her to work with.

‘Unnie deul, I need to head home to pick something up. Don’t need to wait for me to breakfast. Thank you ^-^ Yoona <3’

It is her weekly trip– on whatever day she has the least work load - to the outskirts of Seoul where her parents reside and where she grew up. She had moved away from home to the dormitory now where it is more convenient to commute to work. But she visits just to see her parents, even knowing that they will only be asleep. At least her younger sister Ju Hyun (Seohyun) will be awake, probably studying as according to her planned schedule. When it comes to daily planning and organising, Ju Hyun is the best at it. Which is probably the main reason Business Administration is such a suitable major for her university course.

She turns the key slowly, making every movement as quiet as she can. It is a practised routine – which she has mastered through the three years of working at Special moment weddings. As quietly as she can, she puts the bags she had been carrying earlier and the card that belongs next to it, on top of the kitchen bay before heading down the hallway.

And as she expected, she spots the shadows cast the by the lamp light from her sister’s bedroom. Yoona decides to lean on the doorframe, just watching her sister reading through her notes, her highlighter in hand. It would probably take a while for her sister to realise, so Yoona decides to place her little weekly ‘souvenir’ on the desk obscuring her view from her notes.

“Unnie” she gasps pulling the earbuds out of her ear and abandoning the comforts of her own playlist to something that does the job ten times better – her sister’s embrace. Yoona lulls in the moment, caressing her sister’s head in soothing .

“It’s only six something Ju Hyun ah, why don’t you get some extra sleep?”

“time should not be taken for granted. You should know that better than me”

“Yes yes yes, I have a younger sister who is wiser than me.” Yoona feigns defeat and rolls her eyes

“aigoo, that’s not what I meant.” They giggle softly in the silence of the resting household.

“Have you had a peek at Mum and Dad yet?”

“I was just going to… hey you make it sound like it’s something dodgy.”

“Well it kind of is if you consider it…” she her chin, pretending to be in thought. Earning a wack from the older one.

“And you should start considering moving into the dorm with us. It’s way closer to uni, especially when your moving onto third year soon it would be much more convenient.” Seohyun listens attentively as if considering it.

“Besides, you said yourself, time should not be taken for granted…” Yoona continues, using the words of the younger one from earlier. They both look in the direction of their parents’ room and let the silence settle there for a moment. Yoona sighs, before offering to peek on their parents.

As soon as she steps across the threshold to her room, the familiarity drapes over her, creating a subtle urge to make her want to stay. She moves across to her desk, finding her early collection of bridal magazines and clipettes. Her fingers brush over the cover of her art diary which she opens to find some sketches of bridal gowns she drew in the early years – clearly remembering the way the diary was stuck with her after attending yet another wedding in the year when everyone seemed to have decided to get married. But her dream stretched way further back than that, probably when she was flower-girl at her aunt’s wedding.  It takes a strong strength to pull away from it all – which she eventually does, bringing the photograph from that very first wedding that started it all with her.

***

 I remember there was a detail she specifically mentioned, but I can’t find it anywhere on the draft plan, and for name of wedding bells, I can’t remember anything – not a bell is ringing. You always take everything down don’t you? You’re my last hope Yoona yah” Yoona listens to Sooyoung’s desperate plea on the receiving end of the call.

“Give me a second unnie,” Yoona says absentmindedly as she raises a hand to greet the café owner like every-day. She takes the phone away from her ear to respond to the question

“The usual?” Shin Hye asks taking the card Yoona just held out to her

“Yes please, thank you unnie.” As soon as she finishes the sentence and taking her card back, she plunges her hand into her handbag, trying to fish something out. Still failing to locate what she is finding, she decides to take it off her trusty memory to at least calm her panicking partner.

“Lee Soojin… I remember it was about an exception in guest seating placement but the draft didn’t have it when I skimmed through it.”

“Is that it? oh Yoona you life saver… but what was it?”

“I need to check my notebook, give me a second please unnie” she keeps her phone to her ear as she continues fishing, looking into the bag this time. Just as she flips to the other side of the folder and wallet, something emerges into view, blocking her line of vision into her handbag, just as she mumbles

“Did I leave it at home?” she then identifies the familiar object – it’s her notebook, she gasps in a moment of excitement, removing her hand from the handbag and taking it eagerly. Still in confusion, she looks up following the hand to identify the face.

“Oh?” the amount of questions she needs an answer to just multiplied in that instant having only thought that it was perhaps one of her roommates saving her life. The stranger just tilts his chin as if telling her to take it. And she only manages another “oh” as she begins flipping through the pages to find the one she needs. 

“Yoona?”

“Oh unnie…” she hesitates taking one more glance at the guy in the crisp white button up shirt and dress pants again. He places a hadn into his pocket as he begins to browse his phone. She spins around to answer her unnie

“There are two families – the ones that are coming from  California and Australia – have hayfever. So they need to be placed together; we need hayfever medication for them, and the centrepiece can’t be blooms.” She waits a few moments – a chance to sneak a look at the guy who still seems occupied enough on his phone

“Got that Unnie? Is that it?”

“Yes that’s it!”

“Alright thanks Yoona, what would I ever do without you?”

“I hope we’ll never have to know. I’m sticking with you for as long as you’ll let me.” She chuckles, stifling a little yawn as she turns and ends the call. Unfortunately for her, the stranger from yesterday decides to look up at that moment and her hand almost does not make it to cover in time. She approaches him warily. His expectant eyes are on hers, as if waiting for her to initiate the conversation.

“Hello?” the tone of the greeting is tweaked into a question when she finds that she has lost track of all the tangle of questions that had emerged during the phone call had all dissipated. She lifts the hand which is gripping the notebook tightly and waits expectantly as she tilts her head at an angle and furrows her eyebrows together, agape.

“Do you like to leave things behind that much? Is it a hobby?” he seems annoyed at first. Yoona closes , opening it again to find a retaliation but failing.  But his lips turn into a smirk. And Yoona reaches her arm over feigning to hit him. Giggles erupt from her lips before she puts the book down and rolls her eyes at herself.

“I’ve been having bad luck lately. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Anyway…thank you” she shrugs, lifting the book up and then dropping it down next to her side again. He almost shrugs too quirking his head to the side. Yoona thinks she imagines a slight glint in his eyes as if they were smiling – when he tries to manage one awkwardly. Before she is able to comment on how she thinks he has never smiled before, 

“You might want to collect your coffee before you forget it again.”  He amusedly points out. Yoona is a little too dumbfounded to know how to respond in the moment, so after saying ‘really?’ by raising her eyebrow, she follows his suggestion and collects the cup of coffee Geun Suk was just passing over the collection counter. Before she takes her order she reaches to the box of mini cards, she writes a message in the empty card and places it into the jar with the other message cards.

“Thank you oppa” She smiles which she immediately retracts after turning to face him again with the most serious face she can pull. But he is saved by the ringing of her phone once again.

“Yes Hyoyeon unnie? I’m at ‘Your beauty & fool café’.” She moves closer to the glass window of the café to look outside as Changmin heads to the collection counter.

“How long will you be?” She turns just in time to find Changmin moving away from the counter with the cup of coffee – hopefully searching for a sign for what she is looking for. Maybe she is a bit too hopeful, she thinks to herself, but shrugs it off as he makes her way over. She finishes off with her unnie

“I’ll wait for you at the front of the café then thank you unnie, drive safely.”

 She ends the call just after Changmin looks back before walking out the door. All she manages to catch when she turns around, is the tinkling wind-chime on the door.

***

Shin Hye makes her way over to the pick up counter and indicates to Changmin that his order is ready. She peeks at Yoona, then survey the tall being – who sat quietly for a good fifteen minutes after having responded to her offer for ordering with an ‘I’m waiting for someone’. She tries to hide her smile that the happy thoughts that just came into mind are causing. She glances at her boyfriend, Geun Suk with the ‘fool’ name tag on his blouse. He smiles – telling her that he knows exactly what she’s thinking (as always).

***

Yoona and Hyoyeon are down in the boutique of SM Wedding, preparing for the arranged fitting of another bride to be.

“I think these fit with the chosen theme well. Yoona what do you think?” Hyoyeon rolls the clothing rack closer to the dresses she was talking about. But when she hears the lack of reply from Yoona, she turns her head, her long blonde hair swishing in the motion. All she finds is her friend apparently selecting the dresses, but from knowing her since high school can tell that she is mentally somewhere else – an unusual occurrence for the professional.

“Yah Yoona” she places her hand on her friend’s arm lightly. “What’s up?”

“What? What’s up?” Yoona asks, still unable to gather her thoughts.

“You’re acting strange! And look, once in a while you’re pulling weird faces at the gowns. You’ve been frowning and making weird noises ever since I picked you up from the café” She points at the mirror lining the wall adjacent to the display collection. Yoona obliges and they both stare into the mirror, their eyebrows knitting tighter adn tighter together. Hyoyeon then turns Yoona around, putting her hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes as if she were inspecting.

“Are you sick Yoona?” as she squeezes her cheeks

Yoona tries to reply without laughing from the funny distorted view of her unnie the proximity creates. But in the end she is unable to hold it off. She tries hiding from further interrogation by collecting the gowns Hyoyeon previously had her hand on – hoping that the older one would drop the topic further.

“Oh the accessories Sora designed have arrived.” Hyoyeon mentions. Just as she is about to head to the store room, she hears Yoona clicking her tongue and she spins immediately around on the spot and points and an accusing finger at her.

“There! You did it again. If I didn’t know you, I would be thinking I’m doing the wrong thing.” Hyoyeon takes a few steps forward and reaches her hands, holding them on either ear adn giving Yoona a little shake. When she releases her, Yoona pouts and stamps her foot lightly – the sound of her high heel meeting the ground is luckily absorbed by the carpeted floor.

“Oh unnie, I’m ruined. There’s something wrong with me” she bends her knees so that she is hidden behind the dresses on the rack. Hyoyeon pushes the rack aside.

“I agree, there’s definitely something wrong with you”

“How can I be so clumsy?” she asks with a strained voice. “aish so embarrassing”

“Well about that…” Hyoyeon pretends to be considering the question and covers her nose and lips with her hand as she mutters “it’s always been that way”

“What did you say?” Yoona straightens up, gaining height over her unnie.

“It’s true! Except when we’re working… Which is a myth everyone here has yet to wrok out” she says as she begins to run away.

“Hyoyeon Unnie, come back here!”

***

Changmin’s life has always been a rush. He had gotten through schooling quickly, completed his degree and disappeared from his friend circles even quicker whilst developing his now successful career and reputation – well he is moving onto something better. Moving on… that’s what he had always done so smoothly, within less time than the blink of an eye.

He never had time for much. He has so little time, he does not even think about his lack of time because thinking is not welcome. Slowing down was never an option. Not when he has been going at this high speed for most of his life.

 Besides, not many people were able to tell him to -

“Stop!” stop.

His parents are not with him anymore anyway.

“STOP!” he hears footsteps coming up from behind him.  He takes two more steps and turns abruptly to see what it was. He crashes into what he thinks made the call. And he immediately holds up his take away coffee cup so that it will not spill on the person.

“That’s my ow… “ her twinkling eyes look up to find his as she rubs her forehead “Oh it’s you…” she muses at the turned around situation. She holds out what looks like his wallet… only for him to realise that that was his and the reason why he had been chased.

“Is that how you greet people?” he says sarcastically, reaching out for the wallet. Yoona retracts her arm just in time so that he misses.

“is that how you brake on the road as well? If it is, you better stop because it is quite dangerous”

“I take care in everything I do” He replies with a smirk. Yoona holds out the wallet once again almost coaxing him to strike. She folds her other arm and tilts her head to one side, waiting. Changmin does not move, folding his own arm across his chest keeping a firm grip around his coffee cup. Yoona gives him a lopsided smile. Neither of them take the first move. He takes a sip of his delightful coffee – this coffee is pretty impressive afterall he mentally notes, eyes still on hers. She narrows her eyes and feigns a yawn.

“Did you forget your coffee today again?” he muses

“No I was just about to order, that’s how I found your wallet on the ground.” Changmin raises an eyebrow – rewinding back to the moment he put his wallet into his pocket while he was busy on the phone. She peeks at his lowered head, he takes the opportunity to snatch the wallet, but Yoona’s reaction was quick enough to withdraw it back.

“ehhh that’s low”

“I was just thinking.” He says as a matter of fact. But their exchange is interrupted by his ringing phone. Yoona folds her arms across her chest while waiting, surveying the stores neighbouring her favourite café. It appears as if she cares less about the phone call, but she is actually listening to the way his replies are so curt. And she mentally scolds herself for forgetting when her eyes land on his business attire.

“Yes. I’m on my way. I have the proposal ready. Thanks Yeon Hee, I’ll be there soon.” He ends the call and says apologetically to his companion. Yoona strains her ear almost involuntarily at the mention of a female name.

“Sorry, I don’t have time today, can I please just have it back?” he puts his hand out. Yoona’s slightly upturned lips falter from the polite smile. He became the distant being she had first met once again. She had not realised the difference during the moments they were together because she was so immersed in her puddle of emotions – mainly her embarrassment and frustration over herself. It takes a moment, a sigh she hopes he does not notice and a little strength to comply with his request. She covers her momentary loss of composure with a pout of her lips as she looks at his coffee cup in hand, and the other empty one.

She reaches into her bag, pulling out one of her lunchboxes in the paper bag and places his wallet on top. She points at his coffee, and narrows her eyes, suddenly having not enough will power to even open to speak. But she cannot touch on why that is – or perhaps she did not dare to touch on it.

He nods in understanding, managing a tight smile.

“I haven’t even thanked you for the last time.”

She shakes her head and smiles tightly as well, shrugging a little. Before her mind buffers entirely, she is already waving, walking away and turning back to find him getting into his car.

***

Yoona appears at the café around the same time she has been going for the past few days, but always returns to the office with unrewarding visits. She searches discreetly and hopefully at the patrons drinking at the tables inside the café while she waits for her order. When she brings her pen down to write the message on the card like she usually does, the message is bright and cheerful like her usual ones. But inside there is a dredging feeling knowing at the pits of her stomach. Her colleagues and teammates throw her concerned looks at her once in a while, an unsettled sigh, and her distracted comments thrown into well flowing conversations.

Her heartfelt smile has not appeared for a day or two and she hopes that the wedding scheduled tomorrow would be enough to bring it out again – it does, like she hopes but it is not to her full potential. She needs to find herself again, the one whose happiness is fed from others’ happiness.

**********

Hey guys,

updating because I really need to start my work. really ironic right?

thanks for everyone's support ^-^ hehe until next time~