One hand in the air for the big city -- Street lights, big dreams, all looking pretty -- No place in the world that can compare -- Put your lighters in the air. BATTERY: █ █ █ █ █
"You have a family driver at home?" His eyes widened in both amusement and surprise. "Why are you even here in Korea?" The question was partly a joke. He was sure Stephanie had her reasons, and even if he had the same luxury, he’d choose to live in Korea still. He, too, would have had an easier life if he had chosen to go to study in the States. He was accepted in a reputable public university, and he would have saved his parents a lot of money and trouble if he stayed. "Yeah, I heard about that, too. I wanted to try, but her… my folks thought I’d get into trouble. They heard buskers sometimes got arrested in the subway. I don’t know if I try now, though." He gave Stephanie a casual shrug, trying to move past his slip-up as quickly as possible. "The level of talent must be really high, though. I need to practice here in Seoul first." He subconsciously threw a glance at the guitar bag he laid in the corner.
For a moment, Sangwoo worried that he had overstepped his boundaries. Stephanie was one of the few friends he could talk comfortably with in Korea, but he was very guarded on what he wanted to talk about. He assumed that Stephanie had some things she would rather keep quiet about as well. His worries, however, were watered down when she continued to talk. “Well, I guess what’s important is that you and your mom are happy now. It’s a little eerie how we can be so similar to our parents, isn’t it?” He shook his head and continued to speak without waiting for an answer. “It seemed like a fun little setup you had, though. Your mom and her best friend and you and your best friend. But wow, really?” He pursed his lips slightly. “And he didn’t mind?”
He then laughed. “You make a good point. I used to have some remote YouTube popularity, and a video of me doing that song would be a great way to make a comeback.” He was beginning to be convinced again, especially when Stephanie said she’ll only shave his legs. “All right, then, let’s do it,” he said in a definitive tone, standing up after she did. “As long as it’s just shaving. Please promise me that!”
"Yeah. Graham. Me and Hyunsu called him Mr. G though," she said, laughing at the memory. "That guy was hilarious. I think he still drives my stepdad around, so if -- I mean, when -- we go back to New York together, I'll introduce him to you too. He does this really cool drive around Manhattan that me and Hyunsu used to get him to do a lot at night when we were sad or bored or whatever. It's hella tourist-y, but it's awesome, dude. Like, to sit in a car for a couple hours and just look at everything..." She let out a reminiscent sigh and shook her head. "The best." She let out a chuckle and shrugged. "Actually I've thought about that before. "Why am I here? Why'd I leave New York?" I mean, I love it there. I was born there, I was raised there, they have some bomb-ass pizza there." She paused and pursed her lips for a moment. "But I think that, if I'd have stayed there, I'd be a completely different person. I wouldn't be living a 'normal' life like I am now, even with Hyunsu there. I'd have to take over the bank, go to boring meetings, shake the hands of CEOs all the time, and wear pantsuits and designer dresses all the time. I don't think I'd be able to do that. Not at this age, anyway. Maybe in the future. Who knows." At his comment, she nodded slowly in agreement. "Yeah, true. A lot of stuff can happen in New York subways. Probably best to do your Mariah Carey-ing here, dude." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully with a grin. She had noticed the slight slip, but thought nothing of it and brushed it away. Was it something she was supposed to ask him about?
Stephanie shrugged a little, a small smile on her lips. "I'd like to think she's happy, yeah. Knowing her, she's either stressing everyone out or cracking them up. Either way, she's probably having a ball up there." She nodded her head upwards just a fraction. "Nah, he didn't mind, and I don't think he minds now either. I know here, there's that whole 'respect your elders thing', and with two years between us, I'd probably have to be calling him 'oppa', which..." She scrunched up her face. "Eww. No thanks. But I've never really been his 'little sister' either, so... I guess that's that. I'm either as mature as people his age, or he's as immature as people my age."
Stephanie nodded eagerly. "Yeah, dude. Let's do it! Here, or would you rather we do it in the bathroom? My apartment's due for a good cleaning anyway so I don't care." She made a mental note to look up his YouTube channel the minute he left.
"Yeah, im good." he says, checking his phone before dropping it into the pocket of the apron. A small smile formed on his face at the picture the sitter had sent of his daughter, staying on his face as he followed Stephanie back into the main floor.
His gaze stayed on her, nodding as she spoke. “Of course.” he says, offering another smile. “Seems easy enough. clean tables, bring the cups here. kepe them clean and help pass out coffee, should be easy?” He picked up the tray, offering her a reassuring smile before taking the clothe and heading out. He mumbled ‘welcome’ to the newer customers, weaving between them to begin cleaning up tables. It was fairly easy, collecting the cups and plates in the tray before wiping down the table, moving to tables as customers got up and left. It was certainly fairly busy, and found himself making his way to the sink with the tray fairly quickly during the morning rush.
"Awesome. Thanks so much." As Hyunjae left the counter, Stephanie was quick to address the line of customers steadily forming in front of her. "Good morning! Welcome to Cafe Comma. What can I get you today?" Greeting them with a friendly smile, it wouldn't have been obvious just how frazzled her head was at that moment; between memorising orders and keeping an eye on the new trainee, she was quick to start feeling like her head was all over the place. Still, with trained hands, she made coffee after coffee, thankful that Hyunjae seemed to be able to keep up with the continuous influx of orders. "These ones are for the men in suits at the back... this coffee and the cake's for the lady with the baby..." she instructed. "A black with two sugars for receipt number 36!" she called out.
As it neared the early afternoon, the morning rush began to subside, and Stephanie was finally able to take a moment to breathe. Weekday mornings were always the toughest to get through, and when her manager her told her about a new trainee, she had been worried she wouldn't be able to survive. Fortunately for her, Hyunjae was a quick learner.
"Hey," she said, wiping down the bench and smiling as Hyunjae returned behind the counter. "You're pretty good! Great job out there."
She immediately went elsewhere, anywhere far from the other. Yiyoung would rather have Stephanie not recognise her especially after she slipped down the stairs that one time. Embarrassing really, more so when her papers sort of splayed everywhere. Yiyoung bit her fist and let out a soft agitated whine once she was sure that the older wouldn’t go near to where she was. Of all places, it just had to be a convenience store. The chances were slim but it still happened.
It took her a few minutes that felt like hours until she heard the beeping of the scanner and the footsteps leaving the place. The student counts to ten before making her way to the cash register and paying for her items. At least, she didn’t look as crazed (or weird) like earlier. Unfortunately the person behind the cash register sensed the awkward air that arose earlier.. or so she thought, maybe it’s just her overthinking.
Yiyoung bid goodbye to the man awkwardly shuffling towards the exit of the store, her hand feeling around her bag for her phone. She didn’t even realize that Stephanie was still in the room once she managed to get her phone.
Stephanie split her wooden chopsticks, her phone pressed up to her ear with her shoulder. "Uh huh... mmm... convenience store..." She nodded along and made affirming noises as Hyunsu chatted away; he paused when he heard the sound of slurping.
"If you're eating instant ramen, I'm gonna be so pissed." She let out an airy chuckle.
"You betcha."
"Damn you. It's too early in the morning for this."
Resting her chopsticks on the lip of the cup, Stephanie leaned back against the back of the chair, reaching into one of her grocery bags to pull out a bottle of water. As she raised the mouth of the bottle to her lips, her eyes wandered to the front door of the convenience store, where she noticed that stranger again -- that stranger who seemed way too familiar. Wait. No. Isn't that... ugh... what's her name? She was no longer paying attention to Hyunsu's recount of his most recent episode of workplace drama, but was now dedicating most of her brain power to figuring out who this person was. What was it... Mi-something? Miyoung? That doesn't sound right... Yi? Yi... Yiyoung? Yiyoung!
"Hey. Are you even listening to me?"
"Huh? Oh sorry. Gimme a sec, dude." Getting up, Stephanie lowered the phone from her ear, ignoring Hyunsu's protests. "Yiyoung-ah!"
"Hey, dude. I can't talk right now. I can't find this damn thing." In slight distress, Stephanie lifted and dropped every pillow and blanket in her apartment, despite the Skype call happening.
"Wow. I can't believe you're blowin' me off just like that." She could hear the sound of crunching, and when she looked up, she paused for a moment to watch as Hyunsu stuffed Pringles into his mouth.
"Wow. You are the actual worst. I've been dying for some Pringles."
"They don't have Pringles in Korea?!" She scrunched her face up in disgust, noticing crumbs fall from his lips.
"Yes, they have Pringles in Korea. I just don't have the time to go out and actually buy some."
"Oh." He laughed and shoved some more into his mouth, laughing, while she resumed her hunt. "What're you looking for anyway?"
"My textbook. I got an exam in a couple weeks and I will actually be hella screwed if I don't find it soon." With a disappointed sigh, she dropped herself onto her bed, scratching her head.
"I thought you didn't care about college."
"I don't, but I gotta look good for the fans, right?"
"Pffft. "Fans". Who in the world is a fan of Miss Stephanie Lee?"
"Um... you?"
"Oh yeah. Damn it."
A worry-filled hour later, Stephanie still could not find her textbook, and was beginning to lose hope. Of course, it had occurred to her that it probably wasn't in her apartment or bag anymore -- she had turned her laptop's webcam all around for Hyunsu to check himself -- and the thought of retracing her steps was definitely her only option at that point, but she had stopped at so many places, things were looking bleak. She was sure she had the book yesterday -- where had she gone yesterday? "Let's see," she mumbled, pacing the length of her kitchen. "I was here, then I left for class, and we used the textbook in class, so I still had it there. Then... I went to the library? Did I leave it there? Nah, because it was still in my bag when I went to have lunch with the other guys. Then I had class, finished and then..." Frustrated, she scratched her head. "Where'd I go after that? Coffee... right! Coffee! At that other place. Ugh, what was it called again?"
Quickly, Stephanie rummaged in her bag to pull out her wallet; she remembered saving the receipt from yesterday afternoon. "P... Pristine? That cafe? Sounds 'bout right." With her laptop still on and running, her fingers typed away. "It's open at this time, right? Wait. What am I saying? Cafes are always open in the morning."
A little too frantically, Stephanie grabbed her bag, phone and keys, sliding on her shoes and darting out of her apartment. "God, I hope it's still there."
“I’m just saying, Steph. Something about this year feels different.”
“Different how? And how can you even tell? It’s only February.” Stephanie rolled over onto her back; her apartment floor was probably the warmest spot in the whole place.
“I dunno. I just have a gut feeling that this year will not be like the others.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“I’ll let you know in December.” She chuckled. She had no idea what he was talking about anymore.
“Alright, dude. Whatever you say.”
Scratching her stomach, Stephanie got up, phone still pressed up to her ear.
“Anyway. Check the calendar lately?”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “Don’t remind me. Today was the one day I actually wished I had work.”
“What, no date?”
“Nope.”
“I’m not surprised,” Hyunsu teased; she scoffed.
“Oh yeah? And what about you, huh? You got a date?”
“Talking to her right now actually.” She laughed along with him, but she couldn’t help but notice the tightness in her chest. It wasn't strange for him to talk that way, but she always wondered how serious he was being every time he did.
“You couldn’t impress any girls close by, so you had to settle for the one chick you knew on the other side of the world?”
“Foreign chicks have always been a favourite of mine.”
“Eww. Perv.”
"What're we complaining about anyway? We hate Valentine's Day, remember?"
"True. It's just a Hallmark holiday, right?"
"Right."
"Besides. The day's almost over here."
Stephanie chewed on her bottom lip. For years, she and Hyunsu had made it their mission to reject the very idea of Valentine's Day. For years, the fourteenth had been a day of turning down dates, saying no to fancy cards and bouquets of flowers (not chocolates -- they always kept the chocolates, of course!). It hadn't been her idea; Hyunsu had been the one to open her eyes to the unnecessary hype of Valentine's Day. But she had no problem with it, because she could see his point: romance should not be limited to one day every year. Still, deep down, Stephanie hoped that one year -- just one year -- he might change his mind.
"But I wouldn't really mind it. Celebrating Valentine's Day, I mean," she blurted out. Immediately her eyes widened; she realised that what was supposed to stay a thought, was suddenly spoken out loud.
"Really?"
"Well... yeah. I guess." Her whole body was in panic mode. Stephanie sat down on the edge of her bed, scratching her head. "I mean, like, just to experience it all. All the... romance... and stuff..." There was very little confidence in her voice, and she was sure Hyunsu could hear it.
And then unexpectedly the sound of his laughter rang in her ear, and her stomach fluttered with anxiety.
"Oh God. We're even more alike than I thought we were," he said. "Me too."
"Huh? "Me too" what?"
"As in, "me too" I'd like to romance someone. Just to see what it feels like. I mean, you know I'm not the most mushy guy out there, but I'd like to think I can still get a few butterflies stirring. It's a shame you're not here, Steph. I could've taken you out on a date."
"Uh huh."
A sudden knocking at her apartment door had Stephanie flinching. Phone still pressed up to her ear, she stood up and opened the door.
"Hello. I'm from Bumblebee's. This is an order for a... uh... Miss Stephanie Lee?" A young delivery boy, no older than nineteen at most, held a bouquet of sunflowers, head tilted to the side just a little as he observed her stunned expression.
"Sunflowers, right?" She took the flowers from the delivery boy without much control of her arms, bowing politely as he walked away with a smile. Stephanie slowly shut the door with her heel, lips starting to tremble ever-so-slightly.
"You..."
"An ocean or two isn't gonna stop me, you know." She leaned back against the door, cradling the flowers in the crook of her arm as she pressed her hand up to her lips, eyes shut tightly. "I was gonna do a shit-ton more, but there were so many places that didn't do delivery. Korea needs to get their shit together and step up their game, I swear." Stephanie sniffed and cleared her throat, willing away the tears that threatened to spill from the corners of her eyes. "Hey. You okay?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. Thanks for this."
"Anything for my fave. Happy Valentine's Day, Bonnie."
He nodded his head in agreement. “It would be nice, especially if I’m not paying for it.” He chuckled then flashed her an expression that was a cross between a grin and a wince. He wasn’t entirely sure how serious Stephanie was, but either way, he found it a little embarrassing to be even thinking of freeloading off of a friend and a girl. “At least try waiting for me to save up for it? I actually really want to. I would have gone home for this Christmas if I could.” His face fell briefly, but he pulled his mouth back into a lopsided grin. He didn’t want to talk about himself or his homesickness very much. “I miss the food, really. As cheesy as that may sound. And I seriously want to try busking there.”
He also found it interesting that their friendship started in such a way. He was also amazed at how far both their mothers went for each other, though there was a quick pang of sadness at realizing that he could have had that, too, but he forced the feeling out and focused on listening and trying to understand what Stephanie was saying more deeply.. At the same time, he was surprised that they weren’t the same age, given the way Stephanie had described their relationship so far. “Was it tough when your dad left? Maybe that’s why it feels like that’s where it started, because he was the one who was there during that time?” With his eyebrows raised slightly, he expressed his mild astonishment. “I wouldn’t have guessed he’s two years older than you. So he’s a bit like an older brother, isn’t he? Or has having been together for so long erased the age difference altogether? And I guess you don’t have to be patient for that long then.” He gave her an encouraging grin.
He tilted his head playfully in the direction she nudged the side of his head as a way of reacting exaggeratedly. “I am confused. Isn’t there a way that doesn’t involve pain?” One of his hand went to his shins, caused by his subconscious feeling of protectiveness over it. “And no, thank you, I’m happy with the way they are. So, please find me a dress with sleeves. There’s no way I’m going without sleeves in this weather anyway.” Frowning, he threw a glance outside the window. “God, I hope no one takes videos or pictures, though. I’d hate for this to get to people at home,” he said with a nervous laugh.
"That's true," Stephanie said, nodding slowly in agreement. "Now that I think about it though, I don't know why I didn't go back this year. Like... I could've, but..." She shrugged. "Maybe I don't miss the pizza and street dogs as much as I think I do. Which is very surprising." She turned to him and laughed. "Anyway. Sure thing, Ro. The Mariah Carey thing'll probably get you enough money to go to New York and back fifty times over anyway. Plus, it's pretty convenient, don't you think? You and me coming from the same state. All that money we save, dude. You got family you could stay with; there's my place, and Hyunsu's place. We got the family cars I can drive you around in, or the family driver if I get too lazy. God I miss that guy. There was no better guy to drive me and Hyunsu to school every morning, with all those jokes and stories he had under his belt. I'm tellin' you." She shook her head and chuckled at the memories. "Busking in New York? Hell yeah! That sounds fun. I hear busking in the subway stations is a thing now, though with the amount of people passing through, I'm not sure I can imagine that."
Stephanie pursed her lips. "Not sure really. I don't remember much about it, or I've tried not to remember much about it. I think..." She paused to gather her words. "Me and my mom were the same, in that we didn't like people seeing us not in control with ourselves. I'm still the same now actually. So I think at the time, even though Hyunsu and his mom tried to get us to open up, and express our feelings and all that mushy shit, we just... didn't." She let out a sigh and laughed. "Guess that's why I'm so bitter about the whole thing, even now. But we were better off without him. Me and mom were super happy, and with Hyunsu and his mom too." She nodded slowly, the corners of her lips gradually lifting. "Nah. I don't think there's ever been a time where I've looked at him like an older brother. Probably because I've always been able to keep up with him. And this whole time, we've never really paid attention to the age gap. I think a lot of the time we forget there even is a gap to begin with."
"Damn. I was gonna make you YouTube famous and everything too. But now you're saying you don't wanna be filmed." Stephanie threw her head back and laughed, nodding. "Alright, alright. A dress with sleeves. I'll look around for something. If you don't want the pain, I guess you can just shave your legs. But really, waxing would be better, Ro." Suddenly, she sat up on her knees, a grin slowly forming. "We could do it here. Right now. Just a trial run."
Another laugh threatened to leave him, causing him to clear his throat to cover it. “hmm. ill be sure to break up any make out sessions i see.” He says with a faint grin following after her. Unlike her, he had to watch his feet as he went down the steps, making sure he didn’t trip and fall down them. He didn’t need to be laid up with a broken leg first day of the job- not with school, a child and money to make.
Hyunjae listened carefully, taking note of where each thing was and nodding to show he understood. It wasn’t a hard concept- everything was easy to see. The hardest thing would probably be the expresso machine but he didn’t imagine he’d be using it much since he was just a server and not so much a barista. But it’d still be good to learn and expand his skill set. Following her into the staff room, he bows his head to the boss before wandering after her to the lockers. “Alright..” Placing the apron on top of the lockers, he peeled off the several layers he wore to protect him from the cold and placed them inside of the locker before taking the key and closing it up. The apron was put on and tied in the back before the key dropped into his pants pocket.
Stephanie gave him a moment to put away his belongings, checking her phone. At the sound of his locker door closing, she tucked it back into her apron, lifting her head with a smile. "All good?" She gave him a once over, giving a nod of approval. "Let's head back out to the main floor."
As the morning rolled through, more and more customers began to enter and exit the cafe, and Stephanie could sense the morning rush coming in. Tapping her fingers against the front counter, she took a deep breath, before turning on her heels to face Hyunjae with a smile. "Since it's your first day and all, I think it'd be best for you to start with just clearing the tables and wiping them down. Collecting empty cups and plates... that sort of thing. The morning rush is about to sweep through in a bit, so..." She looked around, biting her bottom lip. "It'd be crazy for me to teach you how to handle the espresso machine right now." She watched as a group of men walked in, each clutching briefcases and donning suit jackets and ties of various colours and patterns. "That's alright with you... right?" She pulled out a clean cloth from the cupboards, dampening it just a little. "You don't have to worry about washing them up just yet. You just need to grab the tray over there..." She motioned towards the sink. "...collect the used cups and plates from the tables, put 'em in the tray, and then bring the tray back here. If it gets busy, which... it could, since it's around that time of the day, I might need you to hand out the coffees too. That's not too much for you, is it? I'll be sure to point out which order goes to which table, don't worry."
he was sick, but honestly, it didn’t matter all that too much to him. he felt rather like he was dying, lying there quietly as he stared up blankly at the ceiling, a congested cough leaving his lungs as he groaned softly, pulling the blankets over his face. the light hurt his eyes, and his headache pounded away rather steadily behind his temples. honestly, he rather hoped that he could die; it seemed like considerably less work and sounded much more appealing than suffering through what his life was at the moment.
the sound of a knock at the door broke his contemplation of whether or not death would require less effort than suffering through his congestion (but then again, the act of offing himself would require a great deal of effort as well). “i’m dead, hooray.” his voice was completely clogged up and rather scratchy as he lumbered from the couch, where he had set up residence, to the door, to unlock the stupidly clumsy thing for his friend.
“i’m talking from beyond the grave.” he grumbled at the sight of the girl standing there, huffing rather ineffectually, as he was still ridiculously clogged up. his voice was nasally, barely even audible now that he’d given up on actually making an effort to talk loudly, trundling back towards the couch and flopping onto the plush surface, trusting stephanie to close and lock the door behind her.
“why’re you here?” he muttered, his eyes closing as he drew the blanket over his face, his already muffled voice even more unintelligible with the thick fabric covering him.
The door opened with a soft creak. At the sight of her friend, Stephanie scrunched up her face. "Good God. You look like shit." She stepped into his apartment, kicking the door shut with her heel before toeing her shoes off. She could barely understand a word he was saying, but just managed to catch the end of his question. "I'm here to resurrect you." She raised the bag of groceries in her hand, giving it a little shake.
Stephanie dropped herself onto the couch, taking a seat beside him. "Well," she said, clearing her throat and emptying the contents of the bag. "What would you like first: tea, tissues, juice or painkillers? Oh. I've got hot and cold packs too, but... if you think I'm gonna be the one putting them on your chest and back, think again, buddy."
She reached over to pull the blanket from his eyes just a fraction, an inquisitive eyebrow raised a little. "Unless you don't need me and would rather suffer on your lonesome?"
At one second, Jonghoon couldn’t believe that a ‘hey now’ he just heard sounds familiar. But as the girl pulled her cap off, the thought became real – It’s her!
“Oh. Dear. God.”
Hoon couldn’t help but to let the happy smile growing on his face. Seeing the grinning of this long-haired girl that he thought he wouldn’t see for next couple months here now in Coffee Prince now was like beyond his imagination. “Steph!”
He laughed hard when she commented about him being way too formal. “Well, who knows that today I’ll be visited by Nicki Minaj?” He said, between his wide laughter and an ‘I’ll have a business with you later’ glance that addressed to his coworker behind the counter.
“Never been this awesome, see?” Hoon chuckled as he open his arms to welcome her. Though he doesn’t know why she returns even faster than she said she will. The girl whose height only 4 inches shorter than Hoon’s—yes, she’s very tall— wrapped him tightly and he replied her hug. It’s as warm and friendly as he always remembers, and he knows he misses that hug a lot. “I look more gorgeous since the last time you see me, don’t you think?” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully which brought her to laugh.
“Wait–is that an ultimatum?” He chuckled. “Because what I will answer depends on your explanation about why you didn’t call me that you’re returning today and instead, coming here with your suitcase along.” He moved his one hand to the top of her head and messed her hair up a bit—a habit that tells he misses someone a lot. “I could’ve picked you up at the airport.”
Hoon hinted her to sit down after he heard a bell ringing from the counter. He walked back to the counter, carried a tray of cream puff and caramel macchiato to Steph’s table and served it like he always does. “Please enjoy your coffee, Ma’am.” He bowed a bit, just to show Steph that he’s been doing well as a coffee servant, far better than the first time she came to pay him a visit on his first day like about three years ago.
“So what the Big Apple got for me?” He sat down on a chair across her, an excited big smile formed below his sharp nose. “An NY friend who’ll come over to see Jasmine, maybe?”
With a laugh, Stephanie tiled her head, one eyebrow raised out of curiosity. "Wh-- Nicki Minaj? Who said I was Nicki Minaj? I mean, she's awesome, yeah, but..." She looked down, eyes glancing over her outfit. "I'm nowhere near Nicki Minaj, Hoon." She released him from her hug, chuckling and nodding in agreement. "Oh yeah. Even more awesome than the last time I saw you."
Stephanie sat back down, and watched as Jonghoon walked to the cafe's front counter, returning with a tray. She held back laughter as she watched him place the plate and cup of coffee down onto the table in front of her. The formality of his actions was nothing short of amusing, however, and she couldn't help but let out a giggle or two. "Wow, Hoon," she said. "You've been doing good since your first day all those years ago." She smiled as he took the seat in front of her, opening a couple of sugar packets and pouring the contents into her coffee.
"Ooh! How is Jasmine, by the way?" Stephanie asked, stirring her coffee. "I haven't seen her in forever. And to answer your question before, I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you, and everyone else I'm gonna have to go visit now that I've come home early," she laughed. "I wasn't really planning to come back this soon though. But while I was back in New York... I dunno." Stephanie paused to shrug a little and take a sip of her coffee. "Things were getting a little crazy back there." Her lips pursed just a little; she suddenly remembered exactly why she had come home early, but pushed away the thought. "Plus, I kinda missed Hongdae. And don't be crazy, Hoon. You're working right now. I wouldn't have asked you to pick me up at the airport!"
Oh no oh no oh no..'It was becoming a mantra for the younger female. She grabbed several banana milks, coffee and even those drinks for working out(which her and Hara usually drink), as her mind raced for an escape plan. ‘What do i do??? What do I do?' Her basket slowly became heavy, her fingers slightly aching from the weight. Strange enough for the Student DJ, she started lifting it like a dumbbell; probably to let her blood flow to her fingers. No one really understood Yiyoung's strange habits, except for a handful of people. Parents not included.
She thought that all was calm until a familiar flash of color reappeared at the corner of her eyes. ‘Why??!’ She wailed to herself in her mind as soon as she heard the ever familiar mumbling of the older female. She was the only one Yiyoung knew that spoke to themselves yet managed to still look chic in Yiyoung’s book. She didn’t want to let her see her lose her image(if she even had one) right in front of Stephanie’s eyes once again. With all of Yiyoung’s might, she forced herself not to look back at Stephanie.
Over her dead body… Which might happen soon if Stephanie recognizes her.
Maybe it was because of how late it was, but Stephanie just couldn't seem to pinpoint who this stranger looked like. She decided to leave it, at least for now; it'd come to her. Eventually. Hopefully. These things tended to bother her, she knew, and she hoped tonight would not be one of those nights.
And so Stephanie picked up her basket again and ventured away from the beverage section, instead heading towards the magazine stand. She scanned the titles, and as usual, picked up the first of the select few American magazine imports the convenience store had. There was nothing new: new celebrity couples, breakups, scandals, the usual. But there was something about the news being delivered in English that was a little comforting, despite her having lived in Hongdae for more than three years now. Not that she hated living in Korea; quite the opposite, actually. She couldn't have picked a more comfortable country to live in.
Returning the magazine to the shelf, Stephanie yawned behind a closed fist and walked off. "Ah. Coffee and Cheetos." With her basket occasionally hitting her thigh, she wandered along the different aisles, her basket becoming increasingly heavy with every item added.
With a soft groan, Stephanie set her full basket down onto the counter, smiling at the register attendee. As her stuff was scanned and bagged, she hummed along to the music playing from the speakers overhead, fingers tapping against the counter. Paying and thanking the register attendee, she grabbed her bags, making her way to the cluster of tables at the back of the store.
Stephanie had just finished filling a cup of instant noodles with boiling water when her phone rang. Quickly, she brought her food back to the table her bags had been left under, pulling a face as she noted who the caller was.
"You're calling early," she spoke in English, peeling back the paper lid and blowing at the steam.
This was supposed to be an ordinary day for her. This was supposed to be a regular day where she restocks on her comfort food (and Hara’s) for the next few weeks. She wasn’t supposed to look like she just saw a ghost in the convenience store (Was seeing ghosts in a grocery even possible?)
She was just minding her own business going through the aisles, searching for Hara’s guilty food(that she knew was running low on because she’s the only one who bothers to check on their pantry every now and then.) and her ever favourite drinks. Often times Yiyoung would get distracted by the new products on the shelves but she moved on to the next aisle in a few seconds.
She was just about to pick up a small pack of tteokbokki chips when she caught sight of someone familiar. Could it be…? No way, it can’t be her. The chances of seeing her outside their regular spots. The female didn’t want to risk it. There was no way she was going to raise her head to look at the other fully, the clothes that she could see from the corner of her eye was enough for her to know.
Left with no choice, she put the chips in the bag and casually went over to the beverage section, covering her face from the other as she did so. There was no way she was going to lose her cool again in front of her Senpai, especially in a convenience store.
Stephanie apartment had been running low on supplies. There was a serious -- serious! -- lack of sweet potato chips in her cupboards, and she had downed so much banana milk, that what was supposed to last her a month only ended up lasting her just over a week. Now, standing in the beverage section of the nearest convenience store, it was starting to look a little like heaven. In front of her was, not only banana milk, but chocolate, strawberry and... was that coffee?!
Stephanie looked down into her basket with concern; sweet potato chips, chocolate bars, packets of instant noodles, cookies, yogurt, Pringles (that tiny slice of America!), kimbap (for the walk back to the apartment), string cheese, some fruits for good measure and some non-edible supplies were just some of the things she had grabbed. Money was not a problem -- it was getting everything back to her apartment that would be the challenge. "Well," she muttered to herself (because once-New Yorkers "always" talk to themselves in convenience stores). "This'll be interesting."
The weight of everything had Stephanie's fingers starting to ache a little. But as she bent down to place the basket down at her feet, she caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye. With narrowed eyes and a raised eyebrow, she attempted to recognise whoever this was, because they really, really looked familiar! "Uh..."
He laughed softly. “Geez, even I’m jealous of her. The real reason she sings some people want it all, but she don’t want nothing at all in her song? It’s because she already has everything, unlike us mere mortals.” He let out an exaggerated sigh, then gave her a nod. “It is, it is. And your hair is going to be our main weapon against her. I’m sure there’s a comic book character somewhere who does just that…” He trailed off and looked up the ceiling, trying to remember who it was, but he had never been big on comic books. “But right, not even Alicia Keys. And Spiderman.”
“Yeah, I guess…” Sangwoo turned quiet for a while, unable to keep himself from relating to how Stephanie described her relationship with Hyunsu. He could say the same was true for himself and his best friend. Not wanting to draw her attention to what had made him go silent, though, he did his best to focus his attention on the rest of what Stephanie said. Despite what she said, Sangwoo felt like Stephanie missed her friend a lot, and even though he had never met Hyunsu before, he enjoyed seeing Stephanie talk fondly of him. “How did you guys meet, though? Were you neighbors or…? Anyway, it sounds like he has a long way to go, though. You’ll have to be patient,” he said with a small smile.
“Pulling… the hair out from the root…” he repeated after her, his voice dripping with horror and imagined pain. “No, thank you. It actually makes waxing sound comfortable.” He winced visibly as she draped her arm around her shoulders. He was close to being convinced, it wasn’t like anyone would whether he did have hair on his legs or not. It was winter after all, and everyone was wrapped up all the time. He only needed to decided if he was really that desperate. There was more to it than desperation, though. It did sound like it could be fun, too. However, at the mention of armpit hair, whatever inclination Sangwoo had to say yes disappeared. With a horrified look on his face, he inched away from Stephanie. “No, you leave my arm pits alone,” he spoke with a stern yet fearsome tone. “They have nothing to do with this. They’re innocent!”
Stephanie nodded in agreement. "You said it, dude. Alicia Keys is a step above the rest. But with this hair?" She pointed to the top of her head. "Nah, Ro. We got this 'world domination' thing in the bag, for sure." She threw her head back and laughed. "You know what? All this talk about New York makes me wanna just fly back for a little while right now. We should do that sometime. You and me. Just... spontaneously. One day, I'm just gonna turn up at your place with two plane tickets and a packed suitcase. You'll see."
For a moment, Stephanie worried she had been talking about Hyunsu too much and for too long. She had noticed lately that she had that tendency; she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. "Our moms were best friends in high school." She chuckled a little, leaning back against her bed with a slouch. "My mom got married first, but Hyunsu's mom got pregnant before my mom did. I remember my mom telling me how it was a little tough for her to get pregnant at first. She told me "if it had all gone according to plan, we would've gotten married the same day, and given birth the same day." Close enough, I guess. He's an October baby. I'm September. Just two years apart." She paused for a little bit, but then continued on. "When my dad left, him and his parents lived with us for almost two months. I mean, we were pretty close already, but I feel like... that's really where it all started. And then when his mom died, I guess my mom wanted to return the favour, although by then, he was practically like a son already. His mom was the reason he went to med school." She smiled a little, though it wasn't too heavy with happiness. "Mmm. I've never really been the patient type. That's him. Maybe he's trying to teach me a lesson."
"Waxing pulls the hair out from the root too, dummy." Stephanie laughed and nudged the side of his head gently. She tried desperately not to laugh, watching the horrified look sweep across his face at the mention of his armpits, but she couldn't help but let out a couple chuckles. "Dude. We could just shave 'em. They'll start growing back the next day, thicker and bushier than ever, if that's your thing." She winced a little, shaking her head. "Though, I mean... I could try and find a dress that does have sleeves."
It’s another one fine day for Hoon. He does everything like usual: wakes up in the morning, exercises, takes care of and feeds Jasmine, goes to the workplace, serves coffee, shares some little chats with the customers, help anything he can help there, most likely a fine day without any hiss. Well, at least until now.
He was having his lunch in the locker room when one of his workmate calls him.
“Hoon. There’s a girl looking for you downstairs.”
“Huh? A girl?” Hoon frowned.
“Yeah… She sounds like a foreigner. She orders something but she refuses if the order is delivered by other than you.” He shrugged.
A foreigner? And she wants to meet me? Hoon couldn’t remember if he has any foreigner as a friend, especially who knows that he’s working here in Hongdae. Is she Dad’s people?
“You’d better hurry, Hoon.” His mate chuckled. “Before anyone thinks that she’s Nicki Minaj.”
“What??” Hoon laughed. This is a mistake. She must have been mistaken, thought Hoon. He ever went abroad for the piano competitions back then, but he is sure that he never meets Nicki Minaj. Not even for once.
Hoon cleaned up his lunch and washed his hands. The thought of a Nicki Minaj waiting for him downstairs never meets other word in his mind, besides ‘why’.
He reached the shop counter where his mate gives him a sign of the seat he has to approach. He nodded slightly, and carefully walked to the directed seat, where he saw a female sat with a pair of big shades framing her eyes, an NY snapback on her head and a medium suitcase stands still beside her.
“Good afternoon, ma’am.” Hoon bowed formally. His voice is as calm as his facial expression, hiding the fact that he is curious as hell about this one customer in front him now.
“ I’m Choi Jonghoon. I heard you were looking for me, may I help you?”
Greeted by one of the waiters the moment she had stepped in, Stephanie maintained composure and a straight face. "What can I get you?" they had asked her. "Um... I'll take a cream puff and a caramel macchiato, thanks." She looked around the cafe, in search of a vacant table. "Oh." Before the waiter could disappear, she was quick to stop them. "Could you do me a favour? Get Choi Jonghoon to bring my food out. Just him. He's working, right? If he's not, don't worry about it. I'm only here to see him really. Thanks."
She took a seat, leaning back into the seat with a satisfied sigh. She watched the staff weave around the tables with trays of coffee and cakes -- oh man, that's gonna be me in a couple days again.
It wasn't long before a familiar face started to approach her table. She looked at him behind the guise of her sunglasses and cap, feeling a little triumphant. At the sound of Jonghoon's voice, Stephanie chuckled. "Hey now," she said, pulling her cap off, her hair falling over her shoulder. "You're sounding waaay too formal, Hoon. Chill." Putting her hat down atop her suitcase. She stood up with an excited grin, pushing her sunglasses up to rest on the top of her head. "'Sup?"
Stephanie stepped around her suitcase and the table to approach Jonghoon, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Oh, dude, I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you!" she laughed. "Did you miss me? Be careful what your answer is, because it may determine whether you get something from me or not."
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