An oversized knit cardigan paired with the numbness of frozen fingers created the much awaited novelty of autumn. As much as she disliked being cold, Autumn had a certain hold on her. Her cheek was pressed against the cool window of the van, eyes glazed over as she watched the reds and yellows of the leaves outside dance with the wind. It was in times like this that Jieun very much wanted to be at home, curled up with a book or watching one of her cheesy dramas with a cup of tea warming her from inside out.
The sky seemed as though it had been lit up with fire; the cool sun had just began to set and from behind the clouds it was painted in hues of orange and red. She almost missed the surroundings of an accustomed area (her attention had been captured by the change of light, could you blame her), but with a sharp yelp she caught the attention of her manager – who luckily wasn’t too freaked out by the noise she had just produced – and the van came to a halt.
Wrapping her cardigan around her small frame tighter than before, she slipped out of her seat and stumbled onto the muddied road. Her destination was only a short distance from here, but she preferred to walk at least a tiny portion of it – otherwise it would just not feel the same. Walking under a canopy of trees did that, you see. They always created this gateway to (what Jieun felt like) another realm.
It was almost closing time (6.43pm to be exact) when Jieun finally entered the cozy little cottage. She took a seat in her usual space as she glanced around the miniscule room – an automatic reflex of hers, just in case. She knew that opening and closing times usually had the least amount of people so she did have a tendency to appear at the emptier moments. Ever since she was a trainee Jieun had been coming to this quaint little tea shop – Camellia Cottage – and even to this day she’d visit, usually by herself. Her manager would often just wait around outside in the vehicle, or disappear for a bit until she called for him to pick her up. This place was often a form of escapism, and she wanted to keep it separated from her real life. When she was here Jieun just felt like she was no longer Jieun; she felt light – so this was her secret hideaway, one she protected with all her might.
There were only two other people in the cottage; an elderly man who stared intently at the outside world through the thin wall of glass, and a younger fellow who was scribbling ferociously into a notebook. She often found it fun to try and match the customer with different types of tea, and then to guess their background. The younger male was easier – an aspiring lyricist, or writer, who wandered into the shop with a burst of inspiration. He had a sweet face and a childish aura, and although usually she’d pair some sort of black tea blend, a fruit infusion seemed to suit him better. Perhaps something like raspberry? Or maybe wild berries? That was just her assumption, though it did seem to suit him.
The elderly was harder; several different possibilities happened to pop into her thoughts but before she could settle on one she found herself in the presence of a familiar face. With a grin that stretched from ear to ear, Jieun looked up at the owner, her tone a teasing mock-surprise: “Well, fancy meeting you here Theia!”
