Clear and Present Danger

Chance

'Far enough to marry you, Ms. Son.'

To someone, this may be cute and funny. But to me, it sounded serious. Adding to his expression like he really did mean it. I scoffed at him.

'Mr. Gu, you don't know the real me, yet,' I replied, looking away from him while sipping my frap. When I turned to look back at him, he was giving me his best smile.

It was a smile that any woman would fall for. And I am not an exemption to that. I smiled looking at him.

'See, I made you smile. Look, Yeon Hong, even if I don't know you yet, I am willing to spend time with you,' he said, looking at me directly. 'That is if you will allow me to.'

'And what if I won't?' I asked, crossing my arms across my chest, hinting exasperation, although it was just a joke.

'Well, I won't hesitate coming over here and making my presence known to you,' he replied, while sipping his tea. 'Even if it means I have to be here everyday.'

He was really true to his word and came everyday to the cafe. At first, I was beginning to get annoyed by his presence, but then eventually after two weeks, I found myself looking at the seat Hyo Jin reserved for him.

'Ya, Ms. Kim Yeon Hong,' she called me up from behind. I was startled, and good thing she didn't see my face. Then I turned to look at her.

'Why did you put a reserve on that area?' I asked. 'There are a lot of customers who might want to sit there.'

'Well, that seat is reserved for Mr. Gu,' she replied. 'He specifically asked me to reserve that for him, and he's paying for it everyday.'

I looked at her and asked how he is paying for it.

'You'll see,' she said. I gave out a subtle smile at her, and then she looked at me once again, seriously this time.

'Does he know you? The real you?' she asked. I shook my head.

'Well just be careful. At that rate, you'll be falling in love with him in no time.'

I went out and told Hyo Jin that I had a very important meeting coming up. I drove my car, not really knowing where I should go. I wanted to clear the thoughts in my head, because something else ruined my otherwise perfect plan.

Seo Jin came into my life and became a pawn to all my carefully laid-out plans.

I came to the place I go to whenever my thoughts are bugging me. There is that familiar tranquility that envelops me everytime I step foot here. I went to where someone close to me lives, and the very reason why I had all my dreams up and running.

'Hi, Appa. How are you there?' I said, when I arrived at a chamber where my father permanently lives. It always brings a familiar pain in my heart everytime I come here, and for some reason I find peace here likewise. I looked at his picture and I smiled sadly.'

I was a father's daughter. He taught me that dreams only remain big when you don't do something about it.

'What is your dream, Yeon Hong?' he asked me one time. I was a high schooler then dreaming about having my own coffee shop where I could give people a feel of home away from where they live.

'I wanted to build a place where I could help people reconnect with other people, Appa,' I replied.

'Why?'

'I could see people not talking to each other anymore, Appa. They are somewhat busy with their work, or their own lives. I wanted to make something that would really reconnect them with the people around them,' I said.