While You Were Sleeping

Chapter 8

It was barely 8 in the morning, but the bakery part of the coffee shop was almost ready to have its "half-day" break. Do Hye Ji emerged from the kitchen bringing a tray full of baked goods, ready to be sold during morning rush hour in her coffee shop. She looked around, and nodded to her now store supervisor, Kim Ju Meok. The younger man smiled and flipped the "open" tab in the front door and soon after, 2 customers came in to shop with the typical rush of Seoul morning coffee goers.

The next two hours or so flew by as Hye Ji, Ju Meok and another barista served the throngs of people demanding their first caffeine fix and some grub for sustenance. Even though it was almost the same with her previous job as pastry chef, but she never felt more fulfilled because the shop was hers. Well, technically, it was hers and her two brothers, who acted as silent owners while she ran the shop in daily basis.

It was a miracle how finally her father agreed to close the pharmacy and put the building for rent. Their family pharmacy had been running in very low profit for the past couple of years, and Hye Ji and her brothers had had steady enough job that they tried to persuade their father; the pharmacist, to enter retirement. After their father agree to retire, it was actually Seri's idea to start the bakery and coffee shop business.

Thinking about her best friend, always brought a smile to her face. When she told her that her father finally agreed to close the pharmacy, Seri immediately lit the idea of opening a bakery; something that had been a secret dream for Hye Ji. At first Hye Ji was in doubt, not sure about the business aspect of it all. She could bake, yes, thanks to her almost ten-year experience as professional baker in various restaurants and cafes she had worked. But could she actually handle the logistic, the restaurant management, promotions, and everything?

Seri smiled and said while it would be terrifying at the start, but there was nothing more fulfilling than doing what you always wanted to do but couldn't yet because of life circumstances. She also said if she wanted to do it, she would be there along the way to help her in any way than she could; as Hye Ji had done in her initial years of Seri's Choice.

And that was the story of almost 1,5 years ago. Now, the bakery and coffee shop (another pitch from, surprisingly, Kim Ju Meok who wanted to be a barista and willing to join hand in her first business venture) had settled down quite nicely. Sales had been great, thanks to the premium location where it was right next to a busy bus stop and not 5 minutes from nearest subway entrance. And surprisingly, consumers were actually liking her baking goods. She had even tried to venture to cold sandwiches during lunchtime with considerable success.

Seri, as promised, helped a lot in the business aspect of it all and also in promotions. She shown her the gist of management and promotions and even helped referencing her to a good freelance accountant that now helped her in the finance aspect. Even Gu Seung Jung pitched in helping her (paid, of course) to create a simple website for her new bakery. She was never felt so thankful having her two best friends for support.

Thinking about Seri, her mind drifted back to 1,5 years ago when her best friend encountered the weirdest situation of her life. And knowing her friend's background, it really said something. Though at first it baffled her as to what caused her level-headed friend to start burying herself in the lies, now she could see it so clearly the reason why.

Because her friend was lonely.

Yoon Seri had lived most of her life alone, that was a fact both she and Seung Jeung knew. True, Seri had her mother and she knew that Seri's mother loved her as much as she could; but even Hye Ji could feel that sometimes Seri's late mother despised Seri's existence. Seri's mother was always working, leaving Seri hung out in her home often until late at night. She also never took Seri out for an outing, or vacations. She didn't want to think bad of a dead person, but she bitterly remembered that Seri's omma even sometimes took trips with her friends but left Seri behind. The only time Seri ever got the chance to have a fun day out was when her own parents took Hye Ji out and extended the invitation to Seri. Or with Gu Seung Jeung's father, or on school trips, or on those very rare occasion when Seri's father himself took his daughter out.