"So, Mark, do you really not recognize me or are you just ignoring your childhood best friend?"
When her best friend moved to Korea to become an idol, their contact died down and they soon started living lives completely separate from one another...
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It had been a while since Gyuri had heard the familiar bell notifying the entrance of someone into the cafe— in this case, that someone was her— but the sound immediately snapped her back into the flow of working there.
She didn't work at the cafe as much nowadays since she was nearing finals season and was also very occupied with her work at the clinic. Luckily, her manager was a very flexible boss and the cate had enough employees for Gyuri to make fewer hours than before.
She was pleasantly surprised to find Mihee standing behind the counter, who waved at her happily upon seeing the girl. Gyuri returned the gesture and stood next to her as she unwrapped her scarf.
"I was seriously starting to think you had quit, I haven't seen you in ages!" Mihee said and Gyuri nodded with a chuckle.
"I know, I know. God, I've just been so busy. How are you?" Gyuri asked, now taking off her coat. There were currently no customers, allowing the two girls to talk freely. It was right after the midday rush, so the two of them wouldn't be really busy for the next while.
"I've been great," Mihee smiled. "I don't know, it seems everything is just... going well, right now. I feel good."
Gyuri smiled at her words, seeing the happiness radiate from her coworker. It made her feel good too, seeing someone she cared about be happy. "That's wonderful to hear, Mihee," Gyuri said, patting her hand. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks," Mihee smiled before Gyuri disappeared into the back to place her belongings into a locker and get changed into proper work attire. She had brought her laptop today, in case she had nothing to do. These days, any free moment of Gyuri's was spent working on her thesis. She'd rather take every small opportunity to work on it now than to have to rush to get it finished when the deadline was near.
"Anyways, I heard from Bonhwa you went back to Canada for family matters. Is everything okay, are you alright?" Mihee asked after Gyuri had rejoined her behind the counter.
"Yeah, I had to fly home. My grandpa passed away," she explained, earning a soft gasp from Mihee.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry, Gyuri. Truly," Mihee said, stepping towards Gyuri to embrace the girl in a heartfelt hug. Gyuri sighed softly and closed her eyes. "That's horrible. Are you doing okay?" Mihee asked.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Gyuri reassured her after stepping back. "Grief is a strange thing, though."
"Very much," Mihee agreed. "I don't think anybody truly knows how to handle it. I surely don't. You just have to let it wash over you when you feel it, I think."
