Moving On With You, Jinjoo

1: Iced Americano

Street lamps cast a warm, amber glow upon the concrete paths, their light painting a cosy ambience that wrapped around the neighbourhood. Amid this gentle illumination lies a small shop that had a heartwarming sign with the words Cosy Cub Cafe elegantly calligraphed on it. Inside, the final moments of the day unfolded as a diligent girl moved gracefully about, meticulously wiping tables as she prepared to close up.

"Min, can you help me get the plastic cups from the back? There's none here," called a girl with short hair and bangs reaching just over her eyebrows, her voice harmonizing with the cafe's soothing atmosphere.

Minju vanished to the back, returning with a stack of transparent plastic cups. She walks to the girl and hands them to her. Without saying anything, she goes back to clean the tables.

However, a noticeable change had taken over Minju–a shift in her usual vibrancy that didn't go unnoticed by the cafe's owner, Chaewon. As the plastic cups found their place, her keen eyes detected the change, "Are you okay? You're unusually quiet today."

Minju's gentle smile belied the storm within her, but she couldn't keep her emotions hidden from Chaewon's perceptive gaze. "I'm okay," she murmured, though the weight in her voice betrayed her attempt at reassurance.

Chaewon, recognizing the unspoken struggle, left her tasks behind and perched herself on a high stool at the counter. "Why? What is it?"

A sigh trembled through Minju as she leaned against the table, her fingers kneading the cloth in her hands, releasing emotions she had kept pent up. "Unnie..." The word managed to escape her lips.

Chaewon hated the sudden suspension but waited for her to continue. The way the brunette wasn't making eye contact with her, fingers fidgeting with each other and feet shifting against the cold floors told her something was wrong. "I'm here," she murmured, an assurance that Minju's thoughts had found a safe haven.

"We broke up," Minju finally spilt, her words a gentle confession that bore the weight of heartache.

Chaewon stands from her seat almost immediately and goes to her. "When?" Worry plaster over her face.

"Last week," Minju says softly, the rawness of the recent event making her words almost fragile in the air.

The older girl wraps her arm around her shoulder, rubbing it to comfort her. "Why didn't you say anything? You shouldn't be here then. Does Yuri know?"

Minju's lips curved into a sad smile as she absorbed Chaewon's empathy. "I haven't told her but I'm fine. Working here clears my mind. I don't have to think about it that much."

"You can tell me everything about it if you want to."

Chaewon's one of Minju's closest friends, two years older than her. She met her in her first year of university when the older girl was lost in her decisions in life. Chaewon has always been seeing over the younger girl, making sure she's fine working after her classes.

"I knew it had to happen. I don't have time to spend with her," she said. "I think this was the best decision. There's no point continuing our relationship when I can't physically be there for her. Don't hit me with the you'll be in her heart talk. It's not going to change anything." She has made up her mind.

Chaewon nodded, absorbing the weight of Minju's words. "But she understands."

"She does. She understood it very well. It wasn't those crying breakups, but she knew why we had to go our separate ways. She wanted more but I couldn't give it to her."

"Are you okay? You've been dating her since you were in high school."

Minju's breath caught as she released another sigh, her gaze distant.  She'll say she's fine when she's not. "It was a great...five years," she utters sadly and quietly. "Maybe I should just stop dating anyone now when I don't even have enough time for myself. I'll be in the hospital for the rest of the year and probably life anyway."