Promise U

Chapter 11: More Than A Friend

(Moonbyul's POV)

"Byul-ah!" Hyejin busts through the doors of the cafe. "A latte is calling my name!"

"You're an asshole, you know that right?" I giggle at her as I finish drying off some dishes.

"That's why you love me." She laughs back, as she sits down at the cafe bar.

Luckily for her the cafe isn't too packed this Monday morning, so her latte is the only thing in my que. I begin prepping it right away.

"I'll see you tomorrow for our date Byul!"

Yong's voice keeps repeating in my head, over and over like a scratched record. And I love it. Every repeat has me smiling bigger than the last.

Hyejin looks up at me and notices my smirks. She asks me with furrowed eyebrows, "What's got you all happy this morning?"

I'm pulled from my inner thoughts and look up to her. "What?"

"You're all, giddy and cheerful for a Monday morning. What's gotten into you?"

I shake my head as I pour the milk in her latte. "Nothing's up."

Hyejin pauses for a moment, scans me up and down, and speaks as if she's just solved the mystery. "Who is she?"

I slam her latte down in front of her and giggle. "Hyejin what are you talking about?"

"You have that...look! The there's someone special and I can't them out of my head look!"

I stare at her coldly for a brief moment, but it only takes seconds before I can't stop smiling again. The thing is, Hyejin has known me for over 20 years. She can read me like a book. She knows all of my moves before I even make them.

"Ah ha!! I knew it!! Tell me, tell me everything." Hyejin scoots closer to the bar, like a kid who is fighting for front row at story time.

I exhale before spilling it all. "Let's just say I've got a second date with someone. Well, it's sorta a date. Like a friend date... I guess."

"Hmm, a friend date. But you like her as more than a friend?"

"Yeah, yeah I think I do. And maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I get the feeling that she feels the same."

Hyejin claps like a seal, "Ah my Byul-ah!! She's in love!"

I usher her to hush, because she's on the verge of disturbing the other patrons. "Calm down Hyejin, it's not that serious."

"Yes it is Byul! It makes me happy to see you happy. You deserve it."

For the longest time, my wellbeing has been an after thought. I mean sure, I love cooking and my family and all, but sometimes it's felt like I've been doing it all for them. I started cooking a lot when my mother became ill. I took over the cafe when my father began slowing down. Sometimes it's difficult to draw the line between what made me happy for them, versus what made me happy for me.

But with Yong, it was for me. She made me happy.

"What's her name? Do you have a picture of her? How did you meet? Tell me everything Byul!!"

Hyejin was nosey, and I'll happily share details. But I don't think she gets to know the circumstances in which Yong and I met.

"Her name is Yongsun. Kim Yongsun."

Hyejin's smile seizes in an instant, and her jaw falls agape. I'm taken aback by the sudden change. I don't understand.

"What's wrong?"