Love You Twice

Chapter 12

Chaewon

I reluctantly head to the front to join Jennifer in opening.

We sweep and mop in silence. We set the chairs off the tables in silence. We clean tables in silence.

I wonder how the whole dad situation went... and Yeji of course.

But I can't just ask.

"I need to use the bathroom. Are you good?" Jennifer asks. I'm taken aback by her soft tone.

"Yeah, go ahead I'm fine." Jennifer walks off to the back, and almost as if it couldn't have been more perfect of timing Yeji appears in front of the door.

I look back to see if I could catch Jennifer, but she's already gone and Yeji is knocking on the window.

Goddamnit.

I slowly walk over to the door and unlock it.

"Sorry Yeji. We don't open for another 15 minutes." She pushes past me, and practically storms into the middle of the room.

"Is Jennifer here?" She asks.

"Yeji, I don't think this is the appropriate place to do this." Yeji completely blows off my words. I don't think anything I could say would get through to Yeji at this moment, besides where Jennifer is at.

"I don't care Chaewon. Is she here?" She asks again, beginning to get more impatient with every minute that passes.

"No dude. She called off today." Yeji rolls her eyes at me. She hits my shoulder as she passes me on the way out of the door.

"Bitch." I whisper under my breath hoping she didn't hear. Our size differences do not offer me much of an advantage.

I get lucky, and she doesn't turn around to come kick my ass. Instead she takes her anger out on her car door that I can hear slam from inside.

"Is she gone?" I hear Jennifer whisper from behind me. "Yeah, she pulled out." Jennifer comes from behind the corner, sighing a breath of relief.

"What the hell was that about?" I ask. "She's been trying to get ahold of me all weekend, but I don't want to talk to her."

"I didn't know she was insane." I laugh a little.

"Me either." Jennifer laughs with me. "Thanks by the way." Jennifer says, calming the mood a little.

"I kinda owe it to you." I say, getting back to work and so does she.

"How come?" She asks. "Well you saved me from Felix."

"Oh that asshole? You don't owe me for that. Men need to learn a woman isn't just for their amusement." I turn to look at her.

My gaze softening just a little at her words. Maybe I've just had the wrong impression of her all along.

"And I should've warned you about Yeji. I hated you so much that I put my ego above your emotions. So for that... I'm sorry." I say, and everything gets quiet.

It's quiet for an uncomfortable amount of time. Enough time for me to panic a little.

Is she going to lash out on me for not telling her? Is she going to go back to hating me? I couldn't blame her. I sat back and watched her get hurt knowing what would happen.

"I probably wouldn't have listened to you anyway. Besides I was more upset about my dad, Yeji was just an extra weight."

I'm hesitant to ask how it went. Of course I want to know. I'm a nosy teenage girl. Who wouldn't want to know?

But the thought of angering her makes me hold my tongue for only a moment, because the need to know overpowers any fear I have of upsetting her.

"How... how did that go?" Jennifer continues her work, seemingly unfazed by the question.

"I replied to him just saying 'ok'. He asked how it was here." She lets out a long sigh that helps to humanize the girl even more in my eyes.

"Did you respond?"

"I told him that I liked it here..." "and do you?" I cut her off. She turns to look at me and gives me a little smile. "I do."

"I mean I miss my friends. I guess it's kind of lonely here, but I didn't have the greatest friends either."

If I was ripped away from my friends I probably couldn't function properly. So in a way I understand where she's coming from. She's in a new city with no friends.

Speaking of friends, mine is beating on the window.

"I'm sorry." I say, excusing myself to let Zuha in. Jennifer just laughs and nods.

"Wonnie I need an americano and a new therapist asap." Zuha throws her body into a chair and puts her head in her hands.

"What's wrong?" I ask, making my way around the counter to make her coffee extra strong.

"Sakura just asked me out for this weekend."

"What?!" My head snaps so fast I think I gave myself whiplash. "And you said..." I wave my hand wanting her to continue.

"I haven't answered! I need your help! Eunchae is at work and I'm about to be late for work so I need something fast!" Zuha is practically freaking out at this point.

I don't know what to do! Why am I always the one to help with relationship problems? I probably have the least experience out of anyone Kazuha knows.

"Um..." I say looking around to think of anything at all. I see her phone sitting on the counter and the solution hits me.

"Give me your phone and after work you and Eunchae can come over and we will figure it out. Okay?" Zuha chews on her bottom lip thinking over the idea.

Inevitably she gives in and slides me her phone.

"At least this will stop you from responding until we all have sometime to think it over. Just go to work and then go to my house after. Mom won't question it, and I'll text Eunchae."

Zuha nods at the plan. She seems to settle down, and is able to sip on her coffee.

I walk around the counter and put my arm around her shoulder, rubbing up and down.

"We will figure it out Zuha." She lays her head against my shoulder. "What would I do without you Chae?" She asks.

It makes me feel good. Knowing that my efforts to be a good friend goes noticed.

"Be late for work. Now get going." I tell her noticing the time.

We have 2 minutes until we open, and zuha has to be at work in 10.

She rolls her eyes at me. "And the sappiness is over." She hands me a 5 dollar bill.

"I love you Zuha." I smile at her, and she returns the look. "I love you too chaewonnie." Zuha has so many nicknames for me it's hard to keep up with.

"I'll pick up some sushi on the way to your house tonight." I give her a thumbs up, and she jumps in her car speeding away.

"See that right there is what I want." Jennifer speaks up, catching me a little off guard.

"What do you mean?" I ask, confused by her random sentence.

"A friendship like yours. You three are inseparable." I guess I am pretty lucky.

It's something I'm so used to I guess I forget other people aren't as fortunate to have friends like mine.

"Maybe sometime you can tag along if you'd want. You know... just to see what it's like." I say the last part jokingly to lighten the mood a little.

"Yeah... I'd like that." Jennifer smiles at me, before clapping her hands together.

"I guess we should probably open the doors." She points to the time and it reads 9 am.

I guess we should.