When Park Sohee is forced to leave behind her childhood home, the familiar comforts of family, and all the memories she's spent years building, she's faced with the overwhelming challenge of starting fresh. With her younger brother Jisung by her sid...
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After a week, a lot had changed. The counselor had informed Sohee that she didn't need to come to class anymore unless she wanted to, since she had already completed all the credits necessary to graduate. Sohee had been using the extra time to work, diving into shifts at the café to keep herself busy and to ease the pressure of everything else. But despite the relief of not having school to worry about, there was a weight that seemed to grow heavier with each passing day.
Things had been distant between her and Sunwoo. He hadn't been putting in the effort he once did to stay involved in her life, and it hurt more than she cared to admit. She could feel him slipping away, a quiet absence growing between them. Sunwoo wasn't reaching out like before, and the small, casual conversations they used to share felt few and far between now. The tension lingered, leaving her to wonder if the gap between them was growing too wide to fix.
"Sohee!" Hyunjae called out, snapping her out of her thoughts as he waved from across the counter. "Good news! You won't have to work every day if you don't want to. We finally got some new hires!" His voice was laced with excitement, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I'm so ready for my breaks!"
Sohee blinked, surprised by the news. For the first time in weeks, the thought of working less was a relief. She had been running on fumes, and the idea of having some time to breathe was almost too good to be true.
"Really?" she asked, her voice a little quieter than usual. She felt a flicker of hope, even if it was brief. "That's great."
Hyunjae didn't seem to notice the hesitation in her tone, still caught up in his excitement. "Yeah! They've got some new people starting today, so we'll be able to share the load more. I bet you'll be able to catch a break now, too. You've been killing it, Sohee."
She gave a half-smile, trying to mask the exhaustion behind her eyes. "Thanks, Hyunjae. I'll take any break I can get."
Once Sohee clocked out, she felt a spark of excitement rush through her. It had been too long since she'd spent quality time with Sunwoo, and the distance between them lately had left her feeling off balance. She missed him—more than she cared to admit—and tonight, she was determined to change that.
She decided to surprise him.
The thought of it made her smile as she drove to the small, cozy café where Sunwoo worked. She parked the car, the soft glow of the café's warm lights spilling out onto the sidewalk. As she sat there, parked outside, a soft chuckle escaped her. It was funny, in a way, how the two of them both worked in cafés. It was like their own little shared world—a small, familiar connection she hadn't realized she needed so badly.
She looked at the café's sign, feeling the weight of the moment. Sunwoo worked here almost every evening, and tonight, she'd finally show up, ready to catch up with him, to ease the gap that had grown between them.
For a moment, Sohee just sat in the car, unsure of what to expect. There was that flutter of nerves—after everything, would things feel like they once did? She shook off the worry, telling herself she just needed to be herself.
