Decaffeinated

fourteen.

“Where did you ran off to, anyway?” Chae asked me while I was making coffee for a customer. “I went to my father's home.” I sighed remembering what we talked about.

-
flashback:

Jeongyeon's phone rang, she looked at the caller's ID and she was shocked as ever.

Father.

She immediately went to Chaeyoung and told the girl that she will leave. She knows that when her father calls, she needs to go there.

The moment she went inside her car, she accepted her father's call.

“Hey dad, what's up?”

“Jeongyeon, I need you to come over here, now.”

“Why dad? I'm at work.”

“We need to discuss something very important. Now go here as fast as you can.”

“Okay, I'm on my way.”

-

“What's so important that I needed to go all the way here?” Jeongyeon asked her dad. Mr. Yoo gets a folder on his small table and gave it to her. “He is Park Jinyoung. The eldest son of our greatest business partner.” Jeongyeon flips the pages, showing no interest at all. “What do you want me to do with him?” He took a deep breath, “I want you to marry him.” She closed the folder and gave it back to her father. “The answer is no, dad. You know what I feel about arranged marriage.”

“Jeongyeon, I'm getting old. I need to see you have someone in your life and get a life out of that coffee shop!”
“Dad, I know that. I'm not getting younger, too. I'm working on it, okay?”
“But you know, Jinyoung is such a nice boy.”
“Dad, please. Don't budge it in.”
“Can you just meet him, just once?”
“Dad, no.”
“Meet Jinyoung once and I'll stop talking about you getting married.”
“You're really pushing me away?”
“It's not that, Jeong. I just want you to give him a chance.”
“Just once?”
“Yes, just once.”
“Fine, I'll do it.”
“I'll make arrangements with Mr. Park. Be ready whenever.” Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. She didn't want this in her life but her father gave it to her anyway and it pisses her off. She's only doing it for her father to stop whining about getting married when she has her eyes fixed with Momo.

“Is that all, dad?” Mr. Yoo nodded. “That is all. Also, go to your mother in the living room, she said she misses you.” Jeongyeon turned her heel and went to the living room to see her mother who was knitting a scarf.

At least something good is happening today.

end.

-

“Why? Anything came up?”
“Actually yes.”
“What is it?”
“He wants me to marry his business partner's son.”
“What?! An arranged marriage?”
“Exactly.”
“What did you say to him?”
“I said I don't want to, but his persuasive powers took over me.”
“So you'll actually marry a guy?”
“Of course not. I'll be meeting him once so dad would stop whining.”
“But what if it happens?”
“Marrying him? No, it won't.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“I love Momo, Chae. I can't see my life without her in it. Maybe I can befriend that Jinyoung guy but other than that, no.”
“You sure do got it hard on Momo-ssi.”
“I do, it hurts but at the same time, I'm happy.”

I finished making the coffee and went outside to serve it to the only customer we have tonight. It's already 1AM and we need to close the shop temporarily until 4AM so that my staffs and me can rest a bit.

“Alright, you can go and rest now. We're opening the shop later at 4AM.” I announced. I felt the sigh of relief coming from them. They've been working non stop because I requested them to go over time since we are low on staffs at the moment. Good thing they understand and agreed to go beyond their shifts.

I started to pack my things and put it in a bag, Chaeyoung suddenly went in the locker room and saw me.

“Where are you going?”
“To my condo, I'm going to change clothes and bring new ones.”
“Can I come? I have nothing to do here.”
“Yes of course you can. Come.” I led her outside and I hired a cab, since my car is broken.

-

I opened the door and the lights was still open, indicating that Jihyo is still awake.
“Jihyo? You're still awake?” I shouted, no one respoded. I went to her room and saw her sleeping on the bed with her biology book beside her.

She must've fallen asleep while studying.

I covered her with her blanket so she won't get cold. Bbosong and Nanan was sleeping on my bed, so I quietly get some of my clothes in my drawer. I don't want them to wake up and make so much noise.

“You done?” Chaeyoung said when I walked in the living room. I nodded. “Do you want to go back to the café or go somewhere else first?” she nodded “I came to the place we used to go to earlier. Thought I can spend time with you there.” I smiled at her widely. “Let's go there, then.” We went down to the basement. I pressed my key and my Aston Martin One-77 lit up.

“Hyung, isn't like this the supercar?” Chaeyoung's jaw drop as she observed the car. I nodded. “Only 77 of these were made. I'm glad I'm one of the owners.” Chaeyoungs hands run through the car. She was observing it very well.

“How many cars do you have?”
“Four.”
“Really now? where's the other two?”
I pointed at another car “That Civic is mine. And my Lykan is at home.”
“Damn, the most expensive car in the world.”
“You might have forgotten that Yoo is one if the richest families in the world.”
“I haven't, I'm just surprised that you're still here at Korea, running some random coffee shop.”
“I like to keep it lowkey.”

-

We arrived at our spot, away from the city. I parked my car near it and we went to the convenient store to get something to eat and drink. I grabbed some canned beer and chips, while Chaeyoung, being the child she is, bought a can of soda instead. I like how she stays so innocent, and I highly doubt that she had ever tasted liquors before.

Me and Chaeyoung went to the abandoned place we used to go to. I removed the small wood that was blocking our secreat entrance.
“I miss this.” Chaeyoung twirled around and in the place. Nothing changed at all, the sofa we put up was still there, the small table; it felt like home. Though it was a bit dusty, so I cleaned it up a little. “Me too.” We both sat on the sofa, opening a bag of potato chip.
“Hyung, I saw someone today and I felt something towards her.”