‘From now on, I’ll be there. I’ll move, I’ll come to you.’
I always think this, but by my standards, how can he say things like that so nonchalantly… Cha Jeonghan was very good at saying ‘things like that’ that I found embarrassing or a bit excessive to express out loud between friends. Whenever he said things nonchalantly that would be embarrassing or too much to say between friends, being flustered and not knowing what to do was always my role.
“……”
Even if I refused his request to meet for a month, as long as Cha Jeonghan came to find me, I had no choice but to see him. It was because I had to stay here without budging until noona came back. But I couldn’t exactly say let’s do that either. I was too scared of what would happen after a month.
Even after meeting for a month, there might be no change, or I might get swept away like yesterday and end up in a relationship where we only had physical contact without any name. After all, the greatest possibility was the ending that no feelings beyond friendship would develop even after trying, so I didn’t want to take that step to confirm it. Even from far away, I could see him this well, so there was no need to go close to see and hear.
“Um, hyung! This cup seems to be cracked, should I throw it away?”
At the voice of **Hyeonwoo**, the part-timer, digging into my thoughts, I quickly took the cup. As **Hyeonwoo** said, it was subtle but the part where lips would touch was definitely chipped and felt rough.
“Yeah, it does seem cracked. We’ll have to throw it away.”
“It’s a waste since you can’t even tell.”
“You can’t tell now, but then it’ll crack completely and break. I’ll throw it away.”
“Okay.”
It felt exactly like looking at Cha Jeonghan and me. The crack didn’t show on the outside, so if we kept meeting and meeting, it would crack completely and break so badly that we couldn’t even recognize the beautiful appearance from the beginning—I was so scared seeing us like that. I quickly shoved the cup with the chipped edge deep under the counter.
Since the cafe had to be completely emptied by 6 o’clock, around 3 PM I put up a notice on the door saying it could only be used until 5:30, and explained the situation to all the customers who ordered.
After the last customer left the shop at 5:30, I cleaned the entire cafe alone. I took out all the trash, and organized all the cups and trays customers had left behind. After straightening all the chairs and arranging even the disheveled tables neatly, a large car entered in front of the cafe.
A woman who came in first, identified herself as a reporter by giving the famous newspaper company’s name, handed me her business card and offered a handshake.
“If this place had said no too, today’s interview would have been canceled. Thank you so much. The person scheduled for today’s interview is someone who would be hard to reschedule if it fell through. You know actor Cha Jeonghan-ssi, right?”
“What?”
I reflexively asked back a bit loudly at the unexpected name. The reporter and the people who were setting up cameras looked at me. I had to smooth over this situation quickly, so I blurted out whatever came to mind.
“Ah… I was just a bit surprised that Cha Jeonghan-ssi is coming….”
“Actually, Cha Jeonghan-ssi recommended this place.”
“…What?”
“The place we were originally going to use in the morning had a problem and got canceled. So our mental state completely crashed and we were trying to contact places here and there, but the venues were too small, or too old, and franchises were also kind of… I thought it wouldn’t work and contacted him. When I told him there was suddenly a problem with the venue booking and it seemed like we’d have to just do today’s interview at the newspaper office, he told us about this place.”
“…Ah… yes.”
“Since the actor recommended it, we just went for it, you know. When I searched, articles came up saying it’s Cha Jeonghan-ssi’s regular cafe. The interior is also really modernly done.”
At the words that Cha Jeonghan had recommended this place, I almost sighed in front of other people. Really, what should I do with you? That was all I could think.
“Ah, let me tell you the rough timeline. Cha Jeonghan-ssi will arrive around 6:30, we’ll exchange greetings, and the interview is scheduled to start at 7. For drinks, when Cha Jeonghan-ssi arrives, you can take all the orders at once and make them. Do you also have simple things to eat like cookies?”
“…Yes. We also have things like cookies and cakes.”
“I don’t know if he’ll eat them, but still, it’s dinner time, and it looks better to have a full spread, so please set up some finger foods that can be arranged prettily.”
“Yes…. I understand.”
After giving me a light bow, the reporter walked around the cafe with the staff who came together, looking at angles here and there to find the place that would photograph best. I went inside the counter and took out cookies that could be eaten simply by hand and small pastries that could be put in one bite, and arranged them on plates.
Not long after, a familiar van stopped in front of the cafe. When Manager Dongyun got out of the car and opened the door, Cha Jeonghan, dressed neatly, got out and entered the cafe. Cha Jeonghan looked at me, smiled, and just bowed his head slightly in greeting. Since there was nothing good about acknowledging each other, I also just bowed my head slightly in greeting.
I set the coffee and finger foods on the table, then retreated to the counter and quietly sat in one spot listening to the conversation between Cha Jeonghan and the reporter. I wasn’t trying to listen, but the only sounds existing in this place were their two voices, so I had no choice. I wanted to go into my room, but I couldn’t since I didn’t know when they might look for me, so I just kept pressing down the coffee grounds with a fork for no reason.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a seat directly visible from the counter, so I could be a bit more comfortable. I couldn’t see his face, but at Cha Jeonghan’s voice that kept coming, I found myself looking toward where the sound was coming from. Until the interview progressed and ended, I faced that sound the entire time.
Thank you for your hard work. My mind snapped alert at the reporter’s voice ringing through the cafe, and I got up from my seat. Soon the reporter who approached the counter extended her hand to me again. I shook that hand and smiled, relaxing my face that must have stiffened.
“Thank you so much for today. The photos came out so well too, and it was so good that it makes me think all that chaos this morning was so we’d come here.”
“I’m glad you liked it. I’ll definitely check it out when the interview comes out.”
“Yes, thank you so much. Can I contact you again next time if there’s an opportunity?”
“Of course.”
Only after exchanging greetings once more with the staff who were packing up their equipment did the inside of the cafe become quiet. I watched Cha Jeonghan greeting the reporter outside and coming back in.
“…What is this, really?”
“You said you needed a location. I didn’t want to go to that newspaper building. There are reporters I don’t like there, and when I did an interview there before, it was really terrible. That’s why I recommended here. They get a good location setup, and I get to see you right after it’s done.”
“You should have at least told me in advance. I was surprised. You said you were coming.”
“I’m sorry.”
“…….”
“Don’t be angry, I was wrong. I’ll tell you everything from now on.”
Cha Jeonghan stretched his arm inside the counter and lightly grasped my fingers. The moment we touched, a tingling sensation shot all the way up to my shoulder, so I quickly pulled my hand away, and Cha Jeonghan stared intently at my fingertips that had slipped away.
“…….”
“…….”
I didn’t know why looking at my fingertips was so embarrassing, but it felt strange like showing something naked, so when I curled my fingertips, Cha Jeonghan’s gaze rose to my face. Cha Jeonghan came inside the counter while maintaining eye contact with me.
“Why, why are you coming in…?”
“If we’re just friends, I shouldn’t even want to kiss you, right?”
“…….”
“But when I see you, I want to.”
“…Are you crazy?”
“I’ll think about that later.”
Just like that, Cha Jeonghan cupped my face with one hand and tilted his head. I saw Dongyun hyung approaching while answering a phone call over his shoulder, so I quickly grabbed his arm and pulled it down below the counter. Cha Jeonghan, who ended up crouching down and hiding without knowing why, looked up at me. Fortunately, Dongyun hyung seemed not to have seen this situation as he was looking elsewhere while on the phone.
“Yeah, I’ll call back. Yeah. See you.”
Dongyun hyung, who came in while hanging up the phone, approached me with a pleased face. I smiled at hyung while unable to do anything about Cha Jeonghan whom I could feel touching my leg.
“Hyung, you’re here?”
“Yeah. It’s been a while. Have you been well? You seem to have lost a bit of weight.”
“…I’ve been well. Have you had dinner?”
“Yeah, I ate something simple. But where’s Jeonghan?”
“…Huh? Ah…. Jeonghan is….”
A light flashed from below. I glanced down to check on Cha Jeonghan looking at his phone below. While I was wondering what to say to hyung, a vibration went off from where Dongyun hyung was.
“Ah, this guy slipped away again. He says he’s leaving work because something suddenly came up. He’s not going to get drunk again and come looking for Yuhyeon-ssi, is he?”
“…No way. He promised me last time. He said he won’t drink like that again.”
Cha Jeonghan raised his hand and pulled on the apron knot tied at my waist. What had been wrapped quite firmly around my waist came loose weakly and passed into Cha Jeonghan’s hand. Just having one apron that was draped over my clothes removed made me feel like all my clothes had been stripped off, my ears burning hot.
“Well, that’s a relief then. Ah, they say the coffee here is delicious. Give me one of those hazelnut lattes.”
“Ah… yes!”
I quickly stopped hyung from taking out his card and heated the milk. Cha Jeonghan looked at me while making gestures like his legs hurt, patting his knees. I concentrated as much as possible to make the latte and handed it to Dongyun hyung.
