We meet again

By lunchtime, Hana was mentally drained but relieved to have survived the critique. She sat with her classmates in the bustling cafeteria, picking at her bowl of bibimbap while they chatted about their projects.

"Yah, Hana," Minji said, leaning in with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I heard you went to Lumina's concert last night. Is that true?"

Hana paused mid-bite, her chopsticks hovering in the air. She slowly turned her head toward Minji, her brows furrowing. "Who told you that?"

Minji glanced at Jihoon, her grin widening. "Someone said they saw you outside the venue after the concert. So, care to explain?"

Hana sighed through her nose, dropping her chopsticks onto her tray with a soft clatter. She leaned back in her seat, her lips twitching in frustration before she rolled her eyes in one long, theatrical motion.

Her shoulders slumped as she let out a drawn-out groan. "Jinjja? You're going to believe that? I wasn't there for the concert, okay? Soojin practically dragged me along. You all know how she is."

Jihoon smirked, clearly enjoying her irritation. "So you're saying you went. Technically, we're not wrong."

Hana shot him a glare, her mouth twitching. "Aigoo, are you seriously this bored? Yes, I was there. No, I didn't enjoy it. Happy now?"

Minji leaned her chin into her hand, grinning wider. "But it must've been interesting, right? Seeing them live? All those flashy costumes and performances…"

Hana opened her mouth to retort but froze for a moment. The memory of Kai flashed unbidden in her mind— his sharp gaze, the way he commanded the stage. Her heart did an annoying little flutter that she quickly stomped down.

"Interesting?" She scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder in mock exasperation. "Yeah, if you consider being shoved in a sea of screaming fans interesting. I thought I was going to die before the first song was over."

Minji and Jihoon burst into laughter, but their teasing wasn't over yet. Before they could fire another question, a shrill alarm cut through the chatter, and Hana's phone vibrated against the table. She snatched it up, her eyes widening as she saw the time.

"Oh no," She yelped, shooting to her feet as the chair made a scrambling sound on the floor. "I have to go." she added, her bag swinging wildly as she threw it over her shoulder.

"Where are you running off to now?" Minji asked, startled by her sudden urgency.

"I've to get to work!" Hana called over her shoulder, stuffing her phone into her pocket as she rushed toward the exit.

"But we're meeting Professor Kang before leaving!" Jihoon shouted after her, standing halfway up from his seat.

Hana waved a hand dismissively without looking back. "Mianhae! Just make an excuse for me!"

"Yah, Hana! Seriously!" Minji yelled, but Hana was already out the door, her hurried footsteps echoing down the hallway as the cafeteria chatter filled the space behind her.

The streets of Seoul buzzed with life as Hana rushed through the crowded sidewalks, her phone pressed tightly to her ear. The voices of vendors calling out, car horns blaring, and the hum of city life blurred together as she dodged pedestrians.

"Soojin, where are you?" she demanded, her voice sharp with urgency.

"I'm on my way!" Soojin's voice crackled over the line, the faint hum of her car's engine in the background. "I'll be there soon. Just hang tight!"

"Soojin, jalmot haejimayo! (Don't mess this up!) I can't be late again. My manager—"

A sudden gasp interrupted her.

"Yah, Soojin? What happened?" Hana's heart skipped a beat as she heard the faint screech of tires and the unmistakable sound of a car coming to a sudden stop.

There was silence on the other end, followed by a short, panicked exhale.

"Soojin! What's going on? Gwaenchanha? (Are you okay?)"

Before Soojin could answer, the call disconnected.

"Soojin!" Hana shouted into the dead line, but there was no response. Her stomach twisted as worry surged through her. Without hesitation, she bolted toward the direction of Soojin's campus, her legs carrying her faster than she thought possible.

---

Soojin sat frozen in her car, her hands clutching the steering wheel as she stared out the windshield. Her chest heaved as she processed what had just happened. A young man lay on the pavement beside his bicycle, his expression dazed but conscious.

"Aigoo," Soojin muttered under her breath, fumbling to unbuckle her seatbelt. She stumbled out of the car, rushing to his side.

"Gwaenchanhayo? (Are you okay?)" she asked, her voice trembling as she crouched down beside him.

The young man, who looked just a year or two older than her, winced as he sat up. "Ne, gwaenchanhayo," he said, his tone calm despite the scrape on his knee. "It's just a small fall. I'm fine."

Soojin bit her lip, her face pale. "Really?Maybe I should take you to the hospital, just in case."

He shook his head firmly, brushing dust off his pants. "Aniyo, no need for that. It's just a scrape. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Soojin asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

Before the young man could answer, a familiar voice cut through the tension. "Yah, Soojin! What happened?"

Soojin turned to see Hana running toward them, her bag bouncing against her side. "What's going on? Are you okay?" Hana asked, her gaze darting between Soojin and the young man.

"He almost fell because of me," Soojin admitted, guilt written all over her face. "I didn't see him in time."

The young man gave a polite smile, brushing off his clothes. "Gwaenchanhayo. I wasn't paying attention either."

Hana crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at Soojin. "Jinjja? You're lucky it wasn't worse. What if he pressed charges?"

Soojin flinched at her tone, looking down at the ground. "I know. I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention…"

"I'm really sorry," Soojin said to the young man, bowing slightly.

The young man smiled faintly, lifting his bike. "It's okay. Just be careful driving next time, okay?"

Hana sighed, shaking her head. "Fine, let's go before we're both late." She tugged on Soojin's sleeve, pulling her toward the car.

As the two climbed into Soojin's car, Hana closed the passenger door with a firm thud. "Drive carefully this time," she warned, buckling her seatbelt.

Soojin nodded meekly, gripping the wheel. "I'll be more careful. I promise."

"You should," Hana said with a pointed look. "Just be thankful that guy wasn't seriously hurt and didn't press charges. This could've gone really badly."

"I understand, Hana," Soojin mumbled, guilt etched across her face.

The car started, merging back into the busy Seoul traffic. Hana leaned back in her seat, the tension in her shoulders finally easing. "Seriously, Soojin, don't ever do something like this again."

Soojin nodded silently, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. As they approached the café where Hana worked, Soojin pulled over to the curb.

Hana unbuckled her seatbelt and gave her friend a look. "Take care. And remember—careful driving!"

Soojin offered a sheepish smile. "Here, safe and sound. I'll make it up to you later!"

Hana rolled her eyes but couldn't help the faint smile tugging at her lips as she closed the door. Soojin drove off, leaving Hana shaking her head and rushing into the café.

·

·

·

Hana adjusted her café cap as she stepped behind the counter, smoothing the apron over her simple uniform: a beige shirt tucked into dark brown pants, paired with white sneakers.

The café logo was embroidered on the front of the cap, which sat snugly over her loosely tied ponytail. The scent of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods filled the air, mingling with the soft hum of lo-fi music playing in the background.

The café was unusually quiet for the afternoon. Only a couple of customers occupied the tables, sipping their drinks or typing away on laptops. Hana glanced around, appreciating the lull as she began prepping the station for the next round of orders.

"Busy morning?" Jiwon, her coworker, asked, placing a tray of clean mugs onto the shelf beside her.

"A little hectic," Hana replied with a wry smile. "But nothing I can't handle."

Jiwon laughed. "You say that, but I'm pretty sure you were running in here like your life depended on it."

"That's because it did," Hana retorted playfully, grabbing a rag to wipe the counter. "You don't know how close I was to losing my job after being late again."

Jiwon grinned. "Well, you're here now. Let's hope it stays calm today."

Before Hana could respond, the jingling of the entrance bell drew her attention. She turned toward the door, ready to greet the customer with her usual cheerful tone.

"Welcome to—"

Her words froze mid-sentence as a young man hurried in, his head slightly ducked and a black cap pulled low over his face. His movements were brisk, almost frantic, as he glanced around the café before his eyes landed on the counter.

Without warning, he darted toward Hana and Jiwon, slipping behind the counter with surprising ease.

"Yah! What are you doing?" Hana exclaimed, taking a step back as the man crouched down behind the counter, his body pressed against the shelf.

"Please," he whispered urgently, his tone low but firm. "Just pretend I'm not here."

Jiwon blinked in shock, glancing between the man and Hana. "Who is this guy?" he muttered.

Hana frowned, her brows furrowing as she crouched slightly to look at the stranger. His black cap shielded most of his face, but there was something about his hurried movements and the faint edge of familiarity in his voice that made her uneasy.

"Look, you can't just hide here," Hana hissed, keeping her voice low. "This is a café, not your private hideout."

The man glanced up briefly, his sharp eyes peeking out from beneath the cap. "I'll explain later. Just—please, Please help me for just a moment."

Hana opened her mouth to protest, but before she could say anything more, the café door jingled again.