The Art of Falling in Love with a Star

Although irritated on being half-awake, I still managed to hear how my phone kept on ringing as if the call itself was the thing that served as my alarm clock.

"Dear, phone. Stop it! What are you, a rooster?" I groaned.

I let it ring for a few more seconds, not even caring if the call was essential or not.

With my eyes barely open, I scratched my head with annoyance as I tried to double-click the side button of my phone to decline the call totally. It was just a simple matter of double-clicking the button, but my weak morning thumb finger felt numb as I tried to locate the specific button. I couldn't see it clearly, but I relied on my sense of touch, which wasn't helpful at all, unfortunately.

"Don't call me on my day off!" I whimpered. "Oh, got you!" I exclaimed when I succeeded in clicking the button.

People should consider that the person they're calling cannot always answer their calls right away. Some receivers would just stare at the call to stall time, listen to the ringtone they used, or they're just feeling lazy on their day-offs even to answer a call-like me. I went back to burying my face on the top of my low wooden table, with my forehead resting on my right arm.

Everything felt peaceful for me as the winter season was approaching; the peaceful quietness, the breezy air coming inside through my double-hung window-which I intentionally left opened last night-and the sound of the birds chirping. Do mornings usually have this kind of ambiance? Or am I just too busy to even notice these little things?

I was about to fall asleep again when my phone rang once more suddenly.

"Stop calling me," I groaned again, not even bothering to check the caller's name.

Can this person stop calling or something? Feeling more irritated than I was earlier, I checked the caller's name this time. My best friend's name-Kayla- appeared on the screen.

"Ha-ha, it's Kayla." I faked a laugh, realizing how much frustration I had earlier.

I put her in a loudspeaker mode and rested my head again on the table. The line was silent; a wave of weird, airy noises were the only ones I could hear.

"Hello? Kayla, are you there?" I asked with a raspy voice.

A few seconds later, Kayla's loud voice immediately greeted me without even warning. God, Kayla's voice is something.

"Misty!" she exclaimed. "What were you doing? Why weren't you answering my calls? Is everything alright? Don't tell me you went out partying last night!" she recited continuously, not even giving me the time to answer.

"Uh, good morning?" I couldn't think of what to say to her.

"Seems like a perfect morning for someone who's probably still tucked in her bed because she forgot our supposed-to-be early morning schedule today," Kayla ranted.

"Kayla, what are you talking about? Please enlighten me."

"Really, Misty? You might as well check your calendar. You never forget important schedules!"

I had no idea of what Kayla was talking about. Nothing was written on my calendar, not even going to the grocery store or to the public library. There was nothing to be done today except to rest and have a movie marathon as far as I could remember. Like, a real day-off.

"Kayla, could you please speak softly? It's so early for your loud speeches," I responded with a yawn.

"What do you mean so early? And, for real? You actually forgot?"

"Whatever it is, I think?

"Misty Brooke, get up! It's 10 a.m.!" Kayla answered.

"What?" I was still puzzled.

"Uhm, recipe tasting at my cafe?

When she mentioned that, I felt like a bunch of rocks-igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks of all sorts-were intensely thrown at me, abundant enough to make sure I would wake up from my sleepiness and confusion. I screamed and immediately and quickly ran to my bathroom, remembering what Kayla and I had talked about.

"Jeez. Kayla, I'm sorry. I forgot to set my alarm last night. I fell asleep in my living room again," I said while looking for my toothbrush.

The thing was, I was supposed to meet Kayla an hour ago at her cafe, which is located three buildings away from my condominium unit. It's not that far from my place, and I think Kayla chose the best location. Well, that's for my case since I often go there for the walnut pie and lemon tea or, sometimes, medium-sized iced americano-my favorite ones at her cafe. When you're a developmental editor of a publishing house, you need to have sufficient energy in your body. With that being said, you should allow yourself to eat delicious foods sometimes. And don't forget to be caffeinated sometimes too.

Kayla requested me to come over and help taste her new food and beverage recipes that she was experimenting with these days. It's Sunday, so I don't mind helping her. The problem was I slept late last night because I was working on a lengthy manuscript, and so I forgot about setting the alarm. My dedication to finish the manuscript that I was working on the previous night was on fire.

I heard Kayla laugh on the other line. "You don't need to rush! I'm only halfway to finishing the recipes. You see, there were lots of customers here earlier. They seemed to be some fangirls or something. I heard they saw some idol groups going this way. Ugh, this tastes so sour," she exclaimed in the other line. "Anyway, please grab lunch on the way! You'll be walking, right?" Kayla queried.

Thank God Kayla is so nice.

"Yes, of course! Sure, what do you want?" I asked while brushing my hair. "Send me a message. I'm going to take a bath now," I told her and put my phone on the vanity.

"Kimchi jjigae at Ahjumma's Plate! You'll see it on the way," Kayla exclaimed happily, and then, there was a beep sound. She ended the call, so I went inside the bathtub.

It's misty and cozy outside, so I prepared a tepid bubble bath with a lavender scent. I didn't plan on washing my hair, so I just soaked in the bathtub for about ten minutes, scrubbed my body, cleaned, and rushed to my room. Considering how it's just another ordinary day, I decided to wear a long-sleeve, white shirt with a bit of print and straight boyfriend denim jeans. I just put on a little aloe vera-scented sunscreen on my face and an orange lip tint, as I don't wear makeup on my day off. I finished my look by making my hair into a simple ponytail. I then put my eyeglasses back and wore my white Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers.

"Now, this feels comfortable!" I exclaimed while stomping my feet as I felt my sneakers' soft cushion inside them.

I heard a Kakao Talk message notification sound as I put my sling bag on me. It was Kayla. She just sent the list of the foods she wants.

"Ice Cream on this cold air? Doesn't she have this at her cafe?" I hissed to myself.

I locked my door and put the key inside my bag. When I turned around after closing my door, my eyes immediately caught the attention of a black floor mat placed in front of Unit 805.

"Well, that's new. Is there a new owner of this unit?"

Being the curious person I am, I stepped on the floor mat and leaned my ear on the door. Oh, I think there's no inside at the moment, though!

"Whatever! I'm going to be late just even more," I exclaimed and rushed to the elevator.

*****

Breezy air greeted me when I arrived outside the building. It wasn't sunny or cloudy, just a perfect cold day, implying how the winter season is fast approaching. But it was kind of unusual, though. The weather forecaster reported that heavy rains would occur in a few weeks. I'd like that-I like rainy days. Reviewing and editing manuscripts during such cold days makes me feel more comfortable. And a nice cup of tea would be so helpful to be more productive, especially deadlines are waiting for you.

I started walking on the side of the road, following Naver map's direction to the place Kayla said so that I could buy our lunch. Many vehicles were already on the street. There were also people walking like me along the side roads.

Walking in front of me was a man in his black suit, which he probably bought from a high-end clothing store, seeing how sleek the fabric color looked. He had his phone on his ears, saying business terms I am very much not familiar with. There was also a group of teenagers wearing bright and colorful outfits and hairstyles. It seemed like they were out to record something for their school. Oh, school days.

A few minutes passed, I arrived at Ahjumma's Plate. A pleasant staff greeted me the moment I stepped inside. It was my first time coming to this restaurant. It's just a tiny restaurant, but there are plenty of customers. Oh, the foods here must be so delicious. Why did Kayla never take me here before?

"Hi! Good morning," I greeted the staff at the counter. "two kimchi jjigae, four pancakes, and one box of mandu for take-out, please," I denoted, observing what the surrounding from the counter's view looked like. There were tall indoor plants placed beside the windows with lace curtains slightly blocking the sunlight coming inside the restaurant. The tables and chairs are wooden made. Also, the other designs and furniture are old-looking but still very pleasant to the eyes.

I finished placing my order, so I sat down on the chair close to the counter itself.

I didn't order a lot of foods like Kayla and I would usually do whenever we spent time together in a restaurant. I realized I still needed to save space in my stomach since I'll be tasting her new recipes. I quite didn't understand Kayla when she talked to me about this plan of her. I mean, I'm not even a chef, nor do I cook deliciously often. Now, she asked for help as if I were some food critique. I could never say no to her, though.

"Girl, have you seen the news on Twitter right now?" I heard the lady in pink near me ask the other lady with her.

"Ah! Evan Park! A new album is coming!" the other lady responded with excitement, though it sounded like she was sure.

"Yes! I am looking forward to it. His last album was so amazing it even ranked top on different charts worldwide!"

"Oh, Evan Park, the producer behind most of the popular groups currently active right now, but still manages to make breathtaking music of his own."

"I could listen to him all day!" the lady in pink added.

"Is it true? Will he be releasing a full album this time?"

"Yes! Look, I hear it will be about 12 songs!"

The lady in pink showed her phone to the other lady.

"Whoa, I'm certain it will be yet another no-skip album!"

"Definitely! I couldn't agree more! Oh, he's such a great artist!"

The two ladies clapped their hands against each other, like two teenagers seeing their crushes play basketball or any sport during their school's sports day. Phew, silly. I couldn't even remember the last time my heart fluttered.

"Such heavenly voice he has," one of them reckoned again. "Thank God he also shares the demo songs he produces for other groups!"

Because I was curious, I checked my Twitter for a while and noticed a trending topic with lots of engagement from different people. An article about a music producer was under the Music topic. I read some of the replies, and I could say that they were excited and happy seeing the topic. I couldn't understand the excitement, though. I had no idea what was the talks all about because I hadn't heard of him before.

"Number 5, here's your order. Thank you so much," the staff informed me. I took the paper bags-which weren't that heavy, by the way- and started walking, with my eyes still fixed on my phone, trying to read some more of the replies on the topic I saw earlier in the hopes that I could understand the trend.

"What is that excitement all about-Ah!"

Unbeknownst to me, my forehead bumped into someone's palm. I realized I had almost hit the glass door. When I slowly looked up, I caught only a glimpse of a man's face as the sunlight blocked my sight for a while, making it hard for me to see his face. Add to the fact that he was wearing a black face mask.

"Careful, Miss. You don't wanna hit your face on this glass door," he said so firmly and removed his palm away from my forehead.

Although he had his mask on, I noticed that there was a little irritation in his voice when he spoke. By the way, he smelled nice. His perfume was aqua-scented.

"So clumsy of me. Thank-" I wasn't even done talking yet, but the man immediately walked away and left me there in front of the glass door, so I quickly tried following him.

Eh? What's with him?

"Hey! I was trying to thank you! You're kind of rude???" I uttered loud enough for him to hear as he walked towards the counter. Looking at his posture, I could feel him smirking at me as if he disagreed with what I had just said about him.

He stopped walking, his back still facing me.

I refrained from walking as well.

"Rude for a man who saved a pretty face from getting hit on a thick glass door? Alright, you're welcome!" he reckoned, not even looking at me, and continued walking.

Me? Pretty?

"Now is not a proper time to flirt, Mister," I denoted.

"What?" The man scoffed and faced me. "Flirt? Did you actually think I was flirting with you or something?" He laughed.

"Weren't you? You said I was pretty."

"Did I?"

"Uhm, yes?"

"Sure you are, but I wasn't flirting with you. It was a compliment. Bye," he reckoned and walked away.

Why was he so serious? I was only joking with him. LOL.

Oh, my day is not going to be fine. I could feel it.

As irritated as I was because of the man I interacted with earlier, it still didn't hinder me from being excited about helping Kayla out.

Usually, I would have smacked the person getting the nerve out of me in that kind of the same situation, especially if I didn't do anything weird or if that person offended me. There was something about that man. Maybe it was his towering height that took me taken aback. Or perhaps, his eyes.

Contemplating about a man, a stranger that I got into a petty discussion with, was something that didn't need a further argument. Still, my puzzling mind couldn't stop thinking how awkward the situation was between the two of us. And how silly of me to joke about him flirting when he wasn't. God, I was pretty stunned. I better not see that man again.

When I entered Kayla's cafe, there were only a few customers-almost countable-and yet, the ambience the cafe was giving off was so serene enough to calm me down. I could already smell the freshly-baked pastries Kayla made. Oh, delicious scent!

I walked towards the counter and saw Lily-one of Kayla's staff-who immediately greeted me with her cheery smile.

"You better play some jazz music, Lily. The weather would agree with me," I chimed in and clapped hands with her.

Lily laughed. She's younger than Kayla and me, but she's like one of my friends here, aside from Kayla. Lily works part-time here while taking up a Literature degree in university. I often help and advise her with her papers, especially if she's having difficulty understanding them. I can't say I have the best proficiency in Literature, even though I am a developmental editor, but I'm pretty good at it.

"You got it, Ms. Misty!" Lily happily responded and changed the music into a mellow winter song. I liked it.

"Now that's better!"

"Do you have anything to order, Ms. Misty? I should probably take it now before I leave for my next class," Lily asked and started wiping her hands with a clean cloth.

"No worries. You better run now!"

"Thank you. And, oh, the result of the reflection paper you helped me with last time was amazing! My professor loved it!" Lily exclaimed and clapped her hands.

"That's good to know." I smiled at her. "Now, off you go. I'll tell Kayla."

"Have a nice day, Ms. Misty!"

When Lily opened the glass door, I noticed a minor situation happening outside. Many girls were running and screaming excitedly, with their massive cameras of different brands hanging on their shoulders. Just how big those cameras were? Like, how are they able to carry such big cameras? In addition, I couldn't properly hear what the commotion was all about, so I just ignored it and went to the kitchen to find Kayla.

"Misty!" Kayla shouted the moment she saw me.

I observed her kitchen and saw her baking stuff spread all over-various pans laid on the table; fresh berries, like raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry; the perfect rolled dough resting, measurement caps, and a lot more.

"What took you so long? I'm famished," she groaned and eyed the plastic bags I was carrying, implying that I should start setting the foods.

"Nothing. Just got into a petty argument with a strange man from Ahjumma's Plate."

"A man?" Kayla instantly stopped the thing she was doing and faced me. "How was he? Was he handsome? Tall?"

"Did you really have to ask that?"

"Yes, so you could start dating already. You know, I'm tired of being your cupid! You're always neglecting the dates I'm setting up for you!" she groaned.

"Nobody asked you to do that," I chuckled. "Anyway, look at the mess that we have here. How's everything going so far? What was that bad thing you were talking about on the phone earlier?" I changed the topic, so Kayla would stop her dating arguments with me.

"Ah, this blueberry pie! I don't have berry pies on my menu yet, so I thought of blueberries. But then, strawberries taste better for me. I mean, strawberry-flavoured smoothies are so good! So, strawberry pies would taste great too! And I think blackberries and raspberries taste amazing too. I don't know what to choose now," Kayla clarified while stirring her mixture inside a stainless bowl which made me lost for a while. She was panicking.

"Kayla, calm down. What if you make them all and just try whether or not your customers would love them? I mean, you're thinking of expanding. But for me, you don't even need to test them out, anyway. Your pastries are tasty and people love them. So might as well put all these kinds of berry pies on your menu? What do you think?"

"Well, that sounds like a more concrete plan than just having one additional pie."

"Yup, definitely! If they make a great sale, then don't remove them."

"Alright! Your idea better work or I might set you up with another date!" Kayla yelled at me before cutting the pie she had already made. She then shoved a bit of it into my mouth.

"Oh, my gosh, Kayla!" Your blueberry pie tastes so good!" I mumbled in excitement while munching the soft but crunchy crust of the pie. "I'm bad at differentiating berries, so what's this one?" I asked Kayla when I tasted the combination of sourness and sweetness of her pie. But even so, it tasted so good.

"That one is blueberry! Is it really good? I remember when I tried making this before, it didn't work out the way I wanted it to be, but I guess, my baking skill improved!" Kayla exclaimed with a smile on her face.

Kayla looked happy. Ever since middle school, she dreamed of becoming a successful baker. She was the president of the school's baking club, and their pastries were always so popular among kids and even teachers. Kayla would bake her signature citrus tart during school fairs, which was my favourite back then.

"It's absolutely delicious, Kayla," I giggled with excitement.

"So, what do you think? Should I add this to the menu, then?" Kayla asked.

"Yup, definitely!" I said and took another slice from the pan. "I never liked berries before, but you made this so tasty! I feel like, you just made me a blueberry fan."

"You are so dramatic, Misty! It's just a simple pie!"

Kayla shouted and softly slapped my arm. She likes being complimented.

I sat on the stool chair placed beside the table and watched Kayla's every move as she started cleaning the mess she created on the table. Thirty minutes had passed before we finished tasting all of the recipes Kayla did, with chit-chats in between. Kayla did not disappoint me, though. I'm not a professional baker like her, but I trusted my taste buds, especially for sweetness, so I was confident about it. I informed Kayla that she should add all these new recipes she made to the menu.

We both were so full that we almost forgot the foods I ordered from Ahjumma's Plate. But then, we thought it would be a waste if we wouldn't eat the foods now.

"How's everything going with the intriguing manuscript you were talking about last time? Did your senior developmental editor approve or accept your suggestions?" Kayla asked and clasped her arms with mine, suggesting that we go outside the kitchen.

"Well, no. Ms. Rose told me that I should just focus on the manuscript that was assigned to me," I scowled with frustration. "Do you know what she told me?"

"Don't be such a nuisance, Ms. Brooke?" Kayla reckoned but sounded like a question.

"Very funny, Kayla," I scoffed, rolling my eyes at her. "But you were close!"

"So what did she say this time, then?"

"She plainly told me, 'Ms. Brooke, do me a favour and just focus on the manuscript assigned to you, would you, please? Or else, you would cause trouble because that is not the type you usually work with. I mean, you're more on sad endings,' I exclaimed with my hands on my waist, imitating Ms. Rose's high-pitched voice.

"Well, she's right," Kayla said.

"What?"

"Forget her for a while! Let's go outside and eat," Kayla ranted and took the paper bags.

Maybe, I'm still hungry, after all.

*****

We went outside the kitchen and sat near the window for a good view. The mist on the outside glass seemed to be getting thicker, but it amazed me how pretty it still looked. Inside the cafe, pieces of jazz music were still playing-the playlist Lily chose. There were busy customers, but the surroundings remained peaceful. I quickly arranged the food I ordered on the table.

"I understand, Ms. Rose, but I kind of did not particularly agree with the storyline. I mean, why would a wise lady easily give up her relationship with the man she loves, when she could've stayed and supported him in the process. Like, if you truly loved a person, you're also willing to take risks, while making sure both of you grow. I mean, in a relationship, both parties must support each other, right? There must be a genuine reassurance between the partners," I growled, stabbing the mandu with the chopsticks.

"Girl, calm down. It's just fiction," Kayla responded. "And you sounded like you've gone through that when you never had a relationship before. Makes me laugh," she chuckled.

"Ha-ha." I faked a laugh. "Nevermind. Can I get a hot chocolate? I'll pay! I feel like my stomach is so cold," I uttered, still a little frustrated.

"Yeah, sure. Just tell Dean. He's the one on shift right now," she said.

I stood up and walked towards the counter while checking my wallet for my card. I couldn't find it. Where did I even place it?

"Dear card, where are-Ah!"

Someone so strong directly bumped into me, so strong that I almost lost my momentum. I didn't even realize that we had fallen on the floor; that person was slightly on top of me. I felt that some of his iced coffee had spilled on me, too. Ouch, my elbow hurt so much. Not to mention how sticky the drink was.

"Dang it! My eyeglasses!" I shouted, which made the person stand up.

I couldn't see the person correctly, but I started looking for my eyeglasses.

"I'm sorry, Miss."

Wait, I know that voice.

There was a touch on my right hand, and with that, I felt my eyeglasses on my open palm. When I wore my eyeglasses back, I saw a man wearing all black from head to toe, kneeling in front of me, a man who seemed kind of familiar because of the scent his perfume was giving off.

Oh, my eyesight must be joking with me right now.

Out of all places...

Him.

Again.

"You again?!!!" I raged, realizing that he was the same rude, slash helpful man from Ahjumma's Plate.

Why did fate let us meet again?

"Well met, Miss Forehead," he taunted with a whoop of a chuckle.

"Hey, Mister! You really are flirting with me, aren't you?"

We both stood up.

"What? Why would I do that? Give me a reason," he uttered, looking straight into me.

"You said I was pretty. That's a start for everything!" I joked.

I noticed the corner of his lips go up like he was refraining from smiling.

"Nonsense. Here." He took out a small blue cloth and was about to wipe my wet shirt when he realized that it wasn't the best thing to do. He immediately just gave the fabric to me, bowed his head for an apology, and scratched his nape.

Oh, he looked shy.

"It's alright. I'm fine," I assured the man and started wiping my wet and sticky arms. "Oh, no. I've got no extra shirt with me," I said with worry in the tone of my voice, just as Kayla approached us.

"Misty, what happened? Who is he?" Kayla asked and elbowed me while looking at the tall man standing before us.

"It was me. I was rushing and didn't see anyone walking towards the counter. I'm sorry, I didn't mean it," the man explained as he was getting arrested. I couldn't see his face because he was still wearing a face mask, but I could feel that he was getting nervous.

"It's really alright, but I kind of need to get a clean shirt. Do you have an extra shirt?" I directed to Kayla, but she just smiled creepily. I gave her a frown as a sign that I immediately understood her. Kayla had no extra shirt.

"Uhm, here. Take this," the man said while checking for something in his backpack. "I have a clean t-shirt here, but it's huge on you, for sure." He offered.

Kayla and I exchanged a few glances at each other before I took the t-shirt.

"Thank you. I will wash it later and give it back to you," I said.

"No, keep it. It was my mistake," the man reckoned.

"You also don't know how to return it to him, anyway," Kayla said with a bit of laughter on her face. I know that giggle.

I elbowed her. "Thank you," I said sincerely to the man and smiled at him.

"I gotta go now. I'm sorry again," the man uttered and turned his back on us.

"Wait! Don't you wanna replace your drink?" Kayla asked him.

"Ah, yes, please," he answered back.

He and Kayla walked together towards the counter while I was following them. I looked at the man with great curiosity, realizing the sudden change of attitude compared to earlier. His broad shoulders immediately caught my attention. It seemed so wide; it must be about 54 cm or so. Anyhow, he looked attractive with the simple clothes he was wearing.

"So, you're just gonna stare at him?"

"Jesus, Kayla!" I yelled when Kayla's face suddenly appeared in front of mine.

She snapped her fingers at me.

"The man will melt, Misty! Go change your clothes," she ordered.

When I arrived at the bathroom, I fixed my messy hair first and removed my shirt, opened the faucet, and carefully splashed my arms and chest with water. There was no available towel inside, so I took some tissue paper and patted and dried myself before putting on the man's oversize t-shirt.

Wow, it's enormous. I think that man is around 183-185 cm from what I observed. His t-shirt looked knee-length on me, so I tied the corner of it at about my hip level.

"I should go back outside," I said to myself while picking up my stained shirt.

Kayla and I haven't eaten lunch yet since I arrived at her cafe 30 minutes ago.

When I opened the bathroom door, the man was still outside, which shocked me.

"Hi," he suddenly greeted me, which shocked me for a few seconds.

"Oh, it's still you. So you haven't left yet," I awkwardly denoted.

Well, he stayed. What is he still doing here?

"Here." He was taking out another shirt. "Take this. It's a cardigan," he said with an eye smile. He was still wearing a face mask, but his eyes' shape was like the crescent moon.

I was a little confused. "For what?" You already lent me your t-shirt. I'm good now," I assured him and intended to walk back to our table, but he slightly grabbed my wrist and put his beige-coloured cardigan in my hands.

"And I'm sorry if I was rude earlier at the restaurant," he said 'rude' with a bit of emphasis, purposely trying to tease me about the minor incident we had. "I was in a bad mood."

"Uhm, okay? So? Why are you even telling me the state of your mood?"

"Nothing. Should we just flirt, then?" the man giggled.

I felt like my heart was jumping.

Not that again.

I was frozen for a few seconds.

"See you around, Miss Forehead," he uttered and made his way to the door.

"Nope."

"Wear the cardigan."

"Why? It's not that cold."

"It's a little cold and misty outside," he stated sincerely with a soft voice.

There was a strange pinch on my heart for about a second.

Thanks to Kayla, I got to eat tasty berry pies for free today.

"Make sure to add that blueberry pie! That's my favourite among all the berry pies you made today. Alright, I'll hang up now," I told Kayla on the other line.

"Misty, you told me that for so many times now," she said.

"I know. I'm just so excited for you. Your customers will love your berry pies!"

"Okay, okay. The next time you visit my cafe, you'll see the berry pies on the menu already. You're gonna have to pay next time!"

"Hey, I'm always paying you." I laughed, knowing that Kayla was only kidding.

"Anyway, Misty. Gotta go now, my boyfriend is here."

Kayla hung up the call.

I arrived back at my unit at almost 9:00 pm. After all the tastings earlier, Kayla finally agreed with me to add all the berry pies she worked on because she wanted something new to her menu. She informed me she'd be working on making other smoothies, milkshakes, and coffee flavours on her menu next. If her customers like her new menu, Kayla will probably work on adding fresh pastries as well, especially improving the flavours of her macarons. I requested that she add white chocolate, pistachio, salted caramel, peanut butter, and red velvet-flavoured macarons.

Eventually, Kayla's cafe needed a little bit of refreshing new pastries to make her place brighter. Her cafe has been in operation for around five years now, and it is still getting better and better. After trials and errors in balancing the flavours, Kayla finally perfected making berry pies today. Kayla is a kind of a perfectionist when it comes to baking. And I could never be great as her when it comes to that profession.

"Ah! The blueberry pie was so delicious! I like it better than the raspberry one," I exclaimed and stretched my arms up. "I feel so stuffed. I feel like I won't be able to eat another bite! What a day of"-I suddenly remembered the man from earlier-"embarrassment."

I slapped my forehead, jumped on the sofa, and covered my face with a pillow.

"It was so embarrassing. What did I even tell him that he was rude and joke that he was flirting with me?"

Well, I was pretty reasonable, though. I was trying to thank that man, but he left abruptly. I don't mind getting my forehead hit on a glass door, anyway, but still, it was kind of him to save my forehead. After that, however, the man got some attitude. He's got a little annoying attitude.

"But he was also nice? He could've not lent his shirt to me." Of course, I talked to myself continuously, not waiting for the breezy air coming inside to answer me.

Misty, don't think about him! He's not worthy of your time.

I lay on the sofa and stared at the white ceiling for a few minutes.

"Oh, it's cold," I uttered to myself, feeling tired.

With tiredness starting to crust me, I closed my eyes for a bit. The man's clothes smelled good. I ran my hands on the clothes and appreciated how soft they were. Looking at how delicate the fabric is, these clothes must be expensive. I could never buy such expensive clothes.

There was a thought in my mind that I should get this shirt back to him. But there's no way I could get that done. I didn't even ask his name. Where else could I locate him? So, although there was no way to get these back to him, I still should wash and carry them inside my bag whenever I go out.

Then, perhaps, we'll bump into each other again.

Ding.

Here we go again, an email notification. "Ms. Rose, please, it's Sunday!"

And I was right! An email. I opened the notification and instantly saw a long email from Ms. Rose. Did I already mention that she's our senior developmental editor? But the specific, horrifying one that indeed got my attention was the last part of her message: Submission in three days, Ms. Brooke. Dang! I suddenly remembered I still had 20 pages left to check, review, and edit in the manuscript that I was assigned. I removed my eyeglasses and put them on the table. I then walked into my bathroom to clean myself. When I removed the clothes I was wearing, I remembered him again. Will I be able to see him again and return his clothes? Ah, forget that.

Just forget him, Misty. Why even think of him?

Perhaps, I was too stunned by his aura.

"Uhm, well, his eye smile was kind of cute," I unknowingly uttered.

What did I say?

"Ah! So cold!" The water woke the hell out of me.

Unfortunately, I forgot to turn on the heater, and it was freezing. I felt like I was a Popsicle inside a freezer that's only waiting to be devoured by a kid whining his mom to give him a Popsicle. So I showered quickly and went to my bedroom to look for my laptop charger.

"Found you!" I exclaimed when I grabbed my charger.

I rushed back to the living room and started charging my laptop first. Then, since the temperature was colder, I poured myself a cup of hot cinnamon tea and some biscuits, nearing its expiration date. That will do it. Even so, cold weather like this makes me want to tuck in my bed and have a marathon of The Big Bang Theory, or perhaps, old documentaries. Whatever there is that might be perfect for this freezing night. But The Big Bang Theory is my favourite, so I'll go with that.

"Well, I was wrong. I can perfectly eat more," I reckoned after taking a bit of the biscuit, realizing I needed some energy to continue working.

I headed back to the living room and scrolled on Twitter for a little bit because my laptop was still charging, anyway. My mind was all over. Add to the fact that my head was abruptly hurting. I'd probably choose to sleep. On times like this, I'd find myself strolling in the hallways of a bookstore, feeling and smelling every bit of the books placed on the shelves-sweet and musky smell that automatically wafts into a book lover's, well, like me, nose. I like how it would linger in my nose for a moment.

But I'm just so tired and lazy to go; especially there's a manuscript waiting for me.

"Oh, if only I didn't meet that man!" I groaned again.

Ultimately, I saw something amusing on Twitter.

"Oh, it's this article again. The music topic from earlier?" I remarked upon seeing the same topic on Twitter the two ladies at Ahjumma's Plate were babbling about.

The engagements under the topic seemed to have increased more, and it got me even more confused and interested in the discussion under the topic.

I read the replies under the music topic.

'OMG! You guys, a new album coming up! How excited are you?'

.'

'The feeling is nerve-wracking! It's always like this whenever Evan Park releases an album.'

'I listen to all his previous albums and even song covers. He's amazing.'

'Very amazing! Even my parents like him!'

'Evan Park is so funny. Once, he fell off his chair while eating a pizza. It was so funny that we made fun of him for over a week! No one could move on."

'Indeed, he is. Nevertheless, he's so talented and has the nicest personality ever.'

Evan Park. Why are people crazy about you?

*****