Chapter 2: Kyu...Kyuhyun!? ~ Elphena
Let's see...Macbook? Check! Notebook and pen? Check! Phone, charger, and earphones? Check!
"Elphena! Let's go!" Liz called.
I zipped my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. Since the next day was officially my first day of work, I'd decided to do a little but of writing to get my creative juices going.
I made my way downstairs and stopped at my friend who twirled her finger to make the ring of keys spin like a car's tire.
"Why are you standing there? I thought you said we're gonna go." I said.
"I know, but I'm thinking of letting you to sit behind the wheel." she smiled.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, plus I'm letting you play your songs this time."
"Sweet!" I laughed.
Ah yes! The satisfaction of being the driver. Sitting behind the silver steering wheel with the meters and buttons all ready under your command. And the best part is...you'll get to be the DJ of the ride. Thanks to the stereo with the handy Bluetooth function.
"Rock your motorcycle buckle on the highway!"
"I still don't get it why on earth do you like this song? It's all just honking of cars and skidding of wheels." Liselle said.
"So what? It's an energetic song!" I smiled, "plus I think it's a perfect driving song, especially when driving on a highway."
"But we're not even on a highway."
"I know." I giggled, "Ah! There it is! I can't believe it!"
I parked the car at an empty spot where the popular "Mom House" hostel and "Deete Espresso" cafe was located.
"Huh, I've never been here before." Liselle said.
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, now that I look at this building, it looks nice."
"The coffee shop is at the first floor while the hostel starts from the second floor to the top."
"Wow..."
I unbuckled my seat belt and grabbed my backpack from the back, "The wheel's all yours now."
"Perfect! Go and have fun writing, kay?" she waved as she gently shooed me out of her car.
A familiar tune was played once I entered through the doors of the cafe.
"oneul bam geudaeran millieonui jogakdeullo
nae gaseum gajang gipeun gose chaeugo chaeugo chaeuo
buseojin nae maeum geudaemani moajuo
i bamui gajang gipeun gose geudaeui bicceuro gadeukhage"
(Tonight you are a million pieces
You fill, fill and fill my heart deeply
You collect my broken heart
Tonight in the most deep place, your light filled me fully) (ilyricsbuzz.com)
His pure, honey sweet voice was a drop of happiness that swelled in my heart. I could just drown in paradise as his gifted vocals traveled to my ears.
The first thing that caught my eye was the Kyuhyun vibe that decorated all over the cafe, from posters on brick walls to countless framed photos and fan made birthday cakes on display. I also couldn't take my eyes off the cute merchandise that were arranged on shelves; unfortunately, I promised myself not to buy myself a gift until I get my first paycheck from my new job.
"Annyeong Haseyo!" a friendly voice called to me. I looked front and saw a woman with warm eyes and short black curls who I assumed to be Kyuhyun's mother.
"Annyeong Haseyo!" I bowed.
My mind immediately flashed to my first Korean lesson with Liselle last night. I never knew that Korean could be so difficult! But thanks to Liselle and her patience, I was able to remember some basic Korean phrases. Besides, it's kind of similar to Japanese, the language I'd learnt back in university.
"Naneun nogcha latte leul hago sipseubnida. (I would like to have an matcha latte, please?)"
I freaked out a little bit because of my not-so-Korean accent. I mean, hello, I'm a Malaysian Chinese who was a university student and now a soon-to-be Creative Writing college instructor.
Still, Mrs. Cho nodded and tapped on the computer screen. The price "4500 won" appeared on the counter machine screen. She continued giving me a friendly smile as I paid for my order and she handed me a loyalty card. Sweet! I can come here whenever I want!
The cafe wasn't as crowded as I expected. I carried my freshly-brewed green tea latte as I made a beeline to a table at a far corner. As I settled down and took out my Macbook from my backpack, a smile crept on my face as my ultimate favourite Super Junior song was played in the background. The groovy bass made me want to sing gibberish like what I did in Liselle's car.
This is love this is love yeorin baramdo
Gil gae pieonan susuhan kkotto
This is love this is love aju jageun ge
Sarangieotdaneun geol alge hae jun neo
(This is love, this is love
The gentle wind, the plain flowers bloomed on the street.
This is love, this is love.
You made me realized love is about the small things.) (colourcodedlyrics.com)
My foot tapped rhythmically on the wooden floor. All I could think of was how great the atmosphere of Kyuhyun's cafe was. It was definitely my go-to place to chill!
Shortly, I heard a couple of girls walking by with a Japanese dialogue coming from their mouths.
"ね！ね！キュヒュンさんはアブダビーですごだったね。(Hey! Hey! Kyuhyun was awesome at Abu Dhabi, right?)" a girl with short bangs and black-rimmed glasses said.
"そうだね！(I know right?)" another girl with waist-length hair smiled.
An idea immediately came to me. That's it! I'm gonna interview those two girls about K-Con at Abu Dhabi! That'll be good scoop for my blog!
I closed my laptop and fished in my bag for my handy notebook and pen. The two girls sat at three table away from mine. I heard them repeating Kyuhyun's name quite a few times with their eyes sparkling with excitement.
"あの…すみません。私はエルフィナです。時間がありますか？(Um..excuse me. I'm Elphena. Do you have time now?)"
The two girls looked at me and nodded in reply. They even let me sit on an extra chair. At first, I thought they wouldn't understand my questions in Japanese, but to my relief, they gave me some pretty decent answers. I could even picture them waving their glow sticks and singing along to Kyuhyun's "A Million Pieces".
"とてもうれしいでした。 (I was very happy)" the girl with the glasses concluded. Her friend nodded in agreement.
"よかった。じゃあ、ありがとうございます！(Great to hear that! Well then, thank you so much!)" I grinned and got up from the chair.
"いいえ! (No problem)" both girls chimed.
I went back to my seat and realized that my green tea latte had gone cold. I drank a few quick sips before starting a new blog post. As I reviewed through my notes from the interview, I wished I were in the two girls' position. I'd always wanted to see Kyuhyun live. It was a pity that Super Junior never had a concert or meetup in Canada before. If there was one, I would do anything to earn that ticket money.
"With the loud screams and the vibrant energy spread all over the venue, there is no doubt that the fans enjoy K-con as much as Kyuhyun did..."
As I finished typing, I found out that I had been in the cafe for two whole hours! Writing definitely killed time! I packed my things and slung the backpack straps on my shoulders. The cafe had gotten more crowded than before. Most of the customers were in high school uniforms and they lounged at almost all of the tables. I waved goodbye to Mrs. Cho who was accompanying an employee at the cashier. She waved back and continued to guide her with the machine. I guess she was training a new girl.
I was about to walk out when suddenly a tall, sleek figure strutted past me and I bumped against his left shoulder. I tripped my foot and I knew right away that I was gonna fall. But as I expected that I was going to collapse on the floor, a smooth but strong hand grabbed hold on my wrist. Another hand shielded my back. And the next thing I knew, I was staring into a pair of mesmerizing, black puppy eyes.
"Kyu...Kyuhyun!?" my inner voice gasped.
My ultimate bias stared back at me with a furrowed brow. He was still holding me in that dip. I couldn't hear anything in that few seconds because I could literally feel my heart dropped from the floors of a skyscraper.
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