Jibe Gajima

Tul

The entire bus ride home, Jonghyun could barely contain his excitement. The money he needed so badly would soon be his. The money his parents needed so badly would soon be theirs.

It was silly, stupid even, but he wanted to shout it out to the whole world. He wanted to stand in the middle of a crowded street and yell to the people that he got the job.

They would surely stare, but he wouldn’t care. His days of being broke were going to end soon.

As he pictured the scene unfold, he laughed silently at how ridiculous he would be and just how ridiculous he was being. The more reasonable side of him told him that it was just a job, nothing to get so excited over. Still, he felt a childish glee swell up inside of him.

He couldn’t wait to tell Minho.

He looked up from the spot on the floor he was staring at when he felt the bus lurch to a stop. Realizing it was his stop, he quickly shuffled off the bus with a dozen other passengers.

On an impulse, he decided to stop by the small coffee shop across the street to pick up something for himself and Minho.

A tiny silver bell chimed overhead as he opened the door and stepped into the coffee shop. The small cafe was littered with people looking to escape the chilling wind of autumn. Immediately, Jonghyun felt the warmth of the building wash over him. The smell of freshly roasted coffee beans filled the air. Small traces of vanilla and chocolate lingered in the air, adding to the pleasant set of aromas.

He walked up to the counter, where a petite girl was working the register. Her golden blond hair fell past her shoulders in ringlets, and her large brown eyes sparkled happily. “What can I get you?” she asked.

He looked up at the menu briefly, then back at the girl. “A caramel latte and a vanilla cappuccino, please.”

“Coming right up.” She smiled sweetly at him and set off to start making his drinks. “Did your boss send you on a coffee run?” She asked as she put the caramel shots in his latte.

“No, no.” He laughed softly. “I just thought I’d be nice and pick up something for my roommate, too.”

“That’s sweet.” She replied as she finished topping off the latte with whipped cream. Placing a plastic top firmly on top of the cup, she reached for another to start the cappuccino. “I wish my roommate would do that. I live with my sister, and she’s definitely not as thoughtful as you.”

He laughed politely. “Siblings can be like that.”

As if on queue, a young girl with black hair emerged from the back kitchen of the coffee house. She looked a bit similar to the woman working the counter. “Jessica?” She asked quietly and carefully.

“What is it, Krystal?” She responded without looking back at the girl. Her eyes were still focused on the beverage she was making.

“Well... I was moving the old blender into storage because the new one you ordered just arrived, and...” She played with her hands nervously and her eyes fell to the ground.

“Just tell me already, Krys.” She said impatiently. Jessica momentarily forgot about the drink she was making, and waited for her sister to finish the story.

“I dropped it.” Krystal bluntly concluded. “It fell to the floor and broke. The glass shattered. There are shards of glass everywhere."

Jessica still didn’t turn around to face her sister. She placed a manicured hand on her face and rubbed her temples. “So clean it up.”

“Well, that’s the thing. Last night Leeteuk put the dust pan and broom on the top shelf.” She shifted all of her weight to one leg and put her hand on her hip. “I can’t reach it.”

“So stand on a chair,” Jessica suggested, rolling her eyes.

“In heels?” Krystal asked incredulously. “I already broke the blender. I don’t want to add my neck to the list of things I’ve broken today.”

Jonghyun had to stifle a laugh. The sisters’ banter was really quite entertaining, even if it wasn’t meant to be.

“Krystal...” Jessica replied, her voice tight. “You’re taller then me. If you can’t reach it, then I definitely can’t. What do you want me to do?” When her sister didn’t say anything in response, she let out an aggravated sigh. “Look... just... I’ll be there in a second, okay? Just let me finish this order.”

Her sister nodded, even though Jessica couldn’t see her, and exited the room.

“I’m so sorry about that.” She apologized. She quickly finished the cappuccino, and put a cap on it. “I didn’t mean to keep you waiting like that. My sister can just be a little... melodramatic sometimes.”

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” He smiled. “Hey, do you guys need any help?” The woman looked at him questioningly. “You know, with getting the broom down?” He clarified.

“Oh, you don’t have to!” She slid his drinks across the counter towards him, and nodded at the two cups. “Your coffee might get cold. We wouldn’t want that.”

“Are you sure? It couldn't possibly take more than a few minutes, right? The coffee can wait.”

Jessica smiled warmly at him. “Well, if it isn’t too much trouble, then come on back.” Jonghyun caught the relieved expression on her face when he followed her into the backroom.

Krystal wasn’t lying when she said the glass was everywhere. The blender was dropped in the center of the room, yet Jonghyun noticed tiny shards of glass sparkling in every corner of the room.

“Unni, who’s this?” Krystal asked, leaning against a shelf of cleaning supplies.

“This is...” She trailed off, and glanced toward Jonghyun.

“Jonghyun.” He supplied the name for her.

“Right! This is Jonghyun, and he’s going to help us get the broom down.” Krystal looked from her sister to Jonghyun curiously. Jonghyun merely nodded in conformation.

“Okay then. It’s right up there.” She pointed to the top of the shelf she was leaning against.

Truth be told, Jonghyun wasn’t too much taller than the black haired girl. He had maybe five inches on her, give or take. He was barely able to grab the dust pan, and had to stand on the tip of his toes to grab the broom, which was wedged between the back of the shelf and the wall. Whoever this Leeteuk guy was, he was certainly tall.

When he finally got the tools down, Krystal extended her arms out to take them. “Thanks so much,” she said, smiling appreciatively. “Without you we probably would have had to wait for Leeteuk or Siwon to get here.”

“It was no big deal, really,” he replied, handing the broom and dustpan off to her. She accepted them gratefully, and set to work on cleaning up the mess on the floor.

“C’mon,” Jessica said, ushering him out of the backroom. “We should go make sure your coffee isn’t cold.” She grinned broadly.

He followed her into the main area of the cafe, an amused expression on his face. “Right,” he laughed. While Jessica stopped walking once she reached the cash register, Jonghyun continued on until he was on the opposite side of the counter. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and started to open it.

Jessica promptly reached a hand out and shut his wallet. He looked up at her, confused. “Don’t worry about it.” The smile on her face was still there. “It’s on the house. Think of it as a way of me paying you back for helping us out.” He opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off before he could speak. “And don’t refuse, either. It’s free coffee, take it.” She laughed. “Now, is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Actually...” He rubbed the back of his neck slightly. “I was going to ask if you guys were hiring.” He said, stating his other reason for stopping in.

She looked taken aback for a moment, before smiling again. “Did you help out back there just to make a good impression? Trying to butter me up so I hire you right on the spot, are you?” She pointed an accusing finger at him.

“You caught me,” he joked. Honestly, his intention for helping her was, well, to help. That was just the type of person he was: someone who helped others without expecting any compensation. The fact that he did help out was probably going to work in his favor, though.

“It’d be really great if you did join the team. We’re a bit short on staff, unfortunately.” She nodded, as if to punctuate her point. “See, I opened this shop with my sister a few years back. The only others working here besides her and I are Leeteuk, Yesung, Siwon, and Victoria. Its hard trying not to overwork anyone when there are so few employees in the first place. Hold on a second, I’ll go grab an application.” She hurried off to what Jonghyun assumed was her office.

She returned, a few minutes later, with a set of papers in her hand. “Fill these out, alright?”

- - -

When Jonghyun returned home, Minho was lazily spread out on the couch, flipping through channels on the television. He lingered on a channel a bit longer than the rest, before going to the next station. Some music program was playing, and he decided to leave it there.

“How’d it go, Jong?” He asked, sitting upright and looking in Jonghyun’s direction.

Jonghyun closed the apartment door with his foot, and sat down next to Minho on the sofa. He handed him his cappuccino, then took a sip of his own latte. “Really well.” He said, trying his hardest to conceal his smile.

Minho grinned. “Does that mean you got the job?”

He nodded, finally letting his excitement show. “He said he’ll call in a few days.”

“Congrats, hyung!” His friend embraced him in a one-armed hug—his other hand was occupied by a steaming cup of coffee—and patted his back in congratulations.

Jonghyun returned the hug to the best of his abilities, though it was proving hard. His latte was sandwiched between himself and Minho, and he was trying his hardest to not have the beverage spill on either of them. “Min, you think you could let go? This coffee is going to spill any second.”

“Sorry.” He laughed, releasing him from the hug. “I’m just happy for you.”

Jonghyun smiled, and glanced at the TV. He was looking at it, but not really watching it. His attention was elsewhere. Should he tell Minho about his new job at the coffee shop? He already knew what the younger’s reaction was going to be. He was going to lecture him on how a second job was unnecessary. He sighed, and figured he ought to tell him now.

“I got a second job.” He stated bluntly. Minho just looked at him, and asked a shocked ‘what?’ “At the coffee house across the street.” He continued.

“Jonghyun...” A disapproving tone began to seep into his voice. “Why? Having two jobs is just going to stress you out.”

He knew Minho wanted the best for him, but he didn’t like the way he talked down to him when the subject of money was brought up. “I need a steady job. If these past months have proven anything, it’s that depending on modeling is... stupid. It’s an unreliable job. Oh, don’t give me that look, Min.” He said, catching the annoyed look on his friend’s face.

Minho was adamant on Jonghyun not overworking himself. He knew his roommate had enough on his plate already. Juggling two jobs was just going to stress him further. “But you’ve just gotten a job, Jong. I don’t see why it’s necessary for you to get another one.”

“And how long is this ‘job’ going to last? Once the shoot and and show are over, I get my paycheck, and that’s it. I’m telling you, it’s unreliable. You don’t see it because you’ve got a fixed job modeling for Dior.”

“I’ve told you before, if this is about helping with the bills, then I’ve got more than enough money. Don’t stress over it, okay? You have enough to worry about already.” Compared to his paycheck, the rent and utilities for their small apartment were nothing. Minho honestly didn’t mind paying. Others may have had a problem with paying their roommates share of the rent along with their own, but having known Jonghyun since they were in diapers, he didn’t care one bit.

“My parents need the money.” Jonghyun said suddenly. There, he said it, his real motive for picking up a second job. Minho formed a small ‘o’ with his lips, and nodded in understanding. It was quiet for a few moments, before Jonghyun spoke up again. “I haven’t sent them a check in four months.” Guilt laced it’s way through his voice. He felt terrible about it.

His best friend placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He stayed quiet, knowing that there was something else on his mind. He could tell by the way his jaw was tight, and the distant look in those chocolate brown eyes.

“He’s in the hospital again, you know.” He shook slightly as he said it. He wouldn’t cry. He wanted to, but he squeezed his eyes shut. Minho had seem him cry before, but still, something about having someone see him in such a vulnerable state bothered him. He was supposed to be the strong one, the rock for his family to lean on.

“What is it this time?” Minho asked, sincerely concerned.

“Chronic pneumonia. His asthma is complicating things.” He took a deep breath in attempt to calm himself. He turned his attention to the music program being played on the television. Some idol was performing a soft ballad. Her voice was crisp, beautiful, and the piano she was playing completed the song.

The more Jonghyun watched, the more his fingers itched. “I’ll be back,” he said quietly. He placed his drink down on the coffee table, and retreated to his bedroom.

From his spot on the couch, Minho heard the faint sounds of the piano being played.
♠ ♠ ♠
Translation:
Unni- older sister.