Those days - txtzy

part 4: 二

Once Chaeryeong had been safely carted off to the hospital, Jisu had hurried back to work, ready to tell the boy off.

Taehyun had tried to brush everything off, going back to work, but when a furious Jisu had rushed through the doors, Taehyun managed a very small "oh no".

"I know it's your first day, but you have to check!" Jisu scolded, "Especially if the customer has an allergy! You were lucky that I knew Chae had an allergy, but what if it was a stranger? Then we would have to take responsibility!"

The boy just stood there and took it, chewing his lip nervously. After a while, Jisu heaved a big sigh and said, "Go back to work, and be more careful."

-

Chaeryeong was released from the hospital after a long checkup, a reminder to pick up another Epipen soon and a medical certificate to excuse her from at least another day of school.

Jisu had left thirteen missed calls and a "text me when you're done", an obvious sign that the older girl was worried. So Chaeryeong decided to head back to the cafe to give Jisu a peace of mind.

The girl was ankle-deep in orders, cups lining the counter and hands constantly moving. Chaeryeong slipped in quickly and made her way to the counter.

Jisu was at the storage room to collect more ingredients for the various foods and drinks, so Taehyun was manning the counter.

When the boy noticed Chaeryeong, he managed an awkward apology, which Chaeryeong accepted with a shrug.

"So, uh," Taehyun started, "I think I have to repay you in some way, for nearly killing you."

"Poisoning, more like it, but yes," Chaeryeong replied.

"I could make you another drink?" Taehyun suggested, then regretted that immediately. He could already see Yeonjun face-palming and inwardly groaned at the endless teasing that would follow.

But the girl merely laughed, and said, "Sure, but please let Jisu supervise. I don't have an extra EpiPen yet."

"How...expensive are those?" Taehyun decided to ask, sighing at the idea of all the hard-earned money going down the drain.

Chaeryeong smiled gently and shook her head, "Nah, I won't make you pay for it. It's fine. Might as well use it, it expires in a year."

-

Chaeryeong left after hanging around for half-an-hour, but seeing as the cafe was getting busier, she figured it would be better if she left. With a quick goodbye, she went off and the two baristas continued their work. This time, Taehyun was a lot more careful, labelling the cups with the correct names and ensuring no orders were mixed up.

After closing time, Jisu smiled gently at Taehyun, praising him for the improvement and telling him she'll see him tomorrow in school.

Right, there was still school.

So Taehyun trudged back home, feeling drained from all the hustle and bustle of the day. And also the panic from accidentally poisoning Chaeryeong. Well, at least he could go home.

But then he saw someone lingering before the gates of his neighbour's house.

Rather, a very familiar someone. Lee Chaeryeong was fumbling with keys before she finally got the right one and creaked open the gate. Frowning, Taehyun wondered how he had never noticed she was his neighbour. But he brushed that thought off and simply entered the house.