Two Years Later...

A loud ringing of the phone disturbs a peaceful morning in one of a girls dormitory room. The sound was so loud, making the four girls in the room groans in annoyance.

" Which phone is that?!" One of the girls shouted.

" F*ck...I slept so late last night, so stop bothering my beauty sleep." Another voice of a girl muttering under her blanket.

" Ming...your phone..." Another voice complaining because she knows whose phone was that.

" Uhmm...my bad..." this last voice owner stretch out her hand from under the blanket before pulling the phone that still ringing back into her blanket. Her eyes opened halfway, then closed it back after barely seeing the caller ID. She slides the 'Answer' transparent button.

" Hello..." The girl yawned. Her voice croaked after the whole night sleep.

" XUE MING, YOU B*TCH! YOU'RE LATE. HOW LONG YOU WANT ME TO WAIT? GET YOUR A*S DOWN RIGHT NOW!!!" Booming sounds of the girl's voice rang loudly through the speaker. The sound jolted Xue Ming up from her sleepy state. Yi Mei!

F*ck! I'm dead meat...

She looked at the time on her phone and sweated. Darn it...

10.30 am...

" Wait! I'm up! I'm up! 10 minutes!!" Xue Ming pushes her blanket away and quickly rush into the bathroom.

############

The whole way to the town with Yi Mei's complaining and dissatisfying about her being late on the first day of her part-time job interview. Xue Ming bites her bottom lip, enduring the nagging girl that driving beside her.

" Are you listening to me, Ming?!" Yi Mei barked. Startled, Xue Ming quickly nods like a chicken pecking on the grains.

" Yes, yes, yes...I'm sorry about that. I set my alarm wrongly last night. So, forgive me. Alright, baby girl? Our lunch today on me. How?" Xue Ming claps her palms while winking at the mad girl. Yi Mei huffed, glaring at the girl sitting at the shotgun seat.

" Better this will be last. If not, hmph!" Finally, Yi Mei reluctantly put her anger down and turned her attention back to her driving.

" Promise~" Xue Ming holds up her right hand in swear style. Later, they began the conversation about Yi Mei's interview.

" By the way, which shop you chose this time? I hope it's not a pub like last time." Xue Ming turned her gaze, questioning her friend in reprimanding manner. Yi Mei laughed.

" No, no, no. I wouldn't repeat the same mistake again. This time is a new coffee shop called 'Rhapsody', nearing Uncle Zhang's bookshop."

Rhapsody? Xue Ming's mind spun around to remember any new shop that she missed last time she went out shopping.

" Never heard of it. When does the shop start operating? Any strict requirement for workers?" Xue Ming blurted out the question that meant for last night calls.

" Not really. Just some basic requirements, like under 30, single, female and male workers, and whatnots. Why? Interested?" Yi Mei looked at Xue Ming, trying to recruit.

She laughed, " Hey, hey. Are you trying to recruit me? Come on, you didn't start the job, already finding a new mate? I just asking. I'll let you know if I want to join in."

Yi Mei pouted, murmured, "whatever"

20 minutes later, the blue metallic Mini Cooper stopped in front of newly looking coffee shop. The shop still closing, but they already saw many people inside for the interview. Xue Ming whistled.

" That many, huh. It looks like your hope to get one position is near to zero, baby girl." Xue Ming teased, clicking her tongue.

Yi Mei snorted in disdain, " Hey, don't look down on people, will you? Let me tell you a secret that you might do not know. I had a Barista Certificate and had experience in working at several coffee shops before attending the university." Yi Mei winked, pulled out a pinkish file from the dashboard. She flips open the second page of the file and proudly showing off in front of wide eyes Xue Ming.

Damn...she admits defeat. (An almost imagining prostrating come into her mind)

" Hahaha, looks how funny your face was, baby girl." Yi Mei laughed, making face to the frustrating Xue Ming.

Xue Ming sighed, making an overbearing face rubbing. How shameful!

" I'll wait at Grandpa Zhang's shop. After finishing your interview, come look for me there." After some chats, they went to their separated way.

Xue Ming walked to the bookshop 50 meters away from the coffee shop. She pushed open the door and her sense been engulfed in books smells. The soft bell ringing at the top of the door. An old man around 70 years old looked up from his reading. His eyes lit up as he merrily sat up to welcome the girl with the widest smile.

" Welcome! Is been a while, girl." The old man, Uncle Zhang, or Grandpa Zhang beamed at the sight of the smiling girl, Xue Ming.

She laughed and went to give a hug for the elderly man. " Is been a while, Grandpa Zhang! How are you?"

" Good, good, good! Haiss, the last time you come was last month. Why? Are you in a relationship now?" Grandpa Zhang raised his eyes brows, teasingly laughed at the girl. Xue Ming scoffed at the childish side of the elder.

" No way! I'm still young, gorgeous, smart, and beautiful, so, no men can easily stand at my side. Grandpa, I heard you trying to court Aunt Wei Na. How progress? Succeed?" Xue Ming grinning, showing her tiny canines at the blushing elder.

" Hmph! A brat who are still single shouldn't be a busybody." Grandpa Zhang smacks Xue Ming's forehead and walked away, ignoring the girl's snickered at his back.

" Hahaha, no way. You failed?! Unbelievable..." Xue Ming chased after the elderly man to the kitchen at the back of the shop.

The bickering and bantering continued almost an hour, lighten ups the peaceful atmosphere inside the bookshop. Soon, the heavenly smell of foods wafted out from the kitchen.

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