I need Suga-r

"What do your tattoos mean?" Yoon-gi finally broke the silence.

Hye-Ri glanced at her arms, "sometimes they have a meaning they don't. Do I look intimidating because of them?"

"Did I look intimidated?" Suga asked nonchalantly.

'Will we start our conversation with bickering again?' Hye-Ri thought.

"They're just connected, I'll tell you their story when I have enough energy to talk. Right now I'm tired."

"Would you like some coffee?" He urged.

The woman on the passenger seat rolled her eyes and put her hand up in surrender. "okay, but you're paying."

Yoon-gi didn't answer but drove silently to a cafe. He loved this particular cafe for its ambient and privacy. There is a place on the balcony that he always sits to and enjoys a sense of peace with nature.

"I know this cafe, I worked here once before." Hye-Ri suddenly jolted to her seat looking at the familiar cafe.

"Why did you leave?"

"Because I was working three jobs and I had to drop this one because of conflict in schedule."

"Three jobs?"

"Yeah, I was working as an encoder by day, barista by noon, then when I have scheduled offs I tutor kids."

"You're a teacher?"

"No, I just teach kids English. My dad's American, I lived there for 16 years then when he died my mom and I came back here."

"Where is your mom now?"

"In an expensive jar at the coliseum."

Suga paused, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm good on my own." Hye-Ri shrugged her shoulders.

Yoon-gi scruffled behind to get his bag and coat and gave them to Hye-Ri, "it's better they don't recognize you than me."

"Where are we anyway? We're too far from the city, would paparazzi be following you everywhere?" Hye-Ri said as she put on his expensive coat.

"It's best if we keep our guard up." Yoon-gi took the cap from Hye-Ri and put it on her head. "Let's go."

...

She followed after the tall silhouette in front of her inside the cafe. Once the door was opened, the aroma of coffee instantly warmed Hye-Ri's stomach; overwhelming her senses. The sweet isle was filled with delicious and beautiful desserts.

"We can pick the desserts later when we're done eating. Come on, we're seated outside."

Hye-Ri followed again and noticed the fee gazes thrown her way. Some people have recognized the figure but we're not sure because the man in front of her had his face covered in a mask and cap. Where there was no way of seeing his face; he just stood out because of his expensive outfit.

To which she glanced at what she is wearing, plus the perfume on his coat smelled expensive.

Hye-Ri felt uncomfortable at first, however, Yoon-gi noticed the woman slowed her pace and paused to take her hand.

"Stop stalling shorty." He mumbled, enough for Hye-Ri to hear, and was dragged towards the glass doors of the balcony. He guided his way through the further corner where a table was prepared. The corner space was blocked by a cemented wall, away from the sight of the people inside the cafe while the side was intricately designed by plants bigger than Hye-Ri's.

It was the perfect place to be when you don't want anyone bothering you because the view was a broad, peaceful lake and a lush mountain.

Suga pulled the chair towards Hye-Ri but didn't wait for her to sit as he sat on his chair and flipped through the menu.

"You come here often?" She asked also scanning the menu.

"Sometimes... in my free time." He answered.

The waitress comes in and take our order, and she asked me first.

"I'll have steak carbonara and one iced americano plus one pump of sugar syrup," Hye-Ri ordered then the waitress moved to Suga. He ordered a salad, steak, and coffee minus the plus one pump of sugar.

"Are you into sugar?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm into Suga-r." Hye-Ri teased.

"What?" He coughed.

"I'm hypoglycemic. I need sugar, I don't want to faint here." She told him giggling.

He was about to say something when his phone rang and answered it in one swift move.

Hye-Ri leaned back on the chair, clasping her hands to her stomach, crossed her legs, and turned towards the calm lake. The view calmed her, the slight breeze she felt on her cheek made her thankful for the coat she was lent.

She took out her little sketchbook and started sketching.

Suga, on the other hand, couldn't help but glance at her calm demeanor. She looked comfortable at how she leaned back to the chair and admired the view. When she moved, he quickly moved her gaze away from her, a little embarrassed as though he was caught. Only then did he see her started sketching on the notepad she once made him look at.

Hye-Ri on the other hand, had already finished sketching the beautiful view, and flipped the other page, and started sketching a new one.

"Sorry, it was work." Suga broke the silence.

"It's fine," she answered and kept on sketching.

"What are you drawing?" Suga slightly tilted his head, trying to look at her drawing.

"You."

Her blunt answer made Suga cough on his water. She continued her drawing, unfazed, and started glancing at him to continue her drawing.

The waitress came in and put their orders down, putting down plates and coffees, and left.

Suga sipped in his coffee and made a face. "That's probably mine." Hye-Ri giggled.

Suga switched the drinks in front of them and drank his coffee with ease, while Hye-Ri sipped hers in delight. The sugar hitting her tongue relieved the tired nerves in her system.

"Have you checked that yet?" Suga asked, cutting his steam.

"Yeah, doctor's just keep telling me I need Suga-" Hye-Ri teased again, looking at his reaction. "Rr."

Suga kept his cool and continued eating, but his eyes were shaking. He didn't want to be affected by her teasing.

After finishing their lunch, they headed out for dessert, but Suga wasn't up for it. Hye-Ri thought it was okay because some people recognized him inside, and proceeded to take a tray to pick out desserts.

The dessert that caught her eye was a strawberry shortcake and a little matcha cheesecake. She hurried back to their table, grinning at the cakes she picked. She started with the strawberry shortcake and felt like on cloud nine for its mild sweetness and tangy strawberry top.

Suga on the other hand had another important phone call. He was debating whether or not he would answer, but Hye-Ri, who noticed him hesitate, gestured for him to answer it.

After the phone call, Hye-Ri is already on her second cake. "You can rant about work, you know. It's a little creepy if you look at me while I eat, and I'm not sharing these. Get your own."

Suga smirked, "I'm not getting those. I'm good. I just hate it when I leave for work for a day and that's when I get a lot of calls."

"Who wouldn't?" She replied, waiting for him to speak again. "That's all?"

Suga was debating in his mind whether or not could he tell her what is in his mind. He squinted his eyes, to which she noticed, and replied by squinting her eyes too. After finishing her cake, she wiped her lips with the provided napkin and drank a little on her coffee.

"My father used to call me butterfly when I was little, and my mom would later translate it as Na-bi in Korean. That's why I have a lot of butterflies incorporated in my tattoos. The flowers symbolize my mom, the skull is the replica tattoo of my dad's, and the lotus flower on my forearm meant independence.

I'm blunt, and straightforward because I don't like it when other people talk to me like I'm some kid because of my height. I don't have any other tattoos in my body, only my left arm which is covered from shoulder to here." Hye-Ri pointed out the dot tattoo on her ring finger.

"I smoke to relieve stress and have a high tolerance for alcohol. I'm type 1 diabetic, I get tired faster if I don't get sugar in my system... I'm good with my doctors, they get me up-to-date medicines since my consultations are free."

"What? Why? How?" Suga asked, perplexed.

Hye-Ri giggled first, she realized she had been giggling at his reactions and cleared her throat.

"I saved the doctor once when she was being harassed at the parking lot of her clinic."

Suga nodded, a little relieved that her doctor is a female.

'But why am I?' He suddenly thought and shrugged.

"Are you cold? Do you want your coat back?" She asked.

"No, I'm good. I like your childhood nickname, Na-bi. It suits you. You're free-spirited like them."

Hye-Ri grinned, "Yeah, ever since my dad died no one has called me that."

"May I call you Na-bi?"

Hye-Ri looked Suga in the eyes; she wanted to know if he was genuine with his question. She wanted to see if he was really asking or just teasing her.

"You may if you start talking, now, what's been bothering you?" She asked, sipping her sugary coffee.

Yoon-gi sighed, but it wasn't a sigh of relief, but rather was a sign of defeat.

"You don't have to tell me all the uncomfortable stuff, what I'm saying is you can talk. You don't have to bottle things like that. I can see you."

Was he showing so many emotions? All he did was smile, look at her, eat and then work. Was he too transparent to see?

"Okay, you got me. I'm just too absorbed with work and I don't know where to start. I brought you here because I had thought you'd come back to your work despite a broken hand--"

"Correction, swelling hand." Hye-Ri interrupted.

"Okay, swelling hand. Then I got hungry and this is the first place that popped in my mind that has privacy. I don't talk much, but sometimes when I do I want someone there to listen to my ideas. Or help me figure out those same ideas."

Hye-Ri nodded, "I get that. Sometimes I have ideas that I express, but then there are times that I get stuck and then getting lost about it. Those kinds of thoughts are irritating when you got no one who can understand."

Suga started talking about his work again, how he wanted something done, while Hye-Ri intently listened to him and even interjecting ideas to progress his work. He took her advice as the view of someone who isn't in to Korean pop industry. He enjoyed her ideas because they were funny and refreshing to hear from her thoughts.

He liked their conversation very much that he found himself laughing comfortably. He liked how she listens and stops whatever she is doing to let him speak his thoughts and concepts. She was refreshing to look at with her almond green eyes wide with interest and a smile that show her dimples.

He liked the thought of having to make her smile to see them.