. Deceptive Coincidences

[L]ee Ju-hee wiped a stray crumb from the counter, glancing at her trainee baristas, Tae-sung and Shin Ha-eun.

Tae-sung, a tall guy with black hair and rounded glasses, was efficiently taking orders, while Shin Ha-eun was carefully carrying a tray of freshly baked croissants to put on display.

Checking the vintage clock on the nearby wall, Lee Ju-hee realized it was almost lunchtime. Her mind was a whirlwind, handling the cafeteria's responsibilities while wondering about Min-ho's peculiar silence.

It had been days since she last heard from him, and worry was starting to creep in.

The phone's shrill sound briskly snapped Lee Ju-hee back to reality. Signaling her trainees to continue with their tasks as she mouthed a quick "I'll handle it" at them, she picked up the call, seeking a distraction from her thoughts.

"Hello, this is Indulgence Delight Café. How may I help you?" she inquired with professionalism.

On the other end of the line, an urgent request came through. It was from a high-class restaurant in the heart of Gangnam city. They needed a delivery, and it could take her around 15 to 30 minutes to complete.

As she listened, Lee Ju-hee recognized the opportunity for excellent marketing for her café. Considering this from a business perspective, she agreed to fulfill the order.

"We'll take care of it," Lee Ju-hee assured the nervous man on the phone before hanging up.

With a sense of purpose, she headed to the back kitchen, where she had left some cream puffs to bake in the oven.

***

Lee Ju-hee found herself at the designated location, tucking away her phone as she approached the entranceway.

She was dressed in a white short-sleeve shirt, black pants, and white sneakers, wearing a cap with her café's logo. The parcel of sweet delicacies was firmly held in her hands.

As she reached for the door handle, another hand caught hold of it before her. Her gaze shifted, and she was momentarily taken aback by the unexpected sight.

'What the?' she thought to herself, a nasty frown adorning her forehead.

It was a face she hadn't anticipated seeing so soon.

"Oh, my bad," he replied playfully, a sly smile at the corner of his lips. The man was dressed in a sharp white suit pants, black silk shirt, and polished brown shoes, radiating sophistication. His hair was dyed blonde, and he wore rounded sunglasses. "Were you heading inside?"

Lee Ju-hee's hand tightened on the parcel as her heart raced with a myriad of possibilities. A grisly stir in her gut set her instincts haywire.

'Han Si-hyun,' she thought to herself. Did he recognize her?

His gaze lingered on her, accompanied by a slight quirk of his right brow, before he asked, "Are you Korean?"

The truth hit her hard, like an unexpected wave. A mysterious ache blossomed in her heart, torn between feeling let down and the bitter truth that she had never truly mattered to him.

All those years of hurt and struggles, all leading up to this moment, and yet she couldn't believe that this person, despite their past, hadn't even recognized her. It was as if she was nothing more than a stranger to him.

Swallowing thickly to ease the tightness in her throat and ignoring the momentary feeling of suffocation, she gritted her teeth to keep her emotions in check, forcefully nodding in response to his initial question.

"I see," he mused to himself, a sinister tone creeping into his words. "That's a nice pair of eyes you've got there! Makes me kind of want to rip it apart!"

'Fucker!' The word reverberated in her mind, the perfect description for him.

If they weren't in such a public setting, she would've punched the living daylights out of his face. And who knows? Maybe done more!

Grimacing slightly, she stepped away from the entrance, allowing him to enter first.

"Heh!" With a sneering, smug expression, the man with blond-dyed hair chuckled, slipping his hand casually into his pocket, while one of his bodyguards held the door open for him.

Lee Ju-hee watched as he walked in, pretending as if their previous encounter had never happened.

Ignoring the ache in her heart, she stepped into the luxurious lobby after he was gone. The opulent interior depicted pure luxury.

A grand chandelier cascaded crystal lights, illuminating the elegant marble floors. Polished gold accents gleamed at the reception counter, and the welcoming staff donned impeccable uniforms, adding to the air of sophistication.

"I've got a delivery request for the 'Prestige' restaurant, please!" she bluntly informed the receptionist.

"Of course, one moment," replied the poised lady, picking up the phone to make the necessary arrangements.

Soon, a courteous staff member arrived to guide Lee Ju-hee to the kitchen, where the head chef inspected the goods with an appreciative nod. "Thank you. Our baker recently fell sick, and this particular client is quite hard to please. Should they like your delicacies, we shall look forward to collaborating with you again."

Lee Ju-hee produced a simple nod, and once she was done with her business, she followed a staff member back to the front entrance.

On her way, she couldn't help but notice a familiar sight – Han Si-hyun's unmistakable, blond-dyed hair. He was in the company of another woman, and a pang of unexpected emotion stirred within her.

The woman was slender and beautiful with a bob haircut, her brown eyes and hair – just as beautiful as she was back then.

The sight of Han Si-hyun with someone else shook her to the core, but she quickly blinked away any hint of tears threatening to overwhelm her.

However, her phone's vibrating brought her back to reality. Without glancing at the caller ID, she answered in a slightly shaky voice, "Hello?"

"Noona?!" The voice on the other end was one she hadn't heard in a long time.

"M-Min-ho?"

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

Clearing her throat to steady her voice, she replied, "Yeah, I'm good. What's up?"

"I've got some news… about her! Han Yeon-soo! That's her name!" Min-ho's words struck her like a bolt of lightning.

As he mentioned the woman's name, a sudden realization dawned on her. Wasn't Han Yeon-soo connected to the host's murder case?

Her mind tried to piece together the puzzle. It was slightly satisfying that karma had caught up to him, but it didn't lessen the pain of betrayal.

Min-ho prodded, noticing the lack of response from her side. "Noona? Are you still there?" he asked with concern.

Lee Ju-hee snapped out of her trance, responding quickly, "Y-yeah? You were saying?"

"I've managed to get a lead on Yoo Jin-ho too. I'll send it to you as soon as I confirm its credibility!"

"I see! So we'll soon know who he is, where he lives, and all?" Lee Ju-hee asked.

"Yeah!" Min-ho sighed wearily, his voice laced with exhaustion over the phone.

"Tired?" She asked with a hint of concern, her eyes wandering to the 'couple' seated a few tables away.

"Yeah, a little bit!"

"Sorry for all the trouble!" She apologized sincerely.

Seemingly worried by her response, Min-ho asked, "Noona, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," she replied with a sigh, trying to alleviate the ache in her bust. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to work. She'd grown accustom to that feeling by now. "I met him!"

There was a gasp from the other end of the line, followed by Min-ho's stammering, "W-where?"

She didn't need to explicitly mention anything, and he knew exactly what or who she was referring to. "Say, Min-ho?" She disregarded his question.

"Hmm?" he mumbled in response.

"Should I… should I perhaps consider dyeing my hair?" she questioned, contemplating a change as her eyes lingered on the man with blonde-dyed hair.

***

"Oh! I had a nice chat with your lover last night!" Han Si-hyun taunted, smugly tracing his fingers along the rim of his fine wine glass, his gaze fixed on his wife.

Her composure wavered as she stiffened, lowering her fork and discreetly cleaning her mouth with the white cloth that was resting on her lap a few seconds earlier.

"W-who?"

"Don't play dumb! I'm talking about that whore you've been fooling around with!" His eyes narrowed, exuding cunningness and a poisonous demeanor, reminiscent of a snake.

Taking a deep breath, Han Yeon-soo motioned for a waiter to remove her plate, her appetite seemingly lost.

"And?" she inquired, as the male waiter came to clear her side of the table.

"Oh, I simply gave him a friendly warning, no need to fret!" Han Si-hyun nonchalantly shrugged.

Sensing a gaze on him, he glanced to his right and saw the woman he had encountered earlier, standing a couple of feet away.

She appeared to be on the phone, with a deep frown etched on her forehead. Their eyes met briefly, and he couldn't help but be mesmerized by her piercing blue eyes again.

'Gorgeous,' he thought to himself, taking in her unique beauty.

It was the first time he had seen a woman who made her dark circles look like a fashion statement.

As the woman's gaze shifted towards a waiter next to her, she was escorted in the direction of the exit, still on the phone. Han Yeon-soo seemed to catch on a little late, and when she followed her husband's line of sight, she only caught a glimpse of a woman's back.

Arching an irritated eyebrow at her husband, Han Yeon-soo spat out venomously, "So I'm not allowed to mess around with someone, but you can?"

"I'm not fooling around, Yeon-soo," he sighed, his eyes returning to her. "Could you please stop projecting your insecurities onto me?"

In that very moment, the waiter returned with a plate of cream puffs and a cup of coffee, placing it in front of Yeon-soo.

"Tsk!" Yeon-soo scoffed, seemingly uninterested, but then she picked one up and took a bite. Her expression changed as she hummed in appreciation, much to Han Si-Hyun's mild surprise.

He knew she didn't have a sweet tooth, which is exactly why he had ordered the cream puffs for her, hoping to provoke her. But her unexpected reaction left him curious.

Deciding to try one himself, he was slightly taken aback by the taste. The cream-cheese filling and little squares of strawberry created an unforgettable flavor. But he had a nagging feeling that he had encountered this taste before; he just couldn't remember where.

Raising his hand to signal for a waiter, he called out with an intrigued frown, "Get the chef here right now! I need to speak with him!"

***

A/N: Officially introducing Oh Tae-Sung: