MAGIC SHOP
1. JIMIN: Do you like sweets? (1)
I pushed the faded gold doorknob, and the door opened with a crisp chime. The musty smell of roasted coffee, freshly baked bread, and the fragrant aroma of tea drew me in.
나
hello?
박지민
Hello. Haha, are you someone who passes by here often?
나
Yes?... Ah.. yes... haha
He smiled brightly at me, and I raised the corners of my mouth for the first time in a long while, following his bright, boyish smile.
The boy with the pretty smile kindly asked me what I wanted to drink, what I liked, and why I had been passing by until now.
나
Actually, I don't really go to crowded places like cafes... I hate noisy places.
박지민
It's just you and me here. So feel free. This is a space just for you.
I was skeptical about the space being reserved for me, but I sat down by the window. He quietly poured me coffee as I ordered. The interior of the cafe was as elegant as a traditional Korean house, yet as ornate as a Gothic cathedral.
Like a glass garden, the glass windows, much taller than the person, caught the morning sunlight and softly illuminated the interior of the cafe.
박지민
Do you like that...sweet thing?
Thanks to the previous briefing, I was able to speak to him naturally. His cheeks were flushed, as if soft silk had been dyed with a bright coral dye.
나
Yeah. Does Jimin like sweets too?
박지민
Oh, I like it more than just writing. Haha
He was still smiling like a little boy.
나
Your smile is pretty.
박지민
is it so?
나
Yeah, it's pretty.
박지민
You look so pretty when you smile, sister. You look like an angel...
Even in conversations that were so awkward and cringe-worthy that they made our stomachs churn, we smiled and answered comfortably.
나
But you still have to give me coffee, right?
박지민
I'll bring it to you right away. Haha
The boy deftly carried a wooden tray, its small hands probably much larger than his face. A caramel latte filled with milk foam was sprinkled with sweet brown sugar like snow, and next to it, a pink butter cookie, seemingly baked fresh, was placed on a plate in the shape of a cherry blossom petal.
박지민
The menu is out.
나
thank you
Perhaps it was the sunlight, but the brown sugar on the foam seemed to sparkle and shine like stars in the night sky. Despite being alone in this vast space, I didn't feel lonely at all.
박지민
Drink it and tell me if it tastes weird.
나
huh.
It was amazing. It was just one moment, and the sadness of our separation and the sorrow in my heart melted away, like brown sugar sinking beneath the foam.
When I put down my glass in surprise and stared at him, the boy just tilted his head and smiled as if to ask what was wrong.
나
You haven't heard of this drug, have you?
박지민
It's just a regular caramel latte.
나
It's delicious...and...
The corners of my mouth curved into a faint smile, as if it had no intention of going down. It was sweeter, warmer, and softer than ever. The pain of the past seemed all but forgotten, and the colorless, gloomy days were now brightened like watercolors.
나
and...
박지민
Do you like it? Haha
나
uh...
After draining half my glass, I took a red notebook and fountain pen from my bag and began writing. It was my manuscript notebook, which I'd never opened, lost in loneliness and sadness since our breakup, but now I felt like I'd be opening it every day.
The butter cookies that came with it had a faint cherry scent that reminded me of the cherry blossom tree in front of the store.
박지민
it is delicious?
The boy sat down in front of me, wiping his cup, curious about what I was doing. He had shiny ash-brown hair, wore a navy apron, black pants, and a white shirt, and his waist was so slim that he tied his belt twice.
His apron had the words 'MAGIC SHOP' embroidered in cursive with various star-like planets.
나
Yeah. Haha I really like it... But if it's this delicious, there will be a lot of customers...?
박지민
I told you, this is a place for you, right?
The words I'd suspected seemed to be true. Only the boy and I were in this spacious space. The surrounding cafes were bustling with office workers on their lunch break, but this place felt like it was on another planet, completely unconcerned.
나
Don't people outside see this place...?
박지민
This is a place that only my older sister can see.