Ara sighed as she folded the newspaper shut. The 'wanted jobs' section was just as full as it was unachievable, at this point, a simple part time job would suffice. But she couldn't find anything attainable. Despite being a qualified teacher, she couldn't seem to find any places hiring, making her degree completely useless.
Her phone alarm rang and her eyes flickered over it, seeing that it was time for her to get to her part time job. Putting the paper on the table and placing her coffee mug in the sink, she tied her hair up in a ponytail and left for the café down the street.
"Morning Ara!" her friend, Grace, exclaimed when she entered.
"Hey," she waved at her and rushed over to put her bag in the breakroom.
"Are you sure you can work my afternoon shift?"
"Yeah, of course," she grinned, "If it means more cash my way."
"You're a lifesaver," she sighed.
"Don't worry about it," glancing at the door, "There's our first customer."
Ara ran around to behind the coffee machine before greeting the chef in the kitchen. Grace served the customer as she seemed to know him and she motioned to her to make a cappuccino and to ask the chef for an egg's benedict.
The day went pretty fast, serving customer after customer, she were getting tired of it but there was nothing she could do.
After her two shifts were over, she got to finally go home and jump onto her bed, closing her eyes. Life was tiring enough already, trying to make ends meet solely with her part time job, let alone trying to find a full time teacher's position so that she could finally pay back her numerous debts.
Like that, she slowly drifted to sleep, the soft rhythm of the cicadas outside mixed with the loud second hand from her antique clock overwhelming her.
But her eyes snapped open the next morning, to the brash noise of... a moving truck?
Heaving her body off the bed, she peeked through the curtain and looked across the road, seeing a large moving truck in front of the house. Sighing, she pulled the curtain shut and walked back to her kitchen, preparing herself some breakfast. No one ever really did move out or into her neighbourhood, but the house across from hers had been empty for quite some time, the previous owners having to move to another country for medical reasons (Ara remembered her explaining her surgery to her as she gave her a farewell pie) and not being able to sell it until, well now.
Not because it wasn't an amazing house, which it was, two stories with a huge backyard, it seemed quite modern, not the type to look expensive but she was sure it was. The reason it was unsellable was the area, the house fit for a normal family, however, wasn't close to any schools, it was a deal breaker.
Ara ate her toast in silence, scrolling through the news on her phone. That's when she came across a post which caught her eye.
A Preschool and a Primary School opening in the area?
Clicking on it, she skimmed through excitedly.
Were they accepting applications?
Were they accepting applications?
Were they accepting applications?
Yes!
Clicking on apply, she read through the criteria before jumping to her laptop to find her resume, and tweak it a little bit to make her sound like she was the perfect candidate for this job.
That was why she went to work that afternoon in such a happy mood.
"Woah, Ara, what's gotten into you?" Grace asked, seeing as she literally skipped through the café and hummed at the cash register.
"Did you know that there's a couple of schools opening in our area?" she asked her, a smile of optimism gracing her features. And hopefully they will hire me.
"Yeah, it's a few blocks down, didn't you know?"
"Nope," she shook her head and turned to the customer at the bench, "Good afternoon, what would you like today?" when she was in customer service, she had learnt how to put on a fake smile and pretend to be excited to see every single person in there, but this time she wasn't faking. She had hope for the first time in a long while, and she wasn't shy of showing it.
The lady in front of her grinned and told her the order and her name and paid before she got to work on making her cappuccino.
"So, are you going to apply?" Grace asked once she had finished serving the lady.
"Yeah! I really do hope they accept me, it's exactly what I've been waiting for, my degree can finally come to use."
She laughed, "You know, Ara, I really look up to you, you keep trying even though you've failed so many times."
"Geez, thanks," she deadpanned, rolling her eyes, "What else am I meant to do? Just work this café job for the rest of my life and barely get by? There's nothing else to do but keep trying."
Ara winked at her and she smiled, before looking over her shoulder and widening her eyes. She assumed she meant Ara had another customer to tend to so she turned around, finding her own eyes widening at the sight.
Ara had been working at that café for over five years (it was her high school part-time job and she just couldn't risk stopping the cash flow, in case she ended up not getting a job – which obviously was a good idea) and although she hated it, it was hard not to get attached to, and she had built an argument that café boys were always the best looking. She was used to it, pretty boy after pretty boy, but this was new.
The man in front of her was strikingly handsome, his eyes warm brown as he looked up at the menu above her, golden flakes were dancing around them, reflected from the sunlight. His hair was sporting a middle parting, the luscious brown locks falling effortlessly on either side and curling in just the right places. He had on a baggy white button up shirt and she couldn't help but ask herself how could someone have such an amazing figure? He looked unlike any other man she had ever seen before and in the best possible way. His eyebrows were furrowed as he scanned the lunch options. Nothing could make her heart beat faster.
But she was wrong because when he lowered his eyes from the digital screen and looked right at her, she felt her legs about to give way.
Ara was trying her hardest to give him her normal café greeting, but nothing was coming out of her mouth. He didn't seem to see her struggle, however, as he just smiled (which literally made the whole room light up, she was sure of it) and started telling her his order. She nodded, writing everything down in the machine, making sure not to make any mistakes.
"That'll be ten dollars and fifty cents," she told him and when he pulled out a card, she passed the machine across the table together with the buzzer. Walking over to the barista machine, she realised she had forgotten to get his name to write on the cup, but he had already walked off.
She told the chef to make his omelette and served his Mochaccino in the meantime.
"Thank you," he sat up in his chair, sliding aside his MacBook for Ara to place the coffee down. She managed a smile and bowed before taking her place behind the cash register again.
This was a good day for sure.
--
That night, just before it was getting dark, there was a knock at Ara's door.
She raised an eyebrow, she hadn't invited anyone over and it's not like she was friends with anyone who would have spontaneous visits to her house.
Slowly opening the door, she found herself staring at a complete stranger, about her age. She was about to tell them that she wasn't interested in whatever they were selling and close the door but when she looked down, she saw a little girl smiling up at her. A smile that made her heart melt.
"Hello!" she chirped, making Ara smile herself.
"Hi!" was her love for children showing yet?
"My name is Eunji and I just moved in the house across the road!" she turned and pointed at the house, "I am just coming around to say hi! And see if I can make friends!"
The girl behind her whispered, "She's just looking for people to play with at this point, I swear."
Ara laughed, "Well hello Eunji," she crouched down, "My name is Ara, and we can be friends."
She smiled, "Oh! And this is for you!" she held up a small cake.
"Really?" she nodded, "Wow thank you so much Eunji!" she ruffled her hair and stood up, facing the other person, who she assumed to be her mother, "Thank you."
"That's fine, we'll see you around then."
"Bye Ara!" Eunji waved and Ara waved back.
"By Eunji!"
--
"Thank you so much for looking after her," Jimin's voice was rushed as he came in through the door, hanging his coat on the rack.
"It's fine, you know thank yous between us are unnecessary," Min Hee smiled and picked up her keys before giving him a hug, "I'll see you okay?"
He nodded and walked into his bedroom, seeing Eunji sitting on the bed, reading a children's book. A tired smile appeared on his face as he dawdled to her. When she heard him, however, she whipped her head around, jumping off the bed and running to him.
"Omph," he let out when her body crashed into hers, "Hey baby."
"Daddy!" she squealed in his arms, "You're so late today."
He frowned, pulling back from her and brushing her hair out of his eyes, "I know, I'm sorry sweetie, daddy just got held up at work for a little longer than normal."
"That's okay!" she piped, "You're here now!"
"I am," he grinned, literally feeding off her energy at the moment. "What did you do today?"
"We went and introduced ourselves to everyone!"
"Did you?" he pinched her cheek and she nodded, "Did you make any friends?"
"Yeah! There's a boy two houses down called Minho and he wanted to be my friend! And Ara across the road too! She said she can be my friend too!"
"That's good," he scrunched his nose at her, "Should we get you some dinner?"
--
Ara was pacing up and down her living room, biting down on her fingernails as she anticipated an email. The school had notified her that the acceptance emails were being sent out today and she couldn't focus on anything until she got that email.
That's when she heard it.
The faint ding of her phone, however quiet, still sounded so loud in the silent room.
Rushing to her phone, she opened the email to read it.
Did they accept me?
Did they accept me?
Did they accept me?
Her excitement dropped as she read the first line.
Dear Ara we thank you for applying for a position at our Primary School, however we are sorry to inform you that we feel you do not have the experience necessary for this position...
Biting her lip, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Of course.
Of course they wanted experience, and she didn't have any of that. She closed the email straight away, not wanting to read anymore.
She was rejected, what more did they need to say?
The whole day turned into gloom as she entered the café, Grace frowned as she saw her expression.
"Ara, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," she sighed, putting her stuff down and walking behind the bench.
"It's about that job, isn't it? You said they were emailing today."
Ara nodded.
"You didn't get it?"
She nodded again.
"Lemme see," she held her hand out and she shook her head.
"I don't need you to rub it in again."
"Just show me the email," her voice was demanding and Ara caved, passing her the phone.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, scanning the screen. "They didn't reject you?"
"Huh?"
"Did you even read more than the first line?"
"Huh?"
"It says that you don't have enough experience for the Primary School but they'd like you to earn that experience at their Preschool, and you call that a rejection?"
"Huh?" her eyes widened, "What?"
"You didn't even read the full thing and here you are, moping around everywhere."
Snatching the phone from her hand, a huge smile spread across Ara's face when she realised she was right.
They did want to hire me.
"Customer," Grace hissed and she put the phone back into her pocket, putting on a smile before turning around. And almost dropping the pen she was holding.
It was him again.
He was sending her such a warm smile as he waited for her and she couldn't help but ball her fists in an attempt to keep her sane.
"Mochaccino and Bacon Omelette?" she asked before even realising she had just told him she remembered his last order from three weeks ago and she looked back up at him in horror.
His smile just broadened, so much that his eyes turned into upside down crescents and numerous laugh lines were protruding from around them, making Ara's heart do summersaults.
"Yep," he continued to grin and swipe his card, "Thank you Ara," he said before turning and walking to the booth he sat in last time.
How did he know my name?
Ara was left in a trance, but that was before someone whacked her butt and she turned around.
"Do his order and then daydream, you egg," Grace hissed and she nodded, "Also, Ara, your name is literally on your badge, he didn't go stalking you or anything."
She looked down and realised how much of an idiot she must have seemed to be, because, yeah, there it was. Ara. Large and clear.
--
The first day at Ara's new school was already here and she remembered to get there on time. She had been interviewed by the principal and had already met all the teachers but this was her first time actually working with the kids. It was a new school but it had been running already for a month before she started, so it wasn't like anyone else was new. It was just Ara.
She welcomed all the children, they hung their bags before talking to her and introducing themselves. They were all so kind (except for a few who were more interested in playing games than talking to her – which was perfectly fine) and she found herself starting to love the place already.
"Ara?" a familiar voice said and she looked up to see Eunji at the door. "Ara!"
Her face lit up, "Hey Eunji!"
She ran up to Ara and enveloped her in a hug, "I didn't know you came here too!"
"It's only my first day, sweetie, I didn't know you came here too!"
She giggled.
"Where's your bag?" she asked, looking over her shoulder to see nothing there.
"Daddy's bringing it," she told her, jumping in her spot.
She grinned, "You're giving your dad all the work."
She giggled again, something which Ara found was one of the cutest sounds she had ever heard.
"Eunji, did you bring a jacket?" someone's voice grew louder and Ara looked up to see a masculine figure walking in carrying a bright pink bag.
She stood up to be on eye level with him, only when she did that, however, her eyes widened.
"Ara?"
"Daddy, you know her?" Eunji chirped from under her and she found herself blinking repeatedly.
Dad?
His shocked expression softened and his smile returned, the smile she loved because it showed his laugh lines.
"You were a teacher too?"
"I-I only just started working here, today's my first day."
He nodded, "Was going to say, haven't seen you around here before."
She grinned, knowing her smile couldn't rival his in any way.
Eunji tugged at her bag, eager to put it away so she could go and play and this made him laugh, crouching down to be at eye level with her.
"Did you bring a jacket?" she nodded, opening her bag and showing him.
"Good girl," she took the bag from him and started walking to the cloak room but he stopped her. "Kiss?" he asked, turning his head to the side for her and she happily obliged, placing a quick kiss on his cheek and then running away.
Ara watched in adoration, loving the way he treated the little girl.
He stood up, "I feel like an introduction is in order, seeing as this is our third time meeting." He held his hand out, "I'm Jimin."