✿

CANON REESE

Cautiously, I opened the door to my sister's bedroom. The floorboards let out the slightest creak and she was jolted awake. Her eyes and cheeks were visibly swollen.

"Hmm?" She hummed subconsciously as she gazed at me with half-closed eyes. "Oh, it's you. I've had the most exhausting dream that I'm physically tired even now."

"Oh, I see." That must be why she slept in this morning, besides the fact that she drove us here. "Hey, uh, breakfast's ready if you are," I said awkwardly as I walked towards her dresser. "Also, Jett fixed the laundry machine so I washed your clothes." I patted down the pile of clothes I spent the past half hour folding neatly. "It's too hot out so they dried quickly."

"Wait, who— who's Jett?" She mumbled groggily, scratching her messy long hair that covered almost half of her face.

"Jett Ryder," I told her, heading for the door. She does not keep up with the latest trends in the music industry as she prefers classical music so I do not expect her to know the names of the boys we welcomed into our place. "He's the band's producer and lyricist. But you don't have to know that, I guess." I just shrugged, we each have our own music taste, there is no need to get her to like mine. "Anyway, you're getting up for real this time, right? I'll make you a cup of tea before the guys and I leave to go job hunting."

"What? Job hunti— Guys?" She exclaimed, pulling away the strands of hair that blocked her view. She finally seemed awake as she took a slow and careful glance around her room. "Oh, my god. We're in our old house."

"Um, yeah. You drove us here last night," I frowned. Did she really forget?

She looked confused before she pointed between us, "By 'us,' you mean just the two of us, right?"

"Canon Reese?" The door that I accidentally left ajar when I entered earlier with a handful of clothes revealed Nikon with a pile of nicely folded blankets, "Where do I put these— oh, I'm sorry. Um... good morning?"

Cassidy immediately covered her face with her hands, "Oh, my god, it's real."

✿

Everyone gathered in the kitchen once again when Cassidy rose from her sleep in complete and utter bewilderment. It turns out that she was so worn out from last night that she thought everything that had happened was just a part of her dream. Well, I do not blame her, though. It is very unlikely that we would travel to our old home with my favorite band.

"Let me go over this once more," Cassidy pressed on her temples after she took a long, quiet sip from her cup of tea. She continued, "You're Nikon, the one my sister picked up under the pouring rain from outside our house."

The poor boy who was put on the spot could do nothing but nod and pick on his fingers from embarrassment.

My sister spared no time when she proceeded, "Pretty boy with curly hair is Vinn." She gestured at him who did nothing but press his lips together to keep himself from smiling. "The one who made these heavenly pancakes is Crawford," she turned to the timid guy wearing my dad's old apron with the words 'kiss the chef' printed in front.

The boys nodded in acknowledgement. She got all three correct so far.

"The quiet guy who looks like he's judging me 24/7 is Marx," Cassidy shrugged as soon as she said the words, "I don't mind, I do that, too." At this, Marx snorted. And I might be imagining it but I think he actually smiled, exposing his dimples, but only for a split second. Cassidy then turned to the last member of the group, "And you must be Handy Manny."

"The name's Jett, actually," he corrected, chuckling. "Nice to meet ya," he extended his hand that is covered with grease from repairing the stove and the laundry machine earlier. Cassidy just stared him down. "I guess not," Jett laughed before heading to the sink to wash the dirt off his hands.

After taking another long sip from her cup, Cassidy turned to me. "You said Aeron dropped by earlier and suggested jobs?"

"Yeah, we were planning to go as soon as possible so Vinn and Jett could seal the deal before someone else gets the job," I told her, checking the clock. "The others plan to tag along in case we pass by places with job vacancies."

"You should go, then," Cassidy nodded as she helped herself to another serving of pancakes. I just stood there, eyes gaping at her. I did not expect her to respond that coolly. Upon noticing my skeptic expression, she addressed my concerns. "You know the place well. Besides, you said Aeron knows we're here, that means his family knows we're here. They're an old family friend and his dad's the village keeper," she commented, sounding at peace. She swirled her index finger in the air, gesturing at the band. "As much as I don't trust these guys yet, we're in our territory. I'm at ease that you'd be fine here."

"Oh," I mumbled to myself. "Well, okay, then." I hurried the boys out of the kitchen and into the living room before my sister could change her mind.

"Just text me when you're going back home," Cassidy said before entering her room and coming out with a bath towel. "The reception here may be a bit bad, though, but it's too hot for me to stay home, the AC's busted. I'm gonna shower for a bit then go spend the day at the library. If you need anything, you know where to find me." Ah, right. She has always loved hanging out there ever since we were kids.

"Wait, the one near the university?" I raised my eyebrows when she nodded. "Perfect! Could you go with Jett? The job opening he's going for is in that library." I turned to Jett whose clothes and arms are covered in grease after having repaired our appliances. He has not been able to clean up like the rest since he was too busy fixing things. "He also needs to go shower before going, anyway. I'll head on out with the others first."

Cassidy looked like she wanted to protest but the sooner the band gets jobs, the earlier we could leave. I guess that was enough to leave her sighing and agreeing to my proposition.

"I guess you're stuck with me, huh?" Jett smiled at Cassidy who looked defeated. "Oh, you got a little something on your face."

I frowned, taking a good look at my sister. Besides her unruly long hair, there is most certainly nothing on her face.

Still, Jett gestured at her. "You got some dirt right over—," he reached out towards her and wiped his grease-covered thumb on her cheek, leaving a dark swatch of black, "— here."

I already feel distressed just thinking about leaving these two together.

✿

Unlike the city air, it feels much more fresh here, as if every breath I take could grow flowers in my lungs. The only vehicles we saw throughout our entire walk are tractors, tending to the farmers who are hard at work even in this weather.

We already did a few stopovers, dropping by shops and small houses which could possibly have vacancies. Even the littlest things reeled them in, like a bunch of flowers and plants they have never seen before.

"Wow, you can see the ocean from here!" Nikon could not stop gazing at the horizon as we walked alongside each other. A warm shade of blue stretched as far as the eye could see. Whenever I close my eyes and think of the word paradise, this is the image that forms in my head.

I turned to Crawford and Marx who also stopped on their tracks, marveling at the scenery. Behind them was Vinn who was using his arm to shield his face from the sun.

"We're almost there, just make a right down the street," I told the others. I slowed down so I could match my pace with Vinn who was walking the slowest out of the lot, which is a surprise since he seemed really enthusiastic about the job earlier. "Are you okay?"

Vinn nodded, still shielding his eyes with his arm. "Yeah, I just haven't been out in a while. It's a little... bright. My eyes feel itchy." Instead of rubbing his eyes, he just paused to press his palms on them for a while.

"Oh," I immediately held onto his arm when he stumbled for a bit, trying to walk right after he reopened his eyes. "Everything alright?"

He smiled as he continued walking, not bothering to loosen my grip on him. "Yeah, I just have terrible eyesight and I lost one of my contacts," he chuckled, covering his right eye.

"I didn't know you wore contacts," I told him, worried. "When did you lose it?"

"Earlier when we were looking at flowers," he grinned sheepishly. "Don't worry, I have a spare and I even have a pair of glasses but I left them all at your house."

"Where is it?" I looked at him with concern. "I could go get it for you."

"No, no," he smiled, pointing at a distance where his comrades were waving at us as they arrived at the tea house. "We're already here. Besides, I can still see, you know?" He chuckled heartily, still holding his hand over his right eye. He looked at me and said, "I see a very pretty girl."

"Yeah, you definitely need your contacts." I spoke in all seriousness, ready to run back home to fetch them when he held my arm.

"Why? Don't you believe me?" His eyes softened and his brows were pulled into a frown. "Do you not think you're beautiful?"

I do not know how to respond.

How do I stare back at those eyes twinkling with sincerity and tell him no?

✿

"Man, I wish I called dibs on this job first," Nikon could only stare at the place before him.

The tea house was relatively small compared to the ones in the city. Low tables and chairs filled half of the space. It smelled like tea and waffles, giving a very homey ambiance. 

The other half of the room was sealed off with what looked like a baby safety gate to secure the kittens from getting out. Although, of course, some skilled cats were able to jump over the fence and join the customers on their tables. On a hot summer day, teenagers seemed to love hanging out here, judging from the crowd that has swamped the place.

"They seem to like you," I told Nikon who is getting trailed by a group of cats. Vinn sat on the ground and tried to appease the adorable angels but none of them seemed to notice him.

"Try calling their names," a girl showed up from behind us. Based on the teacup and kittens printed on her apron, I assume that she works here. "Those babies are named after The Powerpuff Girls."

"The Powerpuff Girls?" Vinn repeated, enthused. He obviously wants to get closer to the cats.

"Yeah, my niece named them," the girl sat on the spot next to him and the cats instinctively went towards her. "The tabby cat is Blossom, the calico cat is Bubbles, and the bombay cat is Buttercup."

"Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup," Vinn chanted in a tone used for talking to babies. He reached out his hands towards the kittens but they paid him no mind.

"Blossom, hi," Nikon attempted this time, also settling on the floor. "Bubbles, Buttercup, come here." With that, everything that ensued seemed animated as the cats followed him shortly.

Dismayed, Vinn sat there, his lips drawn into a pout. Poor boy, he was looking forward to this so much. Just as he was about to get up, a black tail wrapped itself around his arm.

As he looked down, he found Buttercup. Vinn was unable to say anything but the look of joy on his face is priceless. Buttercup kept nuzzling on his hand, as if asking him to pet her. Confused, Vinn gently ran his hand on the cat's head, slowly putting her to sleep.

"That's odd," the girl who works here whispered, "she rarely lets anyone touch her."

With this comment, Vinn has reached unparalleled delight. He turned to Nikon who is trying to pet the other two kittens but they actively elude him, they would step closer to him but would evade his further advances the second he tried to touch them.

"Cats, unlike dogs, like personal space," the girl commented in a low voice as she called out to Blossom and Bubbles. The two cats went towards her, sniffed her for a bit before darting off as soon as she tried to reach out her hand. "They rarely approach people, and when they do, they draw the line in getting touched. It usually takes a while for them to warm up to you. If you're lucky, though, they'd snuggle with you." She smiled at Vinn who looked pleased with himself.

"Buttercup," he mumbled to himself, still patting the gorgeous black cat.

"Anyway, may I take your order?" The girl smiled at us.

"Ah, no, thank you. Uh, we're actually here for a job application. My friend Ron might have mentioned it," I stuttered, unsure. Honestly, I am bad at talking. The only reason I managed to speak to the band was because I felt close to them thanks to their music. And the sole motive I am talking right now is because Vinn seemed at a loss for words, still engrossed in the feeling of petting a cat.

She raised her eyebrows, "Ron?"

"Oh, I meant Aeron," I corrected immediately. I guess I was just so used to calling him by that nickname. "Aeron Collins."

She let out an audible 'ah' before telling us to wait while she fetches her boss. It took no longer than five minutes when an elderly woman went out with a walking stick. She must be the grandmother of the girl who started this business.

"Alright, sweetie, who might our new helper be— Oh, my dear," she let out an audible gasp as soon as she found Buttercup snuggling with Vinn. "I've never seen that naughty girl warm up to anyone before."

Vinn looked up at her, unable to contain his joy. "Hello, ma'am. Good morning." He flashed her a smile so big, it out-warmed the summer sun.

"Now, who is this sweet boy?" The lady giggled, pleased at the sight before her.

"I'm Vinn Kishimoto, ma'am." He bit his lip as he thought over what to say next. "I, uh, want to work here please."

The lady nodded, delighted. "Just call me Nana." Something about his voice sound like home. She reached out to pat Vinn's soft curls, "Welcome to the family, my child."

I felt my heart melt. At least I know now that even when I leave, Vinn would be in gentle, loving hands. That is exactly it. I do not just need to help them find jobs or a house. I want to help them find a home.

✿

✿

CASSIDY

"Let's go," I pressed on the horn, impatient.

The library is not really that far but I figured I would take the truck with me, maybe even swing by the market later. I may not be good in the kitchen but I at least know how to grill barbecues. Maybe Canon would like to have a bonfire at the beach just like old times. We could even invite Aeron since we are already here. I might as well have her enjoy a little before I bring her back to the city.

"Get in before I change my mind and have you walk," I said, glaring at the man I am now forced to hang out with, thanks to my sister. No matter, as soon as they get settled, we can leave. Think of it this way, Cassidy, you are only doing yourself a favor by... doing them a favor.

Having settled on the passenger seat, this Jett person closed the door and turned to me. I could only glare at him. He chuckled as he put his arms up. "Whoa, there. You almost seemed like you're not happy to be with me," he remarked, with a hint of playful sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes at the comment, "Take a guess."

"I mean, I understand that we're an inconvenience to you," he reached for the seat belt and put in on with a soft click, "and I feel bad for that so I've been trying to make it up to you, one way or another but the thing is, even if we were desperate at the time, you could have always said no, you know." The playful grin has disappeared from his lips as he looked at me, frustrated.

I could feel my face warm up at the surge of annoyance, no matter how his words held some truth. I reached for the button on my side and unlocked the passenger side's door. "Get out."

His eyes widened in surprise but he recollected himself in a flash, undoing his seat belt and hopping off the seat. "Look, I get that you don't like us 'cause we're strangers. But how are we supposed to get to know each other if you keep turning us down every single time? Can't you just try to judge us like how you would judge our music? I'm sure you'll like it when you listen without prejudice." With that, he swung the door to the truck and began walking away without even bothering to look back.

My grip on the steering wheel tightened at his words. He might be right. Frankly, they have not done any wrong. I just find it difficult to trust anyone especially people in the show business industry. I stare at Jett's figure as he continued walking down the road, pondering on whether I should drive past him or ask him to board the truck once more.

No. We are not here to tear open old wounds.

There is no need to march back and relive the lessons we learned the hard way.

✿

Upon arriving at the library, I parked the truck out front. The sun felt harsh on my skin and I could not be any happier than when I step foot in the establishment, having the cool breeze of the air conditioning greet me with a kiss.

As expected, the place is bustling with students picking up on reviews for the upcoming entrance exams, I presume. I remember how older people were around here, always pushing their children to get an education. You either study well or drop out and work to provide for your family.

I aimed for the shelves that boast a collection of literary classics. With a smile, I traced the worn spines of the books, the names barely readable as generations after generations have read the very same stories, maybe out of their own curiosity or perhaps due to an academic requirement.

Reaching out, I grabbed a hold on to one of Jane Austen's novels. With a scoff, I ran my hand over the cover, successfully wiping the dust that must have accumulated over the time it has been rendered unread. Pride and Prejudice, the title read.

I flipped through the book, ultimately landing on the last page that contains a small pocket for an index card with the list of names of individuals who checked out the book and sure enough, my name was scribbled on the top of the list with in neat, cursive handwriting.

Taking a quick glance at the clock above the librarian's desk, I figured I have some time to spare. Unfortunately, most desks, if not all, are already occupied with students and professors diligently studying instead of spending their summer vacation at the beach.

Unfazed, I just settled on the floor, right at the fiction aisle. Students rarely come to this area anyway since they tend to focus on subjects like mathematics and science during this time.

As I turned to the first page, I inhaled the scent of old books. It was warm and oddly comforting. I could probably stay here forever.

✿

"Would you care for some coffee?"

I lifted my gaze from the pages of the book, finally meeting Jett's eyes. There is something about them that I could not wrap my mind on. He gently offered the cup towards me.

Only then did I realize that I have been distracted by the book that I somehow curled up and lied on the floors, abruptly sending me to sit back up. "I don't drink coffee," I managed to tell him, avoiding his gaze. Well, I suppose it was good for him to get here on his own.

"Oh," he raised his eyebrows, unable to hide his surprise, "I've always pegged you down as a caffeinator."

"Green tea has caffeine, too," I mumbled subconsciously.

He let out a small chuckle before noting, "I'll remember that next time." He carefully bent down to match my eye level, "I, uh, got the job, by the way."

"Oh." I cleared my throat as the awkwardness filled the space between us. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, they asked me to begin training immediately so here I am," he smiled before glancing back at the cup that is still in his grasp.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Here you are... playing hooky on your first day at work?"

He just laughed at my remark before standing back up. "The manager asked me to make something using the experience I got from the previous coffee place I worked at. She said she'd base my salary on a little taste test." He slightly motioned towards the coffee stall and, sure enough, a lady wearing an apron with a logo of coffee beans is gazing at us.

My eyes fell on the drink in his hands once more.

"Well," he sighed, defeated, "I guess I should go and get this over with." He began to turn his back at me when I felt something urgent.

"Wait!" I managed to call out, unsure of the reason why. He looked at me, confused, as I tried to reach for the cup. "Uh, what did you... um, what drink is that, anyway?"

A small smile formed on his lips. "It's coconut and almond latte."

"Um," I pressed my lips tightly, as I felt the weight of awkwardness on my shoulders. Come on, Cassidy, speak. "I, uh, I'd like to try."

Jett chuckled, shaking his head. "No, it's alright, I don't want to cheat my way to a higher wage."

"No, no, no!" I frantically waved my hands and tried to clarify, "I'm just... curious. Since the name sounded like something you could get at a Starbucks and... look around," I swirled my index finger in a small circle, "people around here just drink black or cream coffee."

"I noticed," he nodded, extending his arm to hand me the drink once more.

I could not even reply so I just accepted the cup from him. As I brought it closer to my lips, I could sense the familiar scent of coffee. It has been years since I last had it. With a large sip, I could taste a little nuttiness, accompanied with a deeper flavor of coconut, with a hint of vanilla. The lingering bitterness of the shot of espresso under the blend of flavors did very little to keep me from relapsing to my coffee addiction I fought so hard to quit.

"This..." I looked at Jett, still in a daze. I refuse to believe coffee could make anyone feel this way but this taste... "Wow."

He only chuckled at my reaction. "On my way here, I noticed there's plenty of coconut trees around." I instantly felt a pang of guilt at what he just said. I really should not have kicked him out of the truck and made him walk alone. "When I fumbled through the items in the shop, I found fresh and organic coconut milk which the manager said she makes since her son is lactose-intolerant." He shrugged, smiling brightly, "I figured recreating this drink using fresh ingredients would taste a whole lot better. Plus, she could also make some for her son." I could only nod to this which prompted him to ask, "What do you think?"

"I like it and, uh..." I cleared my throat and shifted my glance around the room. "I'm sorry I was mean to you."

"Are you just saying you like it because of what happened earlier in the truck?" Jett asked, bending down once again to meet my eye level. "Because that's alright, you don't have to worry about it."

"No, I really like it," I mumbled, looking down at the worn out book sitting on my lap. "It's too good that it's reeling me out of uh... coffee retirement?" I could barely think straight and come up with a better term to describe me trying to quit coffee long ago.

"Coffee retirement," Jett repeated, laughing hysterically to the point that he had to wipe the tears forming in his eyes. "Well, I better report back to the boss. See you later, then."

"Yeah... see you." And so, I sat there, watching him walk towards the small coffee stall. The cup of coffee felt warm in my hands, the strong aroma tempting me to take another taste. It felt so good, I closed my eyes and almost forgot why I quit drinking it in the first place. After a long sip, I glanced back at the coffee stall only to find Jett and the manager looking back at me. Awkwardly, I gave them two thumbs up which seemed to have caused Jett to chuckle. The lady patted him on the back and said something to him before walking towards the back of the stall.

Jett waved at me, signed okay with his hands, and mouthed a quick thanks before trailing behind the manager.

I guess they are not that bad after all.

✿

CANON REESE

There was no contract in the tea house. It was just a small family business in a rural area that needed no formal interview or job application process. Vinn was told he could start tomorrow. Bonnie, the girl who assisted us earlier, happened to be Nana's grandchild who is home for the summer. She said she would be in charge of training him.

For now, we are on our way home. While the others are fascinated by the beach, Vinn held onto my hand for support as he still finds it hard to see. He said his vision was better in the tea house since the lighting was not as harsh and bright as it is out here. I suggested that we head back home first so he could rest or at least pick up his contacts and a pair of sunglasses so he would not hurt his eyes even more since he insists on tagging along. I already messaged Cassidy that we are on our way since she brought the keys to the house with her. The text was sent but I could only hope that she received it in time.

I turned to Vinn who had a solemn expression on his face as he walked alongside me, eyes closed. I wanted to ask him something but I was too shy to do so. Finally, I could not bite back the curiosity and went on, "How do you manage to perform in the spotlight?" I mean, surely, the lights might have bothered him when they do concerts on stage.

To this, he smiled. "I sometimes wear sunglasses but then the audience could not see my eyes," Vinn tried to open his right eye to take a peek at me, "If I take my shades off, I could see a bit but my vision gradually gets clouded with white spots until all I see is white." He closed his eyes once more as we continued walking. "I remove my glasses while performing since I could play the keyboard by ear and muscle memory. But I make sure to wear my glasses in between songs to take a good look at the crowd, memorize their faces."

My heart thumped hard at his words. "You... memorize them?"

"Yeah, I mean, they're important to me so I ought to," he smiled at the thought, "Although I wish I could meet all of their eyes without having to wear my glasses."

As we arrived at the house, we found Cassidy in the kitchen, struggling to make lunch. "I dropped by the market, by the way," she told us, sweat dripping down her face as she tidied up the counters, to which Nikon and Crawford immediately tended to help. "We could go have barbecues at the beach tonight," she said tentatively, not even bothering to look at us.

"Really?" My eyes widened at the thought. My heart is already skipping in excitement although I find it hard to believe that she is even suggesting it.

"I figured we might as well make the most of our vacation," she shrugged nonchalantly. "But if you're all tired, we can just stay in and... well, I'm bad at cooking so someone's gotta step up to the plate."

Oh, that is true. Neither of us could cook well. Of course, we could cook something edible if we were just going to feed ourselves but it would be a disgrace to serve them to other people. Oddly enough, we could grill very well, having to go camping ever since we were kids up until now. With that in mind, I guess that might be one of the reasons why she suggested the idea of having barbecue for dinner.

"We're fine, we hardly even worked today," Nikon reassured her with a smile, taking over the mess in the kitchen. "Jett's actually the best bet of our group in terms of cooking, followed by Crawford."

"I'll make lunch since he's not here," Crawford did a pretend salute before putting an apron on.

"Oh, right. He got accepted at the coffee place and he started training right away," Cassidy announced to the group. The news motivated the team even more as they strive to adjust to living in this town.

"Alright! I'll try to make up for my lack of cooking ability by doing other chores," Nikon wrapped up after tidying up the counters. "Let me know if you need anything and I'll get it done." He turned to me, "We're going out after lunch to go job hunting again, right?"

"Yep!" I could not help but jump a little at the enthusiasm that filled the room. Two members already landed jobs. Honestly, I never thought this much could be accomplished in a day but, fortunately, we are off to a good start.

"Reese, look," Vinn showed up, wearing a pair of eyeglasses.

"Oh, you look good," I commented, honest. "You're ditching your contacts now?"

"Yeah, they kinda itch. Plus, my vision's not really that bad when I see things up close and in casual lighting. But since I've to go out and work, I have this," he scrunched his nose before showing me a black film. "Observe." He stuck the black film on his prescription glasses, turning them into a pair of sunglasses. "They're magnetic clip-ons. Now I can go out in the sun, unbothered." He even managed to strike a pose. "Pretty cool, right?"

I let out a small laugh as I marveled at his cuteness and enthusiasm. "Yep, very cool."

He chuckled before removing his glasses. His eyes lingered on mine before the edges of his lips curled upward into a smile.

"What?" I creased my eyebrows, confused.

With a smile, he reached out and pressed two of his fingers on my forehead, trying to undo my frown. He grinned as he pressed on my nose before turning and walking away.

I could feel my pulse race.

What was that about?

✿

Author's Note:

I forgot to update yesterday.
I thought I had just updated the day before but then I realized that it was for another book.

Feel free to check out my other story,
Ever, Reverie.

Formerly known as The Fault in Our Cookies.

✿

FEATURE OF THE DAY:

Does it make sense that I haven't seen Itaewon Class? I heard it's good though I hardly watch dramas (I'm more of a variety show type of person).

Although I really love this song.

Sweet Night by V (Kim Taehyung)

Whenever I listen to it, it calms me down. Then I get a bit sleepy.

https://youtu.be/N5ShoQimivM

If you know any artist you like and appreciate and would like to share them with us, feel free to message me.