The incredible aroma of chocolate usually had a blissful effect on the customers. Seojin was literally a god when it came to cooking. But, that didn't seem to work anymore. Instead, the café felt haunted.

The sweetness, though present, couldn't fully compensate for the pain that lingered. It was the irrational yearnings, the ache of desires that seemed unattainable, the longing for what once was, and the eager anticipation of what lay ahead. The pain of not being someone who was happy, coupled with the frustration towards the harshness of reality, these were the shades of the soul's awareness that formed a distressing landscape.

He couldn't really put a finger on what actually hurt him. Was it how he was called a molester? Was it how everyone now saw him like a criminal or was it how his family had scattered?

Nothing seemingly was the same, the café had lost its charm, the man had lost his smile, and they had lost their happiness. The café was still brimming with people, but it wasn't how it used to be.

With each passing day, Seojin felt the weight of their judgments bearing down on him. He tried to keep the café running as normally as possible, but it was a losing battle.

"Hello, waiter!"

The voice was like a ghost that Seojin had tried to leave behind. He looked up from the espresso machine, his hands momentarily still. There, on the other side of the counter, stood Tobias Green, a figure Seojin never wanted to see again, at least for the time being. For a moment, a thousand questions swirled in his mind, each vying for attention, but he swallowed them down, choosing to maintain the professional veneer he had perfected over the years.

"Good evening, sir. What would you like?"

Tobias smirked at him grabbing the menu, shuffling through the laminated sheets to stop on a random drink. Tapping his finger at the name, he muttered, "This please, and make it a large one."

Nodding his head, Seojin pulled out the largest cup and the marker, "Your name?"

Tobias cackled a sarcastic chuckle, eyeing him in the most grievous way, "Oh come on, Seojin, you really can't remember my name? The almighty Seojin has forgotten the name of this lowly being?"

"I don't have a clue what your name is, buddy, and let's face it - I'm just your average human. No fancy titles or grand achievements here. I'm as ordinary as they come. No statues will be erected in my honour, and I'll probably be forgotten in no time. All that matters to me is that I am a baker and have a family back home."

Tobias gritted his teeth slamming his fist against the counter, "Oh Jin, you sure do have a way with words, but seriously, why? Why are you doing this? You have done this in the past and nothing good came of it. You destroyed everything, rather, everyone! You are a murderer... Stop it!"

Confusion was a luxury which only the very, very young could possibly afford, and he was not that young anymore. What was wrong with his life? He had a decent life. He was healthy. He wasn't hungering or maimed by a land mine or left alone. Yet somehow, it wasn't enough. He now had a hole in him, and everything he took for granted tumbled through it like sand.

How could he do anything? Murder? What was the man even inferring?

"I assure you, Mr. Green, you are mistaken. I am not the man you believe me to be. I have committed no crime, spilled no blood. Whatever vendetta you seek to fulfil, it is not with me."

Tobias felt like he had gulped yeast, like whatever evil was festering inside him had doubled in size. Unable to contain his anger, he reached out abruptly, grabbing hold of Seojin's shirt with both hands and pulling him closer. "Don't think you can fool me with that innocent act." His voice was seething with accusation. "I haven't forgotten a single detail, Mr. Kim. Every moment is etched in my memory, loud and clear. Why are you back? What do you want this time?"

Seojin was wrong in someone's story, in someone's fiction that they had spent years to ink and write. But why? Why was he the villain in places where he didn't even budge to step, didn't even know existed?

His eyes reflected vulnerability to which he had no words, nothing to say. His finger crawled upon the fists to untangle them from his shirt with the utmost care, "I don't know you, Tobias Green and I could never do what you have been indicting me for." Retaining his stance, he continued, "Take a seat, your coffee will be ready in a minute."

Holding on to the door, Seojin burst into the kitchen without sparing a look anyplace else. Stumbling on the counter, his shivering hands got hold of the cup to pour the coffee into it. A drop of bitterness trickled down the side, burning onto his skin, yet his senses refused to feel the conflagrant essence.

He always have had a simple life, an orphan from the time he remembered, his nerdy life, falling for Ahyun, Yoshi's friendship, marriage, Mi-cha... The café.

And now he was being accused of murder. A murder he knows nothing about.

All the values were being put, all words going frenzy yet none made sense. Errors came at each end, regardless of what the word was, an error was the final solution.

What was this error even?
What was the story?
What was the paradox?

He constantly revaluated his life with the faded print of the dead, and the fresh ink of the living, in search of certainty when doubt ran high.
And now, he had to know.

To err is human, to persist in error is sinister.

...

Hana sat alone in the living room, the silence broken only by the occasional chirp of a bird outside. Ahyun and Mi-cha were out at dance class, and Seojin had gone to tend to his café for the evening.

She sighed, running a hand through her long dark hair. Lately, she had found herself increasingly alone with her thoughts. The memories of Chiwon still haunted her, even after all this time. She had tried to move on, to devote herself to her family and her new life. But sometimes, in unguarded moments, the old guilt and longing would rush back in, threatening to overwhelm her.

Rising from the couch, Hana paced restlessly through the house. She needed something to occupy her mind, some distraction from those thoughts. Heading to the kitchen, she busied herself with preparing a simple dinner, hoping the mindless task would soothe her troubled thoughts.

As she chopped vegetables and stirred the pot on the stove, Hana felt a familiar presence in the room behind her. A chill ran down her spine. She knew that feeling, that prickling sense of being watched. Slowly, she turned to face the kitchen doorway.

There, lounging against the frame as casually as if he still lived there, was Chiwon. His dark eyes glittered with malice and triumph. A cruel smile curved his lips. Hana gasped, stumbling back against the counter.

"Chiwon? How...what are you doing here?" Her voice shook with a mix of fear and disbelief.

"I am where my love is," he purred, moving into the kitchen. "I've been watching you, Hanami. How could you just leave me behind, live your life with your new family?"

Hana shook her head frantically, tears springing to her eyes. "Please, Chiwon...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what I did. But you have to understand-"

"Understand?" he snarled, seizing her arms in a painful grip. "You betrayed me! You abandoned me for that pervert Seojin. How could you, Hana?"

"It wasn't like that!" she cried, struggling in his grasp. "Seojin...he's my brother too, like Yoshi. I can't abandon him!"

Chiwon's lips curled in disgust. "Your brother? The man who molested your friend, who violated your trust? He's no brother of yours!"

Hana wrenched free of his hold, backing away until she bumped against the wall. "That's not true! It was a lie! Bella would have told me then!" She'd refused to believe it, told herself it was just a twisted lie Tobias had said. "I... I can't abandon Seojin. I can't lose anyone else."

Chiwon's expression softened, his voice turning persuasive. "I know, baby. I know how hard it is to let go. But you have to, for your own good. Come back to me, and I'll forgive everything. I'll take care of you, love you like you deserve. Leave him and come with me."

Hana squeezed her eyes shut, tears leaking out. Chiwon's words stirred up the old feelings of helplessness and despair, the belief that she didn't deserve to be happy. But a small, stubborn voice inside her refused to give in. "I... I can't. Seojin is my brother. I won't betray him."

Chiwon's face contorted in rage. "You stupid bitch! You'd rather be a pathetic little cock-sleeve for that pervert than come back to me? Fine! If you want to sleep with your so-called brother, who am I to stop you?"

Hana gasped as if struck. "How dare you!" She screamed, flying at him. They grappled, shoving and hitting, until Chiwon slammed Hana against the wall, his hands around her throat.

"I dare because I know you're a filthy slut," Chiwon snarled. "You'll fuck anything with a pulse. You can't be trusted."

Pushing him hard, Hana slapped him across his cheek. "Seojin never asked me for anything. He only ever wanted to help me."

Chiwon caught her wrist, yanking her forward. "Liar!" he spat. "I know all about your disgusting affair. You spread your legs for him the moment I was gone, didn't you?"

Tears streamed down Hana's face as she fought against his bruising grip on her arm. "No! Chiwon, please, you're wrong. Seojin would never-"

"Shut up!" He backhanded her brutally, splitting her lip. Hana cried out, the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth. Chiwon slammed her against the wall, his body crushing hers. "I should have known better than to trust a filthy whore like you."

Hana sobbed brokenly, the pain in her head and heart blurring her vision. Was it all in her mind? Maybe Chiwon wasn't really here? But the pain was real and the words were cruel.

Her mind spun, her heart skyrocketed, and the next she knew she had collapsed to the floor.

_________

Another update!
WC: 1764