The Wish
Min-joo shivered and zipped up her coat before she briskly walked through the rainy streets of Seoul. Rain fell heavily and wetted the asphalt; the city lights illuminated the alleys, and their floors looked like jams of multicolored paint. This was the type of night that would be ideal for staying in, preferably under a warm blanket with a good book; however, Min-joo had plans.
She was on her way to one of the small but extremely warm cafés located in a rather hidden area of the city. It is not just any café; it was a café that she stumbled upon one fine day, with that perfect setup and something mysterious about it. The name of a place that stood over the door would read Café Mysterio each time she entered. She was in a different world.
Tonight was special. Min-ju was now 24 and was not expecting anything important for her birthday, but she wanted to have her favorite dessert and a cup of hot chocolate at Café Mysterio. It was her own small ritual that allowed her to look back at the year gone by and forward to the year to come.
She got tired of the old scent of coffee and sweet pastries, which she inhaled as she opened the door. The café was relatively cost and welcoming, which was refreshing since it was, at that time, raining. Thinking about where to sit, Min-joo smiled, seeing that her favorite table by the window was available.
The girl, who appeared to be in her late twenties, ordered a set of her preferred meal of a strawberry shortcake and hot chocolate before sitting back comfortably in her chair as she began to daydream as she waited for her order to be prepared. There was some soft jazz coming from the establishment’s speakers and the occasional murmur of voices from the other customers.
The young girl looked at the cup of hot chocolate and felt somewhat lonely inside, despite having friends and family around her. Birthdays were for friends and family, and right now the only one she had by her side was her cousin, and he was more like a bother than anything else. And in the case of love, Min-joo cannot bring herself to talk about it, though she has consistently and purposefully avoided the topic.
This was the first time she was ever in a position where she could potentially have a serious relationship, and although she was perfectly fine with her singleness, there was a firewall deep within her that craved for that sort of love that was presented in novels and movies. Introductory kiss—the kind that would take one's breath away and make the room seem to whirl—she had hoped for this all her life and never received it.
Thus, thinking such thoughts, the door of the café opened and a man who seemed to be rather misplaced in such location came in. He was about the same height as the man she had met in the park earlier, with a mop of dark hair that was still wet from the rain; he was good-looking, roughly handsome, but at the same time somehow familiar.
The man looked around nervously until his glance fell on Min-joo. And to her overwhelming and pleasant surprise, he strolled right to her table, with a smile playing on his lips.
"Hello,” I interrupted him, and suddenly I was deeply impressed. d He has an attractive, deep, and nice-sounding voice. “Is this seat taken?”
Feeling the pressure of the sudden advance, Min-joo blinked. She nodded her head, and being dazed, she could only hold her hands in a pleading manner to signal him to sit down. He replied to her and joined her, sitting across. On the table in front of them, he laid a small golden box.
There was nothing that could be said to break the tension; not a single word was spoken in the room. Min-joo could not stop stealing looks at him, only to think she knew him from somewhere. He appeared to have heard her and smiled.
“You know me?” he questioned me with a grin, then darted his eyes toward the door, saying: “Let me tell you what I do. ”
Min-joo blushed, caught red-handed. “A little callow... forgive me; I didn’t mean to ogle. ”
“There is no need to apologize,” He replied again, smiling a bit more widely now. “It is normal to probe deep when you are served by a complete stranger who has unexpectedly joined you on your table. ”
Min-joo laughed nervously. “Oh, so now that you point it out to me, do you and I? ”
The man was rather stubborn and he just shook his head. “Not yet,” I said, though we were about to. He shoved the box closer to her and his features formed a frown. “We need to talk, Min-joo. ”
The tension that Min-joo had been putting inside her immediately escaped and she felt her heartbeat quicken. As we saw, tsar basically did not have any information about her; he just had a strange feeling that her name was that one. She looked betrayed in the box, then back to the man “Who are you and how do you know my name?”
He leaned back in his chair and for the first time since the cup of coffee had been poured, looked searchingly at her. “You can call me Mr. K, then let me just make this clear to you: I am here to assist you in getting something that you have been wanting and longing for. ”
Min-joo looked at him, her thinking caps on. It was as if I heard ‘The Frog Prince’ fairy tale come to life, with the prince asking for a date with me. “Wishing for?”
Mr. K pointed towards the box, and Melania smiled. “Open it. ”
Min-joo shook a little as she extended her hand for the box and cautiously opened it. The seven keys lay on a bed of velvet inside the café, covered with an exquisite light, as some of the keys were elaborate works of art.
“What are these?” Min-joo quietly reacted with a breathless voice.
“This key means a door and behind each door, there is a kiss,” Mr. K said with an almost trance-inducing calmness. “Seven kisses and each kiss is given by a different person. It is your task to identify your true love. ”
Min-joo flinched and wanted to vomit when she realized what they were saying to her. “This... this cannot be real. It is rather impossible. ”
The tone as Mr. K spoke was rather low and commanding at the same time. “The decision is yours, I guess,” I said But then added solemnly, “But you should bear in mind that this is your only shot at it So once you decide on a key that is supposed to open a door, it is too late. ”
Eyes wide open Min-joo took a deep inhale and wrapped her fingers around one of the keys. It was hard for her to discern whether it was real or just an illusion of her vivid imagination; nonetheless, she decided to go back to him.
Because sometimes even the unimaginable world and another person’s life are worth fighting for.
And with that, shared a glance to Mr. K, her stomach feeling like it could skip a beat. “I’m ready. ”
Mr. K smiled, or rather, he twinkled, his eyes positively lighting up with what can only be described as a trace of approval. “Then let the journey begin, Min-Joo; the first door is open. ”
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