The life that Seo-jun lived, seemed like a small paradise. And it was indeed a paradise. It wasn't perfect but it was a life he loved. Seo - Jun was walking through streets he grew up on, some houses were old and had cracks. Regardless, you can see that the people took care of the houses. They tried their best to make them last longer. 

Right now, the elderly couple is repairing the window frames and the porch. 

Seo - Jun called and waved to them, they were friends of his grandparents. 

"Ah! Young lad!" said the old man as he waved back. The lady smiled instead. They asked small questions, how was Seo - Jun's grandparents and how is Jeo-jun himself? Bom, the wife, rushed to the house and a moment later, returned with a glass of lemonade. She offered it to the lad, who gladly accepted it, bowing. 

"So, will we ever live to the day to see your wife and kids-" Seo-jun was taken aback. He choked on his lemonade, which suddenly tasted bitter (though it was sweet and cold). His handsome and dark face suddenly became red, it wasn't certain what from the sudden shock, or the embarrassment.

The man laughed at the lads' reaction, as he clapped his back to help him breathe. He seemed to enjoy to tease Seo-jun. The man's hand was heavy, and with every clap, the boy shrank. He wasn't able to comment.

"Dear husband! Stop teasing the poor boy!" Bom said slapping the back of his head "Please forgive him, he thinks he's funny - when he's not" With another slap on the man's head, his laughter changed into a cough. Still, unable to respond, Seo-jun shyly waved his palms, signaling that it was alright and he didn't mind. He bowed lightly before leaving. The old couple waved him goodbye as a young man walked towards the tea shop.

The old man wasn't wrong, maybe it was about time to think about settling down with someone. But Seo-jun simply didn't have anyone special. So far he was enjoying his life as a care-free life. Fishing, and working at his grandparents' shop, was all he needed.

If you ask Seo- jun if there is someone he likes, he'd say no. He is in love with fishing.

Well, that would be a lie. He was still not entirely over his ex-girlfriend. Even though their relationship ended years ago, he couldn't help but wonder how Eun-ji was doing.

Both of them attended the same university. Seo-jun had a crush on her for a while. Petite young lady, with a silky and black hair. Every time she was writing notes in class, it would cascade down her shoulders, like a smooth waterfall. She looked enchanting for Seo-jun.
One day when they were working togehter on project, he mustered the courage to ask her out. She agreed and soon after that, they started dating and even moved in together. Eun-ji moved to his place. At that time, it was a small studio, but they managed to make it cozy. Everything seemed to be fine until Seo-jun realized that Eun-ji had become cold. He tried to fix, whatever was broken in their relationship, but it was useless. Eun-ji lost feelings and it wasn't something he could fix on his own.

Parting ways was the only solution. While it broke Seo-jun's heart, he knew there was nothing he could do to change her mind. It left him devastated.

It's been three years since they broke up and Seo-jun hadn't felt like dating. The hollow and empty feeling that Eun-ji left, remained there whenever he thought of her.

The door slightly hit the bell, which announced the arrival of a person in a tea shop. It wasn't crowded; just a few people were sitting at the other tables, hiding from the shadows. The sun couldn't reach in. Not fully at least. Seo-jun entered the tea shop and lazily marched to the right, where the counter was. His grampa was refilling the jars that had herbal teas in them. It seemed that even new flavors had arrived.

As he was passing by the table where the fishermen's wives were sitting, they couldn't stop but admire his toned physique. As ladies of their age, they did this regularly. Ever since Seo-jun hit puberty, he was shy about it. But as time went by he got used to ladies' compliments.

"Please, ladies, you're flattering me," Seo-jun winked at them with a soft smirk. He leaned on the countertop, facing the tables. He crossed his arms, which made his arm muscles more noticeable. "You'll make an old man shy"

"Oh you stop that, Seo-jun!" said one of the ladies, waving him off. "He had his fair share of glory" 

"When your grandpa was as young, he was very famous amongst girls in high schools and universities. I was one of them!" another lady said, nodding. As she nodded, her pink hair shook like a bush in the wind.

Seo-jun looked at them wide-eyed, then slowly turned his head to look at Grandpa.

The old man sighed as he locked the last jar and placed it on the wall shelf that stood behind the countertop.

"Yes I was, and you Ara-" he pointed at the pink-haired lady "was the most annoying and persistent"

"I honestly thought you two end up dating at some point," the other lady said with a little regret in her voice. She placed her palm to her cheek, holding it.

"Don't say that, we both know that his heart was stolen Hye-won-"

"That's right,-" Suddenly all four of them darted their head toward the door. An old lady, with silver and long hair, entered the shop. She had her arms behind her back as she gracefully paced to the crowd. "You two old hags could never get him, because he was mine since the beginning." She chuckled as she stepped behind the countertop, standing close to the old man.

"Grandma, you've arrived" Seo-jun smiled, completely turning his body to the counter. He leaned forward and kissed Hye-won on the forehead.

"Indeed." She smiled brightly looking at Seo-jun. She then looked behind him, at the two old friends with a twisted smile "I'm pretty sure your husbands are missing you"

"No, they are not," said Bom. "I bet they are out there, fishing-"

"No, we are not! Not anymore at least." The crowd looked at the door once again. The door hit the bell as two men walked in.

"Je-woo and Mi-so! What happened with the fish?" Seo-jun asked, smirking. He walked behind the counter, starting the castles for the tea.

"Ah, you know, it ran off," said Je-woo. He walked to the pink-haired lady and gave her a gentle smooch before sitting down beside her.

"And I assume, as usual, our wives were not talking about us but about this old fart," Mi-so said with a cheeky smile once he sat down close to his wife.

The conversations changed from one to another, from what was heard on the news to the gossip from another district.

While the old friends enjoyed their conversation, Seo-jun took care of the shop and assisted the guests who arrived. Some of them were students from the local high school. Most of them were groups of girls, who had a soft spot for Seo-jun. They also enjoyed the tea that he made, the shop's specialty. 

The day went by and with no events. It was a peaceful life, Seo-jun wished nothing else.

His grandparents left home earlier, and Seo-jun closed the shop.

The sunset was closing in on the city, shifting from golden to orange. The sunset colored the houses of the district, blinding some of the people on the streets. As it shone brightly, emerging shadows of people contrasted with the orange-gold, giving some note of enchantment. As the old radio played in the background, Seo-jun cleaned the front area, collecting the dishes and then taking them back for a cleaning. The shop didn't have extra workers to clean afterward, usually it was Seo-jun.

By the time he was done, it was dark outside. Seo-jun locked the shop's doors with a deliberate click, signaling the end of another long day. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tapping it against his palm before pulling one out. With practiced ease, he lit it, the flame briefly illuminating his sharp features before the glow of the cigarette replaced it.

The first inhale hit him like an old memory—familiar, heavy, and grounding. Smoke curled around him, forming a hazy cocoon as he exhaled, his eyes fixed on nothing in particular. His mind wandered, flitting from one thought to another like a restless bird. Each drag felt like a pause, a moment to collect himself, yet his thoughts kept slipping through his fingers.

Inhale. Exhale. Smoke in. Smoke out. The rhythm was almost meditative, a bittersweet ritual he allowed himself at the end of every day.