moonlight shadows ☆ stray kids

☆ chapter 1 ☆

Hyun Soyoung

Satisfied, Soyoung lifted the pen from the paper and looked at her curved signature at the bottom of the paper – which was nothing less than the purchase contract. She had finally signed it and the café was officially hers.
Joy spread through her. From now on, she could only get closer to her dream; nothing and nobody could stop her.

"I'm delighted that our café has found such a wonderful owner." A warm smile came to Ella Moon's lips as she looked at the contract she had just signed with a melancholy yet liberated expression. Her husband knowingly placed a hand on her arm and began to stroke it reassuringly.
He knew how much the café meant to his wife and how much she gave up for him and his health; and he loved her all the more for it. Nevertheless, it was also a relief for the both of them to be rid of the café and the associated costs.

"And your plans are just fantastic. Combining the café with the library is just a fantastic idea. Expect us to visit you in a while; I'm not going to miss out on seeing that."
The newly baked pensioner looked at the young woman with a smile. She had never had children herself, so she had realised that she couldn't leave the café in the hands of the next generation of her family. But Soyoung was the best replacement she could have wished for.
"That would make me very happy. And although I know you've given your blessing for me to rename the café, I've decided to keep the name. The café will still be called Midnight Moon!"
This announcement only made the elderly couple beam even more with joy.
Together, the three made their way to the door; Soyoung wanted to take one last look at the café that was now her own and the Moons still had to pack their remaining belongings, as their move was imminent.

"We also have something for you!"
Surprised, Soyoung turned to her newfound friends. "Why is that? Believe me, you've already given me the best present ever with the café."
"I know that. But still, we want to give it to you. Think of it as a housewarming gift and a keepsake!" Full of anticipation as to how the young woman would react to her gift, Ella looked at her while her husband conjured the small parcel out of thin air. It was a small, inconspicuous brown box in the shape of a cube, but the red ribbon wrapped around it indicated that it was important.

Excitedly, Soyoung unwrapped the bow and carefully opened the lid of the box. What she saw left her speechless. Tears gathered in her eyes as she carefully reached into the packaging and took out a small golden bell.
"You said that you'd like to put a bell back on. This is the bell that has been hanging above the door since the first day of the café. It wasn't damaged by the flood, and we no longer have any use for it. I think it simply belongs there, and I would be delighted if it could continue to fulfil its role."
Moved, the 24-year-old looked at the couple and as she fought back tears, she quickly took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Ella's slender figure.
"Thank you very much. I'll take good care of it!"

A short time later, the three of them found themselves in a group hug, trying unsuccessfully to hold back their tears. But they had no chance, the emotions involved were simply too enormous, and so they just stood there for a while before breaking away from each other and looking overwhelmed for tissues.
This moment was a point of great change in their lives; for all three of them.

☆

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes briefly and then opened the door to her dream come true. Here she was, in the building that now belonged to her. In the middle of a room that would soon radiate cosiness and warmth and smell of all kinds of goodies, and above her a library that was waiting to be refurbished and restocked.
Full of zest for action, Soyoung spun round once herself. She didn't need to sugarcoat it; she knew that there was a lot of work ahead of her. But she didn't let that intimidate her.

She walked the length of the room, picturing the interior in her mind, until she stopped at the doorway to the kitchen. She wasn't prepared, she didn't have the right equipment with her, nor was she wearing work-appropriate clothing; but she had to do something to officially usher in the new era of the café.

And so, without further ado, the young woman tore at a piece of the already loose wallpaper. With a rattling sound, a whole strip of the dirty wall covering came loose, and Soyoung let it slide to the floor with satisfaction.
She finally had the feeling that she had arrived. She had seized her chance, had not flinched, and now she was standing here.
In her own café in the middle of a cosy little village on the edge of an idyllic nature reserve. Nothing could go wrong now.