KALOPSIA ✓

25. it all depends on you

25. it all depends on you
"I can be lonely out in a crowd. I can be humble or I can be proud. It all depends on you."

//

stirring the spoon, Crema's mind is ill with unease.

she stares at a blank spot on the marble ground— the same place countless customers have walked across, even spat on. her own daughter Gaia has been strolled in her pushchair across this very floor. she stirs and stirs, spoon scraping across the bottom of the tea cup. the noise is painful.

gulping harshly, Crema is spending the last ten minutes of her work shift stirring a cup of tea— not for herself, but for her manager. she's absolutely lost in thought, aware that she's been stirring for minutes.

the scraping is a difficult sound to hear. her favourite work colleague and only female friend voices her distaste, "girl..." she takes away the tea cup that Crema kept a good, firm hold on unintentionally. "stop stirring. God damn, my poor ears." the spoon is thrown into the cafe sink.

Manab— a good, observant friend knows what's on Crema's mind. today, the mother of one, has spent her time lost in a daze. forced smiles, acceptable behaviour were shown. but she barely spoke to Manab, was barely herself and the friend knew that her daughter's brief, one day kidnapping is rolling in her mind like a broken film tape.

Crema's friend delivers the hot drink to their manager before joining her side once again, at the front of the cafe that is much quieter now that it's closing time. "it's really strange that someone kidnapped your daughter." she decides to bring up the topic— talking helps in ways we can't imagine. plus, it doesn't seem like Crema has spoken about it out loud. the worry and fear etched on her face says it all. Manab knows because she's a woman and mother too.

Crema continues to stare at the ground. "it is really strange."

"was Gaia okay? did you check?"

"yeah—" now there's confusion pulling Crema's eyebrows apart as she doesn't dare look up from the cafe floor. "it's strange because she was in perfect condition. not a single hair on her head had even moved, i swear to God, she was happy as ever. didn't even know she went without her mother for a whole day." she explains, utterly baffled.

"and—" Crema's hand rests on top of the counter. her black, loud hair frames her face as she frowns. "the cops didn't care whatsoever. she came back, that's all that matters they said. well of course she fucking came back but did she come back on her own? fuck no. how... who and why do they know where she lives?" Crema is rolling into a range of emotions.

Manab can't help but think of Crema's new friend Taehyung— the superstar. she doesn't want to jump to conclusions but seriously? the person knew her address. Gaia knows the man too which explains why the child would be so comfortable around him. instead of voicing this all out loud, she asks, "what do you think happened?"

"i'm not sure." Crema responds, finally looking away from the ground. "what say you?" she questions, another opinion important to her.

Manab gulps, not today. just be a good friend. "i honestly have no idea. it's all so bizarre lady." she moves, untying her apron before moving to get ready for the cafe to close.

Crema's mind circles with Taehyung's words from the past— "you need to go out more, what about that work friend?" she looks at Manab in all her glory, remembering the countless times she wanted them to hang out outside of work.

no more excuses, Crema thinks, there were never any excuses...

the older woman feels nervous, fidgeting with the ring Taehyung gifted on her index finger. "how do you feel about getting a drink after work?" she asks, watching Manab's dark, almost black eyes look up. "we both finish at the same time—"