Big Dog, Little Swallow

She meets him at the coffee shop one day, dressed head to toe in black, aviators balanced off the high bridge of his nose. Big Dog they called him, they meaning Yoon Seri's brothers who, unlike her who built a coffee shop with her hard owned money, had shady under dealings with the mafia in Seoul. Her brothers wanted a cut in her profits, wanting to use her coffee shop as a front for money laundering, but she held her ground, untangling herself from the suspicious money-making scheme.

She didn't know his real name, but his sobriquet preceded him, large and mysterious, known for carrying out the killings for the mob boss Cho Choel Gang. He stays quiet most of the time, she heard, but bares his teeth when provoked.

Standing behind the coffee counter, she watches him as he settles down at a table in the corner, so he can watch as people come in an out, she guesses, while his partner jogs up to the register. He's paranoid, she thinks, paranoid around strangers and people who would likely ask him any questions.

"One latte and one single origin drip coffee from Colombia," his partner orders. Seri nods, taking his request, all the while observing how he's also tall, but still has boyish features, and she ventures that he couldn't be a day over twenty-one.

"That'll be 12000 won," Seri says, ringing up the drinks, and the younger man whistles upon learning the steep price of the coffee.

"12000 won? It must be his single origin fancy-schmancy coffee he must have," the younger man scoffs as he pulls out a wad of cash from his pocket. As he's about to hand it to Seri his phone rings and he holds up an apologetic finger at Seri while he answers the phone.

"Ju Meok, here," the younger man answers, "uh-huh, yeah...Big Dog and I are at the coffee shop 'round the corner..."

Seri can't make out most of his conversation, but in the meantime, she decides to prepare the beverages, setting up the drip coffee upon the counter while she steams the milk for Ju Meok's latte.

"...Yeah yeah, we'll be there tonight, don't worry," Ju Meok dismisses and ends the call before turning to Seri and handing her the money.

"I'll bring your drinks to the table," Seri tells him when she takes the cash from him, and he smiles a boyish smile at her before returning back to the table to join Big Dog.

Seri turns back to the drinks on the counter, pouring the steamed milk into the espresso, and with a flick of the wrist, creating a heart shaped pattern with the foam. She can feel eyes on her, though she doesn't know why, but she instinctively turns to Big Dog's direction and finds him looking right at her, or at least she thinks he is, though his eyes are covered by the tinted lenses that frame his angular face perfectly.

When the drinks are ready, she places the mugs on two saucers and she walks over to their corner table. The beverages teeter in her hands, her hands shaking uncharacteristically as she places them in front of the two mobsters.

"Big Dog, you owe me next time. I shelled out way too much cash for your single drip origin...whatever," Ju Meok garbles out but Big Dog only scoffs, still remaining silent as he brings the cup to his lips.

"You should try the roast from Ethiopia next time," Seri tumbles out before she even realizes she's speaking. "It's lighter and has a hint of honey in the roast, perfect for an afternoon pick me up."

Big Dog only pauses with the coffee at his lips, the slight raise in his eyebrows betraying his surprise, before nodding his head and humming softly, before registering her name tag pinned on the right side of her chest.

Seri deems the interaction satisfactory and heads back to the counter, squeezing her eyes shut as she bites her lip in embarrassment for speaking too much. An hour or two passes and the pair are still sitting there, Ju Meok on his phone, and Big Dog supposedly reading, though she knows his eyes are on the room in front of him scanning it every couple of minutes or so, before landing on her. She's caught him, once or twice, she thinks, and immediately there's a warmth that she feels spreading through her, an immediate flush that overtakes her skin, but she tries not to think too much of it.