Last Night at the Café

10 | Cheesecake

EVEN IF SHE thought she could avoid a certain person, she could not avoid her cravings for hazelnut latte. Truthfully, she was starting to think herself silly. Avoid Kazu? Avoid Home? How much longer would she put herself through this ordeal? Besides, he hadn't done anything wrong. She had read too much into that night at the cafe and him agreeing to her invitation for supper, and that was all. She thought she would take the chance to bridge the awkward gap between them, shake hands, and pretend nothing had happened.

She found herself making her way to Home come Saturday evening. The familiar comfort of her usual table, plain as it was, and the aroma of coffee spurred her on to churn out another chapter. Unfortunately, Kazu and Jieun had been busy the whole night, churning out orders. She cast the counter a wistful glance and decided to put her mind to writing instead. As the hours crept by, her eyes began to dull, her shoulders droop, and her back ache.

All around her, the bustle of customers, the whir and grind of the coffee machine, the hiss of the milk frother, acted as a backdrop to her epic sea battle scene. She had immersed herself into the world of Maru and Hwan, flying along with them as they swung from ropes aboard the pirate ship, as they slid and scraped their knees on the deck, as they shouted and choked on the salty sea. 

"Excuse me," a voice said, breaking into her thoughts. "Seollal-ssi?"

She popped her head up, her eyes wide as she stared up at the man smiling at her.

There was something familiar about those eyes and that hair swept casually back.

No way.

He was in a cotton shirt and shorts this time.

Of all places!

"Yes?" she murmured with a vague air.

It was the Marketing Executive. Here at Home. And she could not recall his name.

"I knew it was you," the man said with a confident grin. "Are you with anyone? Do you mind if I take this seat?"

"Erm, go ahead," she murmured as she lowered the screen of her laptop.

Her heart thudded noisily behind her ribcage as she fought to get a hold of her thoughts. No way. Why does he have to be here? What's his name? Song Moo? Song Woon? Under the table, her fingers were a distraught mess as they tugged on each other.

There were those slim fingers that had so entranced her that night, casually raking through his thick hair. Then he held his hands loosely together as he nodded at her laptop.

"You aren't busy, are you?" he asked. "Doing work here?"

"Aniya, I'm not busy. What are you doing here?"

What a stupid question.

He had leant his elbows on the table, bringing his loosely interlinked hands to his chin. She could just feel the ghost of his long legs under the tiny table, and so she tucked her legs tight under her chair.

"I had a meal with some friends earlier. I thought I'd get some coffee before I head home. I usually come here on weekday mornings."

No way.

He was a regular too?

It was foolish of her to think of Home as a space in her private life. How was it now that a person she had met on a group date would show up here too?

"Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"It's alright, I'm fine."

She jerked a hand to her half-filled cup, all too aware of Jieun's curious peering at them from where she wiped a table at the other end of the shop. It was almost comical, the way she squinted their way, her head bobbing from side to side with her brows raised.

"What about this?" He rose easily to his feet. "I'll get them to heat up your drink."

"Aniya, it's really alright," she called out when he reached for her mug.

Cradling her mug in his hands, he peered into it as if deciphering its contents.

"You still have half a cup left but your drink is all cold. How will it taste nice? The Manager here is really nice. He won't mind."

"Alright," she finally said. "Thank you."

Out of the need to do something, anything, she reached for her phone with her mouth pursed, wishing for a call, a text message, anything at all to get her out. She fiddled mindlessly with her phone as her ears trained themselves on the conversation behind her. Kazu had addressed him by name – Dong Woon! Finally! – before falling silent when Dong Woon made his request.

The back of her neck prickled with the full awareness that his gaze was on her.

"Sure, I can do that," she heard Kazu say. "Would you like to take a seat? I'll bring your order over."

His eyes glinted with a victorious smile as he took his seat again. 

"It's done," he said. Then his head tilted, a wry smile darted across his features. "You look busy."

"Yes, just some things to finish up," she said, her tone as friendly as she could make it out to be.

"Do you come here often? I don't think I've seen you here before."

"I usually come on weekday mornings for the coffee - " she started.

She didn't want him to know how often she frequented Home. There was no need for him to assume some sort of fated encounter between them. Then again, she was thinking too much into it, wasn't she? Perhaps he was just being friendly.

"Latte and cheesecake," Kazu said as he placed the order down. "Hazelnut latte."

Her gaze shot up to his, astonishment in her eyes at the nearly full cup. His dark eyes flickered to hers for a brief moment before he stepped away.

Dong Woon had noticed the change in contents. He raised a brow, his handsome features creasing in astonishment.

"He's pretty generous, isn't he?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"You said the people here are nice."

A bout of bright laughter distracted her.

She glanced over her shoulder, surprised to find a girl by the coffee machine. There she stood behind the counter, laughing at something Kazu had said. Her mask obscured her features but Seollal easily filled in the smiling mouth, the slim jaw, the dainty chin. She wore her long hair over her back in loose waves, not a strand out of place. 

Seollal could not deny the burning in her chest as she tore her gaze away and swallowed heavily.

~

A / N

Dongdaemun is a shopping district in Seoul. Amore Pacific is a skincare company home to famous Korean and other Asian skincare brands such as Innisfree, Mamonde, Sulwhasoo, Laneige etc.

Pick your fighters! Marketing Executive guy VS Coffee Shop guy? Who will win?