Final Piece

Chapter three

It’s been three weeks since his I’ve asked for his name and Donghun has visited the restaurant several times. We’ve chatted every time, even laughed together, and I feel like my heart wants to jump out of my chest whenever he enters the restaurant.

But with each time, the impression that something’s wrong has become bigger and bigger, the spark in his eyes is there but somehow dull, and I can’t help but think about how I’ve maybe annoyed him, how I’ve maybe crossed a line. I shouldn’t have asked for his name. Have I misinterpreted his behaviour as interest? Has he just been friendly all this time?

But then again, Marcus said he has flirted with me. The memory of his blinding smile, his sparkling eyes and warm voice – especially when he called me by my name – comes to my mind, and I can’t help but smile myself. The warmth that spreads across my chest and further through my whole body, my fluttering heart – it’s a strange sensation, the mix of happiness and confusion.

His last visit was a few days ago, and I hope I’ll see him again soon. I feel like something’s missing.

“Chan, are you okay? You’ve scrubbed the same spot for five minutes...”

Marcus snaps me out of my thoughts. I’m thankful for him, I know that thinking about it is no use. He won’t appear just because I keep my mind on him.

It would be great though.

I flash him a smile to show that I’m alright, but he just furrows his eyebrows. He doesn’t say anything, but I know he’s noticed the absence of a certain silver-haired man too. He takes a hesitant step towards me, pats my should and nods, as if to say he’ll come back.

I hope so too, but I’m not so sure about it. And it hurts. It hurts a lot.

The doorbell rings, announcing a new customer. It’s Marcus task, but he doesn’t seem to have heard it. But as I turn my head, he looks at the entrance, a spark in his eyes I’ve seen before – he has something on his mind. I want to tell him to go, but then he smiles at me.

“Can you take over the counter for a bit? I’ll take my break.”

He doesn’t even give me the chance to say anything, he just leaves. I sigh, before I leave my cleaning supplies and turn to the counter –

Oh, sneaky.

“Hi.”

The voice is warm, a bit hesitant as if knowing we’ve been talking about him the other minute. Silver hair, framing his beautiful face, a shy smile, but something is different. Something doesn’t feel right, and it hurts my heart.

The spark in his eyes is dull, even more now than it has been before.

“Hey. Same thing again? Spicy Veggie and vanilla coke?”

I smile at him, deciding to not ask about it. He nods, smiles, making my heart flutter nonetheless. I prepare his order, like always, and when I turn around, he has already put some money on the counter, waiting for me to take it, like always.

But after he takes his sandwich and the bottle, he just nods once more before he turns around. He doesn’t tell me to keep the second bottle or to take care of myself.

The biggest difference, however, is the fact that he doesn’t leave. Instead, he takes a seat at a table near the window, looking outside, eyebrows furrowed. He eats slowly, munches every bite for a while and waits several minutes before taking another. He doesn’t even touch his coke, just sits there and stares in the air.

I don’t know him that well, but this just doesn’t seem like him. I don’t want to see him like this, so I take a cookie from the counter and approach him. He doesn’t hear me, obviously deep in thought, his furrowed brows violating his stunning beauty.

“Hey... are you alright? You seem troubled...”

He jumps at my voice, quickly wipes the corner of his eyes before looking at me. I wonder if he has been crying – and more importantly why. I feel the deep want to hold him, comfort him, tell him that everything will be fine.

I don’t dare to.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

I can’t help but do just that. His eyes are glossy, the smile that adorns his lips not quite reaching them. His body is slightly tensed, but as I stand there, he seems to relax. He looks down at his hands, as if he couldn’t bear to hold my gaze.

“I’m aware we don’t know each other, but you can talk to me, okay? I’m a good listener. And I’m sure that whatever it is, things will work out just fine, you’ll see.”

As I lay the cookie in front of him, he snaps his head back at me.

“This one’s on the house. I have the feeling you need something sweet right now. Take care of yourself.”

With that, I attempt to turn around and go back to work, but there’s suddenly a hand around my wrist, holding me back. I look down, follow the arm that’s attached to it, belonging to a certain silver-haired man. It’s our second physical contact, and I can feel the heat tint my cheeks in a rose-y colour.

“Can you sit with me, just for a little bit? Please?”

He asks with a rather insecure tone, very unusual for him, but who am I to decline his wish? I just nod, debating for a second on where to sit, but he scoots a little to the side to make room for me, gently pulling me next to him.

We’ve never been this close before.

He still has his hand on my wrist, his skin hot against mine, and it seems like he doesn’t even think about changing anything about it. We just sit there, looking at each other, and after a while his fingers wander further down.

He tickles my palm slightly, not intentionally so, slowly intertwining our hands. His eyes are locked to mine, searching, questioning, as if he wants to make sure that this is okay.

I smile.

“I’ve been thinking,” he begins, “I’d like to get to know you better. Just a little talking, maybe when you don’t have to work? What do you think?”

Oh my god. OH MY GOD!

Does he ask me on a date? The butterflies erupt in my stomach, but this time they seem to flutter through my whole body, the tingling sensation spreading through my veins until it reaches the very ends of my being, physically and emotionally.

“I’d love to. Maybe this Saturday? I’ll get of work at three pm. You could pick me up here, if you want?”

“Sounds perfect.”

With this, he lets go of my hand, which allows me to get up. We smile at each other, and I want to scream, but hold it back, turn around and go to the counter. Marcus, who apparently has come back while I have been talking to Donghun, grins at me, but I ignore him, enter the staff room and close the door.

Only then I allow myself to jump and squeal. I feel like a teenager crushing on someone, all the emotions confusing my head, the warmth being pumped through my body turning into heat, the butterflies in my stomach fluttering. Well, to be frank, I am crushing on someone.

When I go back to work, Marcus still has a huge grin on his face. He raises an eyebrow, wiggling it lightly, probably to let me know that he’s seen and heard everything. I blush, but I can’t help but keep smiling. Part of me is still worried about Donghun, though I feel that I’ve helped him relax, even if it’s just a bit.

I look at the table where he has sat a few minutes ago. It’s deserted, no sign of the silver-haired man. But when I turn back to my cleaning supplies, there stands a bottle of vanilla coke. Underneath, there’s a small note with two simple words, but they mean the world to me. Thank you.

I wonder how much warmth a body can take before it melts.