“Soul?” The voice drifted into her thoughts like a gentle pull, dragging her back to reality before she even realized that she had drifted away again.
“Y-yeah?” she murmured, lifting her head slowly. She hadn’t even noticed she had been leaning heavily on her hand, eyes half-closed as if gravity itself was trying to pull her back into sleep.
“Drifting off again? You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?” Daehwi asked, his tone soft but edged with worry.
“H-huh?” She blinked at Daehwi in confusion. “No—I mean… yes? I don’t know…” she stuttered, rubbing her temples as if that could clear the fog in her mind.
“You really don’t look good, sweetheart. Are you sick?” Ryujin leaned over the table and pressed the back of her hand to the girl’s forehead.
“Whoa—Soul! You’re burning up!” Ryujin exclaimed.
She only stared back emptily, as if the words reached her ears but not her brain.
“Soul, you really don’t look fit to work today. You should go home,” Bic insisted, shaking his head.
“No, I—I can’t leave Daehwi alone here! I can—”
“Soulie,” Daehwi interrupted gently, “your health is more important than my workload. Go home, okay?” His smile was reassuring, but his eyes betrayed how worried he truly was.
“But I—” she began, but the soft chime of the café doorbell cut her off.
Instantly, both she and Daehwi flinched—an instinctive reaction ever since the robbery a week ago. The sound, once harmless, had become a trigger neither of them could fully control.
“Hey, guys!” a deep voice called across the café, echoing slightly in the quiet morning air.
“Hyung!” Bic exclaimed, relief washing over him as Castle J stepped inside.
“Please tell Soul to go home—she’s sick but being stubborn again,” Bic complained immediately, pointing at her as if presenting evidence.
“Wow… thanks, Bic,” Soul muttered, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as everyone seemed to gang up on her.
“Whoa—but he’s right,” Castle J said as he stepped closer and checked her temperature with the back of his hand.
“Yeah, you’re burning up. You really need to rest. And trust me—you’re pale. Even more than your usual ‘I-don’t-sleep-enough’ pale.” His attempt at humor was soft, meant to ease her worry, but his concern remained unmistakable.
“But I feel fine, oppa. Really,” she insisted, though even her voice sounded weaker than usual.
Right then, the doorbell rang again. The sharp sound cut through the café like a knife, and the girl instantly flinched, shoulders jumping as if someone had touched a live nerve, her breath caught. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter. It was automatic now. Every time that bell rang, her body reacted before her mind even understood why— A reflex carved into her mind after that night.
Daehwi swallowed hard as he watched her. He hated seeing her like this—so tense, so ready to run but he reacted the same every time the bell rang that hectic. A part of him feared that if something ever happened again, he wouldn’t be fast enough, strong enough, enough to protect her. And maybe, this time, she wouldn’t be lucky.
Castle J noticed both reactions, his expression darkening with concern.
“You two should really think about changing jobs,” Castle J said, concern heavy in his voice as he looked between them. “Ever since the robbery, both of you jump like the bell is a gunshot.”
His tone wasn’t teasing—just quietly protective, bordering on older-brother sternness.
