Clandestine

regular customer

"Can I invite you to my birthday party?"

Reading had always been a beloved pastime for Jeonghan. The scent of a freshly purchased book, accompanied by a warm cup of coffee, had become his daily ritual. If you were to ask him what he'd do for the rest of his life, he'd probably choose to remain cozy and indolent until the end of his days.

As he savored the last drops of coffee, he stretched his arms lazily, realizing he'd been lost in his book for an hour. The view of passing vehicles outside the coffee shop was a backdrop to the rising sun, signaling that it was already nine o'clock.

This coffee shop was conveniently located near his dorm. If his friends hadn't woken him up, he would have set an alarm for studying. After the study session, he would often come here, bringing a fresh book to read until he finished his coffee.

However, on this particular Saturday, there was no need to study. He had been wandering aimlessly ever since the day he discovered something or rather, someone interesting. It all began when he had come here to retrieve his forgotten phone. Since that day, he found himself drawn to her, a captivating presence that brightened up his everyday routine.

"Done reading?" A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts. Standing before him was Rosie, her charming smile lighting up her face. Yet, every time he saw her, something about her presence made him uneasy, a feeling that had become a regular occurrence. It seemed like whenever he took that last sip of his coffee, she would appear by his side and ask him the same question.

Jeonghan nodded after a moment, his gaze lingering on Rosie. "Well then... Are you planning to stay here like every other day?"

"Um... maybe just for a minute," he replied.

However, he soon noticed that she hadn't moved an inch. Bothered by her unwavering presence, he finally looked up at her and raised an eyebrow.

Rosie's expression had changed; she seemed red and flustered. Was she blushing? It appeared as though she was shy, and she avoided his gaze, focusing on something on the floor. He sighed and took a moment to discreetly observe her from head to toe. It wasn't impolite; he simply seized the opportunity to study her appearance.

He saw her gulp and realized that she was trying to gather her courage, as though she were preparing to confess her feelings to her crush. Wait, was that it? Did she have a crush on him? It suddenly made sense, but life wasn't a romantic movie from the cinema.

Rosie bit her lip and nervously fiddled with her fingers. She took a deep breath, searching for the right words. The last thing she wanted was to embarrass herself. All she needed to do was...

"Can I invite you to my birthday party?" Rosie blurted out impulsively, quickly covering her mouth. She hadn't expected to say it so directly.

Jeonghan was taken aback by the unexpected invitation. He hadn't anticipated it at all, but for some reason, he felt a strange disappointment he couldn't quite admit.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud. I've been practicing how to say it inside my head for hours since you came into the shop. I know you're quite introverted, and we're not even close, just sort of... well, we have a regular customer-waitress relationship. You're practically a stranger to me," Rosie rambled, realizing she'd been talking too much.

"Yes, we are strangers, familiar strangers, to be exact. So why invite a stranger to your birthday party?" Jeonghan retorted, clicking his tongue, exuding an aura that could be intimidating yet somehow alluring. Rosie was dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond to his sharp words.

"It's rare for me to invite someone because I'm not that type of person, but consider it a friendly gesture. I genuinely want to be your friend. How about that?" Rosie said with an adorable smile, hoping he'd give in.

On this Saturday morning, the coffee shop wasn't as crowded as usual. It was just Rosie and her new acquaintance, who had been talking for about thirty minutes.

"I'll think about it," Jeonghan finally replied, his attention returning to his book as if he had dismissed the topic.

Rosie smiled and nodded. Her efforts hadn't been in vain, at least for now. There was no harm in befriending someone she saw nearly every morning. She observed Jeonghan, who seemed like a beautiful angel in human form, lost in his book.

"Well, meet me tomorrow if you decide to come. At the subway, 4 PM. I hope to see you there."

Jeonghan couldn't deny it any longer. He liked her, and she knew he would show up.

Who would have thought? A charming angel could captivate an angel in disguise like him.

that's it lol. thanks for reading.