Beautiful Words

Word 10

A|N >>
I hope after this I'll gain more readers 🥺 so far there are only 2 persons who added my stories in their libraries. May this story reach you in good faith :)

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"The warmth touches my face,
Flowing smoother and bolder through my skin,
It takes me back to the nostalgic days,
Whereas I'm still loved and treasured,
Like a fragile little thing."

14:30

Kyle almost drops the tray in his hands, eyes widen a friction and he stiffens in his position. He can't believe it, what he feels- what his eyes show him- especially the rise of his heartbeats.

He only steps out of the coffeehouse to take a quick breath and the biggest unexpected event embraces him. Thank goodness he's in a short break. Still, the familiar face looks up at him with a rather weak gesture, unlike him who tenses all over.

"Hi again, Apple Guy." Her face is pink; a sunburn for staying outside without a shield.

"... Khay," what are you doing here. Kyle can't word the rest of the question out, and was it weird that he keeps on calling out her nickname every time they meet?

"At least return my 'hi' though," Khay teases him before she can stop herself.

Kyle stays silent at that, his attention are more driven to the trace of exhaustion painted in her brown eyes. He was staring too long, and Khay shifts to show him what she was carrying behind her; a plastic full of groceries, a packet of celery sticking out.

"Great coincidence this is. I'm just- doing some errands and happen to pass by," Khay says as she glances at the huge signboard belonging to Kyle's workplace; 'BigFame Coffeehouse' it reads.

She ponders for a long minute, "So this is where you work."

"Were you expecting something bigger?" Kyle asks, his tone neutral.

Khay looks puzzled at his question, but smiles anyway, a tired, bittersweet smile. "Since you said you're a part-timer, I can expect as much as this."

Kyle was unfazed, because something had been playing in his mind seeing the grocery bag in Khay's hand. "Who are you running errands for? Your parents?"

He doesn't need to know her better to realize that blood slowly left her face as soon as he mentioned the last phrase. A prick of guilt messes with his heartbeats, his stomach churns a little pain.

"Forget that I ask-"

"No! I- I was..." Khay stammers several words and retreats a step away. "I mean- yes, an errand for my parents, yeah that's it. What's with you taking back a simple question like that?"

Kyle absently clenches the tray in his care, looking away for a distraction. "It doesn't matter. I mean, it's not really my business to know whose errand it is."

"... I guess so, yes. Don't sweat the little details," her tone is a dreaded glue of mystery.

Driven by a sense of what he can identify as reflex, Kyle sets down the tray on a table and says to her without searching for her face. "Are you okay?"