high flying love ¦ lee jeno

ch ; 36

·⁀ ༄.°✈ ₊⭒˚｡⋆ 36 ·⁀ ༄.°✈ ₊⭒˚｡⋆
And You Knew What it was,

The next day, Yura moved through the motions of running her cafe on autopilot. Her smile felt plastered on, her eyes vacant as she took orders and chatted with customers. Customers received polite greetings but no genuine warmth. Conversations sputtered out like dying embers. Even the familiar scent of brewing coffee and freshly baked pastries failed to lift her spirits.

Seohyun, sat at a corner table by the counter, watched her with a furrowed brow, concern etched on her face. Every now and then, she'd catch Yura's vacant eyes glaze over, a world away from the bustling cafe environment. Even Minho and Hana, the part-timers, exchanged worried glances.

Minho, usually a chatterbox, leaned towards Hana. "Isn't this a bit like deja vu?" he whispered, his voice laced with concern.

Hana nodded silently. She remembered starting as a rookie barista just seven months ago and witnessing Yura's occasional bouts of melancholy. Back then, Yura had managed to mask her emotions with a professional smile, but Hana, young and observant, had picked up on the subtle shifts in her demeanor.

"She seems... sadder this time," Hana ventured, her voice barely a whisper. Minho nodded vigorously. "But it's not our place to ask," she pointed out, her voice firm but kind. "Just continue working."

A young couple approached the counter, their fingers intertwined and eyes filled with love. Yura recognized the woman as a regular customer. Yura took their order mechanically, forcing a smile that felt foreign on her lips. As she rung them up, the girl leaned forward, her voice filled with excitement.

"This is our first date after three months of talking online! We decided to celebrate with your amazing coffee."

Yura's smile faltered for a second. "That's wonderful, Dayoung-ssi" she managed to say, her voice strained. The couple's innocent happiness felt like a mockery of her own situation.

Suddenly, the cafe door opened, and a gust of wind swept in, carrying with it a familiar scent – Jeno's cologne. Yura's breath hitched, and she whipped around, her heart hammering against her ribs. But it was just a businessman entering for his usual morning latte, oblivious to the storm brewing within Yura.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Every chime of the cafe door sent a jolt through Yura, her already frayed nerves on edge.

-

The cafe door chimed shut for the final time, signaling the end of another day. Exhaustion clung to Yura like a second skin, but it wasn't the physical kind. It was a deeper weariness, a hollowness that gnawed at her from the inside.

Seohyun, who had been a silent observer throughout the day, finally approached Yura as she wiped down the counter. Her gaze held a well of concern, a silent question that hung heavy in the air.

"Yura-yi," she began gently, her voice soft as a whisper. "You can take off the mask now. We're alone."

Yura's shoulders slumped, the forced smile she'd worn all day finally melting away. A single tear escaped, tracing a glistening path down her cheek. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the flood that threatened to break.

"Unnie," she croaked, her voice thick with emotion. "I don't know what to do."

Seohyun didn't hesitate. She pulled Yura into a warm embrace, offering a silent haven from the storm raging within her friend. Yura leaned into the comforting touch, letting out a shaky sob that echoed in the quiet cafe.