✔ Caffeine || CHOI SOOBIN FF

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟟𝟚

~hellauurrrrrr~

-Start of Chapter 72-

The city streets blur around me as I walk toward the hotel. The January nights are colder than I expected, and my breath leaves a faint mist in the air. I pull my jacket tighter, hands shoved deep into my pockets, trying to ignore the odd tug in my chest.

The first international branch is nearly set, and tomorrow I'll be flying back home. Phew.

My thoughts keep drifting back to yesterday. To him.

I shake my head, a frustrated sigh slipping through my lips. It can't have been him, right? That guy I saw in the café... No. It's not possible.

But those eyes. Those eyes... I can still see them as clear as day. Those eyes peeking through the hood and mask, so familiar and yet distant. Those soft, loving eyes that seemed to hold the whole universe. The fluttering feeling that never quite left me, even when I told myself to let go.

The same fluttering feeling stirs deep in my chest, the one I haven't felt in two years. It's the same feeling I used to get when I'd think about him... the way his gaze made everything feel like it would be okay.

No. No, I'm overthinking this. I end the thought quickly, trying to steady my breathing as I cross the street.

You're being ridiculous, Park Y/N.

I roll my eyes at myself, pushing the thoughts aside. I made my choice two years ago. I ended it, and I did it for a reason. There's no point in going back, not now, not ever.

Get a hold of yourself.

I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the nagging feeling that's pulling at me from the inside. This is crazy. What do I expect to happen? Him to just show up and tell me everything's going to be fine?

I laugh bitterly under my breath. Yeah, right.

I look up at the dark sky sighing heavily

The first snowflakes drift lazily from the sky, catching the dim light of the street lamps, like tiny, perfect stars. They settle onto my coat, onto my hair, and I feel the weight of the world lifting, just a little. The air is crisp, cool against my skin, and for a moment, it almost feels like nothing's changed. Like maybe I'm back in a time when I didn't have to carry this weight.

I pull my coat tighter around me, quickening my steps as the cold seeps into my bones. The hotel is just up ahead—my flight's early tomorrow, and then I'll be back home. Maybe I'll be able to forget all of this.

"Y/N."

I freeze. My heart skips a beat. The voice is so familiar, so painfully familiar. I don't need to look up to know who it is, but I do anyway. Soobin stands a few feet away, his silhouette framed by the soft glow of the streetlight. He's staring at me, but there's a hesitation in his gaze, something that wasn't there before.

The snow falls around him, gently dusting his hair, but he doesn't seem to notice. He just watches me like he's afraid I might disappear at any moment.

"You followed me?" The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them, sharp and defensive.

Soobin doesn't flinch. He simply nods, but there's an almost apologetic look in his eyes. "I had to," he says, his voice quieter now, unsure. "I... I wanted to see how you've been. It's been a while."

I glance down at the ground, trying to avoid the weight of his gaze. "I've been fine. You?"

I expect him to give the usual answer—something casual, something that doesn't reveal much. But instead, he just shrugs, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. "I've been alright. Things are... well, they're just things. You know how it is."