The Echoes Of Autumn | Minseok

Chapter Five

As the words of that old man pierced through my mind I brought my attention back to Sumi who was walking over to the usual table she always sat at. My eyes never left her as she sat down and smiled at the waiter who had come to take her order.

'She didn't seem to recognise me..?' I thought to myself

Suddenly two fingers snapped in front of my face pulling me away from Sumi.

"Hey wake up!!!" He shouted and I realised that I had overfilled a coffee cup without noticing. I set the cup to one side and looked at the man who had shouted at me.

"Hey are you okay... You look like you have seen a ghost or something..."

"What date is it?!" I asked abruptly making the man flinch slightly.

"It's uh the 23rd Januray dude.." He stumbled over his words.

"What year? Tell me the year!"

"2015 man...Do you mind letting go of me?"

I stepped away from the man in shock at what he has just told me.

'I couldn't have, no it's impossible, completely ridiculous!' I tried to convince myself in my thoughts.

I'm dreaming and I will wake up somehow, someway. My muddled thoughts were interrupted when a lady handed me an order of Coffee and a Cinnamon roll. I didn't even have to look at the table number to know who ordered that. I frantically scanned the room for someone else to take care of this order but they seemed to be busy and so I had no choice.

I made her coffee exactly the way she liked it not too strong and not too sweet and plated up the cinnamon roll. I picked them up trying to steady my shaky hands and walked slowly towards the familiar table.

She was shading in the sketches of the leaves and looked up when she saw me approaching sending another smile in my direction before packing away her pencils. I stopped beside the table awkwardly and slowly set down the plate but when I was about to pass over her coffee the strange cold sensation made its way back to my hands and suddenly I wasn't in control of my own movements so I released my grip on the cup and it shattered to the ground.

Sumi looked at me in complete shock and confusion and all eyes were on me in the busy coffee shop.

"Shit!" I cursed swooping down immediately to the floor to pick up the broken pieces of glass.

Two other hands were also picking up the shards of glass and I brought my eyes up to see that it was Sumi.

"No don't you pick it up..." I said quickly trying to bat her hands away.

"It's fine... Let me help." She said in the warm sweet voice that made my ears melt.

She continued to pick up the shards of glass and yelped when she jabbed herself on a corner of the glass. The skin split open and the bright red liquid began to drip out onto the white glass.

"Ahh this is exactly why I didn't want you to pick it up!" I hurriedly took her hand scanning it the cut appeared to me deep.

"I'm fine silly! It's just a little cut!"

"I'll do the rest just sit at the table..." I turned my attention back to the glass picking it up smoothly and carefully before heading over to the bin to throw it away.

I grabbed the fresh cup of coffee, a plaster and a tissue heading back over to the table this time I was able to put the coffee down on the table rather than the floor.

Sumi looked up and I saw she had cinnamon crumbs on the edge of her mouth.

"Uh you got a little..." I pointed to my face showing her where the crumb lay.