Honey (Editing/Rewriting)

Chapter 8

Honey
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"Hey, what can I get for you today?" Honey asked. Having taken on an additional shift on this Sunday afternoon, work has been painfully slow and uneventful. Glancing at the man seated at the bar, she recognizes him as the same individual she bumped into after her interview. Day after day, he would simply sit there, observing, without ever placing an order.

Finally, the man lifts his gaze towards her. He remains silent for a brief moment, studying her intently before responding, "I'm not ready to place an order yet."

"Okay, just let me know when you're ready to order," Honey said before walking away, feeling the guy's gaze still on her. She found Autumn in the sitting area, wiping down tables, and asked, "Is that guy always here?"

Autumn glanced over at him and replied, "Nope, he started coming recently."

"He's making me uncomfortable. He keeps staring at me while I work."

"People can be so weird, but unless they cause trouble or scare customers away, we can't kick them out," Autumn explained.

Honey sighed, saying, "I hope he leaves soon."

"I hope everyone leaves. I could use a break for a few minutes. Oh look, there's Kai sitting at your table," Autumn mentioned.

"That's your table, not mine. I'm going on break," Honey reminded her.

Suddenly, Autumn exclaimed, "On second thought, I need to use the bathroom. I can't hold it anymore." She dropped the rag on the table and hurriedly walked away.

"You're just going to sit on the toilet watching TikToks for an hour because your feet hurt," Honey teased.

"How dare you expose me?" Autumn replied playfully.

Honey chuckled. Working with Autumn had turned out to be different than she expected. Despite a rocky start, they had grown more comfortable with each other over time. They even started talking more at school, and Autumn didn't seem to hang out with her old friends anymore.

After finishing wiping the table, Honey mustered up the courage to approach Kai's table. He was seated with a sketchbook and a collection of markers spread out before him.

"What can I get for you today?" Honey asked, trying to sound confident.

Kai's gaze swept over her body before he responded, "I already ordered through the app. I'm just waiting."

As he spoke, Honey's eyes wandered to the sketchbook. She noticed an intricately drawn anime character on one of the pages. Although she wasn't personally familiar with anime, she knew it was very popular.

The character depicted was stunningly lifelike, captivating Honey's attention. She couldn't help but admire the drawing and finally spoke up, "That's so beautiful."

Kai looked up at her upon hearing her words, his interest piqued. "I feel like something's missing," he admitted.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Honey took a seat in the booth across from Kai and asked, "Can I see?"

Pausing his sketching, Kai slid the book over to her. Honey carefully examined the drawing, her eyes studying the intricate details. She couldn't help but ask, "What's the story behind the character?"