Stella's Cafe: A Jang Geun Suk Fanfic

3. "May I Try...?"

I had the biggest secret in the world and it was ruining my health.

Even though I believed now - I knew that he actually meant it when he said same time next week, I still managed to go through the exact same denial and emotional turmoil I suffered through last week. This meant that just like before, I could hardly sleep a wink that whole week. By the time Friday came, I had another pair of huge panda eyes.

Before I left for work, I tried using concealer again but when I got to the cafe, one look at Boss's Im-trying-not-to-say-anything expression sent me into the back room to wash it off again. Makeup was clearly a lot more complicated than I had ever realised and I was not in any state of mind to start experimenting.

So, barefaced, I started my shift.

At magic hour, I was once again a complete basket case of nerves. The usual hour of quiet went by before the door finally opened.

My heart did a funny almost painful thing where it seemed to stop then suddenly slam into my chest when his familiar figure strolled into the cafe.

He had white earbuds in his ears. As he stepped in, his eyes immediately found mine. His smile lit them up a second before it reached his lips. He removed the earbuds and made a beeline for my counter.

Nothing covered his head today and his silky hair hung free, waving softly around his oval face. It seemed he'd put a tint in it since the last time I'd seen him and now the gentle light in the cafe caught fascinatingly soft, red/brown highlights in its waves.

Now that I could see his whole face and head clearly, it was kind of hard to look at him directly. His pretty, pale skin, the beautiful, laughing eyes and perfect, patrician nose, that sensual, smiling mouth - he was too perfectly beautiful! More than he was on TV, more even than he'd been the last time I saw him. it was almost like trying to look at the sun.

But he held my glance with his smile and picking the stool across from me, he sat down. Then he folded his arms on the counter and leaned forward on them.

"Annyeong," he said.

I swear, at the sound of his voice, everything in me turned warm and just melted. It took an unimaginable effort for me to actually answer him back. My voice cracked and my face went really hot.

It was probably a reaction he was used to because he didn't comment on it. Instead, his eyes twinkling characteristically, he clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly. "So agassi," he said, "what shall we try today?" His smile was extra curly at the ends and his tone was playful.

I stuttered as I asked if he wanted the south american again.

His face fell.

"Agassi, you've already run out of flavours?" He made a noise of disapproval, "I thought this was a cosmopolitan cafe yet you only have two kinds of coffee?" He gave me a look, "I'm the type of man that is easily bored if I do the same thing all the time. Agassi, what are you going to do if I take my business elsewhere?"

When he looked at me, I saw that despite his expression, his eyes were still twinkling and he looked like he was trying not to laugh. I realised almost immediately that he was deliberately trying to tease me into feeling comfortable.

The idea that he would do that took me be surprise. It also moved me. Could he really be that sweet? Like he wasn't perfect enough? It made me so happy I was actually half able to force myself to relax.

I turned to our shelves determined to get my act together for once and wondered which kind of coffee would wow him. When I turned back to him, I had a bag of Zanzibar beans in my hands.