The Loved One // KTH

Chapter 009: First Step

The cafe smelled like paradise, the sweet aroma of mixed butter and cinnamon filled the place. Freshly grounded coffee beans fused fervidly alongside it, making it both; heaven and hell for the dark haired woman that sat on one of the tables.

Walking into the cafe to grab a cup of coffee was normal but sitting on one of the tables and awaiting a friend ㅡa manㅡ seemed rapacious to Haewon. Her mind stirred in a ceaseless whirl of agitation, she kept tapping her short bitten nails on the table at the same speed, one finger by the other creating a continuous fast-paced rhythm.

Upon noticing the looks of bewilderment she got from the couple at the next table, Haewon stopped, bringing her nail ends in a very close contact to her palms almost protruding it in a fist. She bit her lips hardly, her teeth clutching onto her glossed lips that she could taste it and she knew if she clenched her teeth just a tad bit harder, her lip gloss would not be the only thing she would savor.

Her feet kept tapping the floor slightly, her thin boot soles hitting the wooden floor beneath matching the rate of her heart. Every time the bell to the cafe door rang to declare a new visitor, her heart would skip a beat, she didn't know whether the feeling was due to excitement or fear but she knew she was early for their meet up. An hour too early.

Why? Was it the thrill flowing through her body to see him? No. Was she planning to back out? Was she waiting for Jaehyun to see her before Taehyung got there? A perfect escape plan that could work with an excuse, even if Jaehyun wouldn't forgive her, it would only be a cafe and not telling him so a slap or two, or a punch and an arm twist if he had a bad day. No, none of these were the reasons, they were just fragments of it, the little firecrackers that spiced up the grand fireworks, the cherry on top.

She knew why she was early, she wanted to test herself, she wanted to push herself to the limits of terror. She didn't want him to know, she didn't want to predict her punishments. She wanted to see how much she could take, how much more fear she could live in just to visit the cafe, just to see the outside world again. She wanted out and she wanted it now.

The clock ticked as her breath fastened, counting every second til he walked in. The sound of the bell ringing broke through her screaming tranquility, her head shot at the door seeing the caramel haired man stride in. She felt a moment of peace, a moment of serenity as he walked towards her, a smile adorning his face and for a second, her heart beat at a normal pace.

"Sorry, was I late?" he spoke in a sweet deep voice, his low-pitched tone pulled her out of the darkness she was in, out of the dark abyss of her mind into a brighter safer place. She smiled back slightly.

"You're fifteen minutes early," she said tucking a stray hair strand behind her ear.

"And you're earlier," he crossed his hands on the light brown furniture.

She shook her head slowly, "I just wanted to enjoy this aura a bit more."

Because I don't know if I can do this again.

"I will grab a cup of coffee, what do you want?" His eyes shone as they glanced her way, sparks igniting through them speaking a thousand word.

"I will get it," she was standing from her chair when he abruptly stood first.

"No. I insist, afterall, it was my idea coming here so please," he continued, "let me treat you."

She froze, unmoving. It was long since she socially interacted with someone, she knew the words but her tongue got tied. They were there, right on the tip, two years younger her would spit them out in a heartbeat. An 'I'll treat you next time' would do, maybe even a 'Let's split the bill', or 'Next time', at least a 'Fine' with a smile as a thankful gesture but that was the two years younger her, the now her couldn't.