All My Words for You | TXT Huening Kai

Chapter 1

He walks into my family's gaming cafe with a smile, four friends, and a brightness that would put any shooting star to shame.

"For how many?" my mother asks. She observes them from behind the counter, reserving her usual warm demeanor. I guess she's trying to decide whether they'll cause trouble in our precious business.

There's five of them, obviously. But it's not in my cards to speak today.

Four of them mutter amongst themselves, and I step closer around a computer booth to make out the words. Korean. But the bright one answers my mother in perfect English. "Five. We're having a League of Legends tournament. Things could get bloody."

"Where are you boys from?"

Another question with an obvious answer. Somedays, I wish it could be me who manned the counter. But that's not in my cards either. I head toward the back and begin one of my cafe duties—wiping tables. Underneath the dimmed lights that glow somewhere between purple and blue, I make sure every surface is clear from the snacks my father proudly prepares—homemade chips, sweet potato fries, and crispy chicken tenders. Why must he choose all the crumbly foods?

After I finish wiping tables, I grab the dustpan and broom from the back closet, sighing at the mess of litter on the floor. Why are LA gamers so messy?

Before I get started on my second task, I count the heads in the cafe. It's a mediocre night—around half the booths are full. Mom will probably convince me to design new flyers for the cafe. Starlit Games in yellow, bubbly font instead of the precise pink one from last time. I can hear her word-vomiting every innovative idea that comes to mind. It's one of her favorite activities to daydream about a more luxurious and successful business.

As I sweep frontward, one of the boys begins to panic. I don't understand anything he says, but the way his legs are shaking, his body wiggling in discomfort, tells me enough. He shoots up from his chair and darts toward the bathroom. Fortunately, it's unoccupied.

The bright boy turns around, eyes frantic. All of him is beautiful. His jaw is sharp, skin clearer than a polished monitor. He has curved lips and a nose that arches in the same handsome angle as his eyebrows. His most eye-catching quality—unironically, is his eyes. I can't tell if they're double or triple lidded, or somewhere in between. In the bluish-purple light of Starlit Games, I make out black sweatpants and a white hoodie. Everything else blurs into a mess of light and shadow when he meets my gaze.

"You!" He manages to be intense yet welcoming at the same time. "Can you play? Please cover for our friend. This is a really important match."

I'm in no position to resist. Nodding once, I take the seat that was almost soiled two seconds ago. Growing up in this cafe, I know all the popular games well. So in the minute it takes for the friend to come back, I secure two kills and destroy one turret. In other words, this group of boys is now a few steps closer to winning this match.

"Wow." The boy gives me his widest smile, and my heart squeezes. "You're amazing. Promise me you'll play with us again."

His friend returns, and I manage a curt nod while shrinking back to my duties. But sweeping seems like an impossible chore now. I can't take my eyes off the gamer who invited me to sit. All five of them are handsome, but the one who spoke to me attacked me with more than one arrow to the heart.

You're being ridiculous.

And I am. It's one thing to be a hopeless romantic, but hiding all these feelings can't be good. I'm a gourd filling quickly, soon to explode on contact. Even in the dimness, I shake my head and lift my head to the air conditioning. I can't let my parents see me blush, no matter how lovestruck.