He was back.

Pretending to dust the shelf above the coffee machine, Reina stole glances of a particular regular who always occupied the furthest seat inside the shop, hood covering the top of his head and fingers gliding rapidly over the keyboard of his computer.

The first time she had served him, he had made a quite an impression on her when he pulled out a wad of cash and asked if he could permanently reserve his usual spot. It wasn't because he couldn't bear the thought of having someone else taking that seat. But it was because he liked to sit there and observe the customers who came and left, the busy baristas bustling around like immigrating penguins.

However, not once had the young woman seen him lift his gaze from his computer. A bet was ongoing among her unhealthily curious co-workers; Marie bet her tips that he was a writer, claiming he had that dreamy and edgy aura (whatever that meant, she always had an air of admiration when she spoke of him) while Tim was certain that said man was merely a software developer who sought to peak the interest of young female customers, betting one third of his salary. They asked Reina of her opinion and she kept quiet, saying it didn't interest her to partake in their bet.

But she was incredibly curious, that was the shameful truth.

The man carried himself with grace and poise, even though he was rocking a black hoodie and a pair of jogger pants, giving the impression that he was looking down on others but there was a shadow cast over his beautifully chiseled face, as if he had a secret no one could fathom to understand. His onyx carried anger but his lips were constantly stretched into a mischievous smile, one that drove many women crazy.

Carried away in her thoughts, scrubbing the same spot over and over, Reina nearly lost her balance and slipped from the counter when his dark eyes peered into hers, the left corner of his lips curling into a lazy smirk. Hurriedly, she turned her face the other way, her heart hammering in her chest, cheeks burning red.

"You okay there, Reina?" Marie asked as she came back from the backroom. "You're awfully red, are you running a fever?"

"Nope!" What should've been a casual response came out as a pathetic squeak. "I swear I'm fine. It must be the spotlight that warmed my face."

Laughing awkwardly, Reina got off from the counter and regained her position by the register, fiddling with her marker to ease her nervousness. She hoped for some customers to keep the two of them occupied but it was particularly slow that morning.

At the same time, the mysterious regular got up from his spot and took a detour by the register before he left, sliding a piece of paper into the tip jar. Marie's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets at his unusual action and she quickly fished it out from the tin jar.

I hope you'll be bolder the next time we meet. Voyeurism doesn't suit you.

- Ciel

"Reina," Marie squealed as she hit the disoriented girl square in the shoulder, "Were you blushing because of McDreamy? I thought you said you didn't like him."

"I never said so. I just told you guys that I wasn't interesting in betting my money for a meaningless cause," Reina grumbled. "This is so embarrassing."

The perky blonde laughed, letting her head fall backwards. "Embarrassing? You should be dancing right now. The guy is so into you."

"That is so farfetched, Marie, even for you."

"I can assure you that I'm not overreacting for the first time in my twenty-something years. You're the first person whom he told his name to."

–¨–¨–

Reina could not have been happier when Tim arrived. She was finally able to escape Marie's never-ending interrogation on how she managed to gain Ciel's interest. So she hastily grabbed her jacket and purse before the blonde could share the news with Tim.

"Bye, bye. See you all tomorrow," Reina shouted as she practically sprinted away from work.

As odd as it sounded, Reina had an afterwork ritual. She would grab a milkshake at the diner near the coffee shop and walk until she reached the small pavilion by the square next to the Seine. The area was usually quiet except for occasional group joggers who had lights flashing from their trainers and a random pop music blaring from their Bluetooth speaker.

The cold winter wind caressed her face and she took a deep breath, feeling relaxed. This was a special spot for the young woman, having come here with her best friend whenever they skipped class back in high school. Perhaps she came back for the memories the place held, wanting to reminisce

Reina jumped when the streetlight perched over her head exploded, raining glass and plastic over her head. Clutching her chest, breathing harshly, she whipped her head left and right, searching for the one responsible.

"You're sitting in my spot."

It was a young girl who could not have been older than six stared at her with hatred, chubby arms crossed over her chest. The white lace dress she wore was tattered, the left sleeve completely ripped off, and dark spots covered the entirety of it.

Specks of dried blood.

"And?" Reina spoke in a challenging tone, her chin high, "I was here first." Goodness, she sounded lame.

"First?" The young girl laughed loudly, clutching her stomach. But Reina's heart dropped to her stomach when she saw the grey tears rolling down her face. "I've been here for the past fifty years, how could you possibly have been here first?"

A vengeful spirit, Reina assumed. Why else would she wander the world of the living for fifty years and counting? She rubbed her face dejectedly. Considering she had just endured an 8-hour shift, she really didn't want to have to deal with this.

However, there was nobody else in this world who could see or talk to the dead like she could.