"We've got a new customer," Lee Yeong-gu, the new part-timer asked, as I was busy arranging my orders.
"I'll do it," she said, stepping ahead.
"Sure," I replied, leaving the tissues behind the tray.
It was Hyun-woo, I squint at his gaze. We've been coming across each other's path quite often these days, are we pushing each other on the edge or we are blocking others' way to the cliff.
"What would you like to have?" I asked, trying to make sure not to have any eye contact with him and kept focusing my gaze on the floor of the restaurant.
"Donuts and Irish coffee and my video," he replied, darting glances at me.
"Wait a minute," I left, after writing his order down.
"Why does he ask for you specifically?" Yeong-gu asked as I got busy with the order, she's a leech and being a chatterbox is the cherry on top.
"What're you talking about?" I asked, covering his cup of coffee.
"When I went there, he didn't give me the order," She interrogated, jumping around her feet.
"You should focus on your job," I replied putting no interest in her words, putting the doughnuts and a cup of Irish coffee on the tray.
"Huh," she cleared her throat.
"Your order," I said, putting the tray down.
"How about the video?" he asked.
"Enjoy your coffee," I replied, rolling my eyes.
"I would like espresso and some macarons too," he said, after me.
"Sure," I replied, without slowing the pace of my footsteps.
"What is this, he ordered something else too?" Yeong-gu continued again she stopped mopping on the floor and stands beside me resting her chin over the back of her.
"I heard you study in Coeus, he also goes there doesn't he, are you both school sweethearts," she asked, widening her eyes.
"Uh," I replied, plating the macrons.
"Uh, that's why he asked for you," she asked.
"If you're,"
"Stop talking," I said, meddling in her interrogation.
"Uh," she flustered.
"No, I'm just curious if you're dating someone from Coeus why you work here," she asked, timidly.
"Me working here, what does this have to do with him," I asked.
"It's oppa's family restaurant, he worked as a barista too here should I call it office romance," she replied, moving her eyes in his direction.
"What?" I narrowed my gaze.
"You didn't know," she asked.
"Huh," I nodded.
"Really!" she exclaimed.
"He already has a fiancee too, did he tell you this," she glued her eyes at me.
"I know," I sighed.
"Uh, you do,"
"Don't worry they're not even that close,"
"You have to do the after-mopping the floor hurry up," I asked, faking a smile at her leaving with the macaroons.
"Here, your macron's," I replied, putting it down on the table trying to make a way for them as he had barely touched anything.
"Why are you not replying?" he asked.
"Enjoy your coffee," I replied, leaving with a slight frown.
"One Macchiato," he said, after me.
"Unni!," she asked
"Did you mop the floor then do the dishes," I said, making the coffee.
"Here's your Macchiato," I replied.
"How long do you want to play?" he asked, sitting with crossed legs and resting his chin on his palm.
"Then," I left.
"A latte too," he asked, after me.
"He is calling you," Yeong-gu said, as I got busy with others' orders.
"You can attend to him," I replied, after preparing his coffee.
"He won't give me the order," she replied, going through her phone.
"If you won't attend him, I'll leave the restaurant and then you'd be attending them all," I replied, directly meeting her gaze.
"I'll do it, you don't have to scare a child," she said, leaving with the coffee.
"I asked her, not you," he said, raising his voice at her as soon as she approached his table.
"I'm talking to you," he raised, looking at me while I was busy with orders.
"Really," I throw the tissue on the counter after crushing them.
Manage the counter," I asked, Yeong-gu.
"Come out, don't create a scene here," I asked, approaching him.
"What are you trying to pull off, do you want me to quit?" I asked, opening my apron and throwing it beside him.
"No just get paid and hand over the video to meet," and let's stop getting involved with each other," he asked.
"Trust me, I don't want to involve you too but you don't sell your insurance when you're striving for each breath that's my answer," I argued.
"Then, I'll take my leave," I crossed him, rubbing my head strongly.
"I'm still talking," his hand reached to my scarf.
It slid off my neck, scratching against my neck, as I stepped forward.
I pivoted.
"Yaah! Have you gone crazy," I burst with anger.
"You don't have to cause a ruckus it's just fallen off. I was just trying to stop you," he stuttered, clearing his throat and extending the scarf towards me.
"What a day?" I whined, looking and him and snatched the scarf out of his hand.
"What's with your neck?"
"Is it a cut," he asked, and his fingers reached towards my neck.
I glared at him, tying the scarf around.
"Uh, you don't like it," he murmured moving it down.
"Why don't you focus on your own, you hide them under this sweater too," I advised.
"Stop crossing your line, you don't know me just because you heard something that day," he insisted.
"I know! You're right to let's get involved with each other it's tiring," I asked.
"Sure! Don't use it rashly it won't make any good to us when you've already said it was skid,"
"When things got settled get paid and turn it back it's for the best," he continued.
"You can clear the table, I'd leave I believe my behaviour is incessant towards you," he said, clearing his throat.
"Sure!" I gave my congruence.
"And about your job here...,"
"I'll quit, don't worry," I replied, sharply.
"Uh, then I'll go get my thing," he led the way.
We decide to end our ill-fated relationship, and without even looking back he kept moving to the store.
Why does it feel? Like a loss.
"I must leave, what else did I expect," I chuckled dryly.
"What're you an elephant, how could a person stuff all this," Woo-jin commented, after us.
We both turned around in the direction of his voice.
"Dasom," his eyes widened.
"What you're doing here?" he approached us.
"What do you think?" I asked, blinking rapidly cleaning off his table, while he was busy wearing his jacket.
"You work here," he asked, looking around.
"Not anymore, so I'm I if you need to talk about something," Hyun-woo asked.
"I don't think I'm not talking to you," Woo-jin replied, arching his eyebrows.
"Then I'll take my leave," I said, leaving with the tray.
"Why are you here?" Hyun-woo continued with his curiosity.
"Mom invited you?" Woo-jin continued with their conversation.
My phone vibrated as I headed toward the counter.
"Who is it now?" I said, taking it out of Jean's pocket.
"I'm sorry," a text from Woo-jin appeared.
It wasn't even a big apology he might have typed it out of just guilt.
Yet I smiled like an idiot and turned off the phone's screen again.