part 1
 
the first time they meet, it’s in a café they both frequent – she works there part-time and he’s a regular. it’s her first day there, but it’s his three hundred and sixty-fifth.
 
he goes to a counter like he does it everyday (technically, it had been everyday, for a year already) and made no hint of hesitation as he whipped out his wallet. “a latte please.”
 
he shuffled through bills and took one out, only to be met with a loud bang from behind the counter. he looked up, seeing the girl – a new worker? – massaging her hand after it collided with the cash register’s drawer. she looked at him and smiled awkwardly. “sorry, it’s my first day here.”
 
he accepted her apology for her clumsiness and shook his head, placing the bill on the table instead of onto her hand. “I’m not in a rush.”
 
she nodded in courtesy and took the bill, excusing herself to manage the machine. but the moment she turned, she found her co-worker zooming up to the machine instead, asking her to stay at the counter, apprehension audible. she retreated, a little dejected as he could tell.
 
“they usually get the new workers to familiarize themselves with the counter first,” he tells her. he gives an endearing smile that takes all sort of anxiety and nervousness out of her. she smiles back, grateful for a nice customer like him. it was only nine in the morning, but she was sure he would be the nicest customer today.
 
the next day – her second, his three hundred and sixty-sixth – the number of lines spoken to each other increases.
 
he finds out that she’s a college student working part-time in the café every morning so she can fund her tuition, and she attends school at night.
 
she finds out that he’s a photographer who has an abnormal liking for this café’s latte.
 
he finds out that she wants to be a writer because she likes to play with words.
 
she finds out that he doesn’t think the world is beautiful, but only certain little things are, and that’s why he’s a photographer – so he can photograph the beautiful things.
 
it was on her fifteenth day (his three hundred and seventy-ninth) when she gets asked out on a date. by him.
 
“hey, I was just wondering, are you free this saturday?”
 
“are you sure you’re just wondering? because if I said yes, you’ll be asking me out, right?” she responded, a playful edge to her tone.
 
he gave a small laugh and nodded. “yes, that’s quite true.”
 
her smile dissipated a little and she looked towards the machine for a while. his latte was ready. picking it up and turning back to him, she tilted her head, expressionless. then she took a deep breath. “here’s your coffee.”
 
he paused after taking a step away, realizing that she hasn’t answered him yet. “wait! so, are you free?”
 
she gave a smile that was completely unlike all her other smiles. “I’m booked already.”
 
but he wasn’t going to give up at this point. “oh, it’s fine! we can always go out another day.”
 
but to her, she couldn’t let him hang on. “I’m booked. by my boyfriend.”
 
and maybe he should’ve given up the moment she said she wasn’t free.
 
on her sixteenth day, his three hundred and eightieth, she felt so relieved she probably couldn’t feel anymore relieved than that. the sight of him walking through those doors at nine in the morning was what caused her to heave a sigh of relief.
 
“good morning,” she greeted, as usual.
 
he nodded, a little too quiet for her liking. then she bit her lower lip and concluded the cause of his silence. “look, I’m sorry about saying no yesterday, I think I should be free the following saturday—“
 
he coughed, cutting her off mid-sentence. “calm down, I’m okay, I just have a sore throat.” then he smiled the same endearing smile he gave her on the first day.
 
while his walking through the doors earlier on gave her a sigh of relief, it was this endearing smile that made her feel more relieved that she ever would.
 
she took the bill that he handed out gladly, the other hand placing his order slip – the same one she’s been handling since sixteen days ago – beside the machine. then she turned back, and he suddenly smiled.
 
“besides, like you suggested, we always have the next saturday.” and maybe he shouldn’t.