“Damn, damn, damn, i’m late i’m late!” a young guy with messed up hair, few upper buttons of his shirt ed, and a toast hanging on his mouth, rushing to his publishing office, muttering repetitive ‘sorry’ and ‘excuse me’ through sea of people.

“Aish, red light is the leasti wanna meet this morning. I’m running late already!” he ruffled his already messed up hair.

Darting his eyes from the traffic light to his watch and then to across the street fro almost every second. Then his eyes stopped moving as his vision glued to the guy with black hair, dark eyes, and even darker aura around him. That guy maybe younger than him by a year or two, got Kris literally starring from head to toe. The boy’s gaze met Kris’s for a second, and then he look away in annoyed manner.

‘Why am i even staring? Wake up Wu Yi Fan’ Kris shakes his head to clear his mind, then beeping sound as sign for people to cross the street makes Kris forgot the stranger and starts making his way to cross the street as fast as possible.

“Yah Kris, you’re 25 minutes late! What’s your excuse now?” His boss, who also happened to be his best friend, ‘greeted’ him with his scolding once Kris stepped into his cubicle.

“Geez LuHan, blame my stupid alarm for not waking me up on time. I didn’t even have my morning coffee yet” Kris threw himself to his chair, resting his tired legs.

“Get up you lazy , you have work to do. Don’t tell me you forgot today’s appointment with the new author who is going to publish his book in our company” LuHan folded his arms in front of his chest.

“Yah i’m not that forgetful! Black Pearl Cafe, 10AM right? But who was his name again?” Kris yawned lazily while getting up from his comfy chair.

LuHan tsked him before answering “Huang Zi Tao, Chinese, Black hair, Often wore black or dark colored clothes, intimidating gaze. It won’t be difficult to spot him on the cafe, the cafe is not that big anyway. Now move!”

Kris scrunched up his face “The description kinda reminds me of that stranger. Must be a coincidence”

“Yah what are you doing standing there like a statue? You have only 5 minutes Mr. WuFan, now move move!

“Geez, what’s with you LuHan?” Kris roll his eyes and drag his body out from his cubicle.

“Ah, please fix your appearance first, i don’t want our customer thinks employee of this company have no manner or whatever negative thought only because of you. You’re not worth it WuFan ah” LuHan said one last time and left

“Some best friend you are, tsk”

 Kris tidying up his hair, buttoning his shirt, and look at a mirror ‘Damn, i’m handsome” then proceed to sprints to the cafe.

Thanks to his long legs, he arrived just in time on the cafe. Scanning the area, finally he found someone who matched LuHan’s description although the guy had his head slightly down, making Kris can’t see one point of the description given by LuHan, the intimidating gaze.

Approaching the guy on the furthest corner of the cafe, suddenly Kris stop abruptly when the guy lift his head and his gaze met Kris’s. ‘It’s the guy from this morning”

After a few moments of exchanging gaze, Kris continue his steps towards the table.

“Hey I’m Kris, the editor from ‘Two Moons’ Publishing, are you Huang Zi Tao?”

The guy just stares at Kris then nod a little, completely silent.

“Nice to meet you Tao, can i call you that?” Kris second attempt to starts a conversation.

Another nod. Tao still silent.

The situation becomes pretty awkward for Kris, so he cleared his throat

“So Tao, did you bring the copy of your story?”

Pile of papers placed in front of him without the owner has to speak. Sighing, Kris take the papers and start reading.

‘Love At the First Sight’ is the title of the novel. Unconciously, Kris let out a chuckle.

Offended, Tao sends glares to Kris, and scribble something on his memo

“Problem?”

“The heck is this guy? Why bother to write when he could just say it?” Confused, Kris decided to ask the guy in front of him.

“Why did you bother to write? It’s not that i’m deaf or something, i can hear you perfectly fine, so just speak”

Kris swears he saw anger and hurt flashed within Tao’s eyes. Then another note was shoved to his face

“Well i’m sorry Mr. Kris for my inability to speak like normal people would since i am mute. Do you have problem with that?”

“Oh my god, i’m sorry Tao, i didn’t know” Kris’s eyes soften to the guy in front of him

“Do you wanna order anything? I’ll order it for you” Kris trying to be friendly because guiltyness struck him. And then Tao scribbling something again

“No need to be friendly out of the blue, i don’t need your sympathy. Now let just back to the business”

After reading the lastest note, Kris looks at Tao in disbelief. “I was trying to be nice but he just acts like a brat.”

“Okay then Mr. Tao, let’s get on the business”

2 painfully hours later, the business finally ended. Kris and Tao bid each other goodbye’s and leave

Alternative ending starts here

Maybe fate really likes to play with Kris and Tao. They encountered each other almost everyday at the cafe. The cafe apparently is Tao’s favorite place, while to Kris, this cafe has the best coffee. The surprise didn’t stop there. What’s more surprising is, they actually seat together and chat for a while. Kris even learning the sign language so Tao didn’t have to waste any paper. Kris said in sign language “You’re wasting tree for your paper. Just accept my effort, it’s not everyday i become nice to you right?” then he laughed

Tao, at first, also surprised when Kris approach him and starts making signs. He didn’t know why Kris bother to learn the language.

Well unknown to Tao, neither Kris know why he bothers to learn the language. He just feels the need to make things easier for Tao. Maybe Tao already has a special spot in Kris’s heart.

3 years passed by since they first met. Nothing changed for them actually. But for Kris, today’s gonna be different.

There they are, sitting on the same place as 3 years ago for 3 years straight, everyday without a fail. Taking a deep breath, Kris motioning his hands into one sentence he always want to say.

“Will you go out with me?”

Tao looked down. His body is shivering. Tears making its way from the chinese’s eyes.

Slowly, Tao wipes his tears away and takes a deep breath. Lifting his eyes, he meets Kris’s concerned face. Then he signs

“I’m sorry. I’m married already”  then he shows his left hand.

3 years, 3 years Kris has failed to notice the shiny silver ring on Tao’s finger. Fighting not to let his tears pouring, he looks up to the ceiling.

“I’m the one who should say sorry though, i almost steal someone’s husband” his two last words felt bitter on his tongue.

Tao getting up from his seat, “He’s leaving me” that’s what Kris thought. But then pair of hands wrap around his neck for a minute which feels like only a second for Kris. He wants this to last, to never end. Which is impossible for this situation.

Facing each other now, Tao mouthing sorry, and then left.

Kris watching Tao’s retreating back until it disappear outside the cafe. Then he couldn’t hold his tears anymore. He let them fall freely, leaving trails on his face.

“I wish for your happiness Tao”

Love is not always to have the person you love by your side

But letting them having the happines they already had before they met you.

END.