I couldn’t understand the attraction.

I mean she wasn’t anything like I normally went for. I liked tall, slender girls, who wore feminine dresses or sporty clothes. I enjoyed girls who I could flaunt off, like an elegant accessory on my arm. Nothing made me feel better than having a girlfriend who I could show to the world as my own precious jewel.

So I couldn’t understand why I was here yet again.

I smiled at the girl behind the counter as I walked towards her, feeling my stomach twist up into a thousand knots. It was always like this whenever I came here, and I wondered why I would turn into such a stupid person whenever in her company. She wasn’t sporty in appearance; her body was curvy and barely toned. She was not that much shorter than my last girlfriend, but she didn’t seem to have the same presence. I was so confused why the hazel eyed, American barista had captivated me to the point that I found myself feeling shallow and horrible every time I spent time thinking over it.

“Hey,” Maddie greeted casually, and I nodded, pretending to look up at the board above her head. I knew every drink on the list, as I had been coming to the coffee store every morning for the last four years, and yet all the same I felt the need to shift my gaze away from the foreign girl. “What would you like today?”

“Uh, just a mochachino thanks.”

“Busy day again?” she enquired as she waited for me to hand over my money and I finally glanced at the girl, nodding once.

“Like always.”

“New song coming soon, or are you doing promotions right now?” Maddie continued, ringing my money that I handed over onto the register and returning my change. I looked at the brunette, who blushed lightly. “Sorry, I don’t really know much about your group. But I’m told you’re really famous.”

“You always surprise me,” I blurted out and then groaned inwardly. Covering it up with a smile I chuckled awkwardly. “I mean, you’ve been working here for five months now, and every morning I come in, yet you don’t know my group?”

“Or your name,” she mentioned as she started my order and I frowned at her confession. “But isn’t that the fun part? I don’t treat you any differently than the other customers here. Not knowing means we don’t have to worry about any tension to start your day off.”

“Uh,” I started, and the girl smiled brightly, putting the disposable lid over the beverage. Maddie slid it towards me and I tried to think of what to reply with. “Yeah, it’s good.”

“Well have a good day, see you tomorrow,” she fare-welled and walked away from the counter to wipe a nearby table. I hurried outside before closing my eyes and groaning for the second time that morning.

“Yeah, it’s good?!” I repeated to myself as I walked down the sidewalk, taking a swig from the hot beverage in my hand and then narrowing my eyes. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

It was becoming clear that eventually I was going to make a complete idiot of myself in front of the girl. The only thing I couldn’t understand was why I let it affect me so much. It was something I needed to work on.

I needed a plan.

Despite going to the coffee shop every morning for the following two weeks with a well rehearsed plan of action, I failed to actually go through with it. I got close on a couple of occasions, but then the café got busy, or the phone rang and she excused herself to answer it. It was frustrating me today especially and I had remained unsettled the entire day during rehearsals. Instead of going with my fellow Super Junior members to dinner, I opted to return to our dormitory early. Thankfully I had driven my car to SM Entertainment’s complex and was free to travel behind the tinted windows of my vehicle.

As I neared the building we lived in, I glanced towards the coffee shop I had to pass. It was late at night and I knew it would be closed, but all the same I was surprised to see a familiar person outside the door. Instinctively, I slowed the car down and found a park, hopping out and making my way over to the small store. As I got closer I realised the girl was highly frustrated.

“What brings you to your place of work at this time of the night, you normally knock off at three,” I mentioned and then sighed as I showed I knew more than I should about the barista. Maddie shot me a look and then smiled weakly.

“I had to do a split shift today to close for another worker. Except I stupidly locked my keys on the other side,” she explained and I glanced at the door she had been rattling.

“Can’t you call your boss to retrieve the keys?”

The girl shook her head. “He’s away on holiday for another week.”

“Is there a spare key anywhere?” I continued and she shook her head again.

“It has my house key attached to it too. And since I don’t have a spare key to there either, I’m stuck outside!” Maddie complained and then cleared awkwardly. “Uh, but you should get on with your night.”

I smirked and leaned in towards the girl. “Want me to smash the window?”

“Then I’d have to wait and pay for a new window to be put in,” she pointed out and sighed. “Ah well, its hopeless, the locksmith is closed, and it’s getting really late. Have a good night yeah?”

She started walking off down the street and I immediately followed her. “Where do you plan to go?”

“Home.”

“And that is?”

“About a forty minute walk from here,” Maddie answered, shooting me a look. “Don’t worry I’ll be here to serve your mochachino tomorrow.”

“Coffee is the least of my worries right now.”

“Do you plan to continue following me?” she wondered, turning around to face me. I was surprised by her quick action and bumped into her instead. “Ow!”

“Sorry.” I smiled weakly. “I could give you a lift home?”

“You don’t have to be so polite.”

“I don’t mind, it’s freezing cold and you’ve clearly had a rough night,” I told the girl and she hesitated. Giving her an encouraging smile, Maddie eventually nodded and I grinned, feeling as if I’d won an award, instead of offering to do a good deed. I led the girl back to my car and we both got in, and I instantly the heating system.

“Thank you,” she said honestly and then raised a finger to in thought.

“What?”

“I don’t know your name, so I can’t thank you properly,” Maddie reminded and I chuckled.

“Didn’t your Mother ever teach you not to get into a car with a stranger?”

She nodded. “However, Mum didn’t mention that after spending two hours in the freezing cold air and begging a door to open when you know it’s not going to, will make you a desperate person.”

“Ah, so you accepted because you’re desperate, I’m deeply offended.”

“Well I didn’t mean it that-”

“Donghae,” I cut in and shot her a smile. “So now you’re safe.”

“I don’t know, just because I have your name, doesn’t mean you’re a trustworthy person, Donghae.”

I laughed. “Guess I’m just going to have to prove that to you then.”

“How?”

I thought for a moment and then smiled. “Hungry?”

“Starving,” Maddie replied instantly replied and then shook her head. “But you don’t-”

“I’m proving I’m a decent person,” I mentioned, my mind racing a million miles ahead of what I was saying. I smirked. “So you have to accept.”

She eyed me appreciatively for a moment or two. “Alright,” she agreed and then smiled. “Only because we can’t crush your feelings.”

“Exactly.”

We ended up in a quiet noodle shop that I went to sometimes, and after ordering some food, we spent a long time conversing back and forth over it. It was interesting to learn more about the American, who had moved to Seoul with a friend who soon disappeared upon arrival. Her story was interesting and by the time she was finished telling me, I wanted to hunt down the so called friend and teach her a lesson. Instead, I picked up my jacket from the back of my chair and stood up.

“Ready to go home?”

“Sure.” Maddie followed me out to my car and we climbed back in, remaining in a comfortable silence for the first five minutes.

I glanced at the girl who was deep in thought and then smiled. “So have I proven myself yet?”

“Can I ask why you have to be such a decent person in my eyes?” she wondered and smiled. “I don’t let many people close to me these days.”

“You told me your story,” I pointed out and she nodded. “That must mean something?”

“Yeah,” she admitted and blushed. “It’s something I’m trying to figure out.”

“Don’t think about it too hard though,” I continued and the girl looked over at me. “I’ve got plenty of time to show you I’m a good person.”

“Is that so?” she mused and glanced at her watch. “We have six hours before I need to be up. I do think I want to sleep sometime tonight.”

“Who said anything about tonight?” I replied with a smirk. “There’s always the next time you lock yourself out.”

“Yah!” she cried and folded her arms across her chest with a huff. It was then that I realised I didn’t want to wait for another time. I shot her a quick look before turning down the alley towards her apartment block, turning off the car a moment later.

I undid my seatbelt and shifted to face the girl. She glanced at me briefly, before looking again and falling into my intense stare. We sat like that for awhile before I instinctively reached over and cupped the side of her face. “Maddie I have to tell you something.”

“Me too.”

“You do?”

“Yeah but please go first,” she urged and I nodded.

“I like girls who are nothing like you,” I started and watched her face fall. It hurt to see the emotion drop away but I pressed on. “Yet, you’re all that’s on my mind. I could use the café at my company’s building to get my coffee fix, and although its habit to go to your store, for the past five months I haven’t missed a single day. I know your shift like it was my own, and although I’ve never understood why I’ve paid so much attention to you, I finally get it.”

“Get what?”

“That everything about you means something to me. The way you smile, the light that’s always in your eyes, the way you screw your face up in thought, I’ve never noticed these things on a girl until now. I needed to prove myself to you; I’ve been trying to ask you out for the last two weeks.”

“Really?” she asked and I nodded my head again.

“I like you, maybe more than you could imagine. You live inside my mind constantly and I don’t need a caffeine fix in the morning to get me going, I need to see you. And I need to keep seeing you, more than just in the morning.”

“I,” she started and then pressed her lips together to think about what to say. Instead I leaned over and met with my own, the girl responding instantly. It was pure ecstasy and I felt my entire body grow light with my happiness. I could feel the passion from the brunette girl meet me and soon we had to pull away, breathlessly.

“You wanted to say something earlier,” I reminded her once I could breathe and the girl blushed, nodding lightly.

“Uh, I have a confession to make.”

“What?”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a set of keys. I gaped at the girl who let out a small giggle. “I wasn’t locked out as you can see. I left something in the store after my shift and had to come back for it.”

“You sneak!” I exclaimed and Maddie playfully pushed me.

“Says the boy who knows my schedule! At least I didn’t go stalking you, which would have been easier to do given the internet.”

“I guess we can just leave this down to good timing on my behalf?” I concluded and Maddie nodded, leaning closer to me.

“Let’s hope to meet like this more in the future.”

I nodded, kissing her again and then smiled. “How about tomorrow you forget the keys to your car around the same time?”

“I don’t have a car,” she pointed out and I chuckled.

“Just like you didn’t lock yourself out either.” I kissed her again. Maddie grinned and nodded.

“It’s a date.”

And that’s when I realised, I had been wrong all these years when I had been dating. A girlfriend wasn’t someone who made you happy by having them around when you wanted to show everyone you were in love. They were someone who showed you a new way to see the world.

I couldn’t wait to see what being around Maddie would bring me.

The End.