On a busy morning at the coffee shop, he was working here and there attending the customers and always giving a friendly smile. Even in the midst of this eventful scene, he got to notice the girl sitting alone with her head on her hands, covering her eyes.  He managed to make a pause and see if she had already ordered something.

-”Excuse me,” he said tapping her shoulder slightly, “are you ok, has anyone offered you something already?”

-”Oh-no, sorry” disoriented and with puffy eyes, the girl mumbled rapidly and tried to put another sentence together.

-”No! Oh goodness, I really apologize for the poor service.  I’ll be back with a cup of coffee, courtesy of the house.”  Before she could explain herself, he had already make his way towards another table to receive an order.

For a few moments JiEun tried to assimilate the situation and what the boy had just said.  She started to feel nervous, how embarrassing, he saw her puffy eyes!  Hurriedly, JiEun made her way to the restrooms.  Just when JiEun entered in the restrooms, Hyukjae came back with a cup of coffee and some biscuits.  There was nobody at the table but supposed she hadn’t left yet, he placed the coffee on the table and got back to work.  When JiEun came back, she checked if the boy was around but didn’t locate him, there were a lot of people and it was about to be 6 pm.  At that time, the windows are covered with black curtains and the lights went dim.  A very nice and cute place became a romantic site and couples began to arrive.  She watched them silently, how they held hands and the way they got close to each other.  The shine in their eyes touched her soul and made it wander around the place as if she could see each and every single couple in complete happiness.  She could almost taste the sweetness in the air, she was certainly astonished by human love, young love.

-”Are you cold?”

HyukJae suddenly interrupted her psychological journey.  JiEun was trembling and she noticed it quickly.

-”Ahm no, I’m okay.

-”Hey I know this is weird, but *sighs* I already looked around and well...you are the only one that is...alone...”  JiEun turned around to prove what HyukJae just told her.

-”Would you like anything else?  I mean, you can ask for anything since I still feel bad for not paying attention to you earlier...” JiEun’s heartbeat began to accelerate and blushed a little bit,”...don’t get me wrong, it’s just that I think it would be awkward to be here all by yourself and I...” “Excuse me?” A person was calling him to get an order, “oh yes, I’m coming! Please take your time, call me if you need something and I insist, you don’t have to pay for anything, okay?” HyukJae left with a sweet and gummy smile on his face.  Again, JiEun couldn’t make a sound, he was the only one talked.  Even though it was obvious, JiEun for a moment thought someone was concerned about her.  Or was he really?  She couldn’t help but follow the boy with her gaze for the rest of her stay while drinking her coffee.  Once she finished it, she was going to ask for the check but remembered it was free  She didn’t want to bother him once again, he was still busy so she left the shop quietly.  When she stepped out of the shop it was dark already, it was about 6:30 pm.  She found herself intrigued by the boy, then she realized she didn’t know his name and that didn’t even thanked him.  She opted for staying outside until he got out of work, it would really be strange if she got in there again just to say thank you or ask him his name.  It was late February and it was starting to get chilly, still, JiEun managed to stay until 8 to see him again when the shop closed.  

     She waited on the side of the shop, in a corner hidden by the darkness created by the light that shone from above the door of the shop.  She heard the laughs of the workers, she took a glance from her hiding place to make sure there was a time for HyukJae to be alone.  After a few minutes and some goodbyes, the co-workers made their separate ways and luckily HyukJae was left alone and was texting on his cellphone.  She was about to get out and approach him when she spotted a car starting to slow down in front of the shop and quickly got back to where she was.  She watched as the boy hopped in the car.  When the light of the car once HyukJae opened the door, she could get to see a girl in the driver’s seat.  The door was closed and the lights went off again, but still in the faint light, JiEun could see that HyukJae kissed the girl briefly before the car was started again.  And then they left, JiEun was left behind once again and realized how lonely she was that night...