"One Fine Day"

Koree’s fingers tapped lightly on the table as she followed a melody in her head. “Dum dum dum dee dum dum..” she quietly hummed aloud. Her fingers carefully drew a smiley face, instead of on the window today, in the dust on the windowsill. 
She lazily rolled her head to one side then the other, stretching out the small kinks in her neck from sitting in the small coffee shop too long. 

“Welcome,” the waitress said as the bell hanging on the door rang.
“Hi, can I get 2 caffe lattes please?” a deep male voice asked. 
“Yes sir. For here or to go?” she replied. 
“To go. Can you be fast about it too? I’m in a hurry.” The man added. 

Koree blinked her droopy eyes a few times and then glanced up at the customer. Her music had been turned up a tad too loud today for she wanted to be forever lost in thought before she returned to her studio. It was how she best came up with everything, all her solutions to life, to music, to dance, even sometimes, to love. She hadn’t noticed the tall stranger next to the counter until now. He wore a black beanie, which matched his black and white sweatshirt and skinny jeans. She cringed when she saw that he had paired them with black boots, then shrugged. It was none of her business to criticize his style. She glanced up at his hair. It was a burnt brown color. The ends were teasing, working their way out from under his beanie. Her eyes made their way down his back. It was muscled and the taut muscle stretched and expanded as he dug in his pocket for money. She watched his hands as he handed money over to the cashier. His hands, although manly, consisted of pudgy fingers that were enveloped in rings. She saw the veins pop from his wrists as he received his change and slightly crushed it in his grip. And when she looked back up to observe the back of his head once more, he turned. Koree’s heart skipped a beat. She felt her pulse quicken and her breath had caught. His eyes crinkled as it held hers for a smile. And as quickly as the snap of her fingers, he his heel, and left. 

It had been unbelievable that someone made him feel that way; unbelievable and a long time since. Jae kept a smile on his face as he left the coffee shop. He carried the to go tray in one hand as his other slipped his left headphone back into his ear. She was pretty and now she knew he existed as he did her. And he had noticed the way her slender fingers danced on the table as she listened to her music. She had lifted a hand to brush back a loose strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Her lips pursed and the ends twitched up into a small smile as her head slightly tilted to one side. In her eyes, light danced as though she was in her own little world. She gingerly placed her finger on the windowsill of the coffee shop and drew what seemed like a smiley face. Satisfied, her smile deepened and Jae could see the dimple in her right cheek as it dented down and her eyes formed into crescent moons. And he had an urge to walk over and plant a kiss there. 

The coffee had been an excuse to be able to see her in person and not behind a window. It also took every will in his body, every encouragement in his being, to get him to cross the street and open the door to the coffee shop. He was trying to save up for a luxury car so he would be able to drive around the countryside, and listen to music, be at peace with the scenery, nature. He had no money to spare for one coffee, let alone two. Everyday for the past 3 weeks Jae delivered ddukboki and jajangmyun to the business across the street from the small coffee shop. And every day, at the very same time, the very same woman sat in the coffee shop enchanted by her own thoughts and day dreams as though she was deeply in love. And slowly, Jae had begun to fall for her. He didn’t know her name, her age, though she was probably younger than him, but he didn’t care. Love came only when unexpected and he took it with all his heart.