He stared at the glowing candle in front of him. A gust of wind blew, diminishing the flames. The little boy never got the chance to blow it out.

♢♢♢

Come 15 years later, it was May 6. Baekhyun never really did look forward to this day since it was just like every other day he had experience in his life. No attention, no celebrations, no love. Just like the past 22 years of his life. Dressed primly in his polo tee and jeans, Baekhyun worked as a little barista at the not- so-well-known café just right across his block. He liked it there. It was convenient and the people there were pretty nice as well. He’d also occasionally get the privilege of sneaking a free drink or two for his own pleasure.

Morning routines included getting out of bed, brushing his teeth and taking a quick shower before heading out. Baekhyun lived alone in a small one-room apartment in a discreet corner uptown. He kept to himself most of the times, hardly interacting with the neighbours around him. Maybe he couldn’t help it but this was the way he is and he had no intentions of changing anything. He’d prefer sitting alone at home rather than going out to face the world out there. He never had anyone he’d call his friend because he simply couldn’t bring himself to trust them. Then again, maybe if he could open up just a little more…

Baekhyun’s entrance to the café was responded by soft good mornings and hellos. He’d return a warm smile as he slung his apron across his neck, ending it off with a butterfly ribbon at the back. Everyday seemed the same to him, he never really did see a purpose in living. The only reason he could think of for working is to keep his mind off things that he wouldn’t want to worry about. Baekhyun never did well at school too, constantly skipping classes and failing his assignments. He graduated eventually, but his results clearly couldn’t make the cut for a high banking job or anything close to that. So he settled with a humble job at a café.

But if there was one thing he had to hate about his job, was the cashier post. He despise those days where he had to run the cashier because that meant that he had to talk to people. And clearly, talking to people was definitely not his forte. He was a silent worker, doing things without saying anything and prefers to keep his opinions to himself. So when a customer came up to him asking for his name, he unknowingly jumped in response. Baekhyun bit his lower lip as he looked at his customer. Dressed in a suit completed with a dark grey laptop bag, he’s probably one of those high end workers in the society. With combed back hair and a smart look on his face, Baekhyun was sure he wasn’t one to mess with. “So, may I take your order?” Baekhyun mumbled as he mentally slapped himself at how pathetic he sounded.

“Yes a latte please with extra milk. You haven’t answered my question.” The man smiled down at him.

“Baekhyun.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s Baekhyun. My name is Baekhyun.” Well that wasn’t so hard, wasn’t it Baekhyun.

“Well it’s nice to meet you Baekhyun. I’ve been frequenting this café for the past few months and I must say I’m really torn to your hard work here.” The man grinned as he passed Baekhyun his money. “I’m Chanyeol by the way.”

Baekhyun just nodded in response. He did recognize this guy. He’d always come around every morning, ordering the same thing. But never did he attempt to strike a conversation with Baekhyun. How does one make friends? How does one react to such unexpected situations? He just fumbled with his fingers as he quickly spun round, getting his colleague to take his place as the cashier. He made the latte, extra milk, just like the way he liked his latte to be. He felt a tap on his shoulder as he turned around, meeting face to face with his co-worker, Kyungsoo.

“Hey Baek, just letting you know that I’ve settled your last order. You should really try to open up more. Just a little won’t hurt, right? Anyway, the customer told me to specifically get you to serve him his drink. He’s seated by the window on the second floor. Good luck.” Kyungsoo patted Baekhyun’s back as he returned to mend the cashier.

Baekhyun sighed inwardly as he warily placed the cup of latte on his serving tray. He steadily made his way up the stairs, navigating through the tables to reach Chanyeol’s. Silently, he placed the coffee on his table. Taking a small bow, he was about to leave when Chanyeol’s voice came ringing into his ear once again.

“Sit down, I’d really like to get to know you.” Chanyeol’s words were sincere but Baekhyun just couldn’t bring himse