“You know it’s their loss.” A voice, light and warm, breaks her trance. Her eyes flickering from the raindrops that freckled the glass walls to the cute barista that now hovered near her table.

Jinwoo, his glossy nametag reads. Not like she missed it the first time a little while ago, as he handed her the cup of hot chocolate from over the counter with a smile so hearty. She’s convinced that it’s the sole reason this café is so warm and serene despite being one of the busiest times of the year.

A black apron hangs on his surprisingly broad frame over a pale blue button up with sleeves rolled up to his forearms. She’s suddenly reminded of all the daydreaming she’s been up to ever since she came in here.

“For standing you up.” He clarifies through her silence, sensing the blank confusion on her face.

An abrupt smile threatens her, “What makes you think I was expecting someone?”

Jinwoo lifts a finger to adjust the delicate spectacles on the bridge of his sharp nose, “Oh. Sorry. I just assumed-”

“It’s Valentine’s Day and I’ve been sitting here alone for the past three hours?” She gladly cuts him off, feeling more amused than embarrassed, as she was moments earlier.

“Yeah, something like that.” A small dimply smile forms across his face, one that is almost apologetic.

“Then you’re right, the jerk stood me up.” She draws a quiet sigh, shifting to lean back on her chair.

“Like I said… their loss.”  He shoots her a one sided shrug, peering attentively over his round glasses like he’s expecting something.

“Look, I appreciate the concern…” She trails off, slightly distracted by the way he looks at her. She wanted to say that it was nice of him to come over and offer his condolences to her disaster of a date, that he didn’t have to do anything and that it’s fine, really.

An hour after sinking in the fact that she, out of all days, had been stood up, she’d turned her attention to his terribly endearing customer service. It was almost impossible not to notice the finger hearts he shot at the single looking ones out of the queue. Topping it up with a wink that earned a giggle or two from teenage girls that scurried away, rosy cheeked.

Or the way he attempted cappuccino art. How she caught on someone asking if it really was a cat not a bunny as they had asked for from the adjacent table.

“If it makes you any better, I’m alone too.” He says, making her realize that the place is almost empty and that it’s probably the end of his shift.

“Are you asking me out?” She asks, taken by the slight widening of his eyes and the flutter in her stomach.

Jinwoo chuckles softly, bringing a hand to the back of his neck, “We’ve still got some of that pink cheesecake. I don’t know… we could eat our feelings out while we wallow in self pity, what do you say?”

“How many girls have you swooned over with that?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” He’s a little more relaxed, lifting a brow playfully and she laughs.

“Yeah… sure. Why not?”

“I’m Jinwoo, by the way.”

She nods with a smile, tapping her chest to where a nametag would go, “I know.”

Jinwoo drops his head, hiding a laugh and a blush that stains his cheek.

“And yours?”