It’s somewhat quiet inside the Tea Leaf, a stark contrast to Seulgi’s roaring thoughts. She had been holding her breath the entire time she crossed the street from Gem on Gangnam. Her excitement had been building up with every step she’d taken and Seulgi felt like screaming at the top of her lungs. Her body barely contained the overwhelming joy coursing through her veins. She’d done it, she’d finally done it. With as much confidence as she could muster up, she’d written down her phone number and the rest was in Joohyun’s hands.

Seulgi swung open the door of the café and was immediately bombarded with a blast of warmth and the heavenly aromas of freshly ground coffee beans and espresso. Refraining from any sort of outburst, Seulgi nodded politely at the barista manning the bar as she walked in. She passed by in almost a dream state, her step light as a feather, and her mind positively preoccupied with Joohyun.

Her cellphone buzzed in her backpack but she ignored it, peering around the coffee shop for an open table. It was probably Moonbyul or Yongsun checking in on how things were going. She could always reply to them later, after her and Joohyun’s coffee date. Besides, she needed to find a place for them to sit and collect her thoughts and calm the jitters in her hands.

Her eyes scanned the café carefully. Unsurprisingly, it seemed a little more crowded in the Tea Leaf than usual. Today was a Sunday, after all, and the weather was nearly below freezing. People of all shapes and sizes were chatting softly amongst each other, nursing steaming mugs of coffee or hot chocolate or tea. There was a real, working fireplace located in the center of all the tables. The flames crackled restlessly, radiating a warm glow and dancing orange light. A soothing soundtrack of orchestral music was playing in the background, adding the final touches to the calming ambiance.

Finally, Seulgi spotted a little booth pushed up against a window in the far back left corner of the room. Perfect. She plopped down into her seat and remained motionless, giving her brain a chance to finally catch up with her. After a quick calculation, Seulgi guessed she had roughly around ten minutes before Joohyun walked through the front door. Her hands and knees were slowly starting to regain their strength. Her heartbeat was beginning to slow.

She had half a thought to call Moonbyul and excitedly tell her what had happened but was too afraid Joohyun might walk in during the middle of the conversation. Seulgi chose to look out the window at the passerby instead. People watching always helped her relax. It was comforting to her to think about how everyone’s got their place in the world. Everyone’s always got somewhere to go or something to do. The push and pull of life itself, and all that deep jazz.

She drummed her fingers on top of the table and was met with the paperback Joohyun suggested for her. Out of curiosity, she thumbed through it until she reached the acknowledgments. Her lips quirked up into a smile as she read through the author’s introduction. This sounded like the kind of story she wishes she’d read when she was struggling to come to terms with her uality. But better late than never, right?

Without even realizing it, she’d read through half the first chapter when Joohyun finally joined her. She was so immersed in the fictional realm of Rubyfruit Jungle that Joohyun had to clear to garner her attention. “Oh, sorry!” Immediately, she dogeared the page she was on and set the book down in a flurry of motion. “When I start reading, I kind of zone out a bit. Moonbyul’s said before that I could probably trip over my own feet and still have my nose buried in a book,” Seulgi laughed nervously, looking up to see Joohyun’s bemused expression glimmering at her.

Joohyun shook her head lightly at Seulgi’s nervous rambling. She was giggling and smiling brightly, clearly finding the tidbit adorable. Seulgi’s heart started to kick back up into third gear. “My friends say the same thing about me. I’m a total loss once I get into a good book,” Joohyun replies kindly. She nods towards the paperback, “I’m glad you seem to be enjoying it so far, though. I hope that means I’ll end up liking it, too.”

The pair stared at each other, both of their faces betraying the excitement overflowing inside of them. An almost cosmic sensation seemed to be blossoming between them. A few tables over, someone dropped their fork. The sound jerked the two college students out of their stupor.

“Um, anyways! You made it!” Seulgi said, clapping her hands together awkwardly. Heat was rising to her cheeks, no doubt in the millionth blush she’d sported the past week. “Yeah, Nayeon and Jeongyeon insisted I clock out a little early so I could come over faster,” Joohyun said in explanation. “They’re a little eccentric, right?” Seulgi snickered. “I wouldn’t want to get on Nayeon’s bad side.”

Joohyun gave Seulgi a sheepish grin. “Me either. I’ve been on it far too many times to advise it.” There’s another lull in the conversation, one staring intently at the other. “So, um, shall we…?” Joohyun pointed her index finger towards register at the front of the coffee house.

“Oh yeah, for sure,” Seulgi blinked. She grabbed her wallet from her backpack and motioned for Joohyun to lead the way.

“Can’t wait to try that chai,” she grinned.

“And I can’t wait for my honey lavender latte,” Joohyun fired back.

As they walked towards the bar, Seulgi gazed around her. One of her favorite things about the café was its design. Call her what you will, basic or hipster or whathaveyou, Seulgi was a er for exposed brick and giant windows and houseplants. There was a rustic feel to the Tea Leaf, with its scuffed dark wood floors, red brick walls, and locally crafted furniture. Orbs of blown glass were fixed to the ceiling, giving off even more comforting, orange light.

The ceiling had been converted into a giant skylight, allowing slabs of sunshine to cut through the dark wood rafters. All along the walls, hanging planters suspended potted ivy plants. The thick, leafy vines perfectly blended the concepts of urban greenspace. It made Seulgi feel like she was sitting in the middle of a forest, almost like the kind of place you’d stumble upon in a fairytale. An eclectic assortment of paintings decorated the walls, giving off a refined feel. Tiny succulents potted in recycled glass jars lined the ledges of the windows.

As they neared the bar, the barista behind the register perked up with a perfected customer service smile. Behind the counter, a dual spotless stainless steel espresso machine with wooden fixtures stood proud, ready for action. A large, industrial coffee maker directly behind the register was brewing two large containers of fresh coffee. Two high power blenders sat on the back counter, no doubt for making smoothies or frozen coffee drinks. Beside the blenders lay containers of freeze-dried fruit, chocolate chip chunks, and a few powders Seulgi didn’t recognize.

Rows of glazed ceramic cups decorated with various intricate flowers, accented with brilliant streaks of blue or pink, lined the shelves. Tall, thin ice glasses were displayed in see-through cabinets above the counter. What I wouldn’t give to work in a place like this, Seulgi thought to herself. She figured it’d be a lot of fun to craft drinks and watch customer’s faces light up at the handoff. Another thing she liked about the Tea Leaf was that it never seemed to get outrageously busy. There was just enough foot traffic to keep the baristas busy, but not overwhelmed.

Plus, it’d be nice if she’d be able to look out the window and see Joohyun ringing up customers inside Gem on Gangnam. “You can go first,” she nudged Joohyun, who was gazing up at the menu board. The English major stepped forward to order and standing beside her, Seulgi allowed herself to drink in her appearance. She’d forgotten just how tiny Joohyun was. The top of the other woman’s head was about level with Seulgi’s chin. Her hands dainty and her fingers long and thin with perfectly manicured nails. Her skin was as fair as the pages of the books she was so fond of.

Moonbyul had been right to say Joohyun looked as if she belonged in a CF. Joohyun was drop dead gorgeous, prettier than any girl Seulgi was sure she’d ever seen before. She felt she could crack open a thesaurus and list off every synonym in the book for ‘beautiful’ but it still wouldn’t amount to Joohyun. She was more than just beautiful. She was Joohyun. Her eyes, twin pools of dark, dark brown, were so deep Seulgi found herself getting lost in them.

Joohyun had turned, looking at her expectantly. She lowered her eyes shyly at the intensity of Seulgi’s gaze, displaying the thick fan of her lashes.

“It’s your turn,” Joohyun murmured, tucking a lock of hair behind her left ear.

“Oh, uh, right,” Seulgi stammered, quickly looking away. This hadn’t been the first time she’d been caught staring by Joohyun and it surely wouldn’t be the last. She’d have to work on that if she didn’t want Joohyun to catch onto her crush so quickly. Or did it matter if Joohyun found out she liked her so soon? What if she already knows?

Pushing the thoughts away, Seulgi tried to hide her furious blushing by confidently walking up to the counter and stating her order. The barista dutifully rang her up and the pair stood to the side, waiting in front of the handoff counter for their orders. While they waited, they got to chatting about how the rest of their week had gone.

Seulgi talked about how she’d mostly been holed up in the tutoring center on the second floor of the library. Two of her fellow tutors had fallen ill. Seulgi stepped up to take their place, working much more than she was used to. When she hadn’t been tutoring, she had been holed up somewhere else, studying for exams. “That’s why I couldn’t come around to the book nook,” Seulgi explained quickly. “I wanted to, though. I would’ve texted but...I’d forgotten to give you my number.”

“That’s alright. I was a little preoccupied to spend much time there, too,” the English major replied. She then filled Seulgi in on how her week went. Albeit, she left out the bits and pieces where she and her friends had gathered to gossip over her. As she talked, she felt her palms beginning to sweat. Seulgi’s gaze was like no other. It felt like the girl’s eyes were piercing right through her, peering into her soul. Maybe she was, who knows?

It had been one of those weeks that seemed to simultaneously drag on and rush by. Neither girl admitted it felt that way because they hadn’t been able to see each other. They both agreed time was a weird, whacky concept and snickered. Just as Seulgi was about to ask Joohyun how A Clockwork Orange was going, their drinks were called out.

“One honey lavender latte with soy milk and one chai tea latte with soy milk at the bar!” The barista said in a raised voice. She eyed the pair with a wide smile, pushing a set of elegant cups across the countertop. So as not to spill their beverages, they carefully lifted their drinks and gingerly made their way back to their booth. Once settled in, the girls each took small sips of their beverage of choice.

“How do you like it?” Seulgi asked, taking a sip of her chai. The strong flavor of black tea complemented by a hodgepodge of spices hit her tongue. She could discern cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom for sure, perhaps ginger, too? It was a little sweeter than she’d been expecting, but nice, nonetheless. Next time, she’d have to order it with an espresso shot. “It’s not bad, right?”

“It’s really good!” Joohyun said enthusiastically. Her eyes were alight with satisfaction and took another, longer sip. The bold, rich flavor of lavender filled her senses. She’d never tasted anything quite like it before. It was floral and spiced but just the right amount of sweetness. It tasted exactly like the heavenly scent of lavender. “I don’t like many espresso drinks, but this is wonderful. It’s like the perfect balance between sweet and bitter. I’ve never had anything lavender flavored before, either. It’s lovely.”

Relieved that Joohyun liked it, Seulgi broke out into a grin. “I’ve convinced nearly all my friends to try it at one time or another. None of them really liked it, too lavender for their taste.” She waved a hand in the air, “I’ve tried a few different lavender lattes before and I will admit, the Tea Leaf’s has the fullest flavor of the bunch. It’s probably why I like it so much.”

Joohyun nodded along to Seulgi’s words. She pictured Moonbyul scrunching up her nose in disgust and the corner of quirked up. “Are there any benefits to drinking lavender in coffee?” She asked, eyeing her drink. “Or is it just kind of fancy treat? I’ve had tea with dried flowers in it before but I’ve never thought to ask.”

“I read somewhere once the lavender is supposed to negate all the negative effects coffee has on you,” Seulgi affirmed. She folded her hands over her mug. “It’s supposed to be calming and cut down on your stress levels, I think. With as much caffeine I consume in a day, I guessed I could use all the help I can get. It’s not often I can find lavender flavored things, so I guess it can be kind of fancy, too.”

Joohyun quirked an eyebrow, “I think I’ve found my new usual order.” To keep herself from ogling too much at the girl, she peers out the window. Seulgi does the same, holding her mug close to her chest. A group of middle school kids walk by in their uniforms, swaddled in thick coats and shepherded by two chaperones. Their youthful, bright faces are red from winter’s cold grasp. Joohyun watches them fondly as they line up for a nearby noodle restaurant.

Wisps of steam rise from their drinks and fireplace crackles nearby, but most of the warmth they feel stems from each other’s presence. It's peaceful. A steady stream of people made their way up and down the street like schools of fish. Some ducked into shops, others chatted with friends or over the phone. All of them walking briskly, each step bringing them closer to being out of the cold.

“So,” Seulgi starts. Joohyun turns to her with a curious look. She brings out her copy of A Clockwork Orange with a sly grin.

“Do we have have to talk about it?” Joohyun groaned. “That book’s kind o