Do Kyungsoo really didn’t know why he was walking around the same block on 8th Street for the fifth time on that rainy winter day. Well, maybe he knew, but the pride of a college student along with his shyness made him try to convince himself that he just needed coffee. Which is quite ironic, since he hates coffee. 

So, nothing justified Kyungsoo walking like a lunatic on the street, just stopping to look in the big window of the local cafe, focusing only on a tall girl running from one side to the other, carrying several orders to customers. A tall and cute girl who seemed extremely uncomfortable about her work there. She was Tzuyu. That was all Kyungsoo knew about the unknown girl. 

To be more realistic, it wasn’t his first time passing by this local cafe just to see her. Yes, he wanted just to look at her, stopped by his shyness of starting a conversation. Throughout the month, he ordered a number of 20 coffees, 3 muffins and 4 cupcakes, just to see Tzuyu, the name that was neatly handwritten in her badge. Their “conversations” always ended up being the waitress and client type ones, nothing like Do imagined. 

Approaching his table, she would always come up with a serious expression.

— Welcome to Sweet Muffins Coffee Shop. What would you like to order? 

— I would like a cappuccino, please. 

— Okay. I’ll be back in some minutes, Sr. 

It was always like that. But today, everything would change. Kyungsoo knew it. After some minutes, the girl came back with his order, making the client sweat waterfalls. Tzuyu delivered the cappuccino, preparing to leave right through. 

— Wait! — He caught himself saying.

The waitress stopped abruptly, but didn’t turn right away to face him. 

— Would you like anything else? —  She finally turned herself to Do. 

— No, I-I just… I just w-wanted-

Tzuyu waited for an answer, but nothing came out from his mouth, just tripped and scrambled words. 

— Do you like coffee? — Kyungsoo finally said. 

The waitress looked at him like he had done the weirdest question of the world. 

— Should I considered that as a “no”? — The guy insisted. 

— No, that’s not a “no”, but I cannot talk during work shift. If you want anything else, just order or I’ll have to leave. 

— If I order something, would you be still talking to me? — He said, dying from embarrassment, blushing hard. 

In the deep inside, Tzuyu also blushed, but her face was expressing something way different; judgement. A bad judgement. 

— Sorry, I-

Tzuyu left, without even thinking twice. 

Kyungsoo got sad, really sad. Was she in a bad day or what? Do thought. He finished his coffee and left, with something in mind. 

 

(...)

 

Tzuyu was exhausted. 

Working all day, running through the tables, was way tiring than it seemed, even more when she needed to stay late at night to close the cafe. At least, now, she could go home. She could claim about it, but some months ago her life was worse. 

Tzuyu really liked to smile and laugh, but that was before him. 

His name was Jordan and she loved him for real. They were perfect together, and then he became an idiot. Disasters always happen in the dreamland. He started saying that perhaps she didn’t need to work much, he could supply both of them. She almost accepted, but her job was important for her. When he noticed that she wouldn’t drop her job, the emotional pressure showed up. Jordan used to say that her job was messing up their perfect relationship, and, because of that, fights between them increased Tzuyu just wanted to make him happy, that’s why she gave up, quitting her job. 

It wasn’t enough. For Jordan, it was always never really enough. 

He also kept her captive, saying that all the supplies and needs of her being would be given by him. Tzuyu believed it, because she relied on his love. 

Sure, if you cannot see clearly yet, he also betrayed her. Under these circumstances, it would be weird if he didn’t. When she discovered everything, she tried to get away of him, but it wasn’t easy like that. To get off of this situation, she needed the beginning of a depression, her mother’s help and a final argument with Jordan to solve this. 

Two years of therapy and family support helped her a lot. But some things never came back to its normal state.

Tzuyu was so distracted thinking about it, that she didn’t notice someone chasing her. She started to listen some steps behind her, just when she was in the darkest area in town. She walked faster, crossed the street. The person behind her crossed too. When the waitress was thinking about what to do, she listened a voice saying:

— Hey, wait! 

Without even thinking twice, she ran as fast as she could. Trying to reach her purse and take her pepper spray, the figure got closer and closer. 

Closer…

Closer…

Closer…

A hand reached her arm at the same time she took her spray. Desperately,  she sprayed the figure’s face, right away she listened a scream. Just at this moment, she saw who it was: the guy from the cafe, her daily client. 

— Oh my God, oh my God! Sorry! I didn’t know it was you. Are you okay? 

The man was too occupied wiping his eyes to answer. It hurted like hell. 

— Please, don’t tell my boss about it. I would get fired! — She tried to apologize. 

— Urgh, why did you do that? — He cooed. 

Getting pissed, the waitress answered. 

— WHY? You were chasing me like a creepie. What did you want me to do?

— I don’t know, maybe just listen to me? 

— Do I need to repeat that you were chasing me like a creepy guy? 

Kyungsoo breathed in and out, thinking about an answer. 

— Sorry. I-I just didn’t know how to approach you. You said that you couldn’t talk during work shift, so I thought that maybe we could do it afterwards. 

— But, ON A DESERT STREET? DARK LIKE THIS ONE? You are really not fine!

Do got red, so red that Tzuyu could see it even if it was dark like a cavern. 

— Sorry! I really wanted to talk to you. 

— Talk about what exactly? — She asked impatiently.  

He didn’t know exactly about what, he just wanted to talk to her, anything else. 

— Just… stop following me, okay? Leave me alone. 

Kyungsoo didn’t insist again, only watching her leaving. 

 

(...)

 

He kept going to the cafe, even if Tzuyu was all deadly stares and no talking to him. 

Throughout the days, she got so pissed that couldn’t attend him anymore. She started to ask another waitress to do it. Even if Do got sad, he could understand her situation. But, he felt something was wrong. He knew something was wrong. Do got sure of it when, one day, he saw her leaving earlier; tears running down her face. He, immediately, ran after her, worried. 

After some following, she stopped by a bench in the nearest park. At the same time he knew she would hate him approaching, he did anyways, sitting right beside her.

— I know that you clearly don’t want to talk to me, but… I would be a horrible person if I only saw you crying and didn’t do anything. 

Tzuyu got stunned by the sudden approach. In a situation when almost anybody would do something, he cared about her. He wanted to help her in some way. She sighed.

She breathed deeply…

…and her armour fell to the ground. 

She ended up telling him everything she carried throughout these past three years. Her difficult relationship, the massive ending, her depressed state, her boss that, sometimes, looked and acted like her ex-boyfriend… literally, everything. And, when she finished, Kyungsoo was silent. He didn’t know what to say. 

When the tears shed at its all, she thought that maybe he was gone. There was silence around her. She turned at her side, finding Kyungsoo still there. 

— Why are you still here? 

— I would be crazy if I left you alone. 

— Creepy, but cute. 

He could see that she was sad. So, after some thinking, he asked. 

— Do you know what could make you happier? 

— What?

— What about some coffee?

Once again, her face turned into a judge face. 

— I hate coffee. 

— Really? So do I. 

They smiled at each other. 

 

"Some situations makes us vulnerable. Some even makes us change in a way that cannot be recovered. Tzuyu changed because of her past, leaving her old self behind. She could have ended up never talking about her story to Kyungsoo, but, at least once, we should try to take off our armour and let it be. She did it and, maybe, found a great friend afterwards."