“With temperatures rising up to 35 degrees Celsius, take care to hydrate and stay indoors during the noon hours, especially for the elderly and young children.” The radio deejay huffed wearily as he reported the weather. His sentiments were echoed by the people around me – a lady wearing a short shorts and tank top combo fanned herself as she walked by. A young mother, her hair in a messy bun, pushed a stroller equipped with a yellow mini-fan past a snaking queue that went around the block and ended at the ice cream van.

I myself was in line at the coffee shop eagerly awaiting the refreshing relief of cold coffee. There were just three people in front of me, but I had also been waiting for a while in the sweltering heat. The first in line was obviously an office worker, all black and white blouse and skirt. I pitied her wearing a long-sleeve shirt. The second was a man dressed in a tan cardigan and slacks. He at least looked breezy, although I wouldn’t want to be wearing long pants in this heat. He had nice hair and a good build. Behind the man was a student, obvious from the uniform and backpack, her hair in a ponytail and continuously fanning herself.

The office lady made it into the shop, shortly after the man and the student joined her, and finally I was enjoying the cool breeze of the air-conditioning on my skin. I ordered my go-to Iced Americano and joined the people waiting for their drinks. The office lady was eyeing the barista shrewdly, making a show of looking at her watch, while the barista pretended not to notice. Meanwhile, the man looked out of the window, his back to me. The barista completed the office lady’s drink and gave it directly to her, and received a huffy sigh in return for speeding up her order. Shaking her head, the barista made a vanilla latte for the student, who thanked her and left.

The man continued to look out the window at the ice cream truck and observed people passing the coffee shop. There was something about him that I felt I knew, but I couldn’t place it. It was an indescribable feeling, like seeing something that reminded you of childhood memories, or being to a place that you’ve never been before, yet having the feeling that you’ve already been there.

I was brought out of my reverie as the barista set an Iced Americano down on the collecting area, before turning her attention to the next orders. Obviously this was my drink, so I hastily collected it and left the coffee shop. As I walked out the door, I thought I heard someone exclaim “Oh, hey!” in surprise, but I was in a rush to get to the post office before it closed for the day, so I didn’t turn back. I tried to shake off the weird feelings as I sipped the refreshing coffee, I’m sure it was nothing important anyway.

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Joong Ki felt the sweat dripping down his back. It probably didn’t make sense to wear a cardigan and long pants in this heat. Luckily it was his turn to step into the café. The cooler air washed over him, refreshing his sweat-addled mind. The student ahead of Joong Ki fanned himself with his book. When he reached the counter, Joong Ki ordered an Iced Americano, his favourite summer drink. He made his way to the window and positioned his back towards the air-conditioning so he could cool down. Outside, there was a long queue snaking around the building for the ice-cream truck. He watched a young mom push a stroller with a yellow mini-fan on it.

Turning around to check the status of his drink, Joong Ki felt his eyes drawn to the girl ordering at the counter. Her back was towards him, but somehow he felt he knew her, even though nothing about her seemed familiar – not her hair, her body, or what she wore. It was like seeing a place in real life that you had recurring dreams about. Joong Ki shivered and shook his head, what a weird feeling! He turned his attention back to the scene outside. Is this what they call déjà vu? He tried to brush the feeling aside, but it seemed to linger.

Joong Ki heard the office man mutter at the barista for taking so long, but he left soon with his drink. The student also received his vanilla latte shortly after. What was taking the barista so long to make an Iced Americano? Is he new? Sighing, Joong Ki turned and caught a brief glimpse of the girl as she took the Iced Americano that the barista just set down on the collection counter and hurried out. “Oh, hey!” “That’s my drink…” Joong Ki trailed off and sighed again. He decided to wait for the next drink instead of chasing after her. The girl had a pretty profile, with long brown hair held up in a ponytail, and she had a yellow sundress on. Again, he was overcome by that weird feeling, as though he had met the girl before.

“Iced Americano!” The barista said as he set the drink on the counter before going back to the other orders. Huh, so she ordered the same drink, that explains why she took my drink. Joong Ki turned the takeaway cup in his hand. Sora. Pretty name for a pretty girl. Joong Ki sipped his drink as he made his way to the office, washing away the weird feelings. He was sure it was nothing, maybe coming into the cold café from the heat and humidity outside gave him the shivers.