♪ do you want some tea

“I will have the usual,” Suho told the waitress who nodded and smiled dreamily at him. He cleared his throat and then glanced over to Aejin whose eyes were roaming around the nicely decorated cafe Suho had taken them to. It was a few blocks away from the school and had quite a familiar vibe to it. 

I haven’t been to a cafe in ages. After Minwoo’s unexpected arrival, Aejin found no free time to do anything she normally did anymore and to be honest she missed her life as a college student. She sighed dejectedly before she heard somebody clear their throat. She snapped out of her daze and looked to Suho who subtly jerked his head towards the waitress. 

“Oh right, I’ll have a vanilla chai with extra cream please.” she declared and Suho couldn’t prevent the surprise to surface in his expression. 

“Two vanilla chai with extra cream coming right up,” the girl chirped as she skipped over to the barista to place their orders. 

“Two?” Aejin blinked. “Did you order the same thing as I did?” 

Suho smiled and shook his head, “I always order that. If anything, you would be the one to order the same thing as I did.” Aejin itched her ear, not sure what to make of the scene before she nodded her head softly to display her understanding. 

He realized things had just gotten more awkward like they had been the last time they met at the ice cream parlor and mentally slapped himself. He didn’t know why he had even invited her out for a drink when he had spent all those days strenuously trying to avoid her. However, when he saw her in trouble and in need of help, he felt a tug at his heart. He knew he had to give her a hand and how they ended up at the cafe, he hadn’t a clue. 

It’s not like he could just drop her off at a street corner and act like nothing had happened. How insensitive and uncourteous would that be? Kim Joonmyun was not that kind of man. He was a gentleman and of course he had to comfort her to make absolutely sure that she was okay. But as he peered up and stole a quick glimpse of Aejin, who was dazed looking out the window, it was as if all of his motor skills stopped working. His lips were slightly ajar yet there were no words escaping them. 

Aejin’s lids suddenly felt heavy as the music of the small shop filled her ears. It was strange that she could feel so relaxed especially in a public venue with a stranger present. She simply felt comfortable and there weren’t words to describe it. She had a late night as well because she was busy studying for school after assisting Minwoo with his little problem therefore it was no mystery that she lacked sleep severely. 

She could feel her body wanting to give out on her and just as her lids were about to drop completely, the waitress returned. “Two vanilla chai with extra cream and a coffee cake. Enjoy,” she bowed slightly before she returned to her post. The warm and tempting aroma of her favorite drink crawled up into her nose and Aejin felt re-energized. She brought the cup closer to herself and wrapped her hands around the mug to allow heat to transfer. 

While she was doing so, her eyes fluttered closed as she inhaled deeply the delectable scent. Suho noticed this immediately and shifted in his seat. He certainly found Aejin interesting and as he watched her with intrigued eyes, he leaned in closer. His arms were folded on top of one another as he quirked a brow, wondering what she was doing. The possibility that she might have drifted to sleep, as crazy as it sounded, did cross his mind but then he saw the smile plastered on her face and concluded she was still conscious. 

He didn’t know if he should say anything and even if he did decide to, he wouldn’t know where to start. He couldn’t tell her it was nice running into her under such circumstances or that he’d been intentionally avoiding her. No those were not good topics for conversation at all. He was in a stalemate and the solution he was desperately searching for was nowhere to be found. Suho swallowed as his eyes traced Aejin’s features. Every little detail etched itself deeper into his mind. 

She had her hair down this time around and the latter was genuinely stunned to see it wavy. Her face was also not covered in a sheen layer of sweat after having to run to fetch her son and as he paid more attention, he could spot the way her luscious eyelashes curled upwards. Her attire was simple but a little dressier than her work uniform and he confirmed that his first impressions of her were correct. 

Park Aejin was definitely a natural beauty and any sane man would feel blessed to be in her presence. You’ve lost it. You’ve really lost it, Joonmyun. 

“Ah this smells amazing,” Aejin complemented as she opened her eyes and lifted the cup to . She was about to take a swig when she noticed how the distance between her and Suho had diminished. She was befuddled and lowered the cup. When Suho saw her doing so, he automatically drew back and sat up straight. He brought his fist to his mouth and coughed feebly. 

Aejin wasn’t aware of any funny or strange business and why Suho was behaving in such a manner puzzled even her. “I would like to thank you again for saving me back there.” she took the initiative to strike up a conversation and once she did, he was elated. 

His head picked up, defying gravity before he chuckled softly. “I was simply doing the right thing. I’m sure anyone would have done the same.” He thought he had answered her to her liking but Aejin experienced a wave of sadness washing over her body at his reasoning. Now that he had put it in those terms, she realized he was only being