{Chapter 15}

Nattie walked through the café, not really paying attention where she was going. She always came to this café, always sat in the same place, always brought her school books, and always bought the same thing.

The cashiers knew her, and she was pretty confident that, if asked, she could recite the schedules of certain cashiers, despite having never asked them directly.

She finally got to her usual table at the front window and was about to sit down and begin studying for her next class when she noticed a cup of coffee already on the table. Looking up and at the seat across from the one she was about to take, she realized that someone—obviously someone who wasn’t a regular—was sitting at her table, looking over sheets of music.

It was strange enough that it took her a second to overcome the fury she felt. It was childish, but when one does something for a long enough period of time, she expected it to not change.

In the few seconds she hesitated over the table, the man that was occupying her table looked up at her. “Oh—Nattie, right?”

Nattie, who was just about to apologize and walk away, froze. How did this guy know her? Did she take her table because he knew she sat there because he had been stalking her? Quickly, she ran through the classes she had been in and was currently taking, trying to place the man, but she couldn’t think of a place she had seen him before.

“Um, yeah…” Nattie finally said, realizing that she had taken far too long to answer his greeting.

The man smiled broadly, lighting his face up childishly. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

Bashfully, Nattie shook her head, clutching the strap of her messenger bag, ready to run.

“Shame,” the man said with a shake of his head. He was still smiling, and it made Nattie even more curious as to how he knew her.

But Nattie resisted asking and turned around, walking to a nearby table and setting her bag down. It wasn’t her table, but while the man was here, she would have to deal with sitting in an unfamiliar spot, and possibly risk taking another regular’s spot.

It wasn’t until Nattie had her music that she realized that the man was familiar—and for good reason.

“Oh!” she cried, almost ripping her earbuds out and turning around in her chair to look back at her table and the man sitting at it. He had gone back to looking over music sheets, and as soon as she looked at him again, she felt foolish for not recognizing him immediately.

“Inati?” she hissed towards him, a little afraid that she was wrong. After all, she didn’t recognize him at first.

The man looked up quickly, a smile larger than the first on his face. “So you remember.”

Nattie laughed lightly. “Yeah, sorry. I thought you were from my school, and I was trying to figure out which class we had together.”

“Oh,” Inati chuckled. “Yeah, I’m definitely not from your school.”

Nattie smiled. “But you’re the leader of the band my sister’s husband is in, right? Dalmatian?”

Inati nodded.

“So how old are you, exactly?” Nattie asked timidly, a little afraid he would be offended. But she was a little curious. Not that leasders necessarily had to be the oldest in a group, but the fact that he had the title made her wonder…

“I’m thirty-one,” Inati answered swiftly, obviously not bothered by her question.

Nattie tried to not look shocked, but it was hard. He looked so young. Immediately, a thousand thoughts started running throught her head:

How does he look so young?

What products does he use?

Who is his dermatologist?

But  Nattie kept all those thoughts in her head, and instead, she just nodded.

“What are you studying?” Inati asked, changing the topic suddenly.

“Food.”

Inati laughed and said, “No, I meant the books you brought with you.”

“Yeah,” Nattie answered, a shy smile on her face. “Food. I’m a Foods Studies major.”

“They have those?”

Nattie laughed outright. “Yes, they do. There are actually a number of us. I—um, do you mind if I join you?” she asked suddenly, realizing that the conversation would be a lot easier if they weren’t talking to each other from ten feet away.

“Oh, no, of course I don’t,” Inati answered quickly, scooping all of the papers together to make room for Nattie.

“I am the only one studying Korean and German cuisine, though.” Nattie finished once she had transferred all of her stuff over to the table.

“Korean and German? Like a combination of the two?” Inati asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Sort of. I like both separately, and I like taking a little of both and adding them to the other. My dream is to have a restaurant where there’s a good combination of both. It’ll be interesting to find a good combination, but I’d like to try.”

“Very cool,” Inati said. “I really don’t know much about German food, admittedly. I had the stuff Livia brought by…”

“Did you like it?”

Inati nodded.

“Are you just telling me that so my feelings aren’t hurt?”

Inati shook his head. “No! It really was very good.”

Nattie smiled, amused by his reactions, completely forgetting her earlier annoyance by his presence at her table. In fact, as the conversation went on, she found herself hoping that he would come back.

Thanks for reading/subscribing~!

It's been a while, hasn't it?

I'm terribly sorry; family, college, and other stuff has kept me from writing.

I know this is short, and I am forever indebtted to your patience, but thank you for sticking with me.

:D