They say life is like a book. When one page is terrible, keep reading, because the next one may change everything.

She still came to the cafe in the mornings before school.

It was more of a nostalgic place for her... A safe place... A haven... There was nothing she liked more, than to drink her coffee and close her eyes. The earthy scent warming her, filling her nose as she pictured His face. Yixing... The one who opened her heart to hear the music life had to share. Even in the smallest things. Everything had a melody. Every voice, and every dream, every heartbeat had a melody.

But only the ones who could hear it, were those who were willing to stop, and listen.

"Excuse me?" A voice asked, gaining her attention. She was almost too caught up in her own thoughts to hear him.  "Is this cafe the one with the apprenticeship offer available?" The man asked. She nodded slowly and pointed to the manager. "Ask him." She replied, rummaging through her belongings to appear busy. The man took her hint and bowed before walking to speak with the manager. She watched him leave, staring at the newcomer in wonder. Knowing in absolute certainty that he would not get the job. No one was more qualified than Yixing... No one.

"Hey~ Thanks for helping me last week!" The man said, grinning. Her gaze stared up at him. The man was adorned in the waiter/barista attire, his face beaming brightly. She nodded her head in acknowledgment and looked down at her book. In her peripheral vision she could see him lower his head close to hers, attempting to see what her book was.

"What are you reading?" He asked in a quiet tone. "A fantasy book," She answered, turning the page. "Hm... Is it good?" He moved closer, trying to read the page she was on. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat away from him; he took that as a signal to move back. "Yeah... The ending is beautiful." He raised an eyebrow. "You've finished it before?" She nodded her head. "I've reread this book over a hundred times." She could see the man furrow his eyebrows. "And you never get tired of reading the same thing over and over again?" She blinked and shook her head slowly. "No... Not really... I like being able to tell what will happen next."

The man nodded his head slowly. "I see... Well, I'm Kris. It's nice to meet you," He said.

"It was nice to meet you as well," She said. He grinned. 

Suddenly his eyes sparkled, as if he had just remembered something. "Stay right here! I'll be back, hold on!" He said excitedly as he ran to the barista bar. She heard the sound of clinking cups and steam. In a few minutes he had returned, setting the glass cup in his hand on the table in front of her. She looked down at what he had given to her.

"...What is this...?" She muttered.

"Black Tie." 

He smiled as he stirred it for her. "It's the traditional Thai Iced Tea, except with a spicy and sweet mixture of chilled black tea, orange blossom water, star anise, crushed tamarind, sugar and cream, with a double shot of espresso." "Sounds weird..." She replied, turning away from the drink.

She didn't need this drink. She already had her Cortado, she didn't need anything else. 

Nothing else.

"Weird, or new?"