“Good morning!” Minseok greets his customers with the most cheerful smile he can muster as they enter the café. He expertly maneuvers between asking the customers their orders, relaying the order to his co-workers in the barista station, and managing the cash register. It’s been a while since he has stood behind the cashier’s station, visible to every eye in the café, making him jitter inwardly. Minseok would usually be in his office, avoiding any form of human contact, but today was unavoidable; his cashier just called in sick a few minutes before the café opened and seeing that there was no free hand, he was forced to step in for the job.

It was a lovely autumn Saturday morning; a cool breeze sweeps inside the café with every jingle of the entrance’s bell which signals the arrival of new customers, and cars seldom passed by the road as friends and couples preferred to walk along the pavement, enjoying the early weekend morning.

A jingle of a bell has Minseok flashing a smile at a newly arrived couple. The man had jet black hair and a pair of translucent grey eyes while the girl was the opposite - with natural chestnut hair flowing past the shoulders, chocolate brown eyes, and a smile that mirrored the love and affection she was feeling. She seemed genuinely happy as she held onto her lover’s right arm.

And for some reason, it made Minseok’s heart ache a little.

“Can I have one order of Choco Lava Cake and two Chocolate Frappuccinos, please?” the girl says in a voice so sweet and pleasant to the ear. Minseok gives her a nod as he fingers the cash register.

“That would be $40,” Minseok states with his unwavering smile.

Rule Number One in Demeter’s Café: Always wear a smile even if you’re having a ty day.

The couple hands him two $20 dollar bills before proceeding to a vacant table near the huge flower pot of daisies and amaryllis. Minseok finds himself staring at them until they were seated comfortably in their chosen seats. He watches them despite the painful feeling that kills him bit by bit every time the girl flashes a smile at her companion.

Minseok suddenly remembers why he hates seeing mortals.

For some odd reason, that he knew even the Gods’ can’t explain, mortals, especially mortal lovers, have this unique way of miraculously making all the bitterness buried at the bottomless pit of his heart resurface and torture him in a number of ways unimaginable. It’s been like that for years now and Minseok can’t shake the bitter feeling off his system no matter how hard he tries. It’s something that has been long and deeply embedded in his mind and heart.

With the sound of the bell, Minseok regains his composure, stretching his lips into a smile before looking up from the register to welcome his new customer.

“Good mor-” Minseok can feel the words get stuck in his throat as he eyes the oh-so-familiar face that greets him.

“-ning…” He finishes with a soft murmur. The rich-colored brown curls that reached an inch or two past her shoulders, the pair of almond-shaped eyes that housed teal irises, and the slightly tanned complexion are all too familiar to him. He could feel the sudden quickening of his heart beat as he continues to stare at the figure in front of him.

'Who is she?'

“Umm, hi. I’d like a slice of your Red Velvet Cake and a cup of Americano, please.” The girl whispers while Minseok nods, unable to process anything coherent to say at the moment. He absent-mindedly types the order and accepts the money, his mind all the while drifting in the sea of clouds.

“Thanks,” The girl says before walking away from the counter to sit in the corner of the café. Minseok’s stare lingers on her for a couple of seconds too long before he finally snaps back to reality.

“Mina, come here for a second.” Minseok calls out as he motions one of the café’s waitresses to approach him.

“Yes, sir?” Mina approaches the leans towards the counter of the cash register with a smile.

“Who’s that?” Minseok asks, pointing at the same girl who made his stomach twist in a not-so-pleasurable way. Mina follows the direction where Minseok is pointing and smiles.

“Oh her. That’s Minji,” Mina answers, all the while eyeing her boss to know what was in his mind.

“She’s really pretty, right?” Mina adds, her gaze not dropping from Minseok’s face as she observes the expression on his face. Minseok ignores the obvious tease in Mina’s voice and avoids another tease by asking her another question.

“She’s a new customer?” Minseok asks, his eyes never leaving the girl called Minji who was currently reading a book.

“Oh no. She’s been here longer than I have. She’s a regular.” Mina replies while shaking her head. Mina has been working in the café for more than two years now, so that means that this Minji girl is already an old customer.

“A regular, huh.” Minseok’s mumbles but enough for the young waitress to hear.

“Yup! So, are you interested in her?”

Minseok whips his head towards the waitress, breaking his gaze on the girl in the other side of the room. His expression was that of bewilderment, obviously shocked, before it returned to his normal stoic face.

“What makes you say that?” Minseok raises a brow in curiosity.

“Well, this is the first time you’ve asked and took interest on someone, more particularly on a girl.” Mina states as she glances from Minji who was now sipping from her cup of coffee then back to Minseok whose eyes were glued to the girl again.

“I already have someone that I love.”

“Besides, she’s pretty and I heard she has a wonderful perso- wait, what?” Mina exclaims as she stares at her boss with wide eyes.

“I’m not interested in her.” Minseok shrugs as he tears his gaze away from Minji to focus more on his work.

“In my two years of slaving here,-”

“Hey, there’s no slavery he-” Minseok retorts, only to be shushed by Mina’s finger.

“In my two years here, I haven’t seen or heard about someone who’d look like your girlfriend.” She finishes her statement with a confused-curious-and-excited expression on her face, making Minseok lean away from her.

“Wait, how come I didn’t know something as juicy as this?!”

Minseok finally chuckles at Mina’s frustration. She has always been the one to be updated on everything concerning everybody in the café. She makes it her mission to interrogate new employees and customers alike just for the sake of knowing. Maybe it’s Mina’s nature that made her, along with the other café employees, one of the few mortals who Minseok has grown to like and be comfortable with to the point where he can tell her all his secrets.

Well, not all of his secrets.

“She’s my wife actually,” Minseok smiles as he vividly remembers the day he stood in front of the altar, while smiling at the woman who has stolen his heart as she walked down the long aisle of daisies and carnations. He remembers the vows, the sweet promises, the unbreakable oaths. Minseok remembers it all too clearly that it makes his head throb.

'Yeni.'

“Eeeeeh~ The situation is even worse than what I thought! How come I didn’t know this?! I cannot accept this!” Mina shrieks, snapping Minseok out of his little movie replay and garnering the attention of the customers. Minseok catches Minji staring at them and when his eyes caught hers, the latter quickly averted her gaze back to the book on her table.

“Boss! Are you listening to me?! Do you seriously have a wife?!”

“Um, yeah.” Minseok replies sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Wow, wow, wow! I knew someone as good looking as our boss is already taken!” Mina claps her hands in excitement before her smile suddenly disappears and is replaced with a look of defeat.

“And here I thought that maybe I could witness your love story unfold.” She says with a pout to which Minseok just smiled.

“Shut it, Mina!”

Minseok and Mina both turn to see Taeyoung standing by the barista counter wiping parfait glasses. Minseok almost let out a laugh upon seeing the irritation in the barista’s eyes as he glared at them.

“Stop bothering the boss and go mind your own thirst for romance.” Taeyoung states matter-of-factly and Mina sticks her tongue out, the entire exchange between the two making Minseok laugh.

“Well, I think your love story with Taeyoung would be exciting to watch.” Minseok teases the wide-eyed waitress.

“Eeew~ I don’t even like that idiot.” Mina denies with a pout while crossing her arms and shaking her head, but Minseok did not miss the cherry tint on the girl’s cheek.

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say~” Minseok grins at the beet red face of Mina before feeling a pair of eyes on him. Turning around, Minseok’s gaze met Minji’s the second time that day and just like earlier, the girl averted just as quick as they connected. Minseok’s brows furrow in confusion and curiosity as he continues to stare, not even listening to the endless rant of the waitress beside him, and the girl would continue to steal glances only to turn away when their eyes meet.

“Hey, Mina. Go assist the girl, Minji. It looks like she wants to make another order.” Minseok commands, making Mina stop rambling and look at the subject.

“Oh sure. Do you want me to give her something from you?” Mina teases.

“I’m married, remember?”

“Ugh, I forgot.” Mina groans before making her way through the crowd of chairs and tables.

~ξαναγραφεί~

Saturday passes by in a swift of the second hand with Minseok’s mind clouded by Minji’s appearance – eyes, ears, hair, nose, and voice – the same features that made captured his heart a long time ago. Minseok could feel the incoming onslaught of a headache when he started to remember her.

'Yeni.'

'Yeni.'

'Yeni.'

'Why does she look so much like Yeni?'

He clutches his head between his hands as he tries to block out the throbbing pain without stopping of picturing Yeni in his mind. The sudden creak of his office door makes him sit up straight and try to mask the raging pain in his head. Mina peeks in and announces her departure to which Minseok answers with a farewell of his own.

“Oh, and Sir,” Mina turns back to him and he looks at her.

“You should really be a permanent cashier. Today’s income was higher than usual. You really attract customers.” Mina winks before being pulled away from the door.

“We need to go, so stop harassing the boss.”

Minseok just smiles as his office door closes and all he can hear is the argument between Taeyoung who was pulling Mina out of the café. His gaze drops to one specific frame on his desk of a teenage girl and boy holding hands while playing with a balloon. Minseok sighs.

'Love really is something weird.'

~ξαναγραφεί~

Minseok closes the door of the café, the keys making a clicking sound as it works its magic inside the keyhole. After pocketing the keys and pulling on the handle to check the lock’s security, Minseok picks up his bag and starts to walk towards the bus stop.

It was already eleven in the evening and the people from the neighboring buildings and stores were locking up too. The streets were quiet what with vehicles rarely passing by and most of the population of Seoul already retiring to bed. Minseok glances at his watch before looking from left to right for any passing taxi or bus that can take him back to his home where he can relax and relieve the headache he’s been experiencing since that morning.

“Excuse me…”

Minseok turns to the owner of the voice, only to in his breath as he finds himself staring right at those familiar green orbs.