I walked back behind the counter and started working on Leo's drink, assuming he wanted his usual order. I could see my coworker look between the two of us after taking his money. We weren't going to get out of this without her saying something. Even though she really had nothing to be jealous of, I knew that's what this was going to be about. I took a deep breath before she rested on the counter next to me. 

"Alright you two, what's going on? I think I have a right to know. " She folded her arms across her chest and stared down Leo.

"What are you talking about?" I asked nudging her so she'd focus her attention on me. Leo probably already felt uncomfortable. She didn't have to go and make it worse. 

"You've been acting weird all day..all week actually." I turned around to put a lid on Leo's drink. "Why are you so curious about VIXX all of a sudden? " Leo hesitated to grab his drink from me and looked me in the eyes. I shook my head and turned to face my coworker again. " Who texted you? Why did you run out like that?"

I sighed before looking over my shoulder at Leo.  "You can go sit down Leo. She's asking about me, not you."

"He can stay. Looks like he'd like some answers too." My coworker seemed agitated.  Her brows were furrowed, nostrils flared. To be honest, she made me kind of nervous. 

"Hakyeon-ssi texted me." I admitted to her with a sigh. "I ran into Leo-ssi and him at the market the other day  and we exchanged numbers to keep track of Leo - to know when he was here or not. That's what the text was about."

I felt a nudge and I turned to look at Leo, who nudged me again in the same spot. I gave him a confused look and and he looked past me at my coworker. Did he want to say something?  What was he going to say?

"I think there is nothing serious enough going on here that you should be this worked up over." Leo said softly. "Sookjoo-ssi was just being a good friend. Hyung trusts her. I trust her too. She's a good person so I don't see why this is all in issue." 

Leo trusts me? We're all friends?  Not what I was expecting to hear, that's for sure,  but I couldn't hide my smile. He considered me to be a friend. That would fully explain why he offered me advice and stood up for me when Minjoon broke up with me. Uh oh. Here came that feeling again. No, Kwang Sookjoo. Friends. Leo said friends. You don't need anything more than friends anyways.  Cool it, Sookjoo.

My coworker scoffed. "Sookjoo can't be friends with guys.  Look at her last boyfriend. If you think she can, you better be careful,  oppa. She'll be after you or one of you members next." She reached behind her back and I saw her apron start to fall.

I started feeling sick to my stomach and I could feel all the color leave my face.  "What are you doing? "

It's not like I wouldn't be able to manage the café by myself if she took off for the night, however I was sensing this was a more serious decision. 

"I'm quitting. What does it look like I'm doing?" She placed her apron under the counter where we kept them and grabbed her things. "I'll call the manager in the morning."

And with that she was out the door, leaving Leo and I in the silence of her exit. Leo stared at me, waiting for me to give more of a reaction, while I stared at the counter where my now 'ex' coworker's apron sat.

Am I not capable of keeping people in my life? Why do they all have to make a scene when they leave? Am I a bad person? 

"Sookjoo-ssi!" 

I focused my attention back to Leo. He was waving his hand at me in an attempt to bring me back to the present. I smiled at him and glanced back down at my hands. 

"I'm sorry, Leo-ssi. I'm here."

"Maybe you should close up early." From the sounds of his voice, that wasn't a suggestion.

Glancing at the clock, I shook my head. "There are only a few hours left anyways. I'll be fine."

I turned my back to Leo and looked around the café. The few customers that had witnessed yet another scene in this place must have left when I zoned out. I could close early with just Leo and I here,  however I just needed to keep myself occupied. I'd rather be here than at my lonesome apartment. 

I started to clean up the back counter. It's not like in would serve any other customer aside from Leo at this hour anyways. I hadn't realized how worked up I was until I noticed that my hands were shaking. And I found that our the hard way because I has spilt the remains of the hot water I was using to rinse out one of our coffee pots. I dropped the pot and grasped my hands together, wincing at the pain.

I could hear Leo let out a sigh and next thing I knew he had my hands in one of his while he the cold water. He unfolded my hands and gently guided my hands under the water. I looked up at him and watch his facial expression change. 

It started off as an irritated scowl. His brow furrowed. His jaw set. After a while of running my hands under the cold water, his expression softened to a more sympathetic look.

"I'm fine. Thank you." I told him.

He released my hands and turned off the water. I went to wipe my hands on my apron but Leo quickly grasped my hands in a towel he had found. He made sure to carefully dry each of my hands, handling them as if the slightest amount of pressure would break them. When he deemed them dry enough, he took a step back.

"What do you normally drink? " He asked.

"What?"

Leo rolled his eyes and pointed to the pot. "I'm going to make you a drink. You're going to have a seat and drink it while I closer up here."

"Leo-ssi that's not -"

"- Sookjoo."

His voice was stern. I knew he wasn't going to take any backlash from me. I had to give in. I had no fight left in me anyways.

"A mocha."

I was surprised to see that Leo knew what he was doing as he skillfully prepared my drink. It shouldn't have,  seeing as he is not a stranger to cafés. He's a regular,  Sookjoo. Of course he knows how to brew it. 

After he had set my drink in front of me, he set to work washing all the utensils he had just dirtied. I took this opprotunity to text N again about Leo's whereabouts and what he was up to. I got an immediate response saying Leo had two hours until he was expected back. 

Leo dried of his hands and held his hand out to me. I looked at him questioningly, before figuring out he needed my apron. I quickly stood up and took it off. As Leo folded it up and placed it in it's rightful spot, he handed me my bag. 

"N-ssi said you have two hours before curfew." I told him,  feeling the need to say something to replace the silence. 

Leo scoffed and headed for the door. 

Once outside and the door was locked,  we stood facing each other. From the looks of it, Leo was trying to word something in his head so I waited patiently. Finally the lightbulb went off and he was ready to speak his mind. 

"Why do you let yourself grow so overwhelmed so easily? That's not healthy, Sookjoo." I looked away as he continued. "Everytime things haven't give your way,  you shut down. You'll never be happy if you keep doing that."

"I-I can't help it."

"Can you do me a favor?" I forced myself to look back up at Leo. "Next time something doesn't go right,  call me. I'll walk you through it."

"Leo, that's too kind of you. Why are you doing all this for me?"

"I see the potential in you. It'd be a shame to let you waste it." Leo pat the top of my head. "You're a kind person, Sookjoo. You can get the life you want. It just seems you need a little help to get on your feet. "