That blue-haired kid always came into my coffee shop at the same time every day and sat at the far table.  But he never ordered anything.  Why come to a coffee shop if you’re not going to drink something?  He sat and studied for a few hours and then left without a word.  What a mysterious high school student.  One day, I finally ventured to find out more.  

“Yo, B, I’m takin’ a five minute break.  Let me know if you need anything.”  I went around the counter and pretended to clean tables until I approached him, “Hey, kid, what are you working on?”

The boy’s shoulders stiffened as he hesitated to look up from his book.  After glancing at the neighboring tables, he finally spoke, “me?”

“Yeah, kid, you.  You’re in here every day but never order anything.  Why is that?”

“Ah, I just like it here, I guess…  Am I not allowed to study here?”

“Oh, no, I’m just saying that you’ve been here for hours and--”

The boy’s phone rang.

“Excuse me...”  He answered the phone, “Yeah… Okay… I’ll be right there…”

He hastily put his book into his bag and stood up, “I’m sorry.  I have to get going.”

What a strange boy….

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At closing, as I did my rounds wiping down all the tables, I noticed that the kid had left his pencil box on his usual table.

Ah, I’ll hang on to this.  He’ll be in tomorrow anyway...

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The next day, the kid did not show up at 4 o’clock. For the rest of the evening, I couldn’t focus on anything but the pencil case in my bag.

------------------------------------------------

A week goes by and the boy still has not returned.  I ask my coworkers to alert me if any blue-haired kids come in.

“What is going on with you?” Ji-eun asked as she poked my cheek, pulling me out of my haze.

“Huh?  Nothing.  Why?”

“You were totally just zoned out right now, and you’ve been like that this whole week.  You haven’t even spoken a full sentence to me today.”  She raised a questioning eyebrow.

Sitting up, I responded, “There just hasn’t been anything for us to talk about.”

“Lately, I feel as if you’re not even here anymore.  Like, do you even want to be with me?”  Her tone was calm and precise.

“I was the one that asked you out.  Remember?”

“At first, yes.  But what about now?  You’re totally indifferent these days.”  She sighed deeply, “I think we should break up.  If you still want to be with me, then get your feelings sorted out and call me.”  She grabbed her bag and walked out swiftly.

She wasn’t particularly quick to leave.  I could have said something or gone after her… but maybe she’s right.  When she said ‘break up’, I didn’t feel panic or sadness or... anything.  We had been dating long enough that I should have felt upset, but to my surprise, my mind was still focused on the pencil case in my bag.

It’s been a week...  That kid clearly isn’t coming back.  I’m going to find him and return his pencil case.

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I stopped by my older sister Natasha’s tattoo shop on my way from my work.

“Why are you worrying about this kid so much, little brother?”

“It’s not that I’m worried.  I’m just wondering why that kid stopped coming.”

“Do you like him?”

“He seems like a nice kid...”

“No, I mean, since he hasn’t been around, you can’t stop thinking about him, right?  ‘How is he doing?  Where is he hanging out if not my shop?’”

“Yeah... but isn’t that normal?”

“Psh, nah.  Most people would just let it go.  Oh, but hey, is he cute?”

“I guess he’s got nice features, y’know, for a kid…  But what does that have to do with anything?”

“Ah, nothing.  Just keep an open mind.  This kid sounds really… interesting.”

“Yeah, okay…”

-------------------------------------------------

On Friday, I asked around a few neighboring stores about where that kid goes to school until I got to the old lady from the dry cleaners.  When I described the uniform to her, she told me it was from the high school about ten minutes away.

Because he always arrived at the coffee shop a little after four o’clock, I figured that his school ended around the same time, so I waited under the shade of a small tree across the street from the main entrance.  

A bell rang and kids began exiting the building in large groups.  With my view becoming more and more obscured, I began to worry that I’d missed him, but finally.  That unmistakable blue hair.

“Yah!  Kid!”  I called to him since I didn’t know his name.  He turned out of the school and immediately headed in the other direction, so I had to jog a bit to catch up.

I reached out to grab him to get his attention.  When he turned and saw that it was me, he looked startled and pulled away and turned away and tried to keep walking. “Yah, kid!  Where are you going?”

As I reached out for his arm again, someone shoved my chest and stepped between us.  I looked down to see a small girl.  Was she here this whole time?

She was nearly half his size.  And even though he was tall, the top of her head barely reached my shoulders.  But despite her petite physique, the intensity in her glare scared me.  “Ajusshi, you better get to steppin’ because my friend is not to be messed with.”  She shoved me again with more force when I tried to step around her.  “I left that life behind me, but I can still beat you up if I have to.  And this friend right here is very dear to me, so I will do what I have to.”  What the--, is she some kind of gangster…?

“Ha Yi, please, stop,” he tugs on her arm.  “You’re embarrassing me,” he whispers a bit too loudly.  

She tried to shake him off her arm.  “Zelo-ah, this ajusshi was trying to mess with you.  I will not just let that go.”  so his name is Zelo?

“He’s not messing with me.  Leave him alone.  Let’s just go.”

“Wait, kid.  I just wanted to talk.”  He can’t just leave, I finally found him.

“How did you even find me?”

“Ah, I asked about your school uniform.  You always came to the coffee shop wearing the same outfit, so I figured you walked over right after school.”

“This is the barrista!” Ha Yi almost screams.  Her expression changes from fury to interest.

“Lee Ha Yi, I think it’s time for you to go home.  See you tomorrow!”  He grabs her by the shoulders and pushes her as she tries to stay.  They must be dating.  They seem very... close.

“Aaah~ but I wanna stay~”  Maybe they’re siblings?  But they don’t look alike.  They have to be dating.

“Let’s go somewhere else to talk,” I say loud enough for only him to hear.  He nods his head, grabs my wrist, and runs.  Maybe it’s his long legs, but it’s a bit of a struggle to keep up with his pace.  Fortunately, we lose the girl fairly quickly.  When he looks around and doesn’t see her anymore, he pulls me into a little kimbap shop.  “Ahjumma, two kimbap, please.”  He looks down at his hands as he plays with his fingers and timidly begins to speak. “You said you were looking for me... Why?”

“You left your pencil case at the cafe but never came back, so I figured I needed to return it.”

“Oh?  Oh.”  His expression fell.  “It’s fine; I got a new one.  But thank you.”

“Why did you stop coming into the cafe?”  I pressed.

“What?”  He lifts his head, clearly confused by my interest.

“You were in there every day for months, right at four, and stayed for hours... and then you suddenly stop coming, why?”

“You… noticed me?”  Of course, I noticed him…  Why does he seem surprised?

“Yeah, of course.”

“W-when you came to talk to me that time, I thought you had just noticed and didn’t want me loitering around anymore.  That’s why, when I realized that I had left my pencil case there, I was too embarrassed to go back and check, so I just bought a new one.”

“That’s ridiculous, why would I not want you to come anymore?”

“I mean, I never bought anything, and I thought you were creeped out by me staring at you all the time.”

“Staring?  At me?  Why?”  But he has a girlfriend, right?

“Because I...  like you.”  His pale face immediately turns pink.  No way.

“But you don’t even know me… and you have a girlfriend...”  He furrows his eyebrows in confusion, so I continue, “You know, the tiny thug..?”

"Who, Ha Yi?  Pfft, she’s not my girlfriend.  No way!  We grew up together.  She’s like a sister to me.  I could never think of her like that."

"Heh, so what... you want to go out with me?"  What am I saying?  Date a kid?  And a guy?  I try to laugh it off so that he knows I'm not serious.

"Oh, my God.  Yes!  Would you really?  Are you sure?  With me?  That would be awesome!"  He's talking so fast.  It  sounds like he's trying to rap.

"I..."  Shit, I brought it up.  I can't just turn him down.  What do I do?  My sister did say I might like him.  We could end up being friends.  But not if he hates me first.  Why not?  A date is just like hanging out.  That would be fine, I guess.  "Yeah, sure.”

"Hyung, really, this is great!  Is it okay if I call you hyung?"

"My name is Yongguk.  But yeah, hyung is fine"

"Yongguk hyung, I'll plan everything.  We can meet here--how about tomorrow?  Too soon?  Then, this weekend!  I should give you my number."  There he goes again with the rapping.  "I already made plans today and should probably apologize to Ha Yi for running off, but she'll be excited to hear about our date.  Oh, I have to go meet people from my class, but don't forget; we have a date."  Cute.

I hadn't noticed I was smiling at him until his arms wrapped around me in a tight hug.  The gesture shocked me.   He must be really excited.  It's like a puppy that is so happy to see you.

"Bye, Yongguk hyung!  See you this weekend.  Don't forget to call me!"  The drumming in my ears almost muffles his words.  I wave instinctively as he runs off and realize that the strange noise is my heart nearly pounding out of my chest.

What is this?  Am I... excited for my date with Zelo?  I realize I'm smiling again when I see the napkin on the table with a number scribbled on it with a well-placed heart, 'Zelo ♡'.