Time seemed to crawl at a slow pace, every minute dragging its feet as you anxiously awaited the end of the school day. The minutes felt like hours as you counted the seconds until your final period ended.
With an intense stare fixed on the clock, you watched the hands move agonizingly slowly, inching closer to the coveted after-school hour. As the last bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, you wasted no time darting out of the room. Dodging through the bustling crowd of students, you were determined to be the first out, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the school halls.
You longed for the solitude of your workplace, where you could immerse yourself in tasks far removed from the noise and distractions of life.
Speeding along the corridor, you made a beeline for the exit, your mind already on your part-time job awaiting him beyond the school gates. However, your hurried pace came to an abrupt halt as something unexpected caught your eye—an open classroom door, offering an enticing glimpse.
Inside, your gaze fell upon an unmistakably charming figure, none other than Danielle Marsh.
You were captivated by her presence, your gaze drawn to the intricate details that adorned her face like a masterpiece. Each delicate mole, the gentle curve of her lips, and the sparkle in her eyes rendered you momentarily speechless.
As you stood there, grappling with her presence's unfamiliar warmth, conflicting emotions surged within you. The vulnerability creeping in felt like a breach in the composed exterior you usually wore, a crack that threatened to unravel the carefully constructed walls around your heart. You were torn between the desire to embrace Danielle's presence and the instinct to retreat into the safety of your solitude.
You believed happiness was temporary, slipping through your fingers the moment you dared to grasp it too tightly. While you didn't necessarily associate Danielle with this sentiment, you couldn't shake the fear of losing something that could bring light into your life. The thought of risking that fragile sense of contentment was enough to keep your heart barricaded, unwilling to take the chance on something that might ultimately slip away.
You unconsciously stood there, staring at her as the thoughts lingered in your mind, when she suddenly turned around.
You froze in your spot as you saw her stare back at you with a small smile.
"Hi!" she mouthed, waving her hand at you. You would be lying to yourself if you didn't find her pretty. You hesitantly raised your hand to return the gesture, but as you noticed one of her friends approaching, you swiftly withdrew your arm. With a self-conscious scoff, you lightly tapped your forehead with your palm, acknowledging the awkwardness, before making a quick exit.
Y/N's stare wasn't exactly subtle; you could feel his eyes lingering on you without even needing to turn in his direction. Yet, you held off, not quite ready to meet his gaze just yet.
Pretending to inspect the poster on the wall, you ran your fingers along its edges, the action more for show than anything else. It was endearing that he was checking on you instead of simply darting off as he had done the day before.
The gesture caused a flutter in your chest, a warmth that spread despite your best efforts to keep it at bay.
As you finally turned to acknowledge him, you caught him in the act of freezing, his expression similar to that of a deer caught in headlights. It was undeniably cute.
With a small wave, you hoped to break the tension, silently urging him to reciprocate. He did, albeit hesitantly, but it didn't last too long as he caught sight of Haerin approaching you with something to show. Without a word, he abruptly turned and left, making you pout your lips at the short interaction.
"Unnie, look at this froggie plushie I found by the..." She paused mid-sentence, seeing you in a daze, and waved her hand in front of your face.
"Earth to unnie, are you okay?" she switched between looking at you and looking at the ajar door of the classroom.
"Are you looking at something I can't?" she gasped. "Maybe a ghost?"
"What? No, there's no ghost, Haerin-ie" you assured her, petting her hair. "I just saw Y/N a moment ago, that's all."
"Ah, so that guy's got you all in a daze, huh?" Haerin mused, oblivious to the blush creeping up your cheeks at her comment.
"Come on, let's wrap this up so we can meet with the others," you chuckled, trying to steer Haerin away from the topic.
Thankfully, she went along with it, dropping the whole Y/N thing. But, damn, just thinking about him still made you blush.
You couldn't shake the memory of him dodging your question last night about why he was out so late. I mean, if he wasn't into wandering around, shouldn't he have been home earlier? Shaking your head, you figured you were probably overanalyzing things. You decided to shrug it off and go back to tidying up the club room.
Yesterday, Hyein had found a local coffee shop that swarmed with students and adults alike during this hour and insisted that all of you try going there after school, so that's exactly what you're going to do today.
"There it is!" the maknae pointed at a certain shop. Though it wasn't spacious, it gave off a relaxing atmosphere. "Let's go inside."
As you and the others followed Hyein's lead, you entered the coffee shop, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloped you. You scanned the crowd, searching for an empty table, when suddenly your eyes landed on a familiar figure behind the counter.
It was Y/N, wearing an apron, and busy taking orders with a focused expression on his face. It seemed like Y/N had a part-time job here, a fact you hadn't known until now.
'So that's why he leaves so early,' you thought as the group made their way to an available table. Taking a seat, you immediately volunteered to handle the order at the counter. The reason behind your sudden eagerness was crystal clear, requiring no explanation.
"Oh, thanks! That's so sweet of you, Dani," Minji beamed, passing their contributions your way as you made your way to the line.
As you Y/N accommodated customer after customer, you found yourself getting closer to him and couldn't contain the smile tugging at your lips. After the person in front of you finally got their order, it was your turn.
"Hello, welcome to Moon Money Cafe, may I take your ord—" Y/N paused, mouth agape at the sight of you. He quickly closed his mouth and cleared his throat, doing his best to be professional.
You giggled before reciting your order to him. "Yes, I'll take five orders of your best seller, please?"
"S-sure," he cutely stammered. "F-five Cookie Cream Cheese. That'll be 4,058 won."
You handed him the money as he swiftly punched in the order on the register, his movements were practiced and efficient. Making your way back to your table, you found your friends engrossed in conversation, but your attention remained fixated on Y/N.
The determination in his eyes was palpable, evident in the way he effortlessly prepared your drinks despite being the sole worker during this busy hour. You couldn't help but admire his dedication and hard work, a silent acknowledgment of the effort he put in behind the counter.
"Yo, bro, who's got you smiling like that?" Hanni's mischievous tone distracted you, making you slightly jump from your seat.
"I don't know what you're talking about," you denied, but your lips told them otherwise. The members began teasing you, not even bothering to know the reason why you were smiling.
Soon enough, Y/N served your drinks, setting them down gently at the table. "Here's your order: five Cookie Cream Cheese Milkteas. If you need anything, I'll be right behind the counter."
He sounded so professional yet welcoming, a huge contrast to his chilly tone when he spoke at school. You kind of liked to hear more of it.
"Thank you so much." You thanked him as he gave you a simple nod and went back to accommodate the customers.
As you sipped on your drink, a sense of contentment washed over you, not just from the beverage but from the simple pleasure of sharing this moment with your friends and the unexpected connection you felt with Y/N.
"Y/N, you're... intriguing."
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