이기섭

“Thank you,” Kiseop said with a smile as he took the bag she handed to him, feeling touched at her concern. Their hands brushed slightly, sending a spark through him. He cleared his throat. “Yes, definitely. We probably get out of the way of all the pedestrians. It was really nice meeting you too, Tiffany,” he echoed, wondering if they would ever run into each other again. It had been a while since he’d felt an attraction to anyone, and the feeling left him slightly unsettled and perplexed. He wondered if it was all one-sided, then chided himself. He wasn’t someone who believed in love at first sight or anything romantic like that. The entertainment business had long robbed him of most of the naivete he’d possessed when younger. 

“Certainly!” Jaiden picked up a flat piece of cardboard, uncovered fingertips folding along the lines perfectly to form a cute box with a clear plastic top to see the cakes through. He set up four boxes and picked up the tongs, leaning down and peeking through the shelves to find the cakes. When he found them, he gently grabbed one with the tongs and eased it out, the other hand holding an empty box to slide it over easily. He repeated this with the strawberry cakes and the sponge cake, the boxes sitting in a line on the counter.

Kiseop’s attention wandered slightly around the room as Jaiden selected and wrapped the cakes. He noticed that one girl in particular was staring at him with a strange expression on her face; she didn’t look away even when he caught her staring. He smiled, thinking she might be one of the U-Kiss fans that sometimes recognized them on the street but her expression only darkened and she looked away, the dark curtain of her hair falling to conceal her face. Maybe she mistook me for someone else, he thought. 

“No, no, you’re not acting weird at all,” he said quickly, regretting asking the question at all. “If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I didn’t mean to pry,” he said apologetically, shifting the bag from one hand to the other and flicking his hair to the side, feeling slightly embarrassed. “And.. it’s really a pleasure to meet you too Tiffany,” he said with a smile, meeting her gaze again. 

It was a warm day outside, warm enough for Jaiden to keep the air conditioning on until later in the evening. The constant jingling of bells signaled that the night rush was starting, couples and groups were coming in for their after dinner dessert before they head out to party or watch a movie. He had made sure to have the maximum number of workers around for these hours leading up to midnight. Since the popularity of the cafe had been booming, it wasn't unusual to have models and idols dine there, their fans trailing behind them like ants drawn to a sugar cube. 

The inside of the cafe was bright and welcoming, alive with the sounds of people laughing and the clinks of forks against plates, and the delicious scents of cakes and other sweets. As Kiseop walked up the aisle to the counter, he glanced at the different varieties of sweets behind the glass display and smiled as the worker greeted him, feeling mild surprise as he noted how young the man was, and already the owner of a successful cafe in the midst of the city. The young man was probably younger than he was himself, and quite good looking too, an opinion apparently shared with many of the girls nearby, judging by their glances and whispered giggles. But then again, it could have been a sugar rush. Sometimes it was difficult to tell, honestly.

// leekiseopxanon //

“Hmm, I suppose you can really help me.” She looked up at him and chuckled a bit, nodding her head afterwards. She tilted her head when she noticed him frown, her eyebrows slightly furrowing before straightening her head again, looking at the direction that he’s pointing. She went that far? She thought she was only passing through the same stores but it seems like she went overboard with her own clouds. Lesson learned, never ever get lost in your own trance. Be lucky if someone’s willing to help you. 

“No, I really don’t mind at all,” he protested, waving his hands and shaking his head as she turned away, biting her lip. He hoped he hadn’t hurt her feelings. Even though he grew up with a mom and older sister, members of the other sex could be so confusing sometimes. 

“Hey, It’s really no problem at all,” Kiseop said with a reassuring smile. “It happens to the best of us. It’s just lucky you ran into someone helpful like me,” he said in a slightly teasing tone. “So, a small cafe with kitten paws you say?” Kiseop repeated with a thoughtful frown, looking around. Immediately, the image of the bright and cheerful looking cafe he’d seen this morning popped into his head. He only remembered it because he’d parked right across the street from it and immediately knew that if he had invited his sister along with him that morning, she would have dragged him right inside with her.