"Huh? Park Dae Woo? What are you doing here?" Sayu asked, blinking at the sight of him.
"This is a coffee shop, right?" he replied with a sly grin. "Can't I be here?"
"Oh— That's not what I meant," she said quickly, chuckling awkwardly. "I just didn't expect to see you."
"Well, speaking of unexpected things…" His eyes casually dropped to her uniform. "So... you work here now?"
Sayu glanced down at her apron and nodded. "Yeah, I just started today."
He raised a brow with a teasing hum. "Then I guess I'll be seeing you more often."
"I guess so," she said, flustered, before stepping into work mode. "So, can I take your order?"
Park Dae Woo glanced up at the menu, hand on his chin, as if seriously contemplating the fate of the world.
"Hmm… I'll take one Iced Americano and one Latte."
"Alright, one Iced Americano and one Latte," Sayu echoed, punching the order into the register.
Moments later, the drinks were ready. She handed him both cups. But then, just as she turned to go—He slid one of them back toward her.
"Huh? What's—?"
"It's for you. You like lattes, right? That's what you ordered last time," he said casually.
Sayu blinked, caught off guard. "Yeah, but… why are you—?"
"Consider it a congrats gift," he said with a small sip of his own drink, already halfway to the door. "For your new job."
Sayu gave a small bow, voice soft. "Thank you…"
He gave a final wave before stepping out, the bell above the door chiming lightly behind him.
She looked at the latte in her hand—warm and unexpected—when a voice startled her from behind.
"So… who is he?"
Sayu flinched and spun around, finding Violet grinning ear-to-ear, with Kira standing beside her, arms crossed.
"Your boyfriend~?" Violet teased, elbowing her playfully.
Sayu flushed, waving her hands. "No no, he's just a senior from my uni!"
"A gentleman, huh? How lucky," Violet mused, throwing a side-eye toward Kira. "Unlike someone."
Kira didn't even turn. "Are you going back to work, or should I call the manager?"
"See what I mean?" Violet sighed dramatically. "Ehem—Ms. Hans!"
"Okay, okay! I'm going!" Violet laughed, scurrying away.
Sayu watched them bicker as they walked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
She looked down at the latte again and tightened her apron.
"Alright," she whispered to herself. "Let's do a good job today."
* * * * *
It was an ordinary morning on campus. The sky was clear, students chatted on their way to class, and everything seemed as usual.
Everything... except for one person.
Sayu walked with her eyes dull and black-rimmed, her skin pale like her color had been drained. Despite the sunshine, she carried a stormy mood.
Rin, walking beside her, glanced over with concern. "What's wrong, Sayu? Are you feeling unwell?"
'What kind of coffee shop stays open until 11 p.m.? And those two... they didn't even look tired after that,' Sayu thought bitterly, recalling Violet and Kira.
It had been a few days since she started her part-time job, and the weight of it was sinking in. Balancing classes until afternoon, work until late, and then studying—it was tougher than she'd imagined. Without control, she'd burn out.
"This won't do! You have to skip today's class," Rin declared.
"Nah, don't worry. I'm just a little tired from staying up late."
"Even so, I can't have you like this. If it's about the money, maybe I could pitch in—"
Sayu quickly cut her off. "Thanks, Rin. But I can deal with it." She smiled weakly.
The last thing she wanted was to become a burden to her friend.
Rin looked at her, eyes glistening a bit. She gently clung to Sayu's arm as they walked.
"Ah, seriously. You need to learn how to accept help, Sayu~" she pouted. "Okay, then Lunch is on me today."
"Oh really? Thank you, my generous friend."
"Of course! What would you do without me?" Rin grinned proudly.
As they laughed and walked side by side, a commotion ahead caught their attention. A group of students had gathered. In the center, a girl was yelling at a boy while another girl stood behind her like backup.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, huh? You pervert!" The girl shoved the boy roughly. No one interfered. It seemed like everyone was scared of her, as if not to get on her bad side.
Sayu stood watching, hesitant.
Rin leaned in and whispered, "That's Dianne Lee. Hottest freshman in the law department."
"What about the boy?" Sayu asked.
Rin squinted. "Never seen him before—and I know everyone."
She nudged Sayu's arm. "Anyway, let's go. We don't wanna get on her bad side."
'Yeah… don't get into others' business, Sayu. Remember your peaceful life.' Sayu turned to leave.
But then she saw it—Dianne slapped the boy hard, enough to knock him to the ground.
Sayu froze. In that moment, her mind flooded with memories—Hans... the slap... the sting on her cheek, the humiliation, the silence afterward.
Before she realized it, her feet were moving.
She stepped into the circle of students and grabbed Dianne's arm mid-swing, stopping her from hitting the boy again.
"Hey!" Sayu's voice rang out. "That's enough."
Dianne turned with a scowl, looking her up and down. "Mind your business. Who the hell are you?"
Ignoring the question, Sayu said. "Don't they teach you in the law department that hitting someone is a serious offense?"
Rin stood frozen, wide-eyed. She'd never seen Sayu like this.
Dianne looked ready to argue, but her friend pulled her back. "Hey, people are watching," she muttered.
The crowd whispered. Dianne clicked her tongue, flipped her hair, and stormed off with her friend.
The boy stood still, head lowered, hand over his cheek.
"Are you okay?" Sayu asked softly.
He didn't reply. Just bowed deeply—then walked off without a word.
"Poor guy," Rin muttered.
Sayu kept watching him, a little uneasy.
"Come on," Rin said, tugging her arm. "We're gonna be late."
* * *
From Afar...
Behind a tree, hidden from view, the boy stood still.
He watched Sayu walk away.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. His hands holding where she'd held him.
"So kind… sh-she…" he stammered. "N-noticed and he-helped me."