Crescent - Choi Soobin [ TXT ]

Chapter 1

⠀ ∧,,,∧ ⠀⠀ ⠀⠀( ̳• · • ̳) ⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀/ ♡　　　 　　　 　　　⩇⩇:⩇⩇

The cafe bell chimes as a group of university students walk in giggling and chatting. The rich smell of butter welcoming them, the aroma of roasted coffee beans infused with the freshly baked breads. Smaller, intimate wooden tables are scattered throughout the cafe, each adorned with fresh wildflower bouquets and handcrafted wooden candle holders.

"Welcome!" The part timer greets, a smile plastering on his face as his eyes crease into the shape of a crescent moon. "What would you like to...order?" His voice alters finding a familiar face among three girls.

He delicately studies her features, mesmerised by the polished chestnut hue of her eyes. She adorns a rose tinted glow on her lip, and her cheeks flushed in a neutral tone of cranberries, courtesy to the cool autumn air. Her lustrous dark hair, tied loosely into a messy bun with a pencil. He scans down her attire, a crop top closely clinging to her body, combined with a brown blazer and white cargo pants which effortlessly blended with the autumn ambience.

"Soobin?" she asks, quite surprised to see him, "Oh. Have you started working here?"

Gulping he sheepishly nods at her- forgetting that he still has to take their orders . The other two girls behind Yewon quietly exchange whispers of his pretty looks and height. Soobin zones out staring at her eyes before she clears her throat, snapping him out of his daydream.

"We will order one maple latte, two apple ciders, two pumpkin muffins and a cinnamon roll," Yewon lists down the things as his hands move swiftly over the screen in front taking a note of their orders. A receipt soon rolls out as he hands it over to her, "please have a seat, the order will come out soon," and quickly disappears to the back of the kitchen.

"Do you know him?" Yunjin asks walking up to an empty table and sinking down the wooden chair and instinctively letting out a moan, "whoa the cushion is so comfy,"

"He is my brother's friend," Yewon explains, taking the seat next to her and facing the cash counter. Her eyes scan Soobin's figure moving busily with another barista as they prepare the drinks. "We met quite a few times,"

"Isn't your brother younger than you? He clearly looks our age," Iseul frowns, turning back to look at him.

"Beomgyu's senior friends. You know he goes around socialising,"

The conversation then turns around to the girls discussing their first projects for the coming semester and what theme they may be assigned. It soon escalated to them making silly jokes and Soobin finding himself staring at her, again zoning out before she catches him staring and making him turn around and quickly pretend to be calculating something. There was this unknown tension within him, his heart stuffy and the knots in his stomach were tightening.

"Soobin, order number six is ready," the cafe manager calls from the back as she slides the tray of snacks down to him, "remember to smile at them,"

Professionally picking up the tray, he walks towards their table. He places the cinnamon roll and apple cider in front of Yewon and the rest two to the others. The girls try to hide their smiles as they notice how he didn't give her the apple cider and pumpkin muffin. He looks at them and flashes his dimple, his eyes folding into the shape of a crescent moon, "On the house since Yewon is my friend," he remarks.

The girls hum in cohesion playfully smiling at Yewon. "Thankyou..." Yunjin takes a moment to read the name of his tag, "Soobin! We will come by often. We will take good care of your friend too,"

Yewon raises her eyebrows and kicks Yunjin under the table. She gains her composure back and turns to him with a smile, "You didn't have to bother about that but thank you for the treat. Soobin, also come by our house often,"