✔️ playing cupid | kangdaniel

023

seongwoo lifted his head up from his phone, only to see lesley with a frightful and apprehensive expression. without waiting any further, he jogged up to the café across the street towards her.

"caught you," he grabbed lesley by her wrist and spun her around before she enters the café again.

"s-seongwoo, what are you doing?"

"we need to talk."

"let me go, i have to work!"

"why are you lying to me?"

"why are you so concerned?"

"look, i just—"

"lesley, get back to work," the café's manager popped his head out by the glass door.

seongwoo finally let go of her as she took a few steps back from him. he looked extremely hurt by her words.

"i'll talk to you after my shift ends," she whispered, guilty with the words that she blurted out unintentionally.

"i'll wait," seongwoo nods as he followed her into the café, taking a seat by the window with a cup of coffee sitting in front of him.

seongwoo was definitely bored to death seated there. but he took a few glances at lesley every time he looked up from his phone.

she was greeting customers friendly, taking orders meticulously, cleaning up tables quickly, as if her whole life would end if she stopped and took a break.

he admired her, she pretends to be fine and strong on the outside when she's just someone who needs to be protected. maybe it's because she has a younger brother she really loves.

his lips curved into a smile as she made eye contact with him from across the room. she blinked several times before getting back to taking another customer's order.

he chuckled as he turned his gaze back to his phone.

📨 you've received a message from seongwoo
yah, your...
open | close

seongwoo
online

seongwoo
yah, your shift ended an hour ago
stop working and just come sit here

from afar, he laughed as he saw her shoot him a dirty glare and roll her eyes. she took off her apron and hung it by a door before taking her bag.

"is the coffee okay?" she asks as she walked over to him, sitting down in front of him.

"tastes real good since a pretty waitress took my order."

"you're such a flirt."

"i know, " he cocked his head to the side as he sent her a smirk. "lesley..." he then calls softy, " why are you lying to me?"

the girl who was initially chuckling, quietened down as she averted his gaze, "seongwoo, why do you care so much about me?"

"we're friends," he simply replies, "friends help each, don't they? i want to help you, let me."

"you're the first you know?"

"first to? "

"i never had a friend who would genuinely sacrifice so much of their time and breath for me like that," she laughs. but seongwoo could tell it was a forced laugh, as if she was pitying herself. all he could was stare into her pain-stricken eyes that kept its gaze on the floor.

"i was popular because i was always the class president. people used me. to get benefits from me. from study tips from the teachers to tuition, it was horrible. i hate it. whenever i needed someone, i had no one, it didn't matter what and when, i would never get anyone despite the many i've helped."

seongwoo stared at her, expressionless, his heart felt heavy for her.

"but you're the first, thank you for being here for me, " she finally smiles, " it means a lot to me."

seongwoo reaches out for her hand and gave it a light squeeze, it was slightly cold and a lot smaller in comparison to his. they were calloused, probably from doing the dishes.

"no problem. you must be tired by now. let's get you home, shall we?"

she nods as she stood up, walking by his side down the street, on the familiar way back to her apartment building.

seongwoo took a few glances at her every now and then, his heart get lighter after he got her to talk about her inner feelings. there were things she was still hiding, he knew, but he was sure he would be able to help her get over them with time.