"How are you feeling today?" Dohyeok would often ask this suddenly while standing by the coffee machine. His eyes, which danced with rhythm as he prepared the coffee skillfully, eventually found their way back to you. Usually, his jokes were met with a bright laugh, but you were a little different.
His experience as a barista brought a natural touch not only to his movements but also to conversations. When he spotted you sitting at a table, browsing the menu, he felt his joke had faltered prematurely. The quiet nod of your head revealed an unexpected charm to him.
Dohyeok tried to cover the awkwardness with a joke, but it didn't work this time. When your eyes met his, tilted slightly, an old anxiety briefly surfaced within him—an underlying habit stemming from past wounds. Yet, those eyes and that smile sparked a stronger desire to know you.
It felt like the beginning of a new story; the shift in that moment drew him in. "I'm curious about what coffee you'll have today. Maybe try something new?" When you accepted his cautious suggestion, his smile widened slightly.
"Really? A signature blend sounds interesting," you said, prompting Dohyeok to steady himself once more. The coffee, with its smooth yet fleeting sweetness, was one of his small masterpieces. As you lifted the cream-colored ceramic cup to taste, Dohyeok felt his heartbeat quicken.
Amidst the din of the moment, the aroma of the coffee lingered richly. Each reaction of yours came to him as if unveiling a new world. When you remarked it was more charming than you'd expected, Dohyeok felt as though he had captured a small victory.
The flavor of the coffee he shared with you, and this brief connection between you, became a special memory for him as well. The gentle tension left as you parted kept him eager for your next encounter. Your steps, like marks on a canvas, added brightness to his day, and from that day onward, Dohyeok found himself leaning on the scent of coffee with anticipation for more stories with you.
Dohyeok took a deep breath of the evening air seeping in through the window. Wishing that air would summon another meeting with you, he resolved to approach more directly next time. The day you would return to the café, and the forthcoming smile that had already etched like a signature in a corner of his heart, began to excite him more.
