---
Seojun's fingers twitched against the counter.
Haneul didn't move from the doorway. She just stood there, her violet eyes slowly scanning the café. No surprise, no curiosity—just an unreadable gaze that made his stomach tighten.
A breeze from outside stirred her short black hair.
She wasn't supposed to be here.
No one was supposed to be here.
Yet, she had found it.
And she wasn't leaving.
Seojun swallowed, forcing his expression back into something neutral. He was good at that—acting like things didn't bother him.
Still, his voice came out a little rougher than usual.
"...Are you lost?"
Haneul's gaze flickered to his. Their eyes met.
Then, slowly, she stepped inside.
She didn't answer his question.
Instead, she walked past the empty tables, her school shoes making soft sounds against the wooden floor. Her presence felt out of place—too quiet, too deliberate.
She stopped near the counter, a few feet away from him. Close enough that Seojun could see the faint reflection of the café lights in her glasses.
His unease grew.
"Did… someone tell you about this place?" he asked, trying to keep his tone light.
Haneul tilted her head slightly.
"No."
A short, simple answer. Nothing more.
Seojun exhaled through his nose. This was weird. Suspicious. But he couldn't exactly kick her out—not when she hadn't done anything wrong.
Still, he needed to figure out why she was here.
"Well… welcome to Midnight Brew, I guess." He gestured vaguely at the café. "It's a small place. Not on any maps. So if you found it by accident—"
"I didn't," she interrupted.
Seojun blinked.
Haneul adjusted her glasses, her fingers briefly brushing against the frame.
"I saw you."
His heartbeat stuttered. "Saw me?"
Haneul's expression didn't change. "At school. I've seen you before."
Something about the way she said it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
It wasn't unusual for people to recognize him—he was friendly with most of the school. But the way Haneul phrased it…
She had been watching him.
For how long?
Seojun crossed his arms, trying to appear relaxed. "So you just… followed me?"
She didn't deny it.
Seojun let out a short, humorless laugh. "Wow. That's—kind of creepy, don't you think?"
Haneul didn't flinch.
She didn't look embarrassed or offended. If anything, she seemed… indifferent. As if being called creepy didn't matter to her in the slightest.
Seojun shifted his weight, fingers tapping lightly against the countertop. This was weird. Too weird.
He considered pressing her further, but something in her violet eyes made him hesitate.
Instead, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Alright," he muttered. "You found the café. Now what?"
Haneul glanced around again. "Do you take customers?"
He blinked.
That wasn't what he expected her to say.
"Well… yeah," he said slowly. "But you're the first person from school to find this place."
Haneul didn't react to that either.
She pulled out a few crumpled bills from her pocket and placed them on the counter. "I'll have whatever you recommend."
Seojun stared at the money, then back at her.
She was serious.
Somehow, that made him more suspicious.
"What if I refuse?" he asked.
Haneul tilted her head slightly, as if the thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Then she said, "You won't."
Seojun let out a short, incredulous laugh. "And why's that?"
Her fingers curled slightly against the counter.
"Because you need customers."
This time, he was the one who didn't flinch.
She wasn't wrong.
And somehow, she knew that.
Seojun exhaled sharply, grabbing the money before he could overthink it.
"Fine," he said, turning toward the espresso machine. "But don't complain if you don't like what I make."
Behind him, he heard the faint scrape of a chair being pulled out.
Haneul was making herself comfortable.
Like she was planning to stay.
And for some reason, Seojun had the unsettling feeling that his life had just gotten a lot more complicated.
---
The familiar rhythm of brewing coffee steadied Seojun's thoughts. Grinding the beans, boiling the water, watching the dark liquid drip steadily into the mug—it was a process he had done a hundred times, yet tonight, with Haneul's presence lingering in the air, it felt different.
He sneaked a glance at her.
She hadn't moved from her spot.
Most people, when entering a café, would take a seat, maybe glance at the menu, or at least look around. But Haneul just stood there, hands resting lightly against the counter, her violet eyes fixed on him—not wandering, not fidgeting.
Just watching.
Seojun clicked his tongue. "You know, normal people at least pretend not to stare."
Haneul tilted her head slightly. "Why?"
"…Because it's weird?"
She didn't respond to that.
Seojun sighed, pouring the coffee into a simple ceramic mug. No sugar, no milk—he had a feeling she wasn't the type to request extra sweetness.
He placed the mug in front of her. "Here."
Haneul regarded the cup for a moment. Then, without hesitation, she picked it up and took a sip.
Seojun leaned forward slightly, watching for a reaction.
A grimace. A satisfied nod. Anything.
But she simply swallowed and set the cup down.
"Not bad."
Seojun scoffed. "Gee, thanks for the high praise."
Still, a small part of him was surprised. Most people reacted to his coffee—his customers often sighed in relief, their bodies loosening as if the warmth seeped straight into their bones. Some even confessed their problems without realizing it.
But Haneul…
Nothing.
Her expression remained perfectly neutral, her body language unreadable.
Seojun folded his arms, studying her. "So? Do you always follow people just to return receipts and drink their coffee?"
Haneul set the mug down gently. "No."
"That's reassuring."
A small silence.
Then, without looking at him, she asked, "Why do you have a café?"
Seojun blinked. "What?"
Haneul's fingers brushed the rim of the cup. "You don't need to work. Your grades are good. You're well-liked. People assume you have an easy life."
Seojun's jaw tightened slightly.
She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, like she was stating something obvious.
"You could do nothing, and things would still go well for you," she continued. "Yet, you have this place. You work."
Her violet eyes lifted to meet his.
"Why?"
For the first time that night, Seojun felt a flicker of irritation.
"You ask a lot of questions," he muttered.
Haneul didn't deny it.
But she also didn't look away.
Seojun exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair.
How was he supposed to answer that?
Because he needed the money? Because he had a little sister depending on him? Because this café was the only thing that felt like it truly belonged to him?
He wasn't about to spill his life story to some random girl who had been watching him from the shadows.
Instead, he forced a smirk. "Maybe I just like coffee."
Haneul studied him for a moment.
Then—
"That's a lie."
Seojun's smirk faltered.
His grip on the counter tightened slightly.
This girl…
She was dangerous.
Not in a physical way, not in a loud or aggressive way. But in a quiet, unsettling way.
She saw too much.
And she didn't look away.
The air between them felt heavier now, the hum of the coffee machine the only sound in the café.
Seojun was the first to break eye contact, clicking his tongue as he turned away. "Drink your coffee. If you're gonna interrogate me, at least pay for another cup."
Haneul didn't push further.
But somehow, Seojun knew this wouldn't be the last time she asked.
The café settled into silence again, but it wasn't the comfortable kind. Seojun busied himself wiping down the counter, pretending he wasn't bothered by Haneul's presence.
But he was.
She was too quiet, too still. And worst of all, she didn't feel like a normal customer.
Normal customers made small talk. They glanced at their phones. They showed signs of being in the moment, even if just a little.
Haneul, on the other hand, sat there as if she had all the time in the world. As if she wasn't in unfamiliar territory.
As if she belonged here.
It was unsettling.
Finally, Seojun sighed and leaned against the counter, drumming his fingers against the wood. "So? What now?"
Haneul blinked. "What do you mean?"
"You're here. You found this place. You asked your questions." He tilted his head. "Are you just gonna sit there all night?"
Haneul glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's only 6:43."
Seojun narrowed his eyes. "That's not an answer."
She picked up her coffee again, taking another slow sip. "I'll leave soon."
Somehow, he didn't believe her.
Seojun exhaled. "You're not planning to tell anyone about this place, are you?"
Haneul lowered her cup. "No."
He studied her face, searching for any sign of dishonesty. He didn't find any.
Still, he wasn't reassured.
"You sure? Because if people find out—"
"I won't tell," she repeated, her voice steady. "On one condition.."