Sarah stepped into Bookworms Café that morning with the usual sense of quiet expectation. The door swung open, and the familiar warmth of the café greeted her, carrying the soft scent of freshly brewed coffee through the air. She was looking forward to another slow, peaceful day—a few pages of a good book, the comforting routine of her cappuccino, and maybe a fleeting moment to chat with Ryu, the barista who'd become a quiet fixture in her mornings.
But today, the café felt different. There was an undercurrent of energy that wasn't usually there. As Sarah entered, her gaze immediately found him—Ryu. He was behind the counter, his back slightly turned as he conversed with someone. At first, Sarah couldn't make out the details of the interaction, but the low hum of their voices filled the space, blending with the clatter of cups and the hiss of steam.
The woman standing with him caught Sarah's attention instantly. Tall, with sleek dark hair cascading down her back, she exuded an effortless kind of glamour. Her skin seemed to glow in the soft morning light, a perfect sun-kissed sheen, and her outfit was sharp, tight-fitting, stylish—something that seemed intentionally designed to turn heads. But it wasn't just her appearance that made Sarah pause. It was the way Ryu was looking at her.
His usual friendly but detached demeanor had melted away, replaced by a look of something more—engagement, warmth, an intimacy that Sarah had never seen in him before. He smiled in a way that suggested this wasn't just another customer; this was someone Ryu knew, someone he felt at ease with. There was an undeniable chemistry between them, a subtle dance of shared glances and laughter that lingered too long for it to be accidental.
Sarah stood frozen for a moment, suddenly feeling out of place. She wasn't sure why it bothered her—she had no claim on Ryu, after all. He was just the barista at her favorite café. But seeing the way he interacted with the woman made Sarah feel like an intruder, like she had stumbled upon something private, something she didn't fully understand.
The woman leaned in, laughing softly at something Ryu had said. Sarah couldn't catch the words, but the way the woman's body language mirrored his, how she angled herself toward him as if every movement was synchronized, made Sarah's stomach twist.
This wasn't just a customer. This was someone who had a history with Ryu. They shared a connection—one that seemed so effortless, so comfortable, that Sarah felt like she had just entered a world she wasn't invited to.
The woman straightened and turned to Ryu, her smile wide and playful, her voice light but confident. "I'll have the usual," she said, her words dripping with an ease that seemed to command attention.
Ryu's response was automatic, but Sarah could hear the unspoken familiarity in his tone. "You got it," he said, and as he turned to prepare her drink, his movements were fluid, practiced—like he had done this a thousand times before.
Sarah's feet carried her forward, but she hesitated, standing awkwardly just a few steps away from the counter. It was silly, really. Ryu was just being friendly, as always. Yet, there was something about the way the woman held herself—her quiet confidence, the knowing glance she shot Sarah as if to say she belonged here, too—that made Sarah feel small, out of place.
The woman noticed her standing there, and with a quick, polite smile, she turned her attention back to Ryu as he busied himself behind the counter. But the smile lingered a moment too long, an almost unspoken challenge in her eyes that made Sarah's chest tighten.
As if on cue, Ryu glanced up, his eyes lighting up as he recognized Sarah. His smile softened, and his voice became warm and casual, the way it always was with her. "Hey, Sarah. How's it going?"
Despite the tension that had risen in her, Sarah forced a smile. "Same as always," she said, her voice not as steady as she had hoped. "I'll have my usual cappuccino."
"Coming right up," Ryu replied, and for a brief moment, Sarah felt like she was slipping back into her usual routine. But it didn't last. As he made her drink, Sarah's gaze flicked back to the woman. She was still standing there, leaning in a little too closely, her gaze lingering on Ryu with an almost proprietary air.
It was subtle, but Sarah couldn't help noticing the way the woman's body faced him completely, her posture betraying an intimacy that made Sarah feel like an outsider.
Ryu set the cappuccino down in front of Sarah with the usual ease, sliding it toward her with a soft smile. "Here you go. Enjoy," he said, but his attention was already drifting back to the woman, as if Sarah's presence had faded into the background.
The sudden silence between Sarah and Ryu made the moment stretch uncomfortably long. Sarah picked up her drink, her fingers suddenly unsure of how to hold the cup. She gave him a tight smile, her voice feeling foreign as she spoke. "Thanks," she murmured, unsure if she was speaking to him or herself.
The woman, still there, glanced over and smiled brightly, the kind of smile that could disarm anyone. "I don't think we've met," she said, her voice light, almost conspiratorial. "I'm Clara."
Sarah blinked, caught off guard. She hadn't expected Clara to address her directly, much less in that manner—easy, as if they were already friends. Clara's eyes flicked briefly to Ryu, but there was something in the way she looked at him, something that Sarah couldn't quite place, that made her chest tighten again.
"Sarah," she replied, offering the most natural smile she could muster. "I come here a lot."
Clara's eyes sparkled with understanding, and she shot a quick glance at Ryu. "I noticed," she said with a teasing smile. "You're here every morning, aren't you?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Sarah replied, her voice tight. Her mind raced, caught between trying to stay calm and wondering if Clara was somehow... claiming this place, claiming Ryu.
Clara gave her an appraising look, her eyes flickering back toward Ryu. "He's good at what he does, isn't he?" she asked, her tone warm but with a subtle layer of something else—a touch of admiration? Or was it more?
"Yeah, he is," Sarah replied quickly, the words leaving her lips without thinking. She couldn't quite place the growing knot in her stomach.
Clara smiled, but there was an edge to it now, a quiet amusement as though she knew something Sarah didn't. "Anyway," she said, breaking the silence with a soft laugh, "I'll leave you to it. Ryu here makes the best coffee, doesn't he?"
Sarah nodded stiffly. "He does," she replied, her voice tinged with something she didn't quite understand.
Clara lingered a moment longer, her gaze holding Sarah's for just a bit too long before she turned to leave, throwing Ryu a quick, flirtatious glance as she passed by.
As soon as Clara was out the door, the café seemed to return to its usual rhythm, the quiet hum of background chatter filling the air again. But for Sarah, it was like the world had shifted ever so slightly, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. Ryu had been nothing but kind to her—yet, now, there was a question hanging in the air.
Who was Clara to him?
The answer was elusive, but the feeling it left behind was undeniable.