“A cinnamon chai latte for you?”
You looked up from your laptop to see the server smiling down at you warmly as he set a tall mug of sweet, cinnamon goodness down on the table in front of you.
Puzzled, you pointed at your almost emptied cup of black coffee.
“Um, I’ve already got my drink. I didn’t order a cinnamon chai.”
It didn’t seem as if he had heard you as he walked away, busy rushing off to serve the next customer. Frowning, you peered into the mug. The strong, aromatic scent of cinnamon wafting in the air and almost instantly perking you up, maybe more so than the black coffee you just had. Hesitantly, you picked up the mug and took a sip.
The hot, sweet latte burned the tip of your tongue but it was nothing compared to the taste of the fragrant spice running down your throat like molten gold. A single sip was simply too addictive and before you knew it, you had downed almost half the cup. Whoever bought this, clearly had taste.
Just then, you noticed something scrawled rather haphazardly on the paper napkin that came with the drink. Curiously, you tried to make out what it said.
“Please... Enjoy this... Chai latte, I... Hope... You have... A lovely... Day. I thought.... You were really... Pretty so I.... Wanted to get you a... Drink.” You read out slowly, squinting at some of the words. You could feel the heat rush up to your cheeks at the simple but albeit sweet compliment.
You looked around the coffee shop, surveying your surroundings. Whoever it was who bought you this latte, are they still here? As you took another tentative sip of the hot beverage, you stared hard at the note in your hand. The handwriting was neat yet somewhat elegant although a little rugged, it was as if whoever was writing the note had been a tad too anxious about it.
“They probably left,” You mumbled to yourself, feeling a little dejected but still grateful and happy. It was an extremely kind gesture and you would never have thought this could happen to you but it did. As you headed to the cashier to pay for your drink, the guy at the counter seemed to linger his gaze at the cup on your table.
“How did you like your chai?” He asked and if you were paying just a little bit more attention, you would have been able to hear the slight quiver in his voice.
“Oh, it was great. I’m not sure who bought it for me but it was a really sweet thing to do.” You smiled and his cheeks tinted a little pink in response as he nodded with a small smile on his face. He was considerably taller than you were so seeing his so bashful and unexpectedly cute made your heart flutter slightly. Your eyes drifted down to his name tag.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here. Are you new?”
Younghoon looked up at you, wide-eyed as if he didn’t expect you to actually strike up a conversation with him.
“I-I... Yeah, I am,” he smiled weakly, the colour in his cheeks intensifying with each passing second.
“Ah I see, it’s a great place. The coffee was amazing today. Well, I mean... It always is.” You hurried to say and he laughed softly, causing you to feel a slight tingle in your heart.
“Here’s your bill.” He handed you a written bill and the moment you instantly recognised the handwriting.
It was the exact handwriting from the napkin you got, from the napkin that came with the latte.
You couldn’t help but burst into a wide grin. Taking out the napkin that you had meticulously folded and placed in your pocket for safekeeping, you brandished it in front of him.
“By any chance, was this from you?”
Looking up from the register, Younghoon’s ears immediately turned bright red as he stared at the napkin and then at the bill.
“I... I...” He spluttered nervously and you could see his hand clutching tightly onto the counter.
“I appreciate it a lot, thank you for the latte... And for the compliment.” You said kindly, unaware of how your sweet smile was doing things to his poor heart. Suddenly realising that you had to be somewhere, you glanced at your watch before letting out an alarmed gasp.
You are late for classes!
Quickly, you paid for your bill to a dumbfounded and stunned Younghoon but before you could take off, he called out frantically, “Wait!”
Turning, you thought your heart was going to melt at the sight of him standing there, a shy smile grazing his face.
“I really hope to see you again. Please come back soon.”