Chapter Text
The doorbell chimed as Dew stepped into the cafe. There was a faint smell of coffee and warmth, and soft jazz was being played at a low volume. He hadn't visited this cafe before, but it had caught his eye multiple times on his way to the university. He was finally able to visit because his date—who he matched on some dating site—wanted to meet at this cafe.
When he walked in, he heard a "welcome" from a barista. Dew's eyes met the owner of the melodic voice and saw a guy who seemed to be the same age and height as him, and was smiling warmly. Time slowed down for Dew, his heart skipped a beat, and he nearly forgot how to function as a normal human being. But he couldn’t let his image of being cool and mysterious slip, so he forced himself back to reality and returned the barista's smile, but his eyes stayed on him even as the barista went back to work.
Dew took his seat at the window facing the entrance door, and to his left was the counter. Although it seemed like he was looking at his phone, from the corner of his eye, his attention was fully on the barista. The way he smiled at other customers when he took their order, or how he created latte art with swift and steady motions, making it look effortless. Dew almost didn't notice when his date sat in front of him. Almost.
He put his phone down and greeted her. At first glance, she was exactly his type: mature, pretty, and from what she told him, independent and reliable. But for Dew, being the same age, going to the same university, and having the same major was exactly the kind of thing he was looking for. She fit that criteria perfectly.
"Hey," Dew said politely.
"Hi, Dew, it's really nice to finally meet you!"
"Me too," Dew tried to sound a bit enthusiastic and match her energy. Five minutes into their conversation, Dew realized she talks way differently from how she texts. It was easy when they were texting, but now she's—in a nice way that Dew can say it—very expressive.
He really did try to show interest when she talked, but how could he when his eyes kept drifting towards the barista. Dew thought he felt a connection when he was texting her; they liked similar things but had different opinions on them. But of course, that was normal, so Dew didn't mind it too much. He continued to talk to her. When she asked to meet up, Dew thought that talking face-to-face might be better, so he agreed.
After talking for a few minutes, his date asked if he wanted to get something to drink. He agreed since he was new to the cafe, but he just wanted to see the barista up close.
Unfortunately, the barista Dew originally saw wasn't there. He did feel a little disappointed but dismissed it quickly.
"Do you know what you're gonna get?" June asked.
Dew shook his head, still eyeing the menu on the wall.
"Hmmm then.. I recommend the lattes! They're this cafe's specialty."
"Really? Okay then, I'll get that."
Dew's Date was ordered first, and then Dew. They then went back to their seats and chatted while they waited for their drinks. As they talked, Dew felt that he hadn't actually connected with her. He felt that being closer to her as friends would be better than dating, so he tried to tell her. He wasn't the type to lead on a girl, so every time he was close to telling her, she interrupted him, changed the topic, almost as if she knew what he was going to say to her. Dew decided to let it be for now and bring it up before they part.
Almost an hour passed, and they learned a few new things about each other, but still, there was no spark. Twenty minutes later, it got awkward as they ran out of things to talk about.
A minute passed in silence, and another. Dew pretended to check his phone, looked around the cafe for the third time, and checked out the cute barista for the fifth time. His date finally broke the silence.
"Should we go?" She asked as she put her phone in her pocket, drink in the other hand. Dew nodded, taking his drink as well. They both threw their empty cups away, and Dew opened the door for her, and she thanked him.
His date booked a cab, and Dew waited with her.
"Today was fun, I enjoyed it," She said with a smile. "Yeah, it was fun talking to you."
What Dew said wasn't completely a lie, but his date understood. She nudged him lightly, "You have really high standards, huh?" Dew was about to apologize, but she stopped him, "It's okay, I understand." Just then, the cab arrived. Dew smiled like he had been caught and opened the door. She thanked him again, got in, and waved bye as the cab took off.
Dew sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He did feel bad for making her feel like that, but then again, there wasn't anything else he could've done. Involuntarily, he found himself wanting to look at the basista again. He wants to see him one last time- not that he would never get to see him again, he didn't know, but there's still a chance that he won't, so he turned around to look at the barista through the glass. He expected to see the barista making a drink or taking a customer's order; however, he didn't expect to meet the pair of eyes that he'd been following the whole time he was in the shop, looking back at him.
Dew's heard his heart beat in his ear. Just as fast as the connection was made, it was broken. The barista looked away, going back to making a drink.
Dew left from where he was standing, walking to the main street, his ears warm and a smile forming on his face.