Kyu-nari was used to working mornings, in fact, most days he began his shift at the teahouse before the sun had even risen so that he could have the day’s offerings prepared in time for the teahouse to take its first customers. He had been waking up early for so long now that the habit was quite ingrained and not something that just disappeared on the one day a week that he didn’t have to work. Nari had already indulged in a morning run, showered, and made a grocery list by the time the time most people were getting out of bed; and even after all that he found himself restlessly debating what to do now. The shop he wanted to go to wasn’t open yet, his friends were never awake this early, and he still hadn’t quite found the resolve to go and check out the amenities his new apartment complex had to offer. They sounded lovely when he was told of them on the tour, he was certain that they would be just as lovely in person… on another day, maybe… were they also open 24 hours? If they were, it meant that perhaps he could check them out the next time he had an early morning day off… before anyone else was likely to be using them… not today though, that window had already passed; and this realization only compounded the restlessness he was already feeling.
Knowing that sitting in the small apartment wasn’t going to help matters, Nari threw his journal, pencil-case, and pair of books into a small messenger bag and headed for the Melody Café. His coworkers liked to tease him about the fact that despite working at a
teahouse, Nari held a deep and personal love for a good cup of coffee. He took the good-natured ribbing in stride, and admittedly
had developed a fondness for tea as well over the past couple years. The sun was already starting to really warm up the day; but there was enough of a lingering chill that he was grateful for the lightweight pale blue colored cardigan. The loose garment draped off his broad shoulders and hung, open, to his mid-thigh. Underneath that he’d opted for his softest pair of black jeans, flexible black suede wraparound boots, a sleeveless black turtleneck. The outfit was presentable enough without sacrificing comfort, it wasn’t as though he had anyone he cared to impress at Melody.
Nari was pleasantly surprised to find that he had arrived at the café early enough that it wasn’t yet packed with customers, something that he knew would change as the morning drew on. After collecting his order, he also managed to get a small two-person table by the window where he could keep the wall at his back and the entrance in front of him. He couldn’t help the small smile that bloomed on his features as he counted his luck and pulled his waist length hair over his shoulder and into a loose braid. Settling into a book after that was easy; his earlier restlessness ebbing away along with the time, which he quickly lost track of.
**
It was impossible to say exactly what drew Nari’s eye to the young woman fumbling her coffee cup; her awkwardness, as she glanced around at the full tables, was nearly tangible. On a morning like this one, the café filled up quickly with people enjoying the time off from work, students not having classes, and moms gathering for a much-needed morning out with their friends. It meant occupied tables were more likely to stay occupied, at least in the immediate future. His eyes were drawn to the empty spot across from him and then back up to the brunette. With a pang of sympathy, Nari placed the marker back in his book and set it beside the large cup of coffee.
“
Excuse me,” he raised his voice enough to be heard over the people nearby, though not enough to be disruptive. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear, he also gave a small wave, one of those motions that let people know you were trying to get their attention. “
I have an empty chair, if you’d like somewhere to sit?” He gestured towards the seat and gave her a gentle, albeit reserved, smile.