"i'm a man of my word. i don't spare my enemies when it comes to my fractured business. ― louiss winston."
Rinae read the small paper on her way, finding a sense of deja-vu weighing in her heart and slipping out afterwards.
She crumbled the paper with a sigh and threw it into the trashcan, having no concern on other's business.
She entered her part-time cafe as a customer, her co-workers welcoming her with bright faces like how they would treat any customer.
Rinae waved at them with a smile on her face, "hey. how's the work going?"
"it's all at a smooth pace, dear!" a co-worker around her thirties exclaimed from the kitchen.
The other younger co-workers turned to the kitchen and giggled silently, finding the energy endearing and proceeding with their tasks.
"would you like anything, rinae?" claire, a co-worker who's close to her offered.
Rinae looked at the menu at the counter and answered back after a few minutes of thought, "i'll take a cappucino."
she made a brief pause in her words.
"The weather's pretty chill this year."
"A lot of snowstorms would pass the country every few years. this could be one of those years, according to weather forecast." claire supposed, her fingers working on the touchscreen.
She glanced at the kitchen behind and turned front, falling silent after finding no topic to ramble like she usually did.
"i don't think there's any day i have seen most of the employees here working today." rinae reckoned, her eyes wandering around the now-packed cafe.
claire nodded, moving towards the drawer below the counter, "it is that time of the year, after all. people would hook up on good hot beverages especially at night. i doubt just a quarter of us would handle the customers."
"right. i shouldn't have taken the day off." rinae sighed, feeling slightly guilty.
"no no, it's completely alright! we have plently of staff today than every other days. besides, you often tend to work night shifts and surprisingly eased the workload this morning. that's more than enough."
claire dismissed, waving a hand reassuringly.
"oh, i don't have to worry then." she calmed, smiling as well.
"here's your cappucino," claire announced silently, placing the cup on the counter in front of rinae. she handed a few tissues beside it as well.
rinae dug her fingers into her purse and placed the required cash on the table, where another of her co-worker took it and kept it in the cash register.
she walked away from the counter, exiting from the cafe after bidding goodbyes.
The snow-covered pathway crunched under her feet as she walked, snowflakes falling in a calm and gentle manner than yesterday.
It was always winter which felt more calmer than any other weather, colder to the bone even in thick clothing.
After all, their parents were killed during winter, when snow fell in the most silent, yet grieving way possible.
"if it were ryxin, he would rather hear gusts of harsh winds under the dark clouds instead of reminiscing."
rinae laughed, viewing the current weather as a good memory rather than trauma.
Such a scene wouldn't need much detail in explaining. anyone can imagine how snow fell silently in a light-dimmed sparse residental street.
The door clicked open as she entered the house, The groceries rustling inside the plastic bag. rinae watched ryxin peeping out of the living room doorway, as she waved a hand.
ryxin didn't bother and went inside the living room again, settled on the couch and scrolling through his battered phone.
"i could hand you another of dad's old phones if you need." rinae offered, looking at the phone with pity.
"it isn't that done for, atleast it's durable after multiple drops."
"you did a drop test on multiple heights or something?"
"you say like i'm reviewing a phone brand."
"well the phone just looks as if you did." she shrugged.
"if i were that insane, i would've broken your phone as well."
"hey-" she snapped, grinning in the most annoyed way possible. "why is that I get countered everytime i talk to you?" she sighed after.
"either mom or dad had that skill, or brother alixis gave me a spark of motivation to run my mouth perfectly." he rambled, his thumb flicked upwards eveytime he scrolled.
"brother alixis? since when did you get your respect for him?" she responded perplexed.
he paused the video he was watching and looked at rinae, shrugging as he was raising his head up. "i just don't know how to address him."
rinae hummed in response, "just call him alixis. you don't have to address him like how your address your own sister."
Ryxin nodded, finding it comfortable. "alright, sis." he continued scrolling.
Rinae almost forgot the ramen packets she bought and headed to the kitchen, unpacking the grocery bag and set some water in a dish, heating it up and adding all the noodles and ingredients.
ten minutes have passed, and both of them were eating in the counter, finishing their food in minutes out of hunger. ryxin went to bed early, while rinae was confined in the couch, scrolling past a cheque of house rents and current bills due for the month.
She was left with her own thoughts, and started thinking deeply. The fact that her life felt unfamiliar and different as she met alixis was primarily swirling in her mind. The fact that she knew he was a student in the same high school as her after only two days, despite seeing him in every workshift makes her feel so oblivious. The fact that he would come almost everyday on her work schedule in the cafe just to see her makes her feel slightly ticklish. The fact that he gave her a sip of the hot chocolate he ordered from her, inside the empty cafe, makes her surprised till this minute. The fact that he confessed―
She snapped back to reality. she thought again, the same question she thought that day, with her own geniune feelings, with eyes widened and a blush creeping up her cheeks, "was it actually a confession or a tease?"
The sound of fingers snapping was loud enough to bring her back to reality, again. This time, a timeskip to the next day. It was alixis, standing in the other side of the counter with hands in his pockets, and a light smile at her reaction after spacing out so deeply.
"Care to take my order, rinae?" he spoke in a calm, steady voice, far apart from when he chuckled earlier. "you were really engrossed in your thoughts today." he hummed in his brief pause of words, looking partially worried. "you don't feel well? hello?"
Rinae stuttered back, "u-uh i'm sorry! i'm alright!" she made an awkward pause, with a sheepish smile, "please tell me your order." she muttered loudly enough for him to hear.
Alixis tilted his head slightly, his smile still etched on his face as he straightened himself back, "i'll have a―"
Another customer entered with a loud creek of the glass door, eyeing on the staff next to the first customer. The person approached behind alixis, waiting in line as he ordered.
Alixis repeated his order, "i'll have my usual latte."
"coming right up!" she ringed her usual lines, asking claire for some help as she took a cup and whisked milk in the machine. unlike today, alixis didn't stand in place like he usually did when he would be the only customer, and made way to the person behind him, heading towards an empty counter and admiring rinae like a fan admiring an idol.
The other customer looked like a senior from a different school, with messy dark hair, bag slung at one shoulder, a lollipop stick without the candy staying between his lips, uniform unbuttoned by the first button, and constantly stealing glances at rinae than scrolling on the phone he had in his hand idle.
He scanned her from head to toe as she approached, with her formal tone she asked, "what would you like to order?"
The young man leaned closer, moving the stick to the side of his mouth, "your heart, maybe?"
Rinae smiled, but not in a pleasant way, "i'm sorry, we don't sell that."
"then put it on the menu." he spoke with a smug look, hand creeping towards hers. "i'm sure it becomes the cafe's best seller."
She swatted his hand away, backing off and crossing her arms, "go to another cafe for such item, sir."
"you cannot disappoint your customers, love-"
"you need an earpiece for your deaf ears?"
Alixis stepped in, a hand adjusting his collar and the other in the pocket, with slow and steady steps, and an annoyed expression. "this type of staff treatment is no wonder staffs are often blamed for their bad 'customer treatment'" he stated as he dropped his hand from his collar.
The young man turned his head in a sluggish way, supporting himself with one hand on the counter and his body fully faced towards alixis. "you got a problem?"
Alixis moved till there is only a few centimeters apart from both him and the boy, pressing a safety gun at his side. he leaned to his ear, whispering in a low but cold voice.
"Absolutely. This girl is mine, so get going."