Chapter 1

The soft hum of voices filled the café as Eun-Ji finished arranging a tray of pastries on the display counter. The warm scent of coffee and sugar swirled around her, a comforting constant in her otherwise ordinary day. She glanced at the clock, still an hour left on her shift. She sighed softly, brushing her hands on her apron and preparing for another customer.

Her days at La Lune Café were predictable. Quiet mornings, a busy lunch rush, and the occasional regular with an extra-friendly smile. Nothing about it was particularly exciting, but she liked it that way. It was simple, manageable.

The familiar chime of the door opening pulled her attention toward the entrance. She glanced up, ready to greet the new customer, but paused for half a second.

The man who walked in looked as though he’d stepped out of a photoshoot. He was tall, with sharp, defined features, dark hair styled effortlessly, and dressed in a black jacket over a white shirt. He exuded confidence without trying, the kind that made people around him take notice.

Eun-Ji’s gaze flickered back to the pastries. He wasn’t the first good-looking man to step through those doors, and she didn’t see why he would be any different. A customer was a customer.

But as he moved further into the café, murmurs began to ripple through the room. His name floated on hushed lips,Sanghoon.

Eun-Ji vaguely recognized it. He was that actor everyone seemed to talk about, the one whose face was on every other advertisement. She’d never paid much attention to celebrities, and frankly, she didn’t see the point of getting worked up over one now.

Still, she straightened her posture as he approached the counter, his manager trailing just behind him. Her role was simple: take the order, offer a polite smile, and send them on their way.

When he reached the counter, Sanghoon glanced around the café before his eyes landed on her. The moment he saw her, something in his expression shifted. His confident demeanor softened, and a small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Eun-Ji, noticing his gaze, met his eyes briefly out of courtesy. She offered a polite smile, the kind she gave every customer, and spoke in her usual calm tone.

“Welcome. What can I get for you today?”

Sanghoon didn’t respond right away. For a moment, he simply looked at her, his dark eyes lingering with an intensity she couldn’t quite place.

The manager cleared his throat, stepping forward to place the order. “One iced Americano and a caramel latte, please.”

“For here or to go?” Eun-Ji asked, already inputting the order into the register.

“For here,” the manager replied.

Eun-Ji nodded, printed the receipt, and handed it to the manager, keeping her movements efficient and practiced. She glanced briefly at Sanghoon again, noticing the soft smile still playing on his lips. It was strange. Most celebrities she’d encountered before wore their fame like armor, keeping people at a distance. But he seemed oddly… open.

When she brought the drinks to the counter a few moments later, Sanghoon stepped forward to take the tray. As he did, his fingers brushed hers. The touch was brief, but his smile widened slightly, as if it meant something.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice warm and smooth, his eyes locked on hers.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, her tone neutral, her polite smile unchanged.

He lingered for a second longer than necessary before turning to find a seat. Eun-Ji watched him out of the corner of her eye as he settled near the window, his profile illuminated by the golden afternoon light.

She busied herself wiping the counter, her mind already moving to the next task. To her, he was just another customer, albeit a famous one. She didn’t understand the whispered excitement among the other patrons or why Min-Seo kept nudging her with wide eyes.

“Did you see that?” Min-Seo whispered.

“See what?” Eun-Ji replied without looking up.

“He smiled at you. Sanghoon. Smiled. At you.”

“So?” Eun-Ji shrugged, keeping her voice low. “He’s a customer. It’s my job to smile back.”

Min-Seo groaned, throwing her hands in the air. “You’re impossible. If that were me, I’d have melted on the spot.”

Eun-Ji simply shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips,not because of Sanghoon, but because of Min-Seo’s dramatics. She glanced toward the window again and caught him looking her way. His expression was calm, but there was something curious in his eyes, something almost… searching.

She turned away, focusing instead on tidying the display case. He might have been Sanghoon to the world, but to her, he was just another name in the sea of faces she served every day.

Or so she thought.

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