Episode 5: Between Coffee and Shadows

The café smelled of cinnamon and roasted coffee beans, a warmth Aria had always loved. She tied her apron a little tighter and brushed stray hair from her face before stepping back behind the counter. The place was already filling up with students, couples, and office workers escaping the chill of the evening.

“Table six needs their order, Aria!” her manager called out.

“On it!” she replied, balancing two cappuccinos on a tray and weaving between the tables with practiced grace.

To anyone watching, Aria seemed like any other college girl — cheerful, hardworking, always ready with a smile. But behind her bright eyes lay a story she never told customers: the little girl who had lost her parents too soon, who had learned to survive with quiet resilience.

It wasn’t always easy. College during the day, café shifts at night, homework crammed into the quiet hours when the city slept. But she didn’t complain. She’d learned long ago that life took more from her than it ever gave, so she had to hold on to the little pieces of joy she could find.

And joy, most days, looked like Sara.

“Aria!”

The familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts. Sara burst into the café, dark hair pulled into a messy bun, her presence like a storm and sunshine at once. She plopped into a seat by the window, waving dramatically until Aria walked over.

“You’re supposed to be studying, not harassing me at work,” Aria said, rolling her eyes.

Sara grinned. “I came for moral support. And free coffee. Mostly free coffee.”

“Of course you did.” Aria shook her head but couldn’t help laughing.

For a moment, everything felt normal. Two best friends joking, the hum of voices, the clink of mugs. But beneath the laughter, Sara’s sharp eyes never missed the weariness on Aria’s face.

“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard,” Sara said quietly once Aria set down a latte in front of her. “Classes, shifts, studying… it’s too much.”

Aria sat down across from her, just for a minute, letting herself breathe. “What choice do I have, Sara? This café pays my rent. College is my only shot at something better.”

Sara reached over, squeezing her hand. “I know. I just don’t want you to break while you’re trying to hold everything together.”

Aria smiled faintly. “I’m stronger than I look.”

She believed it, too. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t tired.

As the evening wore on, she returned to work, weaving through the crowd, delivering orders. But halfway through her shift, the café door opened, and the air shifted.

She felt it before she saw him.

The tall man in the dark coat, stepping inside with an aura that pulled every eye without asking. His gaze swept over the café like he owned it, sharp and cold, and landed on her.

Aryan.

Her stomach tightened.

He didn’t belong here. This café, with its chatter and warmth, was a place of ordinary lives. He looked like he had stepped out of another world — one carved from steel and danger.

“Aria,” Sara hissed from the counter, noticing him too. “Do you know that guy? Because he looks like trouble.”

Aria swallowed hard, forcing herself to move, to act normal. “He was here before. Just another customer.”

But she didn’t believe her own words. She remembered the way he had stared at her last time, how his presence had unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.

This time was no different. He took a seat in the corner, as if it had been waiting for him, and leaned back casually. His eyes never left her.

Aria grabbed a menu and forced her legs to carry her to his table. She set it down, her voice steady despite the hammering in her chest. “What would you like to order?”

His lips curved faintly, the shadow of a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “You.”

Aria froze. “Excuse me?”

Aryan chuckled low, tilting his head. “Coffee. Black.”

Heat rushed to her face, half from anger, half from the way his voice sank under her skin. She scribbled the order down, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction, and turned sharply toward the counter.

Sara raised her brows as Aria returned. “Okay, who is he really? Because no random stranger looks at you like that.”

Aria shook her head quickly. “I don’t know, Sara. And I don’t want to.”

But as she carried the steaming cup back to his table, she felt his eyes tracing her every step, like he was memorizing her. She set the cup down, determined to walk away, but his voice stopped her.

“Tell me something, Aria.”

Her name on his lips startled her. She hadn’t told him.

“How do you—?”

“I know many things,” Aryan cut her off smoothly, his gaze unwavering. “But you… you’re different. Not afraid, not playing pretend. Interesting.”

Her breath caught, but she forced her chin up. “I’m not here to be interesting. I’m here to work.”

He studied her for a long moment, eyes dark and unreadable. Then he leaned back, letting her go, but the weight of his attention lingered even after she walked away.

By the time his cup was empty, Aria was exhausted. She turned to Sara once he finally left, her heart still racing.

Sara nudged her. “See? I told you. Trouble.”

Aria didn’t disagree. But deep down, what unsettled her most wasn’t the danger in Aryan’s presence. It was the part of her that felt drawn to it.

That night, lying awake in her small apartment, she couldn’t stop replaying his voice, his eyes, the strange pull she couldn’t explain. She hated it. She hated that someone like him could leave her feeling so… unsteady.

Little did she know, her life had already crossed a line, and there was no going back.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***