WORDS. |Kim Seungmin

Twenty Six.

"Sir, we are sorry but the café is full right now." Changbin said, trying his best to keep nice.

"You already said that and I obviously, said that there is an empty table by the window." The customer almost yelled.

"And I obviously, said that someone is using this table but he's at the toilet currently." Changbin said, gritting his teeth. He was starting to lose his temper.

"He's been using the fucking toilet for ages now!" The man yelled.

Aria who was serving a table, came back running once she heard him yelling that loud. She knew that her friend's temper wouldn't take this man anymore and he would make a scene. An awful one. No one likes the angry Changbin version. Just before her friend says a word, she stepped in between.

"Sir!" She called, diverting his attention to her. She smiled at him, trying her best to calm him down. "The table to the left is going to be empty in ten minutes. Why don't you have a cup of warm cinnamon tea -on the house- till it gets empty? I'll get you and your friend two lovely chairs by the window till the table gets empty and clean."

The customer looked at her with embarrassment. He then cleared his throat and looked over at his friend who nodded at him in agreement before he looks back at Aria. "Alright. Since you are offering nicely." He said.

"Thank you, sir. Sorry for any inconvenience." She said bowing down.

The two customers walked away, giving Aria the chance to glare at her friend. She looked back at the two customers with a fake smile. Changbin reluctantly walked to grab the chairs. Aria noticed that the two customers were nearly her age. They didn't look rude but indeed they sounded like that. Or more precisely, one of them sounded rude. The other one was quiet. His eyes were going everywhere around the place but every now and then, they would stop by the toilets' doors. Aria's eyes would stop there too. It's been quite some time since Seungmin rushed in and never came back. Was he ill?

Aria sighed once Changbin came back to behind the counter. He didn't miss the worried look on her face nor how her eyes were looking for Seungmin.

"What happen-"

Changbin's words were cut by a loud echoing bang mixed with yelling. Aria and Changbin jolted. They both looked at each other with confusion and then started sprinting to where the sounds came from. They reached the toilets at the back to find an angry fuming man, kicking the door with all of his power.

"Sir! Sir!" Changbin yelled to be heard over the noise. "What do you think you are doing?"

"What I think I'm doing?" The man scoffed with anger. "How do you fucking manage this place?"

"Sir, please calm down and tell me what happened." Aria jumped in once she noticed how all the customers were having their eyes on them, with some of them up to their feet to get a better view.

"I was washing my hands when someone came out from one of the stalls. I asked him to pass me the handwash, but he didn't reply. When I asked him again, he kicked me out and then locked the door!" The man was still yelling. "And he dared to curse at me!"

Aria looked at Changbin with confusion again before she looks at the locked door ahead of them. She stepped forward and leaned to the door. She rested her ear to it to overhear whatever was happening inside. Aria could hear a few faint thuds and muffled grunts that made her knit her brows.

"S-Seungmin?" She called. "Are you in there? Are you okay?" She asked, gaining no response. "Open the door, please."

"Whoever is inside, open the door before I take it down." Changbin yelled from behind her.

"Hey, it's okay." Aria resumed talking, ignoring Changbin's threats. "Whatever is happening, it's okay. Just ope-"

The door swung open and before Aria could say one more word, someone rushed outside, pushing whoever in his way out. Aria turned to catch a look at that person. The familiar dark blue hoodie covered that person along with his head and maybe his face. Aria watched his back making it to the front door of the café. She started following him and was about to call his name, but someone bet her to it.

"Seungmin?" A voice questioned. That voice belonged to one of the two customers that made a fuss earlier. The quiet one of them.

Seungmin froze in his place. His head was down and his hands were secured to the hood covering his head and face. His back was facing Aria and his way was blocked by that customer who stood up and walked to him.

"It's really you?" He questioned with a chuckle. "I thought I was hallucinating earlier. But it's really you." He said stepping closer to Seungmin which made Seungmin retreat in return. "Look at you." He scoffed devilishly before his hand grabs Seungmin's hood and snatches it down. "Still an ugly freak." He said between his gritted teeth.

Seungmin pulled the hood frantically to cover himself again. He tried to walk away but that bully refused to let him be.

"What? Now you don't even reply to others? What happened to your big mouth?" He yelled, poking Seungmin's shoulder. "What happened to that tongue of yours? Huh? What happened to the great Kim Seungmin?" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"FUCK OFF!"

A voice echoed through the café, followed by Seungmin pushing that customer out of his way and rushing out.