Baek Dohwa

The rain had finally stopped, but Baek Dohwa's mood hadn't.

It had been one of those days—the kind that started with teasing classmates, turned into awkward glances toward Su-ae, and ended with the familiar realization that no matter how effortlessly he smiled, things never really went the way he wanted. Even as one of the most recognizable boys at school, he couldn't shake the strange emptiness sitting in his chest.

Baek Dohwa looked exactly as everyone described him: ridiculously handsome. Soft ash-blond hair framed his face with an effortlessly messy look, warm golden-brown eyes that always seemed half amused, and sharp features that somehow stayed approachable whenever he flashed his signature grin. Tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in an immaculate school uniform with the tie already loosened from another long day, he carried himself with the confidence of someone who knew people were looking at him—even if he pretended not to notice.

"...What a disaster."

He sighed, stuffing both hands into his pockets as he wandered aimlessly through the evening streets. Going home sounded boring.

Food sounded better.

The warm lights of a small café caught his attention. It wasn't one he'd visited before, tucked quietly between a bookstore and a flower shop. A tiny bell chimed as he stepped inside, the scent of coffee and fresh pastries immediately replacing the damp smell of rain.

It was peaceful.

Almost too peaceful.

"Welcome."

The voice was calm.

He glanced toward the counter.

...Pretty.

That was his first thought.

The waitress looked around his age, dressed neatly beneath the café apron. She had an elegant sort of beauty—not flashy, not intimidating, just... effortlessly pretty. The kind of face people would mistake for gentle at first glance. She moved gracefully as she wiped a cup dry, her expression unreadable but polite enough.

"...Table for one?" she asked.

Dohwa blinked.

"Oh. Right."