wait for me

one

Seraphina was not one to wake up early. Well, sometimes. Only if she got coffee.

This is the story of a 23-year-old and the formation of her coffee addiction.

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"Why do these interviews always occur before eight am?" Seraphina mumbled to herself as she walked to the company building, a coffee carrier in her hand. Four cups of coffee. "What sane person wakes up before seven?"

Just as she was about to open the door, a man a few feet away from her fell. His briefcase had opened due to the fall and his papers were everywhere. And, marbles?

"Oh my goodness!" Seraphina gasped, hurrying over to the man, setting the coffee carrier and her own bag down. "Sir are you okay?" She helped him to his knees, the man wearing a mask, his hair in his face since his fall.

"I think I sprained my wrist." He fell back to his butt, holding his wrist to himself. Seraphina winced at his words, and her eyes widened once his did. "M-my papers! And my marbles!"

"Sir don't worry." She kept him on the ground, very gentle when touching him. "I'll get them all, don't worry. Please just, see how much you can move your wrist. Don't move it fast though."

"Thank you, thank you." He repeated, Seraphina getting to her feet but remained hunched, hurrying around to gather his papers before the wind could steal them. "Please, my marbles. My father and I collected them. I always carry them with me."

"I'll retrieve them all, don't worry Sir." She smiled reassuringly to the frazzled man, handing him all of his papers. Seraphina was so focused on the man, she didn't notice the man running towards her. "How many marbles-hey!"

The running man snatched her bag from the ground, sprinting down the street, several cars honking their horns all at the same time while the man cried out for his marbles that had started to roll.

Seraphina gritted her teeth as she watched the man run, one of the coffees spilling out of its cup after being knocked down.

What was in that bag was replaceable.

"Sir," Seraphina picked up the coffee and a few marbles on the way. "Do you remember how many marbles there were?"

The cars' horns finally silenced, the loud bustling sound of Seoul resuming. Seraphina loved the sound of the city.

"F-fourteen." The man stuttered, putting his papers back in his briefcase. "One for each year I had him before he passed."

"Oh Sir," Seraphina stood up, holding the majority of the marbles in her hand. She had sympathy and sadness in her voice while she spoke, eyes on him. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"It's okay it's okay." He waved his hand. "It was a long time ago."

"Twelve thirteen fourteen!" She smiled in victory, kneeling beside the man and slid them into the pouch he was holding out for her. "Are you okay to get up?"

"I think so, just my hand." He gratefully took her hand, the two of them standing again.

"I can... mm, no I can't." Seraphina looked up at the building she was supposed to be interviewed at. "I can call you an Uber or something if you want. You can go to the hospital and get your wrist checked out."

"No, it's okay. I think it'll be okay." The man spoke with a smile, studying Seraphina. "I'm sorry about your bag."

"No, don't be." Seraphina smiled softly as she picked up the remaining three cups of coffee. "I'll just have to cancel my credit card and change my locks. It's okay."