Just As Usual

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The day started just as usual.

Rain tapping lightly against the glass windows, the hum of coffee machines, and the smell of freshly baked croissants filling the small café tucked in a quiet corner of Seoul.

Nakaupo lang si Ellie sa tabi ng bintana habang wala sa sariling hinahalo ang kanyang kape, at nakatanaw sa labas kung busy Ang lahat, may mga sasakyang mabilis magpatakbo meron namang nagmamadali.

She'd been in Seoul for almost a year now, chasing a dream she wasn't even sure was hers anymore. Graphic designer by profession, hopeless romantic by heart, and-unfortunately-a creature of routine.

The café had become her refuge. Every morning, just as usual, she'd sit at the same spot, order the same drink, and wait for the world to pass by outside.

But this morning, the universe had other plans.

The bell above the café door chimed, and a tall man walked in. His hair was slightly damp from the drizzle, a dark coat draped over his shoulders. He ordered in fluent Korean, voice deep, calm, almost magnetic. And then-by sheer accident-his gaze landed on hers.

Ellie froze.

He was the kind of man you didn't just "see." You noticed him, felt him, like the way thunder hums in your bones before a storm.

And then it happened-he walked straight toward her table.

"Excuse me," he said, his tone polite yet detached. "The café is full. May I sit here?"

Her heart skipped. This was so not usual.

Ellie nodded quickly, "Y-yeah, sure."

He sat across from her, pulling out a laptop from his sleek leather bag. He didn't smile, didn't look at her again, as if her presence didn't matter. He was sharp, almost cold, like those K-drama CEOs she binge-watched on weekends.

And maybe that was why she felt her stomach flutter.

Iniiwasan niyang hindi mapatingin kaya lang hindi niya makayanan. She failed miserably. His jawline was sharp, his fingers long and elegant as they typed. There was a quiet power about him, like he owned every room he walked into without trying.

Finally, he glanced at her.

"You've been staring," he said flatly.

Ellie's cheeks burned. "W-what? No! I wasn't-"

His lips twitched, the faintest ghost of a smirk. "It's fine. People usually do."

Wow. Ang yabang.

But instead of being annoyed, Ellie felt her pulse quicken. There was something about him-snobbish, yes, pero hindi bastos. Mysterious. Dangerous. The kind of man your best friend would tell you to stay away from.

Gusto niyang tanungin ang pangalan ng lalaki pero kagat-dila ang ginawa niya sa pagpipigil. He didn't seem like the type to entertain small talk. So she sipped her latte and stared back at the window.

But fate wasn't done.

Minutes later, her laptop chimed-a notification about a project deadline. She groaned softly, muttering in Tagalog, "Ay, patay. Hindi ko pa nafi-finish."

To her shock, the man looked up. "You're Filipino?"

Her eyes widened. "You understood that?"

"I studied in Manila for a while," he replied, tone still casual but eyes a little softer. "Your accent gave it away."

Ellie blinked, trying to process. Of all the tables, of all the people in Seoul... fate decided to sit her across from a man who knew her language.

For the first time, he extended his hand. "Hayes. Hayes Preston."