From Zero ⨝ [Chae Hyungwon x Reader]

Chapter 2 Empty Roads

 Minhyuk's POV -

       I was standing in the cafe, taking the orders of the customers. I noticed that a customer sitting near the window left. I walked over to his table to take the empty cup and noticed that he had left his watch there. I picked it and ran out the door to return it to him but by the time, he was already gone.

"Minhyuk, what are you doing there?" Dajoong, one of the cafe workers, asked.

"Nothing" I replied as I walked back in.

"The customer who was sitting here left his watch," I said.

"Oh, maybe he'll come back when he notices. Keep it with you until then." He answered.

"Okay," I said looking at the watch.

Y/N'S POV -

      I couldn't sleep the whole night, thinking about the watch. I really couldn't believe that I could warp between time through a watch. But what I was thinking about was who dropped it on the road. Who did it belong to? People were talking about a time-traveller but they said they were gone, then why was their watch here?

     Thousands of questions raising in my mind kept me awoke until it was 7:00 in the morning and my alarm started ringing. I got up, brushed my teeth and took a shower. I decided to skip breakfast since I lost my appetite due to the current events. I looked at the watch one last time before placing in the drawer of my bedside table.

      Since it was Saturday today, I didn't have college but I had to be at the cafe the whole day, except for lunchtime. I only worked part-time but one of the workers who would stay in the cafe on Saturdays had left so I took their place instead. Minhyuk would be there too but he only stayed in the morning.

       I would be alone after noon but I was okay with that. I walked to the cafe through the cold streets of Seoul. The roads seemed busy as usual in the morning but they were the complete opposite at the night.

      Even on the way to the cafe, I kept thinking about the watch. 'If people already knew that there was a time-traveller in the town, did they also know about the watch? I didn't hear anything about any watch though. Also, if I were to use it to warp time, would anyone find out? Moreover, who was that man standing on the road yesterday? Did he not see the watch?'

      I was lost in thought when I arrived at the cafe. The cafe would be a little busy in the morning, so I didn't get to talk to Minhyuk a lot. Two hours later, Minhyuk's shift ended along with a few others' and they left. Now, only 4 other workers including me were at the cafe.

       I did the usual job, taking orders, making beverages and whatnot until it was 1 o'clock when we took a lunch break. I went to a nearby restaurant to have lunch. I still had some time left before returning to the cafe so I went to a book store to get some books.

      I went back to the cafe at 3:00. Starting from 3:00, I had to be alone at the cafe until 6:00. It would have been hectic for me but the cafe wasn't the busiest one in the town so I could work without needing any assistance.

     Everything was going okay 'til it was 5:37 and all the customers had left. I still had 23 minutes until my shift would end. Since there was no one in the cafe, I took the books I bought today and started reading one of them.

      Just then, the bell on the door to the cafe rang, when someone walked in. I closed the book and looked up to them, only to find a tall, good-looking man in a suit who walked up to the counter I was standing behind. I was a bit surprised to see that he heavily resembled the man on the road from yesterday but I brushed it off since he could just be wearing a similar suit as him. Plus, it's not like I saw that man's face.

"Welcome, what would you like to order, sir?" I asked smiling at him.

"Espresso black," He said.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"No," He replied straightforwardly.

"Okay, that will be 2,430 won," I said typing his order in.

      He took out his wallet from his pocket and handed me the money. He then walked over to the table near the window and sat down. I went to the espresso machine to make his coffee. I was done after a few minutes and took his beverage to him.

"Here's your Espresso," I said, setting the cup down on the table.

      He   nodded and I went back behind the counter. I opened my book once again and continued reading. I kept looking at him from time to time to see if he needed anything or if he had finished his coffee.

       He slowly sipped his coffee looking out the window. The sun was setting, creating a shade of pink, blue and orange in the sky. It was quite peaceful and pleasant in the cafe. I shifted my gaze back to the book in my hands and continued reading.

        After a short while, I heard the man set his cup down on the saucer. I looked at him to see that he finished his drink. I closed the book and placed it on the counter before walking over to his table and taking his cup. He didn't get up to leave but kept looking out the window. I was about to ask him if he wanted anything else but didn't when he mumbled something I couldn't hear.

"Pardon?" I asked.

       He looked up at me and stared deep into my eyes for a while as if trying to read my mind. He slowly opened his mouth to say something but stopped when the bell rang again signalling the presence of another customer.

     I looked towards the glass door to find a pair of girls walk in. I went back to the counter and took their orders. I noticed that the man from before stared at me for a while before shifting his gaze to the ground. 

     I took the girls' desserts to their table but as I turned towards the man, he stood up from his seat and walked out of the cafe. I was a bit confused by his actions but brushed it off.

    A while later, my shift ended and I left when another worker took my place. I walked back home and worked on the assignment for a while before going to sleep.

To Be Continued...