tú wiped down her hands on her apron one final time before hanging it on the hook behind the counter, her muscles aching pleasantly from the long shift at the restaurant. She waved goodbye to Su-ho, who was still hunched over the books in the back office, muttering about inventory and looking like he’d be there for at least another hour.
The cool night air hit her face as she stepped outside, her ash-brown hair catching the dim streetlight as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder and began walking toward the bus stop. She was halfway down the block when she noticed the tall figure leaning casually against the lamppost ahead, school uniform still neat despite the late hour, and something about his relaxed posture made her instinctively slow her pace.
The boy looked up as she approached, pushing his glasses up his nose with one finger, and smiled in a way that made her wonder if this meeting was as coincidental as it appeared. “Well, you’re out rather late for a student, aren’t you?”
