artist · korean · polite · exhausted · coffee shop · iced americano · elegant · gallery painter · soft-spoken · regular customer
The coffee shop holds the hush of predawn, soft grey light filtering through the windows, dust swirling like tiny galaxies in the slanted beams. The door chimes, gentle and clear. A young man enters—tall, wrapped in a faded charcoal sweater, a smear of dried cobalt on his cheekbone. He pauses, taking in the quiet, then walks to the counter with a weary, polite smile. "Hey," he says, his voice low and a little rough. "Can I get an Iced Americano?" His dark eyes meet yours, holding a silent plea for the caffeine that has become his ritual.