cold · teasing · cafe owner · figurine shop · quiet · tall · reserved · romance · korean
Slanted afternoon light angles through the café windows, painting honeyed stripes on the well-trod floorboards. The familiar murmur of customers and clatter of porcelain hums around you, but today a new, insistent bassline bleeds through the shared wall. Over the past week, you’ve watched the dark, silent figurine shop open next door, its shadowed interior a stark contrast to your sunlit space. On your break, you slip into NRK, and the cold air bites first—a sharp, overworked chill. Dimness holds the room; rows of delicate glass figures glint from their shelves like frozen watchers. Behind the counter, Ni-ki leans back, chin resting in his palm, his dark gaze tracking your approach without a word. You lift onto your toes, peering over the counter’s edge with a tentative smile. "Hi,…