Serin packed her things quickly. Once everything was set, she stepped outside to lock up.
Demian was sitting on the bench near the door, earphones in. One of his legs was stretched out casually. He noticed her and curved his lips, slowly spelling out,
Done… yet?
Serin didn't answer. She turned around and grabbed the shutter, yanking it down with a sharp pull.
So he actually waited this long… tch.
Demian watched her struggle for a moment. Then he stood and walked over.
"Need help?" he asked, already placing one hand on the shutter.
Serin flinched at his sudden closeness. "Huh?" She stepped back quickly. "Oh Mia pulled it down yesterday. I didn't know it was this hard." She laughed nervously, eyes flicking away.
She tucked her hair behind her ear. "What are you listening to?"
"Snap Out of It," Demian said bluntly while pulling the shutter down without any effort. He straightened and held his hand out toward her.
Serin blinked. "Huh?"
Then it clicked. "Oh! You mean the song Snap Out of It by Arctic Monkeys?" She laughed again, a little too fast. "Haha… I almost forgot."
Her gaze darted around. Why is he holding his hand out like that???
Demian chuckled and stepped closer. "Okay. Now give me the key."
"Oh! THE key! Yeah, sure—here." She shoved it into his hand and quickly walked away, dropping onto the bench. She pressed a hand to her head. "I just wanna go home now…"
Demian crouched down on one knee to lock the shutter, lips pressed together, fighting the urge to not laugh.
A figure was walking toward the café. "…Who's that?" Serin muttered, squinting.
As the streetlight caught his face, her breath hitched.
"Oh my gosh—why is he here??" She slapped both hands over her mouth, eyes wide in shock.
Carson spotted her at the same time and immediately started to walk faster.
"Oh hey," he said when he reached her, slightly breathless. "What are you doing here?"
Demian straightened after locking the shutter. His eyes followed Carson for a brief second before flicking back to Serin. He took a few steps closer and then stopped, standing there with his weight shifted to one leg, hands sliding into his pockets as he listened in silence.
"Oh—uh," Serin said quickly, standing up. "He's a friend! He knows the café owner!" She said it too fast, after noticing Carson glance at Demian.
Carson nodded. "Ohh, I see. You work here?"
"Yes!" Serin replied immediately. "I started yesterday."
Carson gave her a surprised expression. "You work this late?? Must be tiring."
Serin blinked, then waved a hand quickly. "Oh—no, no. It's only like this on weekends. We close late when it's busy," she explained, letting out a small laugh.
"Ah," Carson said, visibly relaxing. "That makes more sense."
She tilted her head, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "But… what about you? Why are you here this late?"
Carson chuckled softly. "My aunt lives a few blocks from here. I was visiting her on my way back." He glanced around the quiet street. "Didn't expect to run into you, though."
A few steps away, Demian slipped one earphone back in.
Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? started playing.
His jaw tightened slightly. He tilted his head back just a slightly, eyes half-lidded, but they never left Serin.
A sudden vibration buzzed against Serin's palm. She glanced down and froze.
"Why didn't you pick up my calls all day??" —Evelyn.
Serin sucked in a sharp breath. "Ohhhh!"
Carson looked at her in concern. "What is it?"
"My friend, Evelyn," Serin said quickly, already typing. "She's sick. I didn't realize she called so many times…"
"Oh," Carson said gently. "Then you should go."
She looked up, flustered. "Sorry. I really have to go check on her."
"No worries." He smiled warmly and lifted a hand in a small wave. "Take care, okay?"
"You too," Serin replied, waving back before stepping away.
As she turned away, her fingers flew across the screen, typing explanations about the chaos of the café.
And suddenly—
She flinched as a cool, solid touch brushed her cheek.
A metal key.
Demian had leaned in just enough, holding the café key as he pressed it lightly against her cheek. He tilted his head, a quiet laugh slipping past his lips.
Before Serin could react, he pulled his hand back and dropped the key into her palm.
She startled, jerking her head toward him. "What?!"
"So," he drawled, voice low. "How was the talk with your prince charming?"
"Tch." Serin said putting the keys in her bag. "Anyway, you go home. I have to stay at Evelyn's place tonight."
She started walking without waiting for a response.
Demian hesitated for half a second before taking the cake from the bench and falling into step beside her.
"So… she's actually sick," he muttered, gaze fixed on the side road.
"Of course she is," Serin replied absentmindedly, already back on her phone.
A few steps passed in silence.
"Where do you live, by the way?" she said, eyes glued to the screen as she messaged Evelyn.
Demian glanced sideways at her, at how focused she was. His expression got all serious.
"You know," he said quietly, "you can talk to her properly after you get home…"
Serin didn't answer. Of course she didn't hear it.
After another beat, Demian exhaled. "I live a few blocks away from Evelyn's place. So… I'll just walk with you."
He stopped talking, irritation flickering across his face. He looked away as he matched her pace in silence.
After a while Serin lowered her phone and finally glanced at him.
The streetlight caught his face as they walked beneath it, catching his features. The wine-red color of his T-shirt made his pale skin stand out even more, almost glowing in the dim light. But his eyes looked as lightless as ever. They had so much depth and that's probably what made him more handsome. He didn't glance at her—just walked beside her, silent.
She looked away almost immediately.
I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable around him... she thought.
Their footsteps echoed softly on the quiet street as Serin tilted her head up. The sky was clear, stars scattered across it like tiny sparks.
"So pretty…" she murmured.
Somewhere nearby, music drifted from a half-lit shop, the soft melody echoing faintly down the quiet street. Both of them caught the sound, but neither commented on it.
After a while, they reached the entrance of Evelyn's building. Demian slowed to a stop and turned to face Serin, shifting his weight slightly.
"Uh… so," he started, then stopped, clearly unsure of what to say next.
Serin let out a small, nervous laugh. The silence stretched. Neither of them seemed to know how to end this properly.
"Meet me at my school at 12 a.m tomorrow," she blurted out suddenly. "Bye."
She spun on her heel and rushed toward the entrance, but—
Her wrist was caught mid-step.
"Wait."
Demian's grip wasn't tight, but it was firm enough to stop her. He hesitated, then spoke again, voice lower now. "Uh… we should probably make plans and stuff."
He straightened, unconsciously pulling her a little closer. "So... give me your number. I'll add you to our band's group chat. If you don't mind."
Serin froze, eyes dropping to where his fingers held her, then up at him. "Oh! Yeah. Sure," Serin said quickly, still startled. "No problem."
After realizing, he released her wrist immediately and he stepped back. "Oh—sorry. That must've hurt."
"It's fine," Serin replied, voice flat from shock. "Give me your phone."
They exchanged numbers quickly. As soon as it was done, Serin turned again, clearly ready to escape.
"Wait."
She paused again after hearing the voice, shoulders tense.
Demian stood with one hand tucked into his pocket. "I'm not a ghost," he said lightly. "You don't have to run."
He held out the cake box, tilting his head slightly to the side. "And… take this. The cake was just an excuse to get Mia out of the scene."
He stepped closer, running a hand through his messy hair, clearly struggling to finish his thought. "You deserve it anyway. You're helping us out."
Serin didn't know how to react. For a brief moment, Demian scanned her up and down without saying anything.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue softly and looked away. "Just take it. I need to go home and shower."
Demian pressed the box into her hands and lifted a lazy wave without turning back.
"Gosh… I sweated so much today." he muttered, scratching the back of his head as he walked off.
Serin stood there, watching his figure disappear down the street.
"…Yeah," she said quietly, straightening as she finally let out a long sigh.
"I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable around him."
At the apartment, Serin and Evelyn sat cross-legged on the floor of the TV room, backs against the couch. Serin talked while cutting neat slices of the cake, explaining everything that had happened.
Evelyn didn't interrupt once. She just stared.
Serin placed two slices onto Evelyn's plate.
"…Can I eat now?" Evelyn asked, practically drooling.
Serin paused and looked at her with dead eyes. After a moment, she sighed. "Ugh. Go on."
"Why are you even asking me?" she said, picking up her own spoon.
Evelyn chuckled and took a huge bite. "Because you're babysitting me tonight."
Serin watched her chew. "…wah wah! You're gonna choke one day."
"HONESTLY," Evelyn said through another bite. "Mia makes the prettiest cakes. Look at this!" She lifted her plate dramatically. "HOW can someone even eat this? This belongs in a museum!"
Serin clicked her tongue. "Yeah... and it was made by me."
"Oh…" Evelyn's proud expression wilted instantly. She slowly set her plate down, lips pouting.
Evelyn suddenly sat up. "ANYWAY! Forget the cake. Why would you agree to something like that? Sneaking people into school at night?? Are you insane?? If you get caught, the head teacher won't even hesitate—"
Serin stabbed her spoon straight into the cake.
"To kick you out..." Evelyn finished her words with a glup, clearly scared.
"…He knew," Serin whispered.
"What?" Evelyn blinked.
"He KNEW!" Serin yelled suddenly, making Evelyn yelp and fall backward. "He knew I make bad decisions when I'm nervous! That's why he kept making me uncomfortable and then dumped that insane request on me!"
She fell backward while rolling dramatically, hands covering her face. "UGHHHH why am I like this!! Why do I always do this!! Serin you stupid bitch—"
"HEY!" Evelyn scrambled up, grabbing Serin's arm. "Get up! You'll catch a cold on the floor!"
She tried pulling Serin up, failed, and ended up half-falling on her instead. "UGHH!! How strong are you!? Now I know why they called you gorilla when you beat up a kid in kindergarten!!"
Now they both were going crazy...
Serin suddenly sat up straight.
"Oh my GOD! FUCK! give a warning before doing that!" Evelyn groaned, collapsing backward again.
Serin pushed her messy hair away from her face, breathing hard.
"I know what to do."
Evelyn squinted while panting. "That never sounds good."
"I'll block his number." Serin said slowly turning to Evelyn.
Evelyn's eyes widened. "If that brings you back to normal, PLEASE do it."
She grabbed Serin's phone and tossed it at her. "But…" she muttered, flopping down beside her, "I don't think blocking him will stop that bastard from doing whatever he wants."
Serin stared at the screen in her hand.
"…Yeah," she said quietly. "That's the problem."
A sudden vibration buzzed in Serin's hand.
Her phone lit up.
"Btw don't block me. I don't wanna make this too difficult. And you owe me... after I gave you that big cake too." — Demian.
The room went silent.
Serin and Evelyn slowly turned to look at each other.
"He..." Evelyn started, then stopped. "He even saved his number on your phone with his name?"
Serin's fingers tightened around the phone. She bit her lower lip, her expression slowly crumbling.
"I…" Her voice cracked. "I don't remember saving his number like that."
The screen glowed softly between them. Neither of them spoke.