Winter is the least favorite time for Zitao. Not that he hates it. But the cold. He didn't good with cold. He'd love to curled up on his bed, watching some old movies and enjoying a cup of coffee.
But, he knows far too well if he didn't go to work he can't even enjoy a cup of coffee.
So as one of the baristas in a café in Shanghai he should get to work or he wouldn't be able to enjoy his favorite coffee. That's included to work in a minus temperature. The heater in the café didn't affect him much. He still felt like going to freeze every minutes passed. He was glad that the customers didn't stop coming since he flip the "closed" tag to the "open" one. At least, he could collect some body heat from making coffee.
Zitao averted his gaze to the outside of the café. Watching the snow falling slowly. It hadn't stop falling since he stepped out of his apartment building this morning.
"Ah, finally it's closed time."
Zitao turned his head towards one of his co-workers, Yixing. He blinked before looked at his watch.
"But it's only 6." He commented.
It's not like he didn't want to go home. But it's only 6 p.m. what if a customer or some come after they closed. The café usually closed at 10 p.m. anyway.
"But, Junmian said that." Yixing explained.
Zitao furrowed his eyebrows. "Ge, are you sure?" he asked.
Yixing tilted his head. "Kind of.."
The younger of the two sighed. "Hey, Lu-ge!" he called another co-worker that passed by him.
"Yo?" the deer-man looked up. "What's up panda-boy?"
"Are we going to close for today?"
"Really?" the already round eyes got rounder as Lu Han asked again. "Who said that?"
"I said that."
The three workers turned their attention to the owner of the shop who was standing in front of the kitchen door with a cup of coffee in his hand.
"But it's only 6." Lu Han said.
"I'm tired. And this is cold. Besides, don't you guys want to go home?"
Lu Han, Yixing, and Zitao stared at each other. "Well…"
ZItao sighed fot the nth time this night. He rubbed his palms together, seeking for warmth. Mentally cursed himself for not brought a pair of gloves.
The snow had been stopped falling, leaving the cold behing. The 24 years old shivered. Thanks God his apartment isn't that far.
He stared far in front of him. Where a bus stop's roof thick with snow. As his steps reached the bus stop he saw a blonde girl. Sitting there alone with her suitcase beside her.
The girl picked her outfit well, Zitao noted. Her read beanie on the long blonde locks standing out among the other dark colored outfits she wore.
Suddenly, the girl turned her head towards his direction. The girl seemed shocked as their eyes met.
"Z-Zitao?"
Zitao blinked. Studying the girls' face.
"You.. Oh Sehun?"
He stepped closer to the girl as she stood up. Wanting to ask her some questions.
That girl, Oh Sehun happened to be his ex-girlfriend. She's a Korean girl. They were dating for about 6 months, when Zitao spent his high school years in South Korea.
Sehun was a real description of "adorable princess." She had pink hair back then. And Zitao used to tease her. Sehun was his junior in high-school. Just a year below him. They broke up because Zitao had to going back to his hometown.
"What.. what are you doing here?"
Sehun stared at him. Lips trembling. "I.." she looked down. Buried half of her face in her dark blue scarf.
Zitao stepped closed again. "She's gonna cry." He thought.
She whined, leaning closer until her forehead bumped with Zitao's chest. "I got lost.."
Zitao shocked for a moment before let his arm embrace her. Her body shook as she sobbed harder each seconds passed.
"I'm so scared.. and it's so cold. I call him but he didn't answer my call or my text." She said between tears and sobs. Her hand clutched at Zitao's coat.
Sehun's cry almost made Zitao panicked. Almost. It's because he still remember the girls' weakness too well. She scared of a lot of things. Darkness is one of them.
"Let's go to my place first. I'm freezing."
"So.. what are you doing in Shanghai? All alone?"
Zitao asked as he handed a cup of hot chocolate to Sehun. He sat down on the couch across the girl and sipped his coffee.
"I'm.. I'm on vacation." She answered quietly. "..but, I got lost."
"How can?"
Sehun blushed. "I.. I think I read the wrong address in the taxi." She mumbled.
Zitao huffed. "How reckless. You should have been show the address to the driver, not read it by yourself because.. do you even understand Chinese?"
Suddenly the girl pouted. She put her cup down on the coffee table before crossed her arms on her chest.
"I do understand!" she said proudly.
"You do?"
The girl blushed again. "I am.. still learning on it." Then she looked up again. "Beside, it's not my fault that my phone ran out battery."
Zitao sighed again. "You are never at fault." He mumbled in Chinese.
"Pardon me?"
"No, forget it." He stood up and walked to the kitchen. After put his cup down on the sink he rummaged through his refrigerator. "Have you eat something?" Zitao asked from the kitchen.
"I have. Don't worry." Sehun answered. Without him knowing, the girl was behind him, still holding her cup of hot chocolate.
"Um.. Zitao, can I.. borrow your phone? I.. want to call..someone."
Zitao stared at Sehun for awhile. 'Why is she being this awkward?' he thought before pulled out his phone from his jeans.
"So.. do you still doing.. um, wushu?"
Zitao looked up from his dinner (he ended up had an instant noodle). "Yeah sometimes on weekend. I'm kind of busy." He chuckled before going back to his noodle. "What did you eat?"
"Um.. burger." She answered honestly.
"I though you didn't really eat junk foods."
Sehun nodded. "That was because I was so hungry and that's the only place near." She explained. "I was so hopeless."
Zitao stared at her playing with her scarf. He studied her face. She is so beautiful. That cute nose.. cherry lips. And that eyesmile. He wanted to know, does she still love him? Or does she has move on someone else? He missed her so much but would she felt the same? Guess not. Who will misses someone who left her? Although, he didn't really want to leave.
He finished his dinner and clean the table after. He will do the dishes later. Just after he got back to the living room, the doorbell rang.
"Ah, he must be here." Sehun lighten up. She had put her empty cup on the sink before she ran to the front door.
Zitao just following behind.
Once Sehun opened the door, Zitao saw a really tall young man.
Zitao is tall. But this guy is taller. And he seemed like could kill a person just with his gaze.
"Oppa!"
Sehun whined as she saw the man. Then she hugged him..
Zitao blinked.
"I was so scared." Sehun cried out.
Zitao just watched thr two without say anything. Because, he neither knew what to say nor to do.
"Why didn't you tell me first that you're coming here? I could have picked you up in the airport. I called you back but couldn't reach you." The man hugged Sehun even tighter.
"I.. I want to surprise you." Sehun mumbled.
Zitao got curious about the guy. The look so lovely, made him jealous. Even years had passed, Zitao still loves Sehun from head to toes.
The guy chuckled. "Cute. Okay okay, my fiancée, I'm glad that you're safe now."
Wait, fiancée?!
Zitao's eyes grew wide.
So this guy is Sehun's fiancé? So, Sehun went vacation for this guy? Deep inside his heart, he felt hurt. He didn't know why. But suddenly he felt his heart heavy. He inhaled deeply as Sehun pulled out of her fiance's embrace and turned around, facing him. She clung her arms on the man's and smiled at him.
"I met Zitao. He was my high school friend."
Zitao smiled bitterly. "High-school friend, huh? You mean.. boyfriend, Sehun?"
As the man stared at him, Zitao blinked.
"Hello, I'm Wu Yifan. Sehun's fiancé. Thank you for helping this clumsy baby."
Sehun gasped. "I'm not clumsy.. and I'm not a baby." She whined, stomping her feet.
The Wu Yifan guy grinned. All gums and teeth.
"Yeah.. I'm Huang Zitao." Zitao bowed his head a little. "Come inside." He invited emotionlessly.
"Ah, thank you. But I'll just picked her up. Beside, it's kinda late." Wu Yifan glanced at his watch. "And my mother is dying to see Sehun. She was really worried."
Sehee gasped, again. "She was?! Really?!" she sighed. "I'm making her worried again."
Zitao really was jealous. But he couldn't blame Sehun for engaged to another guy. He was the one who left her. He could do nothing beside accept it that she can't be his again.
"I'm going to take my luggage first okay?"
Zitao moved aside to let Sehun got inside to get her luggage. He stared at her back as she and her fiancé walked away.
Zitao stood near the big window of his apartment. Looking far outside on particularly nothing. It's been awhile since the snow had falling again.
It's been awhile since a blonde girl sat on his couch, wrapped in his blanket and sipped the hot chocolate he made.
It' been awhile since he felt warmth in his heart seeing the girl he loves after years passed. Like a sun, shone his gloomy winter night.
It's been awhile since he knew that the girl he loved.. no, he loves is engaged to another guy.
It's been awhile since Zitao read and opened note left by Oh Sehun in his phone.
"I'm sorry, Zitao."