"But that's the kind of hopeless reality we live in they'll say"

After tapping his pencil over the page of his notebook for over fifteen minutes, Seto decided that it was enough. His muffin was long eaten, coffee long drunk. He tried writing he rest of his new chapter, but the inspiration wouldn't and wouldn't come to him. The only thing he could think about were the stranger's - Brice's - deep blue eyes, how his soft looking blonde hair would feel if he ran his fingers through it, and how his skin almost shone in the soft Sundays.

He stood up, heaving a sigh and taking his plate, going over to the counter where Miss Martha was dutyfuly cutting cakes.

"Oh, leaving already, Seto boy?" she asked with a smile, setting down the knife she had been holding.

"Yeah," he nodded, fishing in his pocket for his wallet. "I have some things to take care of today," he said. Mostly involving not coming home until late at night. He paid for the treats, smiling gently as Miss Martha waved him on his way out of the shop, smiling brightly as a 60 Watt lightbulb.

"See you tomorrow, Seto boy!" she called after him cheerfully.

"Later, Miss Martha," he said, pushing the glass door open.


Brice stood up after few minutes, going over to the counter himself with his empty plate and cup.

"You're leaving too, Brice boy?" Martha asked with a small pout on her tanned face.

"Yeah…" he murmured. "Martha, could you tell me about that boy?" he asked tentatively as he paid his receipt.

The shop owner leaned on the counter, relaxing her arms and giving him back his change. "Oh you mean Seto?"

Brice nodded, taking the coins.

"Well, he comes here everyday," she said, taking Brice's dishes. She turned to the sink that sat on the back wall and turned on the faucet. "He always has the same; a chocolate muffin and milky latte," she explained as she cleaned the crumbs off the plate and washed it.

"I see…" Brice mumbled. That didn't help his curiosity much.

"He's a very nice boy, Seto is. Always polite, always polite," Martha talked to herself, as Brice was only listening with one ear. Her sponge made sqeaky noises as she cleaned the cup with it. "But he is always alone. There was not a time I had seen him talk to anyone else than me in this shop, before today."

"Hmmm…" Brice hummed. His curiosity was being picked and picked. He wanted to know who Seto was and why he was always alone.

"When does he usually come?" Brice asked openly.

Damn his curiosity.


Seto walked down the street, looking back and forth in every direction with his chocolate eyes. He had pulled his purple hood over his head, effectively hiding his soft brunet hair as he sped down along the crowds of people shopping.

He didn't know where he was going, but one thing was for sure: not home.