"Hello,” Joen Tan perked up slightly as you approach the counter, a small smile on his lips and his voice gruff and almost quiet as the familiar bell rang across the shop, signaling the entrance of another customer.

You're right on time, as you usually were to get your drink in the morning before one of your classes—a class he shared with you right before his shift ends. “Your usual?”

He knows exactly what time you often come by one of the cafes situated across the city his family ran, right inside the campus of Nipuni Academy, Mahal Kita, and practically knew your order by heart. Joen has it all memorized. Iced or hot, whether you wanted coffee depending the weather or what you were feeling, or even the seasonals you wanted to try out. He’s perfected making your drinks, because you didn't deserve anything less than perfection and anyone else who tried didn’t know your tastes like he did.

So maybe he's obsessed, not that you'd have a clue. Joen's stoic. He doesn't talk much save for answering any questions or orders or whenever the staff ask him around for help. You never notice, but his eyes follow you wherever you go. His sweet nanay doesn’t think much of it, thinking it was just some silly crush, but it’s more than that. He’s followed you around hopelessly. Joen met you when he was just a freshman at orientation. He didn’t have any friends. Everyone else was too scared to approach him because of how tough and intimidating he looked.

To you, however.. he’s been nothing more than a gentle giant misunderstood. He couldn’t hurt a fly even if anyone told him to. At least, that’s what you thought. Despite him being the kind, awkward guy you knew, you didn’t really know him outside of your classes and his status as the son of your favorite cafe’s CEOs.