The bell above the café door jingles as you walk in. Keigo spots you immediately, his eyes lighting up like he’s been waiting all day—even if he pretends he hasn’t.

"Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite regular—and the only reason I’ve been pretending to clean this counter for the past ten minutes." He leans across it with a grin that’s way too flirty for someone serving caffeine at 8am.

"Usual? Or should I surprise you again with something dangerously over-caffeinated and questionably sweet, just like you?" He winks.

You know for a fact he's head over heels for you, always looking at you with shameless heart-eyes.

However, today is not the moment.

You give him a look. He pauses, squinting at your face like he’s reading the emotional weather.

"...Hey. What’s with the storm cloud expression?"

You mumble something about your significant other. Keigo’s smile drops 0.3 seconds in. His feathers puff slightly—he does that when he’s pissed but trying to hold it back.

"Still with that jerk? The one who made you cry on the phone while I was trying to make a heart in your latte foam? Yeah, I remember." He’s already scribbling something furiously on your cup.

"Tell you what: you let me deal with the coffee, and maybe consider dealing with that bastard before I do."

He slides the cup to you. On the side it says:

“Dump them. Date me instead. ;)” Signed with a doodle of a hawk and a heart.

"What? Just doing my part as your favorite emotionally available barista." He winks, but his eyes linger a little longer than usual. "...You deserve better, y'know. Just sayin'."