CHAPTER 23 : The Quiet Before the Wrong Smile

The morning bell above the café door chimed softly, breaking the stillness as sunlight spilled across the polished wooden counters like liquid gold.

Aiden moved behind the espresso machine with slow, tired motions. Steam hissed upward, curling in thin spirals, almost like it wanted to escape the same life he had only just managed to return to.

“Boss, you’re early again,” one of the staff called from the kitchen, the sound of clinking cups following her voice.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Aiden replied lightly, forcing a small smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Besides, this place runs better when I’m here.”

From the side counter, Justin leaned casually against it, sipping a takeaway cup like he owned the morning.

“You say that like you’re not the reason it runs at all,” he said.

Aiden shot him a glance. “Flattery won’t get you free breakfast.”

“It usually does.”

That earned a short, tired laugh from Aiden.

For a moment, everything felt normal.

Warm.

Predictable.

No Tokyo.

No kidnappings.

No suits worth more than buildings.

Just coffee, noise, and routine—the kind of ordinary life that didn’t ask for survival skills.

Aiden exhaled slowly, resting his elbows on the counter. “Maybe… things are finally going back to normal.”

Justin didn’t respond immediately, just watched him quietly for a second.

Then...

The bell above the door chimed again.

But this time, the air shifted.

Aiden didn’t look up immediately.

“Welcome—” he began automatically.

Then froze.

Because the voice that answered didn’t belong here.

“It smells better here than I imagined,” Mike said smoothly.

Aiden slowly lifted his head.

Mike stood near the entrance, hands in his pockets, calm as if he had walked into a boardroom instead of a small café. His presence didn’t announce itself loudly—but it didn’t need to.

It filled the space anyway.

Not a customer.

Not a stranger.

Something carefully positioned between both.

Aiden blinked. “…You again?”

Mike smiled as if that was exactly the response he wanted.

“I was hoping you’d say that.”

Justin, sensing the shift instantly, lowered his cup slightly. “Uh… should I be worried?”

Mike’s eyes flicked to him briefly—measured, assessing—before returning to Aiden.

“No,” Mike said politely. “Not yet.”

That single word settled heavily in the air.

Aiden pulled Justin aside near the storage corridor outside the café.

“I just need you to attend to the customers,” Aiden said quickly. “He’s just a regular customer. I’ve only met him once or twice...”

Justin immediately frowned. “Wait a second. You met him once or twice? Like Damien ‘once or twice’ or what?"

Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. “Come on, I’m not a call boy. I met him that day at the club, that’s all.”

Justin narrowed his eyes. “That’s all?”

Aiden sighed. “Fine. I also ran into him again in Tokyo. That’s it.”

Justin’s expression hardened. “Ehh… is he some kind of club addict or something? Anyway, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know,” Aiden admitted honestly. “I’ll just hear him out first. Then send him away.”

Justin sighed, but his tone softened. “Just don’t do anything stupid. And if anything feels off, signal me. I’ll be watching.”

“Thanks,” Aiden muttered.

“I’ll stay behind the counter,” Justin added. “Subtle surveillance. Very professional.”

Aiden almost smiled despite himself. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Pays the bills,” Justin replied proudly.

When Aiden returned, Mike was already seated by the window, as if he had chosen that spot long before arriving.

“What would you like to order, sir?” Aiden asked, forcing professionalism into his voice.

Mike ordered something simple. Nothing extravagant. Nothing that matched the weight of his presence.

Aiden delivered it himself, then turned as if to leave.

“Why don’t you sit for a moment?” Mike said gently, stirring his drink. “Let’s talk properly.”

Aiden hesitated.

Just a second too long.

Then, against his better judgment, he sat across from him.

Mike studied him quietly.

“How does a third-year student end up co-owning a café like this?” he asked with a faint smile.

Aiden shrugged. “I’m not the sole owner. It’s… complicated.”

“Everything about you seems complicated,” Mike said softly.

Aiden frowned. “What exactly brings you here?”

Mike leaned back slightly. “I didn’t come here for you, actually.”

Aiden didn’t miss the pause.

“But…” Mike added, “don’t you think it’s interesting? How we keep crossing paths?”

Aiden narrowed his eyes. “Coincidence.”

Mike smiled. “Or something that refuses to stay coincidence.”

Aiden felt a small tension coil in his chest.

“What are you really here for?” he asked again, firmer.

“I was checking on a business nearby,” Mike replied casually. “This café caught my attention.”

Aiden didn’t fully believe him.

But he also didn’t have proof not to challenge it.

“Whatever it is,” Aiden muttered, “just don’t bring trouble into my café.”

Mike’s expression shifted slightly at that—just enough to be noticeable.

Then he leaned forward a little.

“I heard you were kidnapped in Tokyo,” he said softly.

Aiden stiffened instantly.

Mike watched him carefully.

“I didn’t think you’d survive something like that,” he added, almost thoughtfully.

Aiden’s voice dropped. “Excuse me?”

But Mike only smiled again, calm and unreadable.

As if he had never said anything dangerous at all.

Across the café, Justin leaned over the counter slightly.

“What are they talking about?” he murmured.

“I have no idea, sir,” one of the staff replied nervously.

Justin squinted. “Hmm… I’m itchy to know what’s going on.”

Ken, the manager, appeared behind him immediately. “And what exactly is this obsession with their conversation?”

Justin didn’t look away. “Nothing.”

Ken sighed. “You’ve had five smoothies.”

“I needed energy.”

“You’re going to bankrupt the café emotionally and financially.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

Just as Justin stood up to move closer,

Mike finished his conversation.

“I’d like you to think about what I said,” Mike told Aiden gently. “And give me a positive answer when the time comes.”

Then he stood.

Justin froze mid-step.

Mike glanced at him briefly.

“Justin, right?” Mike said casually. “You’re quite enthusiastic for someone who doesn’t own the place.”

Justin stiffened. “Ehh… is that how rich people talk to strangers?”

Mike only smiled.

Then walked out.The bell chimed once more as he left. But this time, it didn’t feel like morning anymore.It felt like something had already begun.

Aiden stood behind the counter quietly. Justin joined him. Neither spoke for a moment. Because both of them felt the same thing, The café was still the same.

But the air inside it was no longer safe.