The following day, Ren moved through the café with quiet efficiency, checking orders and tidying tables. Seraphina lingered nearby, her presence impossible to ignore. Today, she'd abandoned subtlety. Leaning over the counter with exaggerated grace, she let her hair fall forward, eyes glinting with mischief.
"You're way too solemn all the time," she said, voice soft and teasing. "You need to loosen up. I know just the thing to help you relax."
Ren raised an eyebrow, already guessing where this was going. "And what exactly would that be?"
She smirked, tilting her head downwards, letting her gaze linger a fraction too long. "A date. Me taking you out. I know just the thing to make you forget all about work. Fun, thrilling… and something that gets your pulse racing. I think you'd like it… in more ways than one."
Ren kept his tone steady, measured, and his gaze firm but not cold. "Seraphina, I can't. Besides, you're an employee and we work together every day. Anything else… it wouldn't be right."
She leaned slightly closer, letting her fingers brush the edge of the counter near him, teasing, almost testing. "Oh, come on, you're no fun," she murmured, her grin sly. "Besides, you wouldn't want to know what you're missing out on, would you?"
Ren straightened, keeping his expression calm even as a faint heat rose to his cheeks. He drew in a measured breath. "I'm well aware of boundaries," he said firmly, voice controlled but polite. "And right now, my focus is on work, not… distractions."
Her eyes sparkled with mock challenge but she leaned back, letting the moment linger. "Suit yourself," she said lightly, though the teasing edge remained. "But don't say I didn't offer."
Ren turned back to the counter, letting the conversation drop, but internally, he was already planning: boundaries, clear and consistent, no exceptions. Unlike some of the girls who dropped their numbers or vanished after flirting at the café, Seraphina was here every day. He couldn't afford any indiscretions especially not when Noelle occupied his thoughts, heart and the small corner of his life where he allowed himself to breathe.
Later that evening, he called his father. "Dad," he said, keeping his tone measured, "I want to request a transfer to the restaurants as soon as replacements are found to cover the café."
His father's voice was steady, with the hint of amusement he always tried to hide. "Restaurants? That's a big shift for you, Ren. You're doing well at the café."
"I know," Ren said. "But I'm ready to step up. Once the café is covered, I want to transition to the restaurants and focus on expanding the business."
"Fine. We'll make arrangements," his father agreed.
Ren hung up, allowing himself a small sigh of relief. Work logistics were handled. Seraphina's teasing would end. Eventually.
Ren was adjusting a display when he felt her presence before he heard her voice.
"Noelle…" he muttered under his breath, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
She had come in quietly, just to check on him, to see if he was managing the café and the long hours. But the scene before her made her pause in the doorway.
Seraphina was leaning just a little too close, her fingers brushing against his arm as she tilted her head and whispered something with a teasing, sultry smile. Ren, for all his composure, was holding her at arm's length, his jaw tight but he didn't pull away entirely: a fact that made Noelle's stomach tighten.
Seraphina laughed softly, eyes glinting with mischief. "I'm telling you, a night out with me would do you wonders. You can't just work all the time," she purred, leaning in just slightly, letting her words and presence linger in the space between them.
Ren's voice was measured, calm, though the tension in his shoulders betrayed him. "Seraphina, I've told you… this isn't appropriate."
Her grin widened and she leaned even slightly, not enough to be aggressive but enough to be noticed. "You're no fun," she teased, letting her fingers trail casually near his hand. "I thought you liked a little danger."
Noelle's chest tightened, watching the exchange, her hands curling slightly at her sides. She could see it: the flirtation, the tension and it stirred a storm of emotions inside her. She wasn't sure if she was angry, jealous, or just… cautious, watching how Ren handled someone who wasn't her.
Ren's head flicked toward the doorway almost instinctively and when his eyes met hers, something softened but it wasn't apology. It was acknowledgment, a silent promise. I see you.
"Seraphina, that's enough." he said firmly, stepping slightly between her and the counter, subtly reclaiming the space.
Seraphina straightened, eyes sparkling with mischief but she gave a small, theatrical shrug. "Fine… have it your way," she said, though the challenge lingered in her glance.
Noelle stepped fully into the café then, heart still hammering. She didn't say anything at first, just watched as Ren moved back to his tasks, the tension between him and Seraphina lingering like a shadow.
Ren glanced at her, a small, reassuring smile crossing his face. It's nothing, he wanted to say without words.
Noelle felt the warmth of that promise, but she couldn't help the flicker of doubt. Seraphina was young, clever, and relentless. And Ren… well, Ren was human, no matter how controlled he appeared.
The air between them was heavy with unspoken words, emotions and the quiet reminder that love was never simple, even when it felt like home.
Noelle left the café that day feeling a strange mix of emotions. Her heart had leapt when she saw Ren but that leap faltered when she caught the scene. The teasing, the closeness, the way Seraphina leaned just a little too far, the spark in her eyes as she tried to get his attention.
She had always assumed that Ren would be hers completely, that he only had eyes for her, that his exhaustion came from juggling school and work, not because someone else was vying for his attention. But now, doubt crept in like a shadow she couldn't shake.
Does he care about her like he does me? she wondered, her stomach twisting. Does he even notice how she's leaning into him? Or is he enjoying it?
Every time she recalled the small gestures, Seraphina brushing against his arm, whispering something that made him tense and smile all at once, a knot tightened in her chest. She trusted him, yes. She believed in him, in their connection. But seeing someone else intentionally flirt with him, seeing how effortlessly she could draw his attention, planted seeds of uncertainty.
Noelle shook her head, trying to dismiss it. He's just… being polite. He has to deal with her. He's responsible. He wouldn't—he couldn't…
Yet the questions lingered. Why did he always look so tired? Why did he work so late? Was it only the cafés and the outlets or had there been other moments like today that she hadn't seen?
Her hands clenched slightly at her sides. She wanted to trust him… to believe that Ren's heart, his mind, and his exhaustion belonged to her and only her. But for the first time, a tiny, nagging voice whispered that maybe things weren't as simple as she had thought.