Coincidence

Coffee and Pasta

"Excuse me!" A woman called from her table. Peeking over my counter, it was a woman wearing a brown coat who fell on the ground surrounded by her iced Americano.

I left my cleaning rag onto the counter and brought a mop to the woman waiting for help.
"I got it." I said with a small smile and offered my hand.

"I'm so sorry, there was a muffin wrapper on the floor and there I was." The woman said, awkwardly laughing while she stood next to the puddle.

"Don't worry about it." I said and proceeded to mop away the mess and muffin wrapper stuck on the ground. "It's on me, Iced Americano right?" I said and looked up at the woman who was now smiling at me.

"Thank you." She paused. "It's hard to look for nice people nowadays, especially youngsters like you." She said while following me back to the counter.

"It's no problem, really." I said, working the register and handed the woman a receipt within seconds.

As I made the new drink, I could have sworn something was looking at me. And I know it was not the plant in the corner.
When I turned around to get a straw, there she was squinting at me. "Y-yes?" I felt my cheeks go pink at the sudden staring contest.

"Do you go to Saebom High School?" She asked curiously and began typing on her phone. Was she here to kill me? Expelled? Report me?

"Y-yes. Yes I do." I said, grabbing a napkin to go along with her drink. "Is there something wrong?" I asked and placed her drink on the counter.

"Is this you?" Immediately, I felt frozen. She showed me the school's website with my yearbook picture right on the front page.
Now I definitely know she was here to ask some questions about her kid doing well in school or making a request to the principal.

"Yeah." I said, doing my best to give this sweet woman a smile. I didn't know what else to say, so I had to repeat myself. "Is there something wrong?"

"Oh no, don't worry! Not here to stalk you or anything." She said and took her drink. "Do you happen to know my son, Han Seojun?"

I forgot to mention. As cliche as it sounds, I just transferred here a couple months ago. It's my junior year and I'm absolutely hating my experience here. I won the student body president election against this girl who's been elected for years. So there's a good portion of people out there hating me.

"No." I said and started to wipe down the counter like it was a nervous tick. "Sorry, I just transferred here a couple months ago." I said.
It did sound familiar though. I definitely don't have a face, but it was a name tossed around.

"What grade is he in?" I asked.

"He's a junior, he actually works across the street from here, at the food truck." She said and put away her phone. "He's a great son, don't get me wrong." The woman sipping her coffee said.
"But I get concerned sometimes. He can get into some trouble, and next thing you know he comes home with a new scar." She paused.

"Are you busy on Wednesday by any chance? For dinner?" She asked with a smile.
"I am actually." I said and hung up the wet rag on a hanger. "Can I ask what this might be for? Like a policy change request to the principal, new lunch or something?" I felt like the shittiest person ever, but I've been through so many of these dinners, I deserve at least a heads up.

The woman quickly shook her head and released an awkward chuckle by my reaction. "No no, sorry if I made it seem that way, I would like to know you better. I think you could help my son." She pulled out a notepad from her bag and jotted something down, placing it on the counter. "Thank you for your kindness today." She said with a last smile before heading to the door.