SOUL

Chapter 1: THE CAFÉ GHOST

Biu was late again for his graveyard shift on his part time job. It's a twenty-four hour coffee shop in the center of the street that never sleeps. The city is still glowing in lights even if it's already half past eleven in the evening. Biu wore his apron and started cleaning the counter, getting ready for his shift. The kitchen door opened and the owner of the café went to him.

"I'll be leaving now, Biu. Are you sure you'll be fine alone tonight?" The owner, Kao, asked him.

"Yes, Phi." Biu answered with so much enthusiasm.

The café usually has two workers for the graveyard shift but the other employee took a sick leave due to influenza. It was urgent that the owner wasn't able to find someone to replace the spot tonight. But Biu will be fine. It's mid-week and there are fewer customers at midnight. Unlike the weekends where people partying all night used to drop by the café before going home.

"I'm sorry I can't find you a partner tonight." The owner said.

Biu shook his head. "No worries. I can handle this. I should be the one to say sorry for being late again. My co-worker at the store came late." He scratched the back of his head.

"Thirty minutes is not a big deal. I know you've been having a hard time balancing two part time jobs and college."

Yes, he's working and studying at the same time. He's a barista and an employee at a twenty four hour store. He has to take night shifts because he's a student in the morning. But it won't last long. He will be graduating in a month. He just needs to take the final examination, pass his plates and wait for the graduation announcement. He'll find a high paying full time job after that.

"I'll get going now. My wife is probably still waiting for me. You know, she's pregnant and doesn't like to sleep alone." They shared a laugh. "Give me a call if anything happens. Be careful, okay?"

"Alright, Phi. Say hi to P'Pra for me."

"She'll be happy to hear that. It's been years and she's still so fond of you. Bye."

Biu waved to him. Kao and Pra were the owners of the café. When Biu was looking for a part time job when he was still a freshman in college, Pra was the one who interviewed him. He got accepted and Kao trained him. There are other part time workers in the café and both of the owners are very considerate of them. They were treated fairly. That makes the workers respect them so much.

Biu went back to arranging the counter and cleaning the machines. From time to time, there are people who drop by for a take away coffee or stay for a little while in the store. Biu crouched down on the floor to get a receipt paper roll on the bottom cabinet. He stood up to load it to the receipt machine but was startled when he saw a man standing in front of the counter, right in front of him. He looked at the door, he didn't hear the sound of the chimes hanging in there so he thought he was alone. The last customers he had left a few minutes ago.

"H-hi. Good evening, Sir." Biu cleared his throat to calm himself. "What can I get for you?"

The man's eyes widened. "You can see me?"

—-------

Bib is loitering in the streets again. He's tired of walking. No, not physically tired because one of the perks of being a ghost is you never get tires. He is mentally tired of walking, trying to find the place where he should be at. He tried kicking a stone he found in the pavement but his foot just went through it. He pouts. Bib looked around him, he saw people still widely awake at this late hour. Some are walking past him and some are eating and drinking in the shops at the side of the road. Another perk of being a loitering soul is that he never gets hungry or thirsty. But he misses the taste of food, the sweetness of soda and the bitterness of boozes. He pouts once again.

He turned his head away and focused on the pavement, continuing his journey to nowhere. He can't afford to look at them longer. Happily spending time having the things they want. He was like that also before. A college student who's living his life to the fullest. Enjoying the things he wants. Trying to be a good son and doing his best as a student. He believed that a person could only live once so he made his life memorable. But when he died- no - when his physical body died, he didn't know what to do. He's dead but he's still alive.

He looked at the dark sky. "Can anybody just pick me up here? I don't know the way up there. Can you send someone to guide me? Are you so busy that you forget about me? Maybe you have a spare angel to at least guide me up there?" 

A few seconds of silence. Bib gave up. He sighed heavily knowing that no one would actually answer him. He once again looked around. Trying to find things that would keep him busy. He was startled when a man passed through him, running and seeming like in a hurry. He was wearing a white long sleeve top, sleeves folded to his elbows, denim jeans and a bag crossed on his body. He was sprinting away and Bib's curiosity hit. He ran after the man. He kept dodging people walking in the pavement to pass them, Bib was copying his movements as if he would really hit someone if he made contact. He was enjoying this. He never felt anything rush for a long time. Whatever this man was running to must be very important.

The man stopped in a medium sized Biuing, a coffee shop. He quickly went inside, making the chimes hanging on the door chirm, but the Bib stayed outside. Coffee. Bib loves coffee during his living days. He used to have coffee all the time. A habit he got from his father. He looked through the glass walls where he could see the whole inside of the store. The man he was following removed his bag and wore an apron.

Ah, he's an employee who's late for his shift. Bib smiled at the thought. 

A man went near him and they talked for a bit. After that, the other man left the Biuing. The man started working. Bib finds a flower box beside the pavement so he sat down, facing the cafe. He observed how the man works. He's moving smoothly as if he is so used to whatever he is doing. Bib noticed how his eyes turn into crescent when he talks to customers and how holes in his cheeks appeared all the time. When the man bid goodbye to the two women who bought take away coffees, those dimples are visible again. Bib got more curious. What do those dimples look like at a closer distance?

So, he stood up and went inside the café, of course going through the glass walls the man on the counter crouched to and was looking for something. When he found what he was looking for, he stood up. The man flinched upon seeing him. His face became pale and stepped back a little.

I startled him, Bib thought. Wait. Does that mean..

"H-hi. Good evening, Sir." He cleared his throat "What can I get for you?"

 "You can see me?"

—-------

Biu had been working in this coffee shop for years and he mostly had graveyard shifts. But tonight is the most weird shift he ever had. This is far from taking orders from heavily drunk people whose words are incomprehensible. The man, who startled him, asked if he could sit on one of the chairs without ordering anything. Biu allowed him. Maybe the man is too drunk and needs some time to calm himself. He busied himself at work. Taking orders for the customers who come in. But from time to time, he's glancing at the man who never moved from his seat. He is looking at him like he wants to ask something.

It was thirty minutes before his shift ended and his co-worker came early. He was about to tell him that there is a drunk man sitting but when he looked at where the man was sitting, he found no one. He tried to look around the café but he couldn't find him.

Weird.

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🖤INTEREST CHECK!💙

Hi, my bebis!

I woke up today and this was the first thing on my mind. So I have to write it down.

Just want to know if you are interested on this story so I can write further. I already have the plot but I don't know how many chapters this would get through. This will be a short multi-chaptered story. Let me know if you want this to be continued.

Love,
Nam