"Well I'm glad to see you back."
Back here. She didn't add, but instead offered another smile, unsure of how to keep the conversation going. He was a stranger to her now -- they were back in square one, back to the first time they met when they were working in their respective dessert shops. But there was a sense of aching familiarity like always, and like the first time they met, despite not knowing what happened before their meeting, Hyuna knew Hyunseung.
"Ooh, look at you, a medal huh? Impressive." she grinned, playfully nudging the other.
"But then again, I wouldn't expect anything less from you." she flashed him another smile, this time instead of the million-watt flash that she offered to fizz the awkwardness between them, a genuine one full of pride. She opened up her mouth to say something else, maybe offer her a piece of her own life. Like how she doesn't teach anymore, no need to mention what happened; she just wanted him to know that even the parts in her life that couldn't be seen has changed while they were away from each other. Maybe she wanted to tell him that she lived in the States for a while after she left Ristretto. Or just ask him a questions, fill in all the gaps she missed about his life, like if he still keeps in contact with anyone that used to be here, or if he saw any familiar faces other than her own since he came back. What does he do now? What did he do before he got drafted?
But Hyunjae whined again and interrupted her thoughts a second time as he tried to reach the glass case freezer.
With a sigh, she kissed her son's forehead before putting him down on the floor. "Okay, okay, sorry, sorry. Which one do you want to eat?"
With his mother's promise, Hyunjae toddled closer to the glass display with excitement, large eyes scanning the various flavours as his mother followed him.
"Do you want to get chocolate?" she asked, pointing to the dark swirl in the corner as she moved to pick her son back up so he can get a better view. Hyunjae nodded slightly, his thumb in his mouth and his eyes remaining glued to the case.
"I take that as a yes." she laughed and kissed her son's cheek again. Hyunjae clapped in response. "One kid-sized chocolate cup, a strawberry waffle cone and..." she turned to Hyunseung.
