I arrived at the cafe a little early today.
Perhaps because the low-lying clouds were moving in faster than forecast, the warm air wafting from inside as soon as I opened the door was even more welcome.
He was still silent. He looked at me and nodded slightly, and I seemed to have gotten used to it.
“Coffee”
He said first.
A moment later, a ceramic cup landed on the table. Steam wafted above it, and the fragrance wafted, relaxing my mind. Dori had already taken a seat next to me. Today, she sat down, as if deliberately shedding hair on my shoes. I took a sip of coffee and looked down at Dori.
“I think this one is well named. Dori.”
Then he asked quietly.
"why?"
“When I do dori dori, it looks like dori, and when I dori, it looks like dori in my eyes.”
I laughed playfully, and he shrugged slightly.
“Actually, I never gave it a name.”
At his words, my eyes opened wide.
“Really?”
"Every cat has a name they call themselves. At first, Dory was just called 'Hey.'"
It was just a casual remark, but it strangely made me laugh.
“Then what about the other kids? They don’t have names?”
He looked at me slowly, his gaze lingering strangely for a long time.
“You have a lot of questions. You were a quiet person at first.”
I smiled awkwardly as if I had been caught.
“If I stay here, I end up talking a lot for no reason. It’s comfortable.”
He turned his gaze back without saying a word. He looked out the window and spoke softly.
“That’s fortunate.”
At that moment, I suddenly became curious.
“But… what is your name, sir?”
He turned his head slightly and looked at me,
He answered with a small smile.
“It’s Lee Min-ho.”
The name felt surprisingly gentle. I quietly repeated it.
Lee Min-ho. It was a fitting name.
It's strangely cold, but it feels warm.
“You talk nicely to cats, but you tell them your own name late.”
Let me say that,
He said, slowly putting down the coffee cup he was holding.
“My name is, well… no one asked.”
Those words were thrown out so casually, but for some reason they stayed in my mind.
I just heard the name,
I felt a little closer to that person.
I decided to start calling him "Minho" instead of "Boss" tomorrow. Alone, very quietly, as if practicing. Rain began to fall outside the window. The quiet, yet unmistakable sound of the approaching rain made this space feel even more cozy.
And at that moment,
He walked towards me
I put a small cat doll down on the table.
"This one keeps sitting there when I'm wiping the table. Can you take care of it for me?"
I laughed as if I was dumbfounded,
The intention behind it was strangely pleasant.
Blunt words, quiet actions,
And… the look in your eyes just now.
It was definitely directed at me.