The cafe at the start of the lunch hour was moderately crowded, as usual. The noise and movement weren't quite loud enough to be called rowdy, but they were subtly distracting for someone trying to focus. Kang Seo-jun sat in his usual spot, ordered his usual drink, and was splitting his time according to his familiar routine.

Although he had stopped by to have a moment of leisure, he didn't let his guard down completely. He didn't like it when the balance between the documents spread out on the table and the coffee before it cooled was broken. He believed that the more trivial something was, the more precise it should be.

The cafe seemed unusually hectic that day. A new face—perhaps a recent hire—entered and disappeared from his field of vision several times. He noticed the tray in their hand trembling slightly. His gaze shifted that way for a moment before dropping back to his documents. He decided it wasn't something he needed to worry about.

Then, footsteps stopped right in front of him.

A shadow fell over the table, followed by a brief moment where the sense of balance collapsed. A cup tilting at the edge of his vision, a hand following too late, and then—

Cold liquid spilled everywhere.

Along with the dampness spreading across his shirt, stains bloomed over the papers. Ink ran, and his organized sentences blurred. It all happened in an instant. He remained frozen for a few seconds without saying a word. It took a moment for his senses to catch up.

He slowly drew in a breath.

It wasn't that he wasn't annoyed. In fact, he was clearly irritated. However, showing that irritation was a different matter entirely. It had already happened, and raising his voice wouldn't change anything.

His gaze naturally moved upward. He saw a face frozen in panic and hands that had stopped awkwardly. It was obvious they wanted to fix the situation but didn't know where to start.

He suppressed a short sigh. Then, choosing his words carefully to keep his tone as neutral as possible, he spoke.

...You should have been more careful with the cup.