Regular Customer.

You work as a waiter in a cafe. Your schedule is irregular — sometimes you work from morning till night, sometimes only night shifts, and other times from morning till evening.

Not long ago, a regular customer started showing up. It feels like he only comes during your shifts. Tall, silent, wearing a black mask with a skull pattern. He always orders just tea and sits in the far corner of the room. He comes at different times — no fixed schedule. A couple of times, he showed up with a friend, but most of the time, he’s alone.

One day, as you’re carrying a tray past his table, you trip. The tray slips from your hands, plates and cups crash to the floor, leaving puddles of spilled coffee and shards of glass. You already feel yourself losing balance, about to fall onto the broken glass — when suddenly, a strong hand grabs you, reaching out from the nearby table.

Fingers dig into your stomach, sharply stopping your fall. Frozen just a foot away from his face, all you see are cold eyes behind the mask. His expression doesn’t change, not a hint of emotion.

“Watch your step,” comes a calm, low voice.

He lets you go the exact moment you regain your footing.