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After coming to Korea, there were many things on Dongho's proverbial to-do list. Organize his apartment, find good cat food for Boba, and most importantly, find some coffee. He had developed an unfortunate caffeine addiction during his high school years, but hadn't had the foresight to plan for the different electrical outlets in Korea. Not the most ridiculous thing he's ever done, but that meant while he had to wait for a new machine to be delivered, he would need to head out of the apartment for coffee temporarily.
There happened to be a small place called Coffee Days within walking distance, at least according to his phone, so he decided to head there because no unpacking could happen without a little caffeine in his system. The shop seemed empty upon arrival, but Dongho just chalked it up to it being late afternoon when there was less of a rush for coffee and snacks (he blamed his jet lag for waking up past noon). The door had a little bell that jingled when he opened it, and he heard an employee in the back scurrying around so he quietly looked at the menu to see if they had an interesting options. While at this moment he just wanted some plain coffee (albeit with lots of milk), they did seem to have some fun looking latte options to try at a later point, he supposed.
"Hello! Sorry for the wait, how can I help you," a quiet but cheerful voice asked him, and as Dongho turned to give his order he was immediately stopped in his tracks. How was it possible for someone to look so cute, yet also so hot at the same exact moment? Dark red hair swept behind his ears, which were dotted with several piercings, were juxtaposed with the adorably lithe smile the employee was giving him.
He was so distracted he forgot to say anything until the employee lightly cleared their throat, "Do you need another moment or are you ready to order?"
Dongho mentally shook himself; he probably shouldn't be falling in love with the first person he met, especially not some barista at a coffee shop he would be unlikely to ever meet again, "Sorry, could I just get a plain coffee and a croissant, to-go?"
The employee, whose name tag Dongho noticed said Jaewon, quickly turned to pour the coffee into the cup, while Dongho did his best to avoid making it obvious that he was staring. Really, what had gotten into him?
"Here you are, enjoy!"
Dongho barely managed to mumble a thanks, and quickly rushed out of the coffee shop. As he walked back to his apartment, he sipped at the coffee; he appreciated the fact it seemed freshly made rather than the remnants of a lunch rush. He supposed that if their coffee was fine, he would have to come back another time. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he hoped Jaewon would be there again.
---
Within three days, Dongho had managed to get his apartment situated and (mostly) unpacked. He had found a good brand of cat food at a nearby store, and it thankfully came in a large enough bag that Dongho wouldn't have to go too often to buy more of it. He had even found the perfect corner of the counter to put his new coffee machine, which he was definitely putting to good use. In his haste to make his apartment look put-together, he had definitely been missing out on some sleep. Considering that he still wanted to organize the bathroom and closet tonight, he supposed an afternoon cup of coffee wouldn't hurt.
Except apparently it couldn't even exist, upon realizing that the milk he had purchased had gone rancid without him realizing, and there was no way Dongho was drinking coffee without milk. So clearly this meant another trip to Coffee Days, because there was no other solution to this situation. Plus, he could pick up more milk on his way back, so this was a win-win situation.
It was still early enough in the day that the store wasn't completely empty, but it was just one customer so Dongho headed in and quietly waited behind the person in front of him. He tried to subtly peer around and see if Jaewon was there, but it seemed like someone else was manning the cash register today. When it was his turn to order, the cashier (who, interestingly, did not wear a name tag) asked for his order.
"Americano, with blond espresso if you have it," deciding to switch it up for once.
The cashier turned to look around behind him, before calling out "Jaewon, do we have more blond espresso in the back? The container here is empty." Within a couple of moments, Jaewon, in all his beautiful glory, walked in holding a small container.
"Here you go Jun, this is the last container though so I'll put it on the inventory list," and Jun nodded quietly as he turned to make Dongho's order. Jaewon didn't go in to the back, instead choosing to lightly perch against the counter. He and Jun had a small conversation as Jun prepared the espresso, but their words were too quiet for Dongho to catch.
"Sir, here's your drink," and Dongho turned to see Jaewon holding out his cup to him. "Oh weren't you here a few days ago? I think I remember your face..." Jaewon said questioningly, slightly tilting his head to the side, as if trying to imagine what that day had been like.
"I did come in a few days ago, but I doubt you would remember me since you must have so many customers," Dongho said, but he was secretly pleased that he had somehow made such an impression.
"Ah, we're not usually very busy, so I tend to remember repeat customers," Jaewon said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I'll let you head on your way."
Not sure how to reply, Dongho just nodded as he accepted the drink from Jaewon's hand. On his way back home, he pondered Jaewon's words; if there were so few customers that Jaewon recognized him, especially with such a simple order, then business must be really slow.
Well, all the more reason for Dongho to stop by more often (and not at all so he could see Jaewon again).
Only once he got home did Dongho realize he forgot to purchase milk on his way back home.
---
Over the course of the next few weeks, Dongho found himself finding more and more reasons to head to Coffee Days. Oh, his coffee machine seemed to be slow that morning, he ran out of coffee filters, his favorite brand of milk was not at the store, Boba spilled the coffee on the carpet. He would tell himself it was just because they had good service and it didn't take too much time, but he also avoided looking at this bank account statement because he didn't need to see how much money he was spending there on a semi-regular basis.
Slowly, he began to learn more about the store itself. It was owned by a girl named Nari, whom he had only met once; she seemed to mostly work mornings, whereas Dongho tended to be at the shop late in the afternoon (which, coincidentally, was the same time as most of Jaewon's shifts). He learned that despite his surly nature, Jun was actually very nice, offering to remake Dongho's coffee when had made a face at how bitter it happened to be. But mostly, he learned about Jaewon; they began having small conversations while Jaewon was making him a drink. He learned Jaewon was in university, that he busked twice a week with a friend of his, that he loved sharks and had two shark pins he alternated wearing on his apron, that he wanted to dye his hair blue but he was scared he couldn't pull it off, so he was waiting for winter when he could wear a hat to cover it. He learned so much yet Dongho felt that there was so much more he wanted to know; did Jaewon know that he'd look amazing regardless of his hair color, and that the way he casually pushed his hair back drove Dongho crazy, and that Dongho had a gut instinct that Jaewon gave the best kind of hugs, the kind where you feel so engulfed in love and warmth you can never imagine being without.
Everyday Dongho walked in, telling himself that he would ask Jaewon out, but there was always something else going on, something that stopped him from letting the question slip out. And no, Dongho was not making excuses, but also maybe he was because he was somewhat terrified of rejection and he didn't want to know what would happen if Jaewon said no.
But then the day came where Dongho no longer had to worry about asking out Jaewon. He had walked into Coffee Days after a long morning of part-time work and deciding that he needed a pick-me-up before heading back home. As Jaewon made his drink (a special fall themed latte, because Dongho felt like splurging), Dongho noticed that no one else happened to be at the store. Usually Jun was there working with Jaewon, and Dongho was surprised not to see him.
"Oh this new movie came out the other day, and Jun has had tickets to see it for weeks, so Nari let him take this afternoon off," Jaewon said when Dongho inquired about it.
"Which movie? It must be big if Jun has been planning on seeing it for so long," Dongho asked.
"Um, I can't remember the name but it's that movie with Im Youngjoon in it I think."
"No way, I have been wanting to see that for a long time... I didn't even realize it had come out. Maybe I should try to get tickets for next week," Dongho said, as Jaewon turned around to hand him his drink.
Jaewon handed the drink to Dongho, but was quiet long enough to let Dongho know that he was trying to think of what to say. He noticed Jaewon taking a breath before responding to Dongho.
"You know, I happen to have an extra ticket to see the movie on Saturday, and I would love to have some company.." Jaewon trailed off but Dongho knew exactly what he was trying to say.
"Jaewon, I would love to go with you," and the two smiled at each other, eyes bright and smiles wide.
And if on Saturday night, after the movie, they fell asleep together on Dongho's couch, wrapped in each others' arms, they would never tell a soul.