Archive of Our Own ^beta

Minhyuk frowns as the announcement of his flight’s delay rings in the air. He would be arriving very late as it is already and a delay until further notice is surely not something that he likes to hear. With a sigh, he drags himself and his suitcase away from the waiting lounge. He remembers seeing a franchise coffee shop when he was walking there earlier and he decides that he at least deserves a good cup of coffee right now.

Taking his phone out of his pocket, Minhyuk starts typing a message to a group chat.

icb my flight got delayed :minmoong

A few seconds passed and a small Read 4 appears next to the message. Minhyuk lets his pout fade at that, telling himself that at least his friends are still awake for him to bother. Minhyuk knows for a fact that the remaining one out of five is Hyunwoo, so it means that everyone else is online.

Another few seconds and a reply comes in.

Daniel: well the storm is pretty bad here

Minhyuk pouts again as he turns around the corner to find the coffee shop he's heading to. So there’s a storm in Seoul. This is going to be a very long night.

>: :minmoong
make it stop i wanna go home :minmoong

Minhyuk tears his eyes away from the screen in favor of opening the coffee shop’s door and scanning the interior. He finds a good spot by the window that is close to a power outlet, so he nods contently to himself and starts queuing for order. There are not many customers present at the moment; only a couple of middle aged women that are sitting on the other corner of the shop and a man who is currently ordering in front of Minhyuk.

Minhyuk looks down to his phone again and there’s already a few replies there.

heonie: told you it’s better to ride the bus
heonie: why are u in gwangju anyway?

Daniel: why do you even ask
Daniel: its

wonhoseok: YOLO

Daniel: #yolo

Minhyuk chuckles at that. There’s a solid reason on why he is in Gwangju right now, hundreds of kilometers away from Seoul, but his friends don’t need to know that. Not now, at least.

damn right :minmoong
#yolo :minmoong
:D :minmoong

Minhyuk checks the customer in front of him but apparently the man is still having Coffee and Its Variances 101, so he focuses on the chat again.

yooki: and that’s what you get from yolo, kids
yooki: a cold night in an airport
yooki: gazillion light years away from home

A snort is coming from Minhyuk. He types vigorously.

you’re just jealous because you don’t have the guts to go yolo, ki :minmoong
come join the fun side :minmoong

heonie: wow the show starts early *grabs popcorn*

To be honest, Minhyuk has nothing against Kihyun’s statement. It’s just Minhyuk finds it so fun to mess with the man.

yooki: fun side more like irresponsible side
yooki: don’t call me crying if there’s no taxi when you arrive later

The message actually translates to I’m worried you wouldn’t get a taxi later but Minhyuk would never admit that he’s an expert in Yoo Kihyunese.

unlike u, i actually have a boyfriend that will pick me up from the airport, darling :minmoong

Daniel: lol burn

yooki: ew
yooki: EW DON'T CALL ME DARLING GO AWAY

“Good afternoon, Sir, may I take your order?”

Minhyuk is startled by the drawled out voice. He looks up and finds that the man has gone, leaving him alone in front of the counter. The barista gives a smile to Minhyuk and, Minhyuk wouldn’t lie, the guy looks somewhat cute.

“Your order?” the barista asks again.

Minhyuk scans the menu and realizes that he still doesn’t have anything in mind. But then, a smirk blooms on his face and he leans against the counter, resting his elbow casually on top of it. “Give me your most sweet, sugary drink that you have.”

The cute barista quirks an eyebrow up, definitely questioning Minhyuk’s choice of beverage. He assesses Minhyuk’s seriousness for a couple of seconds, then an obviously forced customary smile breaks and he says, “We have this unicorn frappucino if you want something sweet. There’s no coffee in it, but it’s the most sugary thing that we have.”

“Can you add whipped cream on it?”

The barista is definitely judging Minhyuk by now. He throws a stinky look that might or might not be against the shop’s protocol of interacting with a customer.

Minhyuk laughs, amused by the barista’s unfiltered reaction. “My friend hates it when I consume sweet things. I live to mess with him so”—Minhyuk shrugs a bit—“you know.”

The barista’s expression changes into an unbelieving one. He lets out a little laugh, though, and Minhyuk decides that he likes this barista. A quick glance to the name tag tells Minhyuk that Hyungwon is the name.

“Alright, then. One unicorn frappucino with extra whipped cream and sprinkles for...?” the barista—Hyungwon—asks, a black sharpie hovering on top of a plastic cup.

“Minhyuk. Lee Minhyuk,” Minhyuk answers, throwing a toothy grin.

Hyungwon quickly scribbles on the cup and punches the order in. “That would be five thousand won and a good chance of diabetes.”

Minhyuk laughs and takes out a crumpled bill from his pocket, handing it to Hyungwon and receiving another stinky look. Minhyuk laughs some more and decides to stay around while the barista is making his diabetes inducing beverage.

Hyungwon shoots a glance towards Minhyuk while he’s pouring a questionable concoction inside the cup. Noticing that Minhyuk might terribly need a company because his eyes just scream talk to me, Hyungwon tries to start a conversation, “So, what’s the deal between your friend and your intake of sweet things?”

A grin spreads on Minhyuk’s lips. “I don’t know, to be honest. He says I go on a sugar rush but, huh, I do not go on a sugar rush, excuse me. I don’t understand that guy.”

Hyungwon eyes Minhyuk and lets out a short chuckle. While shaking the whipped cream can, he quips, “You look like you’re on a sugar rush already, I don’t think a cup of pure sugar will do much.”

“Hey!” Minhyuk juts his lower lip out. “I am full of energy, this is not a sugar rush. There’s a difference.”

Hyungwon laughs and generously adds a stick of strawberry Peppero into Minhyuk’s drink. He slides it easily across the counter and announces, “One unicorn vomit with everything extra for Mr. Lee Minhyuk. Enjoy!”

Minhyuk takes his order and starts walking to the spot he had his eyes on earlier. Turning his head so he is still looking at Hyungwon, he remarks, “You really hate this thing, don’t you?”

Hyungwon shrugs and mumbles, “It doesn’t even have any coffee in it.”

Minhyuk laughs and rolls his eyes. It is obviously against any shop’s ethics to blatantly express hate towards the shop’s menu, but Hyungwon doesn’t seem to care and somehow it makes the short conversation all the more familiar.

Sitting on the comfy sofa and plugging his phone, Minhyuk checks the group chat. 79 new messages, it reads. He scrolls through it, registering Jooheon and Changkyun bickering with each other, Kihyun scolding them like a mom, and Hoseok chiming in every once in a while with excessive usage of bunny stickers.

Same old, same old.

Minhyuk snaps a picture of his beverage, just now noticing that Hyungwon has doodled a little smiley poo right after his name.

<img19220.jpg> :minmoong
:) :minmoong

Minhyuk waits giddily, sipping the excessively sweet drink he ordered specifically to piss Kihyun off. He doesn’t like it, but, oh, all the things he’d endure just to piss one Yoo Kihyun off.

heonie: HAHAHA OH MY GOD

Daniel: tsk tsk
Daniel: *grabs another bowl of popcorn*

wonhoseok: jesus christ you outdid yourself didnt you minhyukkie

Minhyuk grins. Everyone is getting it. Now he waits for Kihyun.

yooki: wow

heonie: HERE HE COMES

yooki: the handwriting is so cute wtf

Minhyuk chokes on the frappucino. He splutters and hastily grabs a napkin to rescue his—Hyunwoo’s actually—over-sized sweater.

heonie: wow that’s unexpected

wonhoseok: wait, everyone is seeing what im seeing right?

Daniel: not kihyung, apparently

yooki: ... what?
yooki: i don’t see anything wrong with the handwriting
yooki: if anything it’s like
yooki: the cutest handwriting i’ve ever seen

heonie: he’s missing the whole point

Minhyuk sees an opportunity and he takes it.

OH MY GOD KIHYUNNIE :minmoong
DONT TELL ME :minmoong
YOU HAVE HANDWRITING FETISH ??? :minmoong

yooki: WHAT
yooki: NO WTF

heonie: oh shit he does

yooki: language lee jooheon

Daniel: icb this is happening, we’re discovering hyung’s fetish

it’s ok darling we won’t judge :minmoong

yooki: THERES NOTHING TO JUDGE BECAUSE I DEFINITELY DONT HAVE ANY FETISH

but the handwriting is cute? :minmoong

yooki: it is
yooki: i mean
yooki: its beautiful
yooki: it makes your name look beautiful
yooki: it must be the work of god

wonhoseok: hm yeah not a fetish

heonie: HMMMMMMM

Minhyuk leers to the barista. He’s no god, but with a little of hyperbole, he could be.

well :minmoong
the barista does look godly :minmoong
bet you’d look cute with him, kihyun-ah :minmoong

Daniel: oooooooooooooo
Daniel: could this be
Daniel: love from the first handwriting

heonie: pic hyung pic pic pic

wonhoseok: yes pic pls
wonhoseok: i want to know what kihyun future bf looks like

yooki: WHAT FUTURE BF I JUST LIKE HIS HANDWRITING OKAY

it’s attraction anyway, kihyun darling :minmoong

Minhyuk smiles only to winces when he sips his beverage again. Even after a quarter of it, it still tastes awfully sweet. Now he totally understands Hyungwon’s hatred towards it. When he focuses back to the chat, a rare view of Kihyun agreeing with him welcomes him. He puts the cup down and sits up straight. This is turning to an exciting development.

yooki: well
yooki: well it is i guess

heonie: WHIPPED

wonhoseok: SO FUCKKKIN WHIPPED

heonie: WHIPPED BY A SCRIBBLE
heonie: WATCH IT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CINEMA

Daniel: oh wow
Daniel: and it’s only minhyuk hyung’s name, even
Daniel: i wonder what would happen if
Daniel: it’s yookihyung’s name

wonhoseok: wheres the pic minhyuk
wonhoseok: i need to approve my soon to be brother in law

yooki: am not even your brother

heonie: and he doesn’t deny the in law part
heonie: we’re having a wedding i have tears in my eyes

Minhyuk takes a short glance towards Hyungwon again. There’s no queue now. The barista is just leaning to the counter, propping his chin on his palm, looking like he’s seconds away from sleeping while standing. Minhyuk stares at the colorful cup he’s having and thinks fuck it, I came here for a good cup of coffee anyway.

I’m so not going to snap a pic of him like a weirdo stalker for you guys :minmoong
but I think I can :minmoong
see if I can get him to scribble a good night note for our lovely Yoo Kihyun :minmoong
:3 :minmoong

wonhoseok: go get it

yooki: WTF

Minhyuk doesn’t wait for more responses. He presses home and locks his phone before putting it inside his pocket once again. He abandons the unicorn frappe and makes his way to the counter once again. Hyungwon notices him half way through. He throws a grin and Hyungwon raises an eyebrow in an amused manner.

“You were right,” Minhyuk says, still walking his way to Hyungwon, “That thing is awful.”

Hyungwon smiles. “Told you so.”

“What’s your recommendation, then?”

“Iced Americano,” Hyungwon answers immediately. “It will save me a ton of work.”

Minhyuk laughs at Hyungwon’s honesty. “Alright, I’ll get that.”

“Great.” Hyungwon takes a plastic cup and a sharpie. “One Iced Americano for Lee Min—”

“No, wait!” Minhyuk reaches over the counter to grab Hyungwon’s wrist. He gets furrowed eyebrows for that. “The truth is, I took a picture of the unicorn vomit and sent it to a group chat, then my friend kind of fell in love with your handwriting and—”

“The sweet-hater friend?”

“Yes, that one.” Minhyuk grins. “I was wondering if you could, I don’t know, write a short good night message for him instead?”

Hyungwon just stares at Minhyuk for a couple of seconds.

“He really swoons over your handwriting,” Minhyuk says like it should convince Hyungwon.

Hyungwon stares some more and then chuckles. He gives up on trying to figure out what’s happening, so he decides to just play with it. “There’s no helping it, then. What’s this friend’s name?”

Minhyuk shows his pearly white teeth off. “Yoo Kihyun.”

Hyungwon starts to scribble. “I thought you live to annoy him?”

“I do,” Minhyuk nods, “But he’s head over heels for you—for your handwriting, I mean—and I, as the kindest guy that I am, wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if I know I can help him but I didn’t.”

Hyungwon scoffs. “Yeah, right.”

Minhyuk laughs, more to his own bullshit than to anything else. He puts his arms over the counter and leans on it again, making himself comfortable while eyeing Hyungwon doing his job. “He’s single. Just FYI.”

“Oh, is he?” Hyungwon comments lightheartedly, probably more to entertain Minhyuk than actually being curious.

“Yes. Honestly, you two would look amazing together. You’re like”—Minhyuk pauses to squint at Hyungwon’s top of the head—“a full head taller than him.”

Hyungwon laughs. He straight out laughs at that. “Is that even a compliment?”

“Probably not to him,” Minhyuk agrees, laughing along with Hyungwon. “But, really, he’s a good guy. I’d die before I ever tell this in front of him, but he’s a really good guy. A bundle of sass but mostly a caring guy inside. Aside of his minor lack of height, he looks very good too.”

Hyungwon looks up from the cup. He is probably judging Minhyuk for basically advertising his friend to a random barista in an airport but he doesn’t say anything otherwise. He scoops up ice cubes and dumps it skillfully inside the cup, then proceeding to pour coffee and water in. “An Iced Americano,” he announces once he’s done, “Enjoy!”

“How much—”

“It’s in the house,” Hyungwon smiles. “Tell your friend Chae Hyungwon says hi.”

Minhyuk is baffled but after seeing what Hyungwon has scribbled, a wide, wide smile blooms across his face and he mouths a quick thank you. He gets back to the seat from before and takes out his phone, snapping a picture and sending it to the group chat without even bothering to read the new messages first.

<img19220.jpg> :minmoong
Chae Hyungwon says hi :minmoong

yooki: ...

heonie: “Good Night, Kihyun-ssi :)”
heonie: holy fuck that smiley screams words

Daniel: @h_one
Daniel: IS THAT A TWITTER ACC OR IS THAT AN IG ACC
Daniel: THIS IS IMPORTANT
Daniel: gtg i need to see this person

yooki: ...

Minhyuk bites his lower lip, trying hard to not look hyper excited because it’s almost midnight, he’s alone, and people could see him from the window. He lifts his cup and inspects the scribble once again. @h_one is added on the bottom right.

wonhoseok: it’s both
wonhoseok: and both are locked
wonhoseok: I’M SAD

heonie: HOLY SHIT HE’S HANDSOME

Daniel: he’s a dj man
Daniel: a legit dj
Daniel: googled him and this appeared
Daniel: <screenshot_1982.jpg>

wonhoseok: DAAAAMN
wonhoseok: go get him or i’ll do it myself, boy

yooki: wtf stay away hoseok

heonie: oooo

Daniel: OOOOOOOOOOO

SO :minmoong
are you going to request to follow him or what hm? :minmoong

yooki: ...

hyunwoo: hi

wait a min babe kihyun is having the internal battle of his life :minmoong

hyunwoo: ok

Daniel: YOU CANT NOT HYUNG

wonhoseok: like i said
wonhoseok: get it or i’ll do it myself

heonie: istg what are you waiting for

Minhyuk gets up and drags his suitcase out of the coffee shop. Raising his cup, he bids his goodbye to Hyungwon, receiving a friendly wave in return. He scans the area for the information board, then walks towards it, determined in finding out how long he will have to wait. A few steps away from the board, Minhyuk hears his flight being called. He’s boarding in half an hour.

hyunwoo, i’m boarding in 30 :minmoong
got delayed earlier :minmoong

hyunwoo: oh ok

heonie: where’s kihyun hyung

Daniel: KIHYUN HYUNG I KNOW YOU’RE STILL AWAKE

hyunwoo: what’s happening?

wonhoseok: kihyun is having a crush on minhyuk’s barista

hyunwoo: ??

long story short, i’m the best cupid ever :minmoong

hyunwoo: ??
hyunwoo: i don’t understand but i believe you are

yooki: ew
yooki: go being gross elsewhere

Daniel: HE’S BACK

heonie: <screenshot_19283.jpg>
heonie: HE USES THE CUP PIC AS TWITTER HEADER ICB

yooki: shut up

wonhoseok: so did you make your move or what

yooki: SHUT UP

Daniel: did you or did you not, hyung

heonie: we need answer

yooki: i

don’t tell me you let my effort go to waste :minmoong
how could you :minmoong
i was just trying to be a good friend :minmoong
now i’m sad :( :minmoong

hyunwoo: :(

yooki: OH MY GOD I DID OKAY I DID

Daniel: :D

heonie: :D

wonhoseok: :D

:D :minmoong

hyunwoo: :D

@h_one: hey, is this Yoo Kihyun that hates sweet beverages?

especially when a certain Lee Minhyuk is the one drinking it :@yoo_2211
is this Chae Hyungwon whose handwriting is my cover photo? :@yoo_2211

@h_one: the one and only
@h_one: I go to Seoul every other weekend
@h_one: wanna go get some coffee sometime?

only if your choices of coffee is not as crappy as Minhyuk’s :@yoo_2211

@h_one: kill me if I ever
@h_one: so...?

I’d love to :) :@yoo_2211

@h_one: :)

yooki: <screenshot_122.jpg>
yooki: :)

you owe me a very good meal, yoo kihyun :minmoong
:) :minmoong

yooki: i love you too, lee minhyuk
yooki: :)