Chapter Text
A chime from the front door steals his attention from the bag of aromatic espresso beans in his hands. It signaled a customer to the quaint coffee shop, which was a rarity during the last few minutes before closing. Changmin folds the bag twice and rubs his hands on his cream apron more out of habit than for cleanliness.
Clearing his throat, he turns around to meet what would be his last customer of the day. He expects the usual disgruntled night shift security guard from the entertainment agency just a few blocks down the road.
He keeps his head down; busying himself with the cash register that he just knew would be stuck in the process of transaction. “Ahjussi, I honestly think you should cut down on the caffeine and actually sleep before your shift,” he mumbles, still fiddling with the rusting metal drawer of the register.
Instead of a deep groan he was used to, he got an unfamiliar chuckle, “I’m pretty sure I’m more of a hyung than an ahjussi.”
He freezes for a second before recovering himself to meet the eyes of the stranger. Rather than a stout middle-aged man with a rumpled white uniform and a crooked blue tie, he meets an impeccably dressed guy that almost met him at eye-level. Those same eyes in sync with the dopey grin the man was sporting on his face.
“I’m- oh my god, I’m so sorry, sir,” Changmin sputters lowering his head again to cover the blush he knew was creeping up from his neck to his cheeks.
The man chuckles again, “No need for apologies, can’t deny I’m getting older, but I don’t think we’re that far apart in age-,” he pauses to bend down to get a look at the name tag dangling on Changmin’s apron, “-Changmin-ssi.”
Changmin scratches his neck and gave a small laugh in return. “I don’t think so either, sir.”
“Yunho is fine,” the man introduces himself still with the grin in place from the start.
Changmin returns the smile. “Ah,Yunho-ssi then, what can I get you tonight?”
“So it’s alright for me to get caffeine, no questions asked, but a certain ahjussi shouldn’t? I feel some unfair customer service here,” Yunho jokes as his eye scans the chalkboard menu above Changmin’s head.
Changmin chuckles once again, he shook his head and picked up a discarded bar towel to his left. He wipes the counter to indicate to Yunho to take his time with his selection.
“Well if you’re not an ahjussi, I’m positive that your body can still handle the caffeine. Unless you want to retract your statement about being young, Yunho-ssi.”
Yunho finishes his scan of the board as his eyes lands on Changmin’s, “You got me there.”
“As fashionable as you look, I don’t see many people around my age with a suit like yours at a quarter before midnight,” Changmin points out, before throwing the bar towel to the bucket underneath the counter.
At that comment, Yunho slightly jumps and breaks their eye contact to look at the gold watch around his left wrist. “I hate to not be able to defend my fashion choices, but I’m running a bit late. What would be the quickest drink you can whip up, Changminnie?”
Changmin didn’t have the chance to react to the sudden nickname, he swiftly picked up small cup the size of his palm and placed it under the espresso machine on his right. Once the cup was halfway full, the machine stops and he places a small lid.
“Here a double espresso, I’m guessing you’ll need it tonight,” he hands it to Yunho while simultaneously grabbing a hold of the money in exchange.
By the time he counts Yunho’s change, the man was already on his phone and halfway towards the door.
Yunho wedges the phone between his ear and right shoulder as he freed his hand to offer the barista a wave, “Keep the change, Changminnie, “ he calls out while still waving and keeping his eyes on Changmin. He walks backwards until he sensed the door, and pushes it open with his back.
Changmin feels the late evening breeze enter the heated store as he reciprocated the wave.
When the door finally closed and the suited man gone, Changmin walks over to lock the store. He turns the signage to ‘CLOSE’ and called it a day. Not even the aroma of the coffee could keep his shoulders from sagging due to exhaustion.
Loosening the knot of his apron, he took a quick scan across the store and deemed it clean enough. He walks towards the door behind the counter, opening it as well as turning off the lights to the store.
Changmin walks up the flight of stairs to his room; he was reminded of the quirky suited man, making him slightly chuckle as he trudged up. Once in his room, he plops down on his bed and succumbs to sleep.