Chapter Text
Sunlight shines down brightly on Do Hanse’s corner of the world. A gentle breeze stops the sun from nearly baking him alive which excites him. He doesn’t mind biking much but prefers to do so without feeling like he’s going to die. Early afternoon means it’s time for one thing: picking up deliveries from Newvoice.
Hanse legitimately feels like he owes Seungsik his life. While the work is very physical, biking around cookies and cakes beats some part-time gig at a grocery store or something. It assures his mom that he’s not being lazy over break and gives him an excuse to shovel sweets down his mouth daily. He runs into Chan every other day and has an excuse to bother his other friends constantly. Life’s good.
The ride from his mom’s isn’t far, and he finds himself at the edge of the square in minutes. I wonder if Dr. Seungsik made any more monstrous creations… Hanse muses as he closes in on Newvoice.
Early afternoon is - of course - a slow time for them. People at work, cram school, and summer camps haven’t gotten out yet. Most of the retired folk have, well, retired back to their homes after the exploits of the morning ( since they’re all usually up at, like, five ). Seungsik usually does his books, Sejun finishes up his confections, and Byungchan comes it at some point. And, most importantly, the dutiful delivery boy makes his much awaited arrival.
Hanse swears he can hear them all clamoring to the door with bated breath as he props his bike on its kickstand.
“Sorry, ‘soundcloud rappers anonymous’ is the next door down,” Seungsik greets Hanse first, not even looking up from his laptop.
“Actually I came by hoping you would by my sponsor,” Hanse joked back as he strode in through the door. Newvoice’s telltale bell rings with his entrance. Seungsik snorts, and Hanse can’t help but titter himself - partly because of the mental image, partly because the baker has a contagious laugh.
“Oh,” Sejun emerges from the back, placing a freshly frosted cake on the cashwrap. “He’s here.”
Seungsik pulls a faux sour face and nods, “Yeah. Again .”
“He keeps doing that- you keep doing that,” Sejun asks, looking pointedly at Hanse.
“God, now that you mention it…” Hanse dramatically strokes his chin in thought, “That’s so weird. And you, like, pay me, too.”
“ Wild ,” Seungsik agrees facetiously.
“Wait, he pays you, too ?” Sejun asks in fake shock.
“He pays you and me? I knew it!” Hanse pounds a fist in his palm, “He pays us all to be his friends. What have you to say for yourself?”
The head baker laughs, “You got me.”
“I knew it. Nobody would be friends with this freak otherwise!” Hanse says, pointing at Seungsik.
“Yes, I - of all three of us - am the weird one here,” Seungsik says, continuing to work on his laptop.
“Ring! Ring!”
Newvoice’s bell sounds out and the aura of joking completely dissipates. Hanse steps aside and Sejun bows, greeting the entrant.
“Welcome to Newvoice Bakery!” “Welcome to Newvoice!”
The two stand upright, but when they see who’d come in, their shoulders sag with a bit of relief.
“Subin!” Hanse greets their regular customer first. “What’s up dude?” Sejun nods politely to their regular and moves to grab his usual order.
Ever since the kid’s outer shell cracked the week before, Hanse (and the others) had decided to be a bit more bold. No longer did Jung Subin inspire awe and reverence in the Newvoice employ. Instead he garnered something better: fascination. The kid surprises them on the regular. He laughs easily and, despite his appearance, he’s pretty impish. They had been right about one thing though: Subin is the devil - sort of. He definitely has a mischievous streak. They’ve yet to fully unlock it, but Hanse’s got a hunch they’ll see it soon.
“Cram school,” Subin huffs, plopping down at the table adjacent to Seungsik’s. “What’s the point of a summer break if you’re just gonna do more school?” He pouts and it’s pretty adorable.
Hanse shrugs, “I don’t know, man. To be honest I was never huge on being in the classroom. I’m more of a doer.”
“Shocking,” Subin says flatly. Seungsik snorts from beside the younger boy. Yup, Subin definitely doesn’t miss a beat , Hanse thinks.
“Doesn’t your family ever go on vacations or anything?” Hanse asks, quirking an eyebrow.
Subin shrugs, “I mean, if we’re lucky we get to tag along when my dad’s travelling for meetings. Otherwise he’s too busy working.”
“Hm,” Hanse grunts. Subin continues to surprise him. He had always figured the kid lived some glam life with yachts and pools. Turns out: the more he learns about Subin, the more normal his life seems to be. He’s got the same shackles from school that everyone else his age does. Sure, his driver takes him there in an air-conditioned, luxury vehicle but he studies all the same! His clothes are expensive but not too outrageous, and his eating habits are no better or richer than Hanse’s.
“Yeah. Summer’s not exactly an exciting time,” Subin says. At that moment Sejun returns with Subin’s regular pastry (buttermilk biscuit with Grandma Kang’s housemade jam) and a coffee (with cream and sugar). “Thanks,” He mutters to Sejun.
“Ring! Ring!”
“Hey guys!” Chan’s chipper voice echoes out from the swinging door. “Whoa, Hanse’s here already, too? What- what time is it?” He chuckles.
“Clunk.”
Before Hanse can greet Chan, his partner in crime, the thudding noise calls his attention. Seungsik lightly bops his head against his table for a few moments before looking up again. He’s greeted by Hanse’s, Chan’s, Sejun’s, and even Subin’s wide, confused eyes.
“Oh- are we done feigning ignorance now?” Seungsik glares pointedly at Chan.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” The other chuckles nervously. “I was on break.”
Typical Chan , Hanse laughs inwardly. Chan’s actually a really hard worker. When he wants to be; however, the guy always conveniently finds a way to slip out when Newvoice is at it’s noisiest (that is, when the squad is all present). Hanse respects the man’s dedication to the semi-daily banter. Whether Seungsik acknowledges it or not, the delivery boy thinks it’s a great boost to employee morale. Or at least his. Who wouldn’t be cheered up by seeing Heo Chan?
“Okay- you know what, I’m ignoring you all now,” Seungsik replies, shaking his head. He looks intensely at his laptop like it’s a magic mirror ready to tell him the lottery numbers.
Hanse shrugs it off, moving on and turning to Sejun behind the pastry case, “What all am I delivering today?”
“Hm…” Sejun withdraws a slip of paper from his apron pocket, “This cake here and the cookies for the Healing Center. So, basically another quiet day. Oh- Thursday’s gonna be a bit crazy, though. A couple of birthdays and some corporate party, I guess. You’ll probably need to do a couple of trips for that.”
“Oh boy. Can’t be helped I guess. Keeps my legs lean and beautiful,” Hanse lifts his leg up provocatively.
“Please, put that down. You’re going to upset the customers,” Sejun jokes.
“What customers?”
“Hey! I’m a customer,” Subin cuts in.
Chan begins, “I’m technically a-”
“No.” “No.” “Don’t even try.” Seungsik, Sejun, and Hanse all interject before Chan can even finish speaking.
“Okay. Wow ,” Chan gasps dramatically.
“Wait- You go to the Healing Center?” Subin asks out of nowhere.
Hanse raises his eyebrows, “Uh, yeah. Why? You know someone there?”
“Well, my grandparents go there like all the time. And my sister went there, too- after some injury she got playing soccer. I just- You know my house is down the hill from there?”
“It is?” Hanse wracks his brain for any memory of it. There’s a lot of houses on the route there, but eventually they kind of thin out until it’s mostly trees. Then again, there are a few little streets that he’s never been down.
“Yeah, it’s super close, like- You know if you’re leaving there’s a little gravel drive on the right side?”
“Hm… Oh! Oh yeah! I thought that just dead-ended in the woods. It’s really narrow, I thought maybe only utility trucks or something went back there.”
Subin shakes his head, “Nope. That eventually leads to my driveway. It’s like a kilometer and a half out, though.”
“So it’s way back in the woods.”
“Yup! It’s really far away from any of the main thoroughfare. It’s super quiet.”
“I bet.”
“The perfect place to commit a crime.”
“Thanks, Subin.”
“Or hide a body,” The kid grins widely and it’s mildly terrifying. But, like, also: super cute!
“Yup, got it,” Hanse laughs.
“Hanse, I know what we’re doing this weekend,” Chan elbows the other beside him.
“We need a target first.”
“Guys, if you’re gonna contemplate murder can you please do it elsewhere?” Seungsik - despite his insistence that he’d ignore the others - pops in. “Homicide is bad for business.”
“Ring! Ring! Ding!”
Newvoice’s doorbell tolls once more, and talk of murder momentarily ceases. With it, in comes the tall, stately form of Byungchan.
“Oh boy,” the head baker mutters.
“Byungchan!” Hanse exclaims. “You’re kinda early! Whoa-“ He glances around. “Everyone’s here.”
“Yeah you’re kind of crowding the place,” Seungsik mutters, pursing his lips. “All these people yet only one of them a paying customer. The rest…” He scrutinizes all of the others with a raised eyebrow, “Wasting space.”
“Hey, I work here!” Sejun says.
“Yeah, me too! Is this the thanks I get for being early?” Byungchan adds.
”I work here, too!” Hanse crosses his arms.
All eyes go to Chan. He scans the Newvoice workforce (and Subin) sheepishly.
“I- uh- had something to say!” Chan stutters out. The words have the opposite of the desired effect. Instead of disarming everyone’s suspicions, it makes everyone’s gazes bore into him more. “T-to Hanse.” Chan finishes.
“You did?” Hanse asks. “Well… say it.” The good people of Newvoice go silent to let him answer.
“It’s- it’s not some big announcement guys,” Red starts creeping onto Chan’s cheeks and his pupils start dancing around. Apparently, Seungsik is satisfied with the inflicted embarrassment; he chuckles quietly and goes back to his work. In his stead, the others return to their own devices. Byungchan and Sejun disappear into the back, and Subin continues picking at his pastry.
Hanse quirks an eyebrow and pulls Chan slightly aside. He taps his toe and smirks.
“Wh-What?” Chan asks with a laugh.
“I should be asking the questions here,” The delivery boy jabs the delinquent restaurant worker in the side.
“H-hey!” Chan jolts back, covering his side.
“What did you need to ask so urgently?” Hanse does it again, going for the exposed side. “Hm? What’s so urgent you have to interrupt my workday?” His fingers prod one of Chan’s pecs, “Huh? Huh?”
“Stop it,” Chan groans (though he’s smiling). He tries to bat the other’s hands away. His efforts are futile, but Hanse notes that they’re full of spirit and gives him an A for effort.
“Huh?”
“Okay f-fine, I just- I wanted to know if,” Chan lowers his voice, “I just wanted to know if you wanted to go to the quarry on Saturday or something. It’s starting to get really damn hot out. I just didn’t want to announce it all loud ‘cause it’s not very important.”
“Dude! That’s a great idea!” Hanse’s face lights up and he claps Chan on the shoulder, “We can all go. Draw first blood on the quarry- wait, Seungsik, though-”
“That’s fine,” Chan cuts in. “I mean- he can join us later. He doesn’t have to work weekends, does he?”
“No, but he always does.”
“Well, maybe we can convince him, then.”
“Cool, yeah. It’s a plan then,” Hanse nods enthusiastically, flashing a grin.
“Okay, see you then,” Chan turns to the others, waving, “Alright, I’m out. Peace!”
“Wh- Okay. Bye, Chan,” Seungsik waves confusedly.
“Buh-bye!” Subin calls after him.
“Ring. Ring.” The bells ring with Chan’s departure.
“What was he doing this time?” Byungchan asks, emerging from the back.
“Who knows,” The head baker shrugs. “Hanse, what was he on about?”
“Hm?” Hanse responds. “Oh- He just wanted to ask something real quick about the weekend.”
Byungchan snickers, “You two got a hot date or something?”
All eyes fall on Hanse for a second; everyone looks at him like he’s going to give them some great insight to the fate of the universe.
“Yeah we’re gonna have a candlelit dinner at Huh Gak’s and ride white horses into the sunset, how did you know?”
“We had a feeling,” Byungchan replies frankly.
“Haha, very funny,” For some reason, people like to joke about him and Chan being a couple. Apparently, having a best friend is weird or something. Hanse just thinks they’re savages who are jealous that he’s found a kindred soul. Regardless, looking at Subin, he thinks it’d be awkward to talk about plans he’s not involved in. So, Hanse chooses to cut it where it is. “Don’t worry about it.”
Byungchan quirks an eyebrow mouthing out an “okay” before pacing back to the kitchen. Hanse can still feel Seungsik’s eyes on him which is weird. If the baker wants to say something, he doesn’t. Subin seems content to stay quiet, too. Hanse scrolls on his phone while waiting for the last of the deliveries to be put together.
“Hey,” Sejun’s voice rings out from the silence. “Here are the cookies.”
“Cool, thanks!” Hanse replies. With that, he’s off. He grabs his parcels and steps outside. After packing them carefully in the cooler tethered to his bike, he pedals away. Chan was right: it is starting to get hot, and there’s nothing quite like a swim to cool off when the weather starts to get sticky. Hanse’s head whirs contentedly with thoughts of music and swimming as the summer sun beats down on his back. He rides along at a steady pace, excited for what the summer’s got in store.
“Whish.”
Sunrise Healing Center’s automatic door open, and a puff of air conditioning hits Hanse. He spreads his arms wide open, letting the cool sensation wash over his body. From one hand dangles a parcel neatly tied with twine.
“-ave a nice day!” Chorong calls out by the reception desk. She must have just finished with the departing patient. A patient waves farewell, passing Hanse on his way out. “Oh, Newvoice!” She claps giddily.
“Hi, Miss Chorong,” Hanse says. “Your usual!” He presents the box of four dozen cookies with a flare. Apparently, Newvoice and the Sunrise Center have some ages old contract together. Monday through Friday, Sunrise receive four dozen cookies. Some are set aside for the staff, but the majority of them are for patients. Hanse can see the benefit of a sweet incentive. He’d probably go to the doctor way more often if it promised free food. Someone used to pick them up every morning before stopping by the Center, but when Seungsik had enlisted Hanse as a delivery boy, Sunrise became his first regular fixture in his route.
Sunlight floods into the Healing Center’s large windows, filling the place with an almost ethereal aura. It never fails to awe Hanse how somewhere so nice exists in his crappy home town.
“Here, I’ll take that,” Chorong stands up. Hanse approaches the reception desk and extends the package to her. “Thank you.”
“And, as usual,” Hanse reaches into his pants pocket to grab a receipt, “This one’s yours, please sign mine…” The assistant does just as she’s told. She scribbles a signature on the receipt before handing it back to the delivery boy.
Hanse gives her another courteous smile, “Alright, have a good-”
“Wait!” Chorong holds a finger up. She runs to the reception desk and digs through a drawer momentarily before withdrawing a five thousand won bill. “For you.”
“Huh? Wh- I don’t need that,” He waves his hand sheepishly. The bill looks so, so tempting, but he feels guilty accepting a tip for just doing his job.
“Come on, you work very hard. You’re punctual and come by every day with a smile, through hot sun and rain. Take it! It’s from all of us.”
“I really can’t,” Hanse shakes his head. Even though I really want to , he thinks.
Chorong pouts and puts her hands on her hips obstinately, “You either take it or I make you take it! I have a black belt, you know.” She threatens.
“B-but I-” The aid slaps the bill onto Hanse’s chest. He chuckles, defeated, and fumbles to catch the bill before it drifts to the ground.
“O-o-okay, I guess I-”
“Now get out of my sight,” The therapist jokes.
“Y-yes ma’am,” Hanse obliges. He waves goodbye and says a few more words of parting before disappearing out the sliding doors. His bike is just a few steps away, and in one swift motion he mounts it and goes.
The soft breeze that runs through his hair is very welcome as he rides down the hill that Sunrise sits on top of. Taking a deep breath, Hanse smells grass clippings and wet asphalt. After the past week’s on and off downpour, humidity still lingered in the air. Work isn’t quite out for most people, so the street is empty as he pedals down it.
Suddenly, he notices something. The once unassuming gravel drive takes his interest. It’s hardly noticeable with the tall trees surrounding it. He’d always thought the drive leads to nowhere. Turns out one Jung Subin is at the end of that long, winding path. He had only dreamed of what the kid’s house looked like. Is it made of wood? Stone? Are there columns? And basketball courts? A pool? A twenty car garage?!
Passing Subin’s place makes Hanse wonder about him. He’s never seen the kid with any friends. He hadn’t even seen the guy talk until just over a week before.
I wonder… If Jung Subin has ever been swimming in a quarry?
“Oh. ‘Sup, Chan?” Hanse greets the restaurant worker as he strides into Newvoice. Another day, another dollar, and another set of deliveries.
“Not much just… Not dicking around on the clock,” Chan replies, a smile crossing his face.
“You? Neglecting your job? Never,” Hanse snarks. He turns to Seungsik who’s at his usual afternoon post: the frontmost table with his laptop. “Hey boss. How’s today looking?”
Seungsik doesn’t answer. Instead, he just nibbles on his pen mindlessly, staring at his screen. The more Hanse scrutinizes the other, the more he realizes that Seungsik isn’t really working on his laptop. It’s more like he’s gazing in the general direction of the screen.
“Uh, boss?” Hanse says again.
Still nothing.
“Earth to Seungsik!” Hanse hollers.
“Hm?” The head baker wakes up from his daze nonchalantly.
“I asked how the day was, but… You okay, dude?”
“What? Nothing. I mean-” Seungsik shakes his head. “What’s up?”
“Uh,” Hanse’s eyes widen. “What’s up with you? Something bothering you?”
“No, nothing,” Seungsik pouts slightly. “Just lots of- of stuff. Sejun should be finished with deliveries in a few.” He nods behind the pastry case toward the patissier before going back to his laptop screen without another word.
Okay. Weird , Hanse’s nose scrunches. Maybe Sejun knows what’s up.
Chan follows Hanse behind the case, and the two are greeted by the raising a familiar, notched brow.
“Hanse. Chan,” He greets the pair curtly.
“Sejun,” Hanse mimics the other.
“Hanse,” Chan chimes in.
“Chan.”
“Sejun-”
“Alright I’m stopping this before it escalates,” Sejun asserts more loudly than the others.
“Good call, good call,” Hanse nods. For a second, he forgets what he’d been doing there. Then he remembers that he works there. Also that Seungsik’s acting like a freak. “So… Why’s our boss daydreaming? Did he have another episode last night or…?”
Sejun leans in, lowering his voice, “Look, the truth is… Something weird’s been going on.”
Chan and Hanse exchange curious expressions. If Sejun didn’t have their attention before, he definitely has it now.
“Weird like… Drugs weird?” Chan asks.
“Wh- No! Jesus,” Sejun smacks him. “Okay, well- you can’t say anything to Seungsik about this, okay? Anything. I mean- he can’t know I’m telling you, okay?”
“Uh, okay.” “Yeah.” The other two oblige, ten times more intrigued.
“Right, well…” Sejun bites his lip like he’s about to pass on some national secret. “Seungsik started acting weird like a week ago. Thought he got a new video game or something…”
“Weird how?” Hanse asks.
“Like- I dunno. Cheery. Spacy? Like… Like he’d get really distracted just looking out the window and in the morning he insists on manning front of house. Like- I thought maybe something was up and he wanted to distract himself from it with work. I dunno,” Sejun says with pursed lips.
“Is he okay?” A look of concern paints itself across Chan’s face.
“Trust me, he is just swell,” The remark from Sejun only further fuels the others’ curiosity.
“Well, then what the heck is it?” Hanse demands. He’s over the suspense. Seungsik had seemed pretty normal to him, but the delivery boy was typically in and out. They hadn’t hung out in a while, either. Aside from gaming a few nights a week, Hanse doesn’t hear a ton from the guy otherwise. Seungsik’s not the type to dish about his personal junk anyways - at least, not to the younger guys.
Sejun takes a deep breath before continuing, “You remember that, uh, that customer from before?”
Hanse rolls his eyes, “Yes, Sejun. I, the delivery boy and he - the guy who doesn’t even work here - know the customer to whom you are vaguely referring to.”
“Ugh- You know, the um- the hot one. The fitness guy.”
“We had a hot customer?” “Fitness guy?” Hanse and Chan blurt out together.
“The dick who said something rude to Seungsik and made him go on that avocado pudding bender,” Sejun answers flatly.
“Oh, that asshole,” Realization dawns on Hanse. “What about him? Wait- did he come around again?” The delivery boy clenches a fist, “Did he say something to Seungsik?”
Sejun shrugs, “Honestly? Your guess is as good as mine. I dunno what he said or did exactly, but… He has been coming around.”
“Wait- what?!” Outrage flares up in Hanse’s chest. Seungsik had enough crap to deal with in his life. The last thing his dear friend (and boss) needs is someone coming by to harass him. “So he’s trying to start something?”
“Quiet!” Sejun shoves Hanse.
“Hey, why do you assume it’s bad,” Chan turns to Hanse, playing the optimist to soothe him. “Maybe he had a change of heart and tried Seungsik’s sweets. I know I would be converted by his sweet brioche buns.”
“Both of you are wrong,” Sejun shot the two down. “Look- At first I didn’t know who it was, but- but the guy he’s- well when I figured it out…”
“Just spill already!” Hanse demands.
“Okay, fine,” Sejun says. The other two lean in even closer like they’re watching the climactic scene of a drama. The patissier just rolls his eyes again, “Well, once I saw him, I- I knew it was him. Seungsik was working the window and I just happened to see someone there that I didn’t recognize. He’s slender and tall and his face is like- like a model’s. Like- I dunno he just looks different. I could instantly tell he’s not from here.”
“Not hard considering that fact that we know everyone our age in this entire town,” Chan comments.
Sejun shoots him a dirty look before continuing, “Okay, well, basically I see this hot stranger and at first I don’t think anything of it. Except,” His voice gets even lower, “Then he comes again the next morning.”
“Wow, someone who likes coffee in the morning. He must be our guy.”
“Look- I made the coffee order, okay!” Sejun insists. “He takes his americano black. Black .”
Chan and Hanse both gasp, scandalized.
Hanse’s eyes widen with horror. Black? Is he insane? What kind of a sick, twisted freak takes their coffee black!?
“He sounds evil. That’s gotta be our guy,” Hanse adds, nodding.
“So what, is he like a regular customer now?” Chan asks.
“I- I guess. The next day I was at the window and he showed up again. I took his order and - get this - Seungsik insisted on making the order- same thing he got the last time. Black americano. At first, I thought it was just Seungsik playing the martyr. I mean, if he wants to serve the rude customer I’m happy to let him, but… Well it’s been almost a week and every time this guy shows up, Seungsik happens to be nearby. It’s almost every morning, too.”
“So… What’s he got on our baker?” Hanse wonders aloud.
“Oh my God- Seungsik is not being blackmailed!” Sejun scoffs. “We all know he would never do anything cool enough to be worth blackmailing him with.” The other two exchange looks of agreement.
“So… What is it then?” Hanse asks.
“I’m sorry what part of ‘this guy is hot’ did I not get through to you?”
“Yeah, okay- but he’s a jerk,” Hanse throws his hands up. “I mean, you heard how he treated Seungsik. Our boss might have the sex appeal of a panda bear, but he’s not that desperate.”
“I think the guy said sorry or something. I don’t know,” Sejun replies, shrugging. “They- they like chat.”
“Whoa,” Chan laughs. “They chat . About what?”
“I- I don’t know! It’s not like they’re having deep conversations. Just… ‘How was your day’, ‘how’s your residency’ - guess he’s a med student. I dunno. It’s sort of awkward-”
“Seungsik is awkward, it’s a moot point,” Hanse interjects.
“ -anyways - he had to have said sorry or something.”
Chan is definitely the most confused of the three, and his brows furrow with confusion, “So they’re… Friends?”
“No,” Sejun shakes his head. “No, it’s not that. All I know for sure is that Seungsik like- he always wants to be near him and- and chats him up for no reason - not like he does other customers. Like- like-”
“Like a guy who’s got a crush?” Chan finishes the sentence.
Sejun’s eyes widen and realization dawns on his face, “Yes. Yes exactly, like a guy with a crush. Ogling hot people is one thing but this is different.”
“Wh- No, no, no, no, no,” Hanse heartily protests. “Nuh-uh he does not have a crush on- on this dude. There’s no way.”
“What do you think this guy told Seungsik to make him not hate him?” Chan thinks aloud. “He was so pissed he made avocado pudding. Avocado pudding.”
“He must have a hell of a way with words,” Sejun answers.
“Maybe he’s just brainwashing him,” Hanse snarks. “Or maybe our poor baker is way thirstier than we thought.”
“What about a poor baker?” Seungsik’s voice rings out from behind the crouching trio. In slow motion, all three collectively feel their hearts stop. They turn to see the aforementioned baker looming over them.
“Nothing!” Hanse answers first.
Seungsik immediately looks dubious, “Mhm.” He looks at Sejun.
“Wh- Why are you looking at me like that?” Sejun asks.
“Because you look like you have something to say.”
“Do I? I do? I don’t really- have something to say I mean.”
“Right… Well, Subin’s due in any minute, so if you could like… Not do,” Seungsik waves in the general direction of the three, “This. That’d be great.”
“Yeah, no that’s-” Sejun fumbles to stand up quickly, chuckling sheepishly. “We’re up. We’re up- we’re getting up. Right guys?” He quirks a notched eyebrow at the two. Hanse and Chan scramble up after him, nodding in agreement.
Chan is the first to make an evasive maneuver, “You know, I have to- I need to, uh…” He vaguely gestures out the back. “Eggs!” He waves and bolts out the door.
“Wh-” Hanse doesn’t even have time to say anything else before Chan’s gone.
“Deliveries!” Sejun exclaims out of nowhere. He dashes to the kitchen without another word. That leaves Hanse alone with the head baker himself.
Seungsik quirks a dubious eyebrow, “O...Kay?”
Hanse dramatically shakes his head, looking at the kitchen, “Good help is impossible to find these days.” He pats Seungsik on the shoulder roughly before joining Sejun in the back. Anything to avoid the discerning gaze of his boss.
“Ring. Ring.”
Byungchan looks up from his work to flash a grin at one of Newvoice’s most valued customers, “Welcome in, Subin!” He’d stepped in just minutes before Subin.
“What’s up, dude?” Hanse chimes in.
“Hey!” Subin grins as he strides over to his usual seat.
“Same thing as usual?” Byungchan asks.
“Always,” The student replies. He whips out his phone and starts scrolling social media as Byungchan busies himself grabbing Subin’s order.
Hanse glances at the kid sitting at his table, minding his own business. He looks at the others milling about: Byungchan behind the counter, Sejun and Chan in the back. Suddenly, a brilliant idea blossoms in his brain.
Do Hanse, you are a genius , he thinks to himself.
“Byungchan,” Hanse whispers. He nods toward the back. Byungchan’s face scrunches in confusion and he shrugs as if to ask “what”. Hanse just nods in the direction of the kitchen again, more emphatically. Byungchan rolls his eyes, but he follows as Hanse paces into the kitchen to collect the other two.
“What is it?” Byungchan asks, his voice still low. Sejun and Chan are roused, too. Sejun is due to leave any second, and Hanse is in dire need of his opinion for something important. It’s an all (well, most) hands on deck necessity.
“Thank you all for coming,” Hanse starts, regarding everyone else in the kitchen.
“You are so welcome,” Chan responds, jokingly clenching his heart.
“I work here…?” Sejun says, face scrunched in confusion.
“Hanse are you drunk on the clock again?” Byungchan asks straight out.
“What?” Hanse gasps, “I can’t believe you would even say such a thing. I would never drink and drive.”
“Hanse you don’t drive sober. Or at all,” Sejun cuts in.
“He does, too!” Chan insists.
“Thank you, Chan,” Hanse throws his hands up.
“Bikes count as vehicles and - contrary to popular belief - you can get a DUI for operating one while drunk.”
“Chan!”
“Learned that firsthand riding on the pegs of this one,” Chan glances pointedly at the delivery boy, “After riding back from Ong’s Halloween party.”
“Chan.” I’m gonna kill him , Hanse thinks. He can feel his ears stinging, turning as red as his hair used to be.
“Wait,” Byungchan’s lips turn into a wide smile. Too wide. “You got a DUI?” His face appears entirely too amused for Hanse’s liking.
“I got a warning - for your information. And you guys are totally derailing this conversation! This is not about my tortured, criminal past.”
“Yeah- we fell into a ditch,” Chan interjects.
“Why would you ever let this man drive you anywhere, Chan?” Sejun asks.
“You know, I was in a really bad place at the time,” Chan jokingly sniffles.
“You poor thing.”
“And I just- I just needed someone-”
Hanse groans, “Guys!”
“Okay, fine!” Byungchan laughs, “Everyone shut up so Hanse can tell us… What did you wanna tell us, again?”
“Is this about Seungsik and the hot guy chatting?” Sejun asks, quirking an eyebrow.
“Seungsik is chatting with a hot guy?” The afternoon worker asks.
“Oh right, you weren’t in that conversation-”
“Guys!” Hanse barks. The idiotic din dies down, and everyone finally pays attention. “Thank you.” He sees Chan open his mouth - probably to completely derail everything again. Before anyone can utter another idiotic sound, he holds a hand up to silence them. “One question guys. One. Question.”
Byungchan throws his hands up and his mouth opens.
“Ah- ah-ah!” Hanse narrows his eyes menacingly. “Okay, now that I finally have your undivided attention, I have a very important question for you all. Would you… All… Like to…” He looks around, making sure everyone’s really, truly paying attention. He takes a deep breath before finally finishing:
“Go swimming at the quarry on Saturday?” The collective shoulders of all present sag. Byungchan rolls his eyes, and Sejun pinches the bridge of his nose.
“Is that a yes?” Hanse asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
After letting his friend’s stupidity process, Byungchan answers first, “Saturday? I’m down.” He shrugs.
“Yeah, I don’t see why not,” Sejun remarks, “I can drive so we don’t have to worry about Hanse getting any more DUIs.”
“Warnings,” Hanse corrects the other. He grins and his eyes fall on Chan. “Of course, I know you’re in. It was your idea.”
“Uh- Yeah, right,” Chan nods. He looked kind of zoned out for a second but quickly snaps out of it. “Yeah, totally. Text the group chat a time.”
“Oh- One more thing,” Hanse bites his lip nervously. He glances over his shoulder at the bakery floor for a second before turning to the others again. “What if we invite him?” He nods back toward the bakery area.
“Seungsik?” Byungchan shakes his head, “You know he always works Saturdays. Even though he doesn’t have to. Because he’s a freak. He’ll probably skip out.”
“No, not him,” Hanse grins, “Subin.”
“Doesn’t he have like an Olympic sized pool in his backyard? Why would he wanna swim with us?” Chan asks confusedly.
“Well, first of all,” Hanse gestures to himself. The others blink at him confusedly for a few seconds.
After silence ensues for a few more seconds, Chan’s finally the one to speak up, mentioning, “You just… You just gestured to your entire body-”
“I know,” Hanse says.
“Guys,” Sejun raises a hand, “While I’d love to stay and chat about... Whatever this is, I’m really tired, so… I’m gonna go. Oh- I’m all for inviting that Subin kid, though. He’s cute.”
“Right- Yeah, see you, Sejun!” Hanse says with a wave. The others bid him farewell in a similar manner.
“I agree with him,” Byungchan says after the other leaves. “The kid is cute.”
“I still think he’s evil,” Chan says. “Cute things are always evil. Children, tiny dogs, Hanse.”
“Aw, you think I’m cute?” Hanse feigns immense flattery, gasping.
“The cutest,” Chan winks exaggeratedly.
“Can you two not?” Byungchan’s nose scrunches. He focuses his gaze on Hanse, “Just ask the kid already. He’s sitting right over there, and- Oh, crap! I haven’t gotten his order yet.” With that, Byungchan bolts out of the kitchen toward the pastry counter.
Hanse watches the other disappear and shrugs, “Right, well… I’m gonna do it.”
Chan’s eyes widen, “Really?”
“Yeah, really. What- You think he’s gonna throw his coffee at me or something?”
“No, I just- I dunno. Guess it just seems random,” He shrugs.
“Hey, you may not remember, but it was my forthright boldness that led to us being friends.”
“You did say ‘hi’ first, but I came up with ‘Chanse’.”
Hanse laughs, “Okay, I’ll give you that one.” When the laughter diminishes, he looks Chan in the eye for a second. Slowly he takes a few steps closer to the other. He lowers his voice and speaks sincerely, “Look, the truth is…”
“Wh-what?” Chan sputters. He looks a bit tenser than he did just a minute before.
Hanse isn’t sure what’s up, but he doesn’t think much of it. Chan has moments where he gets spacey sometimes. He’s actually pretty artistic, and Hanse chalks it up to that.
He concedes, telling his closest friend the honest truth, “The truth is that I’ve never seen Subin come in here with anyone. Anyone. Students come here all the time with friends, but… Not him. No siblings either- even though I know he has them. I don’t think I’ve heard about his parents, either.”
“Hm,” Chan grunts. He nods, looking down in thought. “I guess you’re right. I’ve never seen anyone with him.”
“He comes in here every day. And then what? Goes home to do homework? I mean- maybe I’m reading too much into stuff, but… I think the kid is lonely. Okay, saying it out loud is kinda weird, maybe I should just-”
“No,” Chan scoffs, smacking Hanse lightly. “Shut up. It’s not weird, it’s awesome.” He gazes out the door, trying to find Subin. The chatter of those on the other side of the opening filters in. “Go invite that rich kid to break his first law.”
Hanse perks up at the joke, “You really think he’s never broken a law?”
“Pirating music doesn’t count. Neither does lying about your age on the internet.”
“You’re right,” Hanse giggles. “Jung Subin could use a few bad influences in his life.”
“Might as well be us,” Chan smirks.
“Cool. I’m gonna go ask him for his number, then,” Hanse says with finality. He leaves the kitchen with a newfound sense of purpose.
“I’ll see you around,” Chan calls after him. “I’m heading out.”
“See ya!” Hanse doesn’t bother watching the other leave. He just sees one Jung Subin sitting at his table. Half a biscuit sits on his plate and he sips contently at his coffee. Seungsik sits at the table next to his, still earnestly looking at things on his laptop.
“Hey idiot,” Byungchan’s voice comes out from behind the pastry case, directed at the delivery boy. “Don’t forget the reason you’re here: your job.” He points to the wrapped parcel on the cash wrap.
“Yeah, five seconds,” Hanse responds. He’s still got his eyes on the one customer present. “Yo, Subin!”
“Hm?” Subin looks up from his coffee, eyebrows raised inquisitively.
“Wanna go swimming Saturday?”
“Huh?” Subin sets his coffee down for a second. He looks confused and raises an eyebrow.
“You do know how to swim, right?” Hanse asks jokingly.
Subin snaps out of whatever daze had come over him and nods, “Yeah- yeah. I…” His lips upturn into a tiny grin and he nods. “This Saturday?”
“Yeah,” Hanse replies casually. “Just me and the guys- you know, the ones you see here all the time. Except for him,” He gestures to his boss, “Because he’s a party pooper.”
“Thanks. Not like I’m right here or anything,” Seungsik comments flatly.
Subin chuckles, “Sounds cool. I’m in.”
“Sick. Here, put your number in-” Hanse walks over to hand Subin his phone.
“Please do it fast,” Seungsik mutters, “So he can continue onto doing his actual job.”
The kid laughs, grabbing Hanse’s phone. He starts punching his number in, and Hanse smiles widely.
That was easier than I thought it’d be , he muses. This is gonna be fun.
It’d been a while since a lot of the guys had gotten together, and Hanse’s already looking forward to it. A giddy feeling bubbles up in his chest. He’s not sure whether it’s the good vibes he’s getting from Subin or just general excitement at the weather warming up. Whatever it is, Hanse’s sure about one thing:
He’s got a feeling this summer’s gonna be different. Good different.