Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jihun ties the apron around his waist and takes a deep breath, inhaling the scent of freshly brewed coffee. He looks around the small Café which is filled with dark wood chairs and tables and smiles when he sees how pretty the new fairy lights look that his colleague and friend Inseong hung across the ceiling.

They try to change the Cafè according to the seasons and since the autumn made the days shorter and colder, they decided to go for a soft and warm vibe. The Café is known for its natural style. Aside from the dark wood furniture they also have everything decorated with different kind of plants. Some are small and sit on the windowsill, some are really big and nearly touch the ceiling, some have many leaves and some have small spikes.

The owner created his own dream place and the reason why Jihun knows this because the owner and manager is none other than his good friend Heejun. Heejun may be younger than him but he was the best barista in his year and invested all his saving into this peaceful place. He even offered Jihun a job when he was struggling because his studies and flat were starting to get too expensive for him.

That was over two years ago and despite struggling a lot at the beginning, he started to love his job. The silent conversations, the smiles, the laughing, everything made him feel warm because he knew that he contributed a part to their happiness.

“Hey Jihun, my shift is over, do you need something or can I go home?” Inseong puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Nah, I'm good! Thanks for cleaning and preparing the ingredients for me.” Inseong wraps his black scarf around his neck and throws his backpack over his shoulders. He has most of his classes in the evening which is why he works the noon shift while Jihun takes over for the whole evening until they close the Café.

“Don't forget our meetup tomorrow you air head! I don't want to drive over again to kick you out of your bed like last time.” Jihun laughs at that memory. He overslept the last time they wanted to meet up for a small trip together with Heejun and his boyfriend Dongwon. He stayed up late because he binge-watched a series and forgot to set his alarm.

“Yeah yeah, I will be there but you need to buy me coffee and I mean a good one, not that stuff you drink every morning.” Inseong rolls his eyes and turns around to walk to the door.

“Okay, see you tomorrow!” He opens the door and Jihun hears the familiar sound of a little bell that signalizes the coming and going of their guests.

He looks after Inseong and sees that the sky already starts to get darker. The colored leaves are blown around by the wind and the street lights start to shine too.

Jihun turns around to the coffee machine and starts to make himself a cup since he wants to try out a new recipe he thought of at home. Heejun is really open about new creations and some of them even made it to the card which is something Jihun is really proud of. He may be clumsy in many situations but making coffee is something he takes really seriously and sees as a form of art.

He prepares everything he needs and takes another look at the Café. It seems to be a lazy day. He only sees two or three couples and a smaller group of women who seem to be in their late 40s.

The only person that catches his eyes is a well dressed younger man that seems to wait for someone. He looks at his mobile phone every five seconds and seems to be annoyed by something. Jihun assumes that his date or friend is too late. He sees the man standing up and walking towards him.

“Two black coffees and make it quick.” The man says before going back to his seat.

No please, no thank you, not even a smile? Jihun is someone with lots of patience but people like that guy make him unnecessarily angry and he decides in that moment that he can't stand him. The customers are usually really sweet and friendly, especially their regulars but Jihun has to get the unfriendly one directly at the start of his shift.

“Oh man, that's a good start” he murmurs to himself before preparing the ordered beverages.

He hears the bell ring again and turns around to see if a customer has entered only to get greeted by a really tall and handsome man. He wears a long dark blue coat with a black turtleneck under it and round glasses that made him look like a student. Jihun recognizes him and greets the new customer with a smile. He didn't visit very often but he usually came alone to eat a piece of cake and he is someone you can't overlook so easily which is why Jihun remembers him well. The tall man smiles back at him and Jihun can't help but feel surprised when he sees how the cute man looks around only to walk to the unfriendly guy. The tall one seems to be really happy to see the other but the unfriendly one, Jihun names him douchebag, seems to be so annoyed that he doesn't even reciprocate the hug. Both of them sit down across from each other and Jihun can see how the happy smile from the handsome man gets less vivid. He can't put his finger on it but the atmosphere between the two seems weird in his eyes. He starts to feel sorry for the guy. He looked so happy to see the douchebag and now he's sitting there as if he's waiting to get scolded.

Jihun stops looking at them to finish the order and remembers his plan for the new coffee creation. He wants to concentrate on it and calls Heejun, asking if he could take the order to the two men.

“Sorry Jihun but I need to finish these Muffins and our deliverer for the new coffee beans said he'll arrive soon. You need to do it yourself.” Jihun sighs and puts the coffees and two small cookies on a tray before he starts to walk over to the table. While getting closer to the two men, he can't help but feel that the atmosphere has gotten worse which makes him stop before getting too close to the table. He looks at the douchebag who's still showing annoyance and something like boredom but when his look shifts to the other he couldn't help but feel sad. The handsome man's lips are pressed together and he looks extremely small and insecure. He asks himself what made him so sad when the douchebag puts a necklace on the table and in that moment Jihun knows whats going on.

He feels himself holding his breath and just murmurs “Oh god, that's not happening right now.” to himself.

The douchebag opens his mouth and drops the bomb: “Listen Seoham, it's over. I'm breaking up with you.”

Jihun looks over to the tall man and sees how the color disappears from his face. The poor guy looks so lost for a moment, that Jihun couldn't help but feel his heart aching. Everyone has experienced heartbreak at some point in their life and that's why observing the scene hurts him as well. Jihun doesn't know what to do. He is just standing in the middle of the Café and watching how the scene unfolds in front of him.

“C-Come on Min, stop joking, that's not funny...” The annoyed looking guy lets out an exaggerated sigh. “This isn't a joke Seoham, I'm serious. What we had ends exactly now and it will never return.”

The cute man, Seoham, opens his mouth and tries to say something but the sadness seems to overwhelm him. He can only choke out a small “why?”.

The Min guy doesn't seem to feel any kind of empathy and Jihun has to suppress his urge to punch him.

“Don't get me wrong, it was nice to date you, you're really good looking” he pauses “but that's kinda it, you're nice but you follow me around like a puppy, you laugh at everything in a weird way and you are annoyingly childish.”

The silence that follows feels suffocating and Jihun could see that Seoham tries his best to hold back his tears. He can't believe what he just heard. He feels his anger growing stronger and it gets even worse when he sees that the first tears start to fall on Seoham's cheeks.

For short moment he thinks about beating the douchebag Min up but then he remembers that he needs to pay his rent and studies and decides to go for another solution.

He walks towards the table and pretends to trip, spilling both cups of coffee over the douchebag.

Min stands up looking furious and Jihun starts to bow, trying to sound as if he'd feel sorry for his actions.

“Ah, I'm such a clumsy person, sorry Sir, he coffee is for free!”

Min looks at him and it seems as if he's thinking about saying something but he just grabs his bag and stamps outside, not forgetting to throw a look full of disgust at Jihun.

“Wow, what an asshole.” He thinks before giving Seoham his full attention again. Said man is still sitting on his place but his head hangs down and Jihun can see that some tears are falling.

Jihun goes over to him and puts a hand on Seoham's shoulder.

“Hey, uhm can I bring you something?” Seoham looks up and Jihun feels even sadder now that he sees Seoham's beautiful face full of tears. He searches around in his apron and pockets until he find a pack of Tissues which he gives to Seoham. He tries to give him an encouraging smile and feels a bit relieved when Seoham reciprocates the smile a little bit. He takes the tissues and starts to dry his tears.

“I'm so sorry for this, I didn't know he would... I hope it didn't cause too much trouble.”

“Ah, please don't apologize! You did nothing wrong! That douchebag was an asshole to you seriously, if there's someone to blame it's him and him only.” He tries his best to sound encouraging.

Seoham looks around and sees a few people looking at him with apologetic eyes. Jihun can see that he feels ashamed and sad. “Seems like Min was right, I only bring trouble.”

Jihun goes down on a knee so that they are eye to eye.

“I don't know what else this asshole told you but it's not true. You're more than your looks and you're definitely not a burden.” He hates it when people get self conscious because of others stupid words. He remembers how Inseong struggled with similiar self doubts before because his father used to tell him how wrong his life decisions were. It took quite some time and love from Jihun and all other friends to bring his confidence back. Seeing Seoham like that makes him want to help him too.

“How can you say that? We don't know each other” Seoham looks down at his hands.

“Well then it's time to get to know each other” says Jihun while holding his hand out. “My name is Jihun, I'm 21 and I obviously work here as a barista, nice to meet you!”

Seoham looks a bit confused at the outstretched hand but he doesn't want to be impolite so he reaches out and feels the others warm hand in his cold ones.

“I'm Seoham and I'm 23 years old. I work at a Kindergarten with young children.” Jihun chuckles at this, it seems to be the perfect job for this tall but tender hearted guy in front of him.

“That's amazing! But honestly, you could also model! You definitely have the height and the handsome face for that” Seoham blushes a bit.

“I actually do some model jobs from time to time. I mean, I love my Kindergarten job s lot but it's sadly a bit underpayed so I'm doing the model thing to pay for my living expenses and rent etc. But if I had to choose I'd work with children forever.” Jihun feels his heart becoming lighter when he sees how much Seoham brightens up, talking about his kids. He could really see that he loves all of them. Seoham looks back at him and wants to say something when Jihun hears a loud voice calling for him.

“Jihun, where are you?” Heejun looks around the Café and sees him kneeling next to a customer.

“Yah! Your break is only in 1 hour and I need you help here!” Heejun turns around and walks back into the kitchen.

“Sorry I have to go now but it was nice to meet you Seoham! Even though I wish that it would've been under different circumstances.” Jihun stands up and wants to go when he feels something holding him back. He looks down and sees that the other grabbed a part of his apron.

“Wait, I need to thank you for helping me! Thank you for taking care of the situation and for being so kind! Oh, and sorry for this mess. Not only this whole scene but also the spilled coffee. Please let me help you clean it or at least pay for the cleaning expenses.”

“Don't worry so much Seoham! That wasn't your fault, I was the one who decided to spill the coffee over him and his probably way too expensive coat.” Jihun takes Seoham's hand in his and pats it softly with his other hand to reassure him. “And you don't need to pay for anything okay?”

“What? But-” Jihun holds up his forefinger.

“No 'but's', I won't accept your money!” Seoham starts to pout slightly and Jihun smiles at the sight.

“Do you feel better Seoham?” Seoham stops pouting and seems to think shortly before saying

“Uhm yes, a bit..” Just hearing this is enough for Jihun.

“Good, that's my payment for today! So go home now and rest well okay? This was a tough evening.” Jihun lets Seoham's hand go. “You should delete his number as soon as possible, call your friends and let them comfort you and make you happy. Oh and always remember that this guy doesn't deserve you or your tears.” Seoham just looks at him with wide eyes, obviously stunned by the words he just heard and Jihun couldn't help but think that he looks like a confused puppy which is adorable.

“Jihun! Come here immediately!” Jihun turn his head around to see an annoyed Heejun who is preparing several beverages for some customers that must've arrived recently.

“Oh shit I really need to go now, trust me you don't want to see him angry.” He shivers at the memory of the last outburst from Heejun he experienced. A rude old man destroyed Dongwon's fishing equipment on purpose after seeing both of them kiss. Heejun didn't get physical but his words hit much deeper and stronger than a kick could ever. Jihun shakes off the memory and focuses on the present again. “Okay Seoham, I wish you all the best! Please take good care, yeah? See you!” After that Jihun power walks over to Heejun. If he would've looked back, he could've seen Seoham smiling after him with a warm smile on his lips.

After Seoham left the Café and walked into the cold autumn that evening, Jihun started to think about him more and more. He wondered if Seoham was alright, if the douchebag called him again, if he cried a lot and if he really contacted his friends. Even when he met up with Inseong, Heejun and Dongwon he couldn't help but think about the tall and handsome man.

“Oh wow, I never saw him so deep in thoughts.” Dongwon waved his hand in front of Jihun's face after he kept spacing out.

“Yeah, he usually doesn't think... that much.” Inseong laughed. Jihun hit the others arm which made him screams.

“Ouch, I'm just stating facts!” Inseong rubbed his arm.

“He's just smitten for that handsome guy he told us about.” Heejun said in a rather neutral voice and Jihun couldn't help but blush.

“Not true.” It's just an interest in his well being, nothing more, he thought before concentrating on the movie again.

That was two weeks ago. Jihun waited and hoped every day that he could see Seoham again but the more time passed the more he thought that he won't see the other ever again. He was sad at that thought but he knew he would get over this.

It's a slow Friday evening and his shift has started a while ago. He's waiting for his break and thinks about what kind of coffee he wants to drink when the bell above the door rings.

He's about to greet the new customer when he lays his eyes on a familiar face that looks at him with a soft smile. Jihun can't help but freeze with wide eyes. The guy who kept wandering around his mind is walking over to him.

“Hi.” He chuckles, probably being amused because of Jihun's surprised face.

Only then Jihun snaps out of it and greets him.

“Hey! Uhm what can I do for you?” Seoham rubs his hands together as if he is feeling a bit nervous.

“I'm here to thank you properly... you know for the thing that happened a while ago. I couldn't stop feeling bad for causing you trouble.” He looks away from Jihun and that makes the barista smile again. Seoham really is a sweet person, he thinks.

“Seoham, I already told you that you didn't cause any trouble!” The addressed man looks back to Jihun and blushes a bit.

“Y-You remembered my name...?” Jihun's breath hitches and he starts to panic on the inside.

“Uhm yeah of course, it's a nice name, why shouldn't I remember it?” He laughs nervously and hopes that Seoham doesn't notice his red ears. He also hopes that the other doesn't think of him as a creepy person or a weirdo.

“It's just, that there's not much memorable about me so I was surprised I guess.” Seoham rubs his neck and Jihun feels sad hearing these words. He wants to make him happy again. Just like two weeks ago. He looks at the clock and sees that it's nearly time for his break, so me makes a decision.

“You know what? I'll make you my special coffee and then I'll come over and we can chat a bit. My break starts in like 5 minutes.” Jihun smiles brightly and points at a table close to a beautiful, big plant, a Monstera Deliciosa as Heejun told him a few days ago.

“Just wait there for me.” Seoham looks a bit insecure and as if he wants to say something but after a few seconds he seems to decide against it.

“Yeah, I'll wait for you.” He goes over to the table and sits down before getting a bit more comfortable.

Jihun watches after him before starting with his most famous special coffee. It's a recipe he developed which is loved by frequenter of the Café and contains hazelnut syrup and chocolate flakes. He starts humming while taking extra care during all the steps because he wants this coffee to be perfect. He wants to make Seoham smile again.

He is so focused on his coffee that he doesn't notice how his friend approaches him.

“Jihun what are you doing?” Jihun gets startled for a second and nearly drops the can with the chocolate flakes to the ground. “Oh dear Lord don't scare me like that.”

Heejun laughs a bit and pats his back in an apologetic way.

“Sorry, but for real, why are you preparing your special coffee?” Jihun can't stop the corners of his mouth from lifting up, forming a small smile.

“I want to introduce something new to someone who needs a change of scene.” He glances to the table where Seoham is sitting and typing on his phone.

Heejun follows Jihun's look and frowns a bit. “That's the guy you've talked about, right? The one that got dumped a while ago.” Jihun is confused at the change of Heejun's mood and looks at his friend.

“Yeah, that's him. I... just think that he needs to be introduced to new things so that he feels better.” Jihun can see a glint of concern in his friends eyes but tries to ignore it.

“And you're sure that you only mean the coffee when you talk about 'new things'?” Jihun gulps and avoids Heejun's gaze.

“Of course! I just want to help him. Nothing big, really.” He still feels the others gaze on him and chuckles nervously. He suddenly feels like a criminal in an interrogation and wants to escape this situation as soon as possible.

He hears how Heejun lets out a loud sigh. “Listen Jihun, I'm not saying that you're doing something bad but that guy just got out of a relationship and it seems as if he's not completely over it. I just don't want you to be used as comfort for his broken heart or shit like this.”

Jihun wants to protest and say that he can't be used since he doesn't have any interest or ulterior motive but before he can even open his mouth his friend interrupts him:

“Don't say stuff like 'I'm not interested in him' because I've known you for so many years that I can practically see that you're lying to yourself when you say that you're not attracted to him, dumbass.”

“Don't call me dumbass you dumbass!” Heejun chuckles and pinches Jihun's cheek. “I can't believe that's the only thing that got stuck in your head.” He let's go of Jihun's cheek and puts his hands in his pocket.

“Do what you think is the best for you but be careful. You wear your heart on your sleeve without noticing it yourself.” After saying these words, he turns around to goes back to the Café's kitchen.

Jihun rubs over the spot where Jihun pinched him. “Since when did he start to tell wisdoms and maxims like a grandpa” He goes back to finishing the coffee. “Maybe Dongwon teached him some of them. Or he watched a Shakespeare series again.”

Jihun stops his train of thoughts and looks down at the now finished coffee. He grabs it and one of Heejun's hidden Coke's as revenge for messing with his mind and goes over to Seoham.

He puts the coffee in front of Seoham who looks up from his phone as soon as he notices the presence of the barista . Jihun sits down on the opposite chair and apologizes for taking so long. Seoham flashes a bright smile that let his eyes disappear in crescent moons and assures him that it's alright. Jihun is definitely in awe when he sees Seoham's genuine smile for the first time.

He also feels a tiny spark of pride in his chest because he is the reason behind this big smile. He grabs the Coke and opens the bottle to take a sip, feeling instantly refreshed.

“Don't you want to try the coffee?” Jihun points at the mug in front of the brunette and sees his smile faltering a bit. “Uh, yeah... I'll try it now.” Jihun observes the others reaction intensely and sees how Seoham's eyebrows furrow a bit while sipping on his beverage. He feels a bit disappointed because of that. “Seems like you don't like it, sorry.” Seoham's eyes grow wide “No! It's good! Really! I was just surprised by the taste, because it's much sweeter than normally. Please don't apologize!” Jihun watches how Seoham waves his arms around while trying to support his statement ans can't help but finding it adorable. Seoham looks a bit like a Teenager while stuttering and explaining.

“Seoham it's alright, really. Does that mean that you're not a big fan of sweets?” The other looks a bit to the side while placing his hand on the nape of his neck. “Actually it's quite the opposite. I really love all kinds of sweet things.” Jihun smiles and notices that Seoham acts differently than you'd expect, judging by his appearance. If you just look on the outside he could seem like a really chic, handsome and cold model or even CEO, but his personality is the opposite of it. Really warm and comfortable.
Jihun needs to remind himself that he doesn't know the boy in front of him that well and that he can't judge a persons personality solely by two short encounters.

“If you like it sweet then I'll make it even more special whenever you come by! But let's talk about different things than coffee, how are you feeling? Did that guy disturb you some wise?”

Seoham continues to smile but his eyes show a bit of sadness. “I'm feeling better now. I contacted my friends and they were by my side to help me... they watched my favorite movies with me even though they don't really like them, made me tea and hot cocoa, went to karaoke bars and sang heartbreak songs with everything they had so that I wouldn't feel alone. And told me like 1000 time that I deserve better.” Jihun feels as if a small weight falls from his shoulders now that he knows that Seoham has wonderful friends that care a lot about him. “And about Min... I deleted his number like you said and I think he tried to call me a few times but I didn't answer or call back.” Hearing this gives Jihun a weird feeling of satisfaction and happiness that he pushes aside.

He points at Seoham and looks serious at him.

“That's good! He doesn't deserve you nor your love or forgiveness!” Seoham giggles at this and Jihun feels how the spark of pride grows at every smile or laugh that Seoham shows him.

“Thank you Jihun. Thank you for everything, really.”

“But I haven't done anything?” Jihun just did what he thought was right in that situation but didn't consider it a big help for Seoham.

“You did a lot! You looked out for me when I was sad, you spilled coffee on him so that he would stop embarrassing me, you took care of our mess while risking to get into trouble with your boss, you gave me good advice and you made me feel better! This is definitely not nothing.” Jihun feels touched by these words. He really just said basic things but it seems that Seoham needed these simple words more than he thought.

“Without you I probably wouldn't have talked to my friends immediately after the incident. And I wouldn't have deleted his number, so thank you Jihun. I really owe you something.” Jihun an feel his cheeks getting hotter with each spoken word and feels the big urge to hide his face behind his hands. But he doesn't do it.

“Thank you for telling me this but Seoham, I only gave you the first push into the right direction. You were the one who walked the full path. You decided to take my advice to heart and you allowed your friends to help you. It's not easy to admit our own vulnerabilities but you asked for support and you even came here to thank me, that shows how strong you actually are.”

Seoham looks at him as if he didn't expect these kind of words. He is speechless and seems like a lost puppy in Jihun's eyes which makes him lean forward to ruffle through the others hair. It feels even softer than he initially thought and it makes his heart go soft.

“Don't look like this. I'm just stating facts and please try not to put so much pressure on yourself.” Jihun takes his hand away from Seoham's now lightly destroyed hair and looks at Seoham with a hopefully reassuring smile.

After that they start to talk a bit more about themselves and when Seoham starts to talk about the children and the funny or adventurous events with them he gets all excited and doesn't stop smiling for even one second. Jihun can see how much this job means to the other and how much he enjoys to help the children to learn more about themselves and the world. They talk about Jihun's university and his classes since he's a dance major. They talk about the model world and how Seoham even appeared in a Kpop MV. He tells about how much fun the shooting was and what kind of plot it had. The memories of that MV shoot seem to come back because Seoham can't stop laughing loudly and Jihun joins because his laugh is so weird but cute and funny that he can't help himself.

Seoham suddenly goes quiet and puts a hand over his mouth. Jihun doesn't understand why and gets confused. “What's wrong?” The older slowly puts his hand away and looks to the side. “It's just that Min always said that he finds my laugh annoying and I always stopped myself from laughing in his presence.” Jihun felt himself clenching his fist. Seems like that douchebag is one of the main reasons why the cute boy felt bad about himself. “Don't listen to him. He is an idiot and your laugh makes others laugh as well which is amazing! Show your uniqueness Seoham, don't hide yourself.”

Seoham puts his hand back on the table and smiles “Thank you.”

Jihun looks at Seoham's gentle slightly crinkled eyes and feels his heart speed up a bit.

“Jihun your break is over!” He turns his head to the side and feels as if he has just woken up from a dream. Heejun stands in front of him with his apron in his stretched out hand. The blond notices the smirk on his friends face and hopes that the cute boy doesn't notice it.

“Ah sorry, I think I got you into trouble again. I'll pay for the coffee and go back.” Seoham puts his small bag on his lap and begins to search for his wallet.

“No, don't worry! It's fine, sorry that we couldn't talk longer and please accept the coffee as a gift from me.” He takes the apron from Heejun and puts it on.

Heejun looks at him with a even wider smirk. “No please, I can't accept that! You and your colleagues work hard and I'm still a customer.” Seoham pulls out a 10 000 Won note and puts it carefully on the table. “I hope this is enough! Thank you Jihun, for all your kind words. This means a lot to me.” He puts on his coat and grabs his bag.

“No problem, I'm glad I could help you. And Seoham, if you want you can always come by! I usually have the evening shifts.”

Seoham flashes him a bright smile that make his eyes disappear again. “I'd like that. See you soon Jihun!”

Seoham bows lightly to Heejun and goes out into the cold evening breeze.

Jihun looks after him until he feels a punch against his shoulder. “Hey prince Charming, I told you to be careful, not to fall down on your knees as soon as he smiles at you.” Jihun whines in pain and rubs his arm. Heejun really likes to hurt him today.

“I didn't-” “Yeah yeah, tell yourself that if you feel better.” Heejun interrupts.

Jihun goes straight to the kitchen, hoping that his warm cheeks will cool off fast.

Something about Seoham makes it hard for him to keep calm and he hopes that this weird feelings will stop soon.

In the following weeks Jihun notices that Seoham always comes by on the same days and he also always comes during his evening shift.
Every Monday and Friday he gets all giddy, can't stop looking a the clock and gets his hope up whenever he hears the door bell. As soon as he sees another customer he can't help but feel a small sting of disappointment. But when Seoham walks through the door, he can feel himself getting cozy and happy. A warmth spreads over his chest and he has the feeling as if nothing bad can happen now.

Today is Friday which means that Seoham will come by again and Jihun can't help but feel happy. He starts humming whenever he prepares an order and looks at the door while hoping that the handsome and tall boy walks through it. Heejun stands beside him and cuts a piece of cake while listening to Jihun's humming of “Coming home for Christmas”.

The days have gotten shorter and the temperature has dropped so much that they could see small white flakes falling down from the sky. Christmas is only a two weeks away and Jihun can feel how most of their guests are in a good and cozy mood.

He normally gets sad around that time of the year because he doesn't have the time or money to visit his family. He knows that his parents would pay for the train tickets, but they're already helping him so much whenever he's out of food at the end of the month and it pains him to see it. Especially because his parents aren't wealthy either. But for the first time since he moved away from his parents, he feels excitement when he thinks about the festive days. Even though he doesn't want to admit it, deep inside he knows that it s because of this gentle boy with the weirdest but funniest laugh.

The bell rings and Jihun gets ripped out of his thoughts. He turns around and sees Seoham stepping inside while shaking the soft snow out of his dark hair. He looks forward, searching for Jihun and when their eyes meet, he smiles his signature smile.

“Jihun! How are you today?” Seoham steps to the counter as always and Jihun starts to grab the ingredients to make his special coffee.

“I'm feeling great! How about you? How was it at work today?” Seoham just lets out a sigh and pouts, something that makes Jihun feel soft inside.

“The kids had a 'let's do the opposite of what Seoham says' day. Two of them painted on the walls, another kid cut a girls piggytails off and they even tried to attack me with finger paint. To make it short, it was exhausting and I questioned my life decisions at least 10 times.” The tired boy puts his elbows on the counter and rests his head on his right hand. He watches how Jihun prepares the beverage with quick and schooled hand movements.

“But at the end of the day, you still love them all, right?” Jihun says while smiling softly.

Another sigh leaves Seoham's lips but his pout turns into a smile like Jihun's. “Ah, I hate it when you're right” he chuckles.

Jihun puts the coffee in front of Seoham and point to the same table as always.

“I'll be there soon and drink your coffee instead of waiting for me before you start.” It should sound like a threat but Seoham knows by now how Jihun ticks when it comes to these things and just rolls his eyes.

He looks at his coffee and hesitates for a moment. Jihun notices this and gets concerned for a moment.

“Hey is everything alright?” Seoham looks up as if he wants to say something but instead of opening his mouth, he just bites on his underlip while shaking his head. He takes the coffee and goes over to the table.

Jihun feels a bit nervous because he's not used to see such an expression on Seoham's face. He looked nervous and as if he wants to say something important but he decides to just ask the other when his break starts.

“I see, I see, Loverboy is back, punctual as always and you're wagging your tail like a happy dog. Also as always.” Jihun can't help but close his eyes in annoyance. He loves his friend, he really does but since Seoham started to visit the café regularly Heejun has become more and more nerving. He understands that his friend wants to protect him from being hurt and tease him for kinda crushing on Seoham but over the past weeks, he's been throwing side comments around like an annoying TV host.

“Heejun, please, we already talked about that. Stop calling him Loverboy and stop with those comments.” Jihun cleans the counter, trying to avoid his friend's judging look.

“You know that annoying you is basically my second job after managing this Café.” Heejun laughs loudly before he takes the cloth from Jihun. “You break starts now, I'll clean the rest. I've been cockblocking you long enough today.”

Jihun flashes Heejun a bright smile, ignoring the last sentence he just heard and takes off his apron. He quickly grabs a small bottle with apple juice and walks over to Seoham.

The other is nipping slowly on the coffee as always while scrolling through his phone.

“Sorry for the wait!” Jihun says as he sits down on the opposite chair. Seoham stops looking at his phone, giving Jihun his full attention. Something Jihun noticed and really liked about Seoham.

“Jihuuuun!” Seoham starts to say in a whiny voice. “Weren't you the one who told me before that I shouldn't apologize so often? Then please follow your own words, I have no problem with waiting a bit!” Seoham pouts like he did before and Jihun can't help but pat Seoham's head softly.

“I know, I know, it's a habit I can't shake off easily. But let's stop with this, tell me what you wanted to say before at the counter. And don't lie! I know that you have something on your mind.”

Seoham blushes a bit and brushes his right hand through his hair while looking nervously to the side.

“Ah, yeah... uhm I wanted to ask you if you're working on Christmas Eve...”

Jihun can feel his heart beating faster. Is this supposed to be an invitation for Christmas? Because if yes, he'd probably freak out. But soon enough he remembers that he needs to answer Seoham instead of having a gay panic attack.

“Uh actually yeah, but only in the morning! That means that I'll be free after like 2 PM.” Jihun is now fiddling nervously with his fingers, waiting for what Seoham will say next.

“That's good! I- I mean uhm..” Seoham is looking around the room while seemingly searching for words. “You know, when you don't have anything else planned, I mean it's totally alright if you have but would you like to..”
Seoham gets interrupted by a hand on his shoulder that doesn't belong to Jihun.

He startles and turns his head around. What he sees there makes his eyes go wide and face pale.

“Look who's here chatting happily with the Barista! Did you grab yourself another guy to get over me or what?” Jihun clenches his fists because the person he wanted to see the least is standing in front of him, opening his big mouth.

“Min? What are you doing here?” Seoham seems to shrink under the others touch and Jihun feels a sharp pain in his heart. Seoham looks exactly like on the first day they first talked to each other. It is like a weird Deja Vu that he doesn't want to experience.

“I was actually just here to grab a coffee but then I saw you sitting here and thought that it would be nice to have a little chat.” Min smirks down to Seoham who avoids his look by staring at Jihun's special coffee in front of him.

“I don't think that he wants to talk to you.” Jihun looks at him with cold eyes.

“And how do you know that? Oh! Are you his new Toy? Wow Seoham, looks like your face got yourself another hoe!” Min laughs loudly holding his stomach with both of his arms.

Jihun sees red, he can't believe that this guy has the audacity to show up after Seoham feels so much better and now that he's here he insults not only the other but him too. He stands up, ready to counter what the other just said, but before he can even open his mouth he sees Seoham standing up in a fast speed only to grab Min's jacket and bringing him closer in a warning way.

“Take that back! I don't care what you think about me, but don't you dare to insult Jihun!” Seoham looks genuinely upset which surprises not only Jihun but also Min.

“Seems like he's important to you, damn. But just wait a few weeks and then he'll be sick of you and your faults.” Seoham only tightens his grip and for the first time since he met the tall boy, Jihun could see him raging on the inside.

“My faults? Wow I thought you couldn't sink deeper but I guess I was wrong.
Who was the one who constantly told me to be quiet when we went out with your friends? Who told me that my laugh was annoying? Who said that my interests were childish? Who pushed me to quit my job as Kindergarten teacher because it was 'too girly'? Who tried to change every aspect of me just to turn me into a presentable puppet?
It was you! You never loved me, you just made me hate myself and after not only breaking my heart but also my self confidence, you come here insulting me and the person that helped me the most? He was the one who cleaned the mess in my heart and head that you left behind. It was Jihun that made me like myself and the things you see as 'faults' again. He's such an amazing and caring person yet you're calling him a toy and a hoe? Apologize to him and then don't talk to me ever again.”
Seoham's breathing is heavy and his eyes are filled with unshed tears. He is shaking but it feels as if something inside of him just exploded. Jihun is standing there with an open mouth, feeling intimidated but also amazed by the scene that has unfolded in front of him. He has never thought that the soft, animal and child loving boy could snap so hard. But he also feels a bit of pride because the other did not only stand up for himself, he has also said that Jihun helped him and that makes him really happy.

Min seems to be as shocked as Jihun since he was just staring at Seoham with eyes widen in shock. The few other guests whisper loudly, calling Min a Jerk, some seem to even remember him from the time he broke up with Seoham, calling him the “asshole guy”. The comments from the people seem to have shaken Min up from his state of shock. He looks around before fixing his stare at Seoham. His brows and mouth going down in visible anger. The moment Jihun sees the others breathing getting faster he knows that something bad will happen. Before he can react he sees the other grab Seoham by his collar, leaning in closer with clenched teeth as if it takes all his will power to not strangle the other. “Who do you think you are, ridiculing me in front of other persons. Haven't you learned from before that you're supposed to shut your mouth?” With these words he raises his right arm while forming his hand into a fist. Seoham squints his eyes close, waiting for the impact and Jihun just sees red. He jumps around the table and grabs Min's arm before he can throw his fist at Seoham. Jihun yanks Min back, away from Seoham and pins him to the closest wall, pressing his right underarm to the others chest and holding his arm to the wall with his left hand.

“Don't you dare to hurt him.” Min tries to get out of Jihun's hold but Jihun is definitely stronger than the guy. “Let me go you cockroach! I'll call your manager and make him fire you!”

Even though Jihun knows that Heejun wouldn't fire him he lets the other go not wanting to cause his friend more trouble. But before he can turn around, he feels a hard impact against his cheek and bottom lip that makes him stumble backwards.

The pain rushes directly to his head and makes him feel really dizzy. He starts to loose his balance but before he hits anything he feels warm arms embracing and stabilizing him.

“Oh my god Jihun! Are you okay? Oh my god I'm so sorry! Jihun please talk to me.” Jihun blends out Seoham's alarmed and worried voice and touches his face, feeling something wet on his fingers. He groans out of pain and annoyance because he can't believe that this asshole is so much of a coward that he attacked Jihun while he was defenseless. He feels his anger boiling up and wants to walk forward to get his revenge when he feels the arms around him tighten. He looks down and sees a pair of hands clenching into his sweater while shaking strongly. Only then he notices that the person holding him back is sobbing quietly while saying “Please don't do it, you'll only get hurt. Please stop.” Jihun's heart clenches at the thought that he's the reason for Seoham's tears and puts his hands over the other's while drawing small circles in hope that this will calm him down a bit.

“Hey, I'm okay. Stop crying please, don't be sad Seoham.”

Min looks at that scene laughing in disbelief. “Wow, I can't believe it, you two idiots are made for each other.”

“That's enough.” All three men turn their heads around to Heejun who is standing close to them. He looks at Jihun's bleeding lip, Seoham's tear stained face and a confused Min. His look is cold and shows no emotion what makes Jihun shudder. He knows his friend and this look doesn't mean anything good.

Min turns to Heejun: “And who are you?”

Now it's Heejun's turn to smirk. “I'm the manager of this Café.”

“Good that you're here! This employee of yours is an unprofessional and dangerous guy who threatened me! If you don't want any legal consequences I suggest you fire him immediately.”

Min points at Jihun who widens his eyes at these words. “Listen Heejun, I-”

But Heejun interrupts him “Stop, I heard enough.” He looks at Min with a sweet smile.

“Sir, I'm afraid that I can't do this since you were the one who started this whole scene. You attacked one of our regular customers and hurt my best employee after he tried to stop you from doing that. He even let you go before you threw a punch at his face which means that you were the person at fault. If you want to take legal actions then you're free to do it because I'll call the police and everyone in this Café will be a witness of your actions.” Jihun could see how the color of Min's face started to fade away.

“I'll give you two options Sir. Option One: You file a report against my employee. If you do that I'll call the police now and this whole situation will be solved in court. Option two: You don't file a report, leave my Café forever and will never talk to either Jihun or Seoham. If you do that, I won't call the police and we'll forget this unfortunate event. It's up to you.” Heejun pulls out his phone and puts the number of the police in it. He turns his phone around to show Min the numbers.

“I'm waiting, Sir” Min stares at the phone, probably thinking about what to do now. After a few moments he clenches his fists and walks to Heejun.
“You should control your employees better. And you.” He looks over his shoulder to Jihun and Seoham. “I hope you have fun handling this giant child.” And with these words he walks to the door, leaving the small Café behind.

Jihun is overwhelmed and doesn't know what to say or think. Now that his adrenaline starts to wear off he notices the throbbing pain in his lower lip and cheek. He sees Heejun walking up to him.

“Jihun, I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you better.” He looks sadly at him. “Go to our Team Room with Seoham and take care of your injuries please. I'll take care of the rest here.” He squeezes Jihun's shoulder before going to the first table with customers, bowing deeply as an apology.

Jihun felt his throat closing when he sees how his friend bows down to each costumer, telling them that their beverages are for free. He knows that he caused his friend a lot of trouble. Their Café is famous for being quiet but after the second incidence in a few months their reputation might get hurt. He knows how much Heejun loves his Café and just the thought of hurting his friend and his Café makes him choked up.

“Jihun please come with me.” He feels someone tugging at his sleeve and turns around to see a puffy eyed Seoham that tries to get him away from there. Jihun nods and goes after Seoham to the Team Room where he gets the first aid kit out of their closet. He carefully places the kit on the table and sits down on a chair.

Seoham grabs another chair and puts it beside Jihun so that he can face him while sitting down. He opens the first aid kit and searches for the disinfectant. They don't talk until Seoham finds what he searched for. He turns to Jihun and sees that the blond boy's looking down sadly.

“Hey, Jihun....” The called one doesn't react. “Please look at me so that I can clean your cut.” Seoham puts his fingers under Jihun's chin, pulling it up softly so that he can look at Jihun's face properly.

Jihun doesn't know how he looks like but as soon as he's facing Seoham properly he sees the tall boy inhaling sharply. “This- This might hurt quite a bit, sorry.”

Seoham leans in closer so that he can observe Jihun's injuries better and starts to carefully dab the with disinfectant soaked cotton wool on the busted part. Jihun flinches at the sudden burning but tries to sit still so that he won't trouble Seoham. He feels nervous because he's never really been so close to him for longer than a few seconds. He steals some glances at Seoham, looking at his long lashes and slightly flushed cheeks that made his sharp face look younger. He feels his heart beating faster but tries to calm down in fear that other might notice it.

Not the right time Jihun, he says to himself.

After cleaning the injury Seoham also starts to clean the dried blood off of Jihun's face.

“I'm sorry Jihun.” The blond looks at Seoham and sees that he's starting to tear up again.

“If it wasn't for me and my big mouth you wouldn't have gotten hurt. I'm so sorry for troubling you. I promise I'll let you in peace after finishing this.”

Jihun grabs the Hand with which Seoham was cleaning his injury. He puts the his other hand around Seoham's hand as well and looks into his eyes.

“Don't say that.” Seoham looks at him, not knowing how to read Jihun's look. “You stood up for yourself and told him what you thought! That was amazing and I'm really proud of you.” Jihun smiles softly.

“But you were hurt becau-”

“I was hurt because that asshole punched me like a coward. His pride was hurt and he wanted to take revenge. This was only his fault.” Jihun takes one of his hands away to pet Seoham's hair softly while hoping that it makes him calm down. After a few moments he notices how close they still are and decides to lean back, giving Seoham the space that he might need.

“I know.... I'm just frustrated because all you've done is helping me and I feel like I gave nothing in return.” Seoham has his signature puppy look again and Jihun feels all his remaining anger getting washed away.

“You gave me more than you might think. I'm always excited to talk to you! Your ways to think are interesting and refreshing and you also listen to me as if I'm the only one who has your attention. You like my weird jokes and don't cringe at my aegyo moments. You didn't even judge me for liking my back scratched.” Both of them laugh. “What I want to say is that I like to have you close to me and you give me so much just by being yourself.”

He looks into Seoham's warm eyes and sees how he starts to get red with every said word.

Seoham is just staring at Jihun, different emotions showing in his facial expressions but Jihun can't decipher them. The only thing he knows is that his heart is beating ridiculously fast.
He sees that the boy in front of him is looking down to his injury and before he can think about it Seoham leans forward pressing a soft kiss on the side of his lip. It feels as if Seoham is scared to hurt him, as if it is supposed to be a healing kiss and a thank you.

Jihun feels warmth and giddiness spread inside of him. He wants nothing more than to turn his head to the side so that he can fully capture the boys lips but before he can even react, he feels how Seoham draws away quickly. They look into each others eyes and Seoham's are suddenly filled with insecurity and fear. Jihun feels his stomach drop at this sight and knows that the other is probably starting to panic.

Suddenly Seoham stands up, putting a hand before his mouth as if he is shocked by himself.

“Oh my god, I'm so sorry...” He looks overwhelmed by the situation and in a blink of an eye he turns around and starts to run towards the door.

This time Jihun reacts faster. He jumps up from his chair.

“Wait! Don't leave!” He runs behind Seoham who is about to open the door completely when the blond reaches him and pushes the door close again.

Seoham is facing the door with his hand on the doorknob, not saying a word.
Jihun can see that the tall boys shoulders are slumped and that his other hand is fidgeting with the end of his own shirt.

“Seoham please look at me.” Said boy just shakes his head which made him look smaller than he actually is.

“I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me, a-and now I ruined everything.” Jihun put his hands on Seoham's shoulders as softly as he could.

“You didn't ruin anything Seoham! Please turn around so that I can talk to you.”

When Seoham doesn't move on his own, Jihun starts to slowly turn him around by his shoulders until they're facing each other. Or better until Jihun can see the crown of Seoham's head, since he's looking down at his feet.

“Seoham...” Jihun tries to say this with his aegyo voice, knowing that it always makes the other smile. After a few seconds of hesitation Seoham starts to look up. Jihun smiles softly and cups Seoham's cheeks with his hands. “There is your beautiful face again.”

Seoham blushes and wants to hide it from the boy in front of him but the hands on the sides of his face prevent him from doing that.

“Jihun....I didn't- I wasn't-” The blond interrupts him with a small peck on Seoham's forehead and that makes the tall boy speechless.

“You have no idea what you're doing with me Park Seoham.” He leans forward to press another peck on the others nose that he has always found cute.

“You came into my life out of nowhere, making my days brighter.” He kisses Seoham's left cheek.

“And after sneaking into my mind and caring for me you kiss my wound making my heart nearly stop.” He peppers his right cheeks with several small pecks before leaning back and looking at Seoham. The other is staring at him with a red face and a small smile.

“The only thing you ruined was my chance to kiss you back properly.” He chuckles. Seoham puts one of his hands over his eyes while groaning quietly. It seems like he doesn't know how to handle his emotions. Jihun's chuckle turns into a giggle and he kisses the back of Seoham's hand that is still covering his eyes.

“Don't apologize for this. Or for anything that happened before!” He slowly takes Seoham's hand and guides it down so that he can see the others face again. He intertwines their hands rubs circles over Seoham's knuckles. Jihun is usually not the confident type of person when it comes to intimate moments but for once in his life he just feels so right and sure about something that he even is surprised about the following words.

“Can I kiss you?” He looks at Seoham's face trying to convey his feelings through his looks.

As a response, Seoham smiles and closes his eyes while squeezing Jihun's hand softly. Jihun can't hold himself back and presses Seoham against the door before pressing his lips against Seoham's. He hears the blood rushing in his ears and lets out a muffled sigh. He is embarrassed to admit it but he dreamed about this moment quite often. Even though the fantasy didn't get close to the things he feels now. He feels how Seoham relaxes and starts to move his lips shyly. Jihun takes this as a sign to deepen their kiss by tilting his head more. Seoham lets go of his hand to put his arms around his neck and pressing him closer. Both of them blend out their surroundings and only concentrate on each other. Their hearts beat so fast that they're sure that the other can hear it but in that moment they're just feeling warmth, happiness and butterflies in their stomachs. They kiss until they need to break for air but shortly after a few deep breaths Seoham connects their lips again.

They don't know how long they were standing there just kissing each other, sometimes more hungrily and sometimes more lazily, but always careful so that the other feels comfortable.

They eventually stop kissing and try to catch their breaths properly. Jihun leans his forehead against Seoham's and grins brightly. He can't stop himself from giving Seoham several small pecks on his face which makes Seoham giggle and smile so big that his eyes disappear.

“Uhm I don't know if it's obvious considering the fact that we kinda made out for probably half an hour but... Seoham.. I like you... a lot and I know that the time we've known each other might be comparatively short but with you everything just feels right. So if you're okay with a guy that has his head in the clouds sometimes then I'd be beyond happy if you'd become my boyfriend.”

Seoham can't stop smiling and looks fondly at Jihun.

“You know, the things I said to Min, about you caring for me and repairing my heart and self confidence, I really meant that. You helped me with your words and loving and understanding looks. You cheered me up and you accepted me the way I am and I'm beyond thankful for that. During the past weeks I couldn't help but notice how much I like to spend time with you... and yeah I really like you a lot too and I'd love to be your boyfriend.”

Jihun's smile reaches from one ear to another and he feels so overwhelmed by all kinds of feelings that he hugs Seoham tightly. He feels Seoham's arms wrap around him tightly and knows that he doesn't want to miss this feeling anymore.

“Seems like I got an early Christmas present.” Seoham giggles while his eyes turn into crescents.

Jihun pecks Seoham's lips again. “Yeah, I kinda got mine a bit earlier too.”

They hear a few knocks on the door and get ripped out of their own bubble.

“Uh, yeah?” Jihun says loudly enough for the person on the other side. He turns Seoham away from the door and opens it a bit only to see the face of Heejun smirking at him.

“Am I interrupting something?” Jihun is suddenly hyper aware of his crinkled shirt, his swollen lips, his messed up hair and his pink cheeks. “Haha.... uhhh no of course not.”

He opens the door so that Heejun can enter the room completely. He sees how Heejun's cheeky grin grows even wider when his eyes fall on an equally messed up Seoham.

“I know that you'd probably like to spend more time together right now but I need to talk a bit with you Jihun. It won't take long, so you can wait outside for him Seoham.” Seoham nods and goes outside, closing the door behind him.

Jihun knows that Heejun wants to talk about what happened with Min before and he feels the heavy guilt again.

“Heejun, I want to apologize for what happened before. I got you and the whole Café into trouble and I want you to know that I'll take all responsibility for that.” He bows down in front of his friend in hope that the other feels his sincerity. They usually play around and don't talk about serious matters but sometimes these conversations have to be made.

He's still bowing when he feels a hand on his head that ruffles through his hair.

“Stop bowing Jihun! You make me feel like one of these bad bosses in K-Dramas” Jihun chuckles when he hears that Heejun is pouting while saying it. He stands straight again and sees how Heejun's face falls when he sees his wounds.

“I should've reported that guy for doing this to you, dammit.”

“No, it's okay! This will heal but his pride probably won't.” Heejun grins again.

“Nope, that ass will recover forever. Have you seen his face after I held out my phone? Woah, I was so cool.” Both of them start laughing.

“And don't worry Jihun, I talked to all the guests in order to apologize and they said that we did the right thing. They even thanked us for protecting Seoham and said that they feel safe in a Café where the employees give their all for them. Oh and they agreed that this Min guy is a big Douchebag, so don't worry, our reputation definitely didn't suffer because of it.” Jihun breathes out feeling better.

“So you're not mad at me?” Jihun takes Heejun's hand with both of his hands and swings it around while pouting cutely.

“Of course not! I was worried because your dumbass got hurt but that's it.” Jihun stops swinging his arms around and hugs Heejun.

“Thank you, for real. You're the best Manager I could ask for.” Heejun pats Jihun's back.

“Yah, that's enough honeyed words for one day. Not even Dongwon is like that.” Jihun feels how Heejun grabs his shoulders to push him away.

“But now you need to tell me what happened while I wasn't around, Loverboy.” Jihun groans while his face starts to feel hot again.

“Hah! You're blushing! You can't hide it from me, something happened between you and Seoham!”

Jihun avoids Heejuns piercing look. “So.... he took care of my wound and then... we kinda kissed and I kinda asked him to be my boyfriend?” Jihun rubs his neck in embarrassment.

“Oh my god finally!” Heejun shakes Jihun by his shoulders to undermine his statement. Jihun on the other hand gets confused by these words.

“But didn't you always say that I should be careful and stay away from him? What happened to that?” Heejun starts to smile softly when he sees the dazed expression of Jihun.

“At first I was sure that Seoham only comes here to distract himself from his broken heart. You helped him when he was hurt and it was just logical that he gets attached to you since you're too soft sometimes. But as time passed he seemed to be genuinely interested in you and when I saw the scene today my last doubts were washed away. And since I already know that you have the cutest crush on him, I decided to give you two my blessings.” With these words Heejun spreads his arms and tilts his head up in a heroic pose.

Jihun rolls his eyes and boxes against his friends chest.

“Stop acting like my dad, you're younger than me!” Heejun rubs over the spot Jihun just hit and whines. “But thank you. I'm happy that you're okay with us.”

“Of course! And now get your ass out of this room, your boyfriend is waiting for you to take you on a date. But don't you dare to do something that can put you on Santa's naughty list!” Jihun puts his hands over his ears and walks to the door. “I can't hear you and your impure words! See you tomorrow!” And with this statement he walks out and closes the door behind him.

He takes a deep breath and feels himself relaxing as soon as he sees Seoham a few meters away from him. As soon as the other sees him walking towards him he begins to smile again.

“Everything alright?” Seoham reaches out and takes Jihun's hand in his own. Jihun feels his heart flatter once again and wonders when he became such a sap for another boy.

“Yeah, everything is good now and I'm also free to go so what would you think about a date? I want to take you out to a good restaurant which is not only known for great food but also amazing coffee! I mean not as good as mine but really close.” Seoham's smile falters a bit and he looks a bit nervous.

“About the coffee... I think there's something I need to confess to you.” He can't look into Jihun's eyes anymore and starts to look around while searching for the right words.

“The truth is that I don't like coffee... at all. And uhm I mean your coffee was better but...” Jihun's eyes widen and he can't help but feel really surprised.

“But why didn't you tell me? I could've made you something else instead of my special coffee! I thought you didn't like it at the beginning because it wasn't sweet enough, not because you hate coffee in general.”

Seoham looks down, feeling bad for lying for so long.

“When I came back the first time after the incident you wanted to cheer me up with your coffee and you looked so happy while preparing it that I couldn't bring myself to tell you. And after that it kinda became my excuse to visit you more often since I liked to see you happy.” Jihun can see how Seoham blushes which makes his chest warm.

“I swear I wanted to tell you a while ago but I was scared that you wouldn't want to talk to me again. I know it's dumb but I liked you so much already and I-” Seoham feels a kiss on his forehead.

Just at the thought that Seoham came to the Café twice a week, drinking his coffee, just to see him and to make him happy, makese him go all soft again.

“You're thinking too much Seoham. I'm not mad or something like that! Yeah it would've been better if you were honest because I could've made you the best hot chocolate in this world!” He chuckles and cups Seoham's face with his hand. “From now on you need to tell me what you like and dislike so that you're always comfortable with me, yeah?” Seoham smiles and leans forward to peck Jihun's lips.

“I will and the same goes to you, yeah? Thank you Jihun, for everything.”

“I need to thank you, I mean you did all these things for me!” He takes Seoham's hand in his own.

“But now let's go and eat! I'm starving and I need to show off my cute new Boyfriend to everyone.”

They walk outside into the cold evening. This time Seoham isn't alone, because Jihun is by his side and he plans to stay there for a long time.