Work Text:
It was Monday. It was an unspoken norm for students and workers to loathe the first day of the week. Monday meant an end to their weekend break, to their fun lazy days where they’re free from their responsibility cage. To Yanfei, Mondays were a blessing. They fit perfectly into the descriptions people often made for Saturdays; the gate to freedom, the release of workloads.
Other than the occasional school field trip groups and a few researchers the planetarium received on the weekdays, the planetarium was most of the time empty. Mondays were specifically the most relaxed day for the staff. The weekly meeting started at eight, usually discussing the statistics of ticket sales and the list of equipment needed to be repaired or bought. Being one of the very few people who were responsible for purchasing parts and tools, Yanfei was already given the list so she could make the transaction earlier, hence making an appearance in the meeting was not necessary for the slightest.
Nevertheless, Yanfei always showed up. She woke up at six every morning, showered, and got herself breakfast before going off to work. This morning routine of hers usually took less than one hour, and sometimes slightly more than that, when Hu Tao was handling the bakery Yanfei was a regular customer in.
Her daily visit to the bakery never took up too much time, however, so she was never late to her meeting. In short, she was someone with high discipline that her colleagues always looked up to. Not to mention, she was excellent at her tasks. Zero procrastination. Always getting things done as soon as they were assigned to her. Everyone regarded her with the utmost respect, and she acknowledged that with pride. Except for one person.
“Welcome to Meiwei Baozi!” A familiar voice chirped before Yanfei even stepped into the tiny shop. Yanfei glanced at the shop’s window, littered with papers and ads, and her eyes lit up as she noticed a new brochure among the old ones. Only Hu Tao could’ve put that up since she was the owner, being the one who managed which ads were to be displayed on her shop window.
“I don’t recall paying you to advertise the planetarium I work in,” Yanfei quickly stated as soon as she was inside. The scent of freshly baked goods filled her nostrils, and Hu Tao’s usual red attire and her bright welcoming smile blinded Yanfei’s sight. She frowned. Too vibrant and sweet for a Monday morning.
Hu Tao, who was sitting on a stool behind the cashier with her arms on the table, chin resting on her hand, let out a small chuckle. “Always the lack of greetings, Yanfei, dear.”
Yanfei’s breath hitched. Not that Hu Tao had never called her all sorts of pet names before for the sole reason of pissing her off—Yanfei thought she was starting to get used to it—but it was half-past six in the morning and her weak heart was quite… unprepared.
Yanfei pretended to cough and fanned herself, hoping the heat rising to her cheeks wasn’t going to color them red. Hu Tao wouldn’t let her live it down if she knew. “You could have saved that spot for an ad that brings you money,” she said as she pretended to examine the various bread put on display.
“I have your usual portion of egg tart here, cutie,” Hu Tao gestured at the box already prepared at the cashier counter. “Why’d you look at other bread when you always get egg tarts? Are you that shy to see me?”
Yanfei rolled her eyes and turned to Hu Tao, arms crossed in front of her chest. “Maybe I was craving for something else?”
“Or you’re craving to see me but you’re too embarrassed to act on it and even more so to admit it?” Hu Tao wiggled her eyebrows, still maintaining their eye contact.
Yanfei bit her bottom lip. She felt herself waver under such a teasing gaze no one had dared put on her. She felt her cheeks heating up once more, stronger than before, and there was nothing she could do that wouldn’t further feed into Hu Tao’s flirtatious personality to hide it. “What proof is this ridiculous claim based on?” She answered with a question instead; an attempt to intimidate her opponent in a conversation, one that had always worked when she was faced with a few colleagues who sometimes made poor accusations attempting to get her fired. Jealousy is a disease, as some sayings said.
Another chuckle, more mischievous this time, spilled from Hu Tao’s lips. Yanfei gulped. It sounded beautiful. “You’re blushing harder than my outfit, darling,” Hu Tao said, clearly unphased by Yanfei’s intimidation. “Drop the act. A lovely smile fits you better than that scowl on your face.”
Yanfei coughed once more. “About the ad,” she hissed, obviously trying to steer the conversation away. “Why—”
“And why don’t you stop asking me about the ad, hm? I want it on my window, so I put it there.” Hu Tao pushed the box of egg tart across the counter, gesturing for Yanfei to take it. “Here, have your breakfast. On the house.”
“But I don’t understand how business-wise it would be beneficial to you or the bakery—”
“Why do you care about my bakery so much, Miss?” Hu Tao cut her off again, brows furrowed. A frown started to form on her previously cheerful face. “Listen. Business-wise, the bakery’s doing well. I don’t see why I shouldn’t advertise the place you work in, since not only do you work there, you also clearly care for the place so much. You only talk about the planetarium every time you come here, did you not? You also complained about the lack of visitors that one time.”
Yanfei narrowed her eyes in an accusing gaze. “Why do you care about me ?”
“Because I— Because we’re friends, obviously,” Hu Tao said in an unconvincing tone, crossing her arms instinctively. Yanfei noticed this as the body language for I’m hiding something from you, if it’s applicable, as she learned from her body language training she had to pass to qualify for being one of the planetarium guides.
However, she didn’t understand the implication. Maybe it wasn’t an applicable situation at the moment. Yanfei blinked at the sudden change of tension, Hu Tao losing her confident front in an exchange for an awkward atmosphere that continued to grow in intensity the longer they stayed silent.
“Friends,” Yanfei said without a thought to break the uncomfortable silence between them. Any second longer of that and she would probably explode. “Let me pay for my breakfast, at least.”
Hu Tao quickly shook her head and frowned again. “Why do you like paying so much? Just see it as a… treat from a friend.”
“That’s bad for your business—”
“Enough of that business talk,” Hu Tao groaned and slumped on the wall behind her. “I’m doing the business here and you care about it more than me.”
“I’m only looking out for you.”
“If you want to pay so much then just take me out on a date,” Hu Tao blurted out. Her eyes widened in shock as soon as the sentence left her mouth. “Wait, I mean—”
Yanfei couldn’t believe her ears. Still processing the sudden request, her heartbeat picking up the pace and a sudden giddiness exploding from her chest, she made out a calm, composed smile, very contradictory to her reddening face. “Y-You don’t have to explain yourself. If that’s a form of payment you allow, then I will pick you up after closing hours.”
“As friends?” Hu Tao squeaked.
“Whatever you deem a date to be.”
“Oh.”
Yanfei walked over to the cashier and took her egg tarts. “I’ll be taking my leave.”
“Y-yes, thank you for your patronage, d-darling,” Hu Tao stuttered. “And take care!”
Without knowing what she was doing, Yanfei leaned over the display and pressed a chaste kiss on Hu Tao’s forehead, a playful grin on her lips, with messy screaming thoughts in her head. “Do I make you nervous, dear ?”
Hu Tao’s cheeks flushed a violent red. It was a good look on her. “Fuck you, I-I can hear your fast heartbeat.”
“So aggressive to your customer, Hu Tao.”
Without saying anything else, Yanfei spun on her heels and exited the shop, leaving a dumbfounded bakery owner flustered in her own shop on a Monday morning. It would be a lie if Yanfei said she wasn’t going crazy at the thought of a date with her , and despite being caught flustered several times, she would like to be seen as the calm and composed one.
As if she wasn’t a nervous wreck either. As if she wasn’t walking to work while trying to hold back a long squeal. As if she wasn’t a walking ripe tomato with a tight grip clutching at the box of egg tarts as an output of her internal incoherent screaming. As if her heartbeat wasn’t racing so fast she could’ve mistaken it for caffeine drive.
She told herself to calm down before entering her workplace. The attempt failed incredibly, excitement coursing through her veins and her head was empty, no thoughts but a repeated I’m going on a date with Hu Tao tonight, holy cow, I’m going on a date with Hu Tao tonight, and so on. She was already in front of the door when she decided, no, this wasn’t going to work, so she grunted and scribbled something on a small piece of paper and told the security guard to give it to her boss before leaving the place.
Not a meeting she had shown up late in, but Hu Tao just made her take a day off. Truly despicable. Atrocious. Unbelievable.
Yanfei returned to the bakery.