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Hanse stuffs his hands into his pockets as he enters the corner coffee shop. There are more people inside than usual at this time, and he lets out a little sigh as he stands at the back of the line leading to the front counter. He purses his lips, looking around at the other customers enjoying their beverages or baked goods in the warm light of the store. Then, he looks ahead, searching eyes checking to see if his favorite employee is working. Good, Hanse thinks as he spots him prepping cups on the other side of the room. He’s here. Whatever he orders will be good, then.
If he’s being honest with himself, he already noticed him, Seungsik, as soon as he entered the store. (If he’s being even more honest with himself, he’d admit that Seungsik is the only reason he comes here so often for coffee in the first place). He learned his name weeks ago from his nametag and never forgot it. Hanse feels a little stupid for it, but Seungsik is just memorable. He is tall, lean, and seems like he might be clumsy, but Hanse has seen him work with the tools behind the coffee bar to complete multiple orders enough times to know he’s pretty competent at his job. Or part-time job. Or...Hanse hasn’t actually asked what Seungsik does outside of working here, but he knows he can’t spend all his time as a barista, because half the time Hanse comes to the shop and Seungsik isn’t there. Those days are disappointing. Maybe he’s a student at the nearby university too? He should probably ask, but Seungsik is a good worker, he doesn’t spend a lot of time hanging around the counter after he hands Hanse his order.
Sometimes they get time to chat, though. Hanse is not too proud to acknowledge his crush on Seungsik, so of course Hanse has made sure to at least interact with him, even though he’s sure Seungsik finds him to be at least a little annoying. Because the best thing about Seungsik, besides his cute face and broad shoulders and goofy smile and kind eyes, is that he is very, very fun to tease.
“Hey!” Seungsik had smiled at him weeks ago when Hanse had first decided to go back up to the counter after being handed his drink. Seungsik had complimented his lip piercing when he ordered earlier, so Hanse figured it was a good day to try to make more of an impression.
“Can I get you something else? Change your mind about the muffin?” Ah, right. Seungsik had also suggested he add a blueberry muffin to his order. He already had his lunch, but maybe listening to Seungsik’s suggestion next time would be a good idea. The muffins did look delicious.
“Uh, no, thank you. I was just wondering, my drink is kind of cold, would you be able to warm it up a little?” Hanse asked, and watched as Seungsik looked from Hanse’s drink in his hands, then back up to his face. He knew what Seungsik must be thinking: Hanse was handed his steaming hot americano not two minutes ago, how could it be cold? But, Seungsik humored him, giggling a little as he told him sure, and grabbed his perfectly hot coffee cup to put it in the microwave. His hand brushed against Hanse’s fingers as he took it. Unintentionally brushed his hand? Intentionally. This is new territory for Hanse. He really wasn’t sure.
When Seungsik came back with his even hotter coffee, Hanse carefully took it and thanked him politely.
“You’re welcome,” Seungsik said with a giggle, then paused for a moment with a little smile on his face, likely expecting Hanse to make more conversation. Hanse knew that would be logical, as he came to the counter intending to flirt, but he was a little lost for words looking into Seungsik’s kind, knowing eyes. So, he gave him a little nod, then promptly walked across the coffee shop to sit back down at his claimed table.
That’s just how it went almost every time after that. He would stop by the shop after classes, order something plain if his favorite barista wasn’t working, and if he was, whatever Seungsik suggested to him. He’d put change in the tip jar, wait for his drink, sit down, then get up a few minutes later to complain that something was wrong with his order even though it was made perfectly every time.
Of course, Hanse is outwardly aware that this habit of his is annoying. If he was a barista and a customer kept coming up to him complaining about nothing, he’d be pissed. However, Seungsik always seems to see right through him, offering a little smile or wink or giggle that makes Hanse comfortable with the fact that Seungsik must know he’s only doing this as an excuse to talk to him, even though neither of them has ever acknowledged it.
He has talked to him more lately, though. Well, Hanse supposes it’s just small talk. But they’re on a first-name basis, and Seungsik has informed him that he is allowed to call him Hyung whenever he wants. That made Hanse blush, and from then on he was sure his crush was so obvious that everyone in the store must have noticed.
Regardless, they haven’t gotten much closer than that. Hanse has a collection of excuses: I’ll make a bigger move next time. He already knows I must like him. He could make a move too if he wanted. He’s busy. I’m busy. The store is always busy.
Like today, as Hanse snaps out of his daydream in line. All of the employees behind the counter are working fast, including Seungsik. It’s almost his turn, so he prepares his order in his head and hopes that Seungsik will be the one to take it.
Unfortunately, he isn’t, so Hanse orders a plain latte with the help of a kind female barista and doesn’t get to talk to Seungsik or even see his face. He stands to the side, waiting for his order to be called. Hanse watches as Seungsik makes his latte, thankful that he’s the employee to do it. Once the drink has been made, Seungsik places it on the counter, and another young barista calls out the order.
Hanse tries to catch Seungsik’s eye to say hello to him before he goes to find a seat, but his focus is admirable as he turns out order after order, not sparing a glance in Hanse’s direction. That’s alright, Hanse thinks, he will wait until the line dies down, and then go talk to him.
After ten minutes of scrolling through Instagram have gone by, Hanse realizes there is no longer a line at the counter. He stands up and brushes his hand over his hair to make sure it isn't too out of place, then heads to where he can see Seungsik is just finishing drying off his hands by the sink beyond the coffee bar.
Seungsik throws his paper towel away, sees Hanse, and gets his greeting out first.
“Hey there,” Seungsik says in the tired voice of a service employee, but still offers Hanse a little smile. “Everything okay?”
Seungsik looks a little tired too, which is probably from the rush he just got through. Still, the light sweater he’s wearing hangs nicely, attractively, from his shoulders, and he has the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms. Up close, Hanse can see the dark roots at his scalp beginning to encroach on his blonde hair, and there’s a thin sheen of sweat at his brow.
He looks really, really pretty. Hanse can’t help but feel his stomach do a little flip at the sight of him. Despite this, he keeps up his cool demeanor as he sets his cup down in between them both.
Yeah, uh,” Hanse starts, “hm. It’s bitter.”
He looks up with his usual smirk, expecting to see his expression mirrored in Seungsik’s face as well. He’s shocked to see the usually coy and cheerful face of Seungsik in front of him crumbling.
“I can—” Seungsik swallows, trying to control the sudden wetness in his voice. He takes back Hanse’s cup, and Hanse watches in horror as all the confidence the beautiful barista in front of him usually has seems to be sucked out of him. “I don’t have, the machine has been— I can remake it...” his eyes are wet. For a moment, Hanse can’t move, because what is happening?
Hanse jumps. “No!” he says, too loud, but Seungsik has already moved to the espresso machine.
“It’s fine,” Seungsik says, his tone short, but just as he finishes filling the portafilter with freshly ground espresso, it falls out of his hand and onto the floor, clattering loudly on the tile and scattering brown coffee dust across the floor.
Seungsik stops and is clearly not fine as he raises his hands to his closed eyes just before real tears start to fall.
Hanse is frozen. He’s horrified and useless and Seungsik cries softly. This is not what usually happens, this is not at all what Hanse meant to happen, but it’s happening. Hanse has somehow made Seungsik cry and doesn’t know what to do.
Thankfully Seungsik’s coworker, alerted by the noise of the fallen espresso equipment, takes notice of his distress.
“Uh,” he says slowly, looking between Hanse and Seungsik from across the counter. “Sikkie, it’s okay. You can take your break now. I’ll clean it up,” the friendly coworker says, Chan according to his nametag. Seungsik puts his hands down and nods, his face red from a mixture of what is probably frustration and embarrassment over breaking out into tears in public.
Seungsik grabs a tissue to wipe his eyes with and trudges away from the employee area.
“Hey, wait,” Hanse follows him as he rounds the corner of the counter to try to find a place to sit for his break. “I didn’t mean to— I’m sorry.”
Seungsik doesn’t really seem to be listening to him, instead, he scans his eyes across the busy store. Hanse watches Seungsik look around at all the tables full of people. The only unoccupied seat left is across from where Hanse was.
Without a word, Seungsik walks towards the open chair, with Hanse quick to follow him.
“The coffee has never been bad,” Hanse says as they both sit down, and attempts to prove his point by raising his cup to his lips to take a sip. He swallows the coffee and puts the cup down, then sees his name, Do Hanse, written on the side. Not Sese, Mr. Do, a little drawing of a cat, or even a simple Hanse with a smiley face . Hanse kicks himself. He should have paid more attention, he should have known Seungsik was in a poor mood. “I was just trying to...uh.”
Hanse struggles to explain. He probably seems like an asshole. What if this whole time he thought Seungsik must know the intentions behind his coffee complaints, but really he was wrong, and he had just been irritating Seungsik this whole time? He wants to make a real apology, to assure Seungsik he’s not a rude and ungrateful person, but he doesn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry for making you cry, I was too distracted by how much I like you” is stupid, so instead he says nothing. Luckily, Seungsik talks instead.
“I know.” His voice is meek. “It’s not you.”
“It’s not?”
“No,” he snuffles. Despite the situation, Hanse can’t help but be endeared by it. “Your coffee is fine?” His (sweet) voice turns up the phrase to make it a question, but he isn’t looking at Hanse. He looks embarrassed, keeping his eyes on the table in front of him.
“Yeah, it always is.” Come on, Hanse wills himself. He finally finds himself incredibly stupid for not being forward with Seungsik in the first place. He takes a quick breath, then goes for it. “I wanted to come up and talk to you because I thought you were cute. It was fun the first time and so I kept doing it. But it was stupid. And mean. I’m sorry.”
Seungsik looks up and huffs out a little laugh. “Cute?”
Hanse has the urge to reach out and hold Seungsik’s hand. That would be too much, so he reaches forward for his coffee cup and slowly spins it around on the table to give his hand something to do instead.
“Very cute. Uh...I like you.”
He hopes it was the right thing to say.
It must have been an okay move, because Seungsik seems to blossom at the admission, smiling wide enough that Hanse can see his front teeth, and giving Hanse a genuine laugh.
“It wasn’t mean,” he says, his posture back to being confident. “I knew something else was going on!”
“I made you cry,” Hanse points out.
“Ah, well,” Seungsik is done laughing, but he still looks brighter. “That’s embarrassing. It wasn’t just because of you.” He sighs. “It’s really busy here today, you know, and too many customers have been actually mean. I’ve been snapped at one too many times today, and I didn’t get much sleep because I had this assignment due, plus we’ve been understaffed this month and I’ve been scheduled way more than usual,” Seungsik pauses, realizing he’s rambling and checking to see if Hanse is still listening. He is.
Hanse nods and makes a noise of understanding. They’re silent for a moment before Seungsik seems to realize that he’s still on break. He straightens up and looks over at the coffee bar. Hanse watches as he makes eye contact with the other employee, Chan, and they seem to communicate something with each other before Seungsik is turning back to look at Hanse from his place across the small table.
“I like your tattoos,” Seungsik announces, pleasantly surprising Hanse with this change of subject.
“Oh, uh thank you.” He looks at his own exposed arms, and Seungsik does the same.
“Mhm. I like the mermaid, it's really cool. I think...I think you look really cool.”
Hanse feels both heavier and lighter at the same time. There’s a light flush of color on Seungsik’s cheeks, and he feels like he could stay sitting across from Seungsik at this table watching him blush all day.
“Thank you,” he says earnestly.
“When did you get it?”
So, the next however many minutes include talks of Hanse’s ink, Seungsik’s school schedule, and some talk of their common interests. Eventually, Seungsik is needed behind the counter, and Hanse makes his way to the door while sipping his now-cold coffee happily. They may or may not have made plans to talk again tomorrow at Seungsik’s next shift after Hanse vowed to never complain about his order again.
Seungsik assured him that wouldn’t be an issue, but Hanse was firm on his stance. He doesn’t ever want to risk making Seungsik sad again. Hanse can tease him in other ways, he’s sure. He already knows Seungsik responds well to compliments, and he thinks that's a better plan than what he had in the past.
Throwing his empty cup in the trash on his way home, Hanse wonders what he’ll order from his favorite barista tomorrow.