Chapter Text
Thursday, 14:37
The first time it had happened, tired university-student Kim Seon Woo, 21, had found it quite humorous and energising. He had gone to the Starbucks next to campus on his free period, to pump his veins with caffeine so he could do some reading for his seminar the next morning. He had ordered his usual caramel macchiato with nonfat milk and three shots of espresso, and when he went to pick it up, the mug hadn’t had his nickname - Sunoo - written on it, the name he had given the cashier, but rather just a drawing of a big, smiling sun. It had made him chuckle, looking up to check the person working behind the desk, but the guy in question was busy taking orders. Sunoo’s brain had been fried when he ordered, not being able to really see him, but the guy who stood there, talking to a customer, he was… wow.
He seemed to be a bit taller than him, maybe a bit younger too. His hair was bleached, a yellowish colour, roots black, which didn’t look bad on him at all. He looked to be a foreigner, Japanese? - and very, very handsome.
For a few seconds, Sunoo couldn’t do much but stare, his cup in hand. His eyes were flickering over the other boy’s features - he even had an eyebrow piercing, how cool wasn’t that - when a pair of eyes met his. Sunoo flinched, as he was caught staring. The cashier blinked, and then smiled at him, and Sunoo turned around and pretty much fled to his table, face hot. Embarrassing. Creepy.
He had taken his seat, and with one last glance at the cup and the sun, he smiled and took a sip, humming at the taste, and then opened up his laptop. He had work to do, no time to drool over handsome part-timers.
***
Monday, 08:12
Sunoo found himself in a rush, the next time he stopped by the cafe. He had slept a bit too long, and hadn’t had time to drink a cup before leaving his student apartment, so he had to stop by and get a cup-to-go before his 08:30 class. If he didn’t get his morning cup, he got cranky, and if he got cranky, his friend Yang Jungwon wouldn’t let him check his notes after the lecture they had together. Sure, he could take notes himself, but they never turned out as neat as his friend’s did.
He walked in through the glass doors to the Starbucks , huffing as the warmth hit him, a big contrast to the late-autumn chill that had begun to settle in.
“Welcome”, a voice called out to him from the desk, sounding as tired as he felt.
Sunoo turned to the person who had greeted him.
“Hello-”
And closed his mouth. Oh. The handsome boy, who he had seen last time he was here, was working now as well. He blinked, and then was snapped out of his embarrassing haze when the door closed fully behind him, snapping him into action.
He cleared his throat, walking towards the man who now looked a bit more awake, amused even.
“Hello”, he said again.
The man smiled at him, as Sunoo stopped in front of him.
“What may I get you this lovely morning?”
Sunoo huffed, trying not to gape at the height of the man in front of him. Sure, Sunoo wasn’t short , he was actually taller than Jungwon! But the man in front of him had got to have almost ten centimetres on him. And it was frankly very, very attractive.
The man cleared his throat, and Sunoo realised he had been staring. Fuck . Embarrassing .
He swallowed, and said his usual order, trying to sound collected.
“Uhm, a caramel macchiato, please, with nonfat milk and three extra espresso shots”.
The man hummed, nodding, putting his order in. As Sunoo watched him do so, he glanced at the man’s nameplate. Riki . He was quick to avert his gaze, before the other saw him look. He didn’t want to be weird, even though his impression probably wasn’t the best already.
“Done, that’ll be 7,700 won, thank you”.
Sunoo nodded, putting his card against the blip, seeing it blink green at once. Riki gave him a smile, and then turned to prepare his drink. Sunoo stepped aside to wait by the pick-up station just to the left, watching the tall man as he worked.
Only when the tall man, Riki, finished with his drink and came to put it in front of Sunoo, did he realise that he was never asked what his name was, to be written on the paper cup. He met the eyes of the boy with the blonde hair and the eyebrow piercing.
Riki smiled at him.
“Enjoy”.
He then turned and started fixing the coffee machine, and Sunoo blinked. His eyes then caught sight of the clock behind the man, and found it was already twenty-five past, and grabbed the takeaway mug and began rushing to the door. He called out a ‘ thank you ’ as he stepped out, and started speeding towards the building on the opposite of the cafe. With his cup in his hand, he couldn’t help but glance down at it. Between his fingers, he saw the words written were ‘ fox boy ’. Despite being late, Sunoo couldn’t help but let out a huff of laughter. It was cute. But not his name!
***
Tuesday 16:15
Jungwon had been very interested, when he had seen Sunoo coming rushing in the morning prior. He had expected his hyung to be grouchy over the early hour, but instead Sunoo had gotten to class, at exactly 08:30, with a takeaway cup in his hand and a smile on his face.
After some coercion on his part, he had found out the smile was caused by a guy working at the cafe next to campus, a guy who seemed to flirt with his hyung. Sunoo did not agree with his choice of words, but it was clear to Jungwon that it was what was happening. So, naturally he needed to see the guy for himself.
“He might not even be working today”, his hyung muttered, as he pushed the door open to the Starbucks.
Jungwon didn’t even respond, as he walked in through the door and immediately looked at the disk. A tall guy was standing there, talking to a customer. He had bleached hair, roots showing. An eyebrow piercing glistered in the lamp above him. Jungwon blinked. Was that him?
He turned to ask his hyung, but the look on Sunoo’s face told him all he needed to know.
“I didn’t know the delinquent-type was what you’re into, hyung”, he joked.
Sunoo’s face grew into a shade of pink at once.
“Shut up, Wonie”, he muttered.
Jungwon chuckled.
“Sorry”. He grabbed hold of his hyung’s arm, making him meet his eyes. Sunoo was pouting slightly. Cute . Jungwon wanted to pinch his cheeks . “Let’s go order”.
Sunoo looked like he wanted to protest, and Jungwon quickly continued.
“My treat!”
Sunoo shut his mouth, and then begrudgingly nodded. Jungwon couldn’t help but smile. His hyung was easy to convince.
They got in line, there was only one person in front of them now that the girl that had ordered when they entered the cafe was done. Jungwon could sense his hyung getting more and more flustered the closer they got to the cashier, and he put his hand on Sunoo’s arm.
He leaned in close to him, to whisper in his ear.
“Hey, calm down. I won’t say anything. You know me”.
He leaned back slightly, and met Sunoo’s eyes. The other man swallowed, and then nodded.
Before he could reply, a dark and accented voice spoke to them.
“Hello, may I take your order?”
Jungwon let go of Sunoo, and turned to the guy behind the desk. He was tall. Unfair.
He snapped out of it, and smiled at the guy.
“Hi, I’d like a vanilla latte, and also a… carrot cake to go with it”.
The boy just nodded, typing it into the screen he had in front of him. He didn’t smile back, just looking between him and Sunoo. Jungwon had to stop his smile from growing wider. He had totally been flirting with his hyung. Jealous?
He turned to Sunoo, but the latter was looking down, cheeks flushed. It was fine, he knew what he liked.
He looked back at the boy, and opened his mouth.
“For my hyung-“
He was interrupted.
“A caramel macchiato with nonfat milk and three shots of espresso?”
Jungwon blinked, and in his peripheral vision he saw Sunoo’s head snap up.
“Uh”, he just said, “yeah”.
The boy with the bleached hair threw one look at Sunoo, and then nodded, typing it in.
“Anything else?”
Jungwon glanced at Sunoo, but the latter looked too flushed to speak, so he turned back to the boy, shaking his head.
“No, that’s perfect”.
The boy - Riki , Jungwon read on his chest - nodded.
“Are you paying together or separately?”
Jungwon responded to him, unable to smile.
“Together”.
He picked up his card from his pocket, and put it against the machine when the other told him it was ready. When it went through, he put it back.
The boy spoke.
“Thanks for your purchase. Your orders will be finished quickly. Name to be written on the cup?”
Jungwon opened his mouth to reply.
“It’s Jungwon, and-”
He was interrupted again.
“Great, thank you”.
Jungwon closed his mouth. Yeah, this boy was whipped for his Sunoo hyung. He couldn’t help but laugh.
“Thank you!”, he just responded, and quite literally dragged his hyung away from the desk.
When they got to their seat, Jungwon watched as Sunoo sighed, and immediately hid his face with his palm. It didn’t hide the redness of his ears though.
“Hyung, he obviously likes you? You were busy staring at your sneakers, but he was glaring daggers at me. Would be a bit intimidating if it wasn’t this hilarious”.
Sunoo groaned.
“Shut up”.
Jungwon was about to respond, when Sunoo parted his fingers, glaring through them.
“Worry about your own love life, before you stick your nose into mine”.
Jungwon’s mouth fell open.
“Hyung, foul!”
Sunoo let go of his face, sticking his tongue out. Childish.
“Well, who’s been crushing on the same sunbae for months without even asking for his number, huh? Not me”.
Jungwon stuck out his own tongue right back.
“Yeah, you like them younger, don’t you”.
Sunoo let out a gasp and gaped, but before he could retort back, a voice called out from the service station.
“Drinks and a carrot cake for ‘ Jungwon ’ and… ‘ ray of sunlight ’?”
Jungwon’s mind made an u-turn, and a toothy grin flashed over his lips. Sunoo’s mind seemed to do the same, judging by the way his face grew flushed. Jungwon got up from his seat, letting his hyung sit and boil where he was, and moved with sure steps towards where their order was waiting.
When he got there, the second worker looked at him. He smiled.
“I’m picking up for myself, Jungwon, and my friend is ‘the sunlight’”.
The girl sighed, nodded.
“Enjoy”.
As soon as he turned, walking back to the seat where Sunoo still sat, he heard a hushed ‘ Riki what the hell- ‘ behind him, and his grin grew wider. Whipped.
***
Tuesday, 11:40
Sunoo hated when Jungwon was right. So, maybe the handsome barista was flirting with him. Sue Sunoo for doubting it! Not his fault he was completely inexperienced in love. That’s what happens when you figure out you are gay pretty early while growing up in a small town. Not many options. And despite common belief, university was actually more about studying than finding the love of your life. Lesson number one, don’t believe in Korean dramas.
Jungwon had been livid over being right. Not even Sunoo trying to change the subject into being about his awkward crush helped. Jungwon just waved it away. Good thing Jungwon got busy studying for an exam a few days after following him to the cafe. It gave Sunoo time to breathe. And study for his own exams.
Almost a week passed by before Sunoo went to visit the cafe again. He deserved a break, he thought. And a good coffee. His DIY solution at home, instant coffee with milk and caramel syrup just didn’t cut it.
As he walked the last steps to the Starbucks , he told himself that he would not be disappointed if the cute barista was off work. He wasn’t there for him. He went there for a good drink.
Still, he felt his heartbeats pick up, when the same guy stood by the cashier. He was standing talking to a much shorter girl, coworker, but glanced up when he heard the door open. His body immediately straightened upon spotting Sunoo, and it made his face grow flushed.
He saw the girl next to him look too, before rolling her eyes and patting the boy on his shoulder. She then turned to the dish station, and begun washing cups. Sunoo wondered about their relationship for a split moment. And then he was in front of Riki, the barista.
Sunoo smiled at him.
“Hello”.
The man smiled back, albeit a bit weaker.
“On your own today?”, he simply said.
Sunoo blinked, and then had to force down his fluster. He cleared his throat, nodding.
“Yeah, my friend is busy”.
The other man raised an eyebrow.
“‘Friend’?”
Sunoo bit his lip, nodding.
“Yes, ‘friend’”.
Yeah, so, Yang Jungwon was most likely 100% correct. Ugh . He hated when his friend one-upped him. But he didn’t hate it more than he absolutely loved it. Was this real? The person he found absolutely stunning was attracted to him in return?
“Oh. Cool, cool”. Sunoo saw him force down a smile, and it made his cheeks burn. “A caramel macchiato?”
Sunoo, not trusting his voice to carry, just nodded. Riki clicked on the screen, and Sunoo brought up his card to make the purchase. When it went through, he looked up and met the boy’s eyes, giving him a small smile before walking to wait by the service station. He found himself wishing he had put on some makeup. He probably looked tired and he had forgotten his lip tint at home.
He looked down at his hands, fiddling with them slightly as he waited. He really wanted to ask Riki out. He was handsome, and he seemed kind. But was that proper? To ask someone out while they were on the clock? What if he had mistaken kindness for flirting, wouldn’t that be considered work harassment? He sighed.
He was interrupted in his mental battle when a cup was put down on the small space in front of him. He looked up, and it was the girl working with Riki. He glanced at the boy, and saw him serving someone else. He turned his eyes back to the girl, who seemed to be watching his face intently. He raised an eyebrow at her.
When she pushed the paper cup towards him, she spoke, voice in a hushed tone.
“Hm, you’re pretty. I see it”.
Sunoo blinked.
“Uhm, thanks”, he said, feeling flustered, even though he felt like she hadn't really been saying it to him.
He grabbed for the cup, and looked into her eyes. Feeling awkward, he lifted the cup.
“Thanks”, he said again, feeling dumb.
The girl just nodded.
“Enjoy your drink”.
He nodded back, and then turned to leave the cafe, cheeks feeling hot. When he got out of the door, he remembered to check the cup. The text written on it made him smile.
‘ Fighting! ’ and then a messy doodle of a book and a pen. Definitely not his name, but very cute. Feeling energised, Sunoo lifted the cup towards his lips, and took a sip of the hot beverage. It was very sweet. Just how he liked it.