Chapter Text
Jin is going to open a café.
He’s been at his middle management corporate job for three years, and it’s fine. It’s honestly really fine, and he’s saved a lot of money; he has some friends and the work is easy; and he went to stay with his parents for Chuseok, and that was fine, honestly. It really was. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before, nothing he hadn’t learnt to expect, nothing he hadn’t become numb to over the years. But then he came home and the shop under his flat was up for rent, and it had a kitchen and a really cute door, and he kind of snapped and sent an email to the property agents immediately, standing in the middle of the street in the middle of the night.
‘Jungkook,’ he’d said on the phone, once he’d made it upstairs. ‘Am I insane?’
‘No,’ Jungkook had said, voice backed by the familiar sounds of Overwatch. ‘Honestly, I don’t think so. You hate your job, and you love baking and being in charge of yourself and your time, and it’s right below your flat, and you have the money, and it’s in a good area to get plenty of business from students.’
‘Yah,’ Jin had squeaked, affronted. ‘I don’t hate my job. I’m good at it.’
‘I didn’t say you weren’t good at it, hyung, but you do hate it.’ The video game noises had stopped then, and Jungkook’s voice was louder in the silence, echoing down the phone line. ‘You just put up with it because it keeps your parents off your back and you can save money from it, but what are you even saving for?’
‘I don’t know. Marriage?’ Jin had said, feeling slightly sick.
‘I can hear you pulling a yuck face from here,’ Jungkook had giggled. ‘I know it’s a big thing, but… I don’t know. Doesn’t it feel like you’ve been waiting for a big thing? You were saying just last week that you’re restless.’
‘Ah, Kook-ah, that was just because I needed a holiday,’ Jin had said unconvincingly, waving his hand uselessly to his empty flat.
‘If you say so, hyung,’ Jungkook had said, the phone line crackling. ‘I just think, you do big things sometimes, and you go with your gut, and I love that about you. So, if you want to quit your job and open a café, I’ll support you, okay?’
‘Jungkook, are you drunk?’ Jin had laughed, too high-pitched, swallowing the lump in his throat.
‘Shut up, hyung,’ Jungkook laughed back, and then there was silence for a moment. ‘You know your parents are gonna be mad, right?’
‘Yeah. I know.’
Jungkook had hummed, quietly, and then asked, ‘What are you going to call it?’
And Jin had answered, immediately. ‘Moonflower.’
~
And now, he’s here. Six months later. Six months of quitting, working his notice period, paperwork, deposits, watching endless café vlogs, painting, more paperwork, shrieking at Jungkook, buying furniture, practice-baking. Six months, and he’s ready to open for the first time, just in time for the March semester to start. He bounces from foot to foot as he unlocks the café door. It’s not even 6am yet, so it’s only half-light outside, car headlights reflecting on the café windows. He only turns on the lights in the tiny kitchen at the back as he shrugs off his coat and looks around, assessing. He knows there’s nothing left to do, he knows, but the café isn’t supposed to open for another hour, and he couldn’t sit waiting in his apartment upstairs any longer.
Still. Maybe he can find something. His new pink espresso machine is clean and working, the plants are watered, everything is vacuumed and dusted and swept. Jin looks at the neat rows of his baking, ready to be uncovered for the first customer. He worked so hard, and he knows the food is good, but it still feels weird to expect people to pay for his cakes. And he’s hardly an expert barista, despite his constant practice over the past few weeks. Jungkook does say it’s all delicious, but Jin has seen him eat five-day-old pizza before, so maybe that’s not the best metric.
He takes a deep breath. The macarons are good, the crepe cake is good, all the components of the tiny strawberry tiramisu pots are ready to be assembled, the little crescent moon shortbreads he plans on giving out with every coffee are stacked up in their jar. Everything is ready, and it is delicious, and people will come, he reminds himself. But what can he do?
His phone buzzes in his pocket, and he jumps at the sudden noise in the silence. When he checks, it’s Instagram - Jungkook has tagged the café in a story:
Jin grins at his phone, and then squeaks into the silence of the café in realisation. That’s what he’s forgotten. Social media. He rolls his eyes at himself for not remembering, but at least it’s something to do. He really needs to get better at keeping up with the social media, especially if the café is going to take off. He turns the lights on, gets a playlist going, makes himself some tea, and starts taking pictures of all the sweets and cakes, positioning them carefully to catch the morning light beginning to filter in.
He posts the opening day announcement, and starts making an instagram story with a list of the menu. He’s such a pro at this, he thinks; it’s easy. The opening day post starts getting likes and comments from his friends so he starts replying, and he even plans another post for the afternoon. Before he knows it, there’s a tapping noise, and when Jin looks up, Jungkook’s face is smooshed against the glass door.
‘Yah!’ Jin shrieks, rushing to open it. ‘Don’t smear my door with your gross nose grease on my first day!’
Jungkook almost falls inside as Jin yanks the door open, giggling even as he stumbles. He guiltily rubs at the mark on the glass with his sleeve before shutting the door behind him. He looks extremely tired, face still sleep-puffy, and Jin rolls his eyes. ‘Yah, Kook-ah, you didn’t have to come for opening, I told you!’
‘Shut up hyung, of course I came. My best friend’s new café? You think I’m gonna miss that just for some sleep? I can sleep any time,’ Jungkook brags, wiggling his eyebrows, and Jin knows this is true - he’s seen Jungkook fall asleep standing up on a moving bus, somehow. Still.
‘Well. I guess you can stay now you’re here,’ Jin sniffs, and Jungkook laughs, throwing himself into a chair by the window and pulling his laptop out of his bag.
‘Of course I can stay, hyung, I’m a paying customer! I think I’d like a mocha, and maybe - hm, what flavour macarons do you have today?’
‘We aren’t even open yet,’ Jin grumbles, ‘and you know full well that the system is order and pay at the counter!’
‘Okay, hyung!’ Jungkook says cheerily, and settles more firmly into his chair, smiling happily up at Jin. Jin makes kind of a strangled groan of frustration, and heads to the coffee machine, complaining under his breath all the way.
Seven am comes faster than Jin expected once he’s got all the baking uncovered and Jungkook’s order made, and as he heads to the door to nervously flip the sign from ‘closed’ to ‘open’, there’s a loud bang and some indecipherable yelling behind him. Jin shrieks and turns to see if his coffee machine has exploded, but instead Jungkook is doing a little delighted dance, holding a party popper and covered in streamers. There’s a faint smell of smoke.
‘Congratulations, hyung!’ Jungkook shouts, and then starts singing. Jin rolls his eyes, trying to be furious, heading over to pick up the streamers, and Jungkook grabs his hands, making him dance along.
‘You’re making a mess!’ Jin half-shouts over Jungkook’s singing, even as he gives up and starts dancing, smiling despite himself. He joins in the end of the song, holding the note as Jungkook does some stupid ad-libs, and when they’re done he pretend-punches Jungkook on the shoulder. ‘Okay, thank you, now pick these all up,’ he says, and turns to see an insanely beautiful man in the doorway.
‘I’m so sorry! Are you not open yet?’ The beautiful man says.
‘Um,’ Jin says, eloquently. ‘Ah.’
‘He sure is!’ Jungkook says cheerfully, bounding up behind Jin. ‘He’s open today and forever!’
‘I - pardon?’ The beautiful man says, as Jin splutters and Jungkook smacks him on the back.
Jin regains enough composure to say, ‘Sorry, please ignore him,’ as he wrests himself free of Jungkook’s grip and heads to the counter. ‘Yes, we’re open, and it’s our first day, so I am really sorry about the mess! Do you want to come over and order while someone -‘ he shoots an aggressive glance at Jungkook - ‘picks up these streamers?’
The man smiles, and it somehow makes him even more stunning. It’s like he radiates actual, pure, sunshine, and Jin has to brace himself against the coffee machine for a second.
‘Congratulations on your opening day!’ The man says. ‘I’m sorry to be boring, but I would just like an iced americano please.’ He beams at Jin again.
Jin gulps, and nods. ‘Yes, of course!’ he squeaks, and ignores Jungkook’s barely-muffled snigger from the corner. As he starts on the beautiful man’s drink, he asks over his shoulder, as casually as he can, ‘So, are you on your way to work?’
‘Oh! No! Well, kind of? I’m a nursing student, and this is the first day of my hospital placement! And this café is on my way! So I’ll be here a lot - well, if you make good coffee,’ and he giggles, which is worse than the smile. Jin isn’t sure how it keeps getting worse.
He laughs nervously, pushes the lid onto the coffee cup, and hands it over. ‘Ah,’ he says, ‘well, I hope you like it then,’ and blushes, gesturing at the card machine to try and distract from his red ears.
‘Thank you so much!’ The man chirps - chirps! Jin thinks, desperately - and scans his phone, picking up his bag from by his feet. ‘I have to rush but I’ll be back soon!’ And before Jin knows it, he’s gone.
He’s not entirely sure how much time passes before Jungkook is patting him on the shoulder. ‘Hyung, that was a lot for you, huh? First customer and you’re already in love? Boy, that has to be tough. Here, have a seat.’ He says soothingly, guiding Jin to the stool behind the counter. Jin sits, still reeling, and looks up at Jungkook, who smiles. ‘Take your time, hyung,’ he says sympathetically, ‘but not too long. I need another coffee. Chop chop!’
Only a little while later, Jin looks up from preparing more cold brew coffee - he’d run out! Sold out! Enough customers to run out of something! - as the door bell tinkles. He’d hung a tiny bbungeoppang windchime above the frame so he could hear visitors arriving even when he’s busy, or in the kitchen, and the sound has given him a little excited-nervous thrill in his stomach every time he’s heard it today.
Walking through the door now are two men with big rucksacks, arguing half-heartedly under their breath. One of them, the taller one, stops abruptly as the counter appears in his line of sight, almost as if he hadn’t noticed walking into a café, and the other man bumps into the back of him.
‘Hi!’ Jin greets them. Maybe it’s still a bit too early for that kind of enthusiasm; both of the men reel a little at the brightness of his tone and even Jungkook looks over in surprise, but the tall one takes it in his stride, smiling back at Jin after a quick surprised blink.
‘Hyung,’ he turns and says to the short pretty one. ‘Go sit over there and put these books down, I’ll get your usual,’ and then, to Jin’s pleasant surprise, he dips his head to kiss his hyung’s cheek. ‘Hyung’ snuffles in a fake-displeased sort of way, but Jin can see how his nose pinkens a little in delight as he waddles off carrying both of their heavy-looking bags.
‘Sorry,’ the tall man says, turning back to Jin and grinning as ‘hyung’ gets settled on a sofa. ‘He’s a bit grumpy before his coffee.’ Jin laughs, and shakes his head. He’s about to commiserate, but the tall man (he has dimples, Jin notices absent-mindedly) suddenly narrows his eyes, shooting a quick glance back at his hyung. ‘Shit. You look really shocked. Was that - I thought this was a queer-friendly café, did I get that wrong?’
Jin blushes, quickly waving his hands in denial. ‘No!’ He squeaks. He must have looked a bit too surprised at the kiss. ‘No, I’m not. I’m - well. I’m not straight. Don’t worry. You can totally be visibly queer here. There’s actually a safe space sticker in the window, but you did seem a bit preoccupied on your way in - which is fine! - but maybe I should put one on the counter too?’ Jin realises he’s rambling a little, and opens his mouth to apologise. As he makes eye contact with the stranger again, though, Jin sees he’s still listening, interested, nodding slightly at Jin’s suggestion. Jin blinks, and says, ‘Sorry. Anyway. Welcome to Moonflower. I’m Jin. What can I get you?’
The stranger laughs, gently. ‘Thank you,’ he says. ‘I’m Namjoon, and that’s Yoongi, my partner. Can I get two iced americanos, one of them decaf? We’ll probably be back for cakes in a bit.’ And after a moment, as Jin taps the order into the till, he adds: ‘Um. Is it okay if we study here?’
Jin blinks in surprise, yet again. ‘Well - yes, of course. Who opens a café near a university and doesn’t let people use it to study?’
‘You’d be surprised,’ Namjoon says, rolling his eyes. He pulls his phone out of his pocket to pay, and Jin catches a glimpse of Yoongi on his lock screen.
Jin sighs, waiting for the card machine to beep before he turns to the coffee machine. He isn’t surprised. There’s been a lot of money-grabbing businesses pop up near the university recently, and he’s determined to not be one of them.
‘Well, you’re more than welcome to study here, for as long as you need,’ he says over the noise of the espresso machine. ‘There’s plugs by the big table if you need to charge laptops or whatever, and the wi-fi password is “getthatcake”.’ He inwardly curses Jungkook for setting it up with such a ridiculous password as Namjoon giggles. ‘And if you’ll be reading for a long time, your partner picked a good spot - that sofa is very comfy,’ he finishes with a smile. ‘You can take a seat if you want, I’ll bring these over!’
Namjoon grins properly then, dimples in full force. ‘Thank you so much,’ he says, turning to leave.
‘Oh!’ Jin says. This is silly, he tells himself, and he can feel his ears turning pink, can feel Jungkook’s amused gaze at the back of his head - but it’s too late, Namjoon has turned back and is looking at him inquisitively. ‘Ah. I have one condition, if you study here?’ Namjoon quirks his head to the side a little, smiling. ‘Okay, well, I really love learning new things and hearing people talk about their interests, so I’m making a kind of… study wall? That blank space on the wall at the back - it hasn’t arrived yet, but there’ll be a pinboard there for you to post fun facts that you come across. Sound okay?’
Namjoon is frozen for just a moment, a millisecond, astonishment on his face - and then he laughs. ‘Yes. Deal,’ and he sticks his little finger out toward Jin. ‘Pinky promise.’
The rest of the day goes well - not overwhelmingly busy, but definitely more customers than Jin anticipated, and he happily meets them all, enjoying people-watching; wondering who will become regulars, who will order the bear-shaped cupcakes, who’s on a first date. It’s tiring, but by the time he’s shooing Jungkook out of the door at five pm (‘Thanks for letting me be your first and last customer today, hyung!’) he’s happy in a satisfied, bone-warm kind of way that he hasn’t been for a long time. He grumbles to himself as he cleans the coffee machine and sweeps and does the accounts , but he can’t keep himself from smiling even as he complains out loud to the empty café about crumbs under the tables and a coffee that Jungkook questionably ‘forgot’ to pay for.
He eventually makes it up the stairs home, and falls straight onto the sofa, ordering fried chicken on his phone and trying not to let his anxiety about tomorrow seep through. He switches the TV on while he waits for his chicken to arrive, determined to distract himself, and his phone buzzes.
Jin smiles, rolling his eyes in exasperation, and locks his phone. He really is worried about the longevity of Moonflower, but Jungkook’s right - he did get a lot of customers today, and some of them really seemed like they’d come back - the ‘gay academic dudes’, he hears Jungkook say in his head. They were so nice, and Jin was friendly and gave them good coffee and good cake, and that’s all he can do, he reminds himself.
One day at a time. One customer at a time.
He repeats it to himself as the chicken arrives, and then as Jungkook lets himself in, and as he shrieks at Jungkook to put pyjamas on before he falls asleep on the sofa, and all the way through three episodes of Her Private Life, and as he brushes his teeth . And so, as he eventually drags a practically-comatose Jungkook to his bed and flops down next to him, his eyes closing almost immediately, he finally feels at peace. Hopeful. Ready to do it all again tomorrow.
Namjoon and Yoongi do end up returning the next day, ordering lunch and afternoon cake, and come back a few times throughout the week, too. Jin learns a little bit more about them each time - they’re both post-graduate students at SNU, they have two dogs, they’ve been looking for somewhere to study near their place and they were really excited to see the progress of Moonflower over the past few months, Yoongi loves tangerines. Jin absorbs it all as though he’s the one studying, and makes a note to add a tangerine cake to next week’s menu. The pinboard arrives too, and soon it’s covered in facts about more subjects than Jin can count.
It seems that word spreads quickly among queer students in Seoul; by the end of the first week, Jin has more business that he even hoped, never mind expected. Some customers are clearly businesspeople or students stopping by for their morning coffee because it’s convenient, but many others - especially the kind that settle in for the day with laptops and textbooks - have come because of the café’s reputation as an inconspicuous but affirming queer space. Some people seem like they might be both; the beautiful man from the first morning does come back, four times a week at seven am for his iced americano, and one morning Jin manages to look away from his brilliant smile and notices a little bisexual flag heart badge on the pocket of his coat. Jin doesn’t want to make assumptions, and there aren’t many couples as open as Namjoon and Yoongi, but he sees his fair share of pride pins among his regulars, and people pointing and smiling at the safe space sticker in the window as they come in, and it makes him writhe in embarrassed and reluctant pleasure when Jungkook praises him for it.
‘Hyung, you should be proud of yourself! I can’t think of anywhere else where there’s so many gays but it’s chill and not all like, rainbows and topless guys with water pistols,’ he says one evening, sitting at the counter as Jin cleans the coffee machine.
‘Yah, Kook-ah, what kind of places are you going if that’s your benchmark?’ Jin grumbles into the drip tray, waving a hand behind him in Jungkook’s vague direction, and Jungkook giggles.
‘No comment,’ he says, scrunching up his nose and grinning. ‘But I know you’re pleased, your ears are pink,’ and Jin can’t deny it. He is pleased, and the first couple of weeks of Moonflower have reassured him enough that he can push the anxiety of his luck continuing aside and let himself enjoy it; let himself wonder what’s next.