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Have you ever imagined that smiling is the thing you avoid the most, if you may never see it again as long as you live?
That's what a barista feels at a cafe at the end of the road to his campus. He worked part-time there when he had free time. He liked the atmosphere of the workplace. He never felt bored and even never thought about resigning after he graduate.
But unfortunately, he came across the most annoying customer, and that customer became a regular there.
"Can you stop smiling and get out of here!?"
"There's the phrase 'give our baristas your best smile and they'll give you the sweetest scented coffee', and I'm curious how the coffee smells."
Louis, the barista's name, swears this is the moment he regrets the most in his life.
***
A month ago, at the campus cafeteria
Lunchtime is the busiest time after morning classes on their campus. Both students and lecturers who were starving to exhaust their brains gathered together to fill their stomachs.
Same with three college students who walked slowly avoiding crowds of people so that their food trays didn't fall. And how relieved they were to be able to get a seat even though as far as the eye could see the room had filled its capacity.
"This is crazy..! How can we survive for several years in this state!?" Said a bit loudly the young man with curly hair next to the other youth who laughed softly, resigned to their situation.
"N-Never mind Billy, we're about to graduate and you're going to miss the chaos of this place."
"Bill!? Me? Miss this? I better miss how you sound when we enter the hotel—"
"Shut up..! And just eat your burger, you idiot!"
"Humph! Humph! Biww!"
Not once did he become a 'witness' of the quarrel between these two friends. Too often until one day his taunts, 'you can become lovers if you keep fighting,' become a reality.
"The beauty of the world is just the two of us," he said eating the fries that were starting to cold.
"Louis..!" Bill couldn't control the expression on his face which had turned completely red, while Billy was still busy swallowing the piece of bread that Bill had stuffed him.
This is their activity. They go to class in the morning, and eat together in the afternoon, after they come home, they will stop by the coffee shop at the end of their campus road. Nothing changed until this year, the year they graduated.
Silence followed them, busy with their own thoughts until the clock struck one o'clock, it was time for their afternoon class to begin.
The sun's rays that sneak in made the atmosphere of the classroom even more gloomy. On average, students dream enough to sleep with their lecturer's 'fairy tale'. Even Billy had fallen asleep hiding his face using his book. Bill who saw it just sighed as he continued to take notes of the subject given, even though he was also, to be honest, sleepy.
Louis on the other hand didn't bother looking at his teacher. The view outside the window was more attractive to him now. His thoughts drifted about the future.
It was a bit strange when his friends weren't planning on doing anything yet. Louis had been thinking about helping his two brothers in their company, as an administrator or something. But in one part of his heart, he still wanted to 'adventure'. There was something else he wanted to do, and that 'thing' unfortunately hadn't been shown to him.
"Then our class ends here. Don't forget to do the essay and submit it by next week."
Lazy groans swept across the class. The lecturer who didn't care stepped out. Some of his friends also left the class to cool their heads quickly, leaving the three people who again left together.
"Hoam..! My body hurts because the class is so long."
"Long!? Billy! All you do is sleep. Sleep! How can you feel tired?"
"Hey, sleep while sitting isn't fun. Try to feel it once in a while, Bill."
"No, thank you!"
The street that day was busier than usual. Maybe because it's Friday? Louis didn't care. He gripped the familiar doorknob, and what greeted him was the crowded state of their beloved coffee shop.
"Wow..! Have people left water as their drink?"
"Don't start it, Billy. Ah! Mr. Adam!"
A pair of eyes looked at them with a wide smile, which seemed too dazzling for Louis to say. The three of them quickly pulled and led them into the employee locker room.
"Mr. Adam, are you all right? Looks like you just finished your workout and you're sweating like that?"
"Billy! I'm sorry Mr. Adam, but, why does the shop look so busy?"
"I'm also sorry for pulling you guys up," a tired voice echoed thickly in the words of the man in front of them. Adam Whitely, the owner of the coffee shop whom the three of them knew closely because of their habit of always coming. They were close enough that Adam himself liked to ask them to just call him Uncle. "Can you guys help me just this once? I don't know who else to ask for help."
"What can we help?" This time it was Louis who spoke.
Billy laughed cheerfully, "Just tell Mr. Adam, don't hesitate to us. Whatever it is as long as we can do it, we will help. Is that right, Bill?"
"Yeah, just tell us what we need to do. We'll be happy to do our best."
The twinkling bead from Adam looked at them as if a savior angel had smiled at him, "thank you! So you see, there will be a new drama filming here. This should be a secret for the safety of the actors as well. I said that we could close it until the recording was over, but the director asked to keep it open for a natural feel. But as you can see, this place became packed because many wanted to see the actors in person, and we were also overwhelmed with all the orders."
The three youths there nodded slowly, understanding the situation even though it was only briefly explained. "You don't have to worry, Mr. Adam. We'll take care of them and make sure the recording runs smoothly." Bill and Billy smiled broadly in agreement with his friend's words.
"Thank you very much! The employee uniforms are in the locker on the right. There's already a special tag to let them know you're a shop worker. I leave the service to you guys. If you need anything, I'll be in the kitchen helping the chefs."
That's where all the events of the next month that 'hit' Louis immediately began.
Flashback End
***
"So where's the smile for me, barista Louis?"
"The smile of the angel of death that will be given to you. Now that you have nothing to do it's better to get out of my sight, dear Mr. John Watson— umph ..!"
His mouth was immediately covered in panic by the person he called John. His brownish bead roamed around, just in case someone suddenly came upon him. "Louis, that's how you want to call my name? If you want let's go for a walk and you can call my name all you want. Ah! Or do you want to call in the hotel room? I can order on the top floor— ouch!"
"Fuah! In your dreams! Be gone!"
"Louis, you are so cruel..!"
A month ago, just as he was helping to 'rescue' Adam's cafe, Louis did not expect to be 'disturbed' in the form of the attachment of John Watson, a man who is predicted to be a top actor who ranks first as a man who wants to be embraced by ladies. Unfortunately, this actor has been so determined to get his smile since a while ago, just when Louis saved him from being chased by the fans who came to see him filming here.
One kindness that felt so long for Louis, it felt like he was sorry he had helped this man.
From there, every time Louis came to the coffee shop, he would be faced with a happy smile from John who somehow knew his arrival schedule. Maybe it's also wrong to ask Adam to take him to work as a temporary employee there.
'I work to pass the time, not to meet some strange creature whose mouth doesn't cramp from smiling.' His hand pinched the bridge of his nose, dizzy with a strange situation that made him a little uncomfortable.
In his life, Louis had never met someone 'unique' like this. He lived in a dirty environment before being adopted by his eldest brother as the youngest child of a rich family. He and his brother tried their best to gain recognition, and in the end, they managed to even become the center of attention of the crowd who longed for them.
The two, especially Louis, had no time to have fun.
'Come to think of it, why am I also annoyed with this person? He's just an overly cheerful guy who likes to smile, and I'm sure that's partly due to his job as an actor.'
So, why did Louis feel uncomfortable being around the man called the 'running sun'?
"Hello? Earth to cute Louis? Are you listening to me?"
"I'm not cute, and I listen to you. Now hurry back to your habitat."
"If Louis listened to me, what would you say?"
"Yes, yes I understand. Are you satisfied?"
A wide, sly smile formed on his lips. His face approached quickly, not forgetting his hand to take the menu book in front of him. Louis, who was stunned, could only remain silent while widening his eyes, feeling that his heart was about to fall out of place.
"I'll be waiting at your apartment at ten in the morning, don't be late and dress up pretty, okay my sweet Louis?"
Cups!
The menu that John had finished using its 'function' was quickly pulled back. His feet immediately stepped out quickly before a scream could be heard from behind the bar's barista table.
'Yes! I managed to ask Louis out on a date!' His mind was rejoicing, fighting upside down with a flushed face full of irritation from the other young man.
"That annoying actor..!"
It seemed that the life behind the coffee-brewing table was different from what he had expected. Louis who first thought that his cup of coffee would be bitter now had drastically changed to as sweet as sugar. It was a bit annoying, but Louis was waiting subconsciously for what cup the overly cheerful man was about to offer him.
'Wait, how did he know my apartment..?'
"Louis, look I got—"
"That bastard actor sucks like an idiot raccoon!"
Maybe Louis should think again about the 'coffee' he wants to 'drink' in the future.
And who knows, there will be other friends who accompany him to sip the scent of 'coffee'.