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Eric can’t ignore it anymore, since the first time he got into the job in this cafe, his eyes are always lingering on his boss face, or maybe since he was getting interviewed last year. It’s kind of an emergency situation for Eric when he gets some debt because of checking out some action figure in his drunk state, and this cafe near campus was the only one accepting his condition for early-paid. Even actually letting him take more loan than he actually paid for, and taking some percent of it from his salary, an angel isn’t always the one with wings.
"You know what, I will confess to him next week!" Said Eric proudly at lunch break, he was eating his lunch box when his colleague was asking about his crush. "He is kind, the best man I ever knew. And he has all the specifics that I want in a human being."
"And are you?" Eric turned his face to his friend. "He was that godly and what are you? You even have a loan because of your bad habit when drunk. Double red flag"
"Still an undergraduate student, triple redflag" his friend nods, and Eric sighs deeply to envoy his feelings. "But. Don't you think he was too kind to me? The way that he accepted my shitty applicant, and even let me take early-salary? He must be had a feeling to me"
"Yeah, and it is a pity."
Eric won’t think too much. He accepts everything the universe gives to him, and absolutely would be more grateful when he gave the only man he wanted to be his. Eric wipes some coffee glass when a girl comes into the cafe with a big smile on her face, walking godly to the boss and giving him a warm hug, so who is this girl?
“Cobie, have you seen my chat? If not, you must see it now.” The girl with a warm spring was a good match with an angelic smile the other man had on his lips. “We got the date! I can’t wait for the wedding hall”
“Really?” Both of them are hugging each other and Eric turns the glass, maybe a little bit too hard, and it falls scattered on the floor, “Eric, are you okay?”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll clean this up.” Eric tried to reach the shattered glass but a hand stopped him.
“No, no. You can’t use your bare hand to do this, I will take care of it, just clean your hand first, and take care of your bleeding.” Eric didn’t notice it, the way his blood was already covering half of his hand, “What are you waiting for?”
“I’m sorry, Jacob- hyung. ” The man only nod and taking a broom to clean up the glass, “You can take it from my wage”
“It's just a glass, no worries about it.” He said, still keeping a smile on his face, “Your hands, Eric.” Eric nods and cleans his hand with running water, looking at Jacob who is now getting help from the woman who is taking a dustpan to collect all the debris.
“I’ll go get the plastic, don’t forget to wash your hands too, don't wipe it on clothes.” Said the woman taking care of Jacob by putting his hand to the low pressure sink, “And you too, young man. Dry your hand and I will disinfect both of your hands.”
“Let’s take a seat, Eric.”
Eric lost. He wasn't that thoughtful before, seeing a post from the woman after accidentally knowing her name and her social media, the first photo that showed was a picture of her with Jacob’s family looking really happy. Even the dog that was brought to the cafe -and tried to bite Eric- one time was looking smiling in the photo, She may or may not already be close to the family while Eric being a jerk trying to take his boyfriend away. A total jerk.
“Good morning, Eric.” Jacob came to the cafe in the morning to open the door, while Eric was waiting in front of the door for anyone to open it. “A tough weekend isn’t it? Hope for the best for us.”
“Right, sir. ” Said Eric made Jacob raise an eyebrow.
“Well, Hendrey is taking leave, and Suji is having a test in the morning. So it will be only the two of us this morning.” two? Eric tried to keep his face straight, even if a pinch of his heart was beating faster, and stopped when he remembered the woman from yesterday. “When is your graduation Eric?”
“Before christmas, but I don’t know when.. I will take a week off in the last week of this month to focus on my studies, sir.” Replied Eric to put his bag on the locker and use the apron provided, “Mind to come and give me a flower bucket?”
“Yes?”
“I’m just kidding, the cafe will be flooded with customers when graduation day comes. It must be a hectic day, better prepared, sir. You may need more part-timers that day.” Eric said, turning the ‘closed’ sign to ‘ open’ and smiling at the man who was cleaning the table. “I will take care of that, You can check the inventory, sir.”
“Eric.” Jacob and Eric look at him while humming, “Nothing, please clean the table then, I will go check on the back.” Eric nodded and wiped all the tables.
“Just hope it doesn’t align with my birthday.”
Eric may be the bad child this year, because everything he wants has never been true, he can’t get the love he wants, and now he even has to go for the graduation which really aligns with his birthday. Like it can’t get worse, nobody tried to congratulate him or just say happy birthday, bro as a simple greeting, and only asking him where he sat. Eric sighs and takes out his phone, trying to keep focus on what the dean said when a picture was sent to his airdrop.
[Congrats, baby]
A picture of Eric looking not really interested in his seat, Eric tried to look around but didn’t find someone who would send him this, maybe a romantic couple who missed the name and accidentally sent that to Eric. But with his picture?
[And Happy birthday too, please be more matured]
Definitely for Eric, He tried to look around one more time, but suddenly the dean told all of them to stand making it harder for Eric to know who sent him all of his bored face. Eric sings the Uni anthem when his friend suddenly comes to the line and takes the next seat from Eric, making it more crowded than before.
“I have to make someone sit before I come here.” He said while looking at Eric with hate. “You have to pay me.”
“I don’t get what you said.” The anthem finishes, and everyone goes back to their own seat, Eric still looking at his friend who looks vicious, absolutely there is something he hides. “They are announcing the top students. You should watch it, stop looking at me like you want to eat me alive.”
“There won't be my name in the list.” Eric said pessimistically, but still put his phone up to record the name that shown on television, “Fuck, Hendery, you didn’t said your name will be up there, its fuckin’ on the first row.”
“I use my brain when you are only thinking about your romance.” His friend said, smiling widely while recording his name, “You should study more.”
“And you should say it earlier. It's already been four years, Hendry.” Eric’s friend only laughed when another airdrop arrived at Eric’s phone. “Who’s rascal is this sending me an airdrop? Is it you?” Hendery shook his head, posting the picture of his name on social media.
[Congrats, your name was up there.]
Eric frowned and saw the picture one more time, seeing his name on the right corner, really the last name on the list.
“You wont believe it, but my name was there.” Said Eric shoving his phone to Hendery, “SEE? I’M GOOD WITH STUDY AND ROMANCE!” The volume was loud enough to make the dean stop speaking, and Eric tried to hide his face, when the camera tried to capture who was screaming while the dean spoke.
“You make it more obvious if you are hiding, Eric.” Whispered Hendery, trying to keep a straight face when the camera eventually captured Eric, “and for sure you aren’t good in romance.”
“Will they stop filming?” Hendery nods, and Eric sit up again, tried to keep his face straight,
“I'm really glad you didn’t say any name.” Eric nods, and sighs when the ceremony is done. He tries to look around one more time but finds no one looking his way. “Who are you searching for? Is your family here? Didn’t you say they didn’t get a flight because of christmas?”
“Yeah, but someone keeps sending me an airdrop.”
“What? You think someone may have their crush on you now?” Mock Hendery, take a look at his phone, “You have no one right? Follow me.”
“To take your family picture? How much you can pay me, huh?” Eric but his feet followed Hendery out of the hall and to the iconic building of the campus. “Where is your family?”
“Wait here for a minute, this is a hot spot so you can’t move, okay?” Hendery was away, and Eric took out his phone to see a message from his family, congratulating him for finally graduating. But not for long because suddenly there’s an umbrella covering the place Eric stands. “I’m sorry, but I’m booking this spot. You can take a picture in another place..”
“Really? You didn’t need the flower bucket too?” Stoned, Eric can’t stop seeing the man next to him, and his angelic smile absolutely, “Glad seeing your name on the list of top students, Eric.”
“ Hyung.. No.. Sir. What are you doing here?”
“You said you want a flower bucket?” He replied, still with a smile on his face, “Also Happy birthday, Eric” another package was given to Eric,
“I.. feel bad for your girlfriend. You should spend the time with her, and not one of your subordinates.”
“Girlfriend?”
“The one who is coming to the cafe.. And.. has a warm smile?” The man kept a straight face for a while before his smile was getting wider, “She was already taking pictures with your family, so I thought it was kinda rude to make you come here, hyung.”
“That is the reason you are acting weird?” Eric nodded and shook his head, “She is my brother’s fiancee, Eric. It’s normal to take a picture with someone that is welcomed to the family.”
“Ah.. really?”
“You are jealous, Eric.” He said still with a smile on his face, “Glad to hear that.”
“Can you stop being glad for stupid things that I do? And I’m not jealous! I just..” Eric became run out of words, he took a peek at the man who was smiling like waiting for his excuse. “Well, I did! Happy? So what? It’s not like we are dating or something that I can express what I feel.”
“We can start dating now, so you can express what you feel.” Eric sigh, taking away the umbrella and became the one who hold it,
“Jacob -hyung, It’s not funny.”
“I’m not a comedian, why am I trying to be funny?”