Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Wow."

That was the only word that managed to form in Yoo Joonghyuk's brain once he laid eyes on the seemingly ethereal man in front of him. 

Yoo Joonghyuk- a tall, handsome, intelligent, barista and an overall catch. The only problem was his standoff-ish personality. He doesn't care for other people that much, only choosing to think of those who were already close to him or the people that he needed. The man passes off as cold and inconsiderate towards others. He was never the type to waste his time over pointless things, and he considers love as one of those pointless things. Yoo Joonghyuk was never one to be smitten with someone, until now.

Before he knew it, he started observing even the smallest details on the man's face. 

Dark and silky hair with bangs that drape down towards his almond-shaped yet cat-like eyes. The color of said eyes were a deep and dreamy gray; the light reflected in his irises resembled the stars glittering in the night sky. His pointed nose looked like it was sculpted to perfectly fit his face. Those cute lips with a pink hue forming a seemingly awkward smile....

Wait, awkward?

Turns out, the man had been standing at the counter for 2 solid minutes as Yoo Joonghyuk was frozen in front of him.

"Uh, hello? Were you able to get my order?"

Yoo Joonghyuk was snapped out of his daze and realized how weird his awe-struck silence must have been for this angel in front of him. 

'Damn, even his voice sounds angelic.'

"Sorry, can you repeat that?" 

Even his own self was taken aback at how he managed to utter a whole sentence after staring at the guy like a creep.

"I'd like one iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot of caramel please."

The angel replied with a sickeningly sweet smile which caused Yoo Joonghyuk to let out a cough. 

'Oh, the angel has a sweet tooth.'

"Alright, may I have your name for the order?"

"It's Kim Dokja."

"Okay, your order will be out shortly."

"Thank you!"

Yoo Joonghyuk reluctantly turned his back on the angel named Kim Dokja to prepare his order.

'His name sounds pretty, it suits him.'

One could say that out of all the cups of coffee he's prepared, this one would be the best of them all. 

The sheer focus and effort that Yoo Joonghyuk exerted in making this single cup of coffee puts all the other drinks he’s made in the past to shame. 

"Iced caramel for Kim Dokja."

Yoo Joonghyuk patiently waited at the counter for the angel to pick up his drink; watching his every move like some depraved stalker.

'God, what am I doing.' 'Even the way he walks is pretty.' 'Shut the fuck up creep.'

The internal clash of his thoughts are put to a halt when the pretty man stops in front of him and tries his drink. The man’s face lit up after he tasted it.

"Wow, this is great! What type of coffee beans do you guys use?"

He was happy with his drink and asked this question enthusiastically. Little did he know that his question fell once again on deaf ears as the one he was talking to entered another awe-struck daze.

‘He likes the coffee.’ ‘He even asked for the type.’ ‘You’re my type.’ 'My life so far has been worth it.' ‘Fuck, I'll make you as many gallons as you want.’ ‘Hell I'll even work as your personal barista.’

Kim Dokja felt awkward as the barista started staring at him once again in dead air. His eyes seem unfocused, as if he's grueling over something worth life and death. 

This causes the poor man to overthink. 

‘Why does he keep staring at me?’ ‘Did I do something wrong?’ ‘Shit, did I say something wrong?’ ‘Am I standing weird? Is that even possible?’ ‘Was it rude to ask about their ingredients?’ ‘Perhaps it's because my looks aren't up to par with his?’

Indeed, Kim Dokja thought that the tall and muscular man currently staring at him possessed looks that could slap even the Gods of beauty themselves across their faces. 

Which explains why he's so nervous talking to him, even though he's only a barista. 

The man behind the counter finally cleared his throat and spoke. 

"Store-bought."

Those two words floated in the air for a minute before Kim Dokja let out a chuckle, which turned into a light-hearted laugh.

‘Glad to see even handsome guys get awkward sometimes.’

"Pfft, I like your sense of humor."

Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to kill himself. He wondered if he could get the chance to redo this conversation if he was ever brought back to life. 

But at least he got something out of his socially inept response.

‘He laughs so prettily.’

“Uh thanks.”

“What's your name?”

The angelic man named Kim Dokja suddenly asked for his name, which made his heart, mind, and soul run rampant all at the same time. 

Normally, all employees of Hellfire Coffee are provided with name tags and uniforms. The sole employee who refused to wear them was none other than Yoo Joonghyuk. Why? Because, the name tag and uniform are both predominantly white with hints of gold. The man detests white. Why did Uriel still hire him? Simple, his looks got them more customers.

“Yoo Joonghyuk.”

“Nice to meet you! I'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow Joonghyuk-ie!”

And with that, Kim Dokja left the café, unknowingly taking Yoo Joonghyuk's spirit with him in the process. 

After he left, the latter could be seen in a state which one could only describe as: half-dead.

His head laid on top of the counter as he felt all the strength in his body wither away. 

His thoughts once again rendered him incapacitated.

‘Fuck I love him’ ‘He called me by my first name’ ‘He's so fucking adorable’ ‘That nickname doesn't suit me at all but if he wants to call me that then I'd gladly change my name’ ‘Shit he's so cute’ ‘He says he'll see me tomorrow fucking hell’ ‘I've lived until today just for this moment.’

‘Kim Dokja Kim Dokja Kim Dokja Kim Dokja Kim Dokja Kim Dokja Kim Dok-’

“Hey hyung, are you finally dead?”

A familiar yet irritating voice entered his head, causing him to snap out of his love-crazed inner chant.

“Kim Namwoon you brat, get back to work.”

“Hey! I just came to check on you since Seolhwa noona said you might have breathed your last breath.”

“Why were you like that anyways? What happened?”

“It's none of your busi-”

“I know exactly what happened!”

Before Yoo Joonghyuk could finish his sentence, another familiar yet even more irritating voice interrupted him.

“Our Joonghyuk-ah's finally fallen helplessly in love.” Uriel exclaimed as she swooned dramatically. 

"You're spewing nonsense again."

"Nuh-uh I saw it happen!" Uriel shouted as she pointed to the camera in the corner of the room.

"You're forgetting who the owner of this place is again Joonghyuk-ah~"

Oh, right. The café they currently work in called "Hellfire Coffee" was owned by none other than Uriel.

Yoo Joongyuk grumbled a couple of curses beneath his breath when another person joined in the conversation.

"No way- Yoo Joonghyuk? In love?? Damn, I never thought I'd see the day." Jung Heewon said as she clung onto Uriel's shoulders.

"Uriel, are you sure you weren't just hallucinating?"

"Yeah! I saw him get all dazed and weird while he served the customer that just went out."

"Ooh~ how'd he look Joonghyuk? Were you flustered?" Heewon teased him as she pinched his shoulder. 

"I'm not answering that."

"He was so pretty! I swear I was so happy for Joonghyuk-ah!" Uriel answered in his stead, but of course he couldn't deny that obvious fact.

"You're all stupid, stop talking about useless things and get back to work." Yoo Joonghyuk said as an obvious tactic to divert the conversation away from his crush. Yes, he has a crush on that man and it was well warranted.

"Happy for you sunbae! Congrats on becoming a man!" Lee Jihye chimed from the stock room and the others laughed.

"Treat us to a meal when you ask him out, hyung!"

"I'd rather die."

"Sheesh, your boyfriend's not gonna like that attitude of yours hyung; you should fix that you know. You should learn from me and Jihye"

"What the hell would he learn from us, idiot?" Lee Jihye was quick to deny his last statement, causing Namwoon to feel a slight stab to his heart.

Yoo Joonghyuk shot a deadly glare at Kim Namwoon and the latter backed off with a chuckle and his hands in the air.

"Okay everyone let's get back to work before Namwoon-ah ends up losing his life." Lee Seolhwa chimed from behind and everyone went back to work. 

"Thanks." Joonghyuk truly was thankful for her intervention.

"Oh no you shouldn't thank me, I only stopped them so I could ask you what the name of your crush was in peace." Seolhwa flashed him a bright, shit-eating grin and Joonghyuk wanted once again to kill himself.

But he did need to show his gratitude.

"His name's Kim Dokja."

After hearing his answer, Lee Seolhwa’s teasing expression suddenly turned into a shocked look. In turn, Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't help but feel concerned.

"No way- THE Kim Dokja??"

"The hell? Do you know him or something?"

Seolhwa couldn't believe this utterly clueless yet extremely capable and sharp man in front of her. The way he reacted led her to believe that he might somehow be stupider than he lets on. Or maybe he just lived under a rock.

"...Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi, I need you to listen to me closely."

The man was taken aback by her suddenly serious demeanor and decided to listen well.

"I want you to take a look at the big sign at the top of the building in front of our café."

Yoo Joonghyuk stood there with a dumbfounded expression, but chose to follow her instructions nonetheless. He never really looked at the other buildings around their store; in his opinion, sight-seeing only wastes time. So, that kinda warrants the stupefied look on his face when he reads the sign that Lee Seolhwa was talking about.

"No way."

"Yes way."

The 25-storey building in front of their little café was looming over them. Because of its height, Yoo Joonghyuk has to slightly squint his eyes to be able to read its name at the very top. The following letters on the signage were: 

"KDJ Co." 

The man who unknowingly captured Yoo Joonghyuk's heart had snapped out of his daze and started speed-walking back to his office. He seemed to be stressed, as if his life was being threatened as he rushed back to the building. 

He finally reached his office and was greeted by his assistant. 

"Welcome back Dokja-ssi! How was the café? Is the coffee there better than the at the previous one you tried yesterday?"

"I can't talk about that right now Hyunsung-ssi, something grave has happened."

Lee Hyunsung was troubled by his boss' dark expression and immediately became worried.

"What happened??"

"...I told him my name."

"Uh, what?" Hyunsung thought he heard wrong.

"I told the barista my name!!" Kim Dokja exclaimed as he panicked like a little kid, his iced coffee almost spilling.

"O-okay? Can I ask if that's a bad thing?" Poor Hyunsung was very concerned yet also extremely confused. 

"Yes it's a bad thing! You know I hide my identity from the public!! I usually use your name when I order coffee, remember?!" Dokja was practically a toddler throwing a tantrum at this point.

KDJ Co. a.k.a. <Kim Dokja's Company> is a big corporation that is focused on mass manufacturing. It's not rare to see that name on tables, lockers, children's toys, tools, etc. 

Kim Dokja, the current owner of said company. Or as the public knows him- "The Faceless CEO". He refuses to show his face anywhere. Press conferences, interviews, advertisements, Dokja has never failed to hide his face. The reason for his actions are surprisingly shallow.

When the company was handed down to him by his parents, the former CEOs, Kim Dokja was very timid yet extremely capable. No one could doubt the abilities of the son of the company's CEOs, the famous couple who were called the "Rulers of The Underworld". 

They gained this nickname because of their extremely strategic and fearful way of doing business. The couple never hesitated to cut off the people that served as stumbling blocks to their company. Most of the time, whenever they want someone removed, the said person would only be greeted in the morning with a box of their stuff and a note saying they've been fired before they could even step into the building. 

Now, the couple's brilliant and only son would take over their esteemed company. 

The only problem was- their son is shy. 

He refused to show up to press conferences and interviews without covering his face. His parents tried dissuading him, saying it was ridiculous for him to do that; but Kim Dokja was stubborn and replied to them saying "You guys should be thankful I'm even going. You know how much I hate crowds." 

The so-called Rulers of Underworld are known to be strict and unrelenting. Their cold ways of doing business is well-known among their field. Yet, when it comes to their son, they can never seem to stand their ground. Honestly, the fact that they decided to name their company after their cute son already says a lot. So, they decided to leave him be, since they knew he'd perform well regardless of whether he'd show his face or not.

Kim Dokja took over the company and did splendidly, as expected. Their excellent performance was maintained through his leadership. But, he still refused to show his face. Because of this, rumors started to spiral in the public as time went on.

Headlines such as: “KDJ Co.'s New CEO, Secretly Hideous” or “The Prince of The Underworld Hides His Handsome Face” or “Kim Dokja: The Most Mysterious Chaebol” circulated among the masses, which led to everyone wondering about what he looks like.

“Maybe he's too afraid to show that he's actually ugly. What if he didn't inherit his parents' good looks?”

“No way! He's probably so tired of people fussing over his good looks that he decided to hide them!”

“What if he's actually a squid LOL!”

Countless comments could be seen in the online articles focused around his appearance. This led to Kim Dokja regretting his decision. The consequences of his stubbornness seem to be extreme this time around. He became so afraid of letting people down because of their high expectations.

And so, Kim Dokja has been leading the company while hiding his appearance. He has always been cautious when he goes out, always paying in cash to avoid exposing his name through his black card. Whenever he buys coffee, he uses Hyunsung's or any other name. He never fails to hide his true identity, yet this time he somehow slipped up.

Maybe it's because the barista was just too damn handsome that he got distracted. 

In the midst of his breakdown in front of his worried assistant, Kim Dokja was interrupted.

“What the hell are you freaking out about this time?” Han Sooyoung could be seen walking towards him in a sleek, black suit, sucking on a lemon candy. She's one of Dokja's closest friends, and is currently the owner of the company affiliated with KDJ Co. called "Han Corporation".

“What are you doing here?” Kim Dokja hit her with his trademark sass. 

“I'm here for the shareholders' meeting, you idiot. I even had to cover for your ass when you didn't show up too.”

"Oh shit, I missed that?"

“That's why I wanted to get your coffee for you Dokja-ssi!” Lee Hyunsung was often more stressed out about his boss' schedule than his boss was. 

“Oh, sorry Hyunsung-ah. It's okay, I'll just tell my parents that something important came up.”

“Wait, what? You missed the meeting for a cup of coffee? What took you so long?” Sooyoung was visibly confused.

“Uhm, the line was long.” Dokja decided to lie his way out of it, he’d rather die than let her know he was busy flirting with the hot barista.

“Okay? Then why were you freaking out so much?”

“...I accidentally told the barista my name.”

The moment she heard that statement, Han Sooyoung burst out in laughter.

“Hahahaha!!! Your stupidity finally caught up with you!”

“Shut the fuck up!!!”

“Wow, to think that years of hiding your face would finally come to an end; all because you slipped up at a cafe!” Sooyoung was relentless.

“Uh uh, no way, I’m not making that mistake again. Next time I go there, I’ll just use Hyunsung’s name like I always do.” Kim Dokja sounded resolute in his decision.

“Okay sure, as if that’ll work.”

Dokja then proceeded to smack Sooyoung in the back of her head so hard that Hyunsung had to stop the both of them from getting into a fistfight inside the office.

"...So I have a crush on a chaebol?"

"I doubt it though, no way a rich CEO would buy his own coffee right? Maybe he got his assistant to buy it for him."

Lee Seolhwa immediately shut the idea out, thinking it would be absurd if someone of that much status would do petty errands on his own. 

"Plus, rumor has it that he never shows his face anywhere. The press always makes up all sorts of conspiracy theories as to what he might look like; someone so hell-bent on hiding his face wouldn't come out by himself without his face hidden, don't you think so?"

Yoo Joonghyuk listened to Seolhwa's ramblings in astonishment.

'Damn, maybe I should watch TV more'

"Ok so let me get this straight- you think that the man I saw just now wasn't Kim Dokja and was only ordering coffee for his boss?"

"Exactly."

"Fool. That's impossible, he tasted the coffee himself. There's no way he isn't Kim Dokja."

"Don't rich people get someone to taste their food to check for poison in them?" Lee Seolhwa refused to back down from her current standing, offering up all sorts of ridiculous theories. 

"You're insane."

"I'm just saying, why don't you ask for his name the next time he comes? Or see if he uses “Kim Dokja” for his next order."

Yoo Joonghyuk thought about it and came to the conclusion that maybe that wasn't such a bad idea. There's no harm in trying to confirm things, right?

"...Fine, I'll try it tomorrow."

"Oh my god, he's coming tomorrow?!" Lee Seolhwa exclaimed a bit too loud and caught the ears of their meddling colleagues.

"Ooh who's coming? Joonghyuk-ah's crush?? Oh, we have to tidy this place up! Namwoonie, clean the tables!" Uriel was the first to respond.

"The hell? Why don't you make hyung do it? It's his crush!"

"Because you're a lazy bum and all you do here is make a couple of lattes then call it a day." Lee Jihye was the one to answer in Uriel's stead.

"Yup, she's right Namwoon-ah. You gotta pull your weight around here you know?" Jung Heewon sided with Jihye.

“Why are you all ganging up on me?!”

Yoo Joonghyuk was annoyed at how his co-workers suddenly became all rowdy again just by hearing that his crush would come again tomorrow.

...But, he did share their concern in tidying up for when he shows.

To everyone's surprise, the lovestruck man started cleaning the counter-top until it shined; then moved to the tables and even made sure to take off the pieces of gum stuck underneath.

"...Wow, he hates cleaning. That's why we always put him behind the counter." Heewon was the first to speak up amongst them.

"Love really does change a person." Seolhwa said.

——Tuesday——

Yoo Joonghyuk stood at the counter- feeling much more nervous than he ever did in his entire life. Only the thought that the angel he met yesterday would come again today occupied his mind. It even kept him from sleeping last night due to his excitement.

As if his thoughts manifested him, the bell hanging by their door chimed and he saw the love of his life enter their store. It wasn't the first time Yoo Joonghyuk saw him, but he was just as awe-struck as their first meeting. 

'He really is attractive.' 

'No, focus. You have a mission today.'

Yoo Joonghyuk thought to himself as he mentally slapped his face. Yes, he has something he needs to achieve today. His goal was to confirm the identity of this angelic man. 

“Hi Joonghyuk-ie!”

The angelic man (who might be named Kim Dokja) greeted him with such a bright and cheery aura that Yoo Joonghyuk wanted to thank everyone and everything around him for his existence. It was as if all his worries were drained away the moment this man smiled at him.

“...Hello.”

He replied in a somewhat awkward voice and he wanted to kill himself yet again.

"I'll have a large iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot of caramel please."

"Sure. Can I have a name for the order?"

"It's Kim Dokja."

'Aha, I knew Lee Seolhwa was spewing bullshit.' Yoo Joonghyuk internally gave himself a pat on the back. However, before he could fully enjoy his self-proclaimed victory; the man spoke up once again.

"Oh sorry, can you make that two?"

"Of course, both for Kim Dokja I assume?"

"Oh nope, one will be for Lee Hyunsung."

'Who the hell-?' Joonghyuk had to rescind his earlier celebration. He decided to man up and ask this person what his name really is.

"Excuse me for asking, but may I know your name?"

"It's Lee Hyunsung!" The man replied enthusiastically.

Yoo Joonghyuk was once again utterly confused.

"I'm sorry if seem nosy, but yesterday, you ordered an iced caramel for Kim Dokja- correct?

"Yup, you're right."

"Then who is 'Kim Dokja'?"

"Oh, that's my boss. Sorry if you were confused, he doesn't really like going outside."

The barista was shocked to say the least. No way Seolhwa's insane claim was actually true. He decided to prod even further because he thought there was no way that the man in front of him was any other than Kim Dokja himself. 

"But you tasted the drink yourself yesterday, right?

"Ah yeah! See, my boss and I have similar tastes; whenever I like something, he does too. So, he requested that I taste his coffee first before giving it to him. Y'know, since it was my first time buying from here. Today I decided to buy two because I wanted one as well!"

Yoo Joonghyuk was not convinced. That was one of the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard.

'His reply seems so rehearsed. He's really sticking to the whole 'hiding his identity' gimmick huh?' 

'Let's play along for now.'

"Okay, thank you for the clarification, Lee Hyunsung-ssi. I'll have your order ready for you in a few minutes."

"Thank you!"

Yoo Joonghyuk watched the man (apparently named Lee Hyunsung) happily walk to sit down at one of their tables with a smirk.

'I'll find a way to catch you, Kim Dokja.'

Chapter Text

'Nice! He believed me! I can't wait to rub it in Sooyoung's face later.' Kim Dokja quietly rejoiced, thinking he had fooled the handsome barista.

'He really looks better when he smiles, damn.' He replayed the image of Yoo Joonghyuk smiling at him while telling him his order would be ready soon in his head. He's embarrassed to admit it, but Kim Dokja definitely had a crush on this guy.

'He's got broad shoulders too, and he's buff. Should I find the gym where he works out?’ ‘Nah, that’s too weird, right?’ ‘Maybe I should just ask him?’ ‘Goddamn, suffocate me with those pecs.’

"Order for Lee Hyunsung!"

Dokja innocently walked back to the counter (as if he wasn’t just obsessing over the barista in a perverse manner while waiting) and was greeted with the two coffees he ordered.

"Thanks again! See you, Joonghyuk-ie!"

After claiming his drinks, he all but skipped back to his office; happy that his crush fell for his obvious lie. All while said crush was already formulating a plan to uncover his identity.

“Hyunsung-ah, want a coffee?” Kim Dokja waved his extra cup of caramel macchiato.

“Oh! Thank you, Dokja-ssi! But, what made you buy me one?” Lee Hyunsung happily accepted the drink and immediately tried it.

“Wow, this is great!”

“I know right? And also I just felt like giving you a cup today, that’s all!” His boss was blatantly lying through his teeth, yet Hyunsung couldn’t detect even the slightest bit of deceit.

“Okay! Oh and, Han Sooyoung-ssi is in your office today. She arrived a bit after you left for coffee.”

“Yup, I know. I told her to come, we have a bit of a wager going. Thanks for the heads up though!” Kim Dokja and Lee Hyunsung exchanged smiles before the former turned away and suddenly garnered a smug expression.

“Han Sooyoung! My plan totally worked, you should’ve seen it!” The man barged into his office and saw Sooyoung making herself at home on his couch while chewing on a lemon candy.

“No way! Is the barista guy actually an idiot?” Sooyoung couldn’t believe what she was hearing; after all, Kim Dokja’s lie really was ridiculous.

“I don’t know, but he’s hot. That’s for sure” Dokja lost all sense of embarrassment after flawlessly executing his plan. (his opinion, not mine)

“Huh? Ohhhhh, I get it! That’s why you slipped up didn’t you?! You just had to let your flirty ass get ahead of you!” Han Sooyoung immediately made fun of him and let out one of the most obnoxious of laughs.

“Yup, his looks stunned me for a second. But, it seems like that’s all he has. I still beat him in the brains department.” The extremely smug remark that came from Kim Dokja’s lips caused Sooyoung to cringe a little.

“Stop that, you’re creeping me out.”

“Whatever, I don’t care that he’s stupid though. I’m still gonna buy coffee there every day. Using Hyunsung-ah’s name of course.”

“Hey, let me come along tomorrow. I wanna see him too.” Due to Kim Dokja’s incessant rambling, Han Sooyoung became curious about how good this guy actually looked.

“Alright fine, but I called dibs first!”

“The fuck- he’s all yours?! I’m not even interested in your species anyway.”

As if he was deeply offended, Kim Dokja let out an extremely dramatic and flabbergasted gasp. Which caused Han Sooyoung’s hand to fly to the back of his head and smack him yet again.

“Sooo…”

“What.”

Lee Seolhwa is currently beside Yoo Joonghyuk, holding an interrogation on the topic of his crush’s real identity.

“Oh come on, you know what I’m talking about. What’s his name?” She wasted no time in getting to the point.

“He said that his name was actually ‘Lee Hyunsung’ and that his boss is ‘Kim Dokja’.”

“So I was right?!”

“Apparently.” Yoo Joonghyuk sounded extremely unconvinced.

“...You don’t believe him, do you?”

“No, no I don’t.”

“How do you plan on confronting him?”

“I plan on waiting.”

“Waiting-?”

“Mhm. If he slipped up once, he’ll slip up again. Then I’ll use that to my advantage.”

“Hey, what are we talking about?” Jung Heewon showed up beside the two of them.

“Just Joonghyuk’s crush!”

“Shut it.”

“Ohh, your regular customer, right~?” Heewon said while wiggling her brows.

“Have you seen him before, Seolhwa?”

“Nope, most of the time he only comes during Joonghyuk’s shift.”

“Nice! I’ll be seeing him tomorrow then!”

Upon hearing this statement, Yoo Joonghyuk immediately snapped his head in Jung Heewon’s direction, shooting her a glare that had “What the hell are you talking about?” written all over it.

“Don’t look at me like that, jerk. You have tomorrow off, remember?”

“...What?”

“Oh, she’s right Joonghyuk-ah. You told Uriel weeks before that you wanted today off for some game event or whatever.” Lee Seolhwa reminded him since she is always the most informed about all the employees’ schedules. She even remembered which days of the week Kim Namwoon had soccer practice.

“Yup, and I’ll be covering you tomorrow.” Heewon sounded as if she achieved something worthy of a trophy.

“Shit.”

——Wednesday——

Kim Dokja went to the café with Han Sooyoung accompanying him. They went there at Yoo Joonghyuk’s shift which started at 3:00 PM. She wasn’t joking when she said she was curious on whether the barista that Dokja was fussing over looked good or not. After all, she thought that Kim Dokja had a peculiar taste.

They entered the same store, but had different reactions upon entering. One was disappointed, and the other was love-struck.

The person behind the counter wasn’t Yoo Joonghyuk. To Kim Dokja’s dismay, it was his co-worker instead. But, his companion on the other hand felt as if she was looking at her one true love. Kim Dokja was blissfully unaware of this fact.

“Oh, hello. Did Joonghyuk-ie not come to work today?”

Both women were shocked at the endearing nickname. Jung Heewon spoke up first.

“Yes, sadly, our lovely Joonghyuk-ie had an important matter to attend to.” If her words had a mocking tone, her thoughts weren’t any better.

‘What the fuck! Hahaha! Yoo Joonghyuk you bastard! I’m never letting you live this down.’

While Han Sooyoung on the other hand, ‘Kim Dokja what the fuck, you flirty asshole I’m disgusted. Better just focus on this beauty in front of me.’

“So, you’ll be taking care of us today? Jung.. Heewon-ssi?” Sooyoung was quick to change the topic and asked with a polite smile as she read the barista’s name tag.

“That’s right, what can I get for you today?”

“How come I never see you working around here though, Heewon-ssi? Come to think of it, I’ve never seen any of Joonghyuk-ie’s co-workers whenever I come here.” Kim Dokja was reminded that Yoo Joonghyuk was not the only person that worked in this café.

“Yes well, maybe those were all just bad timing.” Jung Heewon could never tell the man the things that Yoo Joonghyuk had been doing to keep the others from even catching a glimpse of Kim Dokja. At least until the two started dating. The man even went so far as to make a request to Uriel so he could handle the 3:00 - 4:00 PM shift all by himself.

"Now, are you ready to order?"

"Yes! One large iced caramel macchiato please."

"Okay, and may I just have the name for the order?"

"It's Lee Hyunsung."

Han Sooyoung was suddenly confused, causing her to speak before properly thinking.

"Huh? Aren't you gonna get one for yourself?"

Kim Dokja immediately elbowed her in the ribs while smiling gently at Jung Heewon- who was busy encoding his order. Han Sooyoung quickly came back to her senses and remembered Kim Dokja's stupid tactic.

"Got it. And for you?" Heewon faced Sooyoung and the latter partially froze.

"Uh, just oolong tea."

"Sure! Can I just have the name for the order?"

"It's Han Sooyoung."

"Got it. What size will it be, Han Sooyoung-ssi?"

"L-large."

Kim Dokja then whipped his head to face Han Sooyoung so fast that he felt his neck get strained. She shot him a glare, as if saying "forget that ever happened or else I'll make you".

Both of them were seated at this time, and Kim Dokja could laugh in Han Sooyoung's face now. 

"Hahaha! What the hell was that?! You fucking stuttered!" He clenched his stomach while laughing as Han Sooyoung kept her head down.

"Kim Dokja, I swear I'm gonna kill you someday." She could never admit the fact that she faltered because Jung Heewon said her name.

Shortly after, the two got their orders and exited the café. They made their way back to the office while bickering about the events that happened during their quick coffee run.

——Thursday——

"Hey Joonghyuk-ie! Did you have a nice day off?" Jung Heewon asked the man with an extremely annoying tone, which made him want to kill someone.

"What the fuck did you just call me?" He sounded utterly disgusted as he asked.

"You seem to have no problem with it when Lee Hyunsung-ssi mentions it~" She really had no intention of letting him live it down.

"What?! He calls Joonghyuk-ah by such a cutesy nickname?! Heewon-ah tell me more!!" Uriel, of course, was elated to hear an update in Yoo Joonghyuk's interactions with his customer/crush.

"Well, he was taller than me but shorter than Yoo Joonghyuk. He looked cute too, and he was really nice. I certainly didn't know that Yoo Joonghyuk had a type for his polar opposite."

The man wanted to strangle the life out of Jung Heewon, but he was kinda thankful that the kids weren't here. He knew the situation would get more annoying if those two were present.

"Oh, but the girl he was with yesterday said something kinda weird?"

This statement definitely caught Yoo Joonghyuk's attention as he attentively listened with a serious look on his face.

"...He was with a girl?"

"Yeah, she was pretty too. But when Lee Hyunsung-ssi told me his name, she said something along the lines of 'aren't you gonna get one for yourself?' I didn't really mind it though.

Yoo Joonghyuk then smirked and replied "Ah, don't mind that. It's not that weird."

Later that day, Kim Dokja once again visited the café with Han Sooyoung by his side. 

"Hey, can you ask your barista crush about Heewon's schedule?"

"What? No! Why would I help you when you almost ruined my plan yesterday."

"I said I'm sorry! Come on, just ask him please I really need to know."

"Shut up, we're close." The two stopped bickering as soon as they arrived at the café.

"Good afternoon."

They were greeted by the handsome man behind the counter and Kim Dokja's face lit up.

"Hi Joonghyuk-ie! Did you have a good day off?"

"Mhm, it was fine."

Han Sooyoung suddenly felt as if she should leave the premises. Which was ridiculous since this was a café and she was just a paying customer.

"Two large iced caramel macchiatos with an extra shot of caramel, correct?" Yoo Joonghyuk had his coffee order etched inside his mind at this point.

"Yup!"

"What's yours?" The barista's warm tone suddenly disappeared when he faced Han Sooyoung.

"A large oolong tea."

"That's all?" He asked with his eyebrow raised as if he was utterly disappointed at the woman in front of him.

'What the hell is up with this guy!?'

"Yeah. That's all." She replied with a frown on her face.

"Name?"

"Han Sooyoung."

The two were suddenly glaring at each other like a couple of kids fighting over a sandbox. Kim Dokja felt uncomfortable at the tension and began talking.

"Ah! Joonghyuk-ie, I forgot to introduce you to my friend. She's working at the company affiliated with ours!" He couldn't dare tell him that she actually owned said company.

"Nice to meet you." Yoo Joonghyuk suddenly regained his composture and looked calm.

'Goddamn, he's just as whipped as Kim Dokja'

"Iced caramel for Lee Hyunsung and Oolong tea for Han Sooyoung."

The two went up to the counter to get their drinks.

"Thanks again, Joonghyuk-ie!" 

"No worries. I hope Kim Dokja-ssi enjoys his coffee once more, Lee Hyunsung-ssi." Yoo Joonghyuk said with a knowing smile, which led Han Sooyoung to think.

'Oh? Ohh. You're fucked, Kim Dokja. He already knows.'

The weeks passed by as Kim Dokja kept coming to the café during Yoo Joonghyuk's shift as Lee Hyunsung. He became a well-known regular, and was able to meet the other staff working there. It was safe to say that everyone understood why Yoo Joonghyuk liked the man after meeting him. Uriel was especially excited when she finally met him and even gave him a card for a free coffee for the next time he visits. Everything went smoothly for a few weeks. But of course, things can't stay that way forever.

Kim Dokja was just about to leave to get his daily coffee (gawk at Yoo Joonghyuk) when suddenly, his phone rang.

"Yes, mom?"

"Dokja-ya~" Persephone's whiny voice was heard from his phone. "It's been so long since you last visited your father and I." She said with a longing voice.

"Mom, it's been two weeks." Kim Dokja loves his parents a lot, but sometimes their clingyness got tiring.

"Do you not want to visit us anymore?" He can practically see her pitiful expression from here.

"Of course not, I'd love to visit."

"Great! I made dinner reservations for 8, but meet us at the house first. See you there, our cute son!"

"Wait, huh? Wha-"

Before Kim Dokja could even finish his sentence full of confusion, his mother already ended the call- expecting his arrival. He had no choice but to give in to her wishes.

But, he still wanted to get his cup of coffee for today.

"Hyunsung-ah!" He called out to his assistant.

"Yes, Dokja-ssi?"

"Sorry for the sudden errand, but could you please get me my coffee from the café down the street? My parents suddenly want me to go to their house." He felt bad about ordering Lee Hyunsung around (even though he was his assistant) since he saw him more like a friend than a subordinate.

"Of course, Dokja-ssi! Leave it to me." Hyungsung sounded happy to finally act like a real assistant and run an errand for his boss.

"Thanks, Hyunsung-ah! I'll come back to the office pretty late so just leave my coffee at my table."

"Mom! Dad! I'm here!" Kim Dokja called out to his parents as he entered the living hall in their manor.

It's no secret that their family is more than wealthy. They lived in a luxurious mansion that seemed like a museum at first glance. They also owned properties all over Seoul and vacation houses in islands like Jeju. Kim Dokja knew all of this, but he never let it get to his head. Frankly, it took him some getting used to after he was adopted by the eccentric couple. Even so, they never failed to love him like their blood-related son. 

"Finally, you're here!" Persephone seemingly glided down their grand staircase and embraced her son.

"Love you too, mom. Now, why'd you want to see me?"

"Can't your parents just have you come over because we miss you?"

"Well, the last time you made me come this urgently was to convince me to show my face to the press."

"Yes, but this time it's a less public thing! Come, your father's in the family room. We have something to discuss."

They made their way upstairs and entered the room. There, Hades could be seen with his elbows on the table in front of him. His hands interlocked and his chin on top of his hands while he had a serious expression on his face. Seeing his father in such a state made Kim Dokja feel uneasy.

"Dad? Is everything alright? Did... someone die—?"

"Our bloodline will soon if this continues."

"Say what?"

"What your father's saying is—we're worried you'll end up alone for the rest of your life if you keep living like this."

Kim Dokja had a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Trust me, son. You do not want to die all alone and miserable once we're gone." Hades sounded genuinely worried for his poor son.

"Your father is right. That's why we came up with a list of potential candidates for you to choose from!" 

Hades suddenly stood up and brought a whiteboard into the room. While Persephone set up a projector facing the board in front of their sofa. Kim Dokja was absolutely astonished at how thoroughly his parents prepared for this, even going so far as to make a powerpoint presentation. If someone saw them right now, they'd think a major meeting was taking place between the main shareholders of KDJ Co.

"Now, bear in mind, the candidates here are not limited to women. We didn't want to disregard your preferences if ever." 

As ridiculous as this all was, Dokja couldn't help but feel touched at how open-minded and accepting his parents were. But he still had to put a stop to this madness.

"Mom, Dad, I want you both to listen very carefully—I already have someone I'm interested in."

Hades and Persephone's faces lit up at their son's statement.

"Really?! Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"Who is this person? Are you sure they're decent?"

"Oh hush now, Hades dear. I'm sure whoever our Dokja picked is lovely."

"Okay okay, calm down. First off, he is a man."

"I told you." Hades smirked at his wife.

"I thought of it too, you know." Persephone raises her brow at him, as if she was offended at how he implied that she had no idea their son preferred men.

"...Okay? He's a barista though, I don't know if he's up to your standards."

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that. I'm sure he has plenty of redeeming qualities that made you choose him." His mother winked at him, hinting that she knew her son's taste quite well.

"As long as he makes you happy, Dokja. That's all we need to know." His father assured him.

Kim Dokja was ecstatic. He was touched at how open his parents were to Yoo Joonghyuk. So, he had to make sure he could bring him to them when the time comes.

The family went to their dinner reservation and bid their good byes when they were finished.

"Be safe, okay? Don't read on your phone while you drive." His mother reminded him as she hugged him good bye.

"Mhm, I won't."

"If you get pulled over, you know what to do." His father said as he gave his son a pat on the back.

"I do, but I'm not 100% sure if it's legal, Dad."

Kim Dokja finally got in his car and drove back to the company. Once he arrived, he headed straight to his office to get his coffee. He plopped down on his chair, exhausted but with a sense of fulfillment. He happily sipped his now lukewarm coffee. The joy and relief he was feeling right now caused him to overlook his name written on the cup instead of Lee Hyunsung's.

——Friday——

Kim Dokja has had a long day. Back-to-back meetings, signing off on dozens of ad proposals, dealing with the press, and many more. He was exhausted. The relief he felt the night before was quick to fade when his parents kept bugging him about bringing the guy he likes to their house. He kept telling them that it would take time and thankfully, they understood.

Now, after this hectic day, all he needed was to drop by his favorite café. He left his office and saw Lee Hyunsung in the hallway. 

"Hyunsung-ah! Thanks for the coffee yesterday, you got my order just right." Kim Dokja expressed his gratitude to his assistant with a smile.

"O-oh, glad you liked it." Lee Hyunsung seemed antsy. As if he did something wrong and he was afraid of getting caught.

Kim Dokja thought his assistant's response was sonewhat out of character, but decided to pay it no mind. "Alright then, I'm off to the café. I'll be back later."

Lee Hyunsung just watched as his boss walked away with uneasy eyes and a nervous smile.

Kim Dokja arrived at the café and was greeted by his favorite sight- Yoo Joonghyuk attentively serving the customers in front of the counter.

"Hyunsung-ssi! You're here again!" Dokja was greeted by Uriel as she noticed him enter the store. Yoo Joonghyuk's attention was caught and he looked at the man she was talking to.

"Of course, I wouldn't want to stop supporting my favorite local business." He said as he locked eyes with Yoo Joonghyuk and waved to him.

Uriel noticed this gesture and giggled "I'm not quite sure you're only here for the coffee though~"

"Huh? What was that?"

"Nothing! Now, go line up and order. I don't tolerate loiterers here without them buying a drink."

"Hi Joonghyuk-ie!" He greeted the barista with a smile and the man surprisingly smiled back. If Kim Dokja wasn't mistaken, Yoo Joonghyuk almost looked relieved to see him again.

"That'll be two large iced caramel macchiatos with an extra shot of caramel, correct?"

"Wow, I don't even need to order. But, just make it one today."

"For Kim Dokja, or for Lee Hyunsung?"

"Just for me today!"

Yoo Joonghyuk encoded his order "Great. I'll call your name when it's ready."

Kim Dokja went to wait at one of their tables and daydream once again about Yoo Joonghyuk. 

'He's so dreamy' 'Can he even be considered a real person at this point?' 'He could pass off as a protagonist in a fantasy novel, damn' 'Ugh, I need to get him to my parents soon'

'...Oh shit, does he even like guys?' 'Fuck I didn't even think of that' 'What if he's straight?' 'Will I be forced to die alone?' 'I don't wanna choose from the candidates my parents gathered that's weird!'

"-ssi"

"Kim Dokja-ssi!"

Kim Dokja was so immersed in his own thoughts that he didn't hear his name being called the first time. He stood up to get his coffee.

"Thanks, Joong—...wait, what did you just call me?"

Yoo Joonghyuk looked at him as if he was saying something utterly ridiculous "What do you mean? I called you by your name, Kim Dokja-ssi." He said, enunciating every syllable in his real name.

The man's eyes widened as the barista said his name and he quickly responded.

"What nonsense are you saying? That's my boss. I told you I'm Lee Hyunsung."

"Yes, but the thing is, I've actually met Lee Hyunsung-ssi. I also know that he is Kim Dokja-ssi's assistant. However, he is not nearly as foolish as you, Kim Dokja-ssi."

Kim Dokja's stomach dropped. "...What the hell happened yesterday?"

"I'll tell you later after my shift. Be good and wait for me there."

——Thursday (3:35 PM)——

Lee Hyunsung was determined to get his boss' coffee right. He was finally acting like a real assistant, he couldn't afford to screw things up, he thought.

'A large iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot of caramel.' He repeated Kim Dokja's order in his head until he reached the café.

As the sound of the bell by their door chimed, Yoo Joonghyuk looked up as if he was expecting someone (he was). But, to his dismay, the man who entered was not the one he was waiting for. 

'Is he running late?' 'He usually never goes past 3:30'

"Hello!" The man in front of him greeted him enthusiastically.

"Good afternoon, sir. Can I take your order?"

"One large iced caramel macchiato with an extra shot of caramel, please." 

'Yes! I nailed it.' Lee Hyunsung quietly celebrated in his mind, not noticing how the barista in front of him froze up at the mention of the order. The barista continued to talk.

"May I have a name for the order?"

"It's for Kim Dokja."

Yoo Joonghyuk froze once he heard the name he knew all too well, but he knew he had to get a hold of himself. He cleared his throat and continued.

"Alright, Kim Dokja-ssi. Please wait for your order there."

"Oh no, I'm not Kim Dokja. That's my boss!" 

Just then, something in Yoo Joonghyuk's brain suddenly clicked.

"Okay sir, may I ask for your name then?"

"It's Lee Hyunsung!"

"So your boss is Kim Dokja-ssi? As in Kim Dokja's Company?"

"Yeah! Wow, you know about him? I guess he is pretty famous." 

"Well yes, since his assistant named Lee Hyunsung comes here every day to get him a cup of coffee. But could it possible that Kim Dokja-ssi has two assistants named Lee Hyunsung?"

Hyunsung's heart dropped to his stomach. He instantly realized—he fucked up.

"A-ah no s-sorry, I'm not Lee Hyunsung haha! I'm-"

"Let me stop you right there, Lee Hyunsung-ssi." The nervously rambling man immediately closed his mouth.

"I have no plans to expose your boss' identity, but I need your cooperation."

Lee Hyunsung quietly nodded in agreement.

"Now, I want you to give this coffee to Kim Dokja. Don't let him know that I've found out his identity and just let him come here again tomorrow, got that?"

Lee Hyunsung quietly nodded once more.

"Good. Here is your coffee, pleasure doing business with you. Feel free to come again."

——Present Time——

After hearing the events that transpired while he was gone, Kim Dokja was mortified.

'I'm sorry Hyunsung-ah, you must've been really worried!' Kim Dokja planned on apologizing to his dear assistant for getting him caught up in his stupid plan.

"Now, Kim Dokja-ssi. I was just thinking about how I could use this newly obtained information." Yoo Joonghyuk look at him with a sly smile.

"Are you threatening me? Now that you know who I am, you should also know how much power I hold." Kim Dokja asked with his brow raised. He was intimidated, but he refused to back down.

"This isn't necessarily a threat, call it... a proposition if you will."

"Okay—? What do you want?"

"Are you free tomorrow? It's a Saturday."

"What? Yeah, I'm free."

"Good. Here's my offer—spend the day with me tomorrow and I'll keep my lips sealed. But, if you refuse then I'd have no choice but to utilize this newly obtained information to the fullest."

Kim Dokja was surprised to say the least. But then, he finally realized the man's true motives and couldn't help but smirk.

"You're a sly bastard, aren't you? It's a good thing you're handsome."

"That I am."

"Oh, so you admit you're handsome?"

"Well, I must be if someone as powerful and good-looking as the Prince of the Underworld kept staring at me every time he waited for his coffee."

Kim Dokja's cheeks were suddenly flushed red, causing him to look like his least favorite fruit.

"Bastard. What'll you do if I refuse your offer?" Dokja asked while trying to regain his coy demeanor.

"I'll leak your identity to the press. I'm sure I'd get a lot of money out of it too."

Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk both knew how flimsy his threat was. The CEO could easily bury that information as false rumours or have Yoo Joonghyuk's plan forcefully stopped. Or, he could simply bribe Yoo Joonghyuk himself. But at this point, both of them also knew they had certain feelings for one another. It was too obvious to ignore now.

So, Kim Dokja had no choice but to relent to this man's conditions.

"Alright, I'll go out with you tomorrow."

"Then it's a date. I look forward to all of our future contracts, Kim Dokja-ssi."

Kim Dokja extended his hand towards Yoo Joonghyuk for a handshake, but the latter took it and kissed it instead as he stared straight at the face of the man that took his heart and smiled. This action caused Kim Dokja's face to once again turn red.

(Uriel's squealing was also heard from the surveillance room as she shook the life out of Jung Heewon.)