Chapter Text
Group Chat: WeNeededTherapyNotENHA
Jake: anyone seen heeseung? he's not answering
Ni-ki: probably sleeping again
Jay: he's at work
Jake: THE CAFÉ???
Jungwon: oh no
Jay: oh yes
Ni-ki: someone tell sunoo before—
Jake: too late, just saw him walking that way with jung won
Jay: 🍿
The morning rush at Sweet Escape Café always reminded Heeseung of a well-orchestrated symphony. Steam hissing from the espresso machine provided the percussion, while the constant chatter of sleep-deprived college students created the melody. His hands moved automatically through the motions – grinding beans, tamping grounds, pulling shots – the routine so familiar he could probably do it in his sleep.
Which was exactly why his body betrayed him at exactly 9:47 AM.
"Grande iced americano, three—" the customer started.
"Three shots of espresso, two pumps of caramel, light ice, and a splash of oat milk," Heeseung finished automatically, his hands already reaching for the oat milk in the fridge. It took him approximately three seconds to realize what he'd done, and another two to want to drown himself in the milk pitcher.
The customer – a freshman girl with round glasses – blinked at him. "Um, I was going to say just three shots of espresso?"
Heeseung's ears turned red. Behind him, he could hear Jay poorly disguising his laugh as a cough. "I'm so sorry," he managed, forcing his best customer service smile. "One grande iced americano with three shots coming right up."
"Muscle memory's a witch, isn't it?" Jay whispered as he passed by with a tray of clean cups.
"Shut up."
"You know who else orders that exact drink?"
"I will literally pay you to stop talking."
"With what money? Your barista salary?" Jay dodged the napkin Heeseung threw at him. "I'm just saying, it's been three months and you still remember his exact—"
The bell above the café door chimed.
Heeseung didn't need to look up to know who it was. He could tell by the way Jay suddenly became very interested in reorganizing the already perfectly organized cup sleeves, and by the familiar scent of vanilla and citrus that always seemed to linger wherever Sunoo went.
"Jungwonie, you didn't tell me we were coming here!" Sunoo's voice carried across the café, a pitch higher than usual – the tone he used when he was nervous but trying to hide it.
Heeseung risked a glance. Sunoo stood frozen in the doorway, wearing an oversized cream sweater that definitely used to belong to... someone else. His hair was slightly messy from the autumn wind, and he was clutching his tablet to his chest like a shield. Next to him, Jungwon had the decency to look slightly guilty.
"They have the best coffee on campus?" Jungwon offered weakly.
"The library café exists!"
"Their coffee tastes like sad bean juice and you know it."
Heeseung turned back to the espresso machine, suddenly very invested in wiping down the already spotless surface. Maybe if he cleaned it enough, he'd discover a portal to another dimension where he hadn't just almost made his ex's signature drink from pure muscle memory.
"I can take their order," Jay offered, but Heeseung shook his head.
"It's fine. I'm a professional." He wasn't sure who he was trying to convince more – Jay or himself.
The line moved forward until finally, inevitably, Sunoo stood at the counter. Three months, two weeks, and four days since their breakup (not that Heeseung was counting), and he still hadn't figured out how to look at Sunoo without feeling like someone had reached into his chest and squeezed.
"Welcome to Sweet Escape," Heeseung said, proud of how steady his voice sounded. "What can I get for you?"
Sunoo stared at the menu board like he'd never seen it before, even though Heeseung knew he'd had the same order for the past year and a half. "Um..."
"He'll have a green tea latte," Jungwon cut in. "With honey instead of sugar."
Both Heeseung and Sunoo turned to stare at him.
"What?" Jungwon shrugged. "People change. Their taste in drinks changes. Right, Sunoo?"
"Right," Sunoo said quietly. "Green tea latte. Please."
Something in Heeseung's chest twisted. Sunoo hated green tea.
Heeseung wrote their names on the cups with practiced ease, muscle memory once again betraying him as he drew a tiny star next to Sunoo's name before he could stop himself. He quickly scribbled over it, turning it into an awkward blob.
"That'll be ₩8,500," he said, determinedly looking at the register instead of at how Sunoo's sweater kept slipping off one shoulder.
As Sunoo reached for his wallet, his tablet slipped. Heeseung's hand shot out automatically to catch it – the same time Sunoo grabbed for it. Their fingers brushed, and Heeseung felt like he'd just touched a live wire.
"Sorry," they both said at the same time.
"Well, this isn't awkward at all," Jungwon muttered, pulling out his own card to pay. "Come on, Sunoo, let's find a table."
The moment they walked away, Jay materialized at Heeseung's side like a very unhelpful ghost. "So..."
"Don't."
"I didn't even say anything!"
"You were thinking it very loudly." Heeseung aggressively pumped matcha powder into a cup. "And before you start – yes, I noticed he's wearing my sweater. No, I don't care. And yes, I'm perfectly fine."
"You just tried to make his old order without even asking, drew a star on his cup out of habit, and nearly short-circuited when you touched his hand," Jay pointed out. "That's like, the opposite of fine."
"I'm going on my break," Heeseung announced, even though his break wasn't for another hour.
"You can't avoid this conversation forever!" Jay called after him.
"Watch me!"
In the safety of the break room, Heeseung slumped against the wall and closed his eyes. The memory hit him like it always did – uninvited and crystal clear.
Three months ago
"I think we should take a break."
The words hung in the air between them like smoke, heavy and suffocating. They were sitting in Heeseung's studio, where they'd spent countless nights before – Sunoo curled up on the small couch while Heeseung worked on his compositions, trading lazy kisses and dreams of the future.
But that night was different. The air felt thick with words they'd been avoiding for weeks.
"A break," Heeseung repeated, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. "Or a break up?"
Sunoo fidgeted with the sleeve of his (Heeseung's) sweater. "I don't know. Both? Neither? I just... I feel like we're going in different directions lately. You're so focused on your music—"
"That's not fair. You know how important this showcase is—"
"I know! I know it is. And my theatre showcase is important too. But when was the last time we actually saw each other? Really saw each other, not just existed in the same room while working on different things?"
The silence that followed was answer enough.
"We're both so busy trying to build our futures," Sunoo continued, his voice small. "Maybe we need to figure out who we are separately before we can be us again."
The worst part was, Heeseung understood. The past few months had been a blur of deadlines, practices, and stolen moments that never felt like enough. They were both running themselves ragged trying to balance their relationship with their dreams.
"So this is it?" Heeseung asked, hating how his voice cracked. "We're just... done?"
Sunoo's eyes were shining with tears. "Maybe it's just not our time right now."
They'd agreed to stay friends, because that's what mature people did. They'd promised nothing would be awkward within the friend group. They'd even hugged goodbye, like their hearts weren't shattering into pieces.
Such responsible adults they were, having such a mature breakup.
What a load of crap.
Heeseung's phone buzzed in his pocket, snapping him out of the memory.
WeNeededTherapyNotENHA
Jake: someone explain why sunoo is drinking GREEN TEA???
Ni-ki: he WHAT
Jay: our heeseung nearly had an aneurysm making it
Jungwon: I panicked ok? had to think of something different
Ni-ki: he hates green tea???
Jake: we know
Jay: we ALL know
Sunoo: I CAN SEE THIS CHAT YOU KNOW
Jake: then stop pretending you like green tea and order your usual diabetes in a cup
Sunoo has left the chat
Jake: drama queen
Jungwon: someone add him back
Ni-ki has added Sunoo to the chat
Sunoo: I hate all of you
Taking a deep breath, Heeseung pushed himself off the wall. Break time was over, and he had a job to do. Professional. He could be professional.
But when he stepped back into the café, his eyes immediately found Sunoo – now sitting by the window, sunlight turning his hair golden as he grimaced at his green tea latte. Something about the sight made Heeseung's chest ache. Before he could stop himself, he was grabbing a cup and starting a new drink.
"What are you doing?" Jay asked, watching him add the exact three shots of espresso.
"Being stupid," Heeseung replied honestly, measuring out the oat milk.
Five minutes later, he placed a new drink on Sunoo's table without meeting his eyes. "On the house," he mumbled, already turning away. "Because I know you hate green tea."
He didn't stay to see Sunoo's reaction, but as he walked back to the counter, he heard Jungwon's quiet "oh my god" and felt Sunoo's eyes burning into his back.
The rest of his shift passed in a blur. If Sunoo and Jungwon stayed until closing time, supposedly working on their theater projects but stealing glances at the counter every few minutes, well – that was just coincidence. And if Heeseung caught himself looking back just as often, that was nobody's business but his own.
It wasn't until he was cleaning up that he noticed the cup Sunoo had left behind. Written on it in familiar neat handwriting:
"Some habits are hard to break. Thanks for remembering."
Private Chat:
Heeseung: You could have just ordered your usual
Sunoo: And you could have just let me drink the green tea
Heeseung: We both know you would have thrown it out
Sunoo: Maybe
Sunoo: ...
Sunoo: The sweater still smells like you
Sunoo: Sorry, forget I said that
Heeseung: Keep it
Sunoo: What?
Heeseung: The sweater. It looks better on you anyway
Sunoo: Oh
Sunoo: Thanks
Heeseung: Yeah
Sunoo is typing...
Sunoo has stopped typing
Heeseung is typing...
Heeseung has stopped typing
Three months, two weeks, and four days. Not that anyone was counting.
But maybe someone should have been counting the ways some things never really end – they just pause, like a song waiting to play again from the beginning.
Or maybe they were both just really bad at moving on.