Chapter Text
7 years ago
Every day was bleeding into the next. Wake up, go to class, study, eat somewhere in between, sleep, rinse and repeat. It was getting tiring. But it was finals week. You couldn’t stop now, and so you packed your belongings, heading back to your current favorite café, holding on tightly to your dreams even as they were slipping away alongside your sanity.
“Hi again, what can I get for you?”
In the months since this place opened up you’ve seen four people, including the manager, working here every day, and to be honest this guy was your favorite.
You couldn’t fully explain why. He just had a charming air about him. From his casual smile which naturally drew the attention of any customer he spoke with, to the moments when you could hear him laugh, a full and bright sound that seemed unique to him. He just had this presence that stood out in a pleasant way. Plus he was cute.
“I’d like a pourover, please,” you said.
It occurred to you that you didn’t even know his name. You took a quick glance at his name tag.
“Okay, I’ll have that out for you here in a few minutes,” said Chan.
And so you returned to your corner, sitting by the front window, the light above your table for two waning, calling you to come quietly observe the restless city hustling even past sundown. However, before you even had the chance to fade along with it, the code editor on your laptop had loaded, and it was time for you to get hustling as well.
This place had become a bit of a cult favorite, especially among students. Chan always saw a select few on a near daily basis, some of which he knew well enough, or had gotten to know well enough, to know that they went to the same school that he did, what they were studying, and at least a little of their personalities.
There was Jun, a foreign exchange student in musical theatre whom he met at a dance class. An actor and dancer well-liked by everyone at school for his talent, kindness, and effortless sense of humor.
Vernon and Seungkwan, his friends and roommates, one of whom studied computer science while the other majored in communications. Lately Chan had been trying to get them to apply for the job openings here, promising he’d train them and get them hooked on the vast world of making coffee in no time.
There was also Jihoon, a music production student. He once gave Chan a very detailed critique of his pour over technique that forever changed the way Chan viewed coffee. That’s as far as their interactions went, though.
And then there was you. He didn’t even know your name. He had only ever caught glimpses of you on campus. He always saw you coding while you were here, so he asked Vernon about you one time, but all he said was “Why? You interested?” Apparently he had never really spoken to you either, despite being in some classes together.
You came in and did the same things as always: ordered your usual, sat at that table in the corner, and started coding. And until recently, you always came in during the morning three days a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The last few days, however, you’ve been coming in every evening.
It was much less busy this time of day, of course. Maybe Chan would talk to you today.
On second thought: no, he shouldn’t bother you. It’s finals week, so you must’ve been really busy to come in this late.
And so he simply made your coffee and brought it to you, exchanging nothing but polite pleasantries as per usual.
The next hour passed by slowly. There were hardly any customers. One or two enjoyed a late evening drink and meal, while others needed a boost to push through their neverending workload. It was closing time, and almost everyone, the quiet diners and the caffeine-boosted workaholics alike, called it quits for the night.
“I finished all the dishes. Well, most of them,” said Mingyu, then he nodded in your direction. “I’ve gotta hurry home. My baby’s been sick. Can you take care of the rest?”
Chan looked at you. At some point, you had laid your head down on the table and dozed off, your coffee half-finished and your laptop asleep alongside you.
“Go take care of your dog. I’ll make sure to wake her and close up shop,” he said.
“You’re the best!” said Mingyu before hurrying out.
The café was quiet. Just the two of you. He felt kinda bad about waking you, but he needed to finish cleaning and lock up the shop. And so he approached you, hoping you would just wake up on your own, but you didn’t.
“Excuse me,” he said softly, and just as he was about to tap your shoulder your phone buzzed.
Hey. Did you finish writing the requirements doc? Sorry I couldn’t get my share done. Exams have been a real bitch these last few days. Appreciate it
Buzz. Then another one.
Have you fixed that bug yet? I couldn’t figure out what I did to cause it :/ If anyone can fix it it’s u!! ♡ Lmk what you find!
Chan rolled his eyes.
He felt bad about seeing your texts, but good grief. Why are these people bothering you about their problems? And can’t they see it’s half past 10:00?
Surprisingly, you didn’t wake up. You didn’t even move a muscle.
Chan let out a quiet sigh. Now he really felt bad about waking you.
He then left you for a minute, grabbing his jacket, and when he returned by your side he bent down and gently draped it over you, feeling a brief jolt in his fingers as they accidentally grazed over your soft hair. After adjusting it to make sure it covered you well enough, you began to move slightly, causing him to startle a bit, but it was just a subtle stir as you inhaled and exhaled deeply, burrowing yourself a little more under his jacket, your nose ghosting over the collar while a contented smile peeked out from underneath.
His heart sped up, and he quietly raced to do anything other than watch you sleep.
A warm, earthy aroma entwined with the invigorating smell of hot coffee filled the air. You struggled to get your eyes open for what felt like minutes before finally you noticed the bright red and blue pens stacked on top of a notebook open to a page full of chicken scratches, your reflection in the black screen of your laptop staring back at you as you realized that you had fallen asleep at the café. As if that wasn’t enough to startle you awake, that musky scent you were relishing in was coming from some jacket draped over your back. Whose jacket was this?
CRASH!
“AH!”
“Woah!”
The sound of glass shattering right behind you made you jump from your seat, the nice-smelling jacket dropping from your shoulders to be forgotten on the floor.
You turned around, finding that barista from earlier — Chan, you remember — startled as he glanced between you and the fragments of glass scattered across the floor, just a bit of coffee trickling toward both your feet.
The room dropped to silence as you both simply stared at each other and the broken glass in shock.
He was the first to speak, clearing his throat before saying, “You’re awake.”
“Obviously,” you retorted, immediately regretting it as soon as you heard yourself.
Here was this sweet barista who had kindly lent you his jacket in your sleep and you just had to be a smart ass.
Instead of looking at you funny or being startled by your rudeness, Chan merely laughed. And laughed in the way you had only heard from afar in your little nook, except now it was crystal-clear, a mere table away from you, tickling your ears with its brilliance.
“I was drinking some coffee while I was waiting for you to wake up, but I kinda dozed off and knocked it over. I am so sorry that I woke you up.” He bowed politely, but then his cheeks flushed as he quietly added, “Er, maybe you would’ve preferred I woke you up at closing time so that you didn’t have to, y’know, sleep at a table with some stranger’s jacket covering you. I’m sorry.”
His words always seemed to come out so confidently, so seeing him become shy all of a sudden got a soft chuckle out of you.
“It’s fine,” you said. “I’m the one who should apologize for falling asleep when you should be home by now.”
“To be honest, you seemed like you really needed the rest,” he admitted sheepishly. Then his bashfulness faded as he held out his hand.
“I’m Chan.”
“I already read your name ta–” you stopped yourself. “I’m Y/N,” you corrected yourself, shaking his hand.
God, you were such a recluse. When was the last time you physically spoke to a human being?
Chan laughed, and suddenly you felt like less of an asshole again.
“Well, Y/N. I’m glad to have finally met you properly,” he said. Then he walked around the mess he made and behind the front counter, heading toward what seemed to be a supply closet, smiling at you as he said, “I’ve gotta clean that mess and close up. We’ll have to talk some more next time. You’re pretty funny.”
Your brain lit up at the possibility of there being a “next time.” You found him to be rather interesting himself. However, instead of admitting that you meekly nodded and let out a little “Yeah.”
He reached for the doorknob of the closet, but before doing so stopped and turned to you, just as you were about to check your phone for any messages you might’ve missed, his expression soft with worry.
“By the way,” he said, “I hope this doesn’t sound weird or anything, but… I hope you take care of yourself.”
You tilted your head curiously.
“I just mean,” he paused. “Try not to pass out again, okay? You’re always working really hard, so… just ask for help sometimes, you know? I don’t really know much about coding — though I have a friend who does — but anyway…”
“I’ll be careful,” you said, touched by his concern. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” he replied, smiling gently.
You said your goodbyes, packed your things, and left, even putting your phone in your backpack too. There was no need to think about coding, or the piling messages from your group project members to wile away the hours of your insomnia. Your mind was going to be dreaming about tonight’s events until sunrise, when you had to get up and do it all over again, except now you had something to look forward to in the evening.