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When Till sees the image of Ivan in a butler suit, firstly, he did not think it was legal for him to even look that criminally good. Just from wearing a suit, Ivan's charisma level jumped by two fold and Till doesn't know how to deal with how stunning Ivan is when he already looked like he was shining on a normal day and Till swears that he was going to go blind if this wasn't Ivan's limit.
"Welcome back, master." The words easily slip from Ivan's lips, practiced to perfection.
Till feels his face flush from being addressed as "master". His best friend who was the school's prince, who was always a domineering and regal figure was now acting all subservient towards him? Everything about this situation felt downright wrong.
Till gulped and followed Ivan into the cafe. It felt like he was entering hell itself and braced himself.
As they always say, If you hit rock bottom, you can only go up from there. And in this case, he would not be leaving until he ordered everything on the ‘special menu’.
"Here's the menu, master."
Ivan has his usual princely smile that causes everyone in the vicinity looking at his direction to swoon. Till doesn't even spare him a second glance, he had long since gotten used to Ivan’s smiles and they no longer work on him, unless it was the unfiltered kind that he only showed to Till, taking the menu to quickly glance it over.
The regulars at the cafe whisper amongst themselves, it was rare for someone like Ivan to serve a customer personally with how popular he was. After all, he was exempt from performing such menial tasks unless it was one of the high paying regulars. He usually just loitered around the floor to ‘make the tea taste better’ as they all put it.
"Hey."
Ivan promptly perks up at Till's voice. It was quite surprising how Till was ready to order this fast when he was usually indecisive when deciding what to eat at a new place. Something about making his money worth.
"What will your order be master?" Ivan lifts up his pristine never before used notepad to take Till’s order. Both of them know that Ivan, with his photographic memory, did not need such a thing but it added to the charm of this whole situation so Till didn't say anything. Appreciating the sight of a more ordinary looking Ivan.
"Oh no I'm not..." Till flustered, opens his mouth for a moment but closes it. "Uh.. about that."
Ivan patiently waits for Till to continue and sends Acorn a glare daring him to try and steal the task of taking Till's order when he came too close in an attempt to help Ivan out.
"The special menu.." Ivan jolts and feels a bead of sweat roll down his back.
Did he just hear Till correctly?
"Could you kindly repeat yourself master?"
Till hisses in embarrassment and gestures for Ivan to get closer to him, not an appropriate distance for a master and butler but if it was his master that was commanding him, Ivan could only obey, Till lowers his volume so no one else would hear him.
"I said. The special menu.”
So he didn't hear him wrongly. Ivan doesn't know whether he should be glad or not.
"Master, do you know just what the special menu entails?"
Till huffs, "Hyuna briefly told me some of the things in there."
Ah right, Hyuna came here regularly to see Luka.
"Then I'll g-get the special menu."
Till swerves his head up when he hears Ivan's voice crack but Ivan was gone like the wind before he could even tease him about the slip up.
"Luka, do me a favor and slap me. Tell me I'm not dreaming."
Luka, already in a bad mood being subjected to Ivan's disgusting attempts to woe Till (as if his pitiful attempts doing it at school wasn't bad enough) and not having seen Hyuna for a whole week, proceeds to punch Ivan instead.
"What's up with your cheek? I'm pretty sure that wasn't there when you left"
Ivan eyes do not leave the special menu that now fits snugly in Till's hands as he replies.
"Nothing that should concern you master. There was a certain situation which I had to… ascertain."
"Uh yeah."
Till deliberated over the choices that lay in front of him. A pocky game, being fed his food, spending time with a butler of his choice..!?
It was an enticing choice until Till's eyes saw the little note on that particular page
[Due to their popularity, the cost of performing actions from the special menu by butlers Ivan, Luka, XXX, XX has been adjusted to XXXXX.]
"You..." Till made an accusatory glare at Ivan, just why did he have to be so popular? It wasn't like Till hadn't prepared for any additional costs that could have arisen but his wallet was still crying just looking at the price.
With much persuasion from the devil in his head (it really was not cheap on Till's already light wallet), Till bought everything on the special menu with the exception of one.
From getting Ivan to be his personal butler for the majority of his time here to having him prepare the snacks personally.
Even after writing the order down and collecting the menu, Ivan continued to linger at Till’s table.
"? Well… Aren't you going to key in the order?"
"Of course I'll do that master, it's just..."
Ivan had thought till was just going to order something tame like having Ivan pour out his tea or guide him around the (castle) cafe countless exclusive sections.
He hadn't expected him at all to buy almost everything off the menu. But that was exactly it! Of all things! Of all things Till chose not to order out of the countless kinds of specials on the menu? It was the one where Ivan would spoon feed him and not the one which involved your butler pretending to be in love with you??
Oh Till, his lovable Till, does he know how hard he makes Ivan's heart clench just from the mere sight of him? His oblivious and sweet Till.
"Then I'll be right back with your order master. The play will start immediately when I return."
Ivan deftly brushes his fingers against tills and the soft shriek lightens onto not only Till's cheeks but Ivan's.
Ivan comes back with a tray of overpriced sweets and Till can already smell the overpowering smell of sugar. Placing them onto the marble table without a sound along with all the other food Till had ordered.
Till leaned back into his chair so he wouldn't get in the way of Ivan placing all the food but he was slightly disappointed that nothing was happening even though Ivan said 'the play' he had ordered would start immediately when he came back.
Till reached out for a piece of peach tart at the top of the dessert tower stand, the price he paid for it was definitely not worth it but food was food, only for Ivan to intercept him, placing his hands over his.
"How cruel of you to pay more attention to a tart rather than your butler who is personally serving you."
"You!" Okay, maybe it wasn't a good idea to have ordered this play. Till felt his face burn in embarrassment when he saw more than a few heads turning at Ivan’s pouting.
"You?"
Ivan pushes past Till’s personal space, holding Till’s hands hostage and placing a deft kiss on it before staring straight into his eyes.
"Won't you call me Ivan like you always do when we're alone?"
Till’s mouth fell.
What?
What? Ivan's face was really that of a pitiful butler who looked like the only thing important to him was getting his master to look only at him and Till didn't like the way his heart was pumping so hard and loud, Ivan could probably hear it with how close he was.
He was too close.
His pretty face was merely a few metres away from Till's face.
"Okay, okay i get it i'll call you by your name so back off." Till pushes at Ivan's chest to distance himself but Ivan stubbornly refuses to budge.
"Ivan." Ivan mouths. "Come on, repeat after me."
He even has the nerve to smile fondly at Till like he knows how much Till is affected by him being this close. Just where was his princely Ivan who always indulged in Till's need for personal space? He would like him back right now please!
Till could feel the world spin as Ivan seemed to be getting closer every second he refused to call him by his name.
A soft 'Ivan' is muttered from Till's mouth and Ivan takes pity at how much he has teased Till. Till’s reactions were adorable but anymore than this and Till might never come back or even worse, talk to Ivan ever again.
A self satisfied smile like no other shines on Ivan's face as he draws back.
"Then I'll be introducing you to the tea I have prepared for today, Till."
Till seems slightly confused at the call of his name and Ivan doesn't miss a beat, grinning at him with mischief in his voice.
"You prefer being called master?"
It takes everything in Till not to throw the nearest object at Ivan's (unfairly) pretty face.
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Tea time; enjoy a pleasant time with the butler of your choosing who will carefully prepare a tea that suits your every taste. For those who do not have a specific tea in mind, you can ask our butlers for their specialty or recommendations.
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The aromatic smell of the tea leaves is all that Till can smell right now. He isn't a connoisseur when it came to tea so he left everything up to Till from the selection right down to the minutes of steeping, whatever that meant.
“You’re in luck Till.” Ivan carefully pours a good amount of loose tea leaves into the teapot,
“We just got our hands on a good batch of loose earl grey leaves today.”
Steam rose as Ivan began pouring the hot water into the teapot in a circular direction and the distinct smell of Bergamot instantly became stronger. Till couldn't help his eyes as it followed Ivan’s every move. Everything he did attracted stares whether it was just the simple act of pouring water or moving things around the table.
Flipping over a sand timer, Ivan took a seat right next to Till. Till tries not to squirm in place as Ivan momentarily gets too close to him.
“Three minutes.” He smiles as he caresses the top of the sand timer. “Not a second more or the tea won’t be perfect.”
Till wasn't a fan of sweet stuff, not a single drop of honey or sugar cubes was put into his tea just how he liked it and yet he couldn't help but find it cloyingly sweet.
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Coffee art; Coffee or Tea? It doesn't matter which as our butlers will cater to your every needs. Order various designs and enjoy fun conversations with our butlers.
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Coffee. Finally something Till was actually familiar with. He had drunk the whole pot of earl grey tea down to its very last drop, he would not be wasting a single cent after having to pay so much. The sweet pastries had dwindled as Ivan continued to talk about them all with much gusto and the bitter taste of coffee was just what he needed if he wanted to continue to stuff himself with it.
Ivan actually seemed to be in a good mood as he poured foam into the cup of coffee, the sight of coffee completely disappearing from sight leaving only the fluffy appearance of milk foam behind. The amount of focus Ivan had on his face was honestly breathtaking but Till could not help but find the situation more hilarious as more foam continued to pile up and take shape, what Ivan was trying so hard to create was definitely a cat.
When he was finally satisfied with what he had created, Ivan added a few more finishing touches before presenting the finished product to Till. Till stifled a laugh as he recognised the look on Ivan’s face as someone who was looking to be praised.
A frowny cat.
A peculiar choice thought Till. Taking a moment to appreciate it.
It must just be a highly requested option here.
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Pocky game; Will you fold first or will our experienced butler fold in the face of their blushing master?
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It wasn't a rare thing for Till to share some of his food with Ivan or vice versa, It was a common sight for people who were passing by their class to see the both of them swapping their dishes (Ivan readily giving Till all of the spicy side dishes he had or Till giving any sweetened dishes he had to Ivan) or giving each other a bite of whatever they were eating.
So this game was in Till’s bag. After all, what was so hard about sharing a piece of pocky? Just look at the prize for winning this game, it waived off whatever the most expensive thing on their bill was and that ₩11,000 wasn't something that Till was going to give up on!!
As Ivan started to prepare for the game Till couldn't help but fidget in his chair. Till had seen that there were other customers who had also played the pocky game but there seemed to be a 100% win rate on the butlers side so far.
Did he bite off more than he could possibly chew perhaps..?
Sweat dripped down his back. Till definitely had this in the bag or well, he had to win this no matter what because he didn't forget about the little bubble text that was very colorfully placed next to the pocky illustrations.
Falling in love with a butler was a big no no back in the days, mask your true feelings and walk away with a free meal of your choice! Lose and pay the price of ₩1500 for daring to have feelings for your servant!
When Ivan swerved his head towards Till, he took it as a go sign and bit into the other end from Ivan.
If Till had paid attention, he would have seen the way Ivan was caught off guard, eyes going wide and face turning red at Till’s assertiveness. It didn't even take three nibbles for Ivan to let go of the pocky.
Ears absolutely burning when Till suggested going another round, completely unaware of Ivan’s inner turmoil.
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Reverse play; it must be hard to always be the one serving, perhaps a little intervention is in place, feed your butler to show him just how much you appreciate him.
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How has it already been two hours since he first came here…? Till was really spooked by how fast time flew without him even knowing inside this place but was also disappointed since his time with Ivan was quickly coming to an end.
The very last of the many plays he had ordered was to reverse their roles. This time Till would be the one serving Ivan rather than the other way and he was definitely looking forward to being able to feed Ivan all because this prince always refused to eat from the same utensils as Till and the one time he did, he blushed too bright and honestly, that image of Ivan never did leave Till’s brain despite it being months ago.
The dishes for this specific play were never fixed according to the menu. Each and every butler had their own food preferences and sometimes they could even make their own dishes that weren't on the menu. According to Hyuna this was one of the best things you could order as you could get a glimpse into what kind of food your butler actually liked.
Though, Till could already guess what kind of food Ivan would bring, a savory pasta dish with a lot of spices to wash down the sugary desserts they both just had.
Ivan had the same exact preference in food as Till which led to Till always inviting Ivan out to places he frequented.
Ahh… he was starting to crave for some spicy tteokbokki now. Perhaps he would invite Ivan out tomorrow to grab some from the stall nearby his house.
“That look on your face tells me your craving for something spicy.”
Ivan was finally back with a bowl of something and another extra plate that was out of his view.
Till hoped that it was something like aglio olio so that he could steal a couple of bites too. Surely Ivan wouldn't mind that right? Since they were both probably sick of the amount of sweets they've already had.
As the final dish was finally set, Till could not help the confusion that swept past his face.
There was a pastry where the aglio olio was supposed to be and another set of desserts that made Till’s tooth ache just from the vibrant color it had.
Ivan seemed to notice Till’s confusion and explained. “Canele’s and crepes with fig and tomato. It’s a pretty good combo.”
He places a pair of utensils in front of himself and Till and stabs a fig before probing it towards Till’s lips.
“I didn't buy the spoon feeding session.”
“Well, it's a special service for you who bought almost everything on the special menu.” The lie easily flows from Ivan’s mouth and gullible Till thinks it makes complete sense considering how much he has bought.
He opens his mouth and obediently chews without sensing the menacing glares he’s getting behind his back from the manager.
Till still wishes he could have gotten another pocky round though..
Ivan wordlessly portions the crepe into equal bite sized slices while Till just stared. Till definitely would have wanted something like a spicy tteokbokki or a curry omelette from the menu but everyone in this cafe knew about Ivan’s ‘preferences’ and he didn't want to let others in on how he felt about Till. Luka didn't count, they called it even the moment he learned about Hyuna.
When he was finally done, Till’s fork stabbed into the egg right in the middle, the runny egg flowing mercilessly while the cheese pulled as Till twirled it around. Till raised his vision and locked eyes with Ivan.
“It’s my turn now.” Ivan always loved these rare moments,Till’s unconscious smile blinding enough to rival the sun. “Open up.”
They take turns in feeding each other, Till doesn't really enjoy this kind of healthier food that tasted sophisticated and preferred his food more flavorful and sinful. He took every opportunity to stuff Ivan full with these rabbit food and if Till didn't know Ivan well enough, he would have thought that Ivan actually liked it.
When they were finally down to just the desserts, Till cringed.
“They must be lying in the menu to be making you eat these huh?”
“Pardon?”
“Just look at these sweets. I’m surprised anyone can even swallow it down.” Till sighed, “It’ll be a struggle for you to finish both of them so i’ll eat half of it too alright.”
“No, I'm capable of finishing them both myself.”
“Dont lie.” Till stabs into the pastel colored treat, it was definitely a cute snack but to Till right now, it looked like a deadly weapon waiting to do him in. But he had to take one for the team since it didn't feel right for Ivan to have to force himself to eat all of these by himself.
As he hesitantly raised the fork to his mouth, Ivan took hold of his hand, twisting it with great care so that he could stuff the canele into his own mouth.
Till gaped at Ivan's actions, but it was Ivan's childlike pouting as he chewed that truly took the cake. He was about to laugh at Ivan’s actions but immediately stilled when he heard whispering.
“Did you see that?”
Till swerved his head towards the whispering but didn't see anyone looking their way. But it was already too late and he started feeling anxious.
"Till?” Ivan picked up that something was different about Till, "Are you alright? Did I go too far?"
"No no."
How could Ivan ever do something wrong? It was always Till who was in the wrong after all. Being friends with someone like Ivan, allowing himself to hang out with someone completely out of his league.
"It’s just, I’m starting to feel pretty out of place here." Till finally seemed to realize that there wasn't a single male customer apart from him and the paranoia increased.
"I,” Till fumbled around reaching for his bag, “should probably just go now."
"No." Ivan grabbed Till's hand before he got up.
A soft sigh of relief leaves Ivan as Till lets himself be pulled back to his seat.
"Master, you're truly too hard on yourself. Sometimes it feels like you don't even think you deserve something as simple as enjoying your time in a cafe you paid for."
Ivan stared at Till waiting for him to disagree but Till just continued to stay silent. He couldn't reply. Of course he didn't deserve to enjoy this; the only reason why he could even be here was because Ivan had invited ( allowed ) him to come here.
There was something like exasperation that slipped out on Ivan's face. That made TIll want to run away but Ivan held onto Till's hands gently and reverently before bringing it to his lips and giving it a kiss.
"Master." Ivan's voice continues, fondness seeping into his voice with each name, "My prince. Till. My Till." Ivan thinks to himself he likes the feeling of calling Till his. "You deserve every bit of happiness this world brings to you."
Till opened his mouth but Ivan effectively shut him up by placing a finger onto his lip
"If you disagree I'll get angry. Plus..." Ivan's voice goes significantly softer until only Till could hear what he was saying, "I wouldn't have done this for anyone else."
Till purses his lip instead. He had to remind himself that this was all just part of the roleplay and that Ivan didn’t actually think that.
"And here's your photograph with Ivan, master!" Another butler was called to attend to Till right after the photo session. Ivan had apologised to Till for having to leave him even though he paid for his time (why did a VVIP have to come today of all days) but Till shooed him away when he remembered how much it cost for Ivan to serve him and the handsome commission he would be getting.
Till smiled as he finally got to take a picture with Ivan. Pocketing it between a book so that it wouldn't get bent. The crowd was starting to pick up but Till forgot to thank Ivan for the recommendations he gave.
"Excuse me," Till got the attention of the butler who was still attending to him, "could you tell Ivan the earl grey tea he served me was great? It was my first time having it and I had my doubts but it was much better than I expected." It was so much more easier to compliment Ivan when he wasn't in front of him.
"Earl grey tea?" The butler raised a brow at him, "Master, I think you're mistaken about something, Ivan absolutely hates the taste and much less the smell of earl grey. He would never recommend earl grey to anyone."
"Huh?"
"Same goes for anything inherently bitter. He would rather eat moldy bread than put something without a hint of sugar into his mouth."
"Huh?"
The image of Ivan inviting Till to a sweets buffet flashes in his mind, he clearly thought that Ivan was just joking and laughed in Ivan’s face when he had said it. After all, didn't Ivan hate sweet things just like Till?
"He can't handle spice too." The butler leans into Till's ears and whispers "Master, just between me and you, he can't even eat kimchi. KIMCHI! The soul food of Korea."
Till feels sweat run down his temple as he remembers the time he invited Ivan to a famous spicy ramyeon spot he frequented when he had the money.
Ivan definitely looked ill after that and called in sick for a whole week of school after that if he remembered correctly.
"You should have seen his face when he came back from a date with his crush at the famous spicy ramyeon spot. He looked like he was one foot into the grave but swore it was worth every second being able to see his crush all sweaty and happy."
Crush?
"Oh oops. I shouldn't be talking about other butlers like that." The butler beams at him "But you're friends with Ivan so it's nothing you wouldn't know of! We hope to see you again soon master!"
Till walks out of the cafe in a daze.
'I wouldn't do this for anyone else.'
'I wish you could see how much people around you loved you.'
'I would gladly go out with you if you asked me.'
'It was worth every second being able to see his crush all sweaty and happy.'
Till stares up at the afternoon sky, processing the amount of information that had been bombarded into him in a single day. The only thing that came out of his mouth after connecting all the dots was a single and belated…
Huh?