Chapter Text
There are some people out there that you start recognizing before you even know their name.
The shorter guy who comes in right after the lunch crowd always smelling like a soft cologne and sweat, for example, is one of those people. He orders the same coffee protein smoothie like it's his personal ritual. He looks energized every time he comes in, despite the pools of sweat soaking his clothes every day.
Seungmin learns faces the way other people memorize lyrics to songs: slowly and without distinct intent and effort. But with him, things were almost instantaneous. The song that was this man was well-rehearsed and became one that he looked forward to listening to each day.
He worked at a cafe between a run-down nail and hair salon and a gym whose windows were perpetually foggy. It was the kind of gym with a small number of clients and a large number of positive reviews. Many of the cafe's clients were also frequent gym-goers as well, but this particular beefy man was different. He came in every day after the lunch rush at both businesses, always missing the mid-day crowd just in time to be able to relax at the window table opposite of the register. His hair was always damp, his bangs either stuck to his forehead or pulled back in a goofy looking ponytail that stuck straight up in the air like a pencil.
Seungmin still doesn't know his name.
But he knows his order.
It was an exceptionally uneventful Thursday, and the lunch rush was hardly even a peak. Seungmin had almost fallen asleep, even, when he heard the bell chime, signaling that someone had arrived. Looking up, Seungmin's heart skipped a beat. Though he had come to expect the other male, his heart never ceased to be excited to see him. He stood up straight, making his way back to the register rather than the stool he had been lazing around on for the past half hour.
He smiled.
The man smiled.
"Welcome back!" Seungmin chimed, beginning their everyday pleasantry script with ease.
"Hey!" His voice was smooth, deep and warm. He looked exceptionally handsome today, though that seemed to always be the case. Every day, he seemed to get hotter and hotter even when Seungmin thought it impossible.
He stood in front of the register, hands pressing into the solid wood of the countertop as he smiled that dimpled smile he always had. "Can I get the usual?"
"Strawberry latte protein smoothie with extra protein, extra strawberry?" Seungmin smiled, already grabbing the proper cup and writing the order down on it. He skipped the line on the plastic that said 'name.'
The other male nodded, the smile reaching his eyes as he pushed his bangs back with one of his hands, the other reaching for his wallet. "You got me!"
After ringing him up, Seungmin turned to the drink station, grabbing all the ingredients he needed for the shake. That was when he realized one very unfortunate mistake:
They had forgotten to order more strawberry protein powder.
Cringing, he looked around him in subtle panic. Turning, he saw the other male already sat at his usual window table, laptop out and about to put his headphones on. Seungmin swallowed a lump in his throat, realizing he would have to go off script to actually talk to the man he had been secretly pining over for the past six months.
Seungmin took one deep breath. And then another.
He racked his hands along his khaki apron—more out of nervousness than of necessity—and grabbed the already labeled cup. Its words seemed to mock him as he realized he would have to actually talk to this guy. There was no avoiding it.
Stepping out from behind the counter, the hinges of the swivel door swaying loudly as he passed, Seungmin tried to formulate a sentence in his mind.
It's literally not that big of a deal, he thought, you do this every day with other customers. What makes this one so different?
Before he knew it, he was already standing in front of the other man, going unnoticed for a moment before his eyes shifted up to see the barista, standing there awkwardly with a cringe on his face and his empty cup in his hand.
"Everything good?" He slipped his headphones off his ears as he looked at the taller male, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"Yeah, sorry—" Seungmin cleared his throat, shifting in his stance a bit as he tried to not be so awkward (he was failing). "Well, so, um..."
The customer smiled, wearing an expectant look of confusion as he leaned back in his chair. Seungmin's brain short-circuited for a moment as he was presented with a very nice view of the man's forearms and biceps—they popped out beautifully as he crossed his arms, his black tank top leaving everything below his built shoulders visible to the masses.
"So unfortunately, I just realized that we are actually out of the strawberry protein powder. I forgot to check and refill our order this week..." He trailed off, having to fight to tear his gaze away from the attractive features of the man before him.
"Oh..." the customer blinked once, glancing down at the cup in the barista's hand and then looking back up at him once more. "That's...new."
"I know," Seungmin laughed nervously, the cup slightly crinkling in his hand for a moment before he loosened his grip in realization, "I'm so sorry. I can make it with vanilla or chocolate, or—or really any other flavor except for strawberry."
The man leaned forward now, propping his head up on his palm against the table before him. His eyes moved over Seungmin for a moment before finally focusing on his eyes. His smile softened as he let out a little chuckle.
"Hey, no worries!" Fondness danced in his gaze, "I trust that you know your way around the drink making field, right?"
Seungmin's brain short-circuited again.
"Chocolate's fine," He paused, though, as if he had gotten a brilliant idea, "Actually, do you have a flavor that you recommend instead? This could be a sign for me to finally break a routine, honestly."
Seungmin's cheeks heated up as he nodded, "I think I can come up with something!"
And just like that, their routines had cracked clear open, wide enough for something new to flow in.
The next day, Seungmin was scheduled to work with Felix, who was simultaneously his most and least favorite coworker. He was fun, sweet, and easy to get along with, but he was always so nosy.
"OH EM GEE! You said more than like four words in a row to him in one day? This is crazy development!"
Seungmin would have no peace that day, and he had come to accept it.
"It's literally not, Lix," Seungmin, sighed as he wiped down the countertop. The day had been incredibly slow. They had only had two customers come in all morning, and with what usually was the lunch rush, only three customers had come in. It was officially dead. This meant that there was more time for Felix to probe the older about his life. And the certain red haired buff man from next door had accidentally become a major hot topic for the day.
"Oh, but it is, Minnie! You finally talked to guy you've been making goo-goo eyes at for literally half a year! I feel like a proud father!" Felix mock-cried as he leaned against the fridge behind the register. Seungmin busied himself with cleaning the espresso machine, rolling his eyes.
"It was like two extra sentences, and it was because I had to apologize for a mistake. It literally had no romantic backing to it." Seungmin groaned, finding himself extra focused on sanitizing the serving dial. "And I don't make goo-goo eyes. You're delusional."
"Right," Felix drawled, the smirk he wore was audible in his voice, "Let's pretend you're telling the truth. Tell me what you ended up making! Did he like it? What happened? Don't leave me high and dry like this, Minnie!"
Seungmin groaned, throwing his head back in mock despair as he finally turned to Felix. A very subtle smile betrayed his stoic face.
"I made him a chocolate banana protein smoothie." He sighed, throwing the dirtied rag to his side as he crossed his arms, "But I didn't get to see if he liked it or not because he had to leave right after he got it."
"Boo," Felix shoved a downward-turned thumb at him, "You should've made him try it on the spot to see how he liked it!"
Seungmin groaned again, "No, I'm not gonna do that! That's awkward! And plus, I don't want to look like a puppy waiting for praise or whatever!"
"But you like being praised!"
Seungmin and Felix were so distracted by their conversation that they didn't notice the doorbell ring, nor did they hear the sound of footsteps as a customer approached the counter.
"I told you that in confidence!" Seungmin gaped at Felix, slapping his arm. He couldn't hide his smile, though, as he turned to the register to search for more busywork. He leaned against the counter, facing his coworker as Felix focused on cleaning the dishes in the sink. "It's not weird to like being appreciated or being told I'm doing a good job! That's totally normal!"
Felix snorted, soap bubbles coating his hands, "You like being praised."
"Don't say it like that! You make me sound like a total freako!"
He smiled despite his embarrassment, crossing his arms over his chest as he faced the blonde.
Suddenly, the air seemed to shift as someone cleared their throat behind him.
Seungmin froze, face going ghost-white as he turned to see who it was. His eyes met not just any customer, but the customer.
He stumbled, nearly falling over as he turned to look at him directly.
The man was standing a few steps away from the register, like he hadn’t meant to stop there at all. His face was flushed a noticeable pink, heat creeping up past his ears, and his usual easy confidence was nowhere to be found. His shoulders were tight, posture stiff, hands hovering uselessly at his sides before curling into loose fists and then relaxing again, like he couldn’t decide what to do with them.
He wouldn’t quite look at Seungmin.
His gaze kept flicking—too quick to be casual—from Seungmin’s face to the counter, to the floor, anywhere but where it belonged. When their eyes did meet, his breath visibly hitched, and he cleared his throat like it had betrayed him first.
Once.
Then again.
Something warm and frantic twisted low in Seungmin’s stomach.
He’d heard it.
Maybe not all of it—but enough. Enough to make the man’s jaw tense like he was biting back words. Enough to make his ears burn red. Enough to make him look like he’d walked straight into a situation he hadn’t prepared for and didn’t know how to retreat from.
The customer swallowed, rubbed at the side of his neck, and finally forced himself to speak.
For an extended moment, the two remained silent, not knowing what to do.
Then, the customer cleared his throat—once, then twice—before speaking.
"Uh... hi." His voice cracked, and his cringe was unmistakable
"Oh! Hey! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in!" Seungmin's own voice was shaky as well.
" 's fine..." The other croaked, clearing his throat yet again. The customer's gaze lingered, briefly flickering between Seungmin's eyes and the suddenly very interestingly designed countertop.
Seungmin panicked, wondering if he had heard the whole conversation go down or not.
"Um... What can I get you today?" Perfect, Seungmin thought, revert back to the good 'ol script! That should fix the problem right up!
"Actually, I really liked what you made me yesterday..." The other's voice trailed off as he offered an awkward smile, his hand coming up to rub the side of his neck, "I was actually gonna ask if you could surprise me again?"
Oh.
Oh.
Oh no...
Seungmin panicked. He didn't know how to respond—clearly, he knew that he had to respond like a normal barista would in this kind of situation, but his brain was not connecting in any terminal at this point. His mouth hung open for a moment before he shut it, realizing how dumb he must look.
"Listen, Minnie, it's not weird to be into getting praised! Lots of people have praise kinks, you're not alo—" Felix's voice paused in a very obvious panicked realization as he stopped in his tracks, staring at the handsome stranger in front of his coworker. "Oh! I am so sorry! I didn't— no wonder you stopped talking— I'll just..." Felix turned awkwardly, looking for any excuse to exit.
"I'll just go vacuum the bathroom! Be right back! Please excuse me!" Felix turned to the back room, rushing through the door that would absolutely not lead to a bathroom.
The door swung shut with a loud thud, and suddenly the cafe felt too small and too big all at the same time. And there they were again, in the most awkward situation Seungmin had ever found himself in.
Seungmin stood, frozen in place, as his hands dug into the corner of the countertop for dear life. His cheeks were on fire and he knew it, his pulse pumping in his ears. If the customer acknowledged Felix's outburst at all, he knew he would spontaneously combust on the spot.
The customer shifted uncomfortably in his spot, the strap of his gym duffel bag slipping down his shoulder. As he adjusted it back to its proper position, he cleared his throat again.
"I..." His eyes bore holes in the counter as he held back a comedic smile. He failed as a little chuckle danced past his lips.
Once his laugh broke the tense silence in the room, the uncomfortable ambiance finally broke. He couldn't stop laughing now, his cheeks flushed pink as he leaned forward, his smile sculpting his eyes into little crescents.
Seungmin's own attempts at being cool failed as well with a soft laugh, leaning forward as the air between them seemed to shift.
"I am so sorry" Seungmin's words cracked between laughs, his hands dragging down over his face with a groan. "I did not see you come in, and I did not know he would do that. Really, knowing Felix, I should have expected it. But I digress..."
The customer's laughs faded into a soft, easy smile as he relaxed again, his bag on his shoulder resting comfortably on his shoulder.
"It's fine. Don't feel ashamed. At least I know a little more about you than your name now, right?" He smiled, smug and confident now as he leaned on the counter with one arm. His eyes found Seungmin's and bore into his soul as his velvety voice spoke. "Seungmin, right?"
Seungmin felt like he could melt into a puddle right then and there if he wasn't getting paid to stay alive and useful. There was something about the way he said his name that sent chills down his spine. Maybe it was the fact that he knew it at all. After all, he hadn't worn his name tag in months—not since he accidentally dropped it into the abyss that was the storage closet. Once it was kicked under the ice maker, there was no rescuing it.
"Yeah! That's me!" His voice came out scratchy and nervous, wavering in the most humiliating way.
"So...." The customer leaned closer, a smirk still drawn on his face as his voice lowered, "You got anymore good smoothie flavor ideas? Yesterday's was really good."
Seungmin tried as hard as he could to fight a deeper blush from growing on his skin, but he failed miserably as his neck and ears glowed a brutal red. He could not afford to get all weird over one compliment and he knew it, but something about this man always threw him for a loop.
"I mean sure! I have the same as usual now, too, if you're wanting that?"
"Nah, surprise me again. I like a little adventure."
"Oh! Okay, sure! Uh..." He grabbed a plastic cup, getting his sharpie out to write what he was going to make on it. He cleared his throat, writing what could be compared to chicken scratch on the side of the cup. He skipped the name line again, biting his lip awkwardly as he looked back at the customer.
"Changbin."
"What?"
"Changbin. That's my name." The customer—Changbin—smiled, leaning back again as he shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Oh! Right! Changbin! That's a good name! That's a really cool name! Yeah!" He had to cut himself off, already knowing he was embarrassing himself. "Okay so I'll go ahead and..."
"Yeah! Right! I'll just..." Changbin gestured to his usual spot in the window, his own cheeks turning pinker now.
"Right! Yeah, just give me a few minutes, and it'll be out!"
"Good, yeah! Sounds good!"
Smooth move, Seungmin. Smooth. Move.