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the gentle pitter patter of raindrops settling echoed from outside the cafe, and Kim soleum thought he was quite glad for this momentary intrusion. the rain that had just begun pouring a few moments ago, had brought their usual rush of customers to a standstill, with whoever remaining rushing back home before it developed into something worse.
there could've been better ways to spend his weekend, especially after a horrendous group project (thank you, Kang yihak), but he'd already promised his sister ahead of time that he'd pick up her shift, so it couldn't be helped.
He fumbled with the coffee machine, pulling it out with a pop, and he took a look at the cafe he'd familiarised himself with long ago. the scent of warm sugar lingered pleasantly, spreading out evenly through the quaint cafe. a quick look at it made it clear it was visually different from most. with lotus head lights dangling from the ceiling, and every horizontal wooden surface adorned in white doilies and colorful succulents. every so often, he'd find a bite taken out of the small plump leaves, and each time it happened he could never believe it.
smiling, he thought of how responsibly his sister used her money, clearing out budgets for each purpose and keeping detailed records of each.
He reminisced just how long ago it'd been that he'd seen his sister off to high school, calling after her to study hard. how he'd braid her hair some mornings through buggy eyes, as she yelled at him to hurry up.
In response, he remembered, he'd pull her into a playful chokehold and receive a taunting red bite mark on his arm in return.
jingle
startled out of his thoughts, he looked up, almost dropping the glass he was polishing.
To say he hadn't expected anyone because of the rain would be false, but he wouldn't say he wasn't surprised to see his favorite customer walk in either.
It was ryu jaekwan, a scholarship student soleum had a soft spot for, and he would often come by on weekends to enjoy a fresh warm batch of sweets and baked goods. jaekwan would settle on a small two person table, propping up a little notebook, and would wait patiently for soleum to bring over his usual.
‘hes sitting so straight.’ soleum would remark in his head.
happy to see a student that worked so hard, he would sneakily offer him snacks on the house.
jaekwan would always refuse profusely, saying things like Hyung it's really okay, and Hyung I really shouldn't, but soleum would always manage to win. He could feel his chest grow with warm fondness when jaekwan gave in.
—thank you Hyung, you're too kind.
This very student, as of right now, was completely drenched head to toe. his usually pristine uniform (that he'd brush off crumbs from, laughing at jaekwan playfully) was completely drenched. His chest heaved with heavy breaths as he stood on the welcome mat, trembling from the cold.
“I-I'm sorry to bother you, hyung, but could I please have an umbrella?”
Huuu…
‘Look at this kid. You could practically hear his teeth chattering, and yet he's still too afraid to overstep.’
soleum, who had already rushed over when he'd recognised the wet figure, didn't answer him. Instead he got to work aggressively rubbing his hair with a clean towel he'd grabbed and pulled him into the cafe.
There was some resistance, with Jaekwan claiming he didn't want to dirty the cafe, but Soleum always ended up mopping the floors before closing up anyways, so it made no difference.
‘its definitely been well over a year since you started coming to the cafe, but you still treat me so respectfully.’
“take a seat.” soleum said cooly, using his head to gesture towards the many soft burgundy chairs.
he didn't leave till hed seen jaekwan obediently do so. soleum noted how his head was set down in embarrassment, and he laughed internally at how cute the kid could be.
_______
soleum walked down the stairs that connected his sisters house with the cafe, a few ironed clothes in his arms, and was greeted with more than just one drenched customer.
‘why are you here.’
Baek saheon, another frequenter soleum would often see, was sat upon the barstool closest to his workspace. his hands were folded across his chest, and he looked like he couldn't believe he'd come back down at all.
huuu..
“ah, saheon-ah, Im glad to see youre back again.”
“you dont seem so happy to see me.” he retorted, with a frown. tilting his head back like he could be anywhere else, he continued. “But anyways, its bad service to leave a customer waiting this long.”
internally cursing him out soleum managed a cool smile. he didn't miss the way the man's gaze changed momentarily, but there were better things for him to do than to make something of it.
“Dong-ie, here's something warm for you to wear,” he started, walking towards him. jaekwan, who'd jumped up from his seat the moment soleum made his way down the stairs, flushed at the affectionate use of name.
“I really don't know how to repay you, Hyung” he said, following up with a gentle bow.
‘hes just too cute. ’
soleum smiled, all genuine, with his hand on his hips, and retracted a hand to softly pat Jaekwan's short hair.
“none of that, dong-ie. you're practically family.”
the moment was heartwarming, and any one witnessing it might carry that moment in their mind for the rest of the day.
“hey.”
“cant you see a paying customer is still waiting here?” an irritated voice sounded.
‘fine,’
‘not everyone.’
pausing, soleum looked back, still sporting a smile. he couldn't believe the sheer audacity this man had, and he huffed internally at how entitled he was…
did he expect the whole world to be at his beck and call, like a sunflower that naturally bent towards the sun??
he especially seemed to like being a nuisance, using soleum as his personal stress ball for the gruelling week they'd both shared.
what Soleum could never understand, was the seemingly different way he was treated at the cafe. at uni, it was soleum blowing off some steam with saheon, putting him in his place and saving others from being at his mercy/falling for his schemes. so this shift in dynamic was… quite weird.
Usually, he thought of it as saheon taking advantage of the fact soleum had to maintain his sisters cafes notable repute, but now with no one around, he couldn't understand the man's behavior at all.
the junior whose head was always held down, looked at him in the eye with no fear.
his back was straight, and he carried a demeanor that made it seem like soleum was the one who should be grateful for his presence.
and if it wasnt any worse that he was there, hed often catch that brat sneaking glances at him, for whatever reason. it would send goosebumps up his spine…
hed smile warmly in return, but internally he wondered what kind of scheme he was crafting this time.
‘this guy… you really can't be too relaxed around him…’
‘who knows what he might pull…’
Just as soleum moved towards the pos system to enter saheons order, the cafe doors opened with an aggressive jingle.
there stood a man with long legs and beige jorts, relief sporting his face. by the way he was breathing, it was obvious hed ran here, but soleum couldn't imagine why.
‘The cafe doesn't close till midnight… is he sane…?’
huuu… .
‘and where the fuck are my normal customers’
soleum felt a lot like he'd gotten caught cheating, with the accusatory glare choi shot him right before closing up his Navy blue umbrella. just like Baek saheon had done, he walked right into the cafe, mud stained flip flops squelching as they met ground.
he cringed in disgust, and looked up at choi, not believing the audacity.
‘dong-ie is one thing, but this guy?? shouldnt he be at home, popping open a beer on the floor as he watches tv?”
resigned, soleum took a deep breath, as he thought back to when exactly this man had begun plaguing his sisters cafe.
he looked the very picture of an irresponsible, unemployed loser that gambled away his salary.
for the most part, choi almost always had money, treating everyone in the vicinity on the whim, exclaiming that it was his pay day, or that he'd gotten a promotion.
where a guy like him got that money, or any at all, was beyond him.
and honestly, how many times a month does a guy get paid?? does he use that same excuse, knowing it ticks soleum off by how painfully obvious it js?? is this another own of his many tactics to bury soleum under mounds of work yet again???
and what did he say his job was again?? every time you asked, he gave a new answer, and inside it drove soleum crazy.
his entry would always ensue an exchange of pained looks with his fellow coworkers, and they would begin setting up cups of coffee and plates of pastries like they already knew what hed get.
with a beautiful ting, a timer next to the register went off. all four heads in the cafe turned toward it in unison.
soleums shoulders finally relaxed, and he smiled brightly to the man who'd just entered.
“It seems it's time for my break.”
______
‘isnt this… a lot like those romcoms where the jealous male lead inserts himself into every situation?’
when soleum had gleefully left for his break, his coworker manning the register, choi had settled down next to dong-ie.
“Sunbae…” dong-ie started, a little irritably, but got cut off by Choi telling him off for not listening to his landlady.
it was obvious Choi meant to make him feel left out.
but soleum had a system to how he spent his break, and choi of all people wouldn't be the one to change it.
each break, hed walk on over to Dongie's table with a plate of pastries for him to try, and dong-ie would look up curiously.
hed smile once he saw the plate coming towards him, and accept them with a sigh. soleum would take a seat next to him, propping his face up with his arms, and dong-ie would inch his book closer so his Hyung could have a better look…
soleum sighed, thinking of all the soft moments they could've been sharing as of now.
now, watching choi sitting amongst them, munching away with a glare, he could only sigh, registering his fate.
actually…on more than one occasion, choi had intercepted his interactions with dong-ie… .
it was almost like, that was exactly what he would come by the cafe for.
‘just… what kind of idea is this guy getting…’
he didn't have much of the peace that sitting with dong-ie usually brought, what with choi yammering about everything and anything, but once he blocked out the noise, he felt himself getting enveloped into the comfort of dongis presence. like watching a student online study diligently, hours on end, there was a similar determination in jaekwans eyes.
it would make soleum wonder what his drive was, what exactly was pushing him forward.
usually, by the time his break neared to an end, his sister would call him out to make more desserts, to accommodate the rising demand. since she wasn't here, it was a task he'd have to carry out himself.
dong-ie, having memorised this repetitive schedule, immediately understood what his Hyung meant to do as he got up.
“Hyung.”
he said, getting up at that moment as well.
“let me help too.”
_______
Dubai chocolate balls. a simple, yet delicious sweet treat that was currently very popular in Korea. for the past few weeks, they'd kept up with the craze, stocking up on ingredients and making as many of the little things as possible.
now that he'd been stuck next to Choi, he realised this was a job he absolutely would NOT give him.
with his luck, a few lazily covered balls would move into his mouth, and he'd get the Ick for the millionth time as choi wipes off a streak of chocolate. this would, of course, just spread it out on his face, and soleum would have to suck it up and point it out for him.
and again, with his luck, choi would move to give him a kiss, like it was the most obvious thing in the world to assume when he points a finger to his own face.
meanwhile, dong ie, the very epitome of politeness and the personification of kindness, would receive the least gruelling role in crafting the little balls; drizzling chocolate syrup and sprinkling chopped pistachios over each fresh batch.
ah, then what does choi do instead you ask?
he folds out the boxes that the balls will soon reside in.
it's a simple task, but hes messed up at it enough that soleum doubts his intentions to help were ever pure.
And obviously, it doesn't make sense for a job like that to take place inbetween dessert making, but it's a battle not worth fighting. the customer is always right, they say, even if the customer wants to fold boxes squat in the middle of the work bench, separating him and dong-ie.
huuu…
honestly…
it was a bit embarrassing to admit, but when he'd first walked in, with a black suit so luxurious it glistened under the lights, soleum had thought he was pretty cool. maybe it was a trick of the raging sunlight, but hed entered with light pouring out from behind him, making him look angelic. to top it off, he'd gently swished his hair to side, looking around with an impressed look on his face.
when he'd walked towards soleum, soleums heart felt like it stopped. Momentarily, that rush of dopamine had consumed him, and he could barely manage to breathe.
the man had walked up to him with intent, and soleum nearly gasped. he completely forgot his role in the cafe, and almost let a rush of excitement cloud his emotions as delusions rushed through his mind.
—good morning.
the man had greeted, his voice soft and warm.
quickly pulling himself out of this embarrassing stupor, soleum bowed quickly in response.
—Good morning to you too, sir. Welcome to cafe grapes, what can I get you?”
alas, soleum was soon proved to have been just delusional. when the man opened his mouth again, soleum knew he would never have a moment of peace in the days to come.
and when dong ie had started helping out, he'd always weasel his way in.
he was nothing like the delusions soleum had crafted in those peaceful few seconds, and soleum regretted ever thinking he was good looking at all.
‘what good is a handsome face if you just use it to annoy others.’
he rolled up another ball in one hand in anger, and moved it skillfully to his other to dip it in chocolate.
“oh, that ones too big.” Choi noted.
he swooped it up from soleum and placed it in his mouth, chocolate be damned.
ah… fuck.