Work Text:
To say that Jiung resented his part time job was an understatement. On the surface, he thought that being a barista would be easy money while he was studying for his degree. Which to be fair, at first, it was. He thoroughly enjoyed learning about coffee craft, the delicate process of perfecting it. Dialing in the espresso just right, steaming milk to absolute perfection. The way the scent of espresso and chocolate clung to his clothes at the end of the day. The vast variety of customers and how every individual seemed to have a story tied to their very particular coffee order. It was all very intriguing to him.
What he failed to realize was that in the giant world of corporate coffee chains comes so many policies. It was ever changing. And to Jiung, a man who hates when things stray from the norm, it was irritating, to say the least. It felt like everyday something was changing, completely disrupting the flow that he had become accustomed to. It made his opinion of this job do a complete 180; from romanticizing the idea of being the kind barista behind the bar, to absolutely dreading coming in for his shift everyday.
This week’s policy change had him rolling his eyes the second he got out of his manager’s sight. “Every drink sent out must have a handwritten note on it!” He recalls the way she emphasized these notes needed to be genuine and personal, sprinkling in a bunch of corporate jargon that this policy will help increase sales and connections with customers. Jiung just nodded in agreement and sighed as he tied his apron around his waist, eyes heavy as he made his way over to the bar. As if he wasn’t tired enough from his lectures all day, here he was, not even five minutes into his six hour shift, exhausted. He started his everyday ritual: pulling three shots of espresso into a small cup, topping it with a splash of milk, and downing it all in one go. That should be enough to keep him afloat through this shift.
Orders started to trickle in, and Jiung got to work. He grabs a medium sized cup, ready to make a perfect flat white as his manager’s voice was replaying in his head. Genuine. Personal. How on earth was he expected to write personal messages to people who were strangers to him? He racked his brain through phrases that would suffice, clicking his black marker with his thumb as he pondered. He settles on a simple Hope you enjoy!, his marker squeaking on the cup as he wrote. He crafts the drink flawlessly, snapping the lid onto the cup and sets it on the counter for pick up. He keeps this rhythm for the majority of his shift, keeping his messages short and simple, focusing on his craft more instead. After all, that was the only part of the job that he seemed to like anymore.
Five minutes before his shift was over, Jiung was antsy. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his dorm, tear up some cheap instant noodles with his roommate, write in his journal, and finally get some rest. His fantasies of his mundane evening plans were interrupted by his manager calling his name and gesturing to chat with him before he could escape.
“Jiung-ssi, before you go,” She started, as Jiung untied his apron from around his waist and folded it up into his hands. “You did great today, as always,” Her tone was sickeningly sweet, and Jiung could tell there was something lingering beneath her chipper demeanor. “However, I did notice that a lot of your messages were quite simple. I know this policy will take a bit of adjusting, but I want you to work on brainstorming some other things to write. See you tomorrow!” She patted a hand on his shoulder and disappeared into the back, leaving Jiung with his face scrunched up in annoyance. He quickly clocks out and grabs his things, bag slung over his shoulder as he walks out with a huff.
—
“Hyung, maybe you just need to think outside the box a little,” Jiung’s roommate, Intak, said, trying to offer some support after Jiung had walked into their shared dorm with a sour attitude, and explained his situation to the younger.
“It’s literally just coffee, I don’t get why it needs to be so personal. I don’t even know these people.” Jiung states, taking a seat across from Intak and rubbing at his tired eyes. Intak just stares, looking as if the gears in his brain were turning. He taps a finger on the table between them, humming.
“Oh! I got it!” Intak beams, his signature puppy grin plastered across his face. Jiung raises an eyebrow, leaning his chin into his hand. “You could write jokes! Coffee puns maybe,” The younger one says, looking at Jiung like he just solved the world’s hardest math problem.
Jiung finally cracks a smile, shaking his head as a laugh bubbles in his chest. “You are ridiculous, Intak-ah.”
Intak puts on an exaggerated pout after that response. “Huh? Why not? I’m trying to help you here, Hyung.”
“I don’t even know any coffee puns.” Jiung says, shrugging his shoulders. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, checking the time, and it’s already getting late. He shoves the thought of work to the backburner of his mind for now and bids Intak a goodnight, slumping off to his room.
After his shower, Jiung found himself lying in bed, phone illuminating his face with a tint of blue light in the darkness of his room as he sat on the Google homepage. Even though he brushed off Intak’s silly idea, he had to admit, he didn’t have any other options at the moment. He hated the feeling of not doing good enough, even if it was a stupid part time job. It was weighing on his brain in a way that he couldn’t understand, why something so miniscule was irritating him so deeply. Reluctantly, Jiung searches the internet for coffee and other related jokes, internally cringing at some of the results.
I like you a latte!
Thanks so matcha!
You are brew-tiful!
Tea-rrific!
Right. Super genuine and personal. Jiung thinks to himself, letting out a half scoff, half laugh. He was right, this was ridiculous. But he guessed it was worth a shot.
—
Jiung was running late. His last lecture of the day ran over time, and just to make it worse, he got stuck in the worst traffic he’s ever seen on his way to the cafe. His shift had started ten minutes ago when he pulled into the parking lot, hastily grabbing his things. He rushes into the building, the bag slung over his shoulder slipping and knocking a display glass to the ground and shattering it. He mutters something unintelligible under his breath, attempting to quickly clean up the mess, the imaginary clock in his head ticking so loudly it makes his head throb. He messily ties his apron around his waist, clocking in, fifteen minutes late now. He didn’t even want to think about how he looked right now, hair probably sticking in every direction and face flushed with exasperation. It was then in that moment, as he finally caught his breath and remembered he was now on the clock, that he noticed a customer standing at the counter, staring at him.
“So sorry,” Jiung mutters, straightening himself up and stepping closer to the register. “What can I get for you?” He asks politely, forcing the customer service smile onto his face. The man in front of him must have watched Jiung’s entire hurricane of an entrance, a smug grin plastered on his face as he studied the other. “Yikes. Rough day?”
Jiung was a bit taken aback by the sudden question. Usually he stuck to a script at work, and when a customer went off script, his brain would short circuit. “Uh,” he clears his throat before continuing, “You could say that, yeah.” He could feel heat on the top of his ears, embarrassment settling in now that he knew someone had witnessed his whirlwind. And the fact that that someone was pretty attractive. Of course, Jiung thinks to himself, I would embarrass myself in front of someone like him.
“A medium iced americano, please.” The other brings the conversation back to the script, and Jiung taps away at the screen in front of him. He types in his order, averting his eyes from the man in front of him. “Anything else?”
“That’s it, thanks.”
“A name for the order?”
“Keeho.”
Jiung nods once more, prompting him to pay. Once the transaction is complete, he walks over to the bar and pulls the ticket. Keeho settles into a seat in the cafe, pulling out his laptop and shoving an earbud into one of his ears. Jiung takes his marker out of his apron pocket, clicking it once as he thought of what he was going to write. He thinks back to last night, and Intak’s silly suggestion.
You’re Brew-tiful! He scribbles onto the cup, internally cringing at himself. But hey, it was genuine. Jiung wasn’t blind, he could obviously see that the man had beautiful features. Short-ish blonde hair that was tucked under a beanie, sharp eyes that darted across the screen of his laptop. Thick, full lips that were parted just slightly as he worked. Oh my god, Snap out of it, Jiung. He mentally smacks himself, honing back into the task at hand. He makes quick work of the americano, it being a pretty simple drink to make. He snaps the lid on, setting it onto the counter before calling out Keeho’s name into the cafe. The other’s eyes perk up from his laptop, plucking the earbud from his ear and making his way to his drink. Jiung had gone off to make another order, some horrifically modified latte concoction, as Keeho picked up his drink and read the message. A soft laugh escapes his lips, as he decides to ditch what he was working on and bother the pretty barista once more. Keeho also wasn’t blind, and was absolutely geeking after getting a glimpse of Jiung. Even with his disastrous entrance, Keeho could still see the shine in his eyes. The way his hair framed his face so perfectly. His plush lips pressed together as he concentrated. He leans his arms on the backside of the bar, directly across from where Jiung was, watching him. Jiung’s face was scrunched up, eyes squinting as he tried to make sense of the paragraph of modifications on the ticket.
“What an interesting way to flirt with me,” Keeho says, causing Jiung’s head to snap up from his focus on the latte.
“What are you talking about?” Jiung replies, his eyebrows threaded together with confusion. His neck felt hot all of the sudden.
“This,” Keeho says, pointing to the note on his cup. “I’m flattered, really.” He grins big, and Jiung can’t help but scoff at his confidence.
“It’s policy.” He says, trying to play it off. “Nothing special.”
Keeho rolls his eyes playfully, not taking him seriously in the slightest. “Sure.” Keeho could see the heat creeping up onto the top of Jiung’s ears once again. “What’s your name?” He asks, even though he could clearly see the nametag that sat upon Jiung’s apron, decorated with a cute sticker of a frog.
Jiung shoots him an uncertain glance, finally finishing the disaster of a latte he was working on. “Jiung.”
“Oh, pretty face and a pretty name! You’re just pretty all around, aren’t you?” Keeho teases, grinning as Jiung’s whole body tenses. He felt like he was about to burst into flames any moment now.
Keeho watches him as he awkwardly hands the latte out and returns to the bar. For someone who seemed so disinterested in conversation, Jiung returns to the spot in front of Keeho, who was casually sipping on his americano with his eyes glued to him. Jiung cocks an eyebrow, trying to ignore the heat on his own face.
“Do you need something?” Jiung asks, trying to break through Keeho, who was nearly staring a hole through his head.
“I do, actually,” Keeho says, a smile twitching at his lips. “Do you write flirtatious stuff on everyone’s cups? Or do I just have, like, a cool mysterious guy aura about me? That’s totally what I’m going for.”
Jiung couldn’t have rolled his eyes harder. “What is wrong with you.” He murmurs, shaking his head.
Keeho just laughs, “I’ll take that as a yes. So thank you, Jiung. I’m absolutely flattered that someone like you thinks I’m so cool and awesome and beautiful.” Keeho was chatting like they’ve known each other for ages, so easy for him. Jiung’s brain was foggy, both from the day he’d had and the handsome man laying it on thick right in front of him. He never really knew what to say in situations like these, his first instinct always being to deflect and avoid.
“I wasn’t flirting with you,” Jiung starts, trying to defend himself once again, as he pulls another ticket and starts to make another drink. “Like I said, it’s just policy.” He states blandly, shifting his focus back to his work. He didn’t know who he was trying to convince, because Keeho obviously wasn’t buying it. He could see right through him.
“You are so interesting,” Keeho says, his coffee cup now empty as he sets it down. “You’re honestly pretty cute.”
Jiung feels his face heat up once again, accidentally spilling ice all over the counter. Before he could say anything else to defend himself, Keeho had returned back to his seat, feeling accomplished.
—
Jiung felt like he was going insane over the course of the next couple of days. He couldn’t get the image of the uber-confident, semi-annoying, boyishly charming, undeniably handsome customer out of his head. To make matters worse, after he had told Intak about his embarrassing work interaction as soon as he got home, Intak instantly recognized him. “Oh, Keeho-hyung? He’s a music production major, I think. He hangs around with my dance crew sometimes.”
Great. They go to the same university. That made the probability of running into each other again much more likely. Jiung was checking his surroundings every day like he was being stalked or something. He couldn’t explain why, but he just couldn’t face Keeho again. Not only was he embarrassed as hell from every single action he made on his shift that day, but the way Keeho spoke to him made his heart rattle against his chest in a way he couldn’t understand. It’s not like they had even spoken for very long, but something about his demeanor was enough to make Jiung start sweating. He chalked it up to his lack of sleep and the copious amounts of caffeine he had been consuming lately.
On the rare occasion that Jiung had a free moment from classes and the cafe, he could usually be found in the library. That’s where he found himself today, his last class of the day had been cancelled so he had some spare time to cram some studying in. His laptop was open, several tabs of articles related to veterinary medicine sprawled across his desktop. He held a thick textbook in one hand, pushing up the glasses that sat atop his nose with the other. His lips were pressed together into a thin line as his eyes scanned the pages, soaking in as much information as he could.
After what felt like ten hours of studying (realistically more like two hours) Jiung was at a roadblock. His eyes stung from bouncing from book to screen, yawns leaving his mouth frequently. He still had about an hour and a half until he had to be at the cafe, so he made the decision to finally give it a rest. He closes his laptop, crossing his arms over it and laying his head down. He sets a quiet alarm on his phone, so he isn’t late for the second time this week. His eyes flutter closed, a heavy sigh of relief settling over him as he finally got some rest.
Jiung is brought back to reality an hour later, his phone vibrating in his pocket to wake him up. He immediately turns it off, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stretching his legs under the table. The library finally comes back into his vision, as well as something that wasn’t there before his slumber.
Sitting next to his laptop was a full cup of coffee, untouched. Jiung’s eyebrows furrow, as he reaches out to pick it up. Maybe Intak had seen him here on his way to class and dropped it off? That wouldn’t be totally unlike him. He’s done similar things before, when Jiung was there late into the night cramming for exams, dropping off candies and energy drinks to keep him going. He was sweet like that sometimes, he tried rationalizing it in his head. However, he quickly realized this most definitely couldn’t have been Intak, as he turned the cup around in his hand and saw black marker scribbled across the cardboard sleeve.
rest well, pretty boy
**-****-****-**
Jiung’s face flushes almost immediately. He quickly looks behind and around himself, checking his surroundings for any sign of Keeho. Thankfully, he didn’t see him anywhere. Jiung still couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing in front of him. Not only did Keeho buy him a coffee, but he left his phone number on the cup. And called him pretty boy. What the fuck. He really had no shame. Although Jiung would hate to admit it, he couldn’t stop the creep of blush onto his cheeks and the smile threatening to spread across his lips.
He contemplates texting Keeho the entire drive to the cafe. All the what ifs played through his mind like a powerpoint presentation, like he was trying to sell something to himself. He couldn’t really pinpoint why he was feeling so awkward. Most of the guys Jiung had ever had a crush on were just like him: quiet, disciplined, shy. Keeho seemed to be the exact opposite of that: outspoken, boisterous, carefree. For some reason, that freaked him out.
He pulls into the parking lot of the cafe, with about ten minutes to spare before his shift starts. He stared at his phone, the messaging app open to Keeho’s number. He cycles through about ten different messages, smashing the backspace button several times before finally hitting send.
Keeho
Hello
This is Keeho, right?
JIUNG??? omg manifesting is real
YESSS ITS ME hi heyyyy 😍😍😍
can’t believe this is my life wow i’m so #blessed
did u get some beauty rest 🥺
Keeho is quick to respond, and Jiung is not surprised at all. He seemed like the type to text back immediately. He couldn’t help but roll his eyes playfully at his responses. The exaggerated speech and usage of emojis just seemed to fit him so well. He could nearly imagine the look on his face as he typed it.
Keeho
I did.
so glad to hear that 🤩
u looked so peaceful i didn’t want to wake u 🫠
Thanks for the coffee.
it’s no problem like srsly
i’d like buy u the earth if u asked 😂😂😂😂
face id go to war for like #fr 😍
Seriously what is wrong with you.
Jiung caught himself smiling like an idiot when he locked his phone, grabbing his things to walk in for his shift. He usually was not one to be on his phone during work. He knew that Keeho had most definitely already responded to his last text, but that would have to wait until he got off. Or maybe, when he took his break. Possibly if business was slow and he could sneak off to the back to check his phone. Hypothetically, of course.
He could barely focus on his work. He kept feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he knew exactly what it was. He had never been the most popular, only occasionally receiving texts from Intak saying he was going to be home late, or from his parents checking in on him. More pressing than the texts, he couldn’t get Keeho’s face out of his head. His stupid, beautiful face. He couldn’t fathom how a man he had really only met properly once could be affecting him this much. He still couldn’t tell if he wanted to kiss him or smack him.
As Jiung finally leaves the cafe for the night, getting in his car and starting the engine, he reaches for his phone. The shift had been busier than expected, so he was just now able to check his notifications.
Keeho
only thing wrong with me is that i’m not with u rn!!!
hahahahah omg who said that 😂😂😂
omg wait are u working rn
u totally are u would never ignore me on purpose
right 😂😂
we should totally hang or something after ur shift
ONLY IF U WANT TO OF COURSE 🤓☝🏻
let me know 💋💋
Jiung sits in the parking lot, rereading over the string of texts Keeho had sent him during his shift. He contemplated the invitation for what felt like forever. He really wasn’t one to get out of the house much, nonetheless with someone who was practically a stranger. A handsome stranger, but still. Not to mention he still had studying to do, as well as class tomorrow morning. And he absolutely reeked of coffee. It felt like it was lingering more than usual today. He hummed absentmindedly, fingers tapping against the steering wheel as his brain mulled things over.
Keeho
What do you have in mind?
I really should be studying.
YOU 😂🫵🏻
i’m kidding!!!!
No you’re not.
AHHH you caught me 😛
no but seriously like
hahaha no like if you’re down
we could like maybe study together at mine
kill two birds one stone ya feel me 😛
Okay.
HOOOOOLY SHIT OKAY FUCK HAHAHA
i’m totally chill and not #insane about this at all
[Keeho’s Location] 📍#325
see you soon jiungie 😗
Well, Jiung thought, I guess that could work. He was nearly certain that Keeho wouldn’t be doing any studying, but the sentiment of compromise was sweet. He shoots a quick text to Intak first, informing him he will be home later than expected.
Intakkie
hyung what do u want 4 dinner
i’m going 2 the store :D
I won’t be home for dinner, I have some plans.
HUH???
hyung are u feeling okay
like
u never have plans
and WITHOUT ME??? </3
who?? where???
I’m studying.
right… like u do at home every day…?
With Keeho.
OH….!
omg anybody else scared rn
???
nvm HAVE FUNNNNN <3
—
Jiung shakes his head, a light chuckle leaving his lips. He really couldn’t believe he was doing this. He takes a breath, and plugs the location Keeho had sent him into his GPS. It wasn’t too far away from the cafe, only taking a little under ten minutes to arrive. It was the dorm building down the block from Jiung and Intak’s, where most of the fine art students stayed. He parks his car, stepping out with his laptop and textbooks in his arms. He walks up to the building, feeling his heartbeat in his throat. He couldn’t place why he was feeling so anxious all of the sudden. They were just studying. Well, at least he would be. He couldn’t say for sure what Keeho would be doing. He takes the elevator up to the third floor, and it feels agonizingly slow. He finally steps out, searching for the room number that was attached to Keeho’s location message. He follows the numbers down the hallway until he is stood in front of the correct door.
Jiung swallows hard, before lifting his fist and knocking three times exactly. Keeho is immediately at the door, as if he was waiting right behind it for Jiung to knock. He swings the door open, a wide smile plastered across his face.
“Jiung!” Keeho beams, “You’re actually here. I was halfway expecting you to ghost me.” He says, laughter light and airy as he moves aside and lets Jiung in.
“I’m only here to study.” Jiung says, stepping into the dorm room. To his surprise, aside from a couple of shirts piled onto a chair, it’s actually quite tidy. He came to the conclusion that Keeho has the luxury of boarding in a single room, just one bed to be seen. His eyes wonder as he steps further into the room, setting his things down on the desk.
Keeho’s room was cozy. A selection of vinyl records hung on the wall. Framed photos of him and his friends and family. Soft warm light poured out from a floor lamp and candles, filling Jiung’s nose with a pleasant scent. The crackle of a fireplace could be heard playing from the television. Jiung is snapped back into reality when Keeho speaks again.
“So,” He starts, “What do you study? I don’t think I asked you that yet.” Jiung meets his gaze, the other’s features soft and smooth under the warm light. Jiung’s ears felt warm.
“Vet med,” Jiung says quietly, his eyes darting away. “You’re music production, right?”
“Yes!” Keeho gasps dramatically, holding a hand over his heart. “How’d you know? Lucky guess? Am I giving musical genius?”
“My roommate, Intak, he knows you I think. He told me.” Jiung says, still not meeting his eyes. “But yeah, you do look like a music guy.”
“Takki? You room with him?” Keeho sounds like he’s in disbelief. “And he never told me he had an absolute beauty for a roommate. He’s so fake.”
Jiung feels all the heat rush to his face as Keeho finishes his sentence. He mindlessly opens his textbook, sitting on the small couch against the wall. Keeho seems to take the hint, grabbing his laptop and sitting on the other end of the couch. A music track begins to play from the laptop softly, Keeho pausing it every so often to adjust and edit.
Jiung was distracted. Which is weird, because he expected the roles to be reversed. He expected Keeho to be completely unfocused, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t paying Jiung any mind, just clicking away at his laptop as he worked. The contents of his textbook had long left Jiung’s mind as he studied Keeho’s face instead. The blue light of the laptop and the orange toned light of the lamp illuminated his face in a way that made Jiung’s stomach twist. Keeho’s tongue stuck out just slightly, indicating his focus. His eyes, soft and gentle, gliding around the screen. His cheeks were ever so slightly flushed, a faint shade of pink tinting them. His sharp jaw was relaxed, bobbing along to the music. Jiung was taking it all in, up close. He really was so beautiful.
He’s snapped out of his trance when Keeho decides to speak up.
“So much for studying, huh?”
“What?”
“I can feel you staring at me.”
“I- no. I wasn’t. I didn’t.”
“Jiung, you're a terrible liar.” Keeho says, finally turning to meet his gaze with a big goofy smile on his face. “You’ve been staring at me for the past ten minutes.”
Jiung could’ve sworn he could set the whole building on fire with how hot his face was. He’d been caught. “So?” is the only thing he can manage to say.
Keeho’s laughing. Jiung is doing everything in his power to stay completely still, worried that this would be the time he finally did set aflame.
“Do you want to hear my song?” Keeho asks, and Jiung feels like he can breathe again. He didn’t notice how long he had been holding his breath for. “I think I'm almost done. It’s completely original.”
“Uh, sure.” Jiung replies, and Keeho motions for him to come closer, patting the spot on the couch next to him. He plugs in a pair of wired earbuds, handing one to Jiung as he scoots over. Their knees are touching as Jiung puts the earbud in, and the heat returns once again.
Keeho hits play on the track, a soft, rhythmic ballad playing into Jiung’s ear. He could hear the vocals now, presuming that Keeho had them muted while he was editing the backing track earlier. Jiung felt like he was melting into the couch, Keeho’s honey coated voice wrapping around his head. He hits every note flawlessly, effortlessly. He was utterly impressed once the song ended, tugging the earbud out of his ear.
“So,” Keeho says, taking his earbud out as well. “What do you think?” He raises his eyebrows at Jiung.
Jiung’s at a loss for words. He’s racking his brain for something, anything. “You’re beautiful, Keeho. Your voice-your voice is beautiful. That’s what I was trying to say.” Fuck. His brain was seriously fried. Keeho had melted his brain entirely.
It’s Keeho’s turn to burn this time, splatters of pink painting his cheeks. “Oh-I uh,” He lets out a nervous laugh. “Thank you.” He’s so genuine in the way he says it, Jiung thinks he might die right then and there. And at this point, he doesn’t think he would mind.
“Jiung?” Keeho questions, still looking at him. Jiung hums in response. “You still smell like coffee.” He moves in closer than before, inhaling and swimming in the scent of Jiung’s clothes.
Jiung’s breath hitches. They are so close. So close that Jiung can feel Keeho exhale onto his shoulder. Keeho meets his eyes once again, before his gaze drifts down to his lips. He takes a leap of faith, cupping Jiung’s cheek in his hand before leaning in and pressing their lips together. It’s so soft and gentle, Jiung thinks he might be dreaming. Keeho’s holding him so tenderly, as if he would shatter if he were to let go.
Keeho tastes so sickeningly sweet, his lips matching the honey coat of his voice. Jiung wraps a hand around the back of Keeho’s neck, cradling the back of his head. He deepens the kiss ever so slightly, just enough for Keeho to taste the bitter coffee that was still lingering on Jiung’s breath.
When the two finally part, cheeks on fire, Jiung can’t help but laugh against the other’s chest.
“What’s so funny?” Keeho asks, chin resting on top of Jiung’s head. Jiung can hear the smile in his voice.
“I like you.” Is all Jiung says.
“I like you a latte,” Keeho replies, laughing as he speaks. Jiung rolls his eyes, playfully hitting Keeho’s chest.
“Oh, shut up.” Jiung laughs, pulling him in for another sweet kiss.