Chapter Text
If anyone had told Sungchan a few years ago that he'd be running his own successful bakery café in the heart of Seoul and always have an abundance of customers coming in and out of his store, he would probably laugh in their face and tell them that they were crazy.
In fact, it wasn't what he had planned for himself originally. From a very young age, he'd dreamed of being the world's richest soccer player.
But he realized pretty quickly that with his poor co-ordination skills, coupled with him being embarrassingly accident-prone, and having way too many accidents as a result of it, that it might be a problem for him.
Still, at least he could sincerely say that he gave it a good shot. He was sure that both his parents and older brother were impressed by his tenacity.
As Sungwon would always say, "it takes a certain kind of craziness to keep on persevering when every sign is pointing at you to give up." Now that he looked back on it, he's not sure if it that was advice from his hyung looking out for his younger brother, or a backhanded compliment. Or maybe it was both.
Sungchan used to be on the university soccer team once upon a time and thought he was a pretty promising athlete who would go on to make the national team, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Unfortunately for him, he still hadn't outgrown his childhood tendencies of being accident prone to an absurd degree and as a result still continued to constantly embarrass himself.
He was still tripping over his own two feet when trying to pass the ball which resulted in a broken nose, slipping on a wet piece of grass and breaking his leg. But the mishaps didn't stop there. He was a living, breathing cartoon.
After about maybe the sixtieth time he'd wound up in a cast and looked out of the window from his hospital bed morosely, his parents kindly told him that maybe he should reconsider his career path. So with a deep regret he finally kissed his soccer career goodbye. Maybe in another life he'd be one of Cho Gueseung's teammates and have adoring fans screaming for him in stadiums all around the world.
He felt a little lethargic for a while, resigned to hobbling on crutches, as it felt like his dreams were slipping away from him, but at least it gave him some perks. People were kinder to him, looking out for him and he even got more time to submit assignments.
With one door closed, he tried to open another through picking up other hobbies. His best friends Beomgyu and Donghyuck introduced him to the wonders of League of Legends and it was game over. But still, he always yearned for more.
Aside from soccer, he had a passion for cooking and some might say he was pretty good at it. During his recovery, despite his accident-prone tendencies, he found comfort in it. Of course, he started by making things that you absolutely couldn't mess up, even if you tried, but once he got more confident, he moved on to more advanced things.
"Why don't you open up a café or something?" Beomgyu suggested to him one day, while they were on voice-calling on Discord, playing League of Legends as per usual.
As if sensing Sungchan's hesitation, Donghyuck, who was also on the call jumped in too. "Yeah, it could be fun! Since you can't play soccer anymore, you should pursue another passion."
Sungchan bit his lip, stalling a little as he focused on the game. For a while he was silent until he finally spoke. "Ugh, I don't know guys. What if I fail?"
"But what if you don't?" Beomgyu countered.
Sungchan didn't have a rebuttal to that, and the other two did have a point, so once the three of them graduated, they decided to open up their own café with Sungchan as the head of the project. To Sungchan, it felt like it was the only option he had left. He hadn't found anything else that particularly motivated him or particularly sparked any kind of inspiration, so that was the path he went down.
He and his friends spent an embarrassingly long time coming up with the perfect name, settling on ESPRESSOLUV at the end of their discussions. Even with such a perfect name, though, Sungchan didn't expect much would come from it. Later on, much to his and Donghyuck's disappointment, Beomgyu ended up departing from the project after being scouted by an idol agency, but they supported him in his new endeavors since it was always his dream to become an idol.
Now, just three years after starting a risky new venture, business was booming and he’d become a pretty big deal. He'd even had to renovate the shop and hire more employees. ESPRESSOLUV had become a hot hangout spot before he knew it, blowing up online for its cute decor. It was an influencer fan favorite.
As soon as someone walked in, they would be met with a ceiling that felt alive with vines and ribbons pulling you into the homey-like space, like something straight out of a Pinterest board, bright but warm cream paint cascading down into built-in shelves which displayed goods and elegant dishes, truly showing the care that Sungchan had put in to curate the space.
Beyond that, their café had a cute sitting area, which would make one feel as though they had just stepped out of a story book. All kinds of flowers covered a large tree decked out with twinkling fairy lights and even had a chandelier hanging from it. Behind that were more shelves stacked with tupperware and lined with teddy bears which gave it a vintage feel.
There were large pink couches that had the fluffiest-looking cushions and on the walls, dainty looking china circled ancient-looking mirrors. The tables were opaque rounded glass decorated with teacups that had pink napkins folded inside as well as menus stuck underneath the table that rested on top of tablecloths which had intricate designs on them. Each table had comfortable leather chairs.
They had a photobooth in the corner manned by another employee called Sion who knew how to amp up the fan service, flirting up a storm and stealing hearts as he did so, ensuring that customers would be coming back for more.
Maybe he got too comfortable with how easy things were. Maybe that was why the universe seemed to take it as a challenge. He remembered how he was on the phone one day, talking to Zhang Hao who had just told him,"I'm really glad everything's working out for you," when a moving truck blocked the sunlight from coming in.
A bad omen.
The shop opposite his had long gone out of business, so Sungchan didn't quite know what to expect, thinking that maybe it'd be a few years before the SOLD sign disappeared, but no such luck.
Within two months, ROCK&COFFEE stood loud and proud, directly opposite his. Its exterior was dark, contrasting his own bright and pink one, and from what he could see, the walls and the interior were pretty depressing. Despite knowing that it was on purpose, he couldn't get over the brick walls that looked like the paint was barely holding on.
There were obnoxiously big posters framed by glass. He couldn't make them out, but they seemed obnoxious and immature. How did the owner expect themselves to be taken seriously?
The walls were a hodgepodge of messy pictures and prints that looked torn and dirty, like they'd be pulled from the dumpster out back. On top of that, the lighting was dingy, giving it a seedy feel. The tables were small with wooden chairs that looked uncomfortable and muted benches that looked just as unpleasant, despite them having a backrest. They would definitely kill the customer with those chairs.
Even the floors which looked like tiles were mismatched. There was no feng-shui—everything just looked like a half-hazard mess. On the other wall, he could see terrariums hanging from the ceiling and vinyl records that covered the walls. Seeing it made Sungchan wrinkle his nose. The owner has no taste, what kind of a person would make those kinds of interior decisions? He thought to himself, shaking his head.
Sure, it looked interesting, but he doubted that anyone would care to check out the place. It screamed danger, a place you'd absolutely want to stay away from. He'd give them a week tops, if they even lasted that long before they had to file for bankruptcy.
As fate would have it, they didn't go bankrupt much to his dismay. In fact, his new neighbor's business seemed to be flourishing, meaning he now had a direct competitor. Sungchan didn't understand what was so charming about the place, it was ugly. But of course, there was no way he could waltz in there as himself and check it out. He had morals! So instead, he just decided to burn holes through their shop window until Sion sidled up to him.
"Hyung," he greeted with a big smile, "what are you up to?"
Sungchan forced himself to look away from the shop window, a customer service smile on his face. "Oh not much, Sion-ah. Just admiring the weather."
Sion looked at him as if he were crazy. "Hyung… Are you feeling okay? It's storming outside right now."
And sure enough, when Sungchan turned his gaze back to the storefront, rain was battering against their window, a clap of thunder rumbling above their heads accompanied by flashes of lightning. Even the leaves were being swept up and a stray newspaper held onto a pole for dear life before being carried away too.
"Oh! That's not—" Sungchan scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, suddenly feeling hot with embarrassment. "Never mind, we should get ready to open."
Sion shot him a concerned look. "Stay on top of your health, hyung. We wouldn't want you to start hallucinating now." He patted the older man’s shoulder, giving him a cheeky, reassuring smile. "Fighting," he called out before heading to his designated station.
Sungchan sighed, it was going to be another long day it seemed. He just hoped that they'd recover the sales they had been losing as of lately.
But still, despite everything, he plastered his best customer smile on his face and served the patrons they did have. Every time he checked the clock, the hands seemed to have barely moved.
Honestly speaking, yes, on a day like this Sungchan wasn't expecting many customers. Not many people would want to brave the elements just to get their aesthetic-looking coffee, but the lack of customers could be blamed on something different entirely. They were usually more popular than this.
And the culprit is right across the street. He could literally see as customers trickled into the eyesore of the store opposite theirs, a queue forming at one entrance that winds down the street and around a corner somewhere. Every time their door opened, music seeped out from their shop and into theirs, pissing him off to no end. Curiosity was starting to gnaw at him like a maggot would at rotten food. Just what was so great about the place?
He knew Sion and the rest of his employees were starting to get suspicious considering he'd space out and they'd have to unsubtly clear their throats to remind him that he had customers to serve, but he wanted to know their secret. He needed to know what made them so popular that people didn't even give their own café a second glance. They'd been here longer and were reputable!
Sungchan sighed again as he looked down at their display glass. The amount of pastries they still had left over was embarrassing, and they still had a good six hours left until they were meant to close.
It was when he had spotted a regular customer entering enemy territory that was the final straw for Sungchan. He even knew the said regular personally— a sweet old lady who was practically like a second grandma to him and even been there since the shop's conception. She'd always drop by ordering the same simple thing and pinch at Sungchan's cheeks, fussing over him like they were really related.
This whole thing had gone on for way too long and he had to nip it in the bud before it became a serious problem. The thought of losing the older woman to an establishment that most likely couldn't cater to her needs, nor value her the way he and his staff did just didn't sit right with him.
Clearly, he was failing in his duties of being a good café owner if even his beloved regulars were seeking out another establishment to frequent and he would get to the bottom of it.
He thought losing regulars would be a one-off, maybe a two-off and tried not to take it to heart, but it didn't stop there. It felt like a bad dream he couldn't shake himself out of. Every time he would subtly pinch himself in hopes that he'd wake up and this whole thing would be a shared mass hallucination, all he felt was the sharp twinge that would shoot up his spine and shock him awake. Maybe he was being a little dramatic, but it hurt to watch more and more of his regulars stop coming and watch his dreams crash and burn in front of his very eyes.
To make matters worse, one day even some of his own employees come back from their break with pastries clearly from that place, not noticing him observing them with a stony face. Everything pushes at him to snap, so he does. It hurts more considering they're literally his friends. How could they be supporting the enemy so blatantly? "What do you think you're doing?" He barks sharply.
Jisung and Donghyuck stuff their faces with what's remaining of the pastries before turning to look at him guiltily, like puppies being scolded by their owner.
"Hyung…" Jisung gives him a kicked, puppy-dog-eyed look wilting like a flower under the sheer intensity of his Medusa-like glare. It's a miracle that Jisung doesn't turn into stone from the blazing fury that reflects in his irises. "I couldn't resist, I'm sorry! I just wanted to see what the hype was about! I was doing it for you!"
Sungchan puts a hand up to stop him. "Don't." He says coldly. He turns to Donghyuck next. "And you? What's your excuse, Donghyuck? You should know better considering this place is a testament to your labor too."
Donghyuck just shrugs. "I can't lie, they're really good. I'm sorry Sungchan-ah." He holds out a hand holding a sugar dusted donut that starts to ooze out what looks like strawberry jam. "Try one!"
Sungchan bats away the offending food item. "So you guys are just fraternizing with the enemy now?" He scoffs, narrowing his eyes.
Donghyuck, always the more bold of the two, just rolls his eyes at Sungchan's dramatics, used to his antics by now. "With all due respect hyung, maybe you should take the stick out of your ass and actually say hello. It's been like what, nearly two months now since Wonbin moved in, don't you think it's quite unbecoming of you to be so cold to our neighbor?"
Sungchan's eye twitches. "Oh," he nods, smile waning and making him look like a maniac, "so you're even on a first name basis?"
Donghyuck gives him a look. "You could be too if you waltzed yourself over there and were a normal man, minus the emotional constipation. You need more friends."
Sungchan sputters, "I have friends!" He replies indignantly.
"I don't count, hyung." Sion calls out cheerfully, busy at the cash register today. They needed something to attract passers by to their café since their goods weren't selling. Sungchan is now regretting it though, already wanting to banish him back to the photo booth at the back of their store.
"I can't go there like this…" Sungchan looks down at his attire, flour practically fused to his shirt. "What if he laughs in my face?"
Donghyuck gives him a dirty look, clearly unamused as he shakes his head in disbelief. "Girl." Which is code for 'be serious'.
"Oh hyung, before I forget!" Jisung interrupts, digging inside his satchel and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper before handing it to the older man.
"What's this?" Sungchan asks, suspicion seeping into his tone before he smooths it out and skims over the piece of paper. He then realizes it's a flyer, advertising an open mic at ROCK&COFFEE.
It was as if a deity was looking down on him from the heavens and had sent the perfect opportunity to fall right into his lap. It was just what he needed.
And that's when a lightbulb goes off in Sungchan's head much to the pair's dismay. A devious smile makes its way onto his face as he announces, "I have the perfect idea." He's practically purring.
Jisung and Donghyuck look at each other before looking back at Sungchan, clearly unimpressed.
"I'm scared…" Jisung mumbles, voice shaking slightly. Sungchan almost wants to coo at him or pinch his cheeks but he has to tamp down the cuteness aggression he feels. Like he'd ever endanger the younger.
Donghyuck holds up both hands in surrender. "Whatever it is, count me out."
Sungchan continues as if neither of them had voiced their unwillingness to be a part of his schemes. "And since you guys want me to befriend him so bad, I'm enlisting your help too."
"Do you really need to go this far?" Donghyuck complains, "you went to school too, you know how simple it is to make friends. Just compliment him or something, he's good-looking and totally your type."
Sungchan scrunches his nose up. His curiosity is somewhat piqued by that comment, but he needs to hold strong. His business was at stake, damnit! He couldn't have any distractions, no matter how pretty they apparently were. "Donghyuck-ah, how many times have I been privy to your honestly insane schemes and helped you out? You made me do some pretty unspeakable things in university just so you could get Mark-hyung's attention. The man nearly killed me, but you owe me for what you put me through since it worked."
"He's got a point…" Jisung quietly chimes in. Donghyuck nods like a bobblehead in response.
"And Jisung," Sungchan whirls around, now laser-focused on the taller who jumps at the attention, trying to make himself as small as possible and it really does make Sungchan want to squeeze him until he pops. "Didn't you tell me that you'd help me with anything I needed? What happened to that?"
"But I said it was within reason!" Jisung weakly protests, "I don't even know what you want me to do, but I can already tell it's a bad idea."
"You guys don't even have to do anything!" Sungchan exclaimed. "You're just… accompanying me on my mission," he grins, but there's something sinister about it that his friends can't put their finger on.
"Fine," Donghyuck agrees with a reluctant sigh. "Tell us about your amazing master plan then, hyung." He deadpans, rolling his eyes.
"Okay, it's simple. Let's just call it… doing some market research." Sungchan makes jazz hands as if expecting the two to be impressed.
Donghyuck is not. "Are we stealing his secret formula or something?" His tone is full of skepticism and Sungchan guesses he can't blame him too much for doubting him. "I'm too pretty to go to jail, you know this. I don't know if Mark-hyung has the money to bail me out either, you know how much my angel is struggling with his Soundcloud rapper career."
"First of all, that's kinda mean, I'm telling Mark-hyung." Donghyuck makes a wounded noise of disapproval, but Sungchan ignores him and continues. "Soundcloud rappers are all the range these days. Second of all, no we're not committing any crimes. All we're doing is finding out what makes them so successful. And we're closed tomorrow, so it's the perfect time to put the plan into action." Sungchan claps decisively, "So I'll see you both bright and early tomorrow morning."
"With all due respect, I'd rather do anything else than wake up at the crack of dawn to do unpaid work." Donghyuck scoffs.
"Donghyuck, c'mon." Sungchan shakes him a little, batting his eyelashes at him despite Donghyuck turning away from him. "Where's your sense of loyalty? You and Beomgyu were the ones who told me to start this business venture. Will you really take responsibility if we go bankrupt by the end of the year?"
Donghyuck curses under his breath before looking back at him. "Fine!" He throws his hands up exasperated, breaking free from Sungchan's grasp. "Just promise me you'll never use my manipulation tactics against me again, it's not a good look on you." Donghyuck pats his shoulder in faux-sympathy.
"Okay," Sungchan visibly brightens, almost blinding his friends. "Deal! See you at eight am sharp tomorrow for the first phase of our plan."
"There's phases to this now?" Jisung asks in disbelief.
"Don't try to understand him, Jisung-ah. He's crazy." Donghyuck offers unhelpfully, already accepting his fate.