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moonxjoon · 5 years

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How Can I Help You? | chapter 2

one | two

Pairing: HueningKai x barista!Reader

Rating: PG

Word Count: 2k

Synopsis: Working at the local cafe in town is normally a tiresome day job, until you meet a particularly fascinating young guy who frequents your shop more and more often than usual.

A/N: Isolation got me motivated to so some more writing, quite unfortunate this took so long :/ REQUESTS OPEN!

Your hectic and bustling day continued as per usual, and your captivation with the boy eventually migrated from your mind until it was closing time. You locked up and brought your interest back home to linger in a deep slumber.

Just as you shut your eyes to let the dark blanket of night whisk you away to sleep, you were roused to your senses when an ear-piercing alarming jerked you awake. Immediately after you lifted your head from your pillow, your hand flew to your face to rub away the remnants of sleep from your eyes. It traveled to the back of your head and neck, which were now sore from shifting around too much whilst unconscious.

You blinked a few times to adjust to the minimal amount of light that covered your room in a grey mist. Looking out your window, you saw the sky was clouded and a hazy overcast indicated it was beginning to snow. You groggily lifted yourself from the bed and as soon as your feet hit the frigid floorboards, the thought of skipping work and going back to bed seemed like the best idea in the world.

Better judgement took over and you forced yourself to make your way to the bathroom. The steam that filled the small room once you started the shower made you feel a little better; a hot shower would relieve your tense muscles and hopefully make your day go by a tad smoother.

Just as you stepped out of the tub to wrap a towel around yourself, you were further awakened by a loud knocking at the door.

“Y/N! Did you fall asleep in there or something?? I have to get ready too, y’know!” Your roommate, Lia, shouted from the other side of the door.

Nearly slipping on the unsecured floor mat, you moaned and swung the door open, letting a gust of steam spill out into the hall before you. You looked at her in exasperation, your lips unconsciously twisting into a scowl. For the life of you, you could never pinpoint how your roommate always seemed to get up every morning looking like a Disney princess. Not a single hair was out of place, no sign of smudged makeup from the day before, not even a hint of morning breath. She looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed without even trying most days.

Catching your unpleasant grimace, she pursed her lips at you in confusion. “You don’t look too happy, sunshine. Rough day yesterday, huh?”

You gazed at her with unyielding tired and swollen eyes, answering her question.

“Gotcha. It’s sleeting out there, so be careful, yeah?” You let out another guttural groan and shut your eyes as your head hit the side of the doorframe. “I noticed. I’ll be sure to wear my boots, in that case.” You assured.

“Good. I’ll be in class til’ six, so if you slip and bust your ass, I won’t be around to come to your rescue.” She beamed with pearly whites. She didn’t even brush her teeth yet!

“Now move it, I have to pee really bad.” You shimmied out of her way so she could replace your spot in the bathroom and made your way back to your room to get ready.

“Oh! And don’t forget to dry your hair well! It’ll freeze right to your scalp if you don’t! Can’t be catching a cold right before finals.” She called out before you shut your own door.

“Thanks, Lia.” She definitely couldn’t hear you over the sound of her relieving her bladder.

“Damnitdamnitdamnit!”

Today was one of those days that solidified your reputation of not being a morning person. As soon as you returned from your shower, you took a quick second (you swore that’s how long it was) to rest after getting dressed. You were doomed the moment you let yourself shut your eyes. Your brief downtime turned into a half-hour snooze, and you awoke instantly realizing and regretting your decision.

You were supposed to leave fifteen minutes ago to open up shop. You hastily threw on the closest pair of shoes in your reach and swung on your coat, rushing out the door without even checking if you locked it behind you. As you sped down the stairs of your complex and out to the unwelcoming chilly street, you pulled out your phone to check the time.

6:35. I am so screwed.

The shop was only a ten minute walk away, seven if you ran there. You braced yourself for the early morning sprint and only then did you realize Lia was right, your damp hair sent chills down your spine. You didn’t even think about grabbing a hat before you left.

You disregarded the hat, knowing your hair would dry in time. Your legs pumped down and throughout the streets of your town, the routine to work embedded in your head forever, probably.

Five minutes later your breaths were shallow and your calves were burning. The flurries were coming down harder now, obscuring your vision and forcing prickling tears from the corners of your eyes. As pedestrian after pedestrian was dodged from your mad dash down the steep hill leading down to the valleyed intersection, you heard someone call out a few words. Not knowing if they were directed to you or not, you ignored them and continued down the drop off until you forced your eyes wide open to see the crosswalk you needed to get across before you were finally on your cafe’s street.

You hated this intersection. The two streets, Crown Drive and Summer Boulevard bisected to form what the city dubbed “Cat & Dog Junction”, on account of the recently heavy traffic of pet owners bringing their furry friends out for a stroll around the city before and after work.

Likewise, this intersection led to the busiest boutiques and most popular businesses that got an abundance of attention from city dwellers. You were one of the lucky employees that had your job nestled comfortably right at the bend of this street, where there was never a dull moment (or for that matter, a moment to breathe).

The fingers that were clenched at the lapels of your coat were pure white, and your exposed skin on your face burned dully now. The crossway was a few yards away...you just had to cross the street and you’ll get to work less than five minutes late, better than not showing up at all, at least.

Two more minutes. Be there in two- woAH!

Suddenly your steady running was interrupted by an uneven lip in the pavement of the sidewalk. You felt your entire body start flying forward on the weight of one foot. Your eyes were now pried wide open as your arms began to flail at your sides- grasping at nothing but air. You tried to halt your ungraceful sidewalk skiing by planting both feet to the ground, but to no avail. The pavement below you was slick and icy, preventing you from gaining any sort of traction as you slid down the hill. Your head spun and in a moment of clarity you registered the pedestrians' words from earlier, shouting at you to “be careful!”

It was more apparent than ever that you probably should have grabbed those snow shoes.

Red light. Red light. RED LIGHT-

You thought to yourself once you saw that there was nothing in front of you stopping yourself from skating directly into oncoming traffic. Your legs jerked and stumbled under you, like a newborn deer trying to stand on its legs for the first time. Your chest clenches and in a desperate last attempt to impede this disaster, you shut your eyes tight and brace for impact- praying to god your body will let you fall and land on your ass or even on your face instead of getting hit by a car.

You finally make contact with something, but not the ground, nor what you expected a car speeding toward you would feel like. Your face slammed harshly into something hard, yet plush. And instead of falling straight to the ground after impact, you were suspended in a firm grasp to prevent you from slipping. Your noodle-like appendages now had something to cling to, and you frantically grappled at the thing that thankfully caught your fall.

The wind was literally knocked out of your lungs as your body met the unidentified savior, who reciprocated a huff of air as your bodies collided.

“Woah...that’s one way to start your morning off with a kick!”

Your fawn-like legs finally steadied themselves on the ground and your fingers were now shaking in apprehension, embarrassed knowing you almost absolutely “ate it” as Lia would say. You lifted your head from the formers’ chest about to profusely apologize, but paused when you heard the very familiar voice that belonged to your rescuer. That damned boy from yesterday.

“Are you alright? That could’ve ended a whole hell of a lot worse.”

Kai was currently blocking your view from the crosswalk leading to the cafe. His towering body had stepped around the corner just in time to prevent you from speeding into the road. You gazed up him in utter shock, shaking because of your near crash, but that was old news. Now you were shaking because he was holding onto where your hips and waist met in order to stabilize you better on your own feet.

After a few pants of relief, you calmed your hands and forced yourself to loosen your grip on his jacket that you still clung to, probably leaving nail marks in the refined material.

“God, yeah no, I-I’m g-good, I’m really sorry I’m late for work and forgot my snowshoes and had to sprint here and didn’t realize there was black ice and I slid all the way down from the top of the hill and again I’m sorry I didn't mean to crash into like that- b-but thanks for stopping me from running straight into oncoming traffic hah-”

You inhaled several breaths of air from that one sentence and felt like you were gonna pass out until he stopped you. “Hey, no need to apologize. Just a Good Samaritan preventing a lovely lady from nearly dying. All in a days’ work.” He instinctively pulled you towards the inner corner buildings and away from the busy street.

Stop, your fingers are shaking again. Calm down.

Your heaving breaths slowed down and you looked up at him, noticing the same exact smile plastered on his lips that brought his eyes into thin crescent shapes. His chocolate locks spilled out from underneath a black trapper hat which shielded his ears from the chilly weather.

More of his noteworthy features were glossed over when his touch was felt through your clothes- his hands were still clutched to your waist firmly as if you would fall right over if he let go. Moreover, your own hands still held securely to the fabric covering his chest, keeping the two of you stiffly locked in place.

It started getting warmer when the two of you had still not broken eye contact. It felt like he was studying your face in earnest detail, inching closer and closer to inspect every aspect.

You pried yourself off him suddenly when your cheeks threatened to turn deep scarlet. His lithe fingers let go when you resisted him, instantly shoving them back into his pockets.

He cleared his throat and asked “You sure you’re okay? You seem a little shaken up still.” He offered another smile, kind and sympathetic.

You quickly nodded and brushed yourself off. “I’m good, don’t worry about me. Again, thank you so much, Kai.”

His head perked up and his grin became wider.

Hey! You remembered my name?” you cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well why wouldn’t I remember-” You shut your mouth quickly.

Exactly, why would you remember his name, weirdo?

“Uhm, yeah, I remember your...suit? The tie was familiar, and I remembered you wore the same one yesterday.” You bluffed and motioned to the dark blue tie barely poking through his suit jacket and outer coat.

He glanced down to his outfit and back to you with a questioning smirk. “My tie was memorable, huh? Interesting. Thought this was the most basic one I owned.”

You blushed hard and bit the inside of your cheek, forcing out a chuckle. “Guess it’s pretty eye-catching.” You thanked god when he changed the topic.

“Funny, I figured I’d run into you again, but not this literally, Y/N.” You took in the way his entire body seemed to bounce up and down when he giggled or even just let out a brief chuckle. The high points of his face donned a coral glow, dotting his nose and cheeks daintily. He was the very definition of a pretty boy.

Wait, he actually expected to meet again? You suddenly felt even more dizzy than before.

“You remembered my name too, I see.” You commended him.

“Of course, that drink you made for me the other day was delicious. I was actually heading to the cafe right now to get another before class.” The personal bubble the two of you had made while talking to each other suddenly burst when you realized you were still running late. You seriously got caught up in his conversation, completely disregarding your job. You peered over his broad shoulders to see the walk now signal brighten up across the street.

“Crap, I forgot I’m gonna be clocked in late! Uhm, if you’re still in for a coffee, I’ll be glad to make it for you once I get situated?” You sped to the crosswalk and looking both ways this time, diligently making your way to the adjacent street with Kai in close pursuit. He seemed to keep up just fine, though, since his strides were a whole lot longer than yours.

“Think I’ll take you up on the offer.” You contentedly walked alongside each other until you reached the little coffeehouse. He rushed in front of you and pulled the door open for you to enter, earning him a coy smile and ‘thanks’. A wave of relief washed over you when you saw the shop was not as packed as yesterday, save for a few customers sitting by the window bar enjoying breakfast.

The relief vanished when a hostile voice erupted from behind the counter.

“Y/N! All hands on deck, sweetheart! We haven’t got all day to wait on you.” Your manager shouted at you from across the counter.

With a thinly pressed mouth, you hastily tried to pull off your coat to hang up on the coat rack. “I’m coming, Jen. Got caught up in some traffic, cut me some slack?” You called back as you fumbled around attempting to take your arms out of your heavy coat. “Your paycheck doesn’t wait up for traffic. I have three orders waiting here for you! And you don’t even own a car!”

She yelled in front of the customers as she expertly poured another piping cup of joe. You rolled your eyes, trying to hide your embarrassment with indifference. She really has no problem making a scene like that right in front of everyone.

Your arms continued to wiggle free of the jacket, until you were aided by another set of arms carefully pulling it off for you.

“Here, lemme help you out.” Kai said whilst holding your sleeves, allowing you to easily slip it off.

“Oh, thanks…” You mumbled and watched as he placed it on the rack before you. He gave you a nod and smiled before slipping off his own coat and trailing behind you once more.

You shimmied your way around the line of customers and behind the counter to grab your apron. As you tied it around your waist, you spotted the empty cups lined up at the brew station with stickers specifying the type of drink and whatever extra elaborate instructions the customer ordered.

You picked up the first empty cup hesitantly before glancing behind you when you heard someone situating themselves at a barstool.

Kai had sat down at the bar where patrons typically waited for their orders or relaxed with their morning joe before work. You met eyes and peered at your manager, who had her back turned, still tapping away at the register.

Cup still in hand, you turned back to Kai and shifted over to him. His coat was draped behind his seat, yet he still adorned his winter cap. “Aren’t you gonna order something? The line is getting long.” You said quietly, still glancing over your shoulder at Jennie.

His fingers fiddled with each other as he looked at the aforementioned queue stretching across the shop. “It looks like you’re backed up, I was just going to ask for a cream cheese pastry from the display case. I’ll pay with cash.”

You questioned his choice to only get a snack, but you complied regardless. Multitasking between making beverages and taking orders, you took a few seconds to grab the pastry from the case and plate it nicely on a small saucer. Before you handed it to Kai, you grabbed a small mug from the cupboard and swiftly poured another drink whilst maneuvering around an already irritated Jennie.

“Here you go. Enjoy.” You placed the plate and cup in front of him, wiping off excess whip on your apron. He eyed the treat and then the whipped cream topped cup with a confused look.

“I don't remember ordering a coffee along with it?” He asked. He was now sitting on his hands, warming them from the chilly outdoors. He had looked like a little kid excitedly waiting for his treat.

“I know, I just finished the first round of drinks. I wanted to try my hand at a new one; this one’s called the ‘Harry Potter’. It’s butter rum and english toffee, taste it! On the house.”

He took the piping mug to his lips and gingerly sipped at it, in the process coating his upper lip with a fluffy white mustache. He licked it away and nodded his head in approval. “Not bad, I couldn’t imagine your coffee yesterday could top anything, but this beats it out by a second.”

His smile made you reciprocate, clapping your hands together in glee. “Awesome! I thought it’d be too sweet at first, but if you liked the last one I was sure you’d enjoy this one. Take it as a thank you for saving me down the street earlier.”

He took a big bite out of his pastry, nearly finishing it off in one swift gulp. “Well I couldn’t just let you get hit by a car. I should be thanking you, silly.”

“Please don’t mention it. It was kind of embarrassing looking like a clumsy penguin.” You talked to him while facing the brewing station, prepping the next order.

“Aw, but penguins are cute! Plus, every animal is clumsy on ice, you’re no exception and neither are penguins. You made it look cuter, though.” He quipped and took another sip of his drink.

You couldn’t help but at him fondly, smiling at his compliment about you being cute compared to a penguin. He seemed so innocent, yet so confident at the same time. He was almost too endearing. You thanked him for his sweet words, but disagreed at the fact that not a lot of things were cuter than a baby penguin.

You chatted with each other about menial things, like what schools you went to, how the weather was acting up, and how the township should really salt the sidewalks more often. You found out he went to the academic academy for arts students, known as the Theatrical Experience Training School, or as the students apparently called it, TXT. That explained the pretty embroidered patch on his suit; he was an artsy kid.

“That’s really cool, what’s your area of expertise?” You asked as you wiped down the counter he sat at, as the early morning rush of people died down leaving you a hot second to breathe.

“I play a few instruments here and there, but I mostly sing. I was lucky enough to start uni a year early- I’m part of a band with some classmates, we all got scholarships to go there and learn about the ins and outs of becoming performers. We’ve actually written a few songs together, but they’re nothing too special. We’re hoping we can make it big one day, you know?”

You were intrigued by his description of the school, his aspirations, and talents. You were not as musically inclined in the slightest. Hell, you were still undecided about what your major should be, but you admired his dream and determination.

“Don’t downplay that like its no big deal, that’s so cool! If you and your boys are willing to put in that much effort to become artists, I’m sure you’ll be able to get to your goal. Hey, in return for the pastry and coffee, you should let me see one of your shows before you get crazy famous.”

He had finished his drink and pastry and was now tapping the side of the mug, staring into the empty cup. You could tell he was blushing at your compliment, a smile creeping over his lips.

“We’ll see how things turn out. I appreciate it, though, more than you think. It’s not easy to make a career out of music, but we really love doing it. I can’t see myself anywhere else that doesn’t involve music, honestly.” Before you could respond, his head turned to the clock behind you and he scrambled to his feet, grabbing his coat.

“Speaking of, morning vocal warm-ups start soon, I gotta go!” He pulled on his coat and adjusted his hat and straps of his backpack. “I don’t want to pull a Y/N and be late. Thank you again for the coffee. See you later!”

You were about to chide him for making fun of you, but all you had time for was a quick ‘bye’, and a friendly wave.

Just as he turned towards the door, he froze for a second before spinning back around to face you. “Oh, I almost forgot.” He hastily dug into his coat pocket, fishing out a dollar bill.

“For a hat. Your hair looks like it's frozen to your head, you know. Dry your hair a little next time.” He shoved the dollar into the tip jar placed at the front of the counter and spun back around on his heel.

“Thank you, uh, come again-!” You called out.

You watched him leave again, past the shop windows and around the corner. Looking at the clock yourself, you were surprised to find that only ten minutes had passed since you arrived at work.

“Weird…” You muttered. It legitimately felt like you’ve been working and talking to Kai for nearly an hour. Time seemed to slip right by, you guess. Day two went on without a hitch, aside from a few remarks from Jen telling you to “stop daydreaming and get back to work” and one spilled iced latte at one of the booths in the corner.

You couldn’t shake the feeling that your brief encounters with Kai had lasted longer than it actually had. Time flew past much quicker than yesterday you noted. You walked past the silvery machinery while making your next drink, catching your reflection hand brushing down a few flyaways you noticed at the top of your head.

It was still cold and damp from this morning.

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moonxjoon · 5 years

Text

How Can I Help You? | chapter 1

one | two

Pairing: HueningKai x barista!Reader

Rating: PG

Word Count: 2k

Synopsis: Working at the local cafe in town is normally a tiresome day job, until you meet a particularly fascinating young guy who frequents your shop more and more often than usual.

A/N: Requests Open~

You clutched your peacoat flush to your chest, forcing out a deep breath which brought forth a wisp of clouded air that you could see infringing on the cold air. Your tired breaths slowed when you finally halted your semi-jog, arriving at the teal-colored door of the local corner coffee house you were currently working at on your days off from university classes.

The street adjacent to the building was already saturated with early morning commuters, public transportation bussing, and the occasional biker or runner. It was a raucous, lively Monday morning in the midst of the brisk winter months, teetering on the edge of springtime (which was promised to come sooner rather than later as a result of an inquisitive rodent spotting its shadow a few weeks prior).

You used your boss’s key to unlock the hackneyed door, swinging it open to let in a gust of sharp, biting air throughout the settled shop. Your entire body loosened up when you shut the door behind you and made your way behind the counter to get ready for opening.

You pulled off your scarf and coat, hanging it on the coat rack situated at the front entrance. “Morning!” You said to yourself and perhaps even the shop itself.

Your morning opening routine involved opening blinds, cleaning the espresso machines, and prepping the pastry and snack counter. After your first hand duties were completed, you checked the clock on the wall to see that it was still 6:43, seventeen minutes before opening. You instinctively yawned to yourself, as you had gotten less than adequate sleep the night prior. You had finished up two research papers and an observational lab report for the following week, knowing you would barely have enough time to complete the assignments during your work days. Sluggishly wandering into the back room where breaks and team meetings were commonly held, you grabbed the chalkboard sign used to entice outside customers to stop in and grab a quick cup of joe before starting their day. You wiped it clean and meticulously calligraphed an eye-catching, curtailed version of the store’s menu, highlighting new seasonal drinks and different types of house-made patisseries.

Wearing nothing but your shop uniform and apron, you braced yourself as you opened the front door, the bitter coldness immediately intruding through your clothing. You propped the A-framed sign at the very front of the shop, repositioning it more than needed to satisfy your perfectionist psyche as well as making sure it didn't take up too much space on the footpath for passers-by. Just as you finished setting up the sign, an incoming cry triggered your fight-or-flight response, making you jump.

“S’cuse me!” You heard the voice, envoking you to spin around on your heel to see where the exclamation came from. At the very last second, as a blue blur flashed before your eyes, your legs that were stuck at the entrance of your shop finally decided to move for you. You narrowly evaded the biker, who was traveling downhill on the sidewalk and jerkily dodging people and uneven pavement bumps. You watched as he spun around on his seat, quickly waving to you and not exactly abiding by the biker rules of the road. “Sorry bout that!”

Your racing heart slowed enough to take note of the boy on the bike. His bright aqua hair blew messily in the wind. His back was adorned in a beige jacket and dark pants, and his dark blue tie fluttered over his shoulder, flapping wildly from his breakneck riding.

“There’s a bike lane for a reason!” You called back to him, watching precariously as he narrowly avoided other pedestrians. Knowing he couldn’t hear you anyway, you rolled your eyes and made your way back into the warmth of your brewhouse dwelling.

Laidback rhythms and soft melodies mixed with a cacophony of brewing machines filled the shop as you prepared orders for the now growing line of customers waiting for their daily dose of caffeine and sugar. The first hours of the morning were spent operating alone, as your other coworker called in about fifteen minutes prior to opening that she would be coming into work late. Typical, you thought, as you poured another medium vanilla chai latte and handed it to a young woman, too busy talking on her phone to even say ‘thank you’.

Your brow began to sweat a tad while you prepared espresso after latte after macchiato after cappuccino. After the dozenth cup was served to the last patron in line and no one else needed to be helped, you took a deep breath and used the end of your apron to wipe away the excess perspiration that had collected at the apex of your forehead. Even though it felt like nearly below freezing outside, the whirring machines and scalding drink-making process made the small shop exceedingly sweltering.

You propped your bottom on the edge of the cashier counter and promptly took out your phone for a quick break. You opened your instagram app and liked a few aesthetically pleasing dorm photos on your explore page. Just as you were admiring a particular picture of a minimalistic yet fashionably tasteful flat arrangement (silently wishing you had the money to make your own room look like that), you heard the telltale ring of the doorbell, signalling there was another customer that needed to be tended to. You sighed to yourself and slipped your phone into your apron pocket, turning to face the cash register, ready to take yet another overly complex order.

“Hi, how can I help you?-” you casually glanced up to the person, but your words caught in your throat as you made eye contact. Standing before you was a towering young man who you guessed was around you age just by his youthfulness. Soft chocolate-caramel locks were splayed across his forehead, leading down towards even darker mocha-colored irises. His hair and eye color starkly contrasted to his pretty much flawless milky skin tone. Before his lips even parted to say a word, you immediately deducted that he was one of the cutest guys you’d ever laid eyes on.

“Good morning.” He said. With a sharp intake of air, your teeth unconsciously grabbed onto the sides of your cheeks, which were now progressing into a darker and darker shade of pink. You noticed his lips as he spoke; they were a deep cherry color, almost matching his own cheeks. You suspected this was because of the chilly outdoor weather, unlike your own blood flowing to your face due to the fact you were staring up at an incredibly good-looking guy.

The boys eyes tilted upwards to the menu hanging just above your head before returning back to your unbreaking gaze. “I’ve never been here before, mind if I ask what you recommend?” His voice was alluring in a way and you focused on every word as it came out. You blinked a few times, hearing those particular words strung in that order, but not entirely processing them. When an uncomfortable and unnecessary amount of time passed between him asking and you answering, your brain forced out words by itself, resulting in a clumsy and uncalculated response.

“Uhm, I’m sorry, what was that?” you asked, shaking your head and breaking eye contact which was also starting to get weird. You stared at the buttons on the register, now completely and utterly flustered. You inwardly scolded yourself for making yourself look like a fool. It was one thing if it was any other customer, but you had to be caught off guard by a boy- lord knows how inept you are at holding a conversation with a guy that you find even minimally cute.

“It’s alright. I was just wondering what you think is good here. I don’t really drink coffee, but I need the caffeine to keep me up for today. Being back from break sucks.” The brunette laughed slightly to himself- god, even his giggle was cute.

You held your grip on the sides of the register, praying you wouldn’t continue to make yourself look like a newbie at her job. Come on, just pretend he's just a normal patron, because that’s all he is. Go about your coffee schpeal and recommend the classics.

You glanced back up at the boy, who was still staring at you with the most pleasant, friendly smile.

Through your peripherals, you noticed his apparel. It looked strangely familiar, like the clothing was seen somewhere before in the inner recesses of your mind. You had a realization that the tan single-breasted suit with light blue trim was the exact same uniform worn by the guy that nearly ran you over this morning.

You swallowed hard and forced yourself to act like a normal person, not letting some random captivating dude distract you from your job. “Oh, well we still have our holiday drinks in season; there's our peppermint cappuccino, gingerbread latte, mocha praline swirl...hot chocolate?” You tried, countering his smile with a homely smirk.

His hand came up and gingerly caressed the back of his neck, his eyes once again scanning the board behind you. “Hm, what’s your favorite here?” he queried, making the settling blood in your face heat up once again.

Your mouth opened once, then twice, both times no words coming out. On the third try, your vocal cords finally decided to work. “Oh, that’s a hard question, I’m like a coffee fiend.” The painful grasp on the register slowly eased when to your surprise, the same chuckle from before erupted from his chest. “I’d recommend everything, but one of my go-to’s is our cinnamon dolce latte with brown sugar cinnamon and caramel.” you said quickly, now hyper-aware of your awkward demeanor.

He nodded his head, making his hair bounce up and down playfully over his face. “Alright, I’ll have a small cinnamon dolce, in that case.” You noticed that not once did his smile leave his face. Your mouth perked up, enjoying your short chat. “Got it. That’ll be $3.15.” He reached into his satchel that was slung over his shoulder and pulled out a wallet, handing you a crisp five dollar bill. While he was doing that you took the time to check out his lapel, which had an emblem patch stitched on his front pocket. The black embroidered crest was adorned with gold trimming; woven in were three tri-colored stars of yellow, green, and blue.

Before he had a chance to notice your subtle appraisal, you accepted his currency, brushing his slender fingers in the process. The innocent and simple gesture made your own fingers tingle as they came into contact with foreign skin. His fingertips were chilled as your clammy hands met his, making goosebumps form over your wrist and up your arm. Suddenly your legs were locked in place, yet all the while felt formless and weak.

“Wh-what’s the name for the order?” you asked and silently berated yourself for sounding so automatic yet pathetic at the same time.

“Huening Kai. But you can just put Kai.” Another beaming grin crossed his face as he wiped away a stray piece of hair hanging in front of his eye. It looks so smooth and soft, you thought. Your hands suddenly felt the need to find purchase in his locks, just to see how the mop of shiny brown hair would feel under your touch. You’re repulsive! What is wrong with you? Get your mind out of the gutter! Your mind shouted at you, bringing you back to reality once again.

“Kai. Got it.” You grabbed a cup and a magic marker, writing out the name as neatly as possible. An unexpected wave of confidence came over you before you could stop your lips from speaking you spat out, “Nice name, Huening Kai. Very pretty.” You bite your tongue, immediately regretting your words. Just as you were about to explain yourself that you didn't mean for that to sound weird or come across as creepy, your head shot up to see that his expression changed to a softer simper. His head tilted a bit, like a puppy studying it’s owners face in confusion.

“Thank you, I don't get too many compliments on my name. I appreciate it…” His gaze trailed down from your eyes to your collarbone and right above your breast. He leaned forward over the counter, examining you. A warm heat followed his eyes, making the room feel even hotter than before. “Y/N. Hm, I like yours, too. It fits you.” He said and you momentarily thought he was a mind-reader, until you realized he was studying your name tag attached to your shirt.

You uncontrollably erupted in a giggle, exalted by his compliment. “Thanks, I used to hate it, but I guess I don’t mind it anymore.”

You were kicked back into gear when you peered behind the boy and saw more people had made their way into the shop and were waiting for their orders to be taken. “Your drink will be right out, Kai.” You replied and spun around to your workstation so he wouldn’t notice the redness permeating across your face.

As you made his drink, you made sure to take special care in not messing up the simple order, as you had made numerous drinks in your time at the shop; you haven't had a single customer complain about any of your beverages thus far, so this one shouldn’t be any exception.

The brew was ready, and you took your time making sure the whipped topping was laid expertly and not overflowing. You pressed the lid shut and ensured not a single drop of coffee spilled. “Kai?” you stepped up to the counter at the other end of your station, seeing him waiting patiently and scrolling through his phone. When his name was called, he instantly perked up and smiled. “That was quick!” he exclaimed, slipping his phone into his trouser pocket in exchange for his drink.

Your hands skimmed each other once again, the same exact warm feeling shooting up your arm like before. Ignoring it this time, you gestured to the line of people gathering at the front of the store. “I gotta be. Coffee making pays surprisingly well, can’t afford to be slow.”

Your statement was ironic, as these past few minutes felt like an eternity, just being in the presence of this stranger.

He took a slow sip of the latte as you spoke. You were surprised when his eyes grew wide, and panicked as the thought crossed your mind that you prepared the wrong recipe or maybe he burned his tongue. You should’ve warned him it’d be scalding hot!

“Wow. You’re pretty good at your craft, not gonna lie!” His overly charming grin came back once again, which made you wonder how his cheeks weren’t sore yet. Before you could thank him, he started making his way to the door, waving as he made long strides to the exit. “Thanks, Y/N. I'll leave you to your work now, gotta get to class soon, too.”

Your encounter was over too soon, and you felt a certain tug at your chest when he pressed his fingers to the glass paneling of the door. “See you around!” He shouted over the heads of the customers queued up at the register. And just like that, the pretty boy Kai was gone. “See you!” You tried to call out, but it was too late. The door shut and from the storefront windows you could see the tousled chocolate locks flying haphazardly in the outdoor wind, until he rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.

Your heart had slowed to a regular beat, and you let out a disappointed sigh. You remembered your other patrons and you speedily went back to your post and second nature kicked in and your day continued normally.

“Sorry for the wait, staff is short today.” You apologize to the man standing before you, the bags under his eyes and vitriolic frown indicating he was not in the mood to wait any longer than he had to.

He has to be back sometime. You thought and mindlessly typed away the order for each customer, switching back and forth from brewing and the register. He must go to the same academy as the other dude from this morning. You recollected the blue-haired boy that donned the same uniform as Kai. Damn, I kinda hope he comes back.

It wasn't typical of you to think about someone so strongly after having just met them, but for some reason, this guy lingered around your thoughts. From his tall figure to the way he said your name to his cheeky smile and laugh and even to his cold fingers. You scolded yourself for what seemed like the hundredth time for letting a simple crush affect you so.

You forced out a frustrated huff as your thoughts got the better of your judgement and you accidentally switched up two girls’ orders, earning you a few disgruntled remarks about not doing your job right and an eye roll. When the day couldn't seem to last any longer, you checked out the clock to see if your shift was almost over. 7:36. Lovely…

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