It was exactly a week later again when Jay showed his face to Hyuna. He came in whilst Hyuna was serving an unusual string of customers and he patiently waited at his usual table. Hyuna didn’t even bother asking what he wanted when she finally finished with the last person. She just automatically made a Dead Eye and brought it out to him.

“You know where this coffee would be especially great,” he asks.

“No,” Hyuna sighs an edge of teasing in voice, “But I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“My place,” he smiles like he just made the funniest joke, “Then we could both enjoy a good cup and maybe you’d sit with me for a while.”

Hyuna rolls her eyes and purposefully walks behind the counter and stares at him. Jay laughs.

“Maybe you’re right. That’s moving too fast. Maybe we could get a cup of coffee from somewhere else together.”

“That’s blasphemous,” Hyuna’s voice drops the playful tone.

Jay holds his hands up, “My bad. Maybe a movie then? Do you watch movies or are you too captivated with how gorgeous you are?”

“I thought you were going to try and come up with better lines,” Hyuna graces him with a small smile.

“I’m trying my hardest here. Don’t leave me hanging.”

A customer comes in before Hyuna can answer. She quickly takes care of him making him an iced americano to go and giving him one of the fresh scones the cafe imports from the bakery down the street. 

He eats the scone messily at a table near the door. Jay and Hyuna stay silent, neither of them wanting to continue their banter in the midst of a stranger. 

The customer leaves soon after finishing the scone also leaving a huge mess on the table for Hyuna to clean up. He didn’t even bother throwing out the paper bag the scone came on.

“Rude,” Jay comments eyeing the scattered crumbs and garbage.

Hyuna shrugs and walks to the table with a rag to wipe it down. She throws the bag away and scatters the crumbs to the floor with the rag for someone else to deal with. Not the best way to handle a mess but she’ll probably end up doing the sweeping anyway even though her ever absent boss says she’ll do the sweeping and mopping. It almost never happens that way.

The door opens again and Hyuna almost wishes the cafe was back to having 2 customers tops. Almost. She doesn’t get a chance to look at who it is before a heavily tattooed arm is being thrown over her shoulders and an all too familiar voice is in her ear.

“Noona, let’s go out tonight. I need a break from studying all day, everyday,” he whines.

“Ilhoon-ah,” Hyuna chastises, “We went out two nights ago. Don’t try to play that game with me.”

“Then let’s just go out,” he replies. 

Hyuna smiles but sighs, “I’ll think about it. Are you ordering anything?”

“Are you paying,” He asks but Hyuna gives him a glare that could send ice  through the bravest man’s heart, “You’re right, I should pay. I’ll have that coffee press thing you did for me last time.”

Hyuna nods and goes back behind the counter. She glances at Jay just remembering he’s there but for once he’s not looking at her, instead he’s glaring at Ilhoon as Ilhoon walks lazily around the store looking at the decorations on the walls and out the windows. 

Hyuna sets up the french press to start making Ilhoon’s coffee. But for some reason she’s more distracted than usual watching her best friend be glared at by her potential love interest. She then wonders why she calls Jay that but quickly pushes that from her mind. She has bigger worries than her unusual thought patterns.

“Noona, why is this guy glaring at me,” Ilhoon says finally noticing Jay’s death stare when he sits at a table across from the elder.

“Ilhoon, this is a regular customer. His name is Jay Park. Jay, this is Ilhoon,” she says. She won’t explain Ilhoon, she’s kind of enjoying watching Jay be jealous.

“Are you into younger guys,” Jay asks Hyuna but not taking his eyes away from Ilhoon. Hyuna almost laughs at the way Jay puffs out his chest. He might as well be a bird trying to show his prettiest colors.

“Not particularly,” Hyuna replies breezily enjoying leaving Jay floundering like he does with her every time he leaves the shop.

Hyuna glances at Ilhoon to give him a secret smile but his head is turned to look at something happening outside. 

“Ilhoon-ah, Did you get another tattoo,” Hyuna asks, “and on your neck of all places?”

“Oh yea,” he replies his head snapping to look at Hyuna before giving her a goofy grin, “I forgot to tell you. Do you like it?”

He cranes his head to the side and pulls the collar of his shirt down so Hyuna can get a better look. She picks up his finished coffee and walks it to him. Then she moves his hands away pushing up his shaggy hair and pulling the collar of his shirt down further to get a better look at the colorful koi fish now swimming on the side of his neck. 

“Ilhoon, you know this isn’t a good place for a tattoo. How are you going to get a job like that?”

“Noona, stop being such a nag,” he replies.

She slaps him lightly on the side of the head, “Then stop being so stupid.”

Hyuna sighs, “This is what happens when I leave you be for too long.”

Jay’s chair suddenly scrapes against the concrete floor and he stands up so fast it falls to the floor clanging loudly. 

“I’m gonna go,” he says, something flashing in his eyes that Hyuna can’t quite understand.

“Why,” Ilhoon asks completely unaware of the tension in the air, “Do you want to come to the club with us?”

“Yah, I never said I would go.”

“Noona,” he whines dragging out all the vowels, “please.”

“I don’t want to,” she says softly to Ilhoon but she’s looking at Jay so he understands. At least, she hopes he understands.

“Who am I going to use to keep all the annoying girls off of me,” he whines. Hyuna breaks her staring contest with Jay to slap Ilhoon lightly on the side of the head. 

“Maybe you should learn to just deal with it or better yet, don’t go and instead study because your finals are coming up.”

“Fine, maybe I’ll go ask Jiyoon to go with me.” 

That grabs Hyuna’s attention, “Jiyoon? That girl you were major crushing on last semester?”

Ilhoon smiles and nods so hard Hyuna’s afraid his head might pop off.

“I’ve been talking with her a lot recently and I think she might like me,” Ilhoon replies with the cheesy grin he reserves solely for when he isn’t trying to be a smooth who doesn’t really want attention.

“What the hell are you doing here then?”

“You’re right, as always, Noona. I’ll catch you on the flipside,” he says and gives Hyuna a hug, “Jay, right? Nice meeting you man.”

Ilhoon is gone as fast as he appeared. Jay is still standing with his chair tipped over behind him staring down Hyuna who is wiping down the spot where Ilhoon’s coffee spilled a little bit.

“Not your boyfriend?”

“Definitely not my boyfriend. More like a little brother. Why,” Hyuna asks challenging Jay to say what they both know has been going on these past three weeks. They don’t know each other well but the attraction is definitely there. 

“Please tell me you’re single.”

Hyuna straightens up and gives him a soft smile and nods. The smile that breaks across Jay’s face makes her heart melt. Jay closes takes a few steps to close the space between them. 

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he warns and then he’s tentatively placing a small kiss on her lips. He pulls back to look at her to make sure it’s alright. Hyuna reaches up entangling her fingers the the soft hair at the back of his head. She pulls his head close again and kisses him with all she has. He kisses her back just as passionately wrapping his arms fully around her waist.

They pull back reluctantly to catch their breath. 

“How about a date? Tonight? Preferably as soon as you get off.”

Hyuna laughs, “Sounds great.”