“Jongin.” Kyungsoo groaned for the nth time. “Can you stop moving around like that? I am getting dizzy.”

“But I am SUCH AN IDIOT SOO!”

“That you are.” Kyungsoo confirmed swiftly.

“Like how could I not get his number?”

“How could you not.” Kyungsoo repeated, shaking his head.

“Why did I think answering that phone call was more important than Sehun?”

“I don’t know.” Kyungsoo muttered. He was tired of this already. Jongin, his best friend, was a world class idiot when it came to the matter of the hearts. It was amazing how he pulled such a feat when he was a young and already a Finance Head.

“Look, why don’t you go to the café and meet up with him again? Simple.” Kyungsoo offered.

“Yeah, I could. But I don’t want the same thing to happen again.” Jongin let himself fall on the couch with a groan befitting a dying whale.

 

 

 

 

"Hi." They spoke at the same time, grinning at each other. 

 

Jongin looked down, Sehun was too beautiful to look in the eye. He needed to compose himself and by compose he meant looking down and rubbing the tip of shoe against the concrete while blushing crazily and his hands in his pockets.

Sehun looked away. He couldn’t look at Jongin in the eye and not remember the sweet, awkward happening of last night when they were sitting together. It was hard to forget the warmth that Jongin let out, the simplistic beauty that radiated from Jongin. It was hard for Sehun to contain his breathing in front of the other.

“So…” They spoke again, at the same time.

“You go first.” Jongin offered quickly, hoping that the time took for Sehun to speak would allow his running heart to calm down, even if it was only for a bit.

“No, you go first.” Sehun quickly turned it back to him.

“No it’s oka-” Jongin was cut by a phone call.

It was work.

“Sorry can I answer this quickly?” He blurted and turned around to answer the call, not noticing that dejected face and a retreated figure of the younger.

 

 

 

 

“Just give it another try. I am a music teacher. Not a therapist.” Kyungsoo had had enough and pulled himself from the couch. “So either you fix what’s wrong or take these baseless worries to someone else.”

“BUT SOO!!!! YOU ARE MY FRIEND!!!” 

The reply was the front door being closed.

 

 

 

 

“Ahh! Jongin-ssi. Your second time around. Did we make you fall in love with our café?” The young bubbly waitress beamed brightly.

“I-” Jongin scanned the café.

“Looking for Sehun-ssi?” She leaned to whisper mischievously. And when Jongin looked at her alarmed, she cracked up into set of giggles that had caught her coworker’s attention.

“Gosh! Can you keep it down? Stop flirting with customers.” He growled and shot her a mean look.

“Oh please, just because no one apart from me wants to talk to you doesn’t give you the right to be a grump. And plus Jongin-ssi isn’t here for me, he is here for someone else.” She winked.

“So wait, there are people who come here for you?” Her coworker was in disbelief.

“Oh hush, stop putting the spotlight on me. So Jongin, you are here for Sehun.” Jongin noticed how she suddenly dropped the honorifics and called him casually.

“I uh-”

“You have terrible timing to be honest. He either comes really early, like really really really early-”

“At 7.30.” The waiter provided earning him a glare from the waitress.

“Or really really really late and stays till the café closes, well that is sometimes. I haven’t figured out a pattern yet. But he hasn’t come by this morning, maybe he will be here in the evening.” The waitress supplied.

The evening?

Jongin worried slightly. There was a meeting tomorrow and he was a bit behind with the schedule. So he had to stay in work to finish up so that the meeting tomorrow could go smoothly. There was no way on earth could he sacrifice the meeting.

“It’s difficult for me to come then.” Jongin mumbled. His mind was alert and blaring with sirens. What are you doing Jongin? How are you telling everyone your problems?

“Oh really? Is it work?” The waitress wore a sympathetic look. Jongin gave a simple nod and he heard a sigh from her.

“Okay, how about this, buy him a drink he always buys and leave a note.” She clasped her hands at thought of coming up with  brilliant idea.

“But how can-”

“Pay for the drink now.” She grinned in giddiness as she started explaining. “And when Sehun comes I will just make him the drink and hand him over the note then.”

Jongin considered it. It seemed like a good idea, especially if their schedules were mismatched.

“Okay, let’s do this.”

Jongin gave a determined nod.

 

 

 

 

“Sehun! You are here! Can I get you the usual?” The waitress wore her signature bright grin.

“Yes please, Sora. I need some your goodness in me. I am dead beat.” Sehun gave a tired smile. “I will be sitting at my spot.”

“Sure go ahead. I will it bring over.” Sehun nodded and made his way to the usual spot. 

It was a comfy and spacey seat by the wide window. Often if he didn’t bring a novel to read, he would listen to his music and observe the hustle of the busy and lively city. But most he would read his novel to the cozy notes of the soft jazz music being played in the background. No matter how stressful his day would be, the café’s ambience always calmed him down.

“Here you go.” She placed the Caramel Latte and a slice of cake (which was changing according to what was on display, but it was general carrot cake). “And here you go.” Sehun looked up in confusion when he saw a note and soon followed by a grin and a Enjoy the treat Sehun.

Sehun stared at the note and placed his bookmark and put his book down as he reached for the note.

What was the note? Who was it from?

 

 

Hi Sehun.

This is Jongin.

 

Sehun’s heart fluttered from those words only.

 

You won’t believe that this is my third try. I still think it is probably weird, but third time lucky? I hope so.

 

Sehun smiled. He could almost hear the awkwardness in Jongin’s voice.

 

I paid for your stuff already. Sora-ssi was kinda enough to let me know what you liked and I can’t really wanted had some work so I couldn’t come. But I really did want to. But yeah, I couldn’t because I had work even though I really wanted to come.

 

Sehun had to bite his finger to stop himself from smiling too much.

 

Last time our talk was awkward (and this is pretty awkward for me as well, Sora-ssi is staring at me, and I can’t write, yeah pretty awkward and uncomfortable) but I was hoping to get your number. I couldn’t get that last time.

So maybe we could exchange numbers?

I’d like to get to know you better.

 

Jongin

 

 

Sehun smiled at the set of numbers at the bottom of the paper. It was a rough paper from the café, he could see the logo at the top right corner.

He took a sip of his caramel latte.

It tasted better today. Could it be because Jongin bought it for him?

 

 

It most definitely is.

 

 

Sehun smiled decided he didn’t need to read his novel for now. His life was looking far more interesting than the imagination of an author.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin was sitting in the meeting, he had already presented and now someone from another department was presenting to the directors.

 

 

Hi this is Sehun. Please save my number.

 

 

 

 

With the smile spreading widely on Jongin’s face, anyone could tell that Jongin had done so in a split of a second.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And also Jongin stopped paying attention to the meeting.