Lolato Café

Description: Kai doesn't like girls dressing up as guys. No actually, he just doesn't like Gayeon - the girl who dresses up as a guy.

Author's note: This fic was originally written for a writing contest. Just a silly banter of two opposite minded peope ^^

Kai wiped the glass in his hands with a scrawny face, his fifth glass to clean and there were still a dozen left. He made faces at the people walking by outside the Café as he did his job.  Not far, Kris was wiping the glass door which he managed to splash with a mix of soap and water.  He didn't seem so willing to do this either and Kai snickered, making the tall boy growl at him. He smirked and shifted his attention to the other tall boy cleaning the tables. 

“Hey Chanyeol.” Kai called and the boy looked up at him rather lazily. 

“What?” he asked, not in the mood for a conversation certainly. 

“Did you ask for a promotion?” he asked with a mischievous giggle and Chanyeol burned holes in him. Kai loved to tease his co workers even though he was at no position better. 

“Ask him that when you get yours.” came a sarcastic defense from the voice Kai found really irritating. 

He looked over at the small stage where the performers where getting ready with their costumes and some were already busy practicing their parts. In the middle, he found the person who remarked him with a script in her hands. He narrowed his eyes at her and she did the same, ready for another routine argument. Instead, Kai just rolled his eyes and resumed his cleaning duty and he could swear he saw her smirk victoriously from the corner of his eyes.

“Thank you, Gayeon.” Chanyeol thanked her tiredly and she smiled. Kai rolled his eyes again, pretending he didn't hear them. 

They all worked in Lolato Café that was open only around evening and held a performance at 7 pm. People usually came here just to watch the show and ordered a coffee or two to pass their time. The place was pink overall and decorated with tons of feathers and balloons, seeming more like a party hall rather than a place to drink. Although crowded by night and loved by public, the workers weren't much happy. Especially Kai, he always dreamed of a mansion and sport cars but alas his poor family background he couldn't even finish college.

Kris dropped the wiper with annoyance and sat on the chair nearby, melting on it like butter. He sighed heavily and looked around – everybody was busy doing one thing or another, occupied with their job. “Welcome to Lolato! The place where poor people work!” he commented spreading his arms in introduction. 

“Don't forget you’re one of them.” Baekhyun, one of the senior performers and incharge, said aloud from the stage.

“That is exactly, Sir, what I'm ranting about.” he replied with the roll of his eyes and Baekhyun shook his head with a chuckle. One thing they all had in common was their level of sarcasm that ascended with each day of work. 

“You’re a funny character.” Gayeon continued, fanning herself with the script in her hand. 

“You’re funnier.” Kai commented back, giving her his smug smile.

“Oh shut up.” she made a face at him as she decided to read her lines than mess with him, knowing well enough that was inevitable. She started rehearsing them aloud, getting into character, and Kai started laughing which caused her to narrow her eyes at him, gritting her teeth. 

“And now starts the gay show!” he laughed uncontrollably and Gayeon was just about to get off the stage to come and beat him when Baekhyun stopped her by holding her back from her waist. 

“Calm down girl, the café is about to open within an hour.  Leave him to himself and rehearse with me.” he tried his best to hold her back. Gayeon’s face was red like a fuming bull meanwhile Kai continued to laugh.

“If you don't like me dressing up as a guy then why don't you try for the lead role yourself?!” she yelled, and Kai mouthed an o.

“Oh no, I think you are perfect! I mean look – flat as French bread.” he joked and laughed again, the rest joining him meanwhile Gayeon tried her best to break free and punch him. She almost once had infact, a few months ago.

Indeed she had a scrawny figure and she lacked any volume of chest than most girls. Added to that she was taller than average in height, making her perfect to dress up as a guy for the performances. All she needed to do was put on a wig and add a moustache with the help of eyeliner and one could hardly differentiate if she was really a female.

Gayeon burned holes in him while Kai smiled like he had won.

“It's always so loud  whenever I come by.” said Soojung, Kai's girlfriend, as she entered the place. 

“Your cousin is acting as her lunatic self again.” Kai told her as she approached him and pecked his right cheek before settling in one of the bar chairs.

“Control your useless boyfriend or I'll get him fired just as I got him the job.” The mentioned cousin yelled off to Soojung without looking at Kai directly and climbed the stage back. 

Now it all happened last to last year when Kai was in desperate need of a job after having to quiet college. Soojung and him had just started dating and she told him her cousin's Café could offer him one. Gayeon accepted to help him and even pleaded the manager a lot, finally getting him the job of a waiter and Kai has been working there ever since. When Kai found out what work did Gayeon do, performing every night in the character of a boy, he never stopped teasing her. She would remind him up of the fact that without her he wouldn’t have got the job and they always ended up in unwanted bitter quarrels.

 “Why do you disturb her so much?” Soojung asked as Kai made her an espresso which was pretty much against the rules for a non customer.

“I don't do anything. She starts it all.” he raised his hands in surrender and Soojung chuckled. 

“Soo is here.” Kris greeted with a short smirk as he sat next to her, dragging his stool close and Soojung smirked back.

Kai glared at him for flirting in open, but he couldn't protest when his own girlfriend was so flirtatious. It wasn't the first time he saw her getting extra friendly with somebody although he never said anything in the name of love. But now he was just kind of…fed up with her behavior.

He rolled his eyes as the two continued to chat and shifted his attention to the stage where everybody was taking their positions for a final practice. Even though he hated Gayeon so much, he had to admit her acting skills were great. She indulged in her role so well, shifting the tone of her voice and the way of her walk and gestures. A small smile formed on his lips that he tried to hide, just in time Gayeon caught him staring at her and he pretended to be looking sideways. 

+++

It was about time to open the doors to the Café. A few people were already waiting outside, eager for the show they certainly have watched a gazillion times.  Kai headed to the dressing room to get into his maroon and white uniform with the dark blue tie. As he walked by he took a final look at the Café – some waiters were arranging the tables one last time, the cleaners sweeping the floor, the stage was getting set up as the performers were memorizing their script one more time while the rest were arranging the props and some people were fixing the lighting. The soft music started playing on in the background as Chanyeol dimmed the lights. Kai looked around and the atmosphere felt other worldly. So colorful and cheery, the reason why the Cafe was so popular afterall. He smiled to himself as he turned his heels to head for the backstage to change up. 

He was met by the regular view of the female waitresses lined up infront of the mirror. Kai snickered shaking his head as he walked past them. All of them were hopeless singles who tried to attract a handsome customer but failed.

Kai walked to the last dressing room which seemed empty. He opened it without any knock or warning and heard a loud shriek which startled him. 

“Hey! Atleast bother to see if it's vacant!” Gayeon yelled as she held her halfly worn shirt tighter to herself. Kai froze and instantly let go of the door, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. 

“I'm sorry.” he apologized, not sure what to do as she glared at him.

“Now do I also have to remind you to get out?” she asked and he realized he was still in there with a half   Gayeon. The opening bell rang which informed them to get to work. He pushed her away a little as he entered inside and locked the door behind. She looked at him in utter surprise as he had already started ing his shirt. “What are you doing?” she asked with an agape mouth