chapter two:

the meetings.

“Ah…you’re closing already?”

Xiumin turned his face from locking the glass door to find a boy with dark hair in front of him. Somehow, the boy looked familiar, but Xiumin couldn’t remember when he saw the boy.

“Can you give me some more time? I want to buy a cup…” The boy begged.

“Well,” Xiumin sighed, “Come in, but don’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Thanks.” The boy smiled and followed Xiumin into the shop.

“Coffee at midnight,” Xiumin put on his apron, “you know it can make you insomnia, right?”

“I know. That’s why I need it. I have to stay awake.”

“And do you mind telling me why?”

The boy nodded, “I need caffeine because I have shooting tonight.”

Shooting?

“What are you…?” Xiumin stopped himself from taking the paper cup.

The boy put off his cap and smile, “I’m Tao.”

“Ah!” Xiumin pointed the boy in front of him, “I know you! You’re that dark handsome rapper who always appears in many magazines!”

“Dark handsome rapper who always appears in many magazines…?” Tao blinked to hear the nickname.

“Sorry,” Xiumin bit his finger, “It’s because you always perform in dark clothes and thick eyeliner and the magazines are full of your photos and stuffs…”

“It’s okay.” Tao chuckled.

“So, Tao, what do you want to drink?”

“Espresso.”

“Light? Strong?” Xiumin asked again.

“Strong, please.”

Xiumin nodded and prepared a cup of espresso before serving it in front of Tao.

“Be careful, it’s still hot.” Xiumin warned.

“Sorry for bothering in this late midnight.” Tao bowed his head, “I’ll be leaving now.”

“Wait, wait!” Xiumin hurriedly put off his apron and d something from his bag.

“Please sign it for me!” Xiumin bowed, his arms were stretched toward Tao, holding a piece of paper.

“Okay.” Tao chuckled, “Do you have any pen?”

“No…” Xiumin’s face fell down, “Ah, but I know there’s a marker somewhere! Wait a minute!”

Xiumin ran to the back of the counter. Tao couldn’t hold himself of chuckling quietly when Xiumin hit his hip at the corner of counter and cursed whisperingly.

“Here.” Xiumin panted, handing the marker to Tao.

“Your name?”

“Ah, it’s Xiumin.”

“Xiumin…” Tao let it roll on his tongue before signing the paper. He decided to give the chubby barista some words on the back of paper.

Be careful with yourself. Don’t hit the counter anymore. I like your espresso. I hope I can go back to your coffee shop again.

And then Tao gave the paper back to Xiumin.

“Thank you!” Xiumin bowed again.

“It’s just a sign.” Tao smiled, “Thanks for the espresso. See you around.”

And then Tao stepped into his van again, leaving the barista in his thought. From the window of the van, Tao could see Xiumin jumping up and down in joy before hitting his face on the glass door.

Tao couldn’t hold his laugh anymore.

“What’s it, Tao?” His manager asked.

“Oh, nothing, Gege…” Tao bit his lip to hold his laughter.

What a funny barista…

Then he realized the marker on his hand wasn’t his. He smiled at the thought and tightened his grip around the marker.

I’ll definitely visit you again.

Kris was tired. He put his precious camera on his side. It was ten in the morning, which meant he had been wandering for three hours, but he couldn’t snap any single good photo yet. He was stressed. After gulping a big amount of water into his dry throat, he got up to throw it when he saw a pale young man walking to his direction with a cup of coffee in his hand and a novel in other one. He kept reading his novel while walking. He was wearing a white buttoned shirt along with dark blue jeans that was rolled until reaching a little higher than his ankles. A warm red sweater was hanging on his shoulders, tied loosely on his chest.

“Ah…” Kris breathed. He hurriedly took his camera and focused it to the view. And he pushed the shutter right when the pigeons were flying around the man.

“This is what I’m looking for…” Kris smiled, looking at the breath-taking photo he had taken.

Kris took his bag and approached the man who now was sitting on the bench beside him.

“Excuse me.”

The man looked up to Kris and smiled, showing a dimple on his right cheek, “Can I help you?”

“I’m Kris.” Kris stretched his hand.

The man looked at Kris’ hand suspiciously and decided to shake it when he felt Kris wasn’t suspicious, “I’m Lay.”

“I’m sorry. But, I took your photo without telling you before.” Kris showed the photo in his camera.

“Wow.” Lay smiled, “You’re a good photographer. Well, I don’t mind about that as long as you won’t sell it for your own benefit.”

“I won’t.” Kris shook his head, sitting beside Lay, “And…I know this will make you troubled, but can you be my model?”

“What…?” Lay widened his eyes.

“Well, I know this is so rushed. But, really need you to be my model.” Kris pointed it out.

“I…don’t know.” Lay bit his lower lip uncertainly.

“I know.” Kris took his name card and gave it to Lay, “You don’t have to answer it now. I’ll be waiting for your call.”

And then Kris left him after giving a slight bow.

Lay was left dumbfounded. He just wanted to have a quiet morning for himself after he had been broken up by his ex-girlfriend the day before. And he didn’t expect to be approached by a photographer even less to be offered to be a model.

Lay read the italic characters on the name card. It was written in English. Lay guessed the photographer was a foreigner.

“Kris Wu…” Lay read the name.

“Welcome.” Xiumin greeted the new guest, a blonde man with camera hanging around his neck.

Wow, Xiumin thought, He’s handsome…

“I want a cup of iced cappuccino, please.” The blonde guy said.

“Be ready in a minute, please wait.” Xiumin gave his sales smile before hurriedly running into the back of the counter, “Luhan!”

“Oy?” Luhan smiled, “Why are you here? You have to be behind the counter!”

“Wait! I just need a minute!” Xiumin whispered excitedly, jumping up and down.

“Well, what’s it?” Luhan asked, drying his wet hands, and leaned back on the cabinet.

“I got a blonde handsome customer! You have to see him!” Xiumin grinned, and then he pulled Luhan with him to peek through the small slit of the door.

“Wow…” Luhan gave an approving nod, “He is handsome and tall, a real model-like. But, really my heart has been blind toward other men than my baby, Sehun.”

“Aish~!” Xiumin pouted, “You’re stupid!”

And it was the time when the door suddenly opened from outside, making both Xiumin and Luhan fall forward with noisy sounds of falling stainless equipments.

“Xiumin gege…? Luhan…?”

“Sehun!” Xiumin hissed, “Don’t you know how to knock, huh??”

“As long as I know, I do not have to knock kitchen door.” Sehun rolled his eyes.

“Well…at least tell us before doing so…” Xiumin lowered his vocal when he knew the blonde man staring at his tiny mess.

“Here, your iced cappuccino.” Xiumin said softly, hiding his red face while handing the cup to his customer, “See you again.”

“Huh?” The blonde man raised his eyebrows, “I don’t have to pay?”

“Uh…you haven’t done it…?” Xiumin asked back, “We-well…hmm…”

“Here.” The blonde man handed the money to Xiumin’s hand, chuckling with his low voice, “I know the price. You can keep the change, hmm…Xiumin?”

“How could you know my name??” Xiumin asked.

“First, your waiter friend called you ‘Xiumin gege’. Second,” Kris leaned closer, pointing Xiumin’s chest, “Don’t you know that you have that name tag on your uniform?”

Xiumin looked down at his chest and his face reddened even more, “Ah…ha, ha, ha…you’re right, I forgot about this…”

The blonde man smiled before leaving the starstrucked Xiumin behind.

“Back to earth, Baozi!” Luhan hit Xiumin’s hip with his.

“What…?”

“Isn’t it a time for you to go?” Luhan frowned, “You have classes, don’t you?”

Xiumin snapped his head toward the clock, “Daaaaaaaamn! I’m late!”

“Be careful with the equipments!!” Luhan shouted after hearing Xiumin hit the pot.

“Maybe, we’re not meant to be together…” the tall man said.

“Why…?” Sherry asked, tears falling down, “Don’t you love me, Jason…?”

Jason held the urge to hug the girl in front of him and to assure her that he really loved her. But, he couldn’t. He had to let Sherry go, it was the best from both of them. So, Jason shook his head slowly, holding the sad feeling which was overwhelming his heart.

“I don’t love you, Sherry. We’re over…”

Lay sighed after finishing the fifth chapter of his new novel and closed his notebook. He got up from his table and stretched his cramped back.

“Ouch…” Lay yelped when he heard his own back make a crack sound, “Maybe I should walk for a while…”

Lay grabbed his sweater then something fell down from it. The name card.

“Ah…” Lay squatted to pick the card, “I almost forgot about this.”

He thought for a while whether he had to call Kris or not, phone had already been on his hand.

“Let’s try.” Lay sighed, hitting the keypad on his phone.

“Hello.” A low voice answered after several rings.

“Hmm, hey, Kris. This is me, Lay.”

“Oh! Well, it’s the time for you to call though.” Kris said, “So, what’s your decision?”

“Hmm, there are several questions I want to ask. Can we meet?”

“Fine. Wait a minute.” There was flipped paper sound on Kris’ side before the low voice got back to the phone, “I’m available tonight. How does it sound?”

“Okay, then.” Lay nodded, “At eight?”

“Where are we going to meet?”

“Hmm, the first time we met?” Lay suggested, “It’s easy to remember.”

“Fine then. See you tonight.”

“See you.” Lay replied before hanging up the line.

“Now…” Lay walked toward his wardrobe, “What should I wear?”

“Hurry, finish his make up! You, re-check the lightings and the stage! And hey, you over there, re-check the sound system, I don’t want it ruin our concert! Stylish!! Where’s Tao’s clothes?!”

Tao sighed to see his manager running and commanding wildly to all crews.

“He’s too tensed…” Tao mumbled.

“It’s natural though.” Chanyeol, Tao’s stylish, came into the room with a pair of dark clothes for Tao.

“But, he’s too tensed.” Tao pouted.

“Don’t be childish. Don’t you have to be like that too?” Baekyun said, while eye-lining Tao’s eyes carefully, “Okay. It’s done.”

“Well…” Tao looked to his reflection on the mirror, “I don’t like to be tensed…”

“You’re just too careless.” Someone entered the room, smiling brightly.

“Chen!” Tao got up from his chair and hugged his friend, “Why are you here?”

“What?” Chen pouted, “I can’t see my brother here??”

“Noooo, it’s not what I mean~ I mean I’m glad you’re here!” Tao chuckled.

“Tao!” His manager called him, “The stage will start in ten minutes! You better hurry to get your here!”

“Aish!” Tao shouted back, “Yes, yes!”

“He’s pretty strict, eh?” Chen asked.

“Yeah.” Tao sighed, “I’m going to meet you after the show, okay? You have to tell me everything about your Suho!”

“Aish!” Chen blushed, kicking Tao’s , “Go to hell!”

“So,” Kris said, “What do you want to ask?”

Lay sipped his hot chocolate before saying, “Well, I really don’t know how to pose. I’ve never been a model before. How can you handle it?”

“Lay.” Kris called.

“Hmm?” Lay turned his face and suddenly a blitz hit his eyes, “What the…?!”

“See this.” Kris showed the recent photo to Lay, “This is what I’m looking for. You don’t need to pose. I’m not a modeling photographer. I need you to be natural around me and I’m going to take you pictures without telling you.”

“It’s like a candid camera…?” Lay asked again.

Kris chuckled hearing that, “Yeah, maybe it’s like that.”

“I don’t think my face will be that photogenic…”

“You have seen your photo, right? It’s natural. It’s what I’m looking for, the natural.”

Lay bit his lower lip, thinking hard, “But…I have my own job too. I can’t be around you all the time.”

“What’s your job?”

“Hmm, novelist…”

Kris chuckled, “It’s okay. What you have to do is just doing your activities like usual. But, it’ll be added by me around you, taking your pictures. That’s it.”

“You won’t take my pictures when I’m taking a shower, right…?”

Kris couldn’t hold his laugh this time, “Of course not! I’m not a ert. Well, but if you want, I can do it for you.”

“I don’t want it!” Lay blushed.

“So?”

“Hmm,” Lay nodded, “Let’s try for a week first, hmm?”

“Fine.” Kris nodded.

“Okay, let’s go somewhere to eat, shall we?” Lay got up from the bench, “I’m hungry.”

“Wait, Lay.”

“What?” Lay turned his face and the blitz hit his eyes again.

“Good angle.” Kris smiled.