“But he’s so pretty…” Kyungsoo whines as he watches the retreating back of his favorite customer since the beginning of his first year in the university. He’s been pining around after the boy for a year and a half now and all Kyungsoo has ever spoken to him was ‘What can I get you today?’ and ‘Mocha latte? Coming right up.’ It’s a bit sad, Kyungsoo knows it but he doesn’t have the ability to do something about it. Okay, maybe he has but he’s just scared.

 

He has started working at the coffee place at the campus about a year ago. He needed the money for his personal needs and he was ready to give in his notice right before summer break when he walked in, Kim Joonmyeon or the infamous Suho. To Kyungsoo, the boy is looking better than a Greek god, an Adonis. Suho is the definition of perfection with eyes brighter than the sun and a smile worth living for.

 

He’d seen Suho around before in campus, it’s hard not to see Suho because the boy is bouncing off the walls every given time of the day. He’s known to throw the best parties at the basement of their campus and story says that his list of drunken snogs is as long as the Chinese wall. Kyungsoo overhears gossip a lot with his job as a barista and whenever he hears someone tell their friend what good of a snog Suho is and you should try it, he might or might not give them the smallest cookie or messes up their order. Kyungsoo isn’t jealous. Okay, maybe he is.

 

 

“Honest to God, bro. I don’t see what’s so special about him.” Chen, his colleague says as he wipes the counter with a wet cloth. “He’s cute, sure. He has the beautiful eyes and the rosy cheeks going for him but I just can’t see what’s so special about him.”

 

Kyungsoo clutches his heart as if he has just been shot in a terrible action movie. “We’re making an appointment at the eye doctor for you tomorrow.” He gasps. “How can you not see how pretty he is?”

 

Chen snorts at that. “You make him sound like a Disney princess by calling him pretty all the time. Blokes usually don’t like to be called pretty.”

 

 “I know.” Kyungsoo sighs. “But come on, have you seen him?”

 

“He’s been coming here for over a year now and you never shut up about him so yes, I think I’ve seen the guy once or twice.” Chen deadpans. “But seriously, I don’t see it.”

 

Kyungsoo sighs dramatically. “It’s just… he looks so innocent but you know there’s more to it. He has the prettiest eyes and that smile, oh don’t let me get started about his smile, and there’s his perky little bum and—“

 

“Have you seen my bum—oh there he is.”

 

It’s Suho.

 

“Forgot my wallet.” Suho points to the counter and right there, right in front of Kyungsoo is Suho’s wallet. If he knew Suho has left his wallet there, he probably would’ve compared their ID’s to see if their pictures match. But he didn’t know Suho’s wallet was there and he was in the middle of a rant about his bottom and wow, that’s a bit awkward.

 

Suho then looks through the glass of the counter where all the cookies and goods are on display. “Have you finished your muffin already?” Chen laughs at Suho who has his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth, clearly in debate with himself about what to get next.

 

“Eh maybe?” Suho blushes but covers up quickly. “Oh what the heck, yes, I inhaled the thing but it’s so good.” He taps his lips with his index finger as his eyes rake over the baked good. “What do you recommend?” He asks, standing up and looking directly at Kyungsoo who may or may have not been staring at him.

 

“Erm, I, eh…” Kyungsoo mumbles. All he has trained himself to say to Suho is a repeat of his order and ‘coming right up’, he never thought he actually had to talk to him one day. Now he’s there, Kim Joonmyeon, known as a y beast, asking him, Do Kyungsoo, what he recommends. Oh God. “Carrots?” He panicks.

 

“You sell carrots here?” Suho raises his eyebrows at Kyungsoo. The wide-eyed boy can hear Chen laughing in his hand even though there’s nothing to laugh about. He just made a fool of himself and his supposedly best friend is laughing at him. Great.

 

“No.” Kyungsoo mutters, turning an even brighter shade of red when Suho cackles a laugh.

 

“Oh, . I can’t believe I fell for that. Good joke, man.” Suho laughs, eyes squinting as he holds his stomach. “Carrots!” He exclaims as he goes in another fit of giggles. Kyungsoo finds himself laughing along now. You can’t not laugh when Suho laughs; it’s contagious like yawning.

 

Kyungsoo looks at Chen for support because obviously, Kyungsoo can’t handle this on his own. Chen, the good friend he is just shrugs and crosses his arms as he watches Suho with a bemused smile.

 

“Alright okay, oh man!” Suho breathes as he wipes the corners of his eyes with his thumb. “Okay now seriously, what do you recommend? What’s your favorite?” Suho asks Kyungsoo when he had his breathing under control again.

 

“You should try the chocolate cheesecake.” Kyungsoo sighs happily when he hears Chen’s high-pitched voice. Chen slings his arm over Kyungsoo’s shoulder before he continues. “Kyungsoo loves it. He likes the creamy body.” He smirks evilly, eyeing Suho up and down.. “But he thinks it looks delicious on the outside but knows that it has more to offer on the inside.”

 

“Hm.” Suho looks from Chen to Kyungsoo, the latter now tomato red. “I’ll take a piece then. Can I take it to go please?” He puts some coins on the counter as he waits for Chen to finish his order.

 

Kyungsoo wants to die. Suho is in front of him and he should say something but he doesn’t know what and he’s afraid he’ll say something stupid again like ‘banana’ or something and please Chen hurry up with that stupid cheesecake because the floor doesn’t swallow him and arrgggh!

 

“Are you going to Kai’s party?” Suho asks and did he just direct that to Kyungsoo? Kyungsoo looks at Chen who is surely taking his sweet time and enjoying Kyungsoo being put into misery like that.

 

“Erm.” Kyungsoo says. “No?”

 

“You should definitely come, dude.” Suho grins. “There’s beer and vodka and chicks.” He says as if that should be appealing to Kyungsoo. “You too.” He says to Chen as he hands him his cake. “Anyway, I’ve got to go. See you tonight in the basement, yeah?” He’s out before either Chen or Kyungsoo could reply.

 

 

“You got a date, bro!” Chen exclaims as he holds his hand up in the air for a high-five but drops it when Kyungsoo doesn’t slap it against his. “Why the frowny face?”

 

Kyungsoo sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “He invited you too.” He mutters sadly.

 

“But he asked you first.” Chen tries, but no, Kyungsoo isn’t having it.

 

“There are going to be chicks, Chen. Girls. And he seemed pretty excited about them.” He folds his arms on the counter and rests his head on top of it. “I have no chance, bro. He liked girls and beer and if you expect me to watch him snog all those slags, you’re wrong.”

 

“D.O.” Chen rubs Kyungsoo’s back soothingly. “I think he swings both ways. I mean, I’ve heard that he kissed Chanyeol once and that Baekhyun guy who rooms with him.”

 

Kyungsoo’s head snaps up at that and he glares at Chen. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” He spits. “Naming people Suho has drunkenly shoved his tongue down their throats? It doesn’t, because I’m not one of them.” He pulls his apron off; it’s the end of his shift anyway.

 

“No. I mean, I don’t think he’s only interested in girls. You might have a shot. You’re an attractive guy and if you go to that party, what do you have to lose?”

 

“My dignity.” Kyungsoo sighs and Chen laughs.

 

“No, D.O.. You already lost your dignity with that carrot thing.”

 

 

-

 

 

Kyungsoo wasn’t planning on going to the party, he honestly wasn’t, but he found himself all showered and dressed up walking down the stairs towards the basement. Chen, the big ball of energy he is, convinced him to come and Kyungsoo honestly doesn’t know why he’s such a pushover when it comes to Chen but it’s too late now. The bass is already pounding in his ears and he isn’t even on the right floor yet.

 

“I reckon it’s going to be amazing.” Chen shouts as they enter the party. The boy Kyungsoo recognizes as Kai, the one throwing the party, is standing behind the DJ booth. A couple of girls are surrounding him with flirty smiles and low-cut tops.

 

The makeshift bar is on the other side of the room and Kyungsoo immediately spots an unmistakable head of dark hair. He’s pouring people drinks together with that Baekhyun guy. Baekhyun seems nice and he doesn’t often judge people but if he has to believe the rumors, he swapped spit with his Suho and if that’s true, well then he’s on Kyungsoo’s blacklist.

 

“You want a drink?” Chen yells directly into Kyungsoo’s ear. They’re standing right next to each other so a simple raise of voice would’ve done too.

 

“Yeah, water please.” Kyungsoo tells Chen and follows the boy towards the bar.

 

Suho’s cheeks are flushed, probably due to the warmth even though he’s wearing a tank top that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. His is peaking out and either he hasn’t noticed yet or he simply doesn’t care, but to Kyungsoo the little pink bud is intriguing.

 

“You’re flashing us, dude!” Chen shouts as he points to Suho’s chest. Suho looks up at the two boys on the other side of the bar then flashes a bright smile.

 

“You came!” He yells just as loud as Chen just did and doesn’t even bother covering himself up. Not that Kyungsoo minds of course. “You guys want a drink?”

 

“A beer and a glass of water.” Chen replies, not toning his voice down even though Suho is closer now.

 

“Water?” Suho snorts but fills a glass with it anyway. Kyungsoo feels himself blush for the Nth time today. Suho thinks it’s silly that Kyungsoo wants water but Kyungsoo just doesn’t drink unless it’s wine at dinner but even then he only drinks one or two glasses. It’s just that Kyungsoo has been drunk once and he ended up in the school library. He vowed to himself and to Chen to never drink again.

 

“Someone has to bring me to the dorm safe.” Chen winks at Kyungsoo and the latter smiles gratefully.

 

“Smart.” Suho laughs then. “My place is 365 E if I forgot it by the end of the night.” He hands Kyungsoo and Chen their drinks and turns to help the other guys at the bar.

 

“You almost interacted with him.” Chen smirks at a glaring Kyungsoo.

 

“I’ve talked to him this afternoon, thank you very much.” Kyungsoo sips from his water and looks around the place. To say that he is out of his comfort zone would be an understatement. The place already stinks of beer and people are grinding onto each other and several body parts of their partners. It’s not what Kyungsoo is used to and he would’ve turned around and left if Suho wasn’t all smiles, eyes sparkling, at the bar now.

 

“He’s watching you.” Chen says, glancing a bit too obvious over Kyungsoo’s shoulder. The wide-eyed boy grabs Chen by the shoulder and pulls him right in front of him.

 

“Don’t stare at him like that.” Kyungsoo hisses. “And he’s not watching me. He’s probably checking out some girl behind me or something.”

 

“D.O.” Chen downs the rest of his beer before he puts both hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. “There is no one behind you. You’re right in his line of sight. Turn around if you don’t believe me.”

 

Kyungsoo turns his head tentatively and sees that Chen is right, there is no one between him and Suho and Suho is indeed looking his way. “Maybe he’s looking at you.” Kyungsoo shrugs as he looks back at Chen, missing the flirty smile Suho shot him.

 

“I don’t think so, my friend. What if you get me another beer?” Chen wiggles his eyebrows and pushes Kyungsoo in the direction of the bar, the direction of a sweaty Joonmyeon.

 

Kyungsoo stands with both hands in his pockets as he waits for Suho to see him. He’s so caught up in the entrancing boy that he didn’t notice the other boy, Baekhyun, talking to him. It’s when Suho bumps the other boy out of his way with a bump of his hips and leans over the bar that Kyungsoo shoots out of it. “Hey, Coffee boy. Can I get you sumtin’?” Suho’s accent is thick tonight.

 

“Erm… beer?” He glances over to Chen behind him who shoots him a thumb up. “One beer.”

 

“Coming right up.” Suho grins. “Hey, that’s your line.” The brown-eyed boy laughs, obviously slightly intoxicated by a beer or five. “Your name isn’t really Coffee boy, is it?” He asks as he prepares Chen’s beer.

 

“No, it’s not.” Kyungsoo mutters, fiddling with the hem of his plain white t-shirt.

 

“Care to enlighten me then?” Suho doesn’t put the glass on the counter but instead holds it up so Kyungsoo could grab it from him.

 

“It’s erm… it’s Kyungsoo. But call me D.O or whatever you want.” Kyungsoo answers as he wraps his fingers around the glass, almost jerking away when he feels Suho’s hand still there.

 

“Enjoy the party, Kyungie.” Suho winks, letting go of the glass before he turns to grab a ‘pint’ himself.

 

 

Kyungsoo didn’t enjoy the party. He tried to, but he just couldn’t. Suho was soon away from the bar and he hasn’t seen the boy for the rest of the night. Chen tried to dance with him but Kyungsoo refused, his dance moves aren’t ones to show off and Chen’s weren’t either. Kyungsoo called it a night around midnight.

 

 

-

 

 

“Stop shouting, Kyungsoo!” Chen mumbles the following day. It’s Saturday and the morning has already passed but Chen is clearly hung over. That’s what you get for drinking beer and vodka. In Chen’s defense, he hadn’t been sick. Yet. And he showed up at the coffee shop for his afternoon shift.

 

“I didn’t say anything.” Kyungsoo replies confused.

 

“Stop breathing then. It hurts my head.” Chen clutches his head in both hands and groans loudly for good measure.

 

Kyungsoo grumbles a bit, not in the best mood either, as he throws a rag at Chen. “You go clean the kitchen where you can enjoy the silence and where you have to blame yourself if you’re being too loud and I’ll handle the customers, yeah?” Chen is about to protest when a group of three loud guys comes in.

 

“Fine.”

 

Kyungsoo puts on his polite smile and straightens his apron when the boys approach. He recognizes two of them from the party last night. Even though they’re loud, they don’t look much better than Chen does. “What can I get you, guys?”

 

“Ehm, I’d like a plain coffee.” The first says. Kyungsoo recognizes the boy as Kai.

 

“Double espresso for me.” The second boy says as he rubs his eyes. He has dark hair and a permanent pout on his lips. He seems like the group’s pretty boy. Alcohol is still clear on the boy’s breath but Kyungsoo hasn’t seen him yesterday.

 

“A green tea for me, please.” The third smiles as he grabs his wallet from his back pocket. “Oh, should we bring Suho some?” He looks behind him to his two friends and oh it’s Baekhyun, the boy who worked with Suho behind the bar yesterday. The boy who has snogged Suho once according to the rumors and wait, isn’t that other dude Chanyeol?

 

“He said he’d meet us here. He’ll pick for himself when he gets his head out of the toilet.” Kai says with an uninterested shrug as he finds a table.

 

“Okay eh, that would be all then. Thank you.” Baekhyun hands Kyungsoo the money and tells him to keep the change.  Damn you Baekhyun, Kyungsoo curses in his head. It’s not easy to hate you for kissing my Suho when you’re polite and friendly and crinkly eyed. So Kyungsoo decides not to mess up their order. That Chanyeol guy should be thankful.

 

 

It’s about 20 minutes later. The three boys by the window still the only ones there apart from Kyungsoo and Chen who’s still cleaning in the back if he hasn’t fallen asleep yet. Kyungsoo is drying a few mugs and stocking coffee beans when someone behind him clears his throat.

 

“Hi, what can I get you today?” Kyungsoo asks as he turns around. When he sees his favorite boy hanging off the counter, all tired-eyed and wild haired, he wants to die. Even hung over, the guy is still pretty.

 

“A bottle of aspirin or a rope, I haven’t decided yet.” Suho answers, voice hoarse and raspy. He slumps down on the stool and puts his elbows on the counter as he rests his head in his hands.

 

Kyungsoo chuckles to himself as he turns around to make Suho’s usual order. He hands the steamy mug to Suho before he goes to find his back where he fishes a bottle of aspirin to get two pills out. With shaky hands, he puts them next to Suho’s mocha latte and walks away quickly.

 

“Hey!” Suho shouts, making Kyungsoo turn around shyly. “Thanks, Kyungie.”

 

“Yeah, erm… You’re welcome.” He turns his back to Suho again, trying to keep himself busy with wiping the coffee machine.

 

“How did you know my order?” Suho asks after a minute or two, shocking Kyungsoo. Suho indeed hasn’t ordered anything and Kyungsoo just assumed he wanted his regular order.

 

Kyungsoo feels himself blushing as he turns around to look at Suho. Bad move because Suho was already looking at him with his intoxicating brown eyes. “You come here like every day and erm, I thought—erm, did you want something else?”

 

“No!” Suho replies quickly. “Didn’t think you’d remember, that’s all.” This time Suho blushes and oh gosh, could this boy get any cuter? “So, did you enjoy the party?”

 

“I did.” Kyungsoo lies, turning red. Suho laughs at that as if he can see right through the lie. Which he probably could.

 

“You’re not much of a party animal, are you?”

 

Kyungsoo shakes his head. He’d rather read a good book or go see a movie than those grind parties but well, Suho invited him and Chen practically dragged him so there wasn’t much of a choice.

 

“So why did you go then?” Suho his head to the side as he waits for Kyungsoo to answer.

 

“B-because you said we should go?” Kyungsoo bites his lip as he sees Suho’s lips edge up into a smile. It’s a stupid answer and he should have said that he just felt like going to a good party or something like that.

 

“You could’ve said no…” Suho smiles, slipping his fingers over to the other side of the counter where Kyungsoo’s were.

 

“Well, erm—“ To be honest, Kyungsoo just couldn’t say no. Not to Suho at least.

 

“So if I told you to come to dinner with me tonight, you’d come?” Suho grinned at Kyungsoo, a hopeful look in his eyes. His hand was still on top of Kyungsoo’s, making the wide-eyed boy feel light-headed. By a lack of appropriate words, Kyungsoo just nodded and Suho laughed. “Seriously, Kyungsoo, you can say no.”

 

That snapped Kyungsoo out of it. “No, eh yes! I mean, I want to… Go to dinner with you.”

 

“Seriously?” Suho perked up. “It’s just you and me, like a date. Still want to come?”

 

For the first time since Kyungsoo has ‘known’ Suho, he feels at ease with him. Suho seems just as nervous as Kyungsoo is but he talks it away and Kyungsoo does the opposite. Kyungsoo laughs. “Yes, I still want to come.”

 

“Oh my God!” Suho slapped his own cheek with his free hand, the other one still laying on Kyungsoo’s. “Guys!” He shouts to the boys at the other side of the coffee shop. “He said yes! Kyungsoo’s going out on a date with me!”

 

The three boys wave at him a sign that they’ve heard him. Suho snorts. “Told them to come with me for moral support and all they do is clutch their heads and try not to vomit.” He shakes his head. “Good friends I have.”

 

“Talking about friends…” Kyungsoo laughs when Chen walks up to them.

 

“Why are you still shouting?” Chen mutters, obviously not recovered from his hangover yet. “And why is he holding your hand?” He an eyebrow when he sees Suho and Kyungsoo’s fingers now intertwined over the counter.

 

“Because…” Kyungsoo whispers, a smirk slowly creeping its way on his face. “HE ASKED ME ON A DATE!” He finished shouting and laughs when Chen flinches.

 

“I’d be happy for you because you’ve been pining over him for over a year now but you know what? I hope you two get run over by an elephant.” Kyungsoo blushes at Chen practically outing his long time crush but when he finds Suho winking at him, he figures that it doesn’t matter.

 

He’s going out on a freaking date with Kim Joonmyeon!

 

 

 

 

[End]

 

 

 

Author’s note:

Not my best and I wasn’t interested on writing it anymore so this happened. Lol.

I’m sorry for all the typo and grammar errors, too lazy to review the draft. And sorry for my crappy English. I’m a Filipino fanboy, you know, I’m not really good at it. But whatever. Lmao.

Anyway, please leave comments – I need them badly – and please read my other stories.
Kamsahamnida! :) x