◇◆Minseok oneshot◆◇

“Oppa, make me a snowman!” You smiled, holding up a snowball to Minseok. The little boy stopped what he was doing and turned to look at you. He pouted and reluctantly walked over to you – it wasn’t like he wanted to refuse you, just that he couldn’t or else his mum would scold him later, little Minseok thought bitterly. He sighed and walked over to you and placed his hands on his hips, “D-don’t bother me then, okay? O-or else I-I won’t make your snowman,” he huffed, taking the snowball from your hands.

You nodded eagerly and watched as he added more snow to your snowball before beginning to roll it around on the ground and then around the garden. You watched in amazement as the size of the ball grew larger and larger, clapping happily and cheering Minseok on, “Go Oppa! Yay!” He only mumbled and kept rolling it until the ball was almost half a metre high.

“There,” he said, brushing the snow off his hands, “Just the right size for you.” You ran over and hugged him around the neck, and smiled at him.

“Thank you, Oppa!” You said and skipped happily over to the large snowball, beginning to make a smaller one for the snowman’s head. He watched as you made a lumpy ball of snow, rolling it around on the ground to make it larger and patting more snow onto it before slowly lifting it carefully on top of the larger snowball.

Minseok rolled his eyes and went back to making his snow fort. When he heard you shout at him, he looked over his shoulder feeling a little annoyed but replied, “Whaaat?”

“Look, look! My snowman has a hat and a face!” You laughed, “I’m going to tell mum to take a picture of us!” Before running indoors to ask your mother.

***

Minseok flipped through the photo albums spread out around him on the floor. Almost every picture had you in it, smiling brightly at the camera. He found the picture of when you two were younger, standing with the snowman between the two of you. He chuckled and closed the photo album and leaned back on his hands.

“Ah, where are you now?” He whispered to the air.

***

As he wiped the cup in his hands, the bell of the door rang as another customer came into the coffee shop. Minseok looked up to glance at who it was; a girl who was looking around the shop before approaching the counter. The other staff members had gone on a lunch break so he was the only one left at work. He set the cup down among the other cups and wiped his hands on his apron, “Hello, How may I help you today?” He asked politely.

You looked up at him and wondered what you should get. There was a variety of sweets displayed in the glass counter and you drooled at the sight of them. “What… do you recommend?” You asked shyly.

Minseok looked down through the glass and pointed out a particular cake, “Perhaps the blueberry cheesecake would interest you?” He suggested. You shook your head and made a face.

“No… I don’t really like cheesecake…” You mumbled.

“Hmm, then would you like to try our new Chocolate Swirl Delight?” He said, pointing at the triangle slice of chocolate cake, marbled with swirls of vanilla like its name. Vanilla cream decorated its surface topped with a curl of fine chocolate. You nodded and also ordered a hot mocha with the cake.

You watched as he – Minseok, read his nametag – reached into the cabinet and pulled out a slice of the cake and placed it on a white plate, painted with the name of the coffee shop. He bustled about preparing the drink, operating the coffee machine and brewing the coffee with expert ease, his hands moving in fluid motions of a trained barista.

Minseok brought the drink over, tapped a few keys into the register and gave you the price, “That will be $5.65, please.” You rummaged through your bag for your wallet and paid for everything, before taking the cake in one hand and drink in another.

***

Every day after that, Minseok would see you coming inside the shop. Sometimes, he would serve you; other times, his co-workers would. But he always saw you come inside, either with your friends or alone; dripping with rain; shivering from the cooler weather, snow lightly dusting your hair. He became used to your patronage to the shop and eventually memorised your orders, all depending on your particular moods and the weather which he also learnt to gauge easily.

Minseok had come to memorise your fleeting emotions, in particular, your smile every time you took a sip of the coffee or drink he made. He came to appreciate your love for the shop and decided that, one day, he will approach you and talk to you.

***

It was Christmas Day and it was snowing heavily outside, the snow settling on the window sill outside, the glass of the windows frosting up. The coffee shop was empty, and Minseok was pretty much alone except for one or two customers who may or may not have fallen asleep.

He pulled up a stool to the counter, sat down and leaned his elbows on the glass, propping up his chin. Minseok watched the flakes of snow fall outside, muffling the world in hushed silence with a blanket of white. He guessed that no-one would be outside in this weather and on Christmas Day too.

It was just past lunchtime, when it would usually be the rush hour but the bell on the door wouldn’t be ringing any time soon. He sighed and crossed his arms, laying his face down on top in a position so that he could still see the door. The sky was a dreary grey, the clouds heavy with more snow and didn’t look like it would stop any time soon.

Minseok closed his eyes briefly, It’s not like anyone will be coming here today, he thought, so maybe it’ll be alright if I sleep a bit.

The bell rang loudly, announcing a customer but Minseok didn’t move. He was sound asleep.

You came inside and looked around. All the customers had left and barely a soul was in sight except for the barista who looked like he was sleeping. You walked up to the counter and peeked at his sleeping face, smiling slightly at the sight.

Not wanting to wake him, you slowly pulled a chair to the counter, sitting opposite of him and kept watch over him. You sneaked a few glances at him, looking up from your phone but his slow, equal breaths told you that he was still asleep.

A rustle of cloth made you look up just as Minseok sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes and yawning, stretching his arms upwards. He blinked blearily, forgetting that he was still on his shift at the coffee shop and rubbed his cheek where red lines were marked there from the sleeve he had been sleeping on.

“Mornin’ sunshine!” You chirped, nearly doubling over in laughter at his shocked expression at seeing you there. “How was your…” You checked the time on your phone, “1 hour nap?” you asked, a cheeky grin forming on your face.

“Ah, sorry,” he scratched his head sheepishly. Minseok looked around but there were no other customers around except you. “Was I asleep for that long?” he asked.

“You were sleeping when I came in here,” you shrugged, “And no other customers have come in either. So, you’re lucky, I guess.”

“Um, thanks then. Would you like anything to drink? My treat as thanks,” he smiled. Minseok’s cheeks were a little flushed but you weren’t sure if it was from the marks or from embarrassment. Probably both, you laughed inwardly.

“Then whatever fits the season,” you chuckled. He nodded and went about his ways before placing a steaming cup before you.

The scent of chocolate and mint wafted up to your nose, and you sniffed approvingly, taking a small sip of the hot liquid. You sighed in content as the drink warmed you up, the spices tingling on your tongue while the cool taste of mint contrasted with the hot chocolate. “Wow, this is amazing!” you exclaimed, beaming at the barista.

“Thanks. I’ve been working on the recipe for the Christmas season,” Minseok said, wiping his hands on his apron and fidgeting a little, “Glad you like it!”

“Mmm. I love this,” you mumbled, taking little sips and savouring the taste.

It was silent in the shop – you taking little sips while he sat on the stool, watching you – until Minseok cleared his throat and asked, “How come you’re here… instead of at home? Celebrating Christmas.”

“Well, that’s a long story. I just don’t have much of a Christmas spirit, only love for the wintry, snow season.”

“Ah. Right, what was your… name again?” Minseok asked, almost too quietly for you to notice.

You told him your name and you saw a spark of something light in his eyes, a frown deepening on his face. Minseok looked to be thinking hard about whatever it was before he looked at you straight in the eye and said, “You don’t happen to be that ­­_____? Right?”

Your eyebrows knit together in thought as it dawned on you, “Wait. You’re Kim Minseok from that neighbourhood? The boy who I always used to play with as a child and that I have about a million pictures of? The Kim Minseok?” You uttered in disbelief.

You had moved away when you were ten, your father getting a new job that was a bit too far away for him to travel by car to easily. You had said goodbye to little Minseok, pinky promising with him that you would come back soon, only that ‘soon’ is now ten years or so later.

Minseok nodded and smiled radiantly, “I can’t believe you were my childhood friend for all these months of you coming here!” By now he had clasped your hands in his, the both of you reliving your memories of each other again.

“I guess we meet again, and on Christmas Day too! Just like all those years ago, when I had to move away on the same day,” you chuckled.

“Yes, it is a ‘Merry’ Christmas indeed,” he laughed, and you spent the rest of the day, evening and night, chatting away and discussing the life you had after separating  all those years ago.

Here's the next one shot! Featuring Xiumin! ^^ Except it's his real name...hehe

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