A/N: I've decided to have two main plots and one smaller plot (the smaller which is a big contribution to the second main plot) in this story. The first plot will be over in one or two chapters, and then I'll start with the next. I haven't written this done yet, so if you have any requests or ideas you feel is missing in this story, feel free to voice your opinion ^_^

Minseok didn’t get any more information about their new co-worker before he started officially, which he found rather irritating, as it nudged in the back of his mind that it could literally be anybody. But on the bright side, the crowd in front of the coffee shop became smaller and smaller for each day, and Minseok predicted it would soon return to normal. 

What was the biggest shock when Minseok arrived at work five minutes late that morning, was the fact that everything was still locked. he tried the handles twice just to be sure, but it wouldn't budge. The person who always arrived first, the most punctual human being he had met so far in his life, was late.

"Oh my god," he muttered as he roamed his pockets for the spare keys to the door. "The order of things is broken," because Yixing was never late. He just wasn't.

After Minseok had found the keys and went into the shop to switch on the lights, someone came running in, panting. Minseok turned around and stared at a rose-cheeked Yixing, standing there with one hand on his knee, one hand on the door handle as he breathed heavily.

Minseok furred his eyebrows. "Wow, is that really how I look when I run as well? I'll have to start coming on time," he remarked.

Yixing sent him a death glare as he used a minute to catch his breath. "There was this drowning kitten, and I had to jump in the river to save it. But then I was soaked so I had to ho home and change," he explained.

Minseok shook his head. "Never mind what I said, if you can do that and still only be late five minutes, I stand no chance," he said, giving up before even starting. Yixing and his heroism, whenever Minseok saved a mouse from the mouse traps then Yixing had gone and saved some near extinct animal.

"Anyways," Minseok said as they changed in the staff room. "When is that new guy coming?" They had done everything already, making preparations so that it would be easier for the new guy to slip into their routines.

"Well, he was supposed to be here at the same time as us," Yixing shook his head and checked his watch. It was only ten minutes since they both arrived, which equaled fifteen minutes total.

Yixing didn't really look pleased, but Minseok cut the new guy some slack and shrugged. "If he's later than me, I like him already," he grinned, sending Yixing a crooked, sly smile. Yixing just squinted back at Minseok, shuddering as he turned around to find something better to do. It wasn't opening hours yet, so they still had some time to enjoy the silence the shop had once (and soon would again) offered for all its guests.

Yixing walked in on the back, and Minseok was left in the shop to do the things still undone.

About then, the second person that morning came running through the doors, breathing heavily. "Sorry!" he exclaimed, "I slept through my alarms!"

Minseok, who was placing the coffee cups right, turned around and leant over the front counter. "You too?” Then he turned his head around in direction Yixing was, shouting. “See Yixing, I told you I wasn't the only one who managed to do that!" Minseok hadn't even talked to this guy before, but knew they were going be good friends already. The new guy had dark brown hair, prominent cheekbones and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, making it seem like he was about to do something childishly mischievous. And Minseok had to agree with himself from a minute ago, that he already liked this guy.

Yixing, who was getting some coffee beans from the stocking room, walked out again. "And I told you I have only met one other person to do that, and I personally don't want to talk about hi -" Yixing didn't get longer, because he reached the shop and saw the new guy. His arms fell to his sides, and all the beans tumbled to the floor with a loud crash.

"Jongdae?" he exclaimed on outbreath with no voice accompanying it, like he couldn't believe his own eyes. He honestly seemed terrified, colour draining from his face, eyes widening. He took a step backwards.

"YIXING?"

So in the end, it came to light that Yixing and this Jongdae had been friends in high school. Good friends as well, Minseok noticed. But as Jongdae grinned and joked around and talked about old times, Yixing seemed uncomfortable as he didn't say much, and constantly shifted in his seat. And Minseok couldn't help but wonder what was happening.

"But then I left for a special study abroad in England. I returned this spring," Jongdae sipped a coffee Minseok had prepared, as they sat around a table in the shop after closing hours. Now Luhan had joined them as well, and they were talking, getting to know each other. Jongdae was studying to become a pastry chef, and had returned to town a couple of months ago. He lived only a few minutes from here, and hadn't worked part-time until now. Yixing honestly looked like he wanted to die while talking, but Jongdae smiled and seemed pretty okay in Minseok's eyes. He knew that something must have happened between the two in the past, but he had no idea what, and he knew Yixing would be reluctant about answering if he asked. He understood that if he wanted to know, he would have to wait.

So even though Yixing didn't say much and only let out a forced smile every now and then, and Minseok mostly looked after former, Luhan and Jongdae joked and got along pretty well.

But for one of them, it became a pretty long night, which didn't just end when he got home. Because Yixing and Jongdae had a history. A history Yixing hated going back on, so he just drowned himself in music instead whenever he was reminded. And because of that, for the past week, he had been playing his favourite 'I hate the world'-music as loud as he could without his neighbours complaining. They were surprisingly little happy about Nirvana and Curt Cobain shouting angry messages like "I'm on a plain. I can't complain," to the world. But he managed to forget everything as his thoughts were drowned in music, so he figured his music served its purpose. Well, it worked for like a week. Then Yixing was dragged into the worst possible situation ever, and he thought he was going to die on the spot, they whole evening.

It was Minseok's idea. They would all go out to eat one day they weren't working, as a small celebration of Jongdae joining. They had been working together for over a week, but all he could seem to notice was the constantly growing uneasiness of Yixing. It became worse and worse for every day Jongdae was around, and Minseok wondered how Luhan and Jongdae managed to miss all the obvious signs. Maybe it was because he had known Yixing for such a long time - and Jongdae had been away for quite a big period. Was it even possbile to become strangers when you once were best friends? He didn't know. So then, he had decided they needed to clear the awkward atmosphere. There was no way Minseok was working in the heavy aura that lay like a thick cloud inside the shop every day. So he brought them all out for dinner. It was a good restaurant he knew, not so far from work. Good food, not too expensive, as they were students, after all. It had a beautiful view over a park, and on the wooden balcony where he had reserved a table, fairy lights hung on the railings and from the roof. The table was made from wood, and the red and white-checkered tablecloth covered made the feel somewhat Italian. Well, but then again it was an Italian food restaurant. Luhan and Minseok sat on the left side, and Jongdae and Yixing on the right. Minseok didn't think he had ever seen such a pained look in Yixing's eyes ever, and he withstood the urge to go hug his friend.

"You know what Minseok thought the first time we met?" Luhan smiled as he looked through the menu. Jongdae had been filled in about the weird way Luhan and Minseok had met, ended up living and working together (excluding the gang-money-chasing part), and they were just done with the story, or so had Minseok thought.

Minseok put down his own menu and turned to Luhan, furring his eyebrows. What was Luhan about to say? At the moment, Minseok couldn't come up with anything Luhan could possibly tell, but his gut told him it was going to be embarrassing.

"Luhan," Minseok warned, though not quite sure what he was warning him about saying. But both Yixing and Jongdae was looking at Luhan expectantly, and he was pretty much fully ignored.

Luhan cracked a smile as he said, "that I was chased by the Italian mafia,"

Oh, that one. Minseok closed his eyes, feeling about four million points being taken away from his coolness-scale.

He sent a crooked smile to Luhan. "It could have been worse. I could have said the Japanese yakuza," Minseok defended himself, trying to save at least some face.

Luhan shook his head, grinning. "At least they operate in South Korea," he stated, nodding self-importantly. He had probably remembered the small fact about their meeting because Minseok had chosen an Italian restaurant, and suddenly he felt really stupid.

Jongdae furred his eyebrows with a slight smirk. "How do you even know that?" he asked. Yixing sent Minseok a worried look - they couldn't just spout out the truth like that. But instead of internally panicking like Minseok and Yixingwas now doing, Luhan just grinned back. "Because my mother is a yakuza boss in Kyoto, my father is a leader in China, my brother is sent to Europe to work for the Italian mafia and I'm here as the Korean base boss," he declared in such a way there was no one would ever believe it.

Jongdae laughed, and the original question was forgotten as all four of them kept talking and joking. Even Yixingwas doing his best - though he looked as comfortable as a seal in the desert. But they had a good time. They all got along well, and by the time they asked for the bill the afternoon had turned into evening, and in the end night had fallen. The time was closing in to twelve, and Luhan and Minseok excused themselves first, leaving Yixing and Jongdae alone.

Yixing shifted uncomfortably, his gaze staring into nothing for a while, before turning somewhere else. In the end, he couldn't bear the silence and stood up. "I'll leave first," he announced formally, like they were meeting for the first time. He slung his denim jacket on, and put some money on the table. "This is my part," he said and turned to go. Maybe he would be able to leave without much -

"Xing, stop." It was a long time since he had been called by that nickname. But he had put that name behind him, just like their history.

Yixing stopped in his tracks, and for a second he wondered if he should just walk on. But the again he was Yixing after all, and he turned around. "What?" he asked.

Jongdae looked up at him curiously. "Why are you being like this?" he wondered. "Why are you acting like we are strangers?"

The answer was short and simple, as Yixing's eyes became cold and expressionless. "Because we are." He turned around, and walked out.