“Okay hold it...hold it...and now move it back and forth, hurry.”

Baekhyun put his more than 100% concentration on his cup and pitcher, containing espresso and milk. His eyebrows was knitted, his eyes narrowed, and his tongue was sticking out in between his lips.  As he made the last move to create the bottom tip of his heart latte art, Baekhyun blinked several times before he finally exhaled his held breath.

“It’s good,” said Kyuhyun, the barista who worked for Jessica as well as the person who had helped him for the past one hour to make a heart latte art. “I shouldn’t have taught you. You’re already good at this.”

Baekhyun shook his head and put down the cup filled with heart pattern on top of it. “It’s not that good. The last time I did this was eight years ago. I’ve done better.”

“At least I didn’t have to teach you from the very start,” the older man, five years older than Baekhyun, said with his eyes darting to the other barista named Sanghyuk standing from afar, watching them.

Sanghyuk, this one was younger than him, he was the same age and same school with Chanyeol. He laughed gleefully as he immediately caught the sarcasm on Kyuhyun’s words was for him. “Come on, Hyung. I wasn’t that bad. Besides, there’s a start for everything.”

“Indeed,” Kyuhyun approached the youngest boy and ruffled his hair. “But you were such a pain in the . I like Baekhyun better.”

Baekhyun let out a laugh, “you’re making me and Hyuk awkward, Hyung. Favoritism is the root of a conflict.”

Kyuhyun put both of his hand in the air, “I’m just glad that I have a new staff to help me, that’s all.” With that, he got back to the corner of the kitchen, sat there and started playing his laptop. “I’m happy I have more time to play games now.”

Baekhyun and Hyuk shared an amused look. “Is he always like this?” Baekhyun asked in a cheerful tone as he tightened the knot of his apron.

“Believe me, actually he’s not working here. He gets paid for playing starcraft using this cafe’s wifi.”

“I heard that, Hyuk. You two get back to work,” Kyuhyun yelled monotonously.

Both of the younger baristas snickered and got back to their assigned station. Baekhyun on cashier, and Hyuk behind the steam machine. There wasn’t any customer around at the moment. This business of his sister-in-law was great, but unfortunately for only certain group of people. The customers ranged only from teenager to adult. Meanwhile, other people, especially older people preferred to drink traditional herbal green tea or ginseng. But this cafe was still standing strong.

It was already passed noon and the weather was so nice today. The weather was always nice in this town but today it seemed like the world also celebrated Baekhyun’s first day of working that the weather was Baekhyun’s kind of favorite. It was a perfect day for a cup of coffee. Maybe it was only a matter of time for this cafe to be filled with many—

Cring cring

“Mr.Yang should’ve spared us. We did nothing wrong.”

“Yeah, one hour being late for his class wasn’t wrong.”

Baekhyun looked up to see three teenage boys wearing high school uniform standing in the doorway to the cafe. Baekhyun didn’t know the two who talked loudly when they came in, but he certainly could recognized the one on the back, towering over his two friends.

“Chanyeol...” Baekhyun said unbelievingly. His voice was so soft, but it was like Chanyeol could hear him even from across the room, because Chanyeol immediately smiled really bright after Baekhyun called him.

Chanyeol walked over to the cashier where Baekhyun was while his friends went to their seemingly usual seats, and the one with unique shape of lips when he smiled waved at Hyuk and yelled, “Hyuk-ah, Kyungsoo and I, the usual.”

Baekhyun could see Hyuk smiled and turned away to start his job as Chanyeol was already in front of him and leaned toward the cashier. “Hey, Baekhyun.”

The said older seemed not be able to retrieve his sense since this was the first time he saw Chanyeol in uniform, and he never thought that someone could be this good in a plain black uniform.

“You came,” Baekhyun finally uttered, almost breathlessly.

“I told you I would come,” Chanyeol smiled to him. He never stopped smiling the second he entered the cafe.

Baekhyun loosened up a little bit and smiled too, “No, you didn’t.”

“I didn’t?” Chanyeol looked up at the ceiling, pretending he was thinking. “Yeah, but you should’ve already guessed that I would definitely come. This your first day here after all. And I also bring my friends from school, too.”

“I could see that,” Baekhyun nodded. “You guys are the regulars here?”

“Not really. Once a week, at least. When we still have our money.”

Hyuk came from behind him, holding two cups of hot hazelnut latte and white caramel. “Oh, you guys know each other?” Hyuk asked, and called for Chanyeol’s two friends to pick up their coffee.

“We just met two days ago,” Baekhyun said awkwardly.

“So this is the Baekhyun who Chanyeol had been talking about non-stop all day,” the boy with unique lips, and apparently also a unique personality, said to him as the smaller one followed behind him.

“Yah, Jongdae-ya, call him Hyung,” Chanyeol shot him a glare. “Sorry, Baekhyun. These are my best friends. This disrespectful child is Jongdae, and this quiet satanic fella is Kyungsoo.”

“But you didn’t call him with ‘Hyung’ too,” Jongdae whined.

“Shut up, and just take your latte, Jongdae,” Kyungsoo said harshly as he picked his cup of coffee and his other hand offered Baekhyun a handshake which the latter gladly responded. “Hi Baekhyun Hyung. I’m Kyungsoo. Nice to meet you.”

His voice was so bland albeit his face was a bit murderous and stoic. Baekhyun thought this fella must be pretty unique, too. “Nice to meet you, Kyungsoo, Jongdae.” It was really awkward to greet each other with counter and cashier machine in between them, but somehow Baekhyun managed to break the ice. “Since this is my first day here, and you guys took the time to come here. I’m going to treat you for the drinks.”

There was a pause before three different responds came after.

“Really? We don’t have to pay this? This is the best thing that had happened to me in 2014.”

“Awesome.”

“Baekhyun, you don’t have to do that, really.”

And Baekhyun didn’t really know how to answer those.

Jongdae and Kyungsoo were back to their seats after they said thank yous to Baekhyun. Hyuk came back to his place. And Chanyeol still stood there in front of him. “You really don’t have to do that, you know,” he said.

“I really don’t mind, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun snickered. “Now, what about you?”

He still didn’t agree with Baekhyun treating them, but Chanyeol finally gave up and leaned toward the cashier again. “What can you make?” he asked.

“W-well,” Baekhyun stuttered, a bit surprised that the younger boy asked him all of a sudden. “I could only make latte. You like Americano, right? Hyuk could make you—“

“I want latte,” Chanyeol cut him off. “I want your latte.”

“What?” Now Chanyeol really threw him off guard. “Chanyeol, I could barely—“

“I’ll be waiting on my seat. Call me when my—your latte is done, okay?” Chanyeol said as he turned around and approached his two friends on the corner of the shop, leaving Baekhyun bewildered by his actions.

“Wow,” Baekhyun could hear Kyuhyun’s voice from his table behind him. “You got such a persistent boy over there, huh, Baekhyun?”

His flustered look slowly turned into a happy one. He couldn’t hide his smile as he walked to the coffee machine where Hyuk stood and began to make his latte for his first customer.

The last few hours had been strange for Baekhyun. It was strange how Baekhyun really did make an latte with a heart on it. It was strange how impossibly bright Chanyeol’s smile had been when he received the coffee Baekhyun had made for him. It was strange how it lifted Baekhyun’s to the highest level throughout the day. It was even more strange when Chanyeol stayed when his friends bid goodbye. And it was strange how Baekhyun ended up sitting with Chanyeol right now when his break time came.

“Why didn’t you go home?” Baekhyun asked. Chanyeol was sitting in front of him, his cup was already empty since hourse ago, but he hadn’t left yet.

“Why?” Chanyeol asked back, his chin was supported by his hand. “You don’t want me to be here? I’m a customer, you know. Even though I didn’t pay my coffee, but I’m still a customer.”

Baekhyun laughed and sipped his own coffee. Kyuhyun was the one who had made it for him. “I know, but you’ve been here for three hours, Chanyeol.”

There were some other customers inside the cafe right now. It was a little bit packed, but Kyuhyun let him to take a break for a while as well as let him to at least talk with his guest who had been waiting for him for hours.

“Did you like your first day?” Chanyeol asked. His attention was full on Baekhyun. “I watched you all day, and you seem enjoyed it a lot.”

Baekhyun felt his face heating up, and slowly nodded. “I liked it. People loved my coffee.”

It was probably his imagination, but Baekhyun thought Chanyeol’s face fall. “You should learn other latte art, Baekhyun. You know, people probably don’t like heart pattern, right?”

Baekhyun pursed his lips to hide his smile. Chanyeol’s way to show his jealousy was cute. “But you like my heart pattern,” Baekhyun stated.

“I love it,” the younger corrected him. “But some people might not like it as I do.”

At this state, Baekhyun couldn’t hold his smile and laugh any longer. “Okay, I understand. I’ll learn new pattern and give it to people. And my heart pattern is only for you, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol smiled so bright, and something about it made Baekhyun feel like he could live just by seeing Chanyeol smiled. It would be both wonderful and miserable thing, to know that your life depended on someone else’s happiness.

They didn’t say anything for the next full minute. Baekhyun sipped his own coffee, sometimes looked outside through the glass, while he fully awared that the boy in front of him had his eyes only set on him, it was a bit obvious, really. It wasn’t awkward at all. Baekhyun got used to Chanyeol’s intense stare that it became his need. Baekhyun wanted Chanyeol to see him only.

“When will your shift end?” Chanyeol snapped him out from his daze. He moved closer to him until their knees bumped into each other.

“I don’t know,” Baekhyun shook his head. “Probably a few more hours. Why?”

“Do you want me to wait for you until you’re done?”

Baekhyun flickered his eyebrows up, “What? No, God, Chanyeol, you don’t have to.”

“But I wanted to,” he said, and Chanyeol did something that Baekhyun never imagined he would do. Well, he imagined it a lot, but Baekhyun didn’t think that Chanyeol would actually do it.

Chanyeol was grabbing his hand, and enveloped it firmly with his. And Baekhyun tried his hard to keep breathing while keeping his face straight.

“You see,” Chanyeol continued. “This wasn’t as dangerous as Seoul, but there’s still some criminal record here. And look,” he said while looking at Baekhyun’s hand. “You’re so small, Baekhyun. I think I could hug all of you at once.”

Baekhyun froze, “You...hug...who?”

“My point is, I couldn’t let you go home by yourself,” Chanyeol clarified, smiling warmly while his grip was still hard around Baekhyun’s hand. “If something happened, I don’t think you could protect yourself. So I’ll wait for you and we’ll go home together like yesterday, okay?”

That was succeeded at making Baekhyun’s heartbeat quickened. Having someone to protect him was probably only existed in his dream. But Baekhyun can’t help to feel a little offended since someone much younger than him like Chanyeol said he was small and he could not protect himself. Baekhyun should be the one who took care of Chanyeol.

“You really don’t have to do that, Chanyeol. Go home, alright? You don’t have to worry about me, I could take care of myself.”

Baekhyun expected Chanyeol would admire him through his little speech. He pictured Chanyeol would nodded in awe, thinking that Baekhyun was indeed someone he could look up to.

What he didn’t imagine was that Chanyeol would suddenly grip his hand so hard until he let out a surprised and hurt squeak, “Aw, Chan— it hurts!”

Chanyeol didn’t loosen up his grip even a single bit, “Try to let go of my hand, then I’ll let you go home by yourself.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Baekhyun yelled a little loudly. Some of the customers were looking at the curiously, so did Kyuhyun and Sanghyuk behind the counter. But it didn’t make Chanyeol stop his action. His grip was so strong, and his hand couldn’t even move, let alone trying to let go of his grip. “Alright, alright. Let go of me. I give up.”

Chanyeol dropped his cold act immediately as well as his grip around Baekhyun’s hand. He scooped the older’s hand and rubbed it gently, instead. He looked at the hand he pretended to break s few seconds ago with concern, “Your hand’s so red. I’m sorry, Baekhyun. Did it hurt so much?”

Baekhyun couldn’t help but laugh. The Chanyeol right now was so different with the Chanyeol a moment ago,”What, did you think I was faking my pain?”

Chanyeol sighed, “You should’ve told me that you have sensitive skin. But see? You can’t defense yourself.”

“I still don’t like the idea  you’re waiting for me for hours. I still have five hours until the cafe is closed,” Baekhyun argued. He didn’t know why they would argue about this since their relationship was pretty much...Baekhyun didn’t even know what kind of relationship they had.

“Fine,” Chanyeol said, and Baekhyun couldn’t help but felt a pang of dissapointment, but he was kind of relieved. “For now, I’ll go home but I’ll comeback later to pick you up,” the younger stated, and before Baekhyun could protest again, Chanyeol continued, “Stop. I don’t want to hear your disagreement again. This is as far as I could allow you, okay?”

Hearing that order, Baekhyun lowered his head and snickered. He almost forgot that Chanyeol was still holding his hand.

“What?” Chanyeol questioned his snickering.

Baekhyun looked up again and held his laugh, “Nothing. It’s just funny how you act older than me.”

“I didn’t act like I’m older. I care about you.”

“I know,” Baekhyun smiled. It was nice to have someone who cared about you, and Baekhyun would forever be thankful for that. “Thank you, Chanyeol.”

After holding his hand for a while, Chanyeol finally let go of it since he needed his hand to take his phone out of his bag. “So it’s settled,” Chanyeol extended his hand and gave Baekhyun his phone. “Let’s exchange our phone numbers, shall we? So you could give me a call when you’re finished later.”

Baekhyun gave him a look, “Wow, you’re so good at this, aren’t you? Do you do this a lot, asking phone numbers after you said you care?” he said jokingly, but still, he took out his phone from his apron.

“You know I’m not that kind of person,” Chanyeol pouted. “Here take my phone and put your number there.”

Baekhyun took his phone, then looked down to his own phone. His eyes widened at the screen of his phone, his stomach felt like turn upside-down, and he almost dropped the two phones on his hands. Because right there, he saw another bunch of missed calls and messages from the person he wanted to get away the most.

Chanyeol noticed the changes on Baekhyun’s expression and quickly asked, “Baekhyun, what’s wrong?”

Baekhyun jumped on his seat, startled by Chanyeol’s concerned voice. He immediately composed himself together though he could only smile awkwardly and shook his head, “No-nothing, just...” he avoided Chanyeol’s eyes, and messily pushed the buttons on his phone, trying to delete all the notifications. “Just wait a minute.”

After several attempts, he could delete all of them. Though before he got rid of them, he could catch a few words written on it, like wherever you are, Baekhyun. I’m going to find you.

It was enough to make him shivered. But for the sake of the boy in front of him, Baekhyun didn’t let himself to crumple down right now. Instead, he pulled up his lips again, and faced the younger boy.

“Sorry, here,” he said as he gave Chanyeol his phone. “There were some spam messages earlier, so I had to get rid of it.”

Chanyeol received his phone, and Baekhyun still couldn’t bring himself to meet Chanyeol’s gaze. He focused on Chanyeol’s phone and put his number there. They finished at the same time, and gave each other’s phone back.

“I think I have to get back to work,” Baekhyun stood up abruptly. “I’ll call you when I finished my work. See you later, Chanyeol.”

“Baekhyun, wait—“

The said man ignored the call and dashed back into the counter of the cafe. There were so many things—too many thoughts—plagued his mind that he nearly shutted down everything.

He didn’t realize the worry look Chanyeol gave him as he eventually left the cafe. He didn’t really put his focus on his customers and lattes. It was like he moved in an autopilot the whole time after he saw the text message.

That text message from Daehyun probably would haunt him to sleep tonight.

Baekhyun froze when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around, and found Kyuhyun there, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows. “Are you okay, Byun?” Kyuhyun asked as now Hyuk also slid beside him. “The last customer had left five minutes ago, but you still stand behind your cashier.”

“I’m fine,” Baekhyun mumbled mindlessly. “Just tired.”

He was telling the truth. Both his mind and body were tired. He didn’t realize that it was already closing hour. Five hours had passed without him knowing. He needed to control himself more to not letting his mind consumed by that kind of matter.

“I’m sorry, I’m going home now,” Baekhyun considered himself as an today, whether it was to Chanyeol or to his fellow employees. He took mental notes to apologize to them tomorrow.

“Chanyeol is waiting for you outside,” Sanghyuk yawned and streched his arms as he told Baekhyun the information.

“He what?”

“He’s outside,” this time it was Kyuhyun who told him. “Go home and get some rest, okay?”

Baekhyun hadn’t prepared himself to meet Chanyeol. He planned to not call Chanyeol tonight and just call him tomorrow instead. He didn’t know how he would explain to him about his behavior earlier.

Baekhyun exhaled wearily and slowly took off his apron. He hoped he could pull off some time for himself to think, but to no avail, he only got more nervous.

He excused himself first while Kyuhyun and Hyuk stayed to count the money they earned today. Baekhyun’s hands slumped in both sides of his body, his bag on his back weight him down, and he breathed in deeply before he opened the door out of the cafe.

He was half hoping that Chanyeol wasn’t there, but of course his wish wasn’t usually granted. Chanyeol was very much standing in front of him, leaning on his car with his hands tucked inside his pockets. He had changed his school uniform into blue plaid shirt and jeans, and Baekhyun felt at ease that at least Chanyeol did come home as he asked him to.

Chanyeol smiled to him and didn’t even hesitate to approach him and hold his hand now. “Hey,” he said with his deep voice. “Ready to go home?”

Relieved washed over him. His anxiety over seeing Chanyeol was comepletely gone and replaced by the sudden longing and urge to cry. He realized that he was worrying over nothing. There was Chanyeol here with him, protecting and taking care of him. Baekhyun shouldn’t feel afraid of anything.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun said as he choked down his tears. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done and said two you earlier and yesterday. I must’ve make you confused, or worried.”

Baekhyun clenched his hands, but Chanyeol immediately eased the tense away. “What are you sorry for? You’re not doing anything wrong, okay? If anything, now I’m worried because you look really tired. We should go home.”

Baekhyun only nodded slightly. He didn’t dare to utter a word as he didn’t trust his voice to not break and burst into tears. He let Chanyeol lead him to his car, the younger even tucked the seatbelt for him. It made Baekhyun start to wonder if Chanyeol was really eight years younger than him.

Chanyeol didn’t say anything anymore when he started driving. After Baekhyun trusted his voice to speak, he turned toward Chanyeol, “Aren’t you gonna ask me something?”

Chanyeol chuckled lightly, and his right hand reached out toward Baekhyun’s head, and he gently the older’s crown. “Baekhyun, I’m not going to force you to to tell me anything. If you wanted to tell me, you would already have.”

Chanyeol took his hand away from Baekhyun’s head, and suddenly the older felt a bit disappointed about it. But he was relieved that Chanyeol understood. He had yet ready to tell him about his problem.

“Thank you, Chanyeol,” he said softly, genuinely.

“Actually, I did have something to ask you,” Chanyeol glanced at him. “You’re working again tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Perfect,” Chanyeol blurted out. “There’s something I want to tell you tomorrow.”

Suddenly Baekhyun felt a ting of excitement, “What is it?”

Chanyeol laughed, “I said tomorrow, Sunshine. Be patient.”

And that was the first time Baekhyun experienced something people usually said as ‘heart doing a somersault.’

A/N:

Super Junior's Kyuhyun and VIXX's Hyuk yehet!

random characters is random.