When Jongin passed by the avenue on his way home, he saw the guy seated by the window, that couch closest to the sidewalk, separated only by a clear glass painted on with cute drawings of everything coffee related. Cafe Guy, Jongin had nicknamed him. He wasn’t creative enough to come up with a silly name.

Sometimes Cafe Guy caught Jongin looking at him, sometimes it was the other way around, but whenever they did, it was never awkward. It had become a pattern, a habit for them. Cafe Guy smiled, a soft and short one, before going back to the book he always read. Jongin smiled back with a slight bow.

When Jongin entered the cafe to get a cup of coffee, Coffee Guy wasn’t in his usual spot. It would have been interesting to finally see him up close. The barista called his name, handed him his cup—ristretto bianco—and Jongin left.



"Ah, seriously," Jongin muttered as he pulled his umbrella from his bag. The rain had poured, thankfully not as hard as it sounded like from the classroom. He stepped into a puddle. Not his shoes, no. He grunted, knowing how pointless his cursing was. He was going to step on more puddles on his way home anyway.

At the usually empty waiting shed a few meters before the turn he noticed a green jacket he had always closely associated with somebody. When the person’s face came into view, looking at the sky, Jongin knew his guess was right. Jongin's yellow umbrella, bright in the dull colors of the suburbs, must had caught the person’s attention. He turned toward Jongin, curious eyes squinting. Cafe Guy. Jongin stopped, surprised to find him in a different place. He returned Jongin’s gaze, nodding and smiling, the usual smile he always gave at the cafe, before looking back at the sky. He didn't have anything with him, just his green jacket over grey shirt, jeans, and himself. It was only at that moment Jongin realized that Cafe Guy was actually stuck in the rain.

Jongin continued walking until he was under the shed. He folded his umbrella, and the snap of its spring and quick flap of its canopy prompted Cafe Guy to notice his presence.

"Are you stuck?" Jongin asked, raising his voice a little so it was louder against the sound of rain hitting metal roof. He wasn't really used to talking to strangers but he couldn't help himself this time.

Cafe Guy simply stared at him, not even parting his lips to give an answer . Jongin fidgeted until Cafe Guy nodded. That saved him.

"Where are you headed to?" Jongin followed up, a little encouraged when he got but a silent response.

Cafe Guy gave him the same look again. Then he shifted to his right, lifting his arm to point at somewhere Jongin failed to catch at first. He followed the finger's direction but got the old tree near the corner of an intersection.

"Uh," Jongin trailed off, unsure if asking him twice would sound rude or not, but Cafe Guy simply repeated that he was pointing at the right direction. Jongin saw the turn, that one which led to the avenue. And then Jongin finally understood. "Ah. The cafe?"

He should have realized it sooner. Cafe Guy nodded with a small smile before looking up again at the sky. Jongin wondered why he wasn't speaking but they seemed to understand each other in this conversation anyway, if he could even call it one.

"I'm headed to the same direction. Do you want to...walk with me? I have an umbrella," Jongin lifted his umbrella to emphasize his offer.

Cafe Guy hesitated with a blink, giving Jongin an uneasy stare before shyly nodding. Jongin bowed his head. A tinge of satisfaction and happiness bubbled in his chest. He opened his umbrella and Cafe Guy scooted over Jongin's side although cautiously as if avoiding any part of their bodies—clothes included—to touch.

Jongin slowed down for Cafe Guy's smaller, careful steps. It felt weird at first especially when Jongin realized Cafe Guy was a few centimeters taller. Jongin had to raise his umbrella quite higher than the usual.

"I'm Jongin by the way," Jongin blurted out. It wasn't really in his mind to introduce himself but he felt daring, the silence between them making him a lot more self-conscious.

Cafe Guy looked at him. He smiled and parted his lips at which Jongin perked his ears but Cafe Guy hesitated, closing his mouth all of a sudden. Instead, he pulled his wallet from his back pocket, took out an old school ID, or as how Jongin thought it looked like, and showed it to him.

Jongin of course found it strange but he took and read it anyway. Oh Sehun.. He saw his birthday and found out that they were the same age. He nodded slowly, lips forming a small "Oh." Sehun smiled and put his ID back in his wallet.

"It's nice to meet you, Sehun," Jongin muttered. Sehun kept the curl of his lips.




It was past rush hour already. The night came early, thanks to the dark rain clouds. The rain had weakened, too. The avenue was almost empty, lamp posts illuminating the bricked sidewalk. It would have been difficult for Jongin and Sehun to squeeze themselves in a crowd, given that they shared an umbrella. Jongin matched Sehun's unhurried pace, as he tried to get a word out of him but to no avail.

Sehun’s smile had gone brighter with small intakes of the moist air as he pulled his lips wider. Jongin brought Sehun in front of the cafe's door. He looked up. Impresso Expresso. He hadn’t really thought of the cafe’s name until today. It sounded uniquely funny.

"Here you go," Jongin let Sehun step into the door's canopy, its edges dripping with rainwater. Jongin on the other hand stayed outside, holding his umbrella tightly under the rain. But suddenly Sehun stepped down, unbothered by the water falling on his hair. He wrapped his fingers around Jongin's wrist and gently tugged it toward him. He bit his lip as he pulled Jongin with force, not too strong but not weak either. For a second, Jongin was confused until Sehun extended his other empty hand and reached for the door. The chimes sounded, prompting the barista to look at them.

"B-but," Jongin stuttered, realizing what Sehun actually wanted: to enter the cafe with him. Jongin hesitated at first but after a quick run of his to-do list in his head, he didn’t really have anything in his schedules at home or for school. So he could say yes to Sehun's unconventional invitation for an impromptu coffee date—on the first meeting, to top it off.

Jongin folded his umbrella, left it in the umbrella basket, and accompanied Sehun inside. The latter was patient, watching Jongin while stood near the counter. The barista called Sehun and greeted him with a happy nod at which Sehun responded with an equally happy smile. Jongin looked up, stomping his feet on the rag to dry his soles, meeting the barista in the eye with a curious glance.

"Your friend?" The barista asked, a white "Chanyeol" printed on his black nameplate he had failed to notice the last time he was there. Sehun nodded. Jongin felt a little warm inside at the quick relationship upgrade. Not that he complained. It was not bad anyway. They walked toward the counter.

"I see. I'm Chanyeol. Welcome to Impresso Expresso!" Chanyeol's curious gaze disappeared and was replaced by a welcoming smile. It was too warm for a greeting that Jongin felt it was obligatory to smile at and greet the gleeful barista back.

"Sehun, still white chocolate mocha?"

Sehun nodded. Jongin had actually lost count of the number of times Sehun nodded since they left the shed. He wondered if Sehun ever gets tired of nodding as it seemed like it was the only thing he can do for a response. He didn't really find it offensive although he preferred a more socially polite and accepted verbal answer. He found it cute, in fact. But he still kept wondering why Sehun would never speak.

Sehun looked behind, reassuring himself that his favorite spot was not taken yet. He pointed at the menu, slightly but gently nudging Jongin who stared back, a little confused, before shifting to Chanyeol.

"He wants you to choose a drink," Chanyeol told him. Sehun then pointed at himself and grinned. The barista made a short "oh" and spoke again. "He says it's on him."

Jongin looked at Sehun, parting his lips so he could decline. Assuming that Sehun was doing this because of his kindness, Jongin believed that he didn’t have to be repaid in a form of cup of coffee. He was just plainly being kind without expecting anything in return. He felt shy to accept the offer but Sehun insisted. He had shaken his head upon Jongin’s impending protest and raised his hand as if stopping Jongin from speaking. Chanyeol shrugged, obviously not coming to Jongin's defense. A no wouldn’t sound good either, Jongin supposed, so he just gave in.

"Okay then. Uh.." Jongin hummed as he scanned the boards above the counter. He saw Sehun leave his side and take the seat, his favorite one, near the window. Jongin wasn't surprise. "I'll have ristretto bianco, tall."

Chanyeol acknowledged and punched in his order. He squinted, probably remembering him from his last week’s visit. "Your name please?"

"Jongin."

"Alright, Jongin. I'll just bring your orders to your table." Chanyeol extended his arm, his hand pointed at Sehun and their table. Sehun raised his hand, tapping the vacant chair next to him.

"Ah, hold on," Jongin muttered, returning to the counter. He sighed, a bit unsure if Chanyeol's the right person to ask but he seemed to know Sehun more. He remembered Sehun’s staple coffee so Jongin supposed Chanyeol could answer his curiosity. "Uh, about Sehun. I...uhm, does he really not, you know, speak?"

Chanyeol paused, blinking at him as if he was taking time to understand the question. "I thought you two are friends?"

Jongin shrugged. "Uh, we just met today. Shared my umbrella with him. I guess he just wants to treat me. I'm assuming it's for gratitude?"

There was an intriguing smile on Chanyeol's face and Jongin felt suddenly awkward. "Well " Chanyeol then leaned closer. "He's mute. But you can read him by just looking at him. Sehun's really nice."

"I see," Jongin muttered. His initial question had been answered but suddenly, he had more popping in his head. Jongin convinced himself not to have a one-man pity party for Sehun because that just felt bad and he didn’t think Sehun—anyone who had always shown strength despite disability—deserved it. Chanyeol, who seemed to have become a close friend didn’t show a tinge of it anyway. Yet Jongin couldn’t help his curiosity. This is the first time to know somebody who was mute.

He walked towards Sehun and took the seat he had saved. "I didn't know you were mute. I kept talking. I'm sorry."

Sehun smiled and raised both hands, thumbs up. It's okay. He reached for Jongin's shoulder and tapped it. Twice. Short and slow. Jongin wasn't entirely sure what that meant but it probably was something good, or nice like how Chanyeol described Sehun. Jongin’s lips curled to a smile.

Jongin looked around and felt the cafe's ambiance while waiting. The shop was not that big but it was not cramped either. There were adorable doodles on its white walls and its other nooks looked as cozy as where Jongin and Sehun were. The laid-back atmosphere partnered with soothing jazz could probably explain why Sehun had come to enjoy the place, sitting alone with his own cup and book. Surprisingly, Jongin started to like it, too. He even thought of asking Chanyeol for a copy of his playlist later.

Their coffee arrived a few minutes later. Chanyeol handed him his cup while Sehun reached excitedly for his.

"Enjoy!" Chanyeol beamed at them before turning around, rushing when he saw a couple of new customers waiting at the counter.

Jongin stirred his cup, feeling a bit guilty when his teaspoon ruined the cute puppy art Chanyeol had probably poured enough effort on to make it as pretty as possible. When he sipped on it, he immediately pulled his lips away.

"Agh!" Jongin's face squished and he wetted his lips with his tongue in an attempt to relieve the slight burn. Sehun chuckled, the first sound Jongin ever heard him make. He probably knew how hot Chanyeol always served his coffee. That probably explained why he was not taking a taste of his order yet. Jongin looked at him, embarrassed. A first time for everything.

Jongin placed his cup back on the table, letting it cool down a bit so it would be warm enough for his liking. He dabbed a napkin on his lips, lightly so he would not hurt the burn more. Sehun took one, too, but instead of putting it on his lips, he pulled a pen from his pocket and wrote on it. Jongin, a little too inquisitive, peeked but before he could figure out what was being written, Sehun had stopped, handing Jongin the paper.

Thank you. Jongin took it, sliding it across their table before reading the words again. He observed how they were written: light, unhurried, but clear. His heart swelled, biting on his lower lip to stop the amused but touched grin.

"You're welcome. Thank you, too, for the coffee" Jongin muttered, almost whispered. Sehun looked at him expectantly, probably amused at his surprised and flushed reaction. "Do you stay here regularly?"

Sehun pursed his lips before humming as he nodded in an attempt for an audible answer.

"Can...I come back? Like some other day. Perhaps...Saturday?" Jongin said. He wasn't sure of his schedules yet for the remainder of the week but a visit won't hurt, he supposed.

Sehun's face brightened, his eyes growing wide in anticipation. He nodded enthusiastically and Jongin felt warm again. He didn't find the nods strange anymore.




Jongin came back to Impresso Expresso three days later. The atmosphere had not changed. Chanyeol, still the barista (he seemed to be the only barista), greeted him with his signature warm smile. At least Jongin felt more at home and relaxed than the other day when Chanyeol called him by his name this time.

Sehun was already seated at the same spot. As expected. He smiled, waving at Jongin as the newcomer placed his order.

"Oh, do I have to remember this now?" Chanyeol asked with a bit of teasing when Jongin asked for a cup of ristretto bianco again.

Jongin nodded, sliding a couple of bills on the counter toward Chanyeol. "Unless you can recommend something else?"

He heard the cash register drawer open. "I'll see what I can suggest.” Chanyeol handed him his change, coins clinking as they dropped on his palm. “I'll bring your coffee in a few. Go meet your friend now."

Jongin mumbled a thanks and went straight to Sehun. He was wearing the same jacket but Jongin noticed it was a lighter shade of green. There wasn’t any rain despite the cold breeze and the grey clouds so he came in dry. But Chanyeol looked like he had plans of turning his cafe a little close to Antarctica. He was thankful he still had his jacket on today.

"Hi," he greeted, taking the same seat he had a few days ago. Sehun greeted back with his usual gesture, a nod. He looked happy, perhaps happier than the other day, and Jongin liked the warmth it sent to his chest. "How are you?"

Sehun nodded again which Jongin presumed was an I'm doing good. Honestly speaking, Jongin was not sure where to start this conversation. What else could they talk about? Maybe how he started the day with burnt sausages? Or probably the difficult routine introduced at the dance club earlier? Or maybe he could make it about Sehun instead of him. Like ask Sehun what he did this morning. He stared at Chanyeol, his back against them as he continued preparing their cups of coffee. Then in a snap, Jongin remembered something he forgot to ask last time.

"Sehun, do you have a phone?"

The question surprised Sehun. Jongin wondered if it was too bold of a question for a second meeting but he realized he had no way of contacting Sehun should he wish to see him again. Sehun kept his expression and Jongin went defensive. Not that he intended to regularly meet Sehun although he wouldn’t really mind it, would he? His mind went blank for a second until Sehun frowned. He shook his head, his slanted brows expressing disappointment, as if in apology.

"Oh, it's okay! I was...just thinking how we can keep in touch," Jongin spilled. Who else didn’t want to have a phone at this age? He thought of asking why but he hesitated, pushing it at the back of his head together with the rest of the questions he might or might not be itchy to ask Sehun about. He failed to see Sehun's reaction when Chanyeol came with a tray of their cups.

"Here you go," he said, his deep voice, a contrast to his bubbly disposition. Jongin noticed Sehun's same coffee, white chocolate mocha, and the latter seemed to have observed the same thing for Jongin. He made a silent "Oh!" while pointing at Jongin's cup.

"Yeah," Jongin chuckled. "Kinda liked the last time so."

Sehun smiled. Then his expression went blank, as if in sudden deep thought. He furrowed his brows before pulling out his pen from his pocket, the same pen from the other day. Jongin blinked as Sehun scribbled quickly on a napkin Chanyeol just handed them. Jongin didn't peek this time, letting Sehun finish.

Chanyeol has a phone. Maybe you can message him and then he can tell me. I'm almost always here anyway.The scrawl on the paper read. Jongin nodded, a little too enthusiastically in fact, because it was actually a bright idea. He smiled as he read through it again, biting his lips while looking at Sehun.

"I'll ask him later," he said. Sehun pointed at Jongin then brought his index back to himself. "Ah, yes. Let's ask him later."

Sehun laughed. If it had a sound, it probably was loud. Not the obnoxious, distracting kind of laughter but still loud, an upgraded version of his shy giggles. Jongin blinked again, dumbfounded for a second, until Sehun pointed at him, dragged his finger on the table as if writing and then tapped the side of his head. Jongin's lips parted, proud that he comprehended it. You read me quick, Sehun told him.

They shared a chuckle. "That's great I think?"

Sehun nodded. As always.




It was a bright, humid afternoon when Sehun and Jongin met at Impresso Expresso for the third time. Jongin had arranged it with Chanyeol who was just too eager to hand him his calling card the last time he was there. Jongin reminded him that his messages might hardly be about business but Chanyeol repeatedly told him, too, that it was perfectly fine.

The same spot, same seats, same cups of coffee. Chanyeol had not thought of a suggestion for Jongin yet although he was quite convinced that his choice was perfect. Jongin shrugged and chuckled.

Surprisingly, Jongin found himself telling a lot more stories than he normally did. Like how his dance club was saving him from getting worn out of social science majors. Or how he fell and landed on his teammate's face with a kiss the other day. Sehun listened, laughing occasionally when Jongin would get enthusiastic or he was plainly being funny. Sehun shared quite a lot of himself, too, although his version of story telling was more of sketches on napkins, hand gestures, and Jongin interpreting them until he got them right.

Sehun was an art major who lives on his own in a flat just a few blocks away from this coffee shop. His family was in the US and he studied there for a year, but he took a break which explained why he was in Korea. He liked to sketch but enjoyed painting more. He also said that it was a throat operation when he was a kid that rendered him unable to speak again. Jongin didn’t pry into when Sehun looked uncomfortable talking about it.

He had a lot of friends, contrary to how he initially appeared to Jongin, but they were mostly overseas. Sehun loved white chocolate mocha because Chanyeol, one of his remaining friends in Korea, thought it was the best coffee to describe Sehun. He didn't have a phone because he broke his last week. He was saving up to get a new one.

Jongin laughed because he found it cute. "Can I go with you? When you buy your new phone."

Sehun nodded excitedly. He spread his hand, fingers splayed, and then folded four of them one by one, counting. He mouthed a voiceless "four months" to Jongin. He planned to buy one in four months.

"Sure," Jongin said. "In four months then."



"Nope. He didn't send any message," Chanyeol told Sehun when the latter came to him. Jongin didn't say anything about seeing each other again the last time they met so Sehun supposed he'll just send Chanyeol a message. He frowned, obviously disappointed, when Chanyeol didn't receive any.

"He's probably busy. Here, have this," Chanyeol offered Sehun a cup of purple latte art. "It's cute isn't it?"

There was a puppy on the foam, smiling at him, and Sehun didn't stop his lips to curl. He told Chanyeol that he didn't want to ruin it so he’d rather stare at it than drink it.

"Do you like him?"

Sehun looked up, peeling his gaze from the cup to Chanyeol. Then he pointed at the puppy latte art before nodding fervently. When Chanyeol blinked back at him for a few seconds, and laughed, Sehun was lost.

"Never mind."




Every time Sehun arrived at Impresso Expresso, the first thing he would do was go straight to the counter and ask Chanyeol the same question: Did you receive a message from Jongin? It came in a variety, too: "Did Jongin text you?" or "Is he coming today?"

In each day he would get the same question, Chanyeol hesitantly would shake his head, a little scared to disappoint Sehun. He would even go defensive, showing his empty inbox to prove it.

For four consecutive coffee sessions, Sehun went to his favorite seat with a frown.




Thursday afternoon happened with a drizzle. Sehun came back to Impresso Expresso. He brought with him a new book, the second for this week. He had stalled on the first one because of Jongin, but he managed to finish it the past days. He ordered his usual but it felt like a return to what he normally did weeks ago. Chanyeol gave him a shrug when he punched in his order, a shortened way to tell that he still had not received a message. Sehun responded with a one-shoulder shrug, too. He was not disappointed anymore but he still wished to see his friend.

"Will bring your coffee," Chanyeol said, prompting Sehun to go to his seat. Sehun plopped on the cushioned chair with a sigh, fishing his book out of his bag and opening it from where he left. The sound of door chimes interrupted his recall of the chapter he last left from. Chanyeol's low and loud voice echoed so that everyone in the cafe had to look at him. He bowed apologetically but Sehun didn't really mind at all. His eyes grew wide. He almost felt like a sound was stuck in his throat--Ah!--when he straightened his back but nothing came out of his open mouth.

Jongin stuffed his umbrella inside the already full basket and smiled with slanted brows. He was stomping his feet on the rag, drying his soles. Chanyeol greeted him with flailing arms and Sehun couldn't stop himself from laughing at how stupid he looked.

"You didn't text me!" Chanyeol, who was already at the edge of the counter the side nearest to the door, exclaimed.

"I'm sorry," Jongin bowed his head again. He then looked at Sehun and waved his hand. "Hi!"

Sehun waved back, closing his book instantly as he inched closer to the window so he could make space for Jongin.

"Same coffee?" Chanyeol asked before Jongin could leave his spot. He only waited for a nod and let his returning guest take his seat.

"How are you?" Jongin asked. He got a nod from Sehun and in a snap he was laughing. "I missed that."

Sehun bit his lip and flushed all of a sudden. Trying to hide his face, he lowered his head, almost burying it on the table as he pulled a napkin and wrote on it. Jongin didn't peek like he normally would. He busied himself rummaging his bag, looking for something.

"Sorry if I didn't get to...you know, meet you again," Jongin mumbled, still searching his bag. Sehun failed to hear it. He slid the napkin to Jongin's side so when the latter looked up, his peripheral would see it. He read it.

I'm happy. The words on the frail paper said. Sehun looked at him, his smile gently pushing his cheeks so his eyes curl, crinkling its sides. Jongin held the tissue and folded it. Then he put it in his pocket. "Me, too."

There was awkward silence. Chanyeol bringing Jongin's cup of coffee was just perfect to break it. He handed Sehun a couple more of napkins, knowing Sehun would be needing it. Jongin remembered asking why Sehun insisted on writing on napkins and Sehun just shrugged. No explanation. A habit perhaps.

"Anyway," Jongin began when Chanyeol catered to the next table. "I was out of the country."

Sehun gave him a surprised look. He tilted his head. Really?

Jongin answered with an enthusiastic nod. "Competition. Dance competition," he explained. He breathed in slowly before his shoulders dropped followed by a loud sigh. "We didn't get any place but it was a great experience. I have stories. I'll show you pictures later, too, but for now..."

He dragged his clenched hand from below the table—he was hiding it there without Sehun noticing it— and held it shoulder level. When he opened it, something fell—hung—from Jongin’s finger: a small, rubber keychain. Sehun saw the backside first, an odd white blob before it turned, finally showing a cartoon-like image of a boy holding an umbrella. The boy was looking up, as if watching the rain, while rainwater hit his umbrella.

"Isn't it cute?" Jongin asked, shaking it a bit. There was a slight clink. "I bought it for you."

Sehun raised a brow, a little confused and surprised. He pointed to himself, mouthing a Me? with a funny jerk of his head. He earned a chuckle and Jongin just handed him the gift.

"Don't lose it, okay?"

Sehun nodded, holding the keychain by its metal ring. He raised it up to eye level and stared at it. He was thinking of where to put it. Maybe his wallet? Or maybe his bag. Although he wasn't really fond of bringing bags with him. But then this gave him a reason for a new habit. Whatever, he would think about this later. Right now what matters was he liked Jongin's gift, no matter how simple it was. He definitely did. It reminded him of himself. And Jongin, too.




Chanyeol broke it to Sehun excitedly as soon as the latter stepped in the cafe. Jongin was coming back to the cafe today and he would bring another gift with him. Sehun responded with a light shrug and Chanyeol, a little shocked that the news wasn't news to Sehun anymore, pouted.

"I was excited to tell you this okay? I thought I'm gonna be the greatest bridge for this wonderful romance unfolding in my very own cafe and you’re giving me a shrug?" Chanyeol went overly dramatic, holding a clenched fist on his chest, feigning hurt with his exaggerated frown. Sehun shook his head. He leaned over the counter and patted the barista on his shoulder.

"I hope he kisses you," Chanyeol smirked, wiggling his brows. Sehun slapped him quite hard and Chanyeol this time yelped. The mischievous grin wouldn’t leave Chanyeol’s face though. He didn't miss the pink that stained Sehun's cheeks.

Sehun pretended aiming to land a punch on Chanyeol's face. Chanyeol flinched, his smug face disappearing in an instant. Chuckling, Sehun his heels and took his seat. A minute had not passed yet when the door chimes rang and Jongin appeared on the doorstep, a brown paper bag with him. Chanyeol greeted him first.

"Hi Jongin! Same cup for today?" Chanyeol sounded just as jolly as he was with Sehun and Jongin found it a little odd. Jongin perked, giving the barista a what-do-you-want look, but Chanyeol just made light of the reaction. Ignoring whatever was happening, the smile re Jongin’s face.

"Give me what you think is best for today."

"Same cup then!" Chanyeol confidently said. "With added romance, perhaps."

Jongin stopped, a quick blush creeping his face. It was mumbled, close to whispered, but he had heard it well. So he threw another surprised look at Chanyeol who simply winked at him although subtly, turning around to escape whatever face Jongin was going to give him next. Jongin shook his head and looked at Sehun, his smile more of a dismissal of Chanyeol picking on him—them probably—than a greeting. He assumed Sehun had already gotten his share of teasing.

"What's with him today?" Jongin muttered as he walked toward Sehun. Sehun shrugged but still as weirded out as Jongin was. He made quick sways of his hand, gesturing at Jongin to quickly ignore whatever Chanyeol was doing and to sit. Although he might not admit it, Sehun felt a little fuzzy at the teasing.

As soon as Jongin had taken his seat, he wasted no time and went straight to the chase. He put the paper bag on the table, pulled out a white board, not too big though, like twice the size of his palm perhaps, with a black pen-like stick on its side. Sehun was curious because it looked familiar, something he knew but couldn’t remember what exactly it was. When Jongin pulled the pen from the side, slid it against the board, and a blank line started appearing, Sehun realized it was a magnetic drawing board.

Se-Hun, Jongin wrote, the corner of his lips tweaked to an excited smirk. He handed it to Sehun. "This is yours now," he said. Sehun gave him the most confused look ever.

"So you can write here!" Jongin proudly explained. "I'm not really good at this sign language thing and you keep writing on paper napkins. I thought Chanyeol might run out of supplies. Also, let's save trees."

Sehun's eyes were still wide, brows high. Then his straight lips broke to a really wide smile. Seconds later he was laughing. He thought it was unusually inventive but he couldn't and didn't say no. Jongin had valid points, especially the save trees part. Besides the magnetic board would definitely be handy. He took it from Jongin's hold and slid the white protruding handle at the top, erasing his name. Thank you, he replaced. The easy glide of pen on plastic felt strange but it wasn’t difficult.

Jongin saw the words before Sehun could show it to him. He responded with a thumbs up.




Sehun was surprised when he saw Jongin already inside the cafe. Jongin seemed to had been there for a while when he already had one leg on the chair, pulled close to his body held by one hand. The other was on the desk, holding a pen that moved on a notebook from one end to the other at a quick pace, his head bowed as he did it intently.

Chanyeol appeared from under the counter and caught Sehun. He greeted him with a quick hello before running to the edge to ask him about Jongin's gift. Then he began teasing Sehun. Of course he got another slap on the arm. The noise prompted Jongin to look up, his furrowed brows easing to a bright face when he saw Sehun.

After a short explanation from Chanyeol, Sehun learned that Jongin was actually reviewing for his upcoming exam. There weren't much people today, as Chanyeol had told Jongin when the latter asked him if the cafe was good enough for a review. He replied with a yes. Now Sehun felt like he was being a bother.

I hope I'm not bothering you. Sehun wrote on the board, his board. When Jongin peeled his eyes off his notebook and saw the board, he beamed with a tinge of pride. He really liked it when Sehun used his gifts. Like the first moment he saw the keychain on Sehun’s new bag and he kept pointing at it, saying it was cute and perfect. Sehun wasn’t entirely sure how to react.

Jongin shook his head. "No you don't! It's okay."

Sehun sighed, a little relieved. It was not the reassurance but the way Jongin didn’t sound like he was simply being kind to him. Sehun nodded and put his board on his table, free and almost empty unlike Jongin’s which was filled with papers and book over book. Silently, he watched as Jongin read and muttered words that sounded foreign to Sehun.

"It's law. Introduction. Although hardly sounds like it is," Jongin said when he noticed Sehun continuously stealing glances on his notebook. Sehun yelped but without sound. He nodded slowly, trying not to think he was being a distractor.

"I don't really like this subject you know," Jongin continued.

Sehun patted him on the shoulder and did a "Fighting!" gesture. He promised to himself it would be the last thing he’d do that would be of no help to Jongin studying. Sehun let him continue as he put his board back in his bag thinking of avoiding as much conversations as possible. He could be a very cooperative friend.

Sehun finished his cup quickly but Jongin was still far from halfway his notes. There was a bit of frustration in his furrowed brows and constant shaking and scratching of his head. Sehun, a bit clueless on what exactly to do, did another "Fighting!" He just hoped he was encouraging Jongin enough.

"Jus soli, citizenship of a child determined...by..." Jongin trailed off a few minutes later. He closed his eyes, shutting it tight as he dug deep in his short term memory in obvious attempts to remember what he just memorized earlier. "By...country of birth?"

He kept his eyes shut for a couple more seconds before opening them. He didn't look at his notes, shifting towards Sehun who was giving him an approving smile. And then there was a nod. Jongin raised a brow, still unsure but Sehun kept on nodding at him.

"I got it right, right?"

Sehun chuckled and gave Jongin a thumbs up. Jongin fist-pumped.

The review carried on for a couple more hours. Jongin kept on burying himself on more words he barely absorbed. He had failed the first exam and he couldn’t afford getting another failing mark. He was reading on a new chapter on the third book (he had brought four with him), something about territory and another about the constitution that didn’t make sense to him anymore.

He was on the third sentence, eyes running through each word without his brain cells working to comprehend them when he felt something drop on his left shoulder. He jerked, a reflex from the contact's shock. Sehun had fallen asleep and he had leaned on Jongin's shoulder.

Jongin froze, blood rushing to his face in slight panic with strange and sudden churns in his tummy. His senses were suddenly alert and sensitive. There was a scent of mint in Sehun's hair and it fills his nostrils. Sehun’s slow and steady breath contrasted his senses which were on overdrive. The warmth of Sehun’s head permeated through his cotton shirt. With a sharp inhale, Jongin turned his head to Sehun’s side. It was supposedly an innocent move until he realized how close Sehun's face was to his, how beautiful his nose was, how pretty and kissable his lips were. The proximity made Jongin bite his lower lip. He quickly looked at his book and tried to read the rest of the chapter although mindlessly—aloud.

He spoke loud—stiff, too, he noticed—and his voice woke Sehun up. Jongin felt the weight on his shoulder disappear, both in the literal and figurative senses, when Sehun abruptly lifted his head, the scent of his hair leaving Jongin’s nose. Sehun blinked for a couple of seconds, typical reaction from a disturbed sleep, but his eyes suddenly grew wide, mouth gaping. He put a hand over it and he began a series of apologetic bows. He kept bobbing his head, cheeks growing red in embarrassment.

Jongin quickly rebutted with "No! Don't it's okay. It's okay!" He raised both his hands chest-level and smiled reassuringly although his fast heartbeat was making them fail. It resulted to an awkward straight grin. He tried to calm Sehun down who had panicked a little too much. He saw Sehun grab his board from his bag and he began scrawling an I'm sorry. I didn't mean to--

The words stopped right there. When Jongin reached for Sehun's shoulder for a gentle pat, Sehun flinched, pulling the pen away from the board. He was so red in the face and Jongin had to hold his breath for a second because he found it...cute. Too cute that he was actually holding himself back from pinching Sehun on the cheeks.

"It's really okay. I'm sorry I...interrupted your nap," Jongin mumbled.

Sehun kept his head low, a failing attempt to hide his rosy face. Chuckling, Jongin reassured Sehun that it was definitely okay. Sehun nodded. He was rigid and controlled.

When Jongin looked up, he saw Chanyeol smirking at them. He made a "v" sign with his fingers, put them right under his eyes and pointed them at the two. Then he started laughing to himself. Sehun caught him, the fingers still aimed at them. He quickly pulled his board, wrote on it and raised it for Chanyeol to see. I'm gonna kill you later. Chanyeol traced a finger on his lips as if zipping his mouth shut. He still didn't stop laughing.




It was drizzling. The heavier, darker clouds were visible from the horizon so Jongin ran, trying to reach Impresso Expresso before the rain would pour harder. When the chimes rang louder than usual, Chanyeol almost jumped from his slouch on the bar and Sehun, who had been waiting for Jongin for minutes, straightened up.

"Hi!" Jongin exclaimed, folding his umbrella and sliding it in the half-empty basket. His chest heaved as he caught his breath.

"Why the hurry?" Chanyeol asked, eyes still wide. He probably got worried about the chains tangling and hitting the glass door. When they returned to a pretty normal state, he looked appeased. "Anyway, what'll you have for today?"

"Same as always?"

Chanyeol nodded. It wasn’t long before he was doing his signature silly grin. "A cup of sweet puppy love at the corner of my cafe?" He wiggled his brows, eyeing Sehun from the corner of his eyes..

"Whatever Chanyeol!" Jongin muttered, waving a hand.

"Hello," Jongin said as he took his seat next to Sehun, pulling a hanky from his pocket to wipe his slightly wet arm. He was running and drizzle made its way under the umbrella’s shade.

How was the exam? Sehun’s board said, angling it towards Jongin. When Jongin's face became empty, almost devoid of any emotion, Sehun quickly erased the words and began writing something else.

“It’s…”

I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked. Sehun bowed, raising the board again to cut Jongin off. But Jongin laughed instead, confusing Sehun for a moment until there was a folded paper on the table. Jongin spread it out. A red 87% marked the top right portion of the paper and Jongin chuckled to himself. Sehun's mouth opened and he was laughing in mixed amazement and embarrassment.

"I thought I wouldn't pass but it isn’t a bad grade, is it?" Jongin's smile didn't disappear. Just as proud as Jongin was, Sehun gave him a congratulatory pat on the shoulder.

Congratulations! I'm happy for you. Sehun scribbled.

The conversation was interrupted with Chanyeol putting Jongin's cup of coffee on his table. He didn’t leave as he normally would. He picked the medium-sized plate of two chocolate cake slices and put it next to the coffee.

"A really delicious slice of cake,” Chanyeol said. “For my cafe's future lovebirds.”

Sehun threw a crumpled tissue at him, hitting Chanyeol on the chest. Jongin chuckled, although the warmth from his chest climbed up to his face. He ended up telling Chanyeol to shut up.

"I didn't order this though…” Jongin trailed off. He was interrupted when Chanyeol raised a hand at them.

"A treat. Because you passed the exam," Chanyeol explained as he winked. With the way he kept the teasing grin on his face, Jongin thought it wasn't really for the exam but he couldn’t completely judge him for that. Chanyeol had become a good friend and he was just simply nice and kind. It was probably a treat for him. If it wasn’t, Jongin still supposed it was okay. Jongin wouldn't deny (but only to himself) that he kind of liked the teasing.

"Thank you," Jongin muttered. "You sure I don’t have to pay?"

Chanyeol nodded enthusiastically. He left without saying anything. Jongin shared a confused look with Sehun.

They ate the cake in silence although with hums of approval especially on their first bite. The cake was as delicious as Chanyeol insisted it was, the taste of it lingering in their tongue. Sehun seemed to like it a lot that he had managed to finish his slice before Jongin could eat half of his own.

"Sehun?" Jongin called and Sehun quickly looked at him. He had his fork in his mouth, caught in between his lips, and Jongin found himself fighting the urge to hold the other by the cheeks and squeeze his face because it was the most adorable thing he had seen. He gasped a little, almost inaudible. He knew this was not the first time he thought Sehun was cute—well, Sehun had always been adorable—but he always tried to suppress it so he would end up flushing so hard. The cafe’s lighting for today was dim, helpful enough to hide the burn he's feeling on his cheeks, and Jongin was thankful.

"Could you take out your board?"

Sehun blinked for a moment but did as he was asked a second later, putting down the fork and putting the board on the table. He tilted his head, curious. Why?

"C-can you write my name? I want...to, uh, show you something." Jongin heaved and patiently waited. Still puzzled, Sehun pulled the pen and wrote Jongin's name.

Jongin held his breath. He could feel his heartbeat both in his chest and on the sides of his head. Courage suddenly filled him and he was acting on a spur-of-the-moment decision. He knew he could have this some other time. Perhaps have a more properly planned action in a more timely place. But there was an unsettling stir in his chest that pushed him to do this. Also, he was not really good at executing plans.

As he waited for Sehun to finish, he wondered if it was the coffee, or the cake Chanyeol just gave him—as silly as it might have sounded but the dessert still wasn’t completely unsuspicious—or it was probably just him. And his brains. And his feelings that were pent up inside him.

"Ah! Hold on, make it as big as possible," Jongin revised his instruction. Sehun obeyed, sliding the eraser and rewrote. Once done, he tilted the board and showed it to the other.

"There!" Jongin exclaimed. "Watch...and uh...I'm not really sure but…”

Jongin could feel his heart send blood to every vein of his body. He started jogging his right leg and his hands were becoming sweatier than before. “I’m...hold on. Don’t watch. Just..watch—I mean wait."

Sehun's eyes widened, not getting a bit of what Jongin was trying to say. Jongin started acting strange but Sehun remained silent. When the board was taken from him, he put his hands on his lap and looked at Jongin with complete curiosity.

He saw Jongin add more lines on his own name. He put a couple of letters, too, in between, and modified some characters for another letter. Jongin tipped it toward himself so Sehun could barely catch what exactly Jongin had written on the board.

"Sehun," Jongin called. It looked like he was done with whatever he did on the board, or on his name at least. Sehun thought he heard Jongin’s voice shake but he wasn't sure. He shrugged it off.

"Uh, I don't know how you'll react to this but I thought this is kind of creative. Or at least I've gone beyond the limits of my own creativity so…” Jongin was very nervous. Sehun was sure about it because Jongin was shaking and his breathing was becoming ragged, or heavy. Sehun began feeling tensed, too.

“P...please read."

He wanted to ask Jongin why but before he could even make a move, Jongin spoke again. He turned the board around. Sehun squinted, reading the word—not Jongin's name anymore—carefully. He read it again, mouthing the word slowly. He was blank for a second. Then in a snap, it was sinking in.

좋아한다.

I like you. Sehun looked straight at Jongin's eyes, as if waiting for the other to speak. Or to explain. Sehun’s heartbeat was racing against his chest, hands cold. He took a sharp breath, and smiled awkwardly.

Yes, Jongin had done it. He had finally said it. It kept him up for several nights thinking about this, or at least how he tried to interpret the funny feeling whenever he’s with Sehun. It was a quick build-up of emotions when they just had met weeks ago. It was confusing at first: the crazy heartbeat when Sehun smiled at him, the almost constant twists in his chest when Sehun laughed at his jokes, the crazy somersaults of his stomach when Sehun held his arm or when their shoulders brushed against each other. Everything was done without audible words but his emotions spoke loud against his ears. He wondered if he was in love. He had never been in love and he couldn’t really tell—at first. But this morning, he woke up, faced the mirror, and confessed to himself. He finally knew what his heart was telling him.

He liked Sehun. He really liked Sehun.

"Uh, did you get it?" Jongin asked, trying to avert his gaze but fails to do so when his eyes met Sehun's. He swallowed thickly.

Sehun still didn't know what to say—or do, or write. Should he take the board and erase it? Or should he just write on a napkin like the good not-so-old times? Or maybe just do some gesture because actions speak louder than words? His brain was getting haywire with nervousness and confusion to make a proper, understandable gesture. His mouth hung open, still lost.

"I...I'm sorry! Oh my god. I’m...sorry," Jongin muttered. His voice sounded a lot more disappointed than nervous. He put down the board and shifted toward his table, looking at his coffee with wide, embarrassed eyes. They were a little teary, too, and his lips were shaking as much as his hands were. Why did he even do this in the first place?

Jongin looked like a dejected kid, which Sehun thought was adorable, but he felt guilty thinking of Jongin as such when it was inappropriate to find Jongin cute in a gloomy state. Sehun still didn’t know what to do. He totally understood what just happened. It was a confession—the very first he had received. He could feel his face turn red, the warmth travelling from his cheeks to his neck, to the back of his ears which he supposed were just as horribly red, too. It was pretty normal to panic and be shocked, given it was his first, but he couldn't stay this flabbergasted and immobile the whole time. He needed to answer. He closed his eyes and gathered the remaining sane part of himself for a rational response.

One that he was pretty sure would reverse the disappointment in Jongin’s eyes.

He pulled a pen, took the last piece of napkin on his table, and scribbled. He didn’t want to erase what Jongin had written on it so he opted for the paper. It stuck to the side of his sweaty palm but he didn't mind. Once done, he quickly slid it to Jongin's table, right under his cup so he can read.

좋아한다.

The gloom on Jongin's face dissolved to surprise. He kept looking at Sehun then back to the paper. "Uh..."

This time, Sehun felt just as uneasy as Jongin was, worried that the other was not getting the point. So he grabbed the board from Jongin's light hold, erased what's on it (as much as he didn’t really want to), and wrote.

I'm not dumping you. Please read what I wrote on the paper. :(

Jongin chuckled in mixed amazement and disbelief. Then he sighed, a long heavy one. He was calming down, Sehun could see it. His dejected frown starting to pull to a smile. He was not trembling anymore at least as much as how he seemed to be terribly shaking earlier.

"I...I'm glad," Jongin muttered. He was shy, words rolling out of his mouth like he wasn't sure what exactly he should say. Well, in all fairness, he was indeed clueless on what to say.

Sehun reached for Jongin's hand and held it. It required him a lot of courage but things were moving towards mutually shared and soon to be recognized emotions anyway. Jongin yelped, throwing another surprised look at the other. Then Sehun was laughing. It was Jongin who was brave enough to confess earlier but it was Sehun who was pretty much taking things quick and on another level.

"So..." Jongin inhaled, allowing the cold air to fill his lungs, and breathed out. Now that was a quick get-over of his emotions. He felt happy—elated, perhaps, was a more appropriate word. And he was finally having a proper grasp of his self. The cold hands that wrapped his equally cold hand felt warm in the chest. “Officially dating?”

Sehun chuckled shyly, turning a lot redder than he already was. He knitted their fingers together, holding it tight. It sends a tingling sensation, a funny twist, the good one, in his stomach.




It was almost closing time when they decided to tell Chanyeol. Obviously, Jongin spilled the news. Chanyeol’s empty expression transformed to unimaginable delight as he made the loudest screech and slammed his hand on the counter that he hurt himself. His yells were coupled with wheezing, that Sehun almost considered calling a paramedic in case Chanyeol passed out.

"I'm pretty sure I was just teasing you two earlier!" Chanyeol threw his hands in the air and made another slam, his long arms hitting the edge of the cupboards.

"Well, it was timely teasing, I guess," Jongin explained at which he got an approving nod from Sehun. “I hope you didn’t put any potion sort of in the cake though.”

"No! No!” Chanyeol shook his head, still holding the hand that hit the cupboard. “Although I wished you two would start dating when I baked the cake. Perhaps it was my prayers.”

He laughed, but it died down all of a sudden. His eyes dropped to their hands, still knitted together. "So you two will just go home as a couple and leave me here with so much second-hand emotions?"

"Don't you know this is just a very cruel thing to do? After offering my cafe for your blooming romance? Without even telling me that you're gonna have a wonderful confession day today? This is...I can't believe this. I hate you two! You should've informed me at least!"

Jongin was choosing between explaining things further or calming Chanyeol down. He couldn’t make a decision.

"I shipped you two so hard," Chanyeol mumbled.

"Thanks?"

"That cake isn't free anymore," Chanyeol threw a feigned hurt look at the two. Sehun and Jongin just laughed it off.

"You better tell me the whole story next time," Chanyeol said this time in a calmer voice. He probably had realized how dumb he looked earlier with his loud voice and flailing arms. He didn't want to hurt himself in another outburst of feelings, too. "Now shoo and go make the most of your first day, you boyfies!"

Jongin blushed and Sehun tightened his hold on the other's hand. A blush crept on their faces before they bid goodbye. It still felt surreal because things were unplanned and unexpected. Jongin just confessed out of the blue without even thinking through his actions and Sehun pretty much did the same. It would probably take a little more time before it would sink in.




Jongin pulled his umbrella from the basket while Sehun took his out of his bag. It was drizzling, the uneven sidewalk still covered in tiny puddles. The heavy clouds were already gone but the sun was nowhere to be seen. The rain it brought probably poured already without them noticing. Their umbrellas simultaneously flapped and they started walking together.

Jongin was silent. And so was Sehun. The sound of their feet hitting concrete and the splash of their soles on water were the only thing that broke their silence.

"Are you okay?"

Sehun, who was staring at the ground, looked up at Jongin and smiled. He nodded. He seemed to be deep in thought which caught Jongin's attention.

"Thinking of something?"

Sehun shook his head, but it failed to convince Jongin. They halted. The lamp post next to them lit their spot, casting not only their shadow but also a peculiarly romantic set-up.

“You can—”

Sehun stepped under Jongin’s umbrella, sliding his beneath the other’s canopy. Its curve tilted Jongin’s but it still covered them from the light rain. It looked strange but not too difficult to hold and be kept in place.

“Uh...what was that for?” Jongin asked, still looking up. Then Sehun reached for Jongin’s wrist, the free one. When his fingers had wrapped tightly around it, he pulled Jongin and stepped forward to kiss him.

Jongin’s gasp was cut, eyes wide open. He tensed as Sehun kept their lips pressed together. Then seconds later, Sehun pulled away. It was short but lingering and Jongin froze in his place. When Sehun looked into Jongin’s eyes, it was as if he was searching for something. Jongin couldn’t figure out what he was looking for, too busy to calm his pounding heart at the back of his ribs.

The tension finally seeped out of Jongin’s system when he let go of the breath he had kept in. Then he bit his lower lip, the feeling of Sehun’s lips on his still there. “That...was nice. Really nice.”

Sehun giggled sheepishly. Still holding the umbrella, he made a gentle fist with his free hand and put it across his chest. He raised his pinky. His index followed which he pointed at Jongin. Then his thumb followed. I love you.

Jongin reached for Sehun’s hand and held it tightly, squeezing it when their fingers latched. “I love you, too,” he said, whispered but loud in the silence of the avenue that they shared.

------

More Notes:
1. Hi Ju! I swear to everything holy this was supposed to be a 2,000-word fic. Things—a lot of things—happened (obviously) so...here you go.
2. Here’s a GIF image of how Jongin turned his name into 좋아한다.
3. Here’s the reason why I kept giving Jongin ristretto bianco and Sehun white chocolate mocha (thank you onyu and I’m quoting you): “[J]ongin would probably be a ristretto bianco – unassuming, because "isn't that just a latte except more bitter", but packs a punch with his being headstrong and his determination to get what he wants. [S]ehun would be a white chocolate mocha? [H]e's just a really nice and sweet guy with dark undertones. but he's mostly sweet. you just have to peel off the 'coffee layers' first c:”
4. Thank you, too, mara_ciro for beta-reading this! I keep on giving you headaches but thank you.