Jeonghan wakes up the next morning and gets no peace before the events of last night come crashing back to him. Jeonghan just groans at the memory, rolls over and places his pillow over his head. He could gladly spend the whole day in bed avoiding responsibilities; namely his own stupidity and the boy from 116 but it’s Jisoo’s first shift and Jeonghan’s the one who has to show him the ropes.

Jeonghan checks his phone to see 17 missed messages; 10 from Seungkwan and then a couple from his other friends asking him to ring Seungkwan. Normally, Jeonghan would be worried as the situation sounded serious, but he knows that Seungkwan probably just hasn’t slept all night because he was dying to know how it went with Jisoo.  

He reluctantly called his best friend and only realised on the third ring that he didn’t know what he was going to say.

“Jeonghan!” Seungkwan yells when he picks up.

“Yes…” Jeonghan starts nervously as Seungkwan sounded annoyed.

“You didn’t think to call me? Or even text me? I’m your best friend! I can’t believe you don’t even care about the wellbeing of your best friend!? I couldn’t even eat that’s how excited I was! And you couldn’t even call!?”

Jeonghan stays silent, letting Seungkwan rant, his mind quickly whirling as he tries to come up with something to say. The story of Jeonghan chickening out and the pink haired boy making Jisoo laugh and inviting him into his apartment was not the good news that Seungkwan wanted to hear.

“Jeonghan, you better not have hung up on me! I want you to tell me everything!”

“I’m here,” Jeonghan replies so Seungkwan doesn’t start immediately storming to his apartment.

“Why don’t you sound happy? To be honest, you sound like someone died...Oh my god did someone die?”

“No. But, look I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Yoon Jeonghan,” Seungkwan says threateningly.

Jeonghan sighs defeated and brings the speaker back to his ear.

“I’m listening,” Seungkwan says, his voice softening.

Jeonghan pauses and takes a deep breath.

“I didn’t ask him out, I’m sorry,” Jeonghan says, his tone wearisome.

Seungkwan makes a slight sound as if he’s going to say something, probably preparing to disgrace Jeonghan for being a wuss, but stops himself; no doubt after hearing Jeonghan sound so down.

“Jeonghan, it’s fine,” his best friend encourages, “there’s always another time.”

Jeonghan thinks back to the smiles Jisoo shared with the pink haired boy, “I don’t think so.”

Seungkwan starts giving him a long and winded pep talk but Jeonghan doesn’t bother listening. He knows that even if he told the boy about Jihoon, he just wouldn’t understand.

Jeonghan admits that he’s jealous; he must be. The pink haired boy didn’t do anything to make Jeonghan dislike him…except talk to Jisoo and smile at Jisoo and invite Jisoo into his apartment…okay, so maybe Jeonghan had to admit that he’s a lot jealous.

He knows Seungkwan will just tell him not to worry, he’s even telling himself not to worry. But telling someone not to worry doesn’t make the problem go away.

“Look, I really have to go. I need to get ready for work,” Jeonghan suddenly says, cutting Seungkwan off.

“I forgot you’re working with him today! You could totally ask him!”

“Seungkwan, I’m not asking him out at work,” Jeonghan replies bluntly.

“Fine, fine,” Seungkwan sulks before quickly saying goodbye and hanging up.

Somehow Jeonghan manages to distract himself and it’s not until he walks through 10:04’s doors to see Jisoo’s smiling face, that his mind is once again consumed. He walks towards the boy, feeling worried, but Jisoo doesn’t seem to share the feeling.

“Does it suit me?” Jisoo asks with a goofy grin, doing a little spin in his uniform.

“Uh…” Jeonghan is surprised by Jisoo’s upfront comment but quickly catches himself.

“No one looks good in it, but I suppose it will do,” Jeonghan says nonchalantly, not wanting to tell the boy that he actually looks cute even in the gross orange colour. 

Jisoo pouts, “well ‘person who also doesn’t suit their uniform,’ tell me all I need to know.”

Jeonghan is surprised at the boy’s good mood, but of course he’d be in a good mood. He has no idea what Jeonghan was about to ask last night, plus he made a new friend.

As Jeonghan teaches Jisoo the workings of 10:04, he forgets about his jealousy and embarrassment from the night before. Luckily, Jisoo seems the same as always and they easily fall into casual conversation.

Jeonghan is educating Jisoo on how to work the cash register when the boy turns to him, his face suddenly serious.

“Are you sure what you had to ask me last night wasn’t important? Seungkwan told me it was?” Jisoo’s brow creases in confusion.

Jeonghan mentally curses Seungkwan; he thought it seemed to good to be true that the 10:04 staff had been quiet this morning and hadn’t been bothering them at all.

“No seriously, it was nothing,” Jeonghan’s eyes once again find the ground.

“You know you can ask me anything right? Seriously…anything.”

Jeonghan just nods in agreement, his face going red with the idea that Jisoo had no idea what he so badly wanted to ask.

Jeonghan couldn't handle the boy looking at him expectantly any longer, and so he makes up an excuse of needing to clear a table and leaves the boy alone with a confused expression on his face.

Jeonghan is aimlessly looking for a table to clear to consolidate his lie when he sees it out the corner of his eye; shockingly pink hair.

“No…” Jeonghan mutters to himself, believing that he must be imagining it.

But sure enough, as he continues walking, Jihoon becomes visible, sitting alone and reading the 10:04 menu.

Jeonghan had never seen the boy outside the Pledis building until last night and he’s certain that he’s never stepped foot in 10:04. So why is he here now? He couldn’t be here for Jisoo, right?

Jeonghan walks up to Jihoon’s table with a sickening sweet smile, “Hi, welcome to 10:04. May I take your order?”

Jihoon raises his pink head and his eyes widen in surprise, “Didn’t you help me last night?”

“Yeah, Jeonghan,” he replies bitterly, seeing it clear on Jihoon’s face that he didn’t remember his name.
Jihoon smiles and nods politely, “is Jisoo here as well?”

Jeonghan’s entire chest suddenly feels too tight; Jihoon is at 10:04 for Jisoo then. Jeonghan thinks about lying to the pink haired boy but guesses that Jisoo will be out waiting tables soon enough anyway.

“Yeah, he’s at the counter.”

“Cool. If you see him, tell him I dropped by.”

Jeonghan nods but knows that he will be passing along no such message.

Jeonghan quickly takes the boy’s order to get out of his presence as soon as possible, immediately taking refuge in the kitchen so he wouldn't have to deal with either Jisoo or Jihoon. 

But he forgot that refuge in the kitchen also included Soonyoung and Seokmin.

Jeonghan however doesn’t realise this until they were right in his face, their eyes bright with excitement and their grins wide.

“So, how’s working with your boyfriend?” Soonyoung asks with a nudge.

Jeonghan just answers with an unimpressed look.

“Seungkwan told us what happened last night, it’s fine. Not everyone can be as good at confessing as me.”

Seokmin looks proud but Soonyoung snorts and rolls his eyes at his boyfriend’s dramatics.

“You will get another chance though,” Soonyoung says, giving Jeonghan a reassuring pat on the back.

Jeonghan just continued to remain quiet; his stance rigid, his breathing deep and his eyes glazed over in anger.

The couple were never the most observant people Jeonghan had ever met, however he was surprised at how they were missing the obvious hint that Jeonghan was not in the mood to talk; especially about Jisoo.

“Ah, are you alright?” Seokmin finally asks, “You don’t look too good?”

Jeonghan lets out a sharp and uncomfortable laugh. That was an understatement to say the least, he thought to himself.

“Don’t I?” Jeonghan asks bitterly.

“Maybe that’s because I’m too scared to ask out a stupid boy! And maybe it’s because that stupid pink haired boy is out there right now trying to ruin everything! Maybe he should ruin everything!  Jisoo seemed to like him just fine! God, I’m so stupid! You guys are so stupid! If you just didn’t try and meddle with my life this never would have happened!” His words are sharp and he sees his friend’s wide eyes and open mouths; he isn’t one to ever raise his voice in such a way. 

He runs his hands through his hair and lets out a frustrated groan.

Neither Soonyoung or Seokmin try to make a movement towards him; for once the couple are completely speechless, not quite sure how to approach the situation and the still fuming Jeonghan.

Just then Seungkwan opens the kitchen door with a bang.

“God, there you are! Jisoo is walking around like a lost puppy. He’s yours to train not mine.”

“Wait, what’s going on in here?” Seungkwan asks when he finally assesses the scene.

Jeonghan’s anger suddenly deflates, and he simply feels drained and sad. He takes one look at his best friend’s worried expression and suddenly all he needs is a hug.

Seungkwan gasps in surprise and is nearly bowled over when Jeonghan is suddenly in his arms, but the boy doesn’t question it. Jeonghan feels his best friend’s grip tighten as he hugs him close, with a silent promise that he won’t let go as long as Jeonghan needs him.  

Hold in there guys! I'm sorry this was a pretty meh chapter it's more of a filler chapter.
But ah I didn't mean to cause you any pain and annoyance I swear forgive me !! Once again I'm gonna comment on how it somehow just happened (I'm not going to lie though, your comments on the last chapter kept me very very amused)