Next time comes a lot sooner than Myungsoo expects. It's a few days later and he is once again stuck on the night shift at the cafe; luckily Hoya is stuck there with him. With the scarcity of customers so late at night, they've taken to cleaning up to pass the time before the cafe is officially closed. Myungsoo is just returning from taking out the trash when he hears the bell above the front door jingle, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Hoya, who had been doing a quick inventory of the pantry, pokes his head out of the room and the two baristas exchange looks.

"I just took out the trash."

"I'm not done back here."

Someone has to help whoever's waiting out there, but neither of them wants to be the one to do it. They stare at each other for a few more seconds before they each raise a fist; it has happened so much now that they don't even need to say anything. On the count of three they show their hands and Myungsoo groans. While he had kept his hand closed (rock), Hoya's was laid flat (paper)— that happens a lot too. In all the years they've known each other and all the times they've played this game, Myungsoo has only won a handful of times.

Cursing his bad luck at rock-paper-scissors, the younger boy tries not to pout too much as he steps back into the front room. But that pout quickly falls from his face once he gets a good look at who is standing on the other side of the counter, a radiant smile taking its place. The last minute customer is none other than Sungyeol and Myungsoo doesn't think he's ever been so pleasantly surprised. Moving closer to the counter, he greets the older boy. "Hi."

"Hi." Sungyeol returns his greeting, his smile just as bright.

"Hi." He's still smiling (probably too much), but he can't seem to stop. Belatedly, he realizes he's just said hi twice and he scrambles for something more eloquent to say. "I thought you were taking a break from coffee."

Chuckling lightly, Sungyeol leans over the counter. "I didn't come here for coffee."

"Did you want a muffin, then?"

"What I want isn't on the menu."

There is a poorly-concealed laugh from somewhere in the back and Myungsoo makes a mental note to kick Hoya's the next time he sees him. Sungyeol obviously heard it as well, his gaze turning anywhere that isn't near the dark-haired barista. Myungsoo isn't quite sure what the older boy would be embarrassed about, but he figures he should save him from the awkward tension. "I don't— I'm not sure how I can help you. Maybe if you tell me what you want...?"

"You." The drummer's eyes are back on him, strong and clear just like his answer. His confidence seems to falter a bit as Myungsoo continues to stare at him, showing no visible reaction. Clearing his throat, he continues, "Um, I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out or something. I mean— when you're done."

Myungsoo doesn't think he's ever seen the older boy so flustered before; it is ridiculously cute and only makes him like him more. "Well, I still have half an hour to go, but if you don't mind waiting—"

"You can go," Hoya says as he emerges from the back room, not even bothering to pretend like he wasn't eavesdropping.

Turning to his friend, Myungsoo forgets that little detail as well for a moment. "What?"

"You can go," the other barista repeats. "There isn't much left to do anyway."

"Are you sure?" He really wants to go with Sungyeol, but he kind of feels like he would be abandoning his friend.

"It's fine; I can handle this place by myself."

Biting his lip, Myungsoo takes a moment to think it over before he attacks Hoya with a hug. Since the older boy is being so selfless, he decides to postpone his previously promised -kicking. He's grinning so much when he pulls away that it almost hurts, but he just can't contain his excitement. "Thanks— I owe you one."

Wasting no time, he strips off his apron and tosses it at his friend who laughs but catches it anyway. He tries not to seem too eager as he rushes out from behind the counter and starts leading the way to the door, waving one last time at Hoya as he goes. Once they're outside it finally occurs to him that he has no idea where they are supposed to be going; he wonders if this is how all of their dates will be. Assuming this is a date— he isn't so sure about that either. He should probably find out, but he's pretty sure Sungyeol wouldn't tell him even if he asked. Deciding to take his chances, Myungsoo follows the older boy as he sets off down the street.

"I'm curious," Sungyeol begins, not even a minute later. "Are you always that bad at flirting?"

The question is so sudden (and accurate), Myungsoo nearly stops walking. The blush creeping up his neck probably gives him away, but he still tries to appear unaffected as he coughs out an embarrassed laugh. "Was it that obvious?"

"Maybe just a little." Sungyeol laughs as well, his eyes bright and playful as he glances at the boy next to him.

"You can probably already tell, but I don't actually do this very often." Myungsoo feels a sudden need to defend himself against the drummer's teasing.

"I actually find that very hard to believe."

Myungsoo has no idea how Sungyeol could have gotten so mislead; he nearly fell on his face the first time he talked to him, for God's sake. That definitely doesn't scream suave or charming. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to mention that the only person he has been interested in flirting with recently is standing right next to him. That person also appears to be studying him rather intensely, the younger boy notices when he peers over at his tall companion. Unsure of what to make of all the attention, he gives the other a dimple-filled smile and says, "It's true— just ask Hoya."

"I think I'd rather find out for myself," Sungyeol replies, his gaze softening as he smiles.

Myungsoo is almost certain the older boy is blushing and he is even more sure he's flirting as well. He would love to flirt back, but his mind is currently drawing a blank; he'll have to ask Woohyun to help him with that later. Dropping his eyes toward the sidewalk, he says the first thing he can think of: "That sounds nice."

Almost immediately he wants to kick himself— he would have been better off not saying anything at all. But Sungyeol doesn't seem put off by it, he even laughs a little, so maybe it wasn't too bad. They lapse into silence for a bit and he finally takes notice of his surroundings. They are somewhere downtown amidst the late night crowd of bar and club hoppers, neon signs lighting up the sky. Not having much of a social life, Myungsoo has rarely, if ever, had a reason to come down here and he's starting to feel more than a little lost.

"Where exactly are you taking me," he asks, just a tad concerned about what might happen next.

"Don't worry," Sungyeol assures, sensing his apprehension. Coming to a stop, he nods at the place in front of them with a bright smile. "We're already here."

"Here", as it turns out, is a club of some sort with loud live music seeping through the doors and it only gets louder once they step inside, the floors vibrating with the heavy bass. Having attended many of Sungyeol's shows, Myungsoo is kind of used to this scene, but he still sticks a bit closer to the older boy as they join the throng surrounding the stage. They find a spot near the wall on the opposite side of the bar with a decent view and just enough room. Although he doesn't know the band that's performing, Myungsoo slowly finds himself enjoying the show, the energy from the crowd spreading throughout the space like a current. A few songs later, he's gotten so engrossed he doesn't notice Sungyeol leaning closer until he feels his breath against his ear.

"How are you liking it so far?" He has to raise his voice a bit to be heard over the music.

Instinctively, Myungsoo turns his head and lets out a silent gasp at how incredibly close the other boy is. He marvels for a moment at how unbelievably handsome the drummer is until he remembers there is still a question that needs answering. Leaning toward the other's ear, he replies, "They're actually pretty good."

"You sound surprised. Did you think they were going to ?"

"No, they're just not really my style."

"And what exactly is your style?"

"You're my style."

Myungsoo didn't mean to say that and he didn't mean for the entire room to hear him, but the band chooses that particular moment to end their song and in the brief space of silence that follows the barista's voice is the only one that can be heard. He really wants to believe that that did not just happen, but with all the stares he's getting that seems highly unlikely. His eyes travel back to Sungyeol, whose extremely attractive face is still extremely close to his, a smile settled on his lips; more often than not that seems to be the older boy's reaction every time he does something weird. And that, in itself, is even weirder— or so Myungsoo thinks.

Still, it gives him some hope that he might be able to save the situation. Putting a bit of distance between them, he looks toward the stage and attempts to compose himself. Fortunately, the band is taking a short break so he keeps his voice at a reasonable volume when he finally speaks. "I meant the band— your band. You guys are my style."

"And here I thought you had finally learned how to flirt." The smirk on Sungyeol's face is equal parts playful and y.

Somehow it manages to calm him and Myungsoo finds himself laughing at the drummer's retort, all thoughts of humiliation slipping away. The embarrassment might catch up to him later, but for now he just enjoys the music and talking to the boy he likes.

~*~

"So?"

"So?"

It's been an hour since Myungsoo came to work and the whole time he's had to deal with Hoya staring at him, his eyebrows raised expectantly. He's obviously waiting for the younger boy to spill all the details of his little date the night before, but Myungsoo still isn't talking. Hoya's patience runs out and he corners his friend by the counter, effectively blocking him on his way to clean a table. He looks just about ready to explode as he prods, "What happened?"

"We hung out." Myungsoo shrugs like it's just that simple and pushes past the shorter boy to continue on his way. He has no idea why his friend is so interested in his love life, but he is definitely enjoying his frustration at not knowing.

"I already knew that," Hoya huffs, trailing behind him.

Myungsoo doesn't even have to look at him to know he's pouting. He isn't done having his fun, though. "Then why did you ask?"

"Myungsoo." There is a hint of a warning in the older boy's voice, his expression completely serious.

"Hoya," the other barista responds, just as serious.

Steam is practically pouring out of Hoya's ears, but before he can boil over a customer walks in and he reluctantly heads back to the counter. Before he goes he shoots Myungsoo a look that clearly says their conversation isn't over, which the younger boy returns with a sweet smile, not intimidated in the least. If his friend weren't so persistent, he would gladly tell him everything; he was actually planning on it... eventually.

With the other boy temporarily preoccupied, Myungsoo gets back to work wiping down the table and taking the dishes to the kitchen. Hoya is waiting for him when he returns, but, fortunately, another customer comes in and it is none other than the date doctor. Relief coursing through him, Myungsoo rushes forward to greet Woohyun, that same sweet smile from before on his face— only less sarcastic.

Woohyun is just as happy to see him, although he is a bit apologetic about not being around for the past few days. He is quickly forgiven and gets down to business just as quickly. "So, what did I miss?"

"He went on another date, but he won't tell me what happened." Hoya, who had been hovering nearby, is quick to join the conversation, even if he wasn't necessarily invited. With the way he's pouting he looks like a little child tattling on his sibling.

However, Woohyun's eyes are focused only on Myungsoo as he leans closer, grinning excitedly. "You did? How was it? What did you do?"

Myungsoo doesn't know which question to answer first, but he has to clear one thing up. "It wasn't a date. The word 'date' never came up."

"You don't always have to call a date a date for it to be a date." Hoya once again decides to throw in his unsolicited (and slightly confusing) two cents.

"That doesn't even make sense." The older boy is supposed to be the more logical one between the two of them, yet here he is spouting nonsense. Recalling his time with Sungyeol the night before, Myungsoo feels himself smiling almost instantly; it certainly felt like a date, but that doesn't mean much if neither of them acknowledges it. "Besides, we didn't do anything 'date-like'. We just went to some club and listened to a band— nothing fancy."

Straightening himself up, the date doctor shrugs, his head tilted to the side. "That sounds an awful lot like a date."

"Not you too," Myungsoo groans, covering his face with his hands. His cheeks are already burning; he can only imagine how red he must be.

Woohyun chuckles. "I'm the expert here— I should know. But this is good; he wants to keep seeing you, so he definitely likes you."

"Sungyeol is totally into him." Slinging his arm across his friend's shoulder, Hoya grins at the man on the other side of the counter. Without question, he is certainly Myungsoo's biggest fan and no one is more thrilled than he is about the younger boy's recent venture into romance. "By the looks of it, he might not even need you anymore."

The smile immediately drops from Woohyun's face as he looks to Myungsoo, utterly devastated; there may even be a few tears in his eyes. "Are you firing me?"

The young barista finally emerges from his hand cocoon, no longer embarrassed, and rushes to reassure the date doctor. "Of course not! I still really need you."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Myungsoo declares, nodding vigorously. "Actually, there's something I could use your help with right now."

"What is it?" Woohyun is leaning over the counter again, as if the answer will come sooner if he gets closer.

This isn't something he cares to talk about at work— especially not with Hoya around— but he doesn't know when he'll see Sungyeol again and he would rather not make a fool of himself the next time. Sighing heavily, he asks, "Can you teach me how to flirt?"

Woohyun stares at him for a few seconds, his mouth set in a thin line, before he breaks out a smile and lays a hand on Myungsoo's shoulder. Gazing deeply into the younger boy's eyes, he says, almost gravely, "You have a lot to learn, young grasshopper."