AN: Okay so this story was getting long eeeepp, almost 3k words hahaha, so I decided that I'm going to add another chapter to it. So it's a two-shot now :) I originally planned it to be a oneshot but I got carried away but I didn't bother changing the pace since it's just supposed to be a quick story, I hope you don't mind ( qnq) 

Have a lovely day everyone and I hope you are safe and happy wherever you are! upvotes and comment are greatly appreciated, please and thank you <3

Mingyu loved his work. Being a barista he gets to see different people and give them their caffeine fix and it just makes his day. He loved working and he loved making coffee. During his training he would always notice a certain person come in every 3 o clock. He was enthraled by the guy who would always order americano and sits by the window. He would always observe him, his small eyes, his melodious voice and the way the sides of his lips would curl up took Mingyu's breath away. Now that Mingyu's a proper barista, he enjoyed waiting for the same guy in the same time.

Mingyu only knows his name, it was Jihoon.He would always write Jihoon's name prettily when there were times when Jihoon had to go to the shop early in the morning and have his coffee to go. Everytime Jihoon enters the coffee shop he would always have bright colored hair. One time he had pink hair, the next an ombre one and then it was orange, he also did violet and these days he's been wearing an ashy blond color. It amazes Mingyu how one person can look so good with any color. He wore a puppy-like smile everytime Jihoon nears the cashier.

There were times when Mingyu wanted to do small talk, but his nervousness would always get to him and he would just spout the same things like 'Hello, what's your order?' or 'I'll serve it to you once it's ready.' And everytime he misses his chance to start anything he would mentally and sometimes physically slap himself. He didn't know what attracted him to the regular customer, but he felt his heart beat going stronger and stronger and his chest would tighten and when he examines his features, he felt a rush of amazement run through him.

But there are also things that Mingyu would notice each time Jihoon stops by. Those beautiful small eyes would have a look of longingness, a look of hurt that's been through a lot. His lips that would give a bright smile would always fade immediately, like he was trying to be happy and his melodious voice that would always reach Mingyu's ears would have a tone of sadness and sometimes hoarsness that gave away that he's been crying. Mingyu wonders more and more about Jihoon, what makes him sad or what makes him happy.

Now as he stares at the clock that was a few minutes away from 3, he was determined to talk to him. He felt his hands turning clammy and he could feel his cheeks breaking from the bright smile he's been sporting the whole day.

"What's with you today?" A deep sounding voice asked.

"Hyung, I'm finally going to talk to him." Mingyu said in a sing song manner.

"Who?" The guy asked.

"Jihoon-ssi. One of our regulars. I told you about him, right?" Mingyu said in response.

"Ah.. him." The guy sighed out.

"What's wrong Wonwoo hyung?" Mingyu quirked his brows together, curious why his co-worker gave such a solemn expression.

"Ah nothing." Said man gave a half hearted smile as he placed a hand on his dongsaeng's shoulder.

Disregarding the awkward air, Mingyu once again wore his bright smile and said, "Do you think I'll have a chance?"

Wonwoo felt hesitant, he looked at Mingyu who looked hopeful. Somehow he felt uneasy, Wonwoo felt his chest tighten, he felt his surroundings go mute but still forced a smile as the bell from the door rang, "Why don't you find out?" Wonwoo sighed out as he pointed at the person of interest.

Mingyu looked at the direction and instantly became frazzled. He fixed his hair neatly, checked if his breath was okay and straightened out his uniform and immediately wore his smile. Jihoon walked towards the cashier, ready to order when Mingyu caught him off, "Iced Americano, right?"

"Ah.. yeah." Jihoon looked surprised for a moment but instantly gave a warm smile. He always thought the barista that always served him was friendly. He always smiled and he would always have a cheery tone whenever he orders something. Jihoon envied a person like that, since he was the complete opposite of him.

"You can take your seat, I'll bring it to you once it's ready." Mingyu beamed, he gave himself an imaginary pat on the back, at least this time he didn't hesitate.

"Thank you." Jihoon said in response, he was about to take his leave when he stopped his tracks and looked at the tall man. "I'm Jihoon by the way." Jihoon thought there was no harm in introducing himself, after all, he's been coming to the coffee shop for a long time and it's quite nice to at least be acquainted. Although, he surprised himself, he was never the type to even socialize.

"I'm- I'm Mingyu." He replied, he could feel heat crawling up to his cheeks as Jihoon gave him a smile before heading to his seat.

Mingyu looked at Wonwoo who was awfully quiet, and said, "Hyung, did you see that?! Did you see that?!"

"...Huh? Oh.. yeah.." Wonwoo lifelessly said.

"Don't forget, Jihoon's order." Mingyu patted his friend's shoulder. Wonwoo would always make the coffee that Jihoon ordered, Mingyu didn't know why but Wonwoo always insisted on making it specifically.

"Yeah..." Wonwoo drawled out, aimlessly readying a plastic cup.

Jihoon looked at the passerbys near the window, he would always see cars and different people pass by. He would look at the familiar streets and a rush of nostalgia would always enter his mind. The meloncholia of his memories that were still fresh in his heart would always linger and remind him of a wound that never healed. He would always stop by the coffee shop, hoping to hold on to one last thread of connection he had.

Even when they don't talk, Jihoon would always come by and sit at the usual place. The place where they laughed and talked about their future. Jihoon never looked his way, he would always just order and sit down. He was afraid that if he did, tears would fall and he didn't want to seem pathetic as he is now. 

"Here's your order." 

Jihoon heard Mingyu's voice as he looked at the tall man. He forced a smile as he said thank you. Jihoon wasn't stupid, he noticed that Mingyu would look at him so fondly ever since Mingyu started training to be a barista. At first, Jihoon paid no mind to it, yet as time flew by, Mingyu would still give him the look that was filled with love. Jihoon felt sorry for him, even though Mingyu thought that he was hiding his feelings well, Jihoon knew from the moment he looked at him.

"Um.." Mingyu hummed,"You don't know me... but I always see you here."

Jihoon observed the nervous yet bashful way the tall man talked, "I'm a regular customer after all." Jihoon said, making Mingyu nervously giggle.

"I... I want to get to know you more...is it possible that we can be friends?" Mingyu awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

Jihoon was surprised to say the least, he was certain that the barista would ask him out right away and he was ready to reject him.The smaller man looked at the anxious looking Mingyu and gave a hearty chuckle. Jihoon was amused how innocent the man was, he was like a breath of fresh air. 

"Sure." Jihoon gave a warm smile, "But don't regret it."

"Really?!" Mingyu's eyes sparkled with happiness, "THANK YOU!" The tall barista impulsively took Jihoon's hands and held it tight. "I won't regret it, never!" He added.

As soon as Mingyu said those words Jihoon's expression softened, he looked anxious for a split second. Mingyu felt Jihoon's hand slowly tear away from his hold as Jihoon rested his chin on his hand, looking at his side where the window is and mumbled, "You will.. sooner or later." 

Mingyu didn't understand what he meant but he tried to uplift the mood. He pulled out a piece of paper and said, "Here's my number, I hope you'll contact me soon." Jihoon took the paper and once again, forced a smile out. "I bet Wonwoo hyung is waiting for me, so I guess I'll talk to you soon." Despite being nervous before, Mingyu thought he did pretty well holding a conversation with Jihoon. 

Mingyu walked back to his station suppressing his giggle. Wonwoo looked at his co-worker who was way too happy, somehow he felt a bit disappointed, he was certain that Mingyu would come back with a disappointed face but he was wrong.

"So did the guy reject you?" Wonwoo asked.

"Look at me, hyung." Mingyu framed his face with his hands, "Does it look like I got rejected?"

"So you asked him out?"

"I'm not the type to rush things and I can tell that Jihoon isn't looking for anyone at the moment. I just asked him if we can be friends and I gave him my number."

".. I see.."

"Hyung, you should be happy for me. It's the first time I ever talked to him."

Wonwoo gave a silent response with a thumbs up. He felt guilty of wanting Mingyu to fail, he looked over to where Jihoon was and his heart clenched inside of him.

On the following days, Mingyu had a bright aura around him. He was more cheerful, more enthusiastic and would even leave little smiley faces on the to go cups whenever he can. Jihoon texted him that night and from then on the two continued to talk. Mingyu would always give a knowing smile once Jihoon arrived and his americano would always be ready for him to receive on the cashier. At that moment, Mingyu would always take advantage of the time to make small talk until his manager would scold him. 

Mingyu would leave small notes on Jihoon's cup whenever there were days that Jihoon would order a hot americano. The two continued to talk and learned more of each other. Mingyu learned that Jihoon was often misunderstood and that he was awkward with dealing with emotions. While Jihoon was appreciative of the fact that he gained a friend that tried to understand him and would listen to him when he needed to talk about something.

It's been a while since Jihoon had a light feeling in his chest. Yet for some reason, every time he looks at Mingyu he was slowly getting scared. He was scared of himself and the foreign feeling of sincere happiness. He would unconsciously smile and he would sometimes sulk whenever Mingyu was busy. It was a scary thing to feel, especially when he never wanted to feel loved ever again.

But being with Mingyu was different, somehow he made it okay for him to feel happy and be doted on. He looked at the barista who snuck out of his station to sit in front of him with eyes searching for a proper explanation why he felt so different around him. Jihoon stirred his coffee with a teaspoon and further observed the man's features. It didn't feel like 3 weeks for him, he felt like he knew Mingyu long before.

Mingyu's eyes were dazzling and his hair was always neat. When Mingyu smiles, Jihoon could see his canines sticking out and his tan skin that always reminded him of macchiato. Jihoon didn't even realized he was smiling when Mingyu called out to him.

"Hey can I ask you something?" Mingyu held eye contact.

"Okay, what?" Jihoon raised his brows.

"Of all the coffee shops in this neighborhood.... why here?"

Mingyu's innocent question reminded Jihoon what he truly felt. He felt saddened and he felt alone, Jihoon never wanted to severe the ties to the place where he used to feel love. He was hesitant as he traced the cup's handle with his nimble fingers. Jihoon looked away, somehow looking at the tall man felt uncomfortable. zthe horrible feeling of loneliness washed over him again and Jihoon could only give a forced smile he was used to giving other people.

"Of all the customers, why me?" Jihoon asked back., he knew the answer but deep inside whether he admits it or not, Jihoon wanted to hear Mingyu say it. Maybe that question was a wake up call to reality

Mingyu was taken aback, he didn't expect Jihoon to answer with a question. Somehow he felt his surroundings starting to slow down, he could hear his own heartbeat pounding inside of him and suddenly, his whole body started to sweat. He felt like his feelings were bunching up together until it explodes, his mouth turned dry as he tried to his lips. 

"Because.." Mingyu made sure to look deep into Jihoon's eyes as he followed, "Because I like you."

Those words that Jihoon wanted to hear, he was reminded of his past love. The love that he held on for so many years, the love that broke him and tore his own being down. When he looks at Mingyu he could see the person he once was when he was with that person, that person who broke his heart. Jihoon could see the hopefulness in Mingyu's eyes, he couldn't gather his voice but he knew he had to say something.

"I got the feeling that you weren't looking for anyone at the moment and.. I don't even know if you swing that way, but I'm willing to wai--"

"No." Jihoon managed to say, he could feel something balling up inside his throat the more he looked at the person in front of him. For a second, Jihoon was about to take him up on his offer, but he could see a figure heading towards them and it broke his strong front.

"But I'm in no rush, I love being friends with you--"

"No.. I... I'm sorry." Jihoon's voice cracked, he felt a warm tear roll down his cheek. Mingyu looked surprised to see Jihoon crying in front of him, with his widened eyes he scanned the smaller man's features, he was unsure of what to do or say. Mingyu was panicking inside his head, was the thought of dating really that bad? He thought. Jihoon's tears streamed down his face even when he kept a straight expression. He was about to apologize once more when he could see Wonwoo's figure behind Mingyu approaching the two of them. Suddenly Jihoon felt his whole world came crashing down as more tears continued to roll down his cheeks. He abruptly stood up, got his things and left the coffee shop immediately.

Mingyu was shocked, he didn't know what just happened. Was he rejected? Or was it something else? But that didn't matter at that moment, he wanted to know whether Jihoon was okay or not. He stood up, nearing the door, hoping he could bring comfort to the smaller man but he was stopped by a strong hand on his arm. Mingyu traced the hand that held him and found Wonwoo frozen on the spot. The raven haired man slowly looked at Mingyu, his normally sharp eyes looked like daggers ready to stab Mingyu right then and there.

Wonwoo dragged Mingyu all the way to the break room, jaws clenched and anger boiling down to the pit of his stomach. He ignored Mingyu's questions, why was he mad or why was he acting that way, once they were inside he looked at Mingyu dead in the eyes, searching and hoping to find the answer but he could see that Mingyu was also confused of the situation.

"Did you hurt him?" Wonwoo's voice was filled with anger, his ears red as can be and his nostrils fuming in dormant rage.

Mingyu was lost in the situation, since when did his co-worker cared about Jihoon's feelings?

"I said." Wonwoo added, holding Mingyu's collar, "Did. You. Hurt. Him?"

Mingyu could feel Wonwoo was upset, his co-worker never showed any emotion besides indifference and it was certainly shocking to see him so angry at him. Mingyu tore Wonwoo's hands away from him, he was growing irritable, why did Wonwoo care so much? He looked at his co-worker with curiosity. "I asked Jihoon why he chose the coffee shop and then it lead to me confessing to him, so calm down. I didn't hurt him." Mingyu ran his fingers through his hair, he wasn't even sure why he needed to explain himself as he looked at Wonwoo's expression. His anger slowly faded and he could see it turning in to something familiar, it was like the expression Jihoon wore before they became friends.

"What is it to you?" Mingyu quirked an eyebrow, the expression Wonwoo wore pissed him off a bit. "Don't tell me...."

Wonwoo looked away, placing his hands on his hips as he tried to catch his own breath.

"Are you in love with Jihoon too?" Mingyu's voice rose in volume.

"Yes... I mean No- no!" Wonwoo immediately replied, his thoughts were in scrambles before clearing the air, "I mean.. I used to."

Mingyu's expression turned dark, what the heck was his co-worker talking about?

"........" Wonwoo felt the judging stare that came from the younger man, he felt a bit pressured as he took a nervous gulp. He didn't even want to talk about it nor did he want to voice it out into words because if he did, it would feel like admitting the end of everything that's been lingering inside his head. 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"THERE'S A LINE IN THE CASHIER, WHAT ARE THE TWO OF YOU DOING IN THERE?!" Their manager shouted through the door, yet the heavy atmosphere between the two of them seemed to go deeper, it was too thick to even cut with a loud voice. Wonwoo quickly reached for the door as he left Mingyu in the break room, he never wanted to admit the harsh reality that was upon him at that moment.