“So what did you do then?” asked Kyungsoo while putting the already washed plates in the cup-board. Normally Kyungsoo doesn’t get involved in other people’s business (that’s the first thing people notice about him, the second - him having a short temper), but Jongdae’s story was too interesting to ignore, especially after it stopped being a weird hallucination, but rather an actual person. Also Kyungsoo does care about his friends, even if he doesn’t show it.

“Nothing?” Jongdae said miserably.

“What do you mean nothing? You have been searching for him everywhere and when you finally found him you don’t even talk to him?” Kyungsoo crossed his arms on his chest. He is such a mum, thought Jongdae.

“What could I have said? Hi, so I was thinking of something beautiful to paint and then you appeared in my brain even if I don’t remember ever seeing you, and I thought you were cute and I looked for you everywhere and I may have a crush on you even if I don’t know your name?” said Jongdae in one breath before slamming his head on the table.

“I hate to agree with you but you may have a point there, so what now? Are you going to forget about him and move on?” Somehow Kyungsoo always managed to make his questioning sound like scolding, though with a friend like Jongdae he had no other choice.

“I finally found him. I have to at least talk to him once, even if he thinks I’m a creep.” It was rare to see Jongdae so determined, Kyungsoo just hoped the guy’s character was as good as his looks.

“I’m sure he will, but go for it” Kyungsoo sounded amused. His mood swings were no joke, but hey he did manage to persuade Jongdae to not give up and even cooked for him, so who cares if he once threw a plate at the latter, when Jongdae painted his room in glittery pink.

***

So far Jongdae knew about the Angel that 1) he was a baker, if his pink apron with the words “world’s okayest big bro” and the cute pink chef’s hat on his head were any indication, 2) he was even more good looking in person (which couldn’t be possible, but somehow it was), 3) the guy’s shift started when the coffee shop opened and ended after the shop was closed, 4) he was always in the kitchen and almost never came out besides the few times when he had to say something to the lanky teenager at the counter.

Great, just great. Jongdae had no way of even seeing the boy yet alone talking to him. For some reason this felt even worse than the time he wasn’t sure if the boy was real. At least at that time he could give up and move on, but now he knew where the boy worked and even when his work ended, but he had no chances of talking to him without uncovering himself as a creepy stalker. So Jongdae kept coming to the coffee shop every day after classes hoping to catch a glimpse of the cute baker like the pathetic sap he was.

***

Lady luck, however, seemed to have at least some mercy on the boy, because when Jongdae entered the coffee shop the first thing he saw was the cute baker handing a coffee to an old lady and smiling sweetly. What the hell? Jongdae froze in his place not believeing his luck. This was it, no going back now. Except now he had no idea what to do. Maybe he should start moving; standing at the door of the shop and staring at the baker/barista was no ways considered a normal behaviour. Yeah, he should do that. He sat at the table facing the baker hoping he didn’t look as creepy as he thought he did. He had to do something but what? He never thought this far, since he didn’t even hope of this happening, and now he was staring at the guy while hiding behind his menu and trying to think of a way to approach the other. He took his phone out and immideatly texted Minseok.

To Minesok:

help he is at the counter and i have no idea what to do!!!!!!! ╥﹏╥ (T＿T)

From Minseok:

thank every god out there?

To Minseok:

hyuuuuuuuuuuuuuung please (⋟﹏⋞) (⋟﹏⋞) (⋟﹏⋞) (⋟﹏⋞)

From Minseok:

fine, just go buy coffee, just like how everyone else does when they want to flirt with a barista jeez why do I have to teach you the dumbest stuff

To Minseok:

it’s not my fault, his unearthly handsomeness crashed my brain. Also remind me to treat you later (≧▽≦) (≧▽≦) (≧▽≦) 

From Minseok:

go get him tiger

Jongdae exhaled deeply. He could do this, he could totally do this. He was Jongdae after all, the guy who always got good grades without studying and the same guy who befriended the most intimidate-looking guy in his faculty and made him cook dinner for him, he had this. He just needed to order something and maybe compliment him? No biggy.

“Hello, what can I get for you?” said the Angel without looking up from his tablet.

What was that about having “this” again? He was screwed, so ing screwed. The Angel was gorgeous and his voice was so smooth and sweet and he smelt like the vanilla cupcakes Jongdae always ordered. He was a mess and there was no way he “got” this.

“Um…” Good start.

The Angel seemed to have solved the problem with his tablet and looked up. Suddenly the typical service-worker smile he was wearing for the last five minutes fell. was shaped like an “o” and he looked awfully shocked. What if the Angel had noticed his stalking? Oh my god, this can’t be happening. He’ll have to move to Antarctica, after all the penguins are quite cute and he is short, so maybe they would treat him like their overgrown baby? Also Kyungsoo always kind of resembled a penguin so he wouldn’t really miss his friend too much, just maybe Minseok and the hot tutor they once had…

“Are you sober today?” asked the Angel looking slightly amused.

There was an unconfortable pause before Jongdae registered that the words were addressed to him.

“What? Why wouldn’t I be?” Did he look that bad today? He was wearing his skinny black jeans with a blue hoody - a typical student’s outfit, what was wrong?

“You sure weren’t the last time we met.” said the guy smirking.

What the hell was going on?

“The last time? Have we met before?... Oh my god, so that’s why I painted you that time!” Jongdae knew his voice was a pitch higher for a public place, but he was too shocked to care about the other customers.

“Painted me? Is that your way of sugarcoating vomiting on my shoes?” the Angel farrowed his brows.

“I what?” Jongdae could feel his soul leaving his body.

“… You don’t remember, do you?” after seeing Jongdae’s nod he continued, “We first met like two months ago. I’m a baker here, but Sehun - my younger brother and the barista, had a dance competition to take part in so I took his place that day, basically just like today. I was closing when you came here and ordered black coffee “just as black as my future”. I noticed you smelt like vodka so I asked if you were fine but then you just started crying saying how nice I am and how much my words mean to you. So I made you sit near the window over there and brought your coffee and a cupcake I baked not long ago. When you ate it, you started crying again and when I asked why, you said it was very tasty, “too tasty to be in this cruel world.””

Well, this was far worse than Jongdae could have imagined. Oh boy.

“I was really worried for you, you seemed so sad, so I sat with you. After a while you started crying again, and when I asked what was wrong you said that no one loved you and you would end up like your cranky neighbor and shout at children having fun outside. You said that no one wanted you and you were alone, so I thought you needed to cheer up and hugged you, but then you threw up on my shoes.”

Memories flooded Jongdae’s brain, though he wished they didn’t. It was on Baekhyun’s birthday and thanks to his amazing friends he got pissed drunk. He knew he was an emotional drunk but it never got this bad. Though that day he had his reasons. Two of his friends just announced that they got engaged, Minseok was practically married, Kyungsoo was dating arguably the hottest guy in their university, while he was nursing heartache after Liyin broke up with him. It was no excuse to cry and later puke on a complete stranger but he was drunk and emotional so he had at least some sort of an excuse.

“When I left to bathroom to clean my shoes, you have already left. I was really worried.” The Angel looked really concerned. Jongdae didn’t understand him. So a stranger comes to your workplace, cries, tells you about his life and pukes on your shoes and you hug him and worry for him? Who even does that? He couldn’t wrap his head around the guy’s character. He was too good for this world.

When the silence became too awkward, Jongdae tried to speak again.

“Thanks for that day. My friends were all getting married and dating and I was dumped and drunk so I didn’t really control my emotions. Sorry again for your shoes, I can buy you a new pair.” He didn’t really have money, but he had to do something to pay back for the guy’s kindness.

The Angel chuckled.

“Oh, don’t worry. I threw them away long time ago. They were too old anyways.” How did the guy manage to make everything sound so easy? Jongdae could just stare back dumbly.

“You wanted something? A drink or maybe a cupcake? I just baked the vanilla ones, they are really good. You have to try them.”

“I’ve tried them before. They taste great.”

The baker was beaming.

“I’m glad you like them.”

“It’s hard not to considering who bakes them.” The baker bushed lightly.

Maybe he did have a chance after all. 

They both stood there smiling and staring at each other before a “ding” came from the kitchen and the guy rushed to the back of the coffee shop. When he came back, he had a cup of espresso and a vanilla cupcake.

“This is for you. On the house.” He avoided eye-contact and looked flustered for some reason.

“I can pay...”

“No really, it’s a present, take it.” The guy put the cup and the plate on the counter and went back to the kitchen. He looked uncomfortable. Jongdae really shouldn’t have expected much. The guy was nice but it didn’t mean he would be interested in Jongdae, not after their terrrible first meeting. Jongdae sighed loudly before taking his present and going back to his table.

His heart skipped a bit when he finally noticed the writing on the coffee cup.

Maybe the next time when you feel sad you can just text me?

xxx-xxx-xxxx Yixing J

Jongdae was too busy writing down the number in his phone and smiling to himself to notice Yixing looking out of the kitchen window and beaming like a child on Christmas.