Author's Note: Part 1 of Chaper 2, because this chapter turned out to be an 8k word monster.

***

Sungyeol decides to return to Infinitea the next day, this time dressed appropriately in clothes that are clean, stylish, and (most importantly) are all actually his.

Hoya had offered to lend Sungyeol his hideous blue scarf again this morning, claiming that Myungsoo might not recognize him without the woolly monstrosity framing his face.

But Sungyeol had promptly reassured his of a roommate that the only way he would ever be seen wearing the aforementioned scarf in public again would be if it were wrapped around his dead body.

So Sungyeol once again sets out on the gray, frozen streets of Seoul at an ungodly hour in the morning, trekking through the ice and snow in a very stylish (but admittedly not very warm) outfit on a mission to make things right with the gorgeous boy who has captivated him completely.

Myungsoo.

(Myungsoo, whose beautifully expressive, dark eyes had been the subject of Sungyeol's dream last night.

Myungsoo, whose gorgeous face and body give him the appearance of an Adonis with the personality of a saint.

Myungsoo, who probably thinks that Sungyeol is a ert.)

Last night, Hoya had been absolutely insistent that Sungyeol talk to Myungsoo as soon as possible, both for the sake of clarifying to Myungsoo that Sungyeol is not in fact a erted, dimple-obsessed freak (although Hoya had actually called that claim "debatable") and for the purpose of clarifying to Sunggyu that Sungyeol is not a erted, dimple-obsessed freak.

Hoya had also assured Sungyeol that the best way to express his interest in Myungsoo would be to tell him directly, as Myungsoo tends to be quite oblivious to the attentions of people around him. He had also specified, multiple times, that Sungyeol was in no way, shape, or form to make any comments in front of Sunggyu that could be misconstrued as "erted, impure, or otherwise uncouth statements directed at his baby brother."

When asked what would happen if Sungyeol accidentally said something that fell into one of these categories, Hoya had only grinned at him and shook his head slowly, both demonically gleeful and foreboding at the same time.

(Sungyeol imagines that while Hoya probably relishes the possibility of Myungsoo's demon of a brother murdering him slowly, Hoya would have nothing to do with the rest of his life if Sungyeol was no longer available to be tortured.)

Sungyeol keeps all of this in mind as he pulls open the glass door of the café, taking a deep breath and steeling his nerves as he walks over to the polished, glossy counter.

Only to realize that no one is there. Of course.

He checks his phone, remembering that Infinitea doesn’t officially open until 7:00 a.m. But here he is, waiting to make amends to Myungsoo (who is very possibly the love of his life) at 6:42 a.m., after having waltzed into a closed café like a total creeper.

Sungyeol stares awkwardly at the empty space behind the unoccupied register, wondering if his decision to trudge through the ice-filled streets at this godforsaken hour was really necessary.

He turns his back to the dark granite countertop, momentarily relaxing as he takes in the decor of the café for the first time.

Hoya hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that Sunggyu put his heart and soul into the restaurant's new decor; if Sungyeol hadn’t been so distracted by his own hangover and hunger (and, of course, Myungsoo), he would have realized it yesterday.

There are expensive-looking glass carafes and blown glass centerpieces on every table, and glossy dark granite tables and counters as far as the eye can see. The china and silverware are a beautiful porcelain and sterling silver, and they look incredibly refined and delicate resting on the dark, reflective granite of the café, tables. The glass display case by the counter holds an array of interesting and delicious looking pastries, cakes, and tarts, and even the menus sitting in a perfectly neat stack next to the register are beautifully glossy and bound in dark leather.

Sungyeol is suddenly flooded by his own realization of how dedicated to Infinitea Myungsoo and his brother must be. Every little detail of the café speaks of wealth, attention to detail, and immaculate cleanliness. Even the floor of the café is a unique swirling marble, and it’s polished to a beautiful shine.

Sungyeol decides right then and there that even if Sunggyu is the devil incarnate, he has amazing taste and will definitely be consulted about the theme and design of his and Myungsoo’s future wedding, a wedding which might have been the subject of his dream last night.

(Sungyeol recognizes that he’s falling and falling hard; it hasn’t even been 24 hours since he’s met Myungsoo and he’s already become the subject of Sungyeol’s intense fixation.)

But Sungyeol is getting ahead of himself.

If he wants his future dream wedding with Myungsoo to even have a chance of becoming a reality, he needs to find Myungsoo and do everything in his power to make a good first impression. Well, technically it will be a second impression, since the whole purpose of this visit is to perform the damage control necessary after Sungyeol’s creepy first impression.

He imagines that either Sunggyu or Myungsoo, or possibly both, must already be in the café, if the unlocked door is any indication.

Sungyeol awkwardly leans against the counter, trying to peer into the kitchen just barely visible through a hallway to the left. He jumps about three feet into the air and releases an incredibly undignified squawk when he hears the unexpected slamming of a door, followed by the sound of rapid footsteps coming down the hall.

Sungyeol does his best to look nonchalant as he rests one arm on the cold granite counter, but he can feel a spike of pure adrenaline and fear at the sight of a grumpy-looking man with shockingly red hair briskly walking toward the counter.

Sungyeol guesses that this must be the infamous demon Sunggyu.

The redhead is quite a bit shorter than Sungyeol, but his posture is confident to the point of being imposing, even intimidating. He’s wearing the same outfit that Myungsoo had been wearing yesterday ーa perfectly pressed, white collar work shirt with black pants and a black waiter’s apronー but he gives off a completely different feel.

Myungsoo’s features are sharp and strong, his cheekbones high and his lips almost kittenish with their distinctive crossbow shape, but everything about his gaze and postures suggests gentleness and warmth. In contrast, Sunggyu’s features themselves are softer, more blended and less distinct in comparison, but there’s a fierce glint in his little eyes that has Sungyeol remembering how Hoya had smirked when he referred to Sunggyu as “the terror of the other graduate students.”

Even now, Sungyeol can feel his beady little hamster eyes judging him as he looks Sungyeol up and down.

Before Sungyeol can even open his mouth to say anything, Sunggyu beats him to it, still obviously judging Sungyeol with his small, cold eyes as he says “Good, you’re here early. Hoya told me that you were eager to work at Infinitea, and I told him that I would believe it when I see it. We won’t waste any time. The interview begins now.”

Sungyeol’s brain temporarily grinds to a screeching halt, his breath stuttering and hands clenching slightly as he just barely manages to put his acting skills to use and suppress any change in his expression.

Hoya. Of course Hoya had to interfere. As though it wasn’t enough for him to basically throw Sungyeol to the wolves by giving him barely any information on the infamously intimidating Sunggyu, Hoya had engineered his own little plan to encourage Sungyeol’s pursuit of Myungsoo while still being as much of an as possible.

Sungyeol wants to scream, wants to stomp his feet in a drama king-sized fit and run all the way back to the apartment through the ice and snow in the freezing cold just to strangle Hoya with his own blue scarf.

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he makes full use of his acting training by smiling brightly and nodding, deciding to use this moment to take full advantage of the opportunity thrown his way, and figure out the logistics of how to murder Hoya later.

***

“Hoya, thy name is satan!” Sungyeol dramatically hisses into his phone, clutching the device in a white-knuckled grip as he crouches amid the racks of towels in Infinitea’s storage closet.

“Did your interview not go well, Yeol? That’s a shame, seeing as how I put in a good word for you with the interviewer.”

If hearing Hoya laugh at Sungyeol in person is frustrating, hearing Hoya laugh at him over the phone is maddening, mostly because Sungyeol has no choice but to indulge in violent fantasies in lieu of being able to smack Hoya right here and now.

“Stop laughing, you ! He asked me a million questions that I wasn’t prepared for. He even referenced my resumé! How did you even get my resumé, youー you fiend of the night!”

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