“So just one regular iced vanilla latte with soy milk and no cream. Right, is that all?”

“Yup, that will be all.” 

Minseok nodded, punching in the order and generating the receipt for the customer in front of him. 

“Please wait at the side as your drink is being prepared.” 

The lady, dressed in a long white dress with crimson red lips and hair high in a bun, flashed a pearly smile at him in return and nodded, walking over to wait by the pick-up counter next to the coffee machines. 

Minseok passed the order to Jongin and watched as the lady practically undressed the young college student with her eyes, watching his every move closely and longingly. Jongin, of course, was oblivious to this. 

Minseok didn’t blame her though, it was no uncommon sight to see girls ogling at Jongin while he prepared their drinks. In fact, Minseok was pretty sure half their customers came just to see him. 

Not that their shop wasn’t good enough by itself to attract customers. 

But Jongin was just really hot.  

“Here’s your soy milk latte.” 

Jongin smiled warmly and passed the eager lady her drink, which made her blush and grin coyly, looking up at him through her lashes. 

“Thank you! Wow that was really fast. You have skilled hands, I must say.” 

“Oh, thank you, I try my best to be efficient.” Jongin chuckled back in response, his eyes crinkling from his wide, genuine smile. 

‘Aw, bless him’, Minseok thought. 

“I have some pretty skilled hands too. I can show them what they do if you want.” The lady replied, batting her eyelashes and biting her lip.

Minseok had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at her blatant and rather pathetic attempts of flirting, with the word ‘skilled’ dripping with crass seduction. Then again, he wasn’t really surprised since this was someone who had asked him how much percent of fat their soy milk had, and then proceeded to ask for a gluten-free vegan brownie which, of course, they didn’t have.

Gluten-free??

Vegan??? 

Even the notion made Minseok shudder.

“Oh really? Are you a barista too, Noona?”

“Mpfkkk!”

The 2 turned to an embarrassed Minseok who tried his best to look like he had not just stifled a laugh.

Seductress Soomi (as Minseok decided to name her) looked indignant and displeased to say the least, grimacing at Jongin who was just blinking innocently back, wondering why she was glaring at him.

“Noona? Excuse me, but I’m probably younger than you. What kind of disrespect is this?” 

Jongin frowned and immediately got flustered, shaking his head and hands vigorously. 

“Oh no no! Oh I’m so sorry I didn’t mean it like that. You just, you look close to my sister’s age and she’s older so I just assumed-“ 

“What my friend here meant to say is…” 

Jongdae, who had emerged from the office to see the scene unfold in time, grabbed Jongin's shoulders from behind, chuckling with what Minseok recognized as his “fake business laugh”. 

“You have the elegance and sophisticated appeal of a more mature woman; a compliment I assure you. Besides, Jongin here is really young so it’s just natural for him to say things like that.” 

Seductress Soomi pursed her lips as she judged Jongdae and his attempt to save the young barista. Jongin was still pouting, his eyes pleading sorry and his hands folded in front of him. 

Ah yes, the puppy-dog eyes that no mortal could resist. 

“I see, well, fine. You’re forgiven. Next time don’t go around assuming people’s ages!” 

With that and a whip-on of her designer shades, Seductress Soomi strutted out of the shop, making all 3 exhale in relief at the same time.

“Oh my, Hyung I’m so sorry, I know you always say never upset the customers and I-“

“Jongin! It’s okay, it’s not your fault. In fact, you were being too nice with Noona, Ajumoni would’ve probably fit her better.”

Minseok nudged Jongdae disapprovingly though all 3 laughed at his comment.

With Seductress Soomi being the last customer, Jongdae glanced down at his watch and clapped his hands. 

“Alright, it’s 6, let’s close up!”

It was a really tiring day, with the summer holidays having just arrived, that meant the coffee shop was even busier than usual. And with Kyungsoo absent, it meant more work for the rest. It had only been three days, but Jongdae was already starting to feel the pressure to find a new barista ASAP.

He glanced over at Jongin and Minseok, who had started wiping down the counter surface and tables respectively with haggard looks on their faces.

“I’m sorry you have to work even more. I’ll put up more ads and ask around some more to find a barista soon, I promise.”

Jongin, despite his exhaustion, still smiled and shook his head.

“It’s alright, I enjoy making drinks. Plus, I love the challenge. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah it’s fine, we’re fine.” Minseok added.

Jongdae sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, on one hand grateful for how sweet his employees were, but also wondering how on earth he was going to find a replacement for Kyungsoo.

Despite both online and street posters advertising an open barista position, no one had applied yet. Minseok had tried to assure him by claiming that it would just take time for people to discover the job opening and apply, but Jongdae wasn’t too sure about that.

He was sure it probably had to do with the fact that he wasn’t exactly offering the best pay rates in Hongdae. Despite being a popular café, it was still relatively young and Jongdae still had a huge loan to repay, meaning he could not afford to offer luxurious wages, unlike a lot of other cafes around him.

Suddenly, there was footsteps outside the café, followed by the sound of the bell hanging next to it which signalled the door being opened.

“I’m so sorry but we’re closing now.” Jongdae said as he turned around, only to find the most beautiful man standing at the entrance.

“Oh? Oh I’m so sorry I didn’t see the opening times. I just wanted a cup of coffee anyway but I’ll just-“

“Oh no it’s alright actually I’m sure we can just get you that coffee, it’s only a few minutes past closing anyway.”

What the .

It was like Jongdae’s mouth had gotten a mind of its own, making Jongin and Minseok also look at him in bewilderment.

But him, this man was gorgeous.

With milky skin, peachy cheeks and brown hair neatly slicked up, he looked like he had just stepped out of a high-fashion magazine cover.

It was also probably the fact that the young man looked incredibly tired and sad as well. Jongdae recognized that look, and knew what he needed right now was just a nice hot cup of coffee.

“So, what would you like?”

The young man appeared slightly confused at how Jongdae was suddenly accommodating him, but nonetheless followed behind him to the counter and looked up at the menu.

“Just a small espresso with extra milk.”

As Jongdae entered the order, he noticed from the corner of his eye Jongin return to the machine and grab a cup.

“Hey Jongin, it’s alright you’ve worked a lot today, I’ll make his order."

“Oh it’s fine Hyung I can-“

“No Jongin it’s alright let me do it. Anyway that will be 5000 won.”

The stranger paid him the cash with a soft half smile, making Jongdae’s chest constrict a bit.

It was a sad smile, but it was a smile nonetheless that was still charming.

Jongin continued looking confused for a moment but then shrugged and went back to clearing up the rest of the workspace.

Jongdae threw on an apron quickly to make the espresso, glancing up to find the sad customer take a seat at a table with his hands folded in front of him, just staring into space.

Finally, Jongdae walked over with the drink and placed it in front of him.

“Here you go.”

The young man smiled again and nodded in thanks, but the sadness was still there in his eyes.

Jongdae couldn’t help himself.

“You look like you had a day.”

The stranger looked up at him in surprise for a second at his comment, but then sighed and nodded.

“Really, really  day.”

He then took a sip of coffee and hummed in satisfaction as it went down his throat.

“This is so good, I really needed this. Thank you so much.”

“No problem, I’m glad I could make you feel better even if just a bit.”

Jongdae tucked his hands into the pockets of his apron and smiled fondly at the man who was relishing the warmth of the coffee.

.

Catching himself, he quickly turned around and went behind the counter, pretending to arrange some things at the till. Minseok was besides him and nudged him with a smirk, making Jongdae glare at him, not appreciating the teasing look.

But the teasing wasn’t unfounded. 

There was no doubt Jongdae was attracted to this man. He was handsome beyond imagination and had a certain sophisticated charm to him.

But it was more than just that.

It was the butterflies he got in his stomach when the man smiled softly at the taste of the drink, and how he looked at him with genuine, gentle eyes when he thanked him.

Jongdae didn’t exactly know what this was or why he was feeling this way, but he had a sneaky suspicious it was love at first sight.

“Excuse me?"

Jongdae looked up, previously focusing intently on reviewing the digital cash register so that he wasn’t caught staring, to find the man in question right in front of him smiling sheepishly.

“I couldn’t help but notice this poster you put up over there advertising an open position for a barista here?”

Oh , could it be…

“And, I’d um…if it's possible, I’d like to apply.”