It's been almost two weeks, but Minseok isn't yet used to the route to his new job.

The neighborhood is what anyone would expect from the commercial street in any town — busy, crowded, tall buildings stealing the little light that would reach the roads if it were a sunny day, and huge billboards everywhere advertising everything that the area has to offer.

Despite the bustle of the main road, the café where Minseok works is located in a much narrower street that wouldn’t be found unless you were purposely looking for it. He takes a sinuous route between high buildings and reaches a kind of hidden plaza that looks more like a Matrix error than something located in the middle of a highly populated city, with its wooden benches and its garden beds with light-toned budding flowers.

The café is just around the corner, a small shop with a wide counter and a few round tables scattered around the place. The thing that makes it special, though, is that it's connected to a music and books store. Or more than connected, they are practically the same establishment, with headphones available at some tables to listen to the newest tracks, and a small bookshelf with books and board games for the clients to use at will.

Working at a café is a bit stressful, with Minseok constantly taking orders with detailed instructions and operating those huge coffee machines, but it's an easy job nonetheless, and the pay is not that bad. More than enough to scrape by, and he doesn't need much more at this point in his life.

---

It's Minseok’s afternoon shift and the place is already filled to the brim when he arrives. Most of their customers are college students making use of the big tables to work on their group projects or looking for a place to drink cheap coffee while listening to some music. There are also a few regulars, mostly a group of older women that get together to bet on card games on weekdays. Minseok waves at them politely on his way in — they already recognize him, flashing him big, wrinkled smiles.

There's one regular that stands out from the rest, though. All of his coworkers know him as  the skinny guy in sunglasses who always sits near the door, all alone at the tiniest table in the establishment. He doesn't even go to the counter to order like everyone else, he just sits at his table, waiting until someone asks him "the usual?" and that's usually it. Minseok never asked, he’s always just assumed that the guy has been coming to the café for a long time to warrant such treatment.

Today is no different. The guy somehow sneaked into the shop unseen and is already at his table by the time Minseok gets to the counter with his black work apron on.

"Here, take this to the table in the corner," says Baekhyun, handing him a paper cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Minseok takes it without hesitation and places the drink on the tiny table, giving the customer a tight smile. He thinks that the whole thing is weird, treating one customer so differently than others. Then again, the guy is just...weird. He never takes his sunglasses off, not even on rainy days. He doesn't answer Minseok's smile, nor thanks him for bringing him his coffee, either. Not that Minseok was expecting it, but it would have been the polite thing to do.

The old ladies smile at him again as he goes past their table. They're probably Minseok's favorite customers, he thinks as he goes back behind the counter.

---

"Enjoy your game," Minseok says as he places the four freshly made lattes on the counter and watches as the old ladies beam at him in response. Early shifts are rare for Minseok. They are usually already there when he arrives, but today he even gets to make their coffee.

"Thank you, son," one of them answers, and takes the tray to their usual table. Another one sits and takes a deck of cards out of her purse. Aging goals, Minseok thinks.

Kyungsoo is already motioning at him from the opposite end of the counter. His shift is over, if the smile on his face means anything.

"Sorry, I have a class in half an hour, I can't stay until Baekhyun arrives to take over," he says, taking his apron over his head.

"It's okay," Minseok says, albeit a little worried. He's never been alone behind the counter, not even for five minutes. What if he messes up? What if he doesn't remember how to use the ice cream machine?

"You won't freak out, right? You can message me if something happens.” Kyungsoo says as if he could read Minseok's mind. “But I'm pretty sure that Baekhyun will be here any minute," he reassures him, already at the other side of the counter.

"Yeah...I guess," Minseok grimaces. "Don't worry too much and go, you'll be late." Okay, maybe Minseok is really nervous about having the whole business under his care, but he also knows that Kyungsoo is working really hard to get his college degree, and making him stay longer because he's scared of the ice cream machine wouldn't be fair to him.

Kyungsoo nods and leaves running.

It takes all of Minseok's willpower to control the mild panic attack that creeps on him as he realizes that he is, in fact, alone — and, if that wasn't enough to make him want to jump out of his skin, the weird customer appears through the door, in his sunglasses and his dark clothes, heading to the tiny table with short and careful steps. Minseok watches him as he sits down and just waits.

Minseok isn't even sure if he remembers correctly what the man’s order is. Black iced coffee, no sugar. Or was it one sugar? Usually it’s either Baekhyun or Kyungsoo who prepares it and all Minseok has to do is take it to the table. Texting Kyungsoo for directions sounds like the rational thing to do, but Minseok doesn't want to look unreliable. Even though he realizes that it's a bit dumb to think like this and unnecessarily mess up a customer's order.

No sugar it is. The guy can always ask for it later, and Minseok can always use his short time at the job as an excuse.

The guy didn't even try to check if Minseok knew what he had to do, Minseok discovers as he steps out of the counter and heads to the tiny table. He's just there, sitting motionless in his corner. He's not even checking his phone, just sitting with his back perfectly straight. Definitely weird.

"Here you go," Minseok mutters to himself more than anything as he places the cup on the table, and for the first time in the entire month he's been working here, he gets a smile as an answer.

"Thank you," the guy says, and it startles Minseok. His voice is unexpectedly smooth for how cheery it actually sounds, and his lips curl at the corners in a cat-like expression that looks just out of a cartoon. He still doesn't bother to look at Minseok, though. Not even from behind his sunglasses. Weird guy.

---

Minseok’s life has been pretty monotonous ever since he started working at the café, almost two months ago. He's used to the bustle of the afternoon shifts he almost always takes, since mornings are for PhD research and writing his thesis, but he still gets some late evening’s work when he switches shifts as a favor to his co-workers. Some days it’s because late shifts are a lot less busy and Minseok just feels like relaxing, even if it means going to bed a bit later than he should — that’s the case today.

It's well past the busiest hour when he arrives and it's been raining so hard outside that the streets are completely empty — much like the shop. With so few clients, their boss trusted Minseok for the first time with the task of closing the place. As for Baekhyun, Minseok’s co-worker, he never looked happier, knowing that he could end his shift and leave the place a bit earlier for once.

The evening goes by in a blink, and Minseok doesn't even realize that the streets have turned dark until he sees the time printed in the ticket of the last order he gives out.

9 PM. He's supposed to be closing up and leaving, but he still has to clean up, and there is still one client inside the café that doesn't look aware of the time, either.

The weird guy in the sunglasses...of course. Why isn’t Minseok surprised? He’s in his usual tiny table in the corner, listening to some music using the store's headphones.

Minseok is not excited to tell him that they're closing — in all truth, he just hates confrontations — so he opts for the second obvious thing to do; overtly wiping the other tables and placing the chairs upside down on them, mopping the floor around him, hoping that the guy gets the message and leaves on his own like any normal person would do after realizing they're being a nuisance to an underpaid employee in the service sector.

It seems, however, that no matter how much Minseok drags the chairs, how close the mop gets to the guy’s table (without getting too close to his feet, of course) or how much time he wastes cashing up behind the counter, the guy doesn't even flinch and keeps listening to music as if it had nothing to do with him. So Minseok has to gather all his courage and finally do what he's been avoiding for fifteen minutes, already: confront his weirdest client and ask him to leave.

Approaching the table and clearing his throat proves useless. The guy doesn't even move. Minseok takes a sharp breath and taps his shoulder lightly, hoping it isn't too much of an overstep.

This time, the guy flinches in surprise and takes the headphones off. “Oh, sorry. Is it closing time already?”

“Yeah...we were actually supposed to close down fifteen minutes ago,” Minseok says softly, repressing any traces of annoyance from his voice. After all, the guy is a good customer.

“You're not Baekhyun,” the guy states, as if he just realized that he's alone in the shop with an unfamiliar employee.

“No, I'm not. I'm Minseok, I started working here a while ago,” Minseok explains.

“Oh, really? Sorry, I didn't even notice,” the guy smiles and despite how wrong it sounds, there's no trace of rudeness in his voice.

“You didn't? I brought your order to your table a few times,” Minseok deadpans, and he really tries to not sound condescending, but how absent-minded can you be to not realize that someone you don't know is delivering you your coffee? “You even thanked me.”

“But you didn't answer, right?” The guy states. “We didn't talk, because otherwise I would have noticed your voice, it's uncharacteristically high pitched for a man,” he lightly teases.

“What do you mean?” Minseok frowns, wondering if he should feel offended or flattered.

“Oh, I didn't mean it to sound rude,” the guy blurts out. “I'm sorry, let's start again. I'm Jongdae,” he says and offers his hand in Minseok's general direction. He's still sitting, though, so it's a bit too low, to the point where Minseok has to bend down to reach and shake it.

And then it happens.

It's something very subtle at first, but Minseok is so used to the plain grey tones that filled his life until that point that even the slightest deviation feels like a explosion of color.

Minseok stills, his eyes bulging almost out of their sockets as he stares at the dull light tone slowly creeping from their linked hands and up their forearms, a tone that definitely isn't grey anymore.

It isn't until Jongdae tries to pull away that he realizes he's holding onto his hand a bit too strongly.

"Sorry," Minseok lets go, still staring at how his fingers slowly shift right in front of his eyes into multicolored hues.

Jongdae clears his throat and stands up, supporting himself with one hand on the edge of the table and another on the back of the chair. "I'll get going, then."

"No, wait a second! Don't you see it? We're soulmates!" Minseok beams, waving his hand in front of his face to make his point.

"Yeah, right," Jongdae scoffs and feels around until he gets a grasp on the strap of his backpack. "Just because I'm blind, doesn't mean I'm an idiot."

"B—blind?" Minseok mutters, then it dawns on him and everything suddenly clicks into place. The guy’s sunglasses, the weird way he moved around the place, repeatedly touching his table and chair before sitting down, the way he didn't notice Minseok cleaning around him, the reason why he was the only customer to have his order delivered to his table instead of taking it himself.

The other employees knew, yet they never cared to mention it, not even as a casual comment. Or...maybe it was so absurdly obvious that they never thought it would be even worth mentioning. That second option sounds like the right answer, much to Minseok’s horror.

"I—I didn't..."

"Do you think you're the first one to try something like this?" Jongdae sneers.

"B—but— I'm not trying—"

"Save it," Jongdae spits out. "You're not getting into my pants, and I'm not going to stop coming here, so let's just pretend that this never happened," he says and storms out as fast as he can, carelessly feeling around for the door as if he knew exactly where it was. Minseok watches as Jongdae takes a folded white cane from his backpack, unfolding it and making his way out of the café and into the streets, paying no mind to the downpour before Minseok can even think of any appropriate way to react to his words.

Minseok manages to move after a minute, closing the place and opening his umbrella to guard himself from the heavy rain that didn’t show any sign of stopping. He would have offered it to Jongdae without a second thought if he had reacted just a bit faster. It can't be helped, anyway, and Minseok doesn’t get the chance to dwell on it as he looks down and sees his clothes already taking a different color. However faint, it was still different in ways he’s never imagined. His main problem with this whole situation is how messed up it is, the fact that Jongdae will never be able to see it. How can Minseok convince him that he’s not lying to him? That they really are soulmates?

---

Minseok's never been so distracted at work, or in general, to be honest. He feels like a little kid at Disneyland, amazed at everything around him. Even something as dull as coffee powder has taken a completely new color — brown, according to Google — so rich and vibrant that he feels like eating it raw.

Baekhyun spends the whole shift looking at him weird, like he’s trying to figure out if Minseok is on drugs or something. He doesn't seem to care that much, though, because he ends up storming out the door early with the excuse of having a date and leaving Minseok to close the café alone again.

With the novelty of his newly colored world, Minseok almost forgot the reason why it changed in the first place; but of course, the weird guy — no, Jongdae, hissoulmate — arrives near closing time just as Baekhyun leaves the café. Minseok didn't even register the moment he entered the place, but there he is nonetheless, waiting at his table in his sunglasses and what Minseok now knows as pitch black clothes..

“Here's your coffee,” Minseok announces as he sets it on the tiny table. “Black iced, no sugar, carton cup.”

“So you’re the one who put me on a diet,” Jongdae chuckles, feeling around the surface of the table until he finds the cup, putting his hands around it.

Minseok frowns. “Oh?”

“I like to put sugar in my coffee.” He takes a sip and smiles, his lips. “It's okay, though. I like it bitter, too.”

“Sorry. I should have checked.” Minseok stands awkwardly beside the table, taking in the guy in front of him. He's handsome, Minseok notices now that he's paying attention. He kind of won the soulmate lottery in that area. If only they had met under different circumstances.

“Um,” Minseok starts. “I think we got off on the wrong foot, should we start over? Hi, I'm Minseok, I've been working here a little over  month now. Nice to meet you.”

Jongdae sighs and seems to ponder Minseok’s words for a few seconds before he answers, offering his hand. “I'm Jongdae. Nice to meet you, too.”

Minseok can't help but smile as he returns the handshake. He's on good terms with his soulmate now, things can only get better from this point on.

“We can be friends, but please, don't bring up the soulmate thing again.”

“I—I wasn't going to,” Minseok lies, sulking. Okay, maybe he shouldn't be so optimistic — but he can settle for friends, he thinks. It would be nice to get to know each other slowly, let things flow... maybe then Jongdae will change his mind somewhere along the way. “I'm twenty-seven, by the way. How old are you?”

“Twenty-five.” Jongdae takes another sip of his coffee, and smiles. “I could have sworn you were, like, twenty.”

“I get that a lot,” Minseok says, but then realizes that it usually happens because he has a baby face, and the other can't see that. Did Jongdae mean he sounded immature? Should he feel offended?

“Your voice,” Jongdae adds as if he could hear Minseok's thoughts. “You sound like right out of your teens.”

“Oh,” Minseok chuckles, embarrassed. He needs to change the topic. “Do you have a job?” Okay, that just sounded rude. “I—I mean. Do you work or study or—”

“Yes, of course,” Jongdae interrupts him. “I have a job.”

“Ah, cool. What do you do?”

“I'm a driving instructor.”

Minseok gapes, eyes bulging out of their sockets. What?

Jongdae breaks the sudden silence between them and ing cackles. “I'm messing with you. I'm a high school counselor.”

“Oh, I see, you got me there,” Minseok laughs nervously. He never learned how to make small talk, and he's regretting it right now. “Anyway, it's almost closing time. I should get back to work. Enjoy your coffee.”

Jongdae answers with a tight smile and Minseok takes that as his cue to leave and start wiping tables. He doesn’t want to push Jongdae’s limits now that they’re in good terms.

Not long after, Jongdae stands up and picks up his stuff. Minseok stands on the opposite side of the cafe, mop in hand, watching as his soulmate heads out the door. Something churns in Minseok’s stomach and, before he can catch himself, words tumble down from his mouth.

“I don't have any reason to lie to you, you know.”

Jongdae stills in front of the door, as if waiting for him to continue. Minseok didn't think this far. He stutters, desperately looking for words.

“But I—I guess you don't have any reason to believe me, either. I'll respect that.”

Jongdae seems to hesitate for a second, passing