Killing your boss wasn’t the right way to climb the corporate ladder unless you could dispose his corpse without trace. Well, because she couldn’t Irene had to endure the harsh words. Damn, she should read Sherlock Holmes novel when she was in college, who knew it could become handful right now.
Plotting murder against your boss really took toll on your body. She felt her neck tensed and her back bone cracked painfully. She held out the coupon she got from the café two days ago, it was really life safer. It was close enough with her office and damn she could get some free coffee to brightened up her day.
She had work overnight again for this week. Damn, she couldn’t even get some decent weekend again. She could vaguely remember that she just embarrassed herself in front of the café worker but from scale 1 to devil may care, she chose coffee over her pride.
So, she pushed the café door. The bell chimed loudly as she stepped in. Suddenly the feeling of homey and coziness filled her, it remained her for the coffee shop she visited in U.S.A back then. The fireplace, the chimney, the window and the decoration, whoever owned it had high taste. Well until the high pitch voice broke it,
“Ireeennee!!!” she whipped her head to the source of the voice. Here it was, her old nemesis slash friend during her college years. Irene contemplated to run away or to hug her, but Ailee took the choice out of her hands by hugging her tightly. “oh my god, how are you?”
“I’ll be fine after you stop choking me.” She patted Ailee’s back in order to get some air.
“Long time no see, how can you know my shop?” Ailee asked her cheerfully.
Irene didn’t know whether it was good choice to tell her the truth or lying but the coupon would be invalid if she lied. So, she told the truth, “I got this coupon after ordering food two days ago.” She said.
Ailee’s eyes widened then smiled broadly, “Really? Is the delivery man look like Bangtan V?”
Irene blushed but she kept her poker face. Damn, she knew Ailee would use this opportunity to . “I don’t remember.” She denied.
Well, Denial isn’t only river in Egypt.
Irene thought she heard a snickered and a huge scream, ‘hyunggg!’ from behind the counter, but she learned to ignore it. Ailee raised her brow up, “ Really? Should I call him? Because I think my employee remember you so well.”
Something weird about Ailee voice- well, she is weird but Irene had been her friend for years so she would know when Ailee plotted something. Before Irene could say something, Ailee shouted, “Kim Taehyung, come here!!”
Irene wanted to dig a hole and hid inside. Of course, she remembered the delivery man, he was hot okay? Well, just because Irene was hungry and screaming like banshee that time didn’t mean she was blind to ignore how attractive the delivery man.
“You don’t need to call him.” Irene tried to stop Ailee, “I just want to get some coffee with this coupon and leave. You can stop screaming like Tarzan here.”
“Well, my café my rule. I am the king here.”
“I thought the customer is the king.”
Ailee shrugged, “Not if the customer is my friend.” Irene had to remain herself that she talked with slight(very) insane human being. How could she forget this Ailee is the same one who spike the punch and video tape her doing Llama dance?
Irene shuddered voluntary within that memories. She knew she should never trust anything free, see what it brought her to? To her nemesis and memories that she desperately want to forget. When would she learn? Free meant evil.
" Eish, that Kim Taehyung!!” Ailee protested loudly, “Kim Taehyung!!!” she yelled again.
Irene heard the rustle behind the counter and some moment later slight crumpled handsome young man shoved out from behind the counter, he looked beaten and lose. He muttered under his breath about ‘damn brat’
“What boss?” he asked. Pretending not to notice Irene. Good choice, young man. Irene prayed to all deities so that this handsome- no, no not handsome- could play dumb.
“Do you remember this beautiful woman?”
Taehyung stole a glance to Irene and his eyes looked to everywhere but Irene nervously, “Ummm…I don’t have memories about it, boss?” damn,God hated her. Why did the boy had to end it with question, you should make statement, moron.
God was really fair, you couldn’t be that handsome and not stupid. Irene held the urge to face palm. So, she took the damage control step, “Can I get my coffee because I have to go back to office?”
She hated her boss, but it was the lesser evil from this condition. Ailee waved her hand as the sign of dismissal, “Eh, you should eat something here. It’s on the house, Taehyung would serve you.” She said, “I have appointment.”
“with?”
“Chris Evan.” Ailee walked away from them. Of course, Ailee wouldn’t just leave like that. Irene dare to presume that she would do a detour and waiting for the opportunity to do something.
It was super duper awkward , but Taehyung decided to smile after biting his lower lips. Damn! Irene had to convince herself she didn’t like younger man. No matter how hot he was. It was like a huge ‘leecher’ plastered on the boy head. The boy even worked in her friend coffee shop.
She was a success 28 years old woman, and this boy just became adult. She just needed to remember that fact. “Umm, Hi my name is Kim Taehyung.” He said awkwardly.
Irene sighed, green and amateur, she chanted in her mind. -just for her sanity, because she kinda think this boy is her prince charming that she met in the coffee shop…oh if only he was bit of older and an architect(perfect job for prince charming) he would be perfect- thanks god no one could read her mine
“I want to get my coffee.” She decided it was safer to finish her business and left. “one Americano please.” She used her most professional voice ever.
“yes, of course.” Taehyung eyes widened , and he looked at Irene like she kicked his puppy and hit it with truck and forced him to watch it all.
Her heart already jaded but damn she had this little thing called consciences. It hurt badly. So Irene added, “And my name is Irene Bae. Nice to meet you Kim Taehyung.”
He gave Irene huge sunny smile, his eyes turned into pleasant moon shape crescent. Oh my, it wasn’t fair he is so attractive and good looking. Irene had to remain herself that she got her first menstrual period when this guy just stopped using diaper. It should be dampened any mood to get close to him.
Taehyung shook her hand happily after shoving the memo on his apron pocket. As soon as their hands touched each other, Irene felt the urge to retract her hand. She needed gloves next time she touched Kim Taehyung (not likely she will touch him often) because it seemed electricity flow through his skin.
“5 minutes for your Americano.” He said, “and do you want to order some food? Because it isn’t everyday our owner offer free food.” He looked at him with those hopeful eyes. It remained Irene of sparkling cat eyes that she often saw in instagram.
Irene found her head nodded on it’s own and said, “sure. Can you get me omelet fried rice?” she convinced herself she only agreed because she felt sorry for him, not because she was under the spell of his smile.
Irene sat near the fireplace (which she later found it is fake fireplace, damn the fraud) and banged her head on the table. Now, she had just to find a way to stop thinking about those eyes or even that hand..or worse that face.
She looked Taehyung who walked to the counter, with almost skipping in his step. God, he was so cute. She had to stop to pray for all deities because she was sure they all pass her prayer to Aphrodite, and she was bit superstitious okay? She blamed it to her Greek mythology professor.
“he is younger than you Bae Joohyun. Remember your first period? That boy just stopped using diaper that time. And remember you don’t need prince charming...you don’t want prince charming.” she murmured lowly. So she had to make a sacred ritual which she named ‘how to deny that Kim Taehyung is attractive’ .
Hey it was effective to stop her mind from forming any image of her and Taehyung.
Now her brain had cooperated, it was the time to control her reflexive nerve in her eyes to stop glancing at Kim Taehyung broad shoulder (which was a huge failure but Irene still counted as half success).
Of course, the universe hated her because that time Kim Taehyung decided to show Irene that his laugh was also beautiful. Crap, now she had to repeat the ritual once again.
“He is younger than you….”
***
Of course, Taehyung would laugh out loud. You would too if you see Jungkook slipped on the floor near the back door right after their other barista Seulgi opened the door. To make it worse, Jungkook’s -looong time- crush, Lee Jieun who lived right behind their shop just get home from work to witness the almighty Jungkook humiliation.
Life was fair. It was his fault to mock Taehyung when the beautiful customer – ah no, Irene (he had name now)- said she didn’t remember Taehyung at all. It didn’t sit well for Taehyung, so life decided to humiliate Jungkook back.
Taehyung knew he shouldn’t smile this much but his lips had it’s own brain who did it anyway. He shouldn’t be this happy actually no, he didn’t want to meet Irene at the first, but Ailee just had to force him to meet her. Now he was feeling he owe huge favor to Ailee.
His stomach still a bit weird but now his chest also fluttered in a good way. He just felt so light and happy. Nothing wrong with that right? Except Seulgi and Wendy kept looking at him with amuse gaze.
“You have to stop staring.” Seulgi said.
“I’m not staring.” He denied
Seulgi rolled her eyes, “and I am Cleopatra from Egypt.” She made the Americano faster than Jungkook and put it on the tray near them. “you know you should take a picture it last longer.”
Taehyung frowned, “ I am not staring, noona.” He denied it again. Well, taking small glance toward her didn’t count as staring right?
Seulgi patted his shoulder in motherly fashion, “Don’t worry, she is staring too.”
Taehyung whipped his head as quick as possible and looked at Seulgi, “You think?”
Seulgi nodded, “when ever Noona lies to you?” seulgi asked him. Taehyung couldn’t help but to smile widely. He could hug Seulgi right now. No one in this coffee shop ever told him such good news, all of his coworker always mock him.
“Noona, you are so kind.” Taehyung grinned.
Wendy got out from the kitchen with the omelet fried rice and put it in the tray. “here, the special omelet fried rice for your special customer.”
“She is not my special customer.” He said. But it felt really good when Wendy called Irene his special customer. His Irene. It sounded better each time he recite it in his mind.
“He is painfully obvious.” Seulgi commented as they watched Taehyung strode -scratch that skipped- to the customer. “It makes me a bit sad that he is so pathetic.”
Wendy nodded, “Well, it’s not everyday you find someone handsome and bit naïve like him.”
“a bit stupid, you mean.”
Wendy scowled and hit Seulgi left arm, “hey we shouldn’t call our coworker stupid.”
“Hey!” Seulgi protested. She rubbed her arm, “do you feel better if I call him a bit dumb?”
While two of his female coworker argued about his intelligent capability, Taehyung couldn’t careless about it well anything except how to talk with Irene longer than before.
Irene talked to him with those professional tone was enough to bring down his mood. It hurt him almost physically, but fortunately Irene changed her mind. Well, Taehyung didn’t know why she did but he was grateful anyway. (That’s why people said ignorance is a bliss)
“Please enjoy your food.” Taehyung contemplated to call her name. But he couldn’t, calling her name in his brain was so different with calling her directly. He wasn’t ready yet, at least his heart wasn’t.
Irene smiled. “Thank you.” Suddenly Taehyung felt everything blurry. Oh my god, he needed camera right now. It such a waste to let her smile uncaptured by something more permanent. Her smile light up the whole room, like a sun ray that lit upon his room every morning.
Taehyung wished he has photographic memories -although he doubted he can forget this moment- of course, as the romance idiot as his coworker dubbed him, he had to blurt out, “Your smile is so beautiful like sunshine.”
Taehyung realized his stupidity after seeing Irene blushed so hard. The rest of customers jaw slacked and his co-worker snickered and laughed (he retracted the statement that Seulgi is kind, he had misjudgment a moment ago). There was an awkward silence
So, Taehyung chuckled awkwardly just for the sake of making sound honestly, and rubbed his nape, “I mean you should smile more…everyone is look better when they’re smiling, not that you are not beautiful if you don’t smile, but you know….” Taehyung realized he was incoherent but his damn mouth couldn’t stop speaking.
He hoped Seulgi or Wendy had mercy to save him. Whoever it was, he needed help right now before he humiliate himself more and then he had to get plastic surgery or worse ran away to North Korea.
“Kim Taehyung.” A surge of relieve ran through his vein. He was so happy someone just help him.
“yes?”
But well, his relieve crumbled after he found Kim Myungsoo -the owner of his savior voice-stood behind the counter and folded his arm, Taehyung prayed Myungsoo had a good day (Taehyung wish is kinda impossible right now? Remember myungsoo just kill his image by dancing cheer up that morning) so he wouldn’t say anything that make Taehyung wanted dig a hole and die there.
“Why are you standing there like a moron when you can do some real work? Stop ranting like idiot just because you meet your first crush.”
Someone please just kill him right now.
****
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