Kyungsoo put on his shoes as he placed the envelopes down by his feet. Minseok and he had been paying off the space for lease little by little each week. It wasn’t much, but any little bit helped. When they paid it off fully they would begin to move everything in and soon open it for the public to see. He smiled as he got up with the envelopes in his hand, maybe he was getting a little ahead of himself. He needed to focus on other things first, like the check that was written to the realtor in the envelope. He sighed as he walked out of the door to the bright sunny day. It had been rainy the days prior, but now the sun was shining down on him and he felt more energetic since it was his day off.

Minseok usually got the day off with him, but he had missed yesterday and needed to make it up today. that meant that Kyungsoo was alone for the day. He woke up a little later than usual because his alarm didn’t go off, but that wasn’t a problem, he had no plans for the day anyway. The only thing he had planned for today was giving his parents a call. He had been planning on visiting them next month, he had already called his parents to set up the date and they happily agreed to welcome him and Minseok. He smiled wider as he thought about his mother’s smiling face as she would embrace him in her arms. He hadn’t seen them for a while and he was excited to finally be able to have them in front of him again.

He eventually got to the post office, a small but remodeled building. He quickly dropped off his mail and walked out, but bumped into a familiar face as he exited.

“Hyung? What are you doing here?” Sehun asked as he had on formal attire. His hair was in slight disarray, but he looked professional nonetheless.

Kyungsoo tilted his head to the left as he smiled. “Nice greeting.”

Sehun laughed at Kyungsoo’s sarcasm. “Hi hyung.” He replied sheepishly.

Kyungsoo laughed as his face scrunched up. His black cap staying secure on his head. “Hi Sehun. I was dropping off my mail. What are you doing?”

Sehun gave him a pout, “The lawyer I’m interning for wanted a fruit smoothie.”

“You’re buying him drinks? Does he pay you?”

“Well, I’m using his money to buy it. I don’t get paid for this, I’m just an intern and dont work very much.” Sehun fluttered his eyelashes in a sassy manner. “Some of us still need to go to school.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow, “STill the same sassy kid huh?”

Sehun chuckled loudly. “No, I calmed down a bit.”

Kyungsoo walked towards Sehun, “Are you going to the smoothie place by the plaza? I’m walking there too.”

Sehun flung his arm around Kyungsoo’s, “We can go together.”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Sure.”

Sehun stayed with his arm wrapped around Kyungsoo’s as they both made their way towards the shop. It was nice to be able to talk to Sehun. It wasn’t a long walk to the smoothie place from the post office, but they both enjoyed it while it lasted.

“Do you have a girlfriend yet, hyung?”

Kyungsoo elbowed him in the ribs. “Ask me important things, not that.”

Sehun chuckled as he held his side. “Ok ok. But there is nothing wrong with being in a relationship.”

Kyungsoo shrugged. “I know that. I just haven’t found the right person yet.”

Sehun opened the front door of the smoothie place as they both walked in. “Maybe the right person is right in front of you and you don’t even know it?”

Kyungsoo let out a huff. “Maybe, I don’t know.”

“Yeah, like you and MInseok have been--”

Kyungsoo gave him a punch straight in the arm for that comment. He could handle Sehun’s curious ways, but he can’t tolerate someone thinking Minseok and him have something going on. The both of them are brothers, there is no way they would ever see each other like that.

Sehun rubbed his elbow as he mouthed a silent “ow”. He looked over at Kyungsoo a feigned look of pain on his face. “Ok, ok. I get it.”

Kyungsoo let out a small scoff, “I’m glad the message came across.”

Sehun snickered as he put his hand by his side and glossed over the menu behind the counter. “Loud and clear.”

Kyungsoo looked up at the menu and began to look over at it. He didn’t want anything, in reality he simply wanted to accompany Sehun so they could catch up. His thoughts were distracted by the bell that rung behind him. It rang everytime someone entered, his eyes stayed glued on the menu, but he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

“Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo quickly averted his gaze to the one behind him, Sehun followed as well. Baekhyun stood there with his black hair slicked up and a smile plastered on his face. He wore a white button up and tight dress pants that fit him nicely.

“I didn’t think I would see you here.” Baekhyun said as he made his way towards Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo felt his chest fill up with a soothing warmth and he began to smile just as wide as Baekhyun. “I’m accompanying a friend. What are you doing here?”

Baekhyun stood next to Kyungsoo, eyes looking at him, “Isn’t it obvious? I want a smoothie.” Baekhyun’s eyes lifted themselves behind the counter to look over the menu. “What should I get?” Baekhyun pondered.

Kyungsoo was a little distracted by Baekhyun, but was quickly brought back into reality when he heard Sehun clear his throat next to him. “Oh,” Kyungsoo began as his eyes darted between the both of them, “Baekhyun, this is Sehun.”

Baekhyun looked over at Kyungsoo, then at the taller one by his side.

“Sehun, this is Baekhyun. He’s my neighbor.” Kyungsoo gestured to Baekhyun.

Baekhyun sent Sehun a warm smile, “Hey, nice to meet you.”

Sehun gave him a small bow, “Hello, I’m Sehun.”

“Your Kyungsoo’s friend?” Baekhyun asked.

Sehun nodded, “Yeah, we met in University.”

The three of them ordered and quickly received their drinks as Baekhyun and Sehun got to know each other a little better. Kyungsoo would join in the conversation too every once in a while, but mostly listened as the two spoke.

“I would love to stay longer,” Sehun glanced at his watch then back up at the two guys in front of him. “But, my lawyer is waiting and I still need to organize some of his papers.

Baekhyun waved a hand in front of his face, “Don’t worry about it. Let’s all meet up sometime.”

Sehun smiled big, “Yeah, it can be the three of us, see ya Baekhyun.” the youngest looked over at Kyungsoo, a mysterious glint in his eyes. “Have fun, I’ll see you later.”

Kyungsoo waved him off, “I’ll see you Sehun.”

The youngest scurried out the door, leaving Kyungsoo and Baekhyun standing alone in the smoothie place.

“Are you heading home after this?” Kyungsoo asked as he eyed Baekhyun.

Baekhyun was nibbling on the straw and turned to face Kyungsoo. “Yeah, I was on my way home when I craved a smoothie.”

Kyungsoo smiled, his mouth forming into a heart and his eyes beginning to squint. “Maybe we can walk home together?”

Baekhyun smiled, “Sure.”

The both of them walked out of the smoothie place and headed towards the exit of the plaza.

“I actually got out of work.” Baekhyun remarked as the both of them walked.

“Really? You must work pretty close then.”

Baekhyun let out a small giggle. “Well…I took the bus to work, but got off here.”

Kyungsoo smirked, “You got off on the wrong stop?”

“No, I wanted a smoothie.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, “Yeah, sure.”

Baekhyun let out a loud laugh. “That’s the truth! I’m saving up for a car though. So I can go wherever I want.”

Kyungsoo chuckled, “I’m honestly surprised you don’t have one.”

Baekhyun pouted, “It’s a long story.”

They walked until Baekhyun stopped in his tracks to stare at a building. Kyungsoo noticed after he took a few steps ahead. He turned around to find Baekhyun looking up at the sign on the building. In big yellow letters it read, “Karaoke”. Kyungsoo walked back to stand next to Baekhyun. “You wanna go in?” he asked him.

Baekhyun glanced quickly at Kyungsoo, then back at the sign. “I…no.” he responded.

Kyungsoo chuckled, “I don’t mind. I’m free for the rest of the day.”

Baekhyun’s head turned towards Kyungsoo, “You…would go in with me?”

Kyungsoo laughed, “Of course idiot! We’re friends right?”

Baekhyun’s eyes looked intently at Kyungsoo, scanning him. It was as if Baekhyun was a hacker and Kyungsoo was the program. He was trying to figure him out, the same way that Kyungsoo had been trying for weeks now.

“I can trust you, right?”

Kyungsoo raised his eyebrow at this. Usually he would answer something sarcastic, but the sincerity in Baekhyun’s features had him hesitating.

“Of course.” Kyungsoo finally responded. If there was something Kyungsoo had learned, it was that Baekhyun just seemed like an open book. He was hiding things and Kyungsoo wanted to know more than anything what they were. Why he wanted to know: Kyungsoo couldn’t answer that.

Baekhyun finally smiled at him, leaving behind the cautious face he had on earlier. “I used to go to karaoke all of the time.” Baekhyun said as he opened the door. Kyungsoo smiled as he walked in. “Why did you stop?”

Baekhyun shrugged as he shut the door behind them. “Just got busy.”

To say that Baekhyun was good at singing would be an understatement, in reality, Baekhyun was amazing at singing. Kyungsoo couldn’t help that he would gawk every time Baekhyun sung something. At first the both of them were being silly, choosing songs that required them to jump up and down. But later, they chose ballads and that was when Kyungsoo heard Baekhyun’s gift.

Baekhyun would hold the microphone in one hand tightly and close his eyes as he got passionate. Kyungsoo stared at the elder as his pink lips parted and then shut. He traced his facial features with his eyes, Baekhyun really was handsome, was that little mole always above his upper lip? He continued to eye him even after Baekhyun’s eyes began to open slowly, were they always that pretty shade of brown?

Kyungsoo looked away at the screen as Baekhyun’s eyes opened completely. His eyes quickly darted towards Kyungsoo, but back at the screen again. “100” it read.

“Wow, you’re really good.” Kyungsoo told him.

Baekhyun let out a small giggle as his eyes would look at Kyungsoo then back at the ground. “I told you that I like to sing.”

Kyungsoo turned to look at him, “I honestly don’t know what I was expecting but I’m impressed.”

Baekhyun let out a loud laugh as he handed Kyungsoo the microphone. “You’re getting way too cheesy. Not that I mind.”

Kyungsoo shoved him playfully as he grabbed the mic. “That’s the only compliment you’ll get from me.”

Baekhyun laughed obnoxiously then began to stretch. “I’ll take what I can get.”

Kyungsoo shook his head as he typed on the keypad. “You seem spoiled.”

Baekhyun shook his head as he rested his hands on the side of the sofa. “Maybe a little.”

Kyungsoo looked up at the screen as he chose his song. “A lot.” His hand squeezed the microphone as the other he placed next to him on the sofa. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo’s hands met as Kyungsoo sang his song, he felt a little surge radiate throughout his body, but neither of them did anything to separate.

 

They didn’t want to leave yet, but their hour had eventually been up and Baekhyun needed to clean his room.

“How long has it been since you last cleaned your room?” Kyungsoo had asked after they had paid at the counter.

“Some things are better left unsaid.” Baekhyun answered innocently.

Kyungsoo scoffed as they walked home. Being with Baekhyun was nice, he was funny and had a spark to him whenever he got into a story.

“Have you always been loud?” Kyungsoo asked as they both made their way up the stairs to their apartments.

Baekhyun laughed, “Yeah, ever since I was a kid. I love lightening up people’s mood.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow at him, “You must go on a lot of dates.”

Baekhyun smirked, “Not really, I tend to fall for introverts so…” He trailed off as he looked at Kyungsoo. “I mean like I tend to, I dont always though.”

Kyungsoo saw what looked like Baekhyun getting embarrassed, it was funny seeing the loud mouth tripping over his words. He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped, “Why so nervous?”

Baekhyun laughed along with him, “I...I dont know.” He replied.

The both of them were practically in front of their apartments when they saw a woman they had never seen before walking towards them. She had dark, short hair and her eyebrows furrowed. The wrinkles by her eyes showed that she was at least somewhere in her 40’s, if not 50’s.

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but stare, not because he had never seen her before, but because she was holding onto Jongin’s wrist tightly as she pulled him away from their home.

Chanyeol trailed behind them and grabbed Jongin by the other wrist. The woman turned to glare at Chanyeol, “Let my son go.” she said in a calm voice.

Jongin yanked his arm away and pressed himself into Chanyeol. “Eomma, you’re making a scene again.”

The lady looked at Jongin, then turned her head to look at Baekhyun and Kyungsoo who were stunned to say the least.

“Jongin,” She replied calmly as she looked back at her son. “I just want to talk to you.”

Jongin shook his head, “If it’s about Soojung, then I don’t want to hear it.”

It grew silent and Kyungsoo didn’t think it was his place to listen, it seemed Baekhyun had the same idea by the way he was trying to walk slowly towards his apartment.

“Jongin, please listen,” his mother began.

Jongin got out of Chanyeol’s grip and walked towards her. “I love you mom, so much.” Kyungsoo saw Jongin’s eyes get shiny and he wanted nothing more than to comfort him. “But if you can’t accept me the way I am, then please don’t come around.”

She raised her hand and placed it on his cheek, “Jongin, I love you, please come home.”

He took a step back and took Chanyeol’s hand, “Do you accept him?”

It grew silent once again and Kyungsoo wanted  nothing more than to leave, but she was so close to his front door.

She eventually sighed and turned around, making direct eye contact with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo’s stunned faces. her eyes were watery and it broke Kyungsoo’s heart. “Excuse me,” She said as she walked passed them. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun bowed to her until she was out of sight.

They both turned their heads to cries by Jongin. The younger had buried his face in Chanyeol’s shirt and was clinging onto him tight. Chanyeol rubbed the back of his head, whispering sweet nothings into his ear.

Kyungsoo gulped and immediately looked towards the ground, he wanted to do something, but wasn’t sure what.

“I’m sorry you guys had to see that.” Kyungsoo looked up to see Chanyeol giving them a sheepish smile. Jongin had separated from him and was looking at the floor, he had his hand covering his eyes.

“Sorry, but we have to go back inside.” Chanyeol said.

Kyungsoo shook his head, “Don’t worry, we understand.”

Baekhyun stayed silent but slowly began to walk carefully towards Jongin. The elder placed his hand on top of Jongin’s and slowly began to remove it from his eyes. Jongin let out a sniffle as his eyes looked down at the ground.

“Hey, look at me.” Baekhyun told him in a soft voice.

The younger looked up to lock eyes with Baekhyun. His eyes were a bit a swollen and Baekhyun gave him a small smile. “Everything will turn out fine, I promise.”

Jongin gave him a small smile, but looked down again.

“It gets worse before it can get better.” Baekhyun told him. Jongin chuckled and looked back up. He was smiling a little wider, “Thank you.” He told him.

Kyungsoo can’t really explain it, but Baekhyun had a way to make others feel comfortable around him. Maybe it was the aura that emanated from him or maybe it was how he had a tendency to care about others so much, either way, he can understand why he would use that power to make Jongin feel better.

Chanyeol took Jongin’s hand, “We’ll see you guys another day.” He told them.

Kyungsoo nodded, “See you guys.”

They both disappeared inside their apartment and shut their door quietly. Kyungsoo hoped that whatever had happened would be resolved quickly. Seeing his friends in such a sad state made his heart clench.

Baekhyun let out a sigh as he walked towards Kyungsoo, “I hope Jongin’s mom comes around.”

Kyungsoo nodded in agreement. “I hope so too.”

Baekhyun smiled at him. “It must be hard for him when his parents don’t support him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? This is about his choice in partner, specifically how it isn’t a girl.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. Of course it did seem like that, but he didn’t want to jump to conclusions. “Well maybe his mom just doesn’t like Chanyeol?”

Baekhyun scoffed, “It’s not.”

“You shouldn’t be so quick to judge when you’re not sure.”

“I’m sure, trust me.”

Kyungsoo didn’t want to linger on the topic any longer, Baekhyun sounded too sure of himself and it was making Kyungsoo question. Does Baekhyun have personal experience with this kind of thing? Maybe Baekhyun himself has had to go through being neglected because of his uality. Something about that thought had Kyungsoo feeling a small butterfly form in his stomach, but he ignored it.

Baekhyun scratched the back of his head, “Ah, never mind. Let’s just hope that they get better soon.” He smiled wide and just like that, the conversation was dropped.

Kyungsoo smiled back at him, “Yeah, that’s all we can really do right now. Give them space and hope for the best.” He noticed that Baekhyun’s hand began to come down and he was getting a little pink on his cheeks.

“You feeling ok?” Kyungsoo asked.

“Me? Yeah. Hey Kyungsoo, I had fun with you, we should hang out again sometime, yeah?”

Kyungsoo chuckled, “Sure, I don’t mind.”

Baekhyun tilted his head a bit as he smiled, “Ok, I’ll see you. Jongdae is probably worried.”

Kyungsoo unlocked his front door and opened it wide. “I’ll see you Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun walked in his home first, then Kyungsoo walked into his own. Is it possible that Baekhyun liked the same ? Something about that had Kyungsoo feeling a little nervous, although he doesn’t really understand why. He shook the thought away and instead called his parents. They discussed how Kyungsoo would be visiting them soon and how Kyungsoo’s life was going. It wasn’t until he hung up on them that Jongin crept up in his mind, his mom had looked so upset. Is it possible that it was because of his uality? Kyungsoo would like to think not. He can’t imagine a parent rejecting a child for choosing to be with the “wrong” gender. What if he were to be with a guy instead of a girl? Would his parents reject him? In reality, he didn’t know the answer, he would hope not, but he couldn’t say that for sure.

***

It was a Friday morning when Kyungsoo woke up in a good mood. In all honesty, he had woken up knowing that today would be busy at the café, but he didn’t mind it. Maybe it was because Minseok’s enthusiasm had been rubbing off on him lately. His roommate had been very happy lately and Kyungsoo could only guess it was because of that Chinese girl he had been seeing recently. Not only that, but they were almost halfway done with paying off the space for their own coffee shop, at the rate they were going at, the space would be paid halfway by Minseok’s graduation.

Kyungsoo walked into the kitchen to find Minseok in his work attire, he was seated at the table eating the breakfast he had just made. “Morning.” He greeted him.

Minseok looked up from his meal and smiled, “Morning. How’d you sleep?”

Kyungsoo walked over to the pot on the stove. The oatmeal had peaches that Minseok had mashed into it. “Good, no dreams this time.”

Minseok scoffed, “You didn’t dream you were being chased by our old professor?”

Kyungsoo laughed as he poured the oatmeal into his bowl, “That was one time.”

Minseok shrugged, “Doesn’t make it any less amusing to tease you about it.”

Kyungsoo sat himself down with his oatmeal. He ate it quickly as Minseok began washing his dishes in the sink.

“Yunhyeong is helping me in the back.” Kyungsoo said as he stood up to wash his own dish.

“Oh really? I haven’t seen his schedule.”

Kyungsoo nodded as he scrubbed, “Yeah, he asked if he could work the day shift, so Lisa and him are swapping today.”

Minseok picked up their lunch bags and walked towards the living room, “That’s nice of her. You ready?”

Kyungsoo dried his hands with the towel hanging by the sink. “Yeah.”

They both got out of their apartment and walked towards the coffee shop, the walk seemed shorter than usual and next thing they knew, they were at the coffee shop behind the counter. Kyungsoo quickly made his way to the back and began making the dough to make pastries. Yunhyeong came in shortly after to help him.

“Need help?” He asked as he put on his apron.

Kyungsoo gave him orange slices, “Yeah, start squeezing.”

Yunhyeong took one and began squeezing the juice into the dough. “What does this do again?”

“It gives the bread a better rise when it’s put in the oven.”

“Did the boss tell you to do it like this?”

Kyungsoo laughed, “No, I experimented and found out.”

Yunhyeong laughed afterwards, “Why don’t you make your own recipe today?”

Kyungsoo blinked repeatedly then turned to face him.

Yunhyeong turned to him and smiled, “Just make a pastry using a recipe you made. You want to have your own cafe right?”

“Well, yeah. But I never let a stranger try something I made.”

Yunhyeong shrugged, “You don’t have to, but it would be a good idea. I can make the recipes by the owner and you can work on just one pastry by you.”

Kyungsoo bit the inside of his lip as he thought. Maybe this is what he needed to feel more confident about his baking. He could get the public’s opinion over what they thought about his pastries. But then again, he was a little nervous to have someone try something he made. It would be the first time ever.

“You don’t have to.” Yunhyeong said, interrupting his thoughts. “It was just a comment.”

Kyungsoo sighed, “Fine, I’ll make a small batch of brownies and put them on a plate outside. They’ll be cut into small squares and they’ll be free samples.”

Yunhyeong smiled wide, “Ok, I’ll help in whatever I can.”

Kyungsoo smiled as he reached for the ingredients to make brownies.  “You can finish making the macarons.”

“Yes sir!” he replied playfully.

Kyungsoo took his time making the brownies, he wanted them to come out perfect. The coffee shop had been open for about two hours when he finally took them out of the oven. Yunhyeong was standing behind him and took a big whiff as he closed his eyes. They smelled of chocolate and delight, Yunhyeong couldn’t wait to try one.

“Want me to help you cut them?” Yunhyeong asked.

Kyungsoo gave him a knife, “Sure, make little squares.”

Yunhyeong nodded as he began to trim the pastry carefully, Kyungsoo observed to make sure that he wouldn’t make them too big. They came out just the way he envisioned them.

“They look good.” Kyungsoo complimented as he placed the squares onto a tray.  

“Before you take them, can I try one?” Yunhyeong asked just as Kyungsoo lifted it off the table.

Kyungsoo smiled and gestured towards the brownies, “Go ahead.”

Yunhyeong eagerly took one and plopped it in his mouth, he chewed slowly and smiled. “It’s really good.” He said as he reached for another.

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, but allowed the younger to take it. “How good?”

Yunhyeong plopped the second in his mouth. “Very good.” He replied.

Kyungsoo chuckled as he picked up the tray, “I’m going to take these outside now, okay?”

Yunhyeong nodded, “Take them before I eat them all.”

Kyungsoo walked out to the front with all of the brownies on his tray. Once he stepped out, Yugyeom turned his head quickly to face Kyungsoo, then his eyes landed on the brownies. “Brownies?”

Kyungsoo placed the tray on the counter, “They’re free samples for the customers.”

“I didn’t know the owner had a recipe for brownies.” Minseok said as he wiped one of the blenders clean. “Kyungsoo shook his head, “They don’t, it’s my recipe.”

Once Kyungsoo said that, Yugyeom was in front of the brownies like a hungry scavenger. He quickly picked one up and put it into his mouth. He shut his eyes as he chewed. The smile spread on his features quickly as the flavor began to spread in his mouth.

Minseok grabbed Yugyeom by the shoulder and pulled him back a bit, “It’s for the customers.” Minseok told him as he let out light chuckles.

“But it’s so good!” Yugyeom replied, eyeing the brownies.

Minseok hugged him from behind and lead him towards the tables, “Yah! clean the tables.”

Yugyeom whined but ultimately began wiping them down as Minseok walked back behind the counter.  

“Such a kid.” Minseok said as he placed the blenders back in their place.

Kyungsoo smiled. “Yeah, but I’m going to miss him when we leave this place.”

“Yeah, unless he comes with us?”

Kyungsoo laughed, “One step at a time.”

The bell that was hanging by the door rung, causing Kyungsoo’s head to turn towards the sound.

“Welcome!” Yugyeom greeted with a smile at the two customers that approached the counter.

Jongdae looked at Yugyeom and gave him a small smile before looking over at Minseok and Kyungsoo.

“Hey guys.” Jongdae waved.

Minseok face palmed and pretended to be annoyed, “Aish, here come the blabber mouths.”

Baekhyun let out a loud laugh as he stood in front of the counter. “Nice to see you too Minseokkie.”

His eyes looked over Kyungsoo, who smiled in return. Kyungsoo wasn’t aware that Baekhyun wore glasses, they were of thin lenses and circular. He had on a loose white T shirt and he had bleached his hair blonde. He looked really cute and younger than he actually was.

“Hey Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun told him, a small smile on his lips.

“Hey Baek, you want hot chocolate?”

Baekhyun giggled and his eyes looked down then back up. “You know me so well.” His eyes looked at the brownies on the counter. “And a brownie.”

Kyungsoo quickly picked up the tray and held it towards Baekhyun. “They’re free, take as much as you want.”

Baekhyun’s hand reached for one and he quickly picked it up, the smile never leaving his face. “Thanks.”

Kyungsoo nodded and held it towards Jongdae, “You too, take one.”

Jongdae took one, thanking Kyungsoo with a smile.

Baekhyun put it in his mouth and his cheeks puffed up as he chewed, Kyungsoo wanted to nothing more than to squeeze them. Baekhyun’s eyes began to widen.

“That’s Kyungsoo’s own recipe, he made it from scratch.” Minseok said as he began making a design on the hot chocolate he knew Jongdae and Baekhyun were going to order.

“You made this?” Jongdae asked, eyes wide.

Kyungsoo shrugged, “It’s just something I created in the kitchen, it can be a lot better.”

Baekhyun shook his head, “It’s perfect!”

Kyungsoo felt his cheeks go a little red and he looked down, “Not really.” His hand scratched the back of his head, “It isn’t that good.”

Baekhyun took another, “Your café is going to be amazing with recipes like these.”

Kyungsoo chuckled before straightening up, a serious look on his face. “I need to check on the pastries in the back.”

He quickly retreated to the back, revealing Yunhyeong wiping down the counter from the mess that had been made by the pastries.

“Done?” Kyungsoo asked.

Yunhyeong turned his head towards him, “Yeah, It’ll be another 5 minutes until we need to take the cookies out.”

Kyungsoo nodded, “Okay, I can clean the mess up. It’s pretty slow today.”

“Alright, I’m going to take my ten outside.”

Kyungsoo smiled in acknowledgement as Yunhyeong placed the apron in the usual spot. There wasn’t much customers despite it being Friday, but he knew that once everyone came off work and school, it would begin to pick up.

5 minutes passed by quickly, next thing he knew, the timer to let the cookies out was going off. He quickly put on the oven mitt and reached inside to take out the warm desserts. They smelled heavenly and Kyungsoo took them out carefully so he wouldn’t burn himself. He waited for them to cool down before placing them on the tray. He loved being able to make baked goods that customers loved, the smile on their faces is all he needed to feel accomplished.

He headed out to the front with the cookies on the tray and began to set them in one by one on the display. Baekhyun and Jongdae were sitting across from each other on one of the tables, enjoying the hot chocolate that Minseok made for them. They were both laughing and being a little loud, but it was alright. The only people inside were Yugyeom, who was mopping, and Minseok who was grinding coffee beans.

Kyungsoo was kneeling down to make sure he put the cookies on display perfectly but quickly stood up straight when he heard what sounded like something falling. He looked towards the direction of the noise to see Baekhyun standing with his hands placed over his mouth, he looked surprised as he stared at a guy that had just walked in the coffee shop. It didn’t take long for Kyungsoo to realize that Baekhyun must have somehow gotten hot chocolate on the guy. The guy had on a black t shirt that was covered in hot chocolate, he was shooting daggers at Baekhyun.

“I---I’m sorry.” Baekhyun said as he quickly reached for napkins that were on the table.

“Can you watch it next time?!” The guy replied angrily.

Baekhyun turned around, napkins in hand, and tried to dry the guy off. “I’ll pay for your order, I’m so sorry.”

“ off!” The guy yelled as he snatched the napkins from Baekhyun.

“Baekhyun, let him wipe himself, come here.” Jongdae instructed as he reached out an arm towards him.

“You’re such an idiot!” The guy yelled at Baekhyun again.

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, “I’m sorry…I didn’t see you…I—“

“No !”

“I’m so useless…”

“ yeah you are.”

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows furrowed and he practically sprinted in between the guy and Baekhyun. “Get out.” He told the stranger sternly.

The stranger narrowed his eyes at him, “What?”

“I can’t have you insulting other customers. Leave, now.”

“The ?! This dropped it on me—“

Kyungsoo isn’t really a violent person, if anything, he does whatever he can to avoid fights. But for some reason, he didn’t control the way his hand reached out and grabbed the guy by the shirt. He felt angry and it showed on his face. “Listen to me you little ,” his face was inches away from the guy, “If you ever insult him again, I won’t hesitate to beat you to a pulp. Now, leave!”

Minseok was by Kyungsoo’s side in a heartbeat, quickly putting some distance between him and the guy. “Please leave.” Minseok told the stranger. “Like my coworker said, we can’t have people antagonizing other customers.”

The guy let out a scoff before shaking his head and leaving. Yunhyeong stood by the door, a shocked expression on his face, and held it open for him.

Kyungsoo sighed and turned around, Baekhyun’s eyes were wide in shock. “You okay?” Kyungsoo asked.

Baekhyun nodded slowly.

“You sure?”

“Yes, thank you.”

Kyungsoo shook his head. “Don’t ever let anyone call you useless.” He placed his hands on Baekhyun’s shoulders, his eyes locked onto his. “You aren’t useless Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun looked into Kyungsoo’s eyes, mouth slightly open and glasses falling off.

Kyungsoo smiled as he adjusted Baekhyun’s glasses, “You’re worth the world Baekhyun.” He said just above a whisper.

Baekhyun closed his mouth and swallowed, he wasn’t sure what to respond, but Kyungsoo had made him feel so much better about this whole situation and if he was being honest, about himself.

Jongdae grabbed Baekhyun’s wrist gently, “Hey, maybe we should leave.”

Baekhyun looked away from Kyungsoo’s eyes and instead at Jongdae. “Yeah.” His eyes quickly averted back to Kyungsoo. “Thank you, really.”

Jongdae tugged him away from Kyungsoo as he lead him towards the exit. “Thanks and sorry for making such a scene.”

Minseok shook his head, “It was the guy that made a scene, accidents happen.”

Yunhyeong held the door open for Jongdae and Baekhyun who walked away briskly. Kyungsoo didn’t take his eyes off Baekhyun until he was out of sight.

“That was…wow.” Yugyeom said from behind, Kyungsoo quickly turned around to look at him. “I never seen you act like that.”

Kyungsoo shrugged, “Well no one deserves to be treated like that.”

Minseok placed his hand on Kyungsoo’s shoulder, “Yeah, but you have never acted like that before, even I was surprised.”

Kyungsoo chuckled and got away from Minseok’s grip. “It’s nothing really.” He walked towards the counter, “I didn’t even finish putting the cookies away.” He quickly got the tray he had placed on the counter and began to put them in the display.

Kyungsoo has noticed that the most random quotes can appear in one’s mind spontaneously, but he didn’t expect for the comment Sehun had told him last week to appear in his mind.

“Maybe the right person is right in front of you and you don’t even know it?”

He stopped as he held the last cookie in his hand. He didn’t like Baekhyun, he didn’t. Baekhyun was just in trouble and he stood up for him. Sure, Baekhyun was attractive, but he wasn’t Kyungsoo’s type. Besides, he had only fallen for guys twice in his life, he fell for girls mostly.

He placed the last cookie in the display and shut it.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say Kyungsoo likes him.” Yugyeom whispered to Minseok, loud enough for Kyungsoo to hear.

Kyungsoo knew Yugyeom was teasing him, he heard it in his voice. But that didn’t stop the glare that he sent the younger, he quickly stormed into the back. He placed his hands on the counter as he looked down at it. The veins in his arms were protruding by how hard he was gripping the edge. Baekhyun was just a friend, that’s all he was.

***

Kyungsoo remembers when he first met Chanyeol and Jongin, the both of them were very careful with who they showed PDA in front of. It wasn’t always safe for a same couple to be so open about it, but when they got to know their neighbors, that cautiousness was quickly replaced with hand holding. Then later, they began to use their pet names in public. Kyungsoo was happy that they felt so comfortable around him, but he didn’t want to feel like a third wheel either.

“I’ll have the steak please.” Kyungsoo told the waitress as she took their order. “Excellent choice,” she told him as she took the menus.

Kyungsoo didn’t have anything else to do this evening and was going to be home alone, which is why he agreed to accompany Chanyeol and Jongin to eat. But the couple was getting a little too handsy for his liking, specifically Chanyeol.

“Chanyeol,” Jongin said in between laughs as he took Chanyeol’s arm off. “Kyungsoo is right in front of us.”

Kyungsoo waved his hand, “It’s fine, I love feeling like a third wheel.”

Chanyeol let out a loud laugh and straightened up as he began to keep his hands to himself. “I’m sorry, I’m just comfortable with you.”

Kyungsoo took a sip of his drink, “That makes me happy, but chill, you’re so thirsty.”

Jongin let out a loud laugh as Chanyeol’s eyes widened. “Not even!”

Kyungsoo laughed along with them, “I’m kidding.”

Kyungsoo enjoyed hanging around Chanyeol and Jongin. They were funny and such kind people, it upset him to think that others would never be able to give them a chance simply because of their uality. He couldn’t understand why it was so despised by others, just one look at the way Chanyeol looked at Jongin should be all people need to understand that there was nothing wrong with it.

“Hey Soo, I actually have a question for you.”

Kyungsoo looked up at Chanyeol. “What?”

Chanyeol looked at Jongin, a mischievous smile on his lips, then back at Kyungsoo. “Jongin and I have been debating this for a while and we want your opinion.”

Kyungsoo chuckled, “Alright.”

“Who is the best looking in Super Junior?”

Kyungsoo contemplated as his eyes looked up at the ceiling, “Between who? Just all of them in general?”

Jongin punched Chanyeol’s arm, “Tell him between who. Last time we asked Baekhyun, he said Heechul.”

Kyungsoo laughed, “Baekhyun said Heechul?”

Chanyeol nodded as he rubbed his shoulder, “Yeah, no hesitation, began to drool over him too.”

Kyungsoo laughed harder. “Drool?”

“Yeah, I guess Baekhyun has a type and Heechul is it.”

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow after his laughing fit had passed, “Baekhyun’s gay?”

Jongin looked at Kyungsoo and nodded, “Yeah, he was telling me the other day he figured out in middle school when he kept gawking at the new kid.”

Kyungsoo felt his heart race but kept his poker face. There was no reason to get excited over this type of news. If Baekhyun was gay, then that was his business, it didn’t matter to him. He twisted his mouth to the side and looked away, unsure of what to say. He didn’t want to care, but for some reason, he did. His mind wandered to the day he had stood up for Baekhyun. It was normal for him to care for others, but it wasn’t normal for him to react the way he did. He grew so angry seeing someone yell at Baekhyun. Baekhyun looked so vulnerable and defeated...he didn’t control his emotions after that. The question was: why? Why did seeing Baekhyun like that get him so riled up?

“Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo looked over at his friends who had curious expressions on their faces.

“You okay?” Chanyeol asked.

Kyungsoo nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine…uh, who am I supposed to choose between?”

“Oh, um Yesung or Ryeowook?”

“Ryeowook.” Kyungsoo answered quickly.

Jongin raised his hands in triumph, “I told you!” He exclaimed towards Chanyeol.

Chanyeol shook his head, “Kyungsoo’s opinion is half a point, he’s straight.”  

Kyungsoo looked at the table cloth in front of him, he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. Baekhyun likes guys, he sighed quietly. His heart wouldn’t stop racing, this made things more difficult. If Baekhyun was straight, then he could simply ignore the feeling in his chest and let it disappear. But now, it gave him a sudden hope, maybe, his mind kept repeating over and over. Did he like Baekhyun? No, he was just confused, there’s no way.

He looked up at Jongin and Chanyeol who were teasing each other lovingly. A sudden flash of him and Baekhyun acting like that appeared in his mind and he quickly willed it away as his ears turned a slight red.

Luckily, the waitress came back with their food at that exact moment. He didn’t have to linger on the thoughts, but even as he ate, it stayed in the back of his mind.