The next morning it was just Junmyeon, but Chanyeol was coming to work just a short while later. He was excited, had been the entire time since the guy left really, about today. Today was the day he finally got to find out what the guy needed all those cups with letters on them for. 

He was clearly spelling something out, a sentence most likely, but what was that sentence? He barely remembered the earliest letters so he had no idea what he could be spelling. Was it just a joke with his friend, or did it have more meaning? It was an awful lot of time to spend on a joke though. He’d been coming by for a month or something. 

Junmyeon was looking through the mess Jongdae liked to call a system under the counter. There were papers everywhere, both plain, unused ones and ones with random things written on them, pens, which were used, and a lot of other random things. It was far from systematic, it was a mess under there. He did not want to know what kinds of "systems" Jongdae had at home. 

The sound of the door caught Junmyeon’s attention and he quickly got up on his feet, hitting his head on the counter in the progress. He groaned in pain, placing his hand on his now hurting head. He really needed to stop doing that or he was going to give himself a concussion. 

It wasn’t the guy, and Junmyeon was disappointed. It was nearing eight o’clock now and the guy was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he wasn’t going to tell him what it was for anyway? Maybe he was done and the joke was over?

It was Chanyeol who walked in. Of course Junmyeon was happy to see him, he hadn’t seen him in a while, but still. He wanted to know what the cups were about. 

"Are you okay?" Chanyeol asked, slipping his coat off his shoulders. "Yeah. I’m fine," Junmyeon replied, nodding. "I just thought you were someone else."

Chanyeol’s lips slowly curled up into a grin. "Oh really?" he said, sounding awfully a lot like Jongdae. "Who? That guy?" Junmyeon gently rubbed his still hurting head. "I wasn’t waiting for him, if that’s what you’re thinking. I just thought you were a customer," he explained the younger. 

"I could always buy a latte from you, if that’ll help?" Chanyeol teased. 

"Yeah. Go ahead. That just means more money to the coffee shop", Junmyeon said, shrugging his shoulders. "Alright. I want a "D" written," Chanyeol started, disappearing to the back for a moment. He returned in his apron. "Then an "I"," he continued, getting in front of the counter. 

Junmyeon didn’t move, already knowing where this was going. "And a "C" on one of those," Chanyeol said, pointing to the menu behind Junmyeon, who didn’t turn to look. He was looking at something else. 

"And on the last one-." Chanyeol didn’t get to continue as Junmyeon grabbed his collar, pulling him closer as he leaned over the counter. "Oh, wow. I know I’m irresistible, but Junmyeon. We’re in public." The grin was back on his lips and he rested his elbows on the counter.

"What’s that on your neck?" Junmyeon asked and the grin on the taller’s lips slowly disappeared. "Nothing." He quickly pulled away, grabbing Junmyeon’s wrist to get out of his grip on his collar. "There’s nothing on my neck. What are you talking about?"

"Yeah there is," Junmyeon said, only gripping Chanyeol’s collar tighter. "Is it a-."

"It’s a rash," Chanyeol said, finally getting out of Junmyeon’s grip. "I was itching and I must’ve scratched it too much or something." Junmyeon looked at him with an eyebrow raised. What did he think he was? Stupid? "Oh really?" Chanyeol nodded. "Yes, really."

"Why is it purple then?"

"It’s an allergic reaction probably."

"Since when have allergic reactions turned your skin purple?"

"Since now."

"I mean... It looks a lot like a-." Chanyeol interrupted him once more. "It’s a bug bite." Junmyeon leaned closer, taking a closer look. He was practically climbing over the counter. "It doesn’t look like a bug bite," he said.

"Well, it is," Chanyeol said, attempting to hide his neck with his shirt, but as it was just a regular shirt it didn’t cover anything, sliding right back down his neck. "What’s the bug called?" Junmyeon asked, but he was clearly asking for something else than a type of bug. "I don’t know."

"You don’t know? Why aren’t you seeing a doctor?"

"You know, Junmyeon, that’s a great idea. I’ll do that later," Chanyeol said. "Oh, would you look at the time." He looked down at his right wrist. It wasn’t like he didn’t have a watch, just that the taller’s watch was not on his right wrist, but on the left one. "I better go make something and not just stand here." 

Chanyeol disappeared into the back of the shop before Junmyeon could say anything else. 

A few hours passed and the guy was still nowhere to be seen. Junmyeon was starting to lose hope that he was going to come at all. He was probably busy and didn’t have time to come tell a random barista what he needed some cups for. 

Junmyeon had been cleaning a table when he heard the door and he nearly dropped the plate in his hand as he spun around to see who it was. It wasn’t him and Junmyeon sighed quietly in disappointment. 

This time, it was Jongdae who entered the coffee shop. He was happy to see the student, but he wouldn’t have minded if it was the guy instead. 

"Hey, Jun," Jongdae greeted him, letting the door shut behind him. "Why do you look so disappointed?" he asked. "Aren’t you happy to see me? I’m hurt." The younger placed a hand on his chest, right over his heart, looking at Junmyeon with a hurt expression on his face. He was clearly just joking, but Junmyeon still assured him he was very happy to see him. "Of course I am. I’m always happy to see my favourite music major."

"I’m your favourite music major? I feel honoured." Jongdae smiled at him, undoing the buttons on his coat. "Is Chanyeol here?" he asked.

"He’s in the ba-." And then Jongdae was gone, disappearing into the back of the shop before Junmyeon could finish his sentence. Strange.

Speaking of sentence, and strange for that matter. Where was the guy? It was almost two o’clock. He did say he had to wait until tomorrow to find out. He said that yesterday so tomorrow was today, but he was still not showing up. Had he changed his mind? Was it just a joke?

The clock hit five and it was time for Junmyeon to close the coffee shop. Jongdae and Chanyeol had left a while ago, disappearing before Junmyeon could even open his mouth to say goodbye. 

The guy was still nowhere to be seen as Junmyeon pulled up the zipper of his coat and as he wrapped his scarf around his neck. He grabbed his things, placing them by the counter before he went to into the back to take the trash out, but not before taking one last look at the door. 

He returned to the front of the shop a little while later after turning the lights of in the back. It was dark and quiet and Junmyeon was regretting watching that movie with Sehun. He pushed, or tried to, the thoughts about monsters and shadows away as he picked up his things, shoving his phone into his pocket. 

Either it it was his imagination or someone was actually looking at him because it sure felt like it. He glanced around, just to make sure, but the coffee shop was empty. After making sure there weren’t any monsters or shadows in his coffee shop - thank Christ there weren’t any - he made his way over to the door, stopping to look for his keys.

He was about to place his hand on the door handle when he heard something. Did someone just clear their throat? 

He looked over his shoulder and he could swear he could hear his own heartbeat. Was it just him or was someone standing behing the counter? He had to be imagining things. He should not have watched that movie with Sehun. 

He eventually gathered the the courage to turn around to take a proper look. His heart was in his throat by now. He had to be imagining this. There couldn’t be anyone behind the counter. It had to be his eyes playing tricks on him. 

Junmyeon stood there for a while, his hand on the door handle behind him, ready to just open the door and leave. 

And then, out of nowhere, the lights flickered on. Junmyeon let out a, very manly, scream as he saw someone standing behind the counter. 

He quickly placed a hand over his mouth as he saw who it was. It was him. The guy. The guy ordering lattes from him every morning. Junmyeon could feel his cheeks burning. He’d just screamed like a little girl seeing a monster in front of this guy.

The guy was holding a plastic cup and a pen. It was when he placed the cup down he noticed what was standing on the counter. Plastic cups. Twenty three of them. All of them showing a letter, except the last one with a question mark. 

"DO YOU WANT TO GO OUT WITH ME?"

Junmyeon doesn’t remember what happened next as everything went black.