As long as he remembered, Hyukjae has always been thinking that some people were born average.

It didn’t really matter how hard they’ll try, didn’t matter whether they’ll do everything they could and even more, they still will be average. Not like he thought the life’s success was defined by talent only (there’s always been hard work behind every successful talented person) and not like he thought that being average was a bad thing. If the world was full of unique people, it’d be so boring to live here, right? Or dangerous. Because it’d become the battlefield for people competing whose talent shines brighter. So, he never thought being average was a bad thing to do.

Lee Hyukjae was the most average person you could only see, and he was proud of it.

He was born in an average family – not rich, not poor – had average parents and average sister. Went to average school and graduated with the most average marks. Had average times in the university and then entered the average job he never once changed in his life, although it for sure wasn’t the best even for an average person to achieve. He also thought his looks were quite average as well – no, of course he was handsome, but not like exceptional – with the most average fashion and average black hair styled in the average short haircut. Yet, he was a person who tend to be happy with what he’s got. He thought that if there’s something he lacks, then it’s not time for him to have it.

No money to buy a new good laptop? Well, means it’s a wrong time. He’ll get it later by saving up.

No stable and long relationship? Apparently, because he wasn’t ready to be in one.

He barely complained in his life. That’s why his friends liked him; Hyukjae was a person who always was ready to hear you out, yet never complained in return. Perfect, right? No one could say he was annoying or anything because he never spoke about bad things.

He never complained.

Maybe because his life was average to the point he didn’t even have any special reasons to complain.

Sighing at that thought, Hyukjae looked out the window of his office – yes, the most average one – to look around. The view was the same for so many years already; his workplace never changed, that’s always been the same table near the same window in front of the same café. The only thing that’s been changing there was café workers, so Hyukjae didn’t really bother to remember them.

Yet, there was a person who stood out a little, so the man memorized him involuntarily. Not like that person wasn’t as average as others, there simply was something that made him a bit different. Hyukjae struggled to say whether that was good kind of different or not, that was just something that was… off.

That person was wearing bunny ears.

Yeah, that random. Nothing was different about him, he simply was wearing bunny ears every day, but oh, don’t think those were the same ones, although Hyukjae made the same mistake as well.

Sometimes those were simple white or grey ears that tried to look more like real bunny ears. There were even black ones, although Hyukjae wasn’t sure black bunnies existed (and he wanted to Google, but forgot to every time). The other times those were ears of peculiar colors – pink, yellow, blue, purple. The guy looked the best in purple, Hyukjae thought.

His office oh so happened to be on the very first floor and only the road – which wasn’t even for cars to ride but for people to walk – separated the café from the building the raven head was working in. The guy was often to work with clients on the summer terrace and sometimes, when he had breaks and stepped out, Hyukjae had enough time and opportunities to look at his face.

And purple suited that face just so well; it somehow made his brown – was his hair originally a bit lighter or he dyed it? – hair shine with brighter colors, the haircut looked softer and the eyes seemed… well, prettier?

The guy had really pretty eyes. And maybe that made him stood out even more than his bunny ears.

***

Hyukjae wasn’t the one to observe random strangers. He never tried to hit on someone on the street even – all the people he dated were either friends of his friends or colleagues (not the best experience), or dudes from dating apps even. So, he didn’t really focus on people he never got to talk with, yet somehow, he just couldn’t stop noticing that guy with bunny ears.

Yes, his eyes were more memorable, but those were exactly the ears that made him appear more… visible. Whether Hyukjae wanted or not, his eyes caught the guy whenever the man let himself rest a little and looked somewhere apart from his laptop.

The guy was peculiar.

He was so fidgety. Even when there were no clients, he kept running around doing something (or just hanging out alone), there hardly were times when the guy could be seen sitting. He was clumsy as he kept tripping over here and there, yet – what a miracle – not even once he dropped someone’s order or the used cutlery he was about to bring to the kitchen for it to get washed. So maybe he also was skilled? In a way?

He was ticklish. His co-workers – who were at least one head taller than him, and the brunette’s not so impressive height somehow made Hyukjae sympathize with him a bit more for he himself wasn’t really tall – kept tickling him here and there, enjoying the guy’s yelping and giggling.

His laughter sounded cute. Hyukjae didn’t know when he came to such conclusion and it didn’t happen immediately. That was apparently… his sixth month of seeing the guy working there (although it was called the summer terrace, it was open even during winter as it had those huge heaters beside every table)? And the umpteenth time his co-workers tickled him, yet the first time when Hyukjae thought that was kind of adorable when the brunette laughed. Maybe because it hasn’t been long since he heard the guy’s laughter for the first time as they just started opening the windows in their office to get some fresh air for the weather becoming better.

He didn’t know what to do with those thoughts though.

Just like he didn’t know what to do with his constant observations. See, he had enough friends. Yeah, there were certain complaints about them, but it’s not like your friends are all flawless people, and Hyukjae was the only one at fault he couldn’t share what bothered him. He himself was too secretive, so it was a bit unfair to be mad at someone for something he himself lacked in. So, he had enough friends and his social life was pretty decent. His relationship with family was nice too, they were hanging out together pretty often. He had his own life, so there was absolutely no need for him to observe someone else’s.

Yet, for an unknown reason, he kept observing that one guy. Maybe because, in the end of the day, he wasn’t as average as the man initially thought?

***

“How about us having a lunch in that café you came to liking?” his colleague, Hyesung, said. “It looks quite cozy.”

“Huh?” Hyukjae asked absentmindedly, still a bit busy with his report – the boss asked for it urgently, so he had to finish it before lunchtime or he’ll be so dead. “What café did I like?”

“Oh, the one in the neighborhood,” the girl spoke calmly. “You keep looking at it every day, I thought you like it.”

Oh. The café where that guy worked.

“I’ve never been to it,” he said, not too surprised someone noticed him spacing out while looking there. “That place’s the only decent view here, others are either shops or salons. I kept looking there because the place seemed the most interesting out of all.”

Well, he didn’t lie, after all.

“I see,” Hyesung said. “But, well, we still can go check it out. We keep eating in our canteen or somewhere far from here, but what if the nice place has always been so close?”

Hyukjae sent that place a quick gaze as he didn’t really want to get distracted, yet even that mere moment was enough for him to spot the guy wearing his bunny ears. They were black today.

“It looks nothing special,” he mumbled.

“But maybe their food is good, let’s try it out.”

“Okay,” the man shrugged. “I don’t mind, just let me finish.”

Hyesung smiled at him, although Hyukjae couldn’t see it as he was too immersed into his work. Yet, even in the midst of writing that stupid report (it was stupid simply because it was urgent, don’t think he was that bad at work) he somehow managed to think it was a bit funny.

Never, not even once he thought of approaching the guy, simply because he wasn’t that interested in doing so, yet today he was going to meet him. If he’ll be their waiter, of course, but still. He’ll see him up close, and that felt a little weird as Hyukjae was too used to watching him from afar, and well.

He thought people tend to become interested in someone (in his case – in observing someone) due to that light mystery, and was quite sure he’ll lose his interest once the guy becomes ‘closer’ and ‘more realistic’, and that was a bit bad.

He kind of enjoyed those serene moments when he was observing him.

***

“W-welcome,” the guy – the nametag indicated his name was Donghae – spoke the moment Hyukjae and his colleague entered the summer terrace, and the man felt a bit… odd. Not like he had any imaginations, but he didn’t think that bunny ears guy would stutter. “W-where you’d like to s-sit?”

He looked rather nervous, and Hyukjae wondered whether he saw him acting like that before. And the answer was no, he didn’t. Donghae – it felt strangely pleasing to call the guy by his name in Hyukjae’s mind – was quite cheerful with clients and somehow didn’t look like a person who could act so unsure, although that was the first time the man heard him speaking, not yelping or laughing. He also looked quite stiff – something Hyukjae never saw before, and that was a bit, well…

Not disappointing, but not what he expected at all?

“We’d love to sit on the terrace!” Hyesung chirped. “Okay, Hyukjae?”

“I’m all good with that.”

Donghae smiled at her and spoke gently, “I’ll be your waiter th-then, let me show you the table.”

There weren’t many vacant tables – only one, to be precise – as lots of people decided to come here during their lunchbreak. The guy was fast to show them where to sit and bring two menus.

“Call me o-once you’re ready,” he said, and Hyukjae still had some hard time to grasp the fact he wasn’t what the man expected him to be. Like yeah, there were no certain expectations, but the vibes were different and… Ugh, that was hard to explain.

Donghae looked quite confident from afar, he seemed so bright and cheerful, the man didn’t expect him to look so small – both because he happened to be shorter than Hyukjae (the man liked it a lot) and because he looked unsure – and timid. It was like…

As if the man had a favorite singer he idolized and then met them on the street, sharing a small conversation, but felt absolutely disappointed as that person was nothing he expected them to be.

Hyukjae couldn’t tell he was disappointed; once again, not like he had any expectations before. He just had mixed feelings.

“A-are you ready?” Donghae asked once Hyesung called him, and Hyukjae looked up at the guy only to tilt his head a little at the sight.

“Oh,” the man uttered. “You’ve changed your ears.”

The guy looked at him – his eyes wide and cheeks slowly reddening – only for the man to see that yes, indeed. He wore black ears before for sure, yet now the ears on his head were yellow.

“Oh, right, I didn’t even notice!” Hyesung exclaimed with a smile. “That’s cute. What is that, a concept? I noticed you’re the only one wearing bunny ears here.”

Donghae blushed madly, and Hyukjae suddenly thought that was an observation he’d never make sitting from afar. The guy was so easy to get shy, so fast to blush.

“N-not a concept,” he spoke, looking at Hyukjae for a reason, although he wasn’t the one who asked. “M-more like… my mood?”

“You wear bunny ears when you’re in the mood?” the girl tried, and the man already knew that wasn’t true as he saw Donghae wearing them every day, so that apparently meant…

“You change the color of your ears according to your mood?” he tried, and honestly didn’t even know what for. To keep up with a casual conversation maybe?

Well, apparently that was a good decision as the waiter smiled and nodded, “Yes, I ch-change them when my mood ch-changes.”

“Oh, that’s so cute!” Hyesung squealed, and even Hyukjae smiled. Maybe because of her voice that was full of adoration, maybe because of Donghae’s reaction. Who knows? “And what does yellow mean?”

The guy’s smile turned into a sheepish one and he mumbled, “I’m happy.”

Hyesung squealed once again while the man could only keep smiling.

Well, yeah.

Donghae was cute.

***

“C-come again, please!” the brunette spoke in a polite voice once the two were done with their meals and were about to pay. Hyukjae offered a smile as polite as the waiter’s voice, but that seemed to not be enough for him as he asked, “W-will you?”

A bit taken aback with that sudden question – oh my, were all the workers this bold when it came to inviting the clients? – the man looked at Hyesung who only smiled and shrugged as if saying that was up to him.

“Huh,” he mouthed. “We might.”

“S-sorry if that’s i-intrusive,” Donghae offered a sheepish smile again. “Th-that’s just… we have special menu for couples every Th-Thursday, you might want to check…”

“Couples?” Hyukjae frowned, then looked at Hyesung, both his and her eyes widened at the same moment, and he was fast to look at the waiter, pointing at himself and the girl, absolutely flabbergasted. “Us?”

The guy looked a bit lost, but smiled the very next moment, “Y-you aren’t? Oh, s-sorry, that must be rude…”

“No, it’s okay. And no, we aren’t a couple.”

“And that’s entirely your fault,” Hyesung snorted.

“Because you’re totally not my type,” the man retorted.

“I’m a wonderful person – beautiful, smart, witty, humble.” Hyukjae rolled his eyes at that. “How am I not your type?”

“You just aren’t.”

“Oh, yes, how could I forget,” she smiled like a devil. “I’m not your type because you prefer someone like Donghae, right?”

The man narrowed his eyes and almost hissed. That woman was so not going to say something like that in front of a total stranger!

“L-like… m-me?”

Was Hyukjae imagining things or Donghae’s stutters became worse that one moment?

“Yup,” she eyed him. “Pretty cuties. Hyukjae prefers pretty cuties.”

Hyukjae barely managed to prevent himself from letting out a sigh of relief, but still whispered only to Hyesung to hear, “You’re so dead.”

She chuckled, forgetting about her words immediately, yet there was one person who just couldn’t do the same thing so easily.

“Y-you think I’m… cute?” Donghae asked (it seemed like he avoided the word ‘pretty’ on purpose), and Hyukjae realized they involved a person who had nothing to do with their bickering.

“Sorry for getting you into it,” the man said with a smile. “Don’t mind her, she’s just an old woman.”

“I’m younger than you, moron!” Hyesung slapped his head, looking absolutely not impressed by his words. Yet, she added with a mischievous smile, “Besides, that wasn’t what he asked you about.”

Hyukjae gave her a look. Like yeah, he liked both men and women – and that was the thing that was pissing her off the most because she actually could have a chance, but still was not someone the raven head would date as he saw her as a good friend only – but there was absolutely no reason to yell about