Siwon

It's a good day.

Siwon has just closed a deal with one of the biggest supermarket chains, and they are getting a spot on all of their branches across Korea. It's going to be a challenge for their small team, but Siwon knows everyone will be thrilled with the news.

It's definitely a good time to treat himself. Just thinking about those lovely croffles paired with a steaming cup of coffee is enough to make his mouth water.

When he reaches Mouse Rabbit, he lightly slaps his forehead. The doors were locked, and he could hear the faint sounds of construction in the shop. Yesung did inform him last week that they would be closed for some time because of the renovations.

B-but the croffles , he pouts to himself.

He sighs. Well, he has no choice anyway as he needs his caffeine fix at some point in the day. Maybe it's finally time to try the new shop in the area. Unlike Mouse Rabbit, it's located a bit far off from the main road, so it's more quiet and peaceful here which Siwon appreciates.

Siwon stops in front of the shop, looking at the woody textures of the facade with the sign that reads "g.coffee". As expected, the soothing scent of coffee fills his lungs when he steps into the space. The exterior perfectly matches the interior with white and grays contrasting with the light grained wood. Siwon would say it's a pretty standard cafe look, and that's not a bad thing at all.

"Hi, how can I help you?"

For a moment, it feels like the sky has opened, an angel descended from heaven and stood in front of him.

Standing behind the counter is a man with fluffy dark brown hair contrasted by his milky white skin. The man raises his head and Siwon finds himself looking at large brown eyes with a cute love mark under his right eye. His plump lips stretch into a little smile, eyes twinkling in the sunlight passing through the large windows.

Even his voice sounds soft, smooth, and heavenly.

"Sir?"

He snaps back to reality. The man is looking at him with worried eyes, his head tilted to the side like a cute little puppy. Siwon feels his own face heat up in embarrassment as he gives the beautiful man a small smile then finally turns his attention to the menu.

Their menu is small and not too complicated, yet Siwon took a full minute before he ordered a simple cup of brewed coffee with their signature blend. The man's friendly smile turns into a smirk which makes Siwon even more embarrassed than he already was knowing that he was caught in the act.

The cafe has a bar-type seating which faces the barista’s corner. He definitely did not choose to sit there to get a good view of the man, and he definitely did not know that the man would also be using the coffee machine which happens to be right across from him. Siwon watches the man, silently admiring his smooth movements across the area.

Once again, he is caught off guard when the man approaches him and suddenly asks, “What do you think of people who do their work in cafes?”

Siwon blinked at him several times, trying to process his random question. “Um, I guess they’re not so bad?”

“Do you think they really work?”

Okay, he has no idea where this is going, but if it means talking to such a beautiful man, then Siwon isn’t going to complain.

“Some people simply work better in a noisy environment. It’s the same as listening to music while studying or working.”

"But how are you supposed to focus on your work if there's a lot going on around you? Wouldn't it be too distracting?," the man retorts. Then he pauses and narrows his eyes at Siwon. “Wait a minute, are you one of those people?”

“What do you mean by one of those people? It’s not like we’re aliens. To answer your question, it doesn't. In fact, I think I can focus better with the noise.”

“I don’t understand,” he shakes his head with a small chuckle.

Siwon watches as he prepares the filter and beans before pouring hot water slowly into the device.

"Well, look at what you're doing now. You're working perfectly fine while talking to me." He rests his chin on his hand with a smirk, knowing he's on the winning side. "Would you say I'm distracting you?"

The man stops and blinks at him a few times, seemingly flustered at his question. He clears his throat, "I- That's not- Um, this is different! I've been doing this for so long that it's all muscle memory."

How adorable, Siwon muses. "What makes you think it's different for those who like working in cafes?"

There's silence for a few seconds as he finishes the steaming cup of coffee. "Your drink, sir-"

"Siwon."

"S-siwon." He peers at him under his long eyelashes, eyes flicking left to right nervously. Siwon could almost see the way he was thinking about his next move. His gaze clears and he pouts so adorably it makes his chest clench. "My name is Kyuhyun, and I still don't understand."

Then he runs off to attend to the new customers who magically appeared right after his very interesting conversation with Kyuhyun.

Yes, it's a good day indeed.

—

He finds himself visiting the next day and the next and the next one after that.

No, it's definitely not because of the cute and pretty barista. The drink, Siwon argues mentally. It's all because of how good their coffee is. Siwon doesn't really know much about coffee and their taste profiles, but he just knows that he prefers one over the other. And their coffee might be one of his favorites – strong yet smooth and aromatic.

Today, though, he is faced with another man standing behind the counter. His heart sags a little.

The man has full cheeks that match his slightly chubby build. Before he walked to the counter, Siwon had to admit the man looked a little cold and distant until he gave him a full smile that opened his whole face. Siwon can't help but also smile back.

"Hi, I'll have a hot cup of your signature blend."

"Sure-"

Before he could even finish, Kyuhyun emerges from the back entrance lightly jogging towards the counter. "Shindong-hyung, let me get this one."

In an instant, Shindong's friendly smile disappeared, and he looked curiously at Kyuhyun before handing Siwon's order. Kyuhyun waves at him as if to dismiss whatever Shindong's stare meant. Choosing to ignore the strange interaction between the two, Siwon gives Shindong a small nod and walks over to what has become his usual spot.

"Siwon-ssi! I need your honest opinion on something," he starts as soon as he reaches the counter across Siwon. "Tell me what you really think, okay?"

"Before I promise anything, I need to know what it is about."

"No, no," Kyuhyun whines, pushing his bangs aways from his eyes with his dainty fingers in a delicate manner. As delicate as he looks. "Just promise me."

Siwon has and always been a meticulous person, especially when it comes to promises and contracts because whenever he makes them, he makes sure to see them through. And of course he's a businessman who knows better than to blindly agree to anything. Normally, he would decline politely, but those big round eyes filled with anticipation turn to him. Those pretty eyes silently pleading.

And there he goes again, agreeing to whatever Kyuhyun asks. "Okay, fine. Shoot."

The smile he gives Siwon makes his heart soar. Who knew that simply agreeing could make him feel this way?

Then Kyuhyun quickly schools his expression and launches into a monologue about dropping his phone. Apparently, he went out with his friends, so he asked to take a group selca. One of his friends complained about the angle and proceeded to "take" the phone from his hand. At that moment, the phone drops to the pavement leaving his phone screen cracked like his heart.

Even as Siwon was listening eagerly, he couldn't help but enjoy his cute expressions and actions. The way he whines and pouts almost makes him want to coo and pinch his cheeks, but that isn't possible when Kyuhyun looks genuinely frustrated.

"How much of it is my fault?"

Siwon scratches his chin in contemplation. "I'd say close to zero."

"Yes, exactly! Thank you very much!," Kyuhyun raises his hands in the air. "My friend who took my phone told me it was 5% my fault. Then another said 90% of it was my fault and they all suddenly agreed."

"That sounds a little unfair," Siwon adds.

Kyuhyun gestures at him. "Exactly! Was it my fault that my phone dropped when they were the ones who wanted to take the photo themselves? The chances would have been very slim, if they didn't even attempt to take the phone out of my hands. Ugh."

Sensing that he was getting a little too agitated, Siwon places his hand on Kyuhyun’s arm instinctively. “Kyuhyun-ah, let’s calm down, okay?”

He snaps his head towards Siwon. His cheeks turn red from, what Siwon assumes, is frustration, but there's something in his eyes that Siwon doesn't quite catch before Kyuhyun looks away and pulls his arm away.

When it seems that everything is alright, he asks, “You alright?”

“Y-yeah. Sorry, I got carried away for a second,” Kyuhyun replies, scratching the back of his head. His cheeks are tinged with a pretty shade of pink in embarrassment.

And it takes all of Siwon's strength not to walk around the counter and squeeze him in a hug. Why is he so cute!?

"Hey, lazy Cho Kyuhyun! Are you gonna chat all day long?", Shindong calls Kyuhyun over to help with the orders as customers start coming into the shop leaving Siwon alone to finish his half-empty cup and his thoughts.

—

They were friends, Siwon thought with a small smile as he walked into his office. If you were to ask him, he thinks it started as soon as he asked that random question during his first visit. Kyuhyun would come up with a random question, and the conversation would flow smoothly as if they were old friends.

He finds himself learning more about Kyuhyun through their discussions. Apparently, both him and Shindong were actually the owners of the shop. They met when they were at college, but they weren't really close friends. It wasn't until they graduated that they somehow ended up becoming partners.

More importantly, he overflows with aegyo. Everything he does is cute and adorable, Siwon thanks his strong mental strength that keeps him from hugging him or pinching his cheeks. And it's very distracting because once again he has forgotten to ask what magic he does to make his coffee taste really good.

—

Today, it is Shindong who is behind the counter.

"Kyuhyunnie isn't here today."

What's with the people working in this shop? They keep on catching him off guard with weird questions and remarks.

"Ah, well, I'm always here for the coffee anyway."

Shindong looks at him over the eyeglasses sitting on top of his nose, hands paused in midair.

"Uh-huh," he says dryly as if he doesn't believe him at all. "Sure whatever you say. You'll have your usual drink?"

Siwon nods then lets out a sigh of relief that he has escaped the man's judging stare. He didn't lie. Their coffee is really good (don't ever tell Yesung-hyung!), and to be honest, he will remain a customer even after Mouse Rabbit's renovations are complete. It is a huge bonus that he also enjoys the barista's company.

Looking around, Siwon takes his seat. His past visits were always in the afternoon, but today he decides to pass by earlier than usual. There's definitely more people as expected. Most people, after all, look for their fix of caffeine in the morning. Most of the seats and tables are occupied, and there's a steady stream of customers, seeing how Shindong has gone to entertain another customer right after him without having time to chat for a while.

"So how's the coffee?"

Siwon tilts his head. "It's good as usual."

"Ah, I see, I see." Shindong nods to himself.

The question is a bit unusual because he's been to the shop a couple of times already and consistently asks for a cup of brewed coffee every single time.

"Why do you ask?"

There's a pause. Siwon watches as Shindong shuffles on his feet, eyes fleeting across the people in the shop. He realizes that the man is contemplating on what to say next.

"Kyuhyun has a superpower."

Siwon almost chokes on his coffee.

But Shindong simply looks at him in amusement. "You know that coffee beans has different kinds, right? Arabica, robusta, roasted blends and what not."

He nods.

"Well Kyuhyun knows exactly how people like their coffee, and he gets it right around 8 out 10 times." He his head at the cup in Siwon's hands. "I'd say that one is the Siwon blend."

"He doesn't do it very often though. I told him it would be a good addition to the menu but Cho Kyuhyun, the perfectionist, says it's not consistent enough to sell the service."

They exchange a few words until Siwon finishes his cup and bids Shindong farewell.

The day passes by in a blur. A blur of thoughts racing through Siwon's head.

Kyuhyun made him a personal blend of coffee even though he refused to do it for other customers. No matter how Siwon looks at it, there's only one conclusion.

Kyuhyun must like him too.

Siwon pauses. At the back of his head, he realizes he has been reading the same line over and over for the last 5 minutes, but the matter at hand seems far more important than the financial report he was supposed to be reading.

Like him too? That implies that he likes Kyuhyun. Their moments together flashes through Siwon's mind, and somehow it feels right.

Maybe he does feel something for the man.

No, he does like him. He likes how his round eyes peeks shyly at him, how he pushes his hair with long delicate fingers, how he gives him a mischievous smile when he teases him, how he pouts cutely when he's the one being teased.

Above all, he likes his intelligence and wit. There's never a dull moment with him. Sometimes his ideas are outrageous, but he somehow manages to talk about it with logic that convinces Siwon to agree with him. Whenever they talk, it feels like they can talk about anything under the sun. Maybe even beyond the sun and into space.

He drops the document and leans back into his office chair. His heart races and clenches as he thinks of him.

Siwon likes Kyuhyun.

–

The next day he finds himself standing by the counter with Kyuhyun right across from him. He lifts the bag in his hand.

"Tteokbokki?"

Siwon nods and watches Kyuhyun's face light up with a wide smile that he has grown to like(and love). He gets to his spot at the bar, watching Kyuhyun serve this batch of customers. He's not even doing anything special. He's waving and taking orders, but there's something about the way the sunlight though the window hits his face, creating a halo around his perfect side profile.

Siwon's hand itches to capture the moment, but he doesn't because he doesn't want to look like a creep.

And because Kyuhyun turns and waddles excitedly toward him.

"Wah, you got Jaws!"

I got it for you because I like you so much, Siwon would have said, but he stops himself.

For the first time, he holds back.

Siwon is a man of action. He's the type who confesses as soon as he is sure because he has always been true to his feelings. And he also knows how painful it is to have someone reject you, especially if it's someone who he really likes. Just like Kyuhyun.

The thing is he doesn't think he has ever met a person as smart and as beautiful as Kyuhyun. Siwon can't explain it but there's something else that makes him want to forever look into his beautiful eyes, to wrap his arms around him, and to kiss him senseless. He wants to talk to him about everything, no matter how simple or how complicated the topic is. He wants to hear his smooth velvety voice speaking arguments, humming softly under his breath, calling his name with a pout.

Siwon simply hasn't liked someone so much like he does with Kyuhyun.

And that terrifies him. Not because of his feelings but because of how Kyuhyun might react to his feelings. What if things become awkward and he starts treating him like a regular customer? What if the next time he comes to the shop Kyuhyun will give him his 'customer' smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes like it does when compliments him?

It has happened to him a couple of times, relationships that turned awkward because he had confessed in his signature straightforward manner. He knows he can handle it. Then again none of them were Kyuhyun, and Siwon doesn't think he can handle Kyuhyun looking at him with cold and indifferent eyes.

"That's because a certain someone keeps on talking about it," Siwon says as he unwraps the package.

Kyuhyun tilts his head and narrows his eyes. "You have to introduce me to this person. They have good taste."

Siwon chuckles in reply, but he avoids Kyuhyun's sparkly round eyes that he suddenly dreads looking into, afraid that he'll know something is wrong with him.

So when Shindong emerges from the back room, he jumps at the moment to invite him to eat with them even though it had really been for Kyuhyun only.

–

"Siwon-hyung, you should try out our new cakes!"

Siwon doesn't even stop his fluttering heart as he hears Kyuhyun call his name in a more casual and intimate way. The sparks spread from his chest to his body. At this point, he isn't even denying it to himself that he likes this man.

He takes a seat just as Kyuhyun places a plate in front of him. It's a slice of cheesecake.

"I finally found a supplier who makes them really well. You should try to tell me if I hit a jackpot."

"Hey, I trust your judgment. I can already tell that it's good," he replies. He smiles widely at Kyuhyun who is smiling back at him, looking somewhat sheepish.

It's really good. The filling is smooth and creamy but not too sweet. The pie crust is perfectly crumbly and nutty.

And more importantly Kyuhyun gave it to him.

Siwon really likes it and finishes it in 3 bites.

Kyuhyun gapes at him. "Maybe I should have given you the whole cake instead."

That day, Siwon walked out of the coffee shop with a whole cheesecake.

–

The thing is he can't bring himself to stop going. Not after that because now he knows that Kyuhyun also values his friendship. Something Siwon doesn't want to lose as well.

But fate had other plans for him.

It started like a regular day. He orders a cup and Kyuhyun joins him as soon as the customers are served. Today they're talking about real estate investments. Most of the time Siwon reserves these kinds of talk for business partners but Kyuhyun is (and will always be) a special case.

Until a man comes through the door.

"Hey, Cho Kyuhyun!"

His loud and shrill voice booms in the confined space yet it comes from a small body that doesn't quite match the power of his voice. He's staring straight at Kyuhyun with a glare. Siwon feels his protective instincts kick in. He's about to stand when Kyuhyun suddenly smiles widely at the man.

"Kim Ryeowook!"

Kyuhyun quickly removes his apron and opens his arms for Ryeowook. They hug and laugh like old friends which Siwon guesses they probably were.

Kyuhyun turns to him and points at the man. "Siwon-hyung, meet my best friend, Kim Ryeowook. Ryeowookie, this is my best customer, Choi Siwon."

Siwon ignores this weird feeling while he reaches a hand to Ryeowook.

But he can't help the thoughts that come with the tightness in his chest as he watches the two talk and laugh in front of him. He has never seen Kyuhyun's face light up like this. He's all smiles and giggles as Ryeowook talks about something Siwon didn't quite hear.

He doesn't know how long he stays there sitting by the side, half listening and half thinking. At some point, he announces that he has to go.

He barely even manages to say goodbye.

—

He feels stupid.

He feels angry.

Angry at himself for feeling this way. Ryeowook is Kyuhyun's best friend that he hasn't seen for a while. Of course, Kyuhyun would be beyond thrilled to see his best friend. So he shouldn't be jealous of the attention Kyuhyun was giving Ryeowook.

But he is.

The next day Ryeowook is there again, and Siwon can’t even get a word in. On another day, Siwon finds himself feeling lost as he stands there looking at his usual seat taken by none other than Ryeowook.

It doesn't help that his mind decides to dwell on Kyuhyun's words.

This is my best customer…

It's true, isn't it? He is a customer, a very good one knowing how often he comes to the shop. He shouldn't be affected by it at all because it's true.

Perhaps that's all there is to it.

–

For the first time since his first visit, he decides not to go to the shop.

Not because he doesn't want to see Kyuhyun and Ryeowook together, but because he doesn't want to keep thinking this way. He hopes a quick break will help rid his mind of petty thoughts.

This break in routine feels weird, and Siwon is starting to regret it on the second day which means he has probably gotten over his childish thoughts, to his relief. Even as he is looking out the window of his office, he can vividly see Kyuhyun's pretty face in his mind.

He misses him. A lot.

Tomorrow, he thinks. I'll go back tomorrow and be a supportive friend.

At that moment, one of the managers bursts into his office with a frantic look on his face. He delivers news that would make Siwon's heart race in anxiety and make them go back to the drawing board.

—

He doesn't manage to visit for a whole week.