Chapter 12: Two Shops

A 'Chemin' chapter...

Trees dancing happily as the east and west wind hug each other; sun starts to wake up and illuminates the sky as the blue pattern sky starts to show off.

Chen wakes up from his slumber as he tries to open both his eyes. He yawned and blinked his eyes. His eyesight was quite blurred due to that he just woken up from his sleep.

He rubs his eyes by his left hand while his right hand reaches his eye glasses, once he knows where it is. He grabs it, removes his left hand from rubbing his eye and puts it on.

He gets out from his bed and stretches his arms upward. After stretching, he walks to his closet and took out his clothes for work, just a simple V-neck white polo shirt and black tight jeans and a fluffy scarf and beanie hat.

He looks at the fluffy scarf as he remembers the past of the fluffy scarf.

[Flashback]

Jongdae looks around the people at his own party. It is his 15^th birthday of his whole life. Cakes, jellies, punches and other sweets were beautifully decorated on the long table, balloons and strings hanging around the whole ceiling; music and lights beating in and out of the whole crowded room.  Singing and dancing, the people at his party were driving him crazy.

He doesn’t want this kind of party. Not one bit. He wants a simple and peaceful birthday not this kind of loud and annoying birthday that was held by his friends as a surprise gift for him which he considered as stupid.

Jongdae hates it all except for the sweets that were beautifully decorated on the long table. He couldn’t deny that it was delicious and tempting. Looking around him, he moves closer to the food that was placed on the long table and sneakily took one cherry on top of a cream.

Just then a voice shocked him out in the daylight.

“Hey Jongdae!” He yelped at the voice; he turned around and looks at the criminal who made him shock the living daylight out of him. He gave a deathly glare to his one and only best friend, Luhan. But his expression changes when his eyes landed on Luhan’s best friend.

“Minseok hyung...” Jongdae mumbled to himself. His eyes and face soften at the sight of his senior. A shy smile formed on his lips as Minseok gave him a bright smile.

“Annyeong Minseok hyung!” Jongdae beamed happily to his hyung. Minseok smiled and nodded his head and mouthed a ‘Hello’ since the music was blaring loudly and for sure Jongdae wouldn’t be able to hear him anyways.

Luhan nudge Minseok on the shoulder giving him a glare from the older. Luhan teasingly smiled and waved his hand lankly at them and left the two of them before his own dear life is choked out to death by Minseok.

Confirming that he’s gone, Minseok handed out a small box wrapped in a blue crossed ribbon to Jongdae.  Jongdae looks at the gift before looking at Minseok.

He took the gift and uttered, “Is this for me?” Minseok nodded his head with a smile. Jongdae opened the small box and much to his surprise, it was scarf. And it’s a fluffy white one.

Jongdae looked at Minseok with shock? Zeal? Happiness? Minseok couldn’t distinguish it. He eyed Jongdae with confusion.

“Umm, do you like it?” Minseok asked in a small voice, doubting himself that Jongdae would hear. Minseok waited for the rejection of the gift but instead he got a warm hug from Jongdae. “Thank you so much, hyung! I love it! This is the best gift you have ever given me besides the snowflake necklace you gave me that I treasure so much!”

Jongdae beamed ever so happily. He’s so happy of the gift he had received. The scarf he had attained today was the scarf that he had been eyeing on the mall for weeks. His brother, Kyungsoo, told him that he will try to buy that scarf for him, but because Minseok gave it to him, his brother doesn’t need to buy it anymore.

Jongdae broke the hug and thanked Minseok once again while Minseok was very happy to make his boyfriend happy on his birthday.

It’s the only thing that mattered to him.

Chen opened his eyes and didn’t notice that he had been clutching the scarf too hard. His grip loosened as he sighed. His hand went right up to his hair and messed it.

‘You don’t have to remember the past Jongdae…everything about him and you are over.’

Chen shooked his head and threw the scarf back to his closet before putting on his casual clothes and did his morning routine.

Minseok stuffs toasted bread in his mouth as he dazedly plays with the bottle necklace; memories surface in his mind and plays like a film.

[Flashback]

“Jongdae what are you doing?” Minseok asks worriedly as Jongdae led him with a blindfold on his eyes, preventing him from seeing anything. Jongdae giggles and tightens his hold to the older.

“Just wait hyung. You’ll know when we get there. Just wait.” Jongdae softly utters that eased Minseok’s trembling musings. He huffed out a sigh before smiling a bit.

“Okay, I trust you.”

---

“Jongdae…wha-what is this?” Minseok asks, shocked at the sight in front of him. They were in a dock and a small gazebo was at the end. They were in a gazebo decorated with balloons on the ceiling and candles on the ground forming a heart with a small dine table at the middle with food prepared and champagne on the side inside the bucket of ice.

He felt his eyes brim with tears as Jongdae hugged him from behind and suddenly he felt a cold steel on his neck followed by a soft click of noise. He looks at his neck and found a necklace wrapped on his pearl skin.

He touched the sand bottle and looked at with awe and he  felt Jongdae hug him again and this time, the younger whispers on his ears.

“Happy birthday, hyung.”

[End of Flashback]

It was one of the precious memories he treasured and cared for. Closing his eyes, he takes a large bite on his toast and stops playing with the necklace.

“Minseokkie?” A husky yet high-pitched voice calls out to him and immediately he opened his eyes and grabbed the necklace and puts it in his pocket. He looks up and saw Sungyeol on the door frame.

“Yeah, hyung?” He responded with a blink. Sungyeol walks over to him and took a sit on front of him and pouts.

“Are you okay? You’ve been out of your mind for this past few days, is something bothering you?” Sungyeol asks worriedly and Xiumin quickly shakes his head before taking another bit on his toast.

“I’m fine Sungyeol hyung. Don’t worry about me and just worry about your health, you know.” Xiumin worriedly asks back to him. Sungyeol blinks before letting out a hearty laugh.

“I’m fine, dongsaeng. Don’t worry about me. I’m not yet dying, you know. Your hyung has to love someone first then get married, adopt a child, see his child finish school, see his son marries then that’s the only time I could die. I won’t let fate nor destiny take away my time so easily.” Sungyeol smiled reassuringly to his brother and the latter could only furrow his eyebrows in worry.

“Are you sure?” Xiumin asks back after taking his last bite on his toast. Sungyeol nodded his head and gave him a toothy smile.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Give me some French toast. I haven’t had decent bread these past few weeks.”

~*~

Plates being placed neatly at side of the food placement area, Xiumin placed the choco-mint swirls on the plates and decorated it with a rose and snowflake. After putting the choco-mint swirls on the plates, one by one he placed the plates on a big and wide-cold refrigerator.

After putting the plates all in the refrigerator, he heard the bell rang on the main door. He took a peek on the outside and saw his two best employees, Kyuhyun and Donghae.

As they saw him, they bowed and greeted him.

“Hey chubby!”

“Hey steamed bun!”

Xiumin glared at them while the two laughed their hearts out. Kyuhyun and Donghae knew that their boss isn’t mad or whatever, because if he was, they would be seeing hell.

Xiumin sighed and gestured them to the dressing room. They immediately understood what he meant and went to the dressing room to change. Xiumin sighed once again and went back to his work. He took out the knives and utensils at the preparation table.

He examined the knives and picked the butcher’s knife. He carefully examined it and smiled.

“Woah...what are you going to do with that, hyung?”Donghae’s voice came out of nowhere. Just then, Kyuhyun’s voice echoed the kitchen.

“Are you going to chop us alive or Chen?” Kyuhyun asked with a surprised-bored face. Xiumin turned around his head and looked at them with a blank face before returning his focus back to the knife.

“Just do your jobs, Donghae and Kyuhyun.” Xiumin muttered and he knows that the two of them heard what he said.

Donghae and Kyuhyun looked at each other before whispering to each other.

“What’s up with him?”

“I don’t know. Why are you asking me that?”

Turning back his head at them, Xiumin gave them a death glare making them shut up.

“Go and do what both of you are told to.” Xiumin hissed before scowling at them.

They looked at each other before quickly mumbled a ‘sorry’ before going to what they were suppose to do; Xiumin sighed and shaked his head. He turned his attention back to the knife before placing it back to the drawer where the other knives are located and added the remaining knives on the table to the drawer.

He looked at the time and saw it was already 7:30 am in the morning. He nodded his head in confirmation and jogged to the storage food to get the foods that are needed for today’s menu.

~*~

 “Hello! Welcome to Sweet Angel where your angels are here to serve you.” Eunhyuk, Sungmin and Luhan greeted to the teen girls who have entered the cafe. The girls squealed and swooned over the employees in front of them. The girls almost fainted when Chen left the kitchen to greet the girls who are fangirling over them.

“My sweet cupcakes, I will be the one who will guide you to your table. Please follow me.” Chen greeted and gestured them to follow him. The girls squealed so happily when they heard Chen call them sweet cupcakes.

Chen guided them to their tables with the girls hands clasped together watching Chen admiringly; leaving Eunhyuk, Sungmin and Sandeul alone in front of the main door. Yes, Chen often goes out his office or kitchen to attend new customers.

He stops at the table for 4 and the 4 girls sat and took the menu when they’re actually looking at Chen, giggling how handsome he is and all. Chen hid his smirk secretively and put up a blinding smile in front of them.

Eunhyuk and Sungmin sighed at the scene before attending to the customers who have arrived and did what Chen did awhile ago whilst Sandeul snickered and stays in front to attend to any customers who are going to arrive.

~

“Bonjour~ Accueil to Le Café Amoré where your personal butlers are ready to serve you my ladies~” Donghae and Kyuhyun greeted with smiles on their faces as the new customers (teen girls and mid-twenties girls) entered their shop. The girls screamed as ever happily as they saw the sight of Donghae and Kyuhyun and not to mention about their greeting.

Xiumin was about to call Donghae to help him make some strawberry tea and rice-berry, stopped at the cashier and saw that they are attending the newly arrived customers. He tried not to be seen by the customers but...unfortunately, they saw him.

“Omo! It’s Xiumin oppa” They heard them scream so loudly that they gained attention from other customers. Xiumin rarely goes out from the kitchen since he was so busy cooking and preparing the foods ordered by the customers.

He immediately froze at the call.

‘Great. They saw you Xiumin. You did a great job hiding yourself from the customers.’ Xiumin mentally scolded himself. He was about to roll his eyes and leave them like usually do to others, but being the polite and respectful person he is, he turned around and faced them.

“Hello my ladies, it’s a pleasure to have you here in Le Café Amore. Please do enjoy your time here and have a nice day. Please do excuse me.”

He flashed a killer smile and went back to the kitchen while he hears the ‘ahhh’ by the teenage girls. He smirked before attending to the abandoned strawberries in the chopping area.

~*~

 “Eunhyuk, have you finished table 24’s order?” Chen asked hurriedly as he puts the cream and carefully put the frozen butterfly on the cream.

“Yeah, just finished it only now; Jessica is handling them now. Why?” Eunhyuk replied back as he decorated the soft mammon with chocolate wings. As he finished, Eunhyuk smiled in satisfaction as he finished table 35’s order. He placed the bread with the other food that is sectioned for table 35’s order and faced Chen.

“I need your help! This is a delivery for someone. They ordered a butterfly sky, assorted chocolate and choco-mint cupcakes, rice puffs, vegetable salad and baby blue punch and I need you to deliver this to them.” Chen responded back as he tied the ribbon perfectly and placed the last box to the large bag for delivery. He faced Eunhyuk and handed the large bag to him.

“Follow this address and you’ll get there. I don’t want you to be late and all. Am I clear?” Chen warned Eunhyuk not to be careless and late. Eunhyuk saluted and left carrying the bag carefully.

Just then, Jessica entered the kitchen to inform Chen.

“ChenChen there are no new orders. What time will we be closing?” Jessica asks with Luhan and Sungmin following behind her. Chen sighed and sat on one of the chairs in the kitchen.

“We’ll be closing at 5 pm sharp. I bet Le Cafe Amore isn’t closed yet.”

Jessica snickered with Sungmin following him. Chen could only sigh, and wasn’t able to glare like he always do. He was very tired today. Lot of customers and orders and preparations drained his energy so he could only sigh.

Luhan whistled and left the room not before grabbing a hot chocolate as he left whilst Sungmin attends to the customer’s wishes. Jessica walks over to Chen and massages Chen’s shoulder from behind.

“Thanks Jessica noona.”

“No problem, Chen. You need a lot of rest.”

~

“Donghae. Kyuhyun. Did you take a picture with the people on room 10? And did both of you gave the copy after you took a shot?” Xiumin asked them as takes a bite on the choco bread; his face lighting up at the delightful taste. The two nodded their heads and showed the pictures they took. Xiumin took the pictures and nodded his head in confirmation.

He placed the pictures in a wide drawer and closed the drawer back. He faced the two boys with bright smiles.

“I need both of you to help me. There are 10 more rooms and 3 tables to finish and I bet that’ll we’ll finish around 5 pm sharp if my calculations are correct.”

Kyuhyun and Donghae nodded their heads and looked at the clock before nodding their head once more in confirmation.

“So what are we going to help you with?” Kyuhyun asked as he takes a look at the room orders and table orders.

“Actually it’s an individual task. Kyuhyun I need you to send these gifts (delivery) to the address that is located on the paper. Donghae I need you to help me to make 3 more strawberry puffs, 5 more salad and 10 sunsets.”

Kyuhyun nodded his head and took the gifts from the table and bid farewell as he left them. Donghae mouthed an ‘okay’ and helped Xiumin make the following orders.

Donghae immediately took out the strawberries from the refrigerator and placed them on the cutting area. Xiumin went to get the chopping knife that marks Donghae’s name in it. He looks for it and once finally found it, he gave it to Donghae who quickly took it and starts cutting the strawberries.

Xiumin, on the other hand, quickly took out the lemons and cuts them into half and after cutting 25 lemons; he placed it near Donghae’s reach after he cuts the strawberries. After that, Xiumin took out a plentiful of fresh lettuce and cabbages and starts to peel the leaves one by one from the core.

Clock ticking, they do their tasks without wasting anytime. Just then, the chime of the bell rang on their ears. Xiumin stopped doing it and was about to take a look when Donghae beat him to it.

“I’ll check who it is.” Donghae uttered as he leave Xiumin on the kitchen. Xiumin just nodded his head and continues to peel off the leaves.

(Donghae and Eunhyuk special part)

After telling that he’ll be the one to look who came in, he left Xiumin alone on the kitchen to check on the person who just have entered. As he left the kitchen area and passed the storage room, he entered the eating vicinity.

His eyes widens as his eyes landed on the man in front of him.

“Hyuk—Eunhyuk?!” He was actually thinking it; he didn’t mean to blurt it out unnecessarily. Eunhyuk snapped his head toward Donghae and smiled. Donghae could feel his heart leap and feel his cheeks warm.

He saw Eunhyuk walking towards him and he couldn’t deny the fact that his heart is beating fast, loud and clear. As Eunhyuk stop in front of him, he didn’t notice that he has been holding his breath.

“Donghae~ it’s you!” Eunhyuk beamed. Donghae exhaled and try to act as normal as possible.

“Hey Eunhyuk. So what brings you here?” Donghae asks casually but failed miserably as his question turns out to be a bit off than usual.

“Someone ordered from us and her name is Krystal Jung?” Eunhyuk looked at the paper that he was given and nodded that it is the person. Donghae creased his forehead. Why would Krystal order from here?

Eunhyuk smiled and handed the bag to Donghae. Donghae received it and took a look inside and saw boxes neatly wrapped with a ribbon before giving Eunhyuk a confused expression.

“What are these for?”

“Well, these are the deliveries that are being ordered by this shop from our shop.” Eunhyuk responded vaguely. Donghae raised an eyebrow when a sharp shriek was heard. Both of them snap their heads toward the noise and saw a young waitress with her hair tied up in ponytail running up to them.

Krystal huffed out and took out some money from the pocket of the apron and handed it carelessly to Eunhyuk who gladly received it without complain.

“Thanks Eunhyuk.” Krystal muttered as he takes the boxes from Donghae’s hand and left the two. Donghae’s face scrunched up into confusion and he could hear Eunhyuk chuckle in the background.

He snaps his head back to him before asking, “So...what time is your shop going to close?”

“5 pm sharp. The same with yours?” Eunhyuk responded back. Donghae nodded his head. So Xiumin’s calculation was right. And he has to treat Kyuhyun for a week for losing the bet.

He mentally face-palmed himself and heaved out a sigh. Xiumin came out and walk over to them. Eunhyuk noticed and bowed before greeting him.

“Hello, Xiumin hyung.” Eunhyuk greeted and the latter just nodded his head.

“Did Krystal order again?” Xiumin asked him, irritation lingering in his voice and he hummed in response. Xiumin huffed out angrily before giving a stray look to Eunhyuk.

“Jessica ordered from us, Kyuhyun went to deliver it. I suggest you go there before Sungmin might do something to him.” Xiumin stated before leaving them dumbfounded to scold Krystal.  They looked at each other before laughing.

“Well, it’s time for me to leave. It’s nice to see you Donghae.” Eunhyuk muttered, his eyes twinkling in mischief making Donghae blush in response.

 “Thank you for ordering at Sweet Angel. We will be hoping for you call again.” Eunhyuk uttered in his work manner.

“Bye Donghae! Bye Xiumin!” Eunhyuk bid farewell once more in his usual manner and gave a heart to Donghae and left the cafe. Minah looked at Donghae with a weird look, who has been love struck and left the boy standing thinking about his crush.

Minah sighs at the poor lovesick boy who stood there thinking about Eunhyuk for a minute or two.

---

A/N: Hi guys~ *waves hand* So I've completed introducing how their life works out for them, so...I'll be proceeding to the double or triple couple in one chapter.

Question: As a fan or as an Exotic, what song from EXO do ou love the most?

Thank you for all your love and support! Thank you :)

Lots of Love <3