“The timing isn’t right,” muttered Amber. Kibum had the courtesy to look up from his phone to give her his signature bored look. 

“What?” he asked. He’s back to his phone.

“I said. The timing isn’t right,” repeated Amber. She took Kibum’s phone away and closed his game of Candy Crush.

“You’re a ,” griped Kibum. He just got a choclate bomb and she ruined it!

“Birds of a feather,” she stuck her tongue out at him. “Though you are of the gaudier genus. Boo, just what are you wearing.” She steadied a critical eye up and down his Bart sweater.

“You’re just jealous because you haven’t evolved out of your dull and uninteresting prehistoric subclass,” said Kibum. “And let’s get back to business—I know the timing is just perfect. Just watch.”

The two were in the middle of the busy Cafe Mambo! during afternoon rush. It was a popular cafe, specializing in customized crepes as well as gourmet coffee. The person they were watching was a Lee Jinki.

Jinki was Kibum’s calculus TA and someone that Kibum deemed a ‘project’. Besides TA-ing, Jinki was also a part-time barista at Cafe Mambo. Kibum often wondered how he managed to survive on a daily basis. Although Jinki was a sweetheart, a bit on the shy side, he possessed less grace than Amber’s cousin, Jonghyun, during his drunken ice skating adventure.

Jinki had no clue that he was a project, They cringed as Jinki got chocolate sauce in his hair.

“Look, look! He’s heading over to Minho,” giggled Amber. She grabbed at Kibum’s hand in excitement. Kibum smiled and laughed along. There was nothing like a good matchmaking to bring out the secret 13 year old girl in Amber. 

The person they were trying to match Jinki to was a Choi Minho. Tall, conventionally handsome and leggy, Minho was the star forward of their university’s soccer team. He was also single, as Amber had found out. Kibum could see why. He spent too much time platonically looking at muscular soccer player thighs for his own good. And it will just not do in Kibum’s eyes.

They watched as Jinki walked over to Minho, foo-foo frappucino in hand. Krystal, looked over in their direction, gestured slightly at Jinki before she turned back to add water to her Americano.  Krystal was a fellow barista and was more than delighted to be in on the matchmaking attempt.

And so their plan was in place: Amber orders foo-foo coffee drink from Krystal, Krystal makes it, sends Jinki to deliver send foo-foo coffee drink to Minho, fireworks. Kibum liked to think that this was his best plan yet, better than the time he had convinced Jonghyun that they hired strippers for Taemin’s 16th birthday party.

“He’s almost therreeee,” squeaked Amber. She bit her napkin out of excitement. 

They didn’t expect it.

Actually they should have expected it.

Somehow, as Jinki was a foot away from Minho, He tripped over something. Something meaning one of Minho’s stupidly long legs. And he literally falls all over Minho’s lap, spilling coffee and whipped cream and bits of cherry all over his white shirt and face. Kibum, out of embarrassment for himself and for Jinki, groaned and put his face in his hands. He couldn’t watch. 

“No. Kibummie. Loook,” whispered Amber. She incessantly tugged at the collar of his sweater. 

“Yah, easy. This is Jeremy Scott,” said Kibum. He looked back at Minho and Jinki and was surprised. Instead of angry (because he looked stupid with whipped cream on his shirt and a cherry in his hair) Minho looked charmed and a bit amused as Jinki wiped at his chest with his barista apron, apologies tumbling out of his mouth in thick streams.

Both Kibum and Amber grinned as Minho stood up and offered a friendly handshake to Jinki. And somehow, over the roar of the afternoon crowd, they overheard a snippet of Minho and Jinki’s conversation.

“Please, I insist. I get off of work in 5. We can go back to my place and wash your clothes. I am so, so, so sorry, Minho-sshi. Let me make it up to you.”

“I don't think you'll get much washing done, if you get my drift.” Jinki’s face was red as Minho thumbed at his cheek, smearing the earlier dab of chocolate.

“Oh. Um. I have a machine that we can wash things with. Yeah…your thumb….”

“On a machine. Sounds fun.”

“Another job well done,” Amber giggled as Jinki scamper dazedly away to gather his things. They cackled as saw Minho blatantly check out Jinki’s and thighs. Krystal gave them a thumbs up from behind the counter.

“Of course, what would you expect if you have me and you on a team?” smirked Kibum. He plucked his phone from Amber’s hands and resumed his game of Candy Crush, he should have more lives now.