Since Jongdae had received a barista class with Minseok while filming for Exo Showtime, he had become a coffee enthusiast, developing a strong interest in coffee making. However, although he did his best to make coffee, you couldn't really say that he was cut for it. Actually, except for the fortuitous success of his first try on air (due to beginner's luck, aided by skilful editing), all his attempts at it had been terrible, to say the least: it was a downward spiral of burnt coffee and brownish/blackish coloured liquid that tasted even worse.

But the worst thing was that Jongdae didn't even try himself what he had brewed.

“I don't like drinking coffee. It's too bitter for my liking, even if you put a lot of sugar or milk in it,” he had explained the first time he had palmed the fruit of his efforts off someone—Minseok. “I had to drink it while they were filming, but I could have done without,” he grimaced in distaste. “Surprisingly, though, I like preparing it! It's interesting.”

That time, the first and last Minseok drank coffee made by Jongdae, Minseok had smiled amused, proceeding to smell it and then take a sip. Jongdae was staring at him expectantly. However, after tasting it, Minseok's smile froze, and he suddenly blurted out that he had just remembered he had something extremely urgent to do before running away (to the bathroom, but Minseok was too kind to let him know).

Luckily, Jongdae didn't seem to notice his reaction nor the fact that the Thermos flask containing the rest of Jongdae's coffee had slipped from Minseok's hands totally by chance just when it was accidentally open, spilling all its content before the other members could try it as well.

After that, the other members of the group often noticed that Minseok vanished for the whole day from the dorm, always bringing along Lu Han, whenever Jongdae so much as pronounced the word “coffee”, and after those outing, pictures of them on coffee dates and buying much more stuff than they should at Givenchy were always uploaded on twitter.

(“I feel compelled to save Lu Han from such a misfortune,” a distressed Minseok said to a bemused Joonmyeon when the latter asked him why he always dragged Lu Han along. “I can't let my loved ones have such a terrible experience.”)

A few days later, the second one to test the fruit of Jongdae's skill, or lack thereof, was Zitao, who had an immediate reaction way less composed than his hyung's—he spit it out. Seeing Jongdae's smile turning into a crestfallen expression, however, he quickly shook his head and handed over his cup once again (although doing so took all his willpower, because the urge to run away just as Minseok had done was incredibly strong).

“Sorry, it was too hot and I was surprised! It's not like it was bad or something!”

Jongdae went back to his usual smile, topping off his cup again. Zitao forced a smile and gulped it down under Jongdae's attentive gaze.

“Did you like it so much? Have some more, if you want,” Jongdae offered again, and somehow Zitao ended up drinking all the coffee. Fortunately, Jongdae hadn't made much that day.

A little while later, when Jongdae was off to vocal practice, the other members in the dorm could clearly hear the Chinese boy sobbing in his room, with Sehun trying to comfort him (and giving him every snack and drink he could get in the dorm, to take away the bad taste).

The problem was that, except for his unfortunate fixation on making coffee, Jongdae was extremely well-liked by s. He always took care of the others, ready to give a pat on the shoulder, a reassuring smile, a comforting hug when needed, making it hard for them to crumple his coffee-flavoured dreams. He gleamed in happiness because of his new hobby, and nobody felt up to telling him that there were many more things he could do with much better achievements, probably. Among the members, then, there was a certain one in particular who had realised for a while already that he often stared at Jongdae more than necessary, his gaze attracted by the corners of his mouth, the flutter of his eyelashes, and his ears pricking up whenever they caught his laughter. Joonmyeon—it was him—had butterflies in his stomach whenever their eyes met, and was well aware of his crush on his fellow member.

Obviously, Joonmyeon was too preoccupied with those feelings to notice a similar gaze following himself whenever he wasn't paying attention.

As the leader, Joonmyeon had often the task of sorting out the others' problems, even when it caused harm to himself. All the unfortunates who had tried Jongdae's terrible coffee (also Chanyeol, Jongin and Kyungsoo had met with this misfortune in the meanwhile) agreed that, not only for the sake of the members' taste buds, but also for the harmony of the group itself (or so they said), they had to stop avoiding the truth about those coffee experiments and someone—Joonmyeon—had to break it down to him. Thus, the next time when Jongdae asked the members if someone wanted to try his coffee, Joonmyeon volunteered. He could feel all the other members' eyes pointed at him, silently wishing him good luck, we're counting on you. Paying attention to them, he didn't notice the expression that crossed Jongdae's face for an instant.

The members had thought it was a good idea to have Joonmyeon tell him, good as much as the coffee was bad, but when Joonmyeon forced a smile after tasting it before starting to talk, Jongdae smiled one of his brightest smiles, with his eyes turning into crescent moons and small wrinkles around his eyes, and Joonmyeon couldn't help to think that Jongdae looked like he was starting to purr in joy soon. He swallowed back the speech he had prepared beforehand.

The butterflies in his stomach had betrayed him.

“I'll tell him tomorrow,” Joonmyeon reassured the other survivors of Jongdae's coffee experiments when he told them about his failure. When the others glared accusingly at him, he justified himself, “He looked so happy when I drank it! He was beaming, I didn't have the heart to shatter his dream.”

The others nodded, understanding, without noticing the lovestruck look Joonmyeon had (Jongdae's smiles were his weakness), except for Kyungsoo, who stared at him. When their eyes met, for a moment Joonmyeon thought that he knew, and he was sure of it when the other sat next to him on the couch in the living room, looking at him pointedly.

“Is there something you need?” Joonmyeon asked, uncomfortable.

“Why don't you tell him?”

“About his coffee? I'll tell him tomorrow,” Joonmyeon fidgeted.

“About your crush,” Kyungsoo specified.

“Of course I won't tell him,” Joonmyeon shook his head, embarrassed. “What for? It would be awkward to work together after being rejected.”

Kyungsoo sighed.

“Actually, Jongdae---”

“It's okay!” Joonmyeon interrupted him, got up and walked away in a rush.

The following day, Joonmyeon saw Jongdae preparing his coffee with even more effort than usual, and he offered to taste it before Jongdae could ask any other unfortunate member. His dongsaeng gave a start of surprise when he heard his voice behind his back, blushing. Holding the cup with both his hands, Jongdae shyly gave it to Joonmyeon who, focused on trying to start his speech (with little success), failed to notice Jongdae's strange behaviour.

Still, seeing Jongdae's timid, hopeful smile, Joonmyeon wasn't able to tell him about his coffee, and neither did he the following day, nor the next one, nor the one after that as well.

A week had passed since Joonmyeon had become Jongdae's favourite coffee taster. Even when there were several of the members, Jongdae always went straight to the leader and asked him if he wanted some coffee. At this point, the others just glared at Joonmyeon's complete inability to tell him the truth, because although he had the right to the first cup of Jongdae's coffee experiments, the others weren't free from the remaining cups (and by now everyone, managers included, had had a taste of Jongdae's coffee). Jongdae, however, always had his eyes fixed on the leader's fidgety figure, and didn't really see how the other members sneakily approached the sink and had their cups magically empty the next moment. As usual, Joonmyeon was too focused on forcing himself to gulp it down without trying to spit it out to notice the glances the other gave him.

Joonmyeon realised that he absolutely needed to tell Jongdae the truth when, after a particularly unsuccessful coffee cup, he got a terrible stomach ache. Luckily, that day they didn't have any schedule, and the managers told him that he could just rest in bed for the whole day. He spent the whole morning groggy and half-asleep.

When Jongdae came into the room where he was resting, bringing him a soup for lunch—the others were eating together in the living room—Joonmyeon hastily sat up. Although Jongdae was the ultimate cause of Joonmyeon being bedridden, he couldn't help but think how cute he was with that sweatshirt on (he definitely didn't think what was underneath it), but it wasn't the right time for those thoughts—he had an important mission to do first.

“There's a thing I need to tell you,” Joonmyeon started. “Your...”

However, he looked up and met Jongdae's confused but thoughtful eyes, his mouth curled up in his characteristic catlike grin, and he felt the butterflies stir in his stomach. Jongdae had come closer to listen to him.

Your coffee is actually terrible, Joonmyeon wanted to say. (The stomach ache had been so severe that even Joonmyeon had lost all his usual tact.)

Your smile is so utterly cute that I want to taste it, was all he could think of with Jongdae's face that close. (Joonmyeon wasn't cut for creating pick-up lines just as much Jongdae wasn't cut for making coffee.)

“Your smile is so terrible that I want to taste it.”

Oh.

“What...?” Jongdae opened his eyes wide.

“No, I mean, it's the coffee, that is, it's not the coffee that I want to taste, I mean, the smile, it's cute, I...” Joonmyeon started to mumble, embarrassed.

Jongdae turned into a bright shade of red as soon as he figured out what Joonmyeon had meant as he went on explaining himself (he had tried to tone down the smile-tasting part but Jongdae had heard enough to understand).

“Hyung!” Jongdae blurted out. “Actually, I like you!”

(“Finally!” Joonmyeon thought he had heard Kyungsoo sigh in the next room.)

This time it was Joonmyeon who turned red.

“About the coffee, though...” Jongdae murmured.

“You'll find some other activity you're better at, I'm sure of it!” Joonmyeon comforted him.

Jongdae smirked, and his face got dangerously close to Joonmyeon's, who could feel his breath on his skin.

“I know a certain one we could try together now.”