These days had occasionally been chilled with pouring rain. Despite with the umbrella he had been tightly holding on, fighting tooth and nail with the harsh wind from blowing it away, Jonghyun’s shirt still soaked with water. His steps were quick but careful to prevent more water from splashing onto his trousers and grimaced at the sight of his sandy dress shoes.

He had to park his car almost a block away from the café because apparently, raining season is when people craved for hot coffee the most and Café Dani was strategically located at the center of area where it was surrounded with office buildings. When it was lunch hour, the half zombied office workers would marching out, seeking some good food and drinks like moths to the light. And he was not wrong, from afar, he could see the café was more packed than usual.

Seeing a figure ahead, endearingly battling with his huge blue umbrella which seemed to refuse to open despite being tugged several times, Jonghyun couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey!” he called out. Intuitively quickening his steps toward the other guy and Niel waved and smiled beautifully in respond.

Jonghyun was swooned in mere seconds.

“Oh, hello there. Didn’t notice you’re coming,” Niel said before his attention returned to his umbrella.

“This rickety bastard couldn’t find a better time to get stuck other than when it is pouring and when I’m in rush!” he continued as he furiously shaking his umbrella in frustration. Isn’t he adorable? His sister would called him smitten every time Jonghyun tell her about Niel whenever they Skype (because international call is crazily expensive and his sister, the fashion freak, always excited to show him her new shoes, bags or outfit that she just bought during her stay in England and Jonghyun as her younger brother dutifully entertain her as she dutifully entertain him whenever he vents out about niel) and Jonghyun think she was right.

Jonghyun made a grabbing gesture and Niel handed the umbrella to him as he gave his own umbrella to Niel.

“Here, let me,” He said as he give a good tug at the umbrella “do it. Ugh!” the umbrella gave out poor racketing sound but refused to open, son of a !

He gave some more attempts with harder yanks but that bastard humiliated him by remain being stuck, refusing to open when Jonghyun was about to show off his masculinity until Niel took pity of him (or the umbrella because Jonghyun won’t be gentle to thing that get in his way) and stop him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry.” Jonghyun muttered under his breathe, embarrassed.

“Hey, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. This umbrella is old and rusty and useless anyway. Nothing we can do about it.” His eyes crinkling with assuring smile though he sound resentful at the mention of his umbrella.

“Where are you heading for? It’s raining pretty heavily though.”

“12^th street just down the road. Need to pick up some beans. They disappear like bullet train this raining season. I guess I shall order loads of them earlier if I know people starved for coffee like nothing else in cold weather, hell it’s not even winter yet.”  Niel said, his nose scrunching distastefully as he peek upward at the pouring rain.

“It’s just your coffee I think.” Jonghyun mumbled under his breath, a shy attempt of compliment which Niel heard well nevertheless. He pouted his lips as if Jonghyun didn’t mean his words. “You guys make wonderful coffee.” Jonghyun added just for some more conviction and Niel just brushed him off.

“Pfft, enough of the chit chat.” Niel waved his hands to cease the compliment session as it appear that, he’s not the type who likes to receive one.

“Let’s get you inside. It’s freezing out here and I’m gonna wait till the rain stop which probably never to get those beans. We are planning to close early today anyway.” After another peek to the pouring sky, Niel bashfully ushered Jonghyun into the café, but Jonghyun had another idea.

“Where was the shop again?”

“12^th street.” Niel answered questioningly. “Why?”

“I could drive you there.” Jonghyun offered.

“Huh? What? No! You don’t have to.” Niel swiftly refused as if Jonghyun was offering him one of the scary-rides.

“I want to. It’s not like I have anything else to do.”

“But it’s your lunch hour. Food and rest are what it is for.”

“No really, it’s not a problem. I could always take away. You can pack me some food and I’m good.” Jonghyun said well naturedly.

“Ugh, fine! If it’s not a problem..?” Niel said like it pained him to accept help from Jonghyun.

“I told you it’s not. Anyway the thing is, I park my car a block away, since your umbrella is refusing to cooperate, we could share mine?”

~~~

It was the greatest idea.

By the time the get the coffee beans from an almost run-down shop (when Jonghyun gave a skeptical look at the building, Niel ardently swore that their coffee beans are of the best quality and Jonghyun believed him, but it didn’t mean that he would out rightly admit it) located at far end of 12^th Street, the rain had almost stop. Just shy of droplets remained but the temperature was still low nevertheless 

Jonghyun don’t know whether it is sheer luck or the universe loving the idea of he and Niel together. With the rain, broken umbrella and coffee beans, he found himself walking side by side with Niel. Their shoulders occasionally brushed with each other under the shared umbrella. Jonghyun never been happier being wet in his life.

~~~

Sue him if he’s a er for small gestures.

Like when Jonghyun tilted the umbrella more on his side so Niel won’t get wet, or when Jonghyun opened doors for him, or when Jonghyun helped to carry his beans bags, basically when Jonghyun did anything.

Not that he could not do those things by himself, it’s just felt good to be pampered once in a while, to know that there are people who cares about his being.

Niel always has a thing for gentleman and Jonghyun beyond doubt is one in every single aspect.

The realization hit him like a truck and Niel stumbled on his steps.

He has a thing for Jonghyun. The other guy had been in his thought a lot these past weeks, but to infer what he feel all this while as more than innocent ‘he’s-my-friend’, that he does likes Jonghyun, it threw him off-guard.

He did felt excited every time he see Jonghyun, his heart would go duguem-duguem at their close proximity, heat would surf to his face, made him blushed at every single gestures Jonghyun made. Niel wonder if he was being too obvious.

He want more than just offered friendship from Jonghyun, is that even possible?

“Are you okay?” Jonghyun asked, concerned. Niel knows if his hands are not occupied with umbrella and bags of coffee beans, they would instinctively found his elbow to keep him on balance. Because Jonghyun is a big caring puppy like that and Niel’s heart tightens at the thought of how thoughtful Jonghyun is with him.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Jonghyun (to only look at his face and not his body is not an easy task because water and white shirt do wonder to fry up your innocent mind). He needs guarantee, he needs assurance that Jonghyun is being sincerely himself when he’s around Niel. That he’s being nice because he is, not because he is expecting something else from Niel like what Byunghun had constantly reminding him. Because through years of friendship, Byunghun knows him very well, witness it so many times that Niel can easily fall for people as he can easily get hurt by them. He hopes Byunghun was wrong about Jonghyun, he really did.

But Niel end up loathing himself because at the end, he is the one that selfishly wanting to ask for more from Jonghyun, although all he know is that, they are friends, Jonghyun think of him as a friend.

Do he dare to cross that line and ask for more from Jonghyun?

There are risk of ruining their newly budding friendship.

Heck, Jonghyun might not even gay. With his looks and status, he could get women lining up for him if he want to and who is Niel to be compared with more eligible, more beautiful others who would fight over Jonghyun’s heart.

Would Niel ask for more?

No he’s not.

“Yeah.” He smiles and perfectly lying through his teeth.

~~~

The clock had crept to closing hour and the staffs were busy tidying up and called it a day since the last customers had walked out the door approximately 10 minutes ago. Niel was sitting behind the counter drowning himself in some auditing works for the day with bundles of receipts strewn on the table when the door suddenly opened with a loud bang. Everyone’s attention was focused on a lady who then walked in, pardon, she waltzed into the café like a model with her golden luggage rolled behind her (even byunghun peek his head from the kitchen at the loud sound she made), probably coming from airport. Heck, she could be a model with her beautiful look and her slender body. Niel would still admit that though he did not swing that way.

Everything about her giving the vibes that she was from different level with Niel, the same vibe Jonghyun gave to him went they first met months ago. Her shades were from Gucci, the label glinting when she pulled the shades from her eyes and rest them at the top of her wavy locks, reveling her pretty face. She wore earrings as big as onions they could be wore as bangles, like those she had about three to four around her wrists, they are shiny and screaming expensive. Her outfit looks like one in fashion magazines Ricky always shows to him, with her 5 inches Prada, Niel wonder how she did not trip herself all the way here.

She is a fashionista in every sense.

“Sorry we are close.” Byunghun called from behind the door. The lady gave him a dismissing look before walking toward the counters, flipping her hair back with her slender hand.

She’s a beautiful lady with an attitude and an intimidating one, it seems. And a cup of coffee might not be her reason of walking into the café.

As the lady closing to the counter, all Niel could think of was, did he mess with her before or did he mess with her? Because the lady was looking at him straight in the eyes, and as he said before, she is intimidating and it only multiplied as she came closer.

“Hi,” he said, waving awkwardly.

“Are you Ahn Daniel?” she asked. Her eyes assessing him from where he was crouching on his seat. Niel suddenly became hyper-aware of coffee stains on his shirt where a customer accidently spilled her latte on his sleeve, Niel knew he should just wear short sleeved shirt this morning, his gut is always right.

Hiding his hands under the desk, Niel tentatively looking up to her and posed an awkward smile.

“Yeah, that’s me. How may I help you?”

Her eyes became even more scrutinizing. If possible, she could even evaluate how much Niel worth by just looking at him.

“You know Choi Jonghyun?” she asked as she closing in, her face was inches from Niel’s that he had to rolled his chair back for some distance. She tapped her fingers, black painted nails clicking menacingly on the counter top.

“Yeah. I know him. Somehow.” Is she his girlfriend or something?

The lady clicked her tongue, sounding pretty annoyed. For goodness sake! What wrong did Niel committed to this woman?!

“That watch you are wearing,” she gestured to the watch on Niel wrist, the one that Jonghyun gave him few weeks back, “he gave it to you, right? it’s expensive isn’t it? Do you like it?”

Huh? Who is this woman? Hell, how did she even know that?

“Yeah.” Niel answer honestly. Yes, Jonghyun gave the watch to him, yes it is expensive and yes Niel likes it! So what is the deal with her?

The woman let out a heavy sigh, muttering something like ‘poor Jonghyunie’ under her breath.

“So, you are just one of those who love his money, huh?”

What on earth is that supposed to mean?!

~~~ 

yeay, an updated after ages. thank you for sticking around.

i have been reallly reallly realllly busy i can hardly breathing, i might had an attack trying to survive this semester it was pretty hard for me.

anyway here a chapter for you guys. i'm really sorry it was a really late update though, 

i just replied the comments you left for me, they are heart-warming and encouraging, thank you for posting them and i hope more to come, i love reading them :)) so more cookies for this update too, yes? hahaha, this author is greedy like that.

btw, extra cookies to those who can guess who is the lady that just barged in our story!

aaandddd anywayyyyyy i just wanna share.... it's my birthday!! weee!!

i'm older now, heol T.T