5 Seconds Romance

2.3k, office worker!AU, Chanyeol-centric

Chanyeol shut his eyes tight, praying the swirls in his head would stop by doing so. He’s resting his right cheek on his desk’s surface – which probably hadn’t been cleaned for months, but sanitary was the least of his worries right now when he felt like sleeping for forever.

He’s been staying awake for days with the help of cups and cups of coffee and cans and cans of energy drink, sandwiches and Chinese take-outs in between, anything that doesn’t require him to leave his work longer than 15 minutes. The last time he took a shower was… yesterday, maybe, and Chanyeol needed to look up whether it’s possible getting poisoned by too much deodorant usage.

End of the year was always horrifying time with reports to be made, budget needed to spent, and WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE NUMBERS DON’T MATCH. Chanyeol had been trying to find where were the missing numbers go, checking all previous accounts and urging their consultants to finish their reports so they could pull the money needed to fund them.

Now after the hurricane passed, all that’s left was the persistent headache and numbers engraved in the back of his eyes when Chanyeol closed them. He even almost called the office boy, ‘Hey you six thousands and eight hundred,’ because that’s the last number he looked up.

It’s almost ended. Almost. He just needed a cup of coffee to type one last report.

But first, he needed to die here on his desk.

Chanyeol felt a poke on his shoulder, one that he’s too lazy to respond to. But then another poke came in, harder and hit him in the bone.

“Go away, Jongdae,” Chanyeol said, groaning. Moving required too much effort, efforts that he didn’t have, so Chanyeol stayed with his position. Jongdae didn’t deserve effort.

“Oh good, thought you died,” Jongdae, his co-worker said. “How do you know it’s not The Boss?”

“Do you think…,” Chanyeol finally gave up and pulled himself up, “Junmyeon Hyung would poke me?” He stared at Jongdae who’s leaning on his cubicle’s wall, looking blurry on the edges. Oh , that’s his eyes. Chanyeol rubbed them with his hand. It’s trembling.

“Point taken. Anyway, you look like , and that’s me sugar-coating it.”

Chanyeol scowled after the insult. Sadly he couldn’t deny it. “I know. But it’ll end today. After a cup of coffee,” he said, forcing himself to look around for their office boy. What’s his name again? Why he only remembered his name as Five?

“Oh, no. No no no, nope,” Jongdae said. Without a warning he’s already on Chanyeol’s side, hauling him up by the arm. For someone who’s shorter and smaller than Chanyeol, Jongdae was stronger. He said it’s because he lifted. “What you need, my friend, is real food.”

“But—I haven’t finished—I just need—Coffee—Report—” He tried to turn around and called the office boy, but seriously what’s his name???

“I don’t think Junmyeon Hyung would want a dead body in his office, Park. And when was the last time you see sunlight? You should try it sometimes, it’s good for you.”

Too much effort would be wasted in fighting Jongdae, so Chanyeol let his friend dragged him to the elevator, down to the main lobby of their building, out into—

“Woaa, .” Chanyeol covered his eyes with his hand, trying to block the holy blinding light. He still felt a little disoriented, going out after being held hostage in his office by the evil numbers, and he put 6800% trust in Kim Jongdae at leading his way as Chanyeol squinted his eyes, trying to adapt to the brightness.

Jongdae brought him to the small restaurant down the road they often visited for lunch breaks. They were even familiar with the cashier, a man named Baekhyun who always greeted them with a loud, cheerful voice.

“Yah, you guys! I haven’t seen you for a while! Shiitt, maaan, Chanyeol, are you alright, man?” he asked as soon as Chanyeol and Jongdae came closer.

“Nothing that coffee can’t fix,” Chanyeol said, trying to smile but even smiling needed effort, so it probably came out as a grimace instead.

“No, no coffee,” Jongdae told Baekhyun. “One pork cutlet and one jjajangmyeon, Baek!” After trying various menus, pork cutlet was Chanyeol’s favorite and he had fallen in love with the menu so hard he always ordered it whenever they came.  

As soon as they’re seated Chanyeol let his cheek met the table’s surface once again and Jongdae let him, even petting his head for a while. Jongdae could be nice at times.

It didn’t take long until the food came, and Chanyeol’s mouth watered a little when he saw the pork cutlet. Guess Jongdae was right, he needed real food.

He grabbed the utensils and almost knocked his phone from the table in his hastiness, pouring the sauces all over the pork and cutting them into small pieces in record time. He dipped the meat in more sauces and brought it to his mouth, chewing and waiting for the heavenly taste to flood his senses—

But.

Chanyeol stopped chewing for a moment, putting down the fork as he stared down at the pork cutlet in front of him.

“… Something’s wrong?” Jongdae asked, raising his eyebrows.

“… It’s different,” Chanyeol said quietly. He took the napkin to clean his mouth before he raised his hand. “Hey Baek,” he called the cashier. “… Why the cutlet tastes different?”

“Oh? Ung… You don’t like it?” Baekhyun asked back, seemingly worried. He chuckled, but he’s worrying his lips. “We, uh, change our cook. The previous quits. But! But the new one is good! A lot of customers said the cutlet tastes better!”

“I want to see the cook,” Chanyeol said, still looking irrationally calm. Jongdae wasn’t.

“Hey, let it go, dude,” Jongdae nudged his foot under the table. “I’m sure it’s not that bad?”

“I want to see the cook,” Chanyeol repeated, and Baekhyun’s shoulders slumped, smile tight on the edges while Jongdae rubbed his temple, muttering under his breath about stupid coffee withdrawal.

Just a few seconds later Baekhyun returned from the kitchen with a girl tailing over him. She’s quite short with dark hair she pulled into a ponytail and thick, straight eyebrows, and she’s staring all innocent and curious at Chanyeol. She’s quite cute if only Chanyeol’s eyes didn’t make him seeing double at times.

“This is Bomi,” Baekhyun said, waving his hand a little at the girl beside him. “Our new cook.” His eyes never leave Chanyeol, as if he’s ready to in anytime needed.

“You’re looking for me, Sir?” Bomi asked with a little bow. There’s a stain on her white uniform, probably sauce or oil. “Was there something wrong with the pork cutlet I made?”

“You.” Chanyeol stood up, and it alarmed Jongdae who knocked his knee on the table when he’s trying to get up, also Baekhyun who stepped in between Chanyeol and Bomi. But Chanyeol’s long arms were proven to be useful at times like this as he could reach over Baekhyun, pulling the cook into him and he—

Hugged her. Pulling him. Into his embrace.

“You, precious human being,” Chanyeol said, practically smashing the girl’s face into his chest. “You’re a goddess with wonderful hands how could you make something so delicious—“

“C-Customer? Sir?!” Bomi was flabbergasted, trying to let herself go from Chanyeol’s hug but to avail. Baekhyun was staring with wide eyes at them before he burst out laughing, holding his stomach while he doubled over. Jongdae, in the meantime, didn’t share the sentiment, covering his face to hide from the secondhand embarrassment.

“Marry me, for the love of God, just marry me and make me this pork cutlet every day for the rest of our lives—”

“W-what?!”

“Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Jongdae quickly intervened, pulling Chanyeol back from harassing the cute cook and dragging him out of the restaurant. “He’s not on the right mind right now, terribly sorry, hey Baek—Stop laughing—Just, deliver the food to our office? I’ll pay double!”

Baekhyun raised his hand to signal ‘OK’, still laughing his off, a very confused looking Bomi standing stiff beside him.

“MARRY ME!” was the last words Chanyeol shouted before Jongdae succeeded at dragging him out.

**

The office boy who now Chanyeol remembered his name, Oh Sehun, stared and narrowed his eyes at him, obviously judging. He’s not the only one – he and about 3 other co-workers before him who walked into or passed the break room all did. And like before, Jongdae shooed them all, “Move along, move along people, nothing to see here.”

Except, there was something to see, because it’s not every day you could see a 185cm grown- man lying flat on his stomach on the dirty carpet at the office, his arms on his side and his face—

“Still breathing, dude?” Jongdae asked, looking over his shoulder where he stood by the door, blocking the people from going in into the break room. He’s a good friend, alright.

“Mmmfff,” came out Chanyeol’s muffled reply. The carpet couldn’t be hygienic and he smelled dust and dirt, then again, Chanyeol thought he could survive those. What he couldn’t survive, was, the memory of him embarrassing himself at his favorite restaurant. His photo would probably make it into the restaurant’s wall now as the person banned from entering. Not that Chanyeol would voluntarily visit again. HAHA. NEVER.

It didn’t hit until 2 hours later, after he had eaten the same Heaven sent pork cutlet, delivered by a kid named Jongin who said, “For the man who’s proposing to our cook just now?”, and after he furiously had finished his report and handed it to Junmyeon their boss.

Two hours later, the reality came crashing down on Chanyeol’s brain and there he was, trying to be one with the carpet at the break room. This was good. He could live as a carpet forever for the rest of his life.

“Hey look, it’s not that bad,” Jongdae said and Chanyeol scoffed into the carpet. He tasted dust. God, he shouldn’t taint the last taste of Heaven sent pork cutlet with these dust—But then Chanyeol remembered hugging the cook and he banged his head to the carpeted floor once again. “Everybody has their day off, Park. Look at the bright side. Now she knows how much you, uh, appreciated her food.”

Chanyeol whined to the carpet. It didn’t reply.

Jongdae just exhaled from this place. He took out is phone from his pocket, and from the sound of it, he played Candy Crush.  

Chanyeol remembered something. “… Iweftmafon.”

“Huh? What?”

Chanyeol peeled himself off the floor. He could feel his face getting paler with all the blood’s draining from it. “… I left my phone. At the restaurant.”

“Ugh. Well,” Jongdae glanced to the side, avoiding eye-contact. “… I’m sure they already forget it by now?”

**

They didn’t.

Baekhyun was still laughing when he handed Chanyeol his phone back, and he only stopped because he needed to breathe. Chanyeol could only smile weakly to the cashier. And while he’s already there – surprise, no picture of him banned from the restaurant, yet – Chanyeol thought it’s only appropriate if he apologized to the cook he harassed before.

“Is the, um, the cook, is she still here?” Chanyeol asked, scratching his nape.  

“Why, I get it, man, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right?” Baekhyun grinned and he winked, too. “And our Bomi is a cutie…”

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol sighed exasperatedly.

“Bomi!” all of the sudden Baekhyun yelled to the kitchen behind him. “Your fiance is here!”

It made Chanyeol sputtered, but before he could voice out his protest, someone beat him up to it.

The same cook from before showed up, the last bit of her nagging could be heard, “—and don’t let the noodles out too long! Oppa, what do you mean my fiance—Oh.” She shut up when she saw Chanyeol. Now that Chanyeol's vision was clearer, he could confirmed his initial thought about the cook being cute.

When Chanyeol made a movement to come closer, Bomi took a step aside so Baekhyun would cover her completely.

Baekhyun almost died trying to hold back laughter.

“I want to apologize,” Chanyeol said. He tried to ignore Baekhyun’s red face between them. “I was—I wasn’t drunk! Kind of. I mean, I didn’t drink alcohol, it’s just. Coffee. Lots of it. And I didn’t sleep for days. And it just happened. And I’m rambling.”

Baekhyun let out a snort and he had to step aside from the conversation, running away to the kitchen. Chanyeol could still hear his boisterous laugh. He focused his attention back to Bomi – the girl offered him a nervous smile.

“Basically, I was high on caffeine withdrawal and I didn’t think properly, and I’m sorry,” Chanyeol bowed his head once to the girl. “But uh, it’s really delicious. Your pork cutlet. That’s not a lie.”

“… Thank you…,” Bomi mumbled, still looking at him as if she couldn’t decide whether he’s tamed or not.

Chanyeol cleared his throat. “And. That is all. Once again, I apologize for my behavior.”

Bomi nodded, playing with her fingers in front of her apron which Chanyeol took as the cue for him to leave. He turned around on his heels but just three steps later, Bomi called him back.

“Mr. Customer!”

Chanyeol froze in his steps, fearing that Bomi finally gathered her courage to slap him or something. He turned around carefully, ready to block any possible assault, but Bomi stayed in her place, smiling, even. This time she looked shy.

“I’m… I’m not sure about every day for the rest of our lives, but… I’ll be more than happy to make you a pork cutlet whenever you drop by.”

Baekhyun whooped from the kitchen.

Guess Chanyeol had to get accustomed to Baekhyun’s teases from now on if he wanted to see the cute cook and her delicious pork cutlet.

*When Chanyeol thought Sehun's name was Five, he's right, because Oh = 5 in korean.

I don't drink coffee so actually I don't know about coffee withdrawal, and I wrote this in one-go just now, hope it doesn't have too many typos. Have a nice weekend all! Comment if you enjoy it!