The morning shift was definitely a shift time that she hated the most. Too many people came buzzing into the shop at ungodly hours in the morning and ask for the most ridiculous orders, ever. One time, there was this one customer who asked for a triple the cream with six bags of sugar. Six. Talk about an unnecessary sweet tooth way too early in the morning. Unfortunately, the order went out with five bags instead and thank god the customer was too sleepy to notice the difference. Similar customers make ridiculous demands of the baristas' time and prolonged the shift time for more than half an hour, being too picky about exactly how much cream was to be put into the coffee at whatever temperature. 

 

This was one of those days when the picky customers pick apart every order and ask to be remade five times for the past twenty minutes, and thankfully she had the manager working alongside her on the counter--she would have already had the customer's head after the first ten minutes, to be honest. Patience wasn't her  best trait, but stress was something she was used to, so luckily, the two balanced out and she was able to keep her job after blowing up in the customer's face last time.

 

One last round before all the students of the nearby university set out to their classes, and in the next twenty minutes, she could finally put her feet and hands up in relief. The rush hour would be over and she would get a breather between the shop's busiest hours. 

 

It would be, if it weren't for the new customer who just happened to stroll into the shop twenty minutes after the buzz had passed, and placed an order so ridiculous that she was ready to put her hat down and hand in her resignation letter to the manager.

 

He didn't even place an order for coffee, and this was a coffee shop.

 

"E, excuse me?" She managed to choke out after hearing the order; hands gripped the counter to stop herself from falling to the ground. "I, I don't think we serve kimbap tea here." Because honestly, what the hell was kimbap tea? 

 

He motioned towards the laminated piece of paper edged into the stand on the counter. "Pick your ingredients," he spoke, his accented English fully coated his words, as he pressed on, "it says to choose whatever ingredients and have it strained into the tea strainer." He shrugged, a crooked grin plastered on his face. "I'm assuming you'd already know that, working here," he never broke eye contact as he stressed the next words, "Jennifer, the barista?"

 

Great, a person who had no real common sense. There was always one of these people every morning, and she had to patiently explain that no, they were not selling the desired product because they were a goddamn coffee shop! At some point during her work experience, she had really come to appreciate the customers who were 'all there'. Unlike this one.

 

She rolled her eyes and deadpanned, "normal people don't order ridiculous tea types, mister, and if you had some common sense in you, you would know that kimbap tea or whatever that it was you were ordering is not an option here." She pointed to the side of her head and tapped it lightly, "are you 'all there'?"

 

Her response left him with his jaw opened (invitation for flies obviously) but he flashed her his crooked grin, yet again. (She thought that he was trying to save his dignity or something.) "I was feeling a little adventurous--because kimbap tea is available in Korea."

 

She lifted her eyebrow in response, "but this isn't Korea. This is America." Clearly the guy had a case of culture crisis or something. "Unless you're a little slow on the intake." 

 

But he just laughed, which is a little curious, "whoa there, sass queen. Hold your horses, seriously. I was trying to be funny." 

 

"Clearly."

 

He cleared his throat, looking back at the tall brunet man behind him with the dark rimmed glasses. "I should probably get started on my actual order, huh."  The said man behind him shot him a look that clearly meant 'you think?'

 

"I'll just get straight black with two creams, then." He looked back at Jennifer the barista and winked. 

 

He should be glad that he actually looked good or else she would have ripped his head in half. "Your name?"

 

He chuckled. "Chanyeol. Park Chanyeol." And he added another wink to that. 

 

Wow, gross, what a flirt. She rolled her eyes one more time to as she deflected his attempt at flirting. 

 

She shoved the coffee order at him without even looking at him, missing his discouraged look, almost pitiful if she had bothered to look at him. Turning on her heel, she busied herself with cleaning the equipment for the next order. The guy nicknamed as 'flirt' grabbed his coffee and resigned himself to flopping into the nearest table, sipping his coffee dejectedly. 

 

Yeah, he'd better not come back or else.

 

--

 

The next time it happened, Jennifer was in the middle of her afternoon shift, earphones dangled lazily around her neck. The flirt came back and had bothered to even announce his entrance. The almost vacant shop rang back to him, and some of the people who were peacefully enjoying their coffee shot him an almost nasty look. That didn't dampen his mood any bit, it looked to be, and he strolled up to the counter. (More like sauntered almost flamboyantly (?), but who was really paying attention?)

 

And he bothered to even offer a wink. Gross. If she didn't know better, he had been desperate for a date or something, sheesh. A guy like him shouldn’t have much trouble scoring a date, much less in a coffee shop, where most of the occupants were either busy and stressed students or relaxing old ladies (and their husbands). She had analyzed because she wasn't curious or anything--providing facts for herself because she was awfully bored on a slow afternoon. Most students were cramming back at dorms because it was finals week (she told herself that she should be studying too) and the old couples who occupied the shop were probably resting on their porches somewhere. 

 

And yet, there he was, making himself look like the most ridiculous person in the world trying to impress her (or something similar anyway) when Jennifer wasn't even paying attention to him whatsoever. Chanyeol didn't look any less determined, though, and rang up the bell sitting on the counter. 

 

Yes, I heard and I am quite aware of the fact that you're being no less of an than before.

 

She spun on her heel and turned to face him, slight discolouration on her cheeks and the dark circles on under her eyes were a little more than visible today. Finals were around the corner, after all.

 

"Can I help you?" Her deadpanned tone didn't bother him at all. Looks like he was on his happy pill or whatever it was that they called it. 

 

"Honey, you look like death today!" He was obviously trying to flirt. Obviously.

 

She was ready to flip him the finger if she had given a about his behaviour. "Either order or get out."

 

Chanyeol feigned a hurt expression. "I'm wounded!"

 

Jennifer felt like she had rolled her eyes a couple dozen times today, and no amount of immaturity would stop her from adding to that count. He was being ridiculous and it seemed like no amount of lord would save her from his frivolous personality. "Would you like some salt on that wound?"

 

He laughed--why was he even laughing? "You cracked a joke," and then a smile, "try smiling, I'm sure you'll look beautiful."

 

Oh lord, he was just full of cheese, wasn't he. "Your order?" Joke time was over, whether or not he enjoyed it not, but she'd like to get back to studying for finals before she failed her way through school because of him. 

 

"Same as last time." 

 

Whether or nor she had even remembered whatever it was that he had ordered last time, she pressed on, without batting an eyelash at his antics, "yeah? And what was that?"

 

Chanyeol hadn't look as dejected as last time, but the look on his face was enough to make her cackle on the inside a little. A bit of joy watching him as he squirmed under her glance--she felt a little bigger than life that day. Of course, he had gotten his drink and left after finishing it, but not before announcing his grand exit with a flirtatious wink, yet again. 

 

Jennifer almost gave him the finger that time.

 

--

 

Nowadays, it felt like he was timing his arrivals with her work hours. Whenever she turned up at work, he would arrive right when the buzz was over, waiting at the counter with that stupid grin on his face when he ordered his usual drink. Unfortunately for her, the amount of flirt that he had held whenever he sauntered into the shop hadn't decreased at all.

 

She had grown accustomed to his atrocious behaviour, (he had to upgrade from a goofy idiot to borderline on her watch) and her co-workers would often joke about how her 'boyfriend' loved her so much to buy coffee from this shop whenever she was around. It was a baseless rumour between the onlookers and the on and off workers at the shop. Sometimes, her co-workers from another shift would joke about how he would often stroll into the shop whenever she wasn't around on a shift to ask for her.

 

It seemed like someone had given him her work schedule. She groaned in frustration. No wonder he had been showing up more often on her shifts than not. They'd better run, she thought, giving him my work schedule was definitely /not/ part of my plan, much less enjoy his presence or whatever.

 

She felt like yelling, and he wasn't any less of an .

 

"Hey." She didn't even spare him a glance, but he took her silence as an invitation to continue. "Finals are over, aren't they? I've been seeing more students around and they look less stressed than usual. A lot less business this week, right?" A break. "Winter is coming up around the corner, and it seems like the weather is turning a chilly--I see you in that hoodie and knee-high tights all the time, aren't you cold?"

 

She got out a medium cup and started to pour straight-up black coffee into it, stirring occasionally. By the time he had started to ask about her wellbeing, she had already drizzled the second packet or cream into the coffee, the light colour dampening the mysteriousness of the black coffee with a light hazelnut colour. The swirls in the coffee were far more interesting than him, by any means. 

 

She slammed the coffee on the counter, not even bothering to flinch as some of the coffee splashed onto her hand and arm. "Take your coffee and leave."

 

But he didn't seem like he was in any hurry to leave. Damn it. Retracting her arm, she wiped the liquid off her arm and looked up at him, the same irritated look marred her face (she was starting to think that this was what she would look like for the rest of her life because of him. If her luck ran out because of the constant scowl on her face, she would most definitely stab the guy's face with cooking fork). 

 

But he had smile on that day, and the grin was nowhere to be seen. He looked more genuine than before, and that took her by surprise. And what threw her back was the fact that he actually looked good.  Not just any type of good, but honest-to-goodness amazing that she wouldn't even mind tapping that--

 

--wait, what had she been thinking then? Abort, abort, time to stop gears and retreat to safe zones because had she gone out of her mind even thinking about--

 

God, she needed coffee badly.  It seemed like she was the one who wasn't 'all there'. 

 

And he picked no better time to ask her with a straight face: "I've been wondering if you've got extra time when you're off work." 

 

She felt like the world had swirled out of control--the world was ending. She could hear the sirens already, get to safety, get to safety. But seemed to run by itself.

 

"I'm free after three." Now was the time to use the 'FML' icon. 

 

His face lit up like a Christmas tree on Christmas eve and whatever thought she had just blew away at the overall cuteness that marred his features. Who knew that a lax guy like him could look so adorable?

 

"Great, I'll see you at three." Chanyeol threw her wink and waltzed away with coffee in hand.

 

Nevermind, I take back everything I said, he's still very much an .

 

--

 

Chanyeol arrived late by fifteen minutes and she wondered why she even bothered to wait for him, but he came with a bouquet of roses and just maybe, just maybe the wait was worth it. They were pink--she didn’t understand the language of the colour of the rose, so she didn't bother asking him to elaborate. He had the same goofy grin, and she rolled her eyes at him. Somehow, she had found his grin to be a little endearing--just a little. He had just stopped little ways in front of her, his grin widening. It was very much like watching the newly hired elf-helper please its way with Santa Claus, or something. 

 

She shook off the earlier jolly analogy and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Late was late, and there wasn't any ways about it. "You're late."

 

He handed her the roses and a box of chocolate she had failed to notice, and sent her a wink. "And yet, here you are, waiting for my arrival."

 

Jennifer pretended to gag. "Ew, gross. Who'd wait for you?" If she could, she'd frown at him, but she was too busy being too conflicted between brain and heart to even start. "I'm waiting for my friend to finish up her rounds." Obviously. 

 

He nodded. "Uh-huh." The earlier grin had taken a crooked turn and turned into a teasing smirk. "Is that her in there, putting on her apron inside the shop?" He pointed at the brunette in the shop behind the counter. "Because that's the only person I see--and I know your manager left earlier."

 

Damn him, she could really use another snide comment about now. "Whatever." It was weak, but it would probably do the trick. 

 

"Just admit you were waiting for me." He ran a hand through his short spiky hair, "I am, after all, quite hard to deny." 

 

She scrunched her nose at him. "Gross." But he just laughed. 

 

Without missing a beat, Jennifer stared at him, with more intent and curiosity beaming in her eyes, "so, where are you taking me?" She hadn't forgotten his forwardness earlier on during the day and the promise of a date--she took those seriously, it wasn't every day that she would be asked out on a date, gorgeous or not.

 

"How do you feel about the amusement park across city?" 

 

At the mention of an amusement park, her whole face lit up. The newly installed amusement park across the city was popular for its grand opening, and the amount of people who were there on its opening day was uncountable. It felt like the city's entire population swarmed towards one major attraction and flooded the gates as soon as the owner opened them. 

 

Plus, she liked amusement parks--joy rides were her thing, and she would probably love spending her time there if it weren't for school getting in the way. 

 

"I take it you like the idea?" Chanyeol broke her reverie, and she turned her head to accommodate him. If she were to be honest and answer him in a genuine manner, she'd say yes, but throughout all her experience regarding guys and the ins and outs of them (read: none), she'd answer in a roundabout manner. Because that was the best way to do business with them whether it was personal or professional. (Read: done in by word-of-mouth, rumours, how-tos on google and wiki and just about every other relationship website ever. Also a girly magazine written by obvious relationship experts.)

 

"Yeah." Damn it. Obviously the relationship advices didn't include people who were prone to honesty when panicked. Damn it all. To seal the deal, she offered a big and pretty smile. The cream of the crop, generally.

 

And he was all too happy to receive the so-called cherry on top of the sundae that she had prepared for him. All too soon, all too soon. Better not get used to it, she thought, you've caught me in a weakness of sorts. 

 

"Good, because I've got two tickets and you're the special lady today." His grin didn't really make up for the fact that he made himself sound almost like one of those players she had been hearing about, but that was something she could pull and use as her advantage. 

 

"Today?" There was a playful grin on her face. "Does that mean you plan on taking girls out tomorrow, too? How many tickets do you own, pretty boy?"

 

He almost quacked. She almost regretted not bringing her camera to capture the moment. Almost. "N, no, I meant, today as in--" He looked like he was raking his mind for a better comeback or even an excuse to make him not sound like the biggest douchebag in the world. "--you know, today as in, I only have tickets for today--"

 

She laughed then and there. "It's all right, Chanyeol. I got it. I was just teasing you." And he never looked so relieved. "So, are we gonna leave or are we gonna let the ticket expire? Because I think that's rather wasteful, considering all the things you did for this ticket?" She was being a little more than liberal about her words, but the ideal was spot on, probably.

 

"Yeah, sounds good." He grinned sheepishly, and rubbed the back of his neck as he offered her his arm. "Shall we?" 

 

She chose to ignore it very much, earning her a rather adorable pout. "No thanks, I can walk by myself."

 

"Your loss." Very cute indeed.

 

--

 

When they arrived at the amusement park, Jennifer's smile grew. Watching her joyful face, Chanyeol secretly snapped a picture of her with his phone, keeping it for record sakes. She blew a raspberry at him, but kept on going. There were considerably fewer people at the park now, considering that it was a weekday. Pulling her along with his hand encircled around her wrist, she breezed past the many attractions to arrive at the centerpoint of the park. 

 

"What do you want to ride first?" He gave the list a scan before handing it to her. She took the map with grateful hands, pointing to the biggest roller coaster in the thriller zone and beamed. 

 

"This," she showed him the roller coaster she was marvelling over, "let's ride this one. " 

 

He beamed at her, already grinning from ear to ear. "I like the way you think, jagi."

 

She swatted him across the arm. "Who are you calling jagi, huh?"  But the faux anger she had on suggested a more light attitude. "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, Mr. Flirty-pants." 

 

Chanyeol held up his hands as though to surrender, and chuckled. "Got it, omma."

 

She rolled her eyes. "Keep on going and I might leave prematurely." It was an empty threat, but he took it seriously and apologized. 

 

"Sorry, jagi." It seemed like he had timed his response, because an older couple passed them, giggling in secret. She wanted to hide in a hole very much at the moment. 

 

"I'm starting to really regret coming with you to this amusement park today." A groan, minor frustration, and perhaps a migraine coming on. 

 

Chanyeol grinned and already had a reply prepared as he heard his name being called, and he turned around, his light coloured hair swayed with his movement. 

 

"Baekhyun?"