For cinoire! The Red and White Cafe (IU/T-ara, IU/Jiyeon, G)
Title: The Red and White Cafe
Recipient: cinoire
Group(s)/Artist(s): T-ara/IU
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Jiyeon/Jieun
Rating: G
Warning(s):
Summary: Jiyeon works at a little red and white cafe on the corner and longs for something new.
Note(s): I hope you like this, dear recipient! Happy Holidays!
The girl was there again, at the cafe. In the exact same spot, with the exact same cup of tea. She had on different clothes, of course, because if she didn’t, Jiyeon would start to get worried. But she still sat the same way, looking out the window with her legs curled up as though she was trying to be the smallest person possible. And she was already small. Normally, Jiyeon tried her best not to notice customers. Sure, she pretended easily enough; with a bright smile and a peppy voice, customers left happily.
But this girl, no. The only time she spoke was to order, and for the past two weeks she’d ordered the exact same thing every day. She never smiled, she never laughed, she never so much as gave a flickering of emotion. But there were laugh lines in the creases of her eyes and a wrinkle in the corner of her lip, so it wasn’t as though she couldn’t do it.
It bothered Jiyeon because no one had the right to come into her cafe and just be sad. She wouldn’t keep coming in if she didn’t like her tea, so what on earth did they do wrong? Was it the garish red and white all over the place? They didn’t have a lot of decor, sure, and if she had a choice she’d have painted it all blue and white, or even brown - neutral colors. Like the real cafes that hadn’t been burger joints once.
Bristling, she stomped into the back and filled the mop bucket. Wheeling it out with righteous anger in her movements, she sloshed water over the side. “Damn it,” she cursed, pressing the excess water out of the bucket angrily and slapping it down onto the floor. She glanced over at the girl, who was in the exact same position, not moving even a little. Her cheeks flushed with frustration and she pushed her mop around the floor, nudging chairs loudly out of the way and grumbling under her breath. The work calmed her down, at least until she got to the corner table where the girl was seated, with her grey leggings and boots and white sweater. She found herself staring awkwardly at her pigtails and her curved cheek until the girl seemed to shake herself out of her reverie and glanced over at her.
“Can I help you?” she asked. Jiyeon almost fell over. She looked up at her with the world reflected in her eyes and waited like the world could wait.
“What’re you looking at?” She leaned on the mop, tucking it under her chin.
“Nothing, really.” The girl waved her hand at the window and glanced back at it. She smiled, and the bottom fell out of Jiyeon’s stomach. “The world, I guess.”
Jiyeon snorted at the answer, and was awarded with another smile and a raised eyebrow. “What’s the world doing that you have to look at it so much?”
“Dunno, really.” She laughed and shook herself a bit, dropping her feet to the ground and stretching them under the table. She stretched her arms to the sky. “I kind of like watching out of a window.” She squinted at Jiyeon’s nametag. “Park Jiyeon? That’s a really pretty name.”
“Thanks,” Jiyeon smiled. “What’s yours?”
“Jieun,” she replied, smile slipping from her face. “I should go.” She grabbed her things and nearly slipped in her rush to get out. Her cheeks flushed, and when she stopped at the door, she hesitated. “I’m sorry,” she said, with a sad look in her eye. She ripped open the door and left with the tinkling of the bell.
Jiyeon stood there, watching her run across the street and disappear around the opposite block. Then she shook herself, cleared and washed the table, and finished tidying up.
-
It was dark when Jieun came back, an hour away from closing, Jiyeon still on duty, cleaning the silverware with her back to the register. “Take a seat anywhere, I’ll be with you in a moment,” she said when she heard the doorbell chime. She pushed the tray of silverware through the dishwasher and closed the lid. It hummed to life with a spit of water out of a gap in the metal that the owner never fixed.
“Are you always working?” She turned around to face the familiar voice and smiled. Jieun was standing on the other end, in a long black coat and hair down around her shoulders.
“Most of the time,” Jiyeon replied. She dried off her hands on a towel and smiled brightly. “What can I get for you?”
“The usual,” she said with an impish smile. Jiyeon made the tea in silence and rung it up on the register.
After she’d paid, Jieun went to her usual table, shoulders slumped around her cup, like she was trying to escape.
“Why’d you run off earlier?” She pulled a pair of gloves on and opened the dishwasher, closing it again and running the silverware a second time. It was a welcome distraction from the odd stirring in her heart. She didn’t often run away from her feelings, but she’d only spoken to the girl once before.
“This is a weird cafe, isn’t it?” Jieun gestured to the walls. “I mean, it’s all red and white. It’s not like a real cafe at all.”
“It used to be a diner or something.” Jiyeon smiled and came to join her at the booth. “Why do you come if it’s so weird?”
“I like the coffee.”
“But you drink tea.”
Jieun flushed. “I like that, too.” She traced the outside rim. “It’s always quiet, there never seem to be many customers. It’s perfect to think. And listen.”
“You always come in when it’s slow,” Jiyeon groused. “It’s not always like this.”
Jieun giggled again, and Jiyeon’s heart leapt at the sound. “I know, I don’t like to come by when it’s really busy.”
“Why not?” Jiyeon asked.
“Because you work the slower times, usually.” Jieun sighed. “And you’re really good at making tea, so it’s a shame.”
“What, is my tea the only reason?” Jiyeon teased, but when Jieun didn’t laugh, just looked at her with her cheeks heating up, she found herself blushing, too. “Or is there another reason?”
“Usually, I just like to zone out,” Jieun mumbled. “But I - lately, it’s to watch you.” She coughed into her hands and tugged on her hair.
Jiyeon flushed and looked out the window. “Would you like to go on a date with me some time, then?”
“A date?” Jieun asked, horrified. “A real date?”
“What other kind is there?” Jiyeon glared.
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. I’ve never been on a date before.” Jieun squirmed in her seat, staring at the table. Her hair fell around her face and dipped it into shadow.
Jiyeon reached across the table and grabbed her hand before she could draw it back. “Well, I have, and let me just say that they’re super painful. But would you go on one with me, anyway?”
“Sure.” Jieun smiled, finally. A real smile, and Jiyeon was sure that she’d been waiting for it her whole life. It crinkle the corners of her eyes, and she lowered her head as she did, snorting as she laughed. It was unabashed happiness, and Jiyeon found herself smiling, too, easing into it and melting a little. Finally, she let herself relax in the silly diner-turned-cafe on the corner, with a girl she would give anything to keep smiling.
Recipient: cinoire
Group(s)/Artist(s): T-ara/IU
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Jiyeon/Jieun
Rating: G
Warning(s):
Summary: Jiyeon works at a little red and white cafe on the corner and longs for something new.
Note(s): I hope you like this, dear recipient! Happy Holidays!
The girl was there again, at the cafe. In the exact same spot, with the exact same cup of tea. She had on different clothes, of course, because if she didn’t, Jiyeon would start to get worried. But she still sat the same way, looking out the window with her legs curled up as though she was trying to be the smallest person possible. And she was already small. Normally, Jiyeon tried her best not to notice customers. Sure, she pretended easily enough; with a bright smile and a peppy voice, customers left happily.
But this girl, no. The only time she spoke was to order, and for the past two weeks she’d ordered the exact same thing every day. She never smiled, she never laughed, she never so much as gave a flickering of emotion. But there were laugh lines in the creases of her eyes and a wrinkle in the corner of her lip, so it wasn’t as though she couldn’t do it.
It bothered Jiyeon because no one had the right to come into her cafe and just be sad. She wouldn’t keep coming in if she didn’t like her tea, so what on earth did they do wrong? Was it the garish red and white all over the place? They didn’t have a lot of decor, sure, and if she had a choice she’d have painted it all blue and white, or even brown - neutral colors. Like the real cafes that hadn’t been burger joints once.
Bristling, she stomped into the back and filled the mop bucket. Wheeling it out with righteous anger in her movements, she sloshed water over the side. “Damn it,” she cursed, pressing the excess water out of the bucket angrily and slapping it down onto the floor. She glanced over at the girl, who was in the exact same position, not moving even a little. Her cheeks flushed with frustration and she pushed her mop around the floor, nudging chairs loudly out of the way and grumbling under her breath. The work calmed her down, at least until she got to the corner table where the girl was seated, with her grey leggings and boots and white sweater. She found herself staring awkwardly at her pigtails and her curved cheek until the girl seemed to shake herself out of her reverie and glanced over at her.
“Can I help you?” she asked. Jiyeon almost fell over. She looked up at her with the world reflected in her eyes and waited like the world could wait.
“What’re you looking at?” She leaned on the mop, tucking it under her chin.
“Nothing, really.” The girl waved her hand at the window and glanced back at it. She smiled, and the bottom fell out of Jiyeon’s stomach. “The world, I guess.”
Jiyeon snorted at the answer, and was awarded with another smile and a raised eyebrow. “What’s the world doing that you have to look at it so much?”
“Dunno, really.” She laughed and shook herself a bit, dropping her feet to the ground and stretching them under the table. She stretched her arms to the sky. “I kind of like watching out of a window.” She squinted at Jiyeon’s nametag. “Park Jiyeon? That’s a really pretty name.”
“Thanks,” Jiyeon smiled. “What’s yours?”
“Jieun,” she replied, smile slipping from her face. “I should go.” She grabbed her things and nearly slipped in her rush to get out. Her cheeks flushed, and when she stopped at the door, she hesitated. “I’m sorry,” she said, with a sad look in her eye. She ripped open the door and left with the tinkling of the bell.
Jiyeon stood there, watching her run across the street and disappear around the opposite block. Then she shook herself, cleared and washed the table, and finished tidying up.
-
It was dark when Jieun came back, an hour away from closing, Jiyeon still on duty, cleaning the silverware with her back to the register. “Take a seat anywhere, I’ll be with you in a moment,” she said when she heard the doorbell chime. She pushed the tray of silverware through the dishwasher and closed the lid. It hummed to life with a spit of water out of a gap in the metal that the owner never fixed.
“Are you always working?” She turned around to face the familiar voice and smiled. Jieun was standing on the other end, in a long black coat and hair down around her shoulders.
“Most of the time,” Jiyeon replied. She dried off her hands on a towel and smiled brightly. “What can I get for you?”
“The usual,” she said with an impish smile. Jiyeon made the tea in silence and rung it up on the register.
After she’d paid, Jieun went to her usual table, shoulders slumped around her cup, like she was trying to escape.
“Why’d you run off earlier?” She pulled a pair of gloves on and opened the dishwasher, closing it again and running the silverware a second time. It was a welcome distraction from the odd stirring in her heart. She didn’t often run away from her feelings, but she’d only spoken to the girl once before.
“This is a weird cafe, isn’t it?” Jieun gestured to the walls. “I mean, it’s all red and white. It’s not like a real cafe at all.”
“It used to be a diner or something.” Jiyeon smiled and came to join her at the booth. “Why do you come if it’s so weird?”
“I like the coffee.”
“But you drink tea.”
Jieun flushed. “I like that, too.” She traced the outside rim. “It’s always quiet, there never seem to be many customers. It’s perfect to think. And listen.”
“You always come in when it’s slow,” Jiyeon groused. “It’s not always like this.”
Jieun giggled again, and Jiyeon’s heart leapt at the sound. “I know, I don’t like to come by when it’s really busy.”
“Why not?” Jiyeon asked.
“Because you work the slower times, usually.” Jieun sighed. “And you’re really good at making tea, so it’s a shame.”
“What, is my tea the only reason?” Jiyeon teased, but when Jieun didn’t laugh, just looked at her with her cheeks heating up, she found herself blushing, too. “Or is there another reason?”
“Usually, I just like to zone out,” Jieun mumbled. “But I - lately, it’s to watch you.” She coughed into her hands and tugged on her hair.
Jiyeon flushed and looked out the window. “Would you like to go on a date with me some time, then?”
“A date?” Jieun asked, horrified. “A real date?”
“What other kind is there?” Jiyeon glared.
“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant. I’ve never been on a date before.” Jieun squirmed in her seat, staring at the table. Her hair fell around her face and dipped it into shadow.
Jiyeon reached across the table and grabbed her hand before she could draw it back. “Well, I have, and let me just say that they’re super painful. But would you go on one with me, anyway?”
“Sure.” Jieun smiled, finally. A real smile, and Jiyeon was sure that she’d been waiting for it her whole life. It crinkle the corners of her eyes, and she lowered her head as she did, snorting as she laughed. It was unabashed happiness, and Jiyeon found herself smiling, too, easing into it and melting a little. Finally, she let herself relax in the silly diner-turned-cafe on the corner, with a girl she would give anything to keep smiling.