10; exo; americano don't flow here (only canadian and caramel)
americano don't flow here (only canadian and caramel) | pg-13 for mild cursing
ot12 friendship with taoris, baekyeol, hunhan, sukai
6k words
oneshot
repost of my runandgun fic for maayacola. original here
A good texting hand is the key to being a supervisor in Minseok’s little college café, and although Yifan’s inept when it comes to dealing with customers, he’s pretty good at sorting out the staff. Or the things going on between staff.
americano don't flow here
(only canadian and caramel)
"Yifan, can you take the afternoon shift as supervisor instead? It’s only for summer break, and I’ll be the chef for the same shift. Pay’s around the same, you’ll have to wait on customers sometimes, but it’s less work."
Brows furrowing out of habit, Yifan replies, "Well, I can, but why?"
Minseok’s about to respond, but then he closes his mouth, sighs, and smiles. "You put on your bitchface again, you know."
Yifan’s knife hand freezes, and he frowns, stretching to a stand from his hunch over the cutting board. "Again? Sorry." With a few twitches of effort, his face melts into… indifference, complete with sharp eyes and sharp eyebrows. Well, it's an improvement. "Thanks for reminding."
The corners of his smile turning an amused tilt upwards, Minseok answers Yifan’s awkward expression of gratitude with a “No problem.” The door behind him opens and he takes a few steps to the side, making way for an unfamiliar face. “Well, new school year means a lot of new guys, and one of them’s aiming for Business Administration and willing to try dealing with the guys in the morning shift. Meet Kim Joonmyun.”
New guy, skin pale and wrists looking pretty fragile, smiles. “Hello - Wu Yifan, right? I have Economics with Chanyeol, and he talks about you often.” He tacks a small laugh at the end, offering his hand.
Yifan gives it a firm shake and can’t help the half-smile that comes on his face. “Chanyeol talks a lot in general - the guys in morning shift are an interesting bunch.”
“Seems like it.” Joonmyun chuckles again, and his smile doesn’t falter even once as he speaks. “One of them seems pretty close with one of your customers - ”
“I’ll deal with it,” Minseok says, turning to leave.
Joonmyun’s eyebrows immediately slant in worry and he looks at Yifan with a questioning tilt of his head, but Yifan only blinks. “Sehun, the sleepy kid behind the cashier, does that to get tips from the female customers. They like it when he and Luhan display their affections for each other.”
And Joonmyun swallows. “Oh.”
Yifan nods. “Interesting bunch, yeah.”
From: Park Chanyeol
Hey! xD Have u met all the new employees already? Heard there were 3 of them, only saw 2 :-?
And congrats on ur promotion to pm shift manager lol, ur lucky u don’t have to deal w/ Jongin anymore -_-
To: Park Chanyeol
The other one’s coming to visit tomorrow, and he’s in the P.M. shift, so you might not see him unless you stick around until after your shift.
You’re welcome. I honestly don’t see why you guys have such a problem with Jongin, though.
From: Park Chanyeol
I don’t mind waiting around a bit to see the other newb :D
And that’s because he’s scared of u! xD He’s a brat when u or Kyungsoo aren’t looking. -_-;; I’m feeling bad for Joonmyun already.
To: Park Chanyeol
Are my eyebrows that scary?
And don’t say that, I’m sure Joonmyun will do fine. What do you think of Baekhyun? Didn’t get to talk to him earlier.
From: Park Chanyeol
R u srsly asking that first question? Lol. We call u Angry Bird for a reason.
And abt the 2nd question, u /do/ remember the time I was asking you if you knew a guy who’s in Pharmacy, has long fingers, sings like an angel and screams like the devil, right?
To: Park Chanyeol
Should I shave them off or something, seriously.
And your prospective crush from last year is Baekhyun?
From: Park Chanyeol
Lol, don’t shave them, u’ll probably be able to scare away even crows if u do.
And I was referring more to the fact that Baekhyun’s the guy who almost became my band’s lead singer lol. He seemed nice, but I didn’t really get to talk to him a lot, so it didn’t happen. I can’t believe u remember the prospective crush part tho, rofl.
But it’s not exactly prospective anymore… >u<
From: Kim Minseok (general message)
The new guys are starting on Monday, two days from now. Your shift changes will be effective then, too. I hope you all get along. :)
Also, bonus for anyone who finds a new delivery guy for the afternoon shift. Jino quit last week, and I’m having a hard time finding someone willing. Thanks!
To: Park Chanyeol
I just want to remind you that trying to work two consecutive shifts is usually painful, so try not to volunteer yourself. You’re already in the morning shift.
You were so obvious, you know. You were stuttering and speechless during your chat with him, and you’re never speechless. Kyungsoo was worrying again.
From: Park Chanyeol
Good chance for money, yeah, but I’m not an energizer battery lols. Making deliveries nine hours straight = nope
And Baekhyun said he liked my coffee! Of course I’d be speechless ;U; You all hate it for some reason.
To: Park Chanyeol
Good call.
You brewed his complementary new-employee cup? And he’s new, of course he’d say it tasted good. Even though you add too much sugar all the time.
From: Park Chanyeol
You probably have your bitchface on right now. :P
To: Park Chanyeol
You’re right. Damn it.
Yifan’s not really the type to walk around the campus at five in the morning to smell flowers and shit like that, but here he is, dying from a newly-discovered allergy to an unidentified something because Yixing said walks in the morning would be relaxing. (Was it the cat he fed? The dog he played with for approximately one second until he realized freshmen were staring? The plants that are everywhere?)
Maybe the reason Yifan has such a terrifying bitchface in the first place is because of Yixing and the rest of the kids in Minseok’s café, but Yifan hopes that’s not the case, because that would mean he’d have the bitchface for as long as he’s in contact with them. Which is practically forever.
And then Yifan’s day gets worse when he’s about to turn a corner and suddenly a bicycle and pain pain pain my foot fuck, fuck -
“S-sorry!” The bicycle reverses, and its wheel goes over Yifan’s foot again.
His nose is redder than Rudolph’s and his foot’s been crushed twice. Yifan doesn’t even have the energy to react beyond a wince and an actual, conscious bitchface anymore.
Staring at the small cake box in his bicycle’s basket, Bicycle Guy’s eyebags seem to get deeper and considerably darker, and Yifan momentarily feels bad. Maybe the bitchface was too much. “Uh, sorry…”
It’s not fine, because you don’t just run over a guy’s foot twice, but. “It’s alright,” Yifan says, right foot stinging and the rest of his leg tense and frozen. He shifts all his weight onto his left and sighs, putting his bitchface away. Bicycle Guy looks like he’s about to cry. “Really, I’m fine.”
“Oh…” After a short, quick breath, Bicycle Guy looks up with his face set in determination. “I’ll make it up to you!” He turns and grabs the box in his bicycle’s basket, saying, “You can have this cake slice, if you want, it’s mango chocolate and although it’s my favourite, I don’t mind - ”
What. “No, really, it’s fine.” Yifan waves a hand in dismissal. “And I have to go, I’m kinda busy. Walking.” A dreadful itch fills into his nasal cavity, and Yifan practically yells into his handkerchief, both his throat and nose in a world of pain. His words come out sad and nasal. “It’s apparently healthy - wait.”
Bicycle Guy blinks.
“You ride that bike well?”
With a shy smile, Bicyle Guy responds. “Well, I guess I’m okay…”
But Yifan’s already writing on some piece of paper he had found in his pocket, writing down ‘Café Angel’ in the most legible letters he can muster. “Do you want a part-time job? Four and a half hours in the afternoon, starting one-thirty. We’re looking for guys who can ride bicycles.” He hands it to the other man, on it written a cell phone number and an address. “If you’re interested, you can probably call that number for directions, but if you’re not, well.” He shrugs. “We’d be happy to have another customer.”
From: Kim Minseok
Do you know why I got called in the middle of the night by a Huang Zitao who’s in Physical Therapy and is apparently remorseful about running over your foot, so he’s decided to work at my café to make up for it?
To: Kim Minseok
His name was Huang Zitao?
And sorry, I gave him the café’s address, but I don’t remember the new delivery number so I gave him your number instead. But since he’s gonna be working with us, you’ll end up giving him your number anyway, so no harm done.
From: Kim Minseok
He seemed like he felt really bad about running your foot over. Like, a bit too bad.
And since you gave my number to a stranger, the bonus you get for finding a new delivery guy is nullified. :)
To: Kim Minseok
Are you insinuating that I gave him the bitchface?
And you put a smile at the end of that sentence?
From: Kim Minseok
I don’t have to pay extra, of course I’m smiling. :)
And I bet you have your bitchface on right now, don’t you?
It’s ten-thirty in the evening and Yifan doesn’t even bother to reply, too busy wondering how his friends of two years manage to predict his bitchfaces and too tired to think of a response.
Just kidding. There’s always energy for sassing back.
To: Kim Minseok
I bet you’re eating steamed buns right now, aren’t you?
From: Kim Minseok
I’m holding your pay. :)
Damn it.
It’s Monday.
Yifan goes to work just in time for the morning shift to start when he remembers that his shift is now in the afternoon.
The first thing Chanyeol does when he sees Yifan’s disgruntled face is laugh and clap like a seal, only managing to settle down when Joonmyun calls from inside the café, “Could you flip the sign on the door, Chanyeol?”
“Alright,” Chanyeol hollers back, leaning against his bicycle and shaking from suppressed laughter.
Yifan only sighs.
“I can give you a lift to the train station, if you want.” Chanyeol smiles, patting his bike. “No deliveries yet, and we don’t exactly get them often.”
“Nah, I’ll just… hang around, I guess. Maybe help a bit if I feel like it.” Yifan shrugs and takes a few steps past Chanyeol to the front door, but Chanyeol’s face breaks out into a grin and Yifan stops dead in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at the other man.
“You’re staying? Do you even have a social life outside Min-boss, Luhan, Yixing and me?” Chanyeol says, still grinning as he flips the sign on the door to ‘Open’.
One of the corners of Yifan’s lips quirk as he responds. “Yeah, I do - there’s rest of Angel’s staff. And I mean the guys on both shifts, not just the morning shift, alright?”
Chanyeol laughs again, securing the bike onto the stand next to the employees’ door. “Good for you!”
With another sigh and a smile, Yifan pushes open the door.
A tinkle sounds from above him and Yifan’s almost surprised, finding himself glancing up at the bell hanging above the door - hearing it from so close hasn’t happened to him in a while. There’s the smell of batter from the kitchen, too, not surrounding him like it usually does, and the wooden, glass-topped tables with small, hand-painted vases and salt-and-pepper shakers. Everything seems so new from the front door.
Yifan takes a random seat on a table next to the window and finds himself staring at the decorations sandwiched beneath the glass. Some of them are pastel-colored post-its, random things like ‘pathology textbook 1: page 71 to 82’ scrawled on in the worst penmanship Yifan’s seen besides his own, and some are pressed flowers pasted on paper and laminated. There’s one of the worn, lace coasters Minseok decided not to throw away, and maybe even a few love letters to and from different people - cute, but hopefully Minseok didn’t go digging through trash cans to get these things.
“The decor’s really homely, isn’t it?”
Yifan puts on his usual half-smile and hums in agreement, leaning back against his chair. “I guess it’s part of the reason why the guys who work here are pretty close.”
He gets a sheepish laugh in reply. “Ah, well, I’m actually pretty new here…”
“You’ll get along with them, trust me. And aren’t you and Chanyeol friends already?” Yifan stifles a knowing smile and looks up. “I work here, by the way.”
The waiter’s eyes momentarily grow wide before crinkling with a smile. “Café policy says that if it goes through the front door and it’s not wearing the work apron, then it’s a customer.”
A short chuckle bubbles from Yifan’s throat. “Well, then a cup of coffee, please - just make sure Chanyeol doesn’t touch it.”
Just as the waiter turns to leave with a call of ‘coming right up’, Yifan’s phone buzzes in his pocket.
From: Park Chanyeol
R u up to something? xO U got that evil smile on ur face for a minute. It’s worse than ur bitchface >n<
To: Park Chanyeol
Of course you’d be watching. I’m not stealing Baekhyun away, don’t worry. I’m just being a customer.
From: Park Chanyeol
Lols he told me not to touch the coffee.
Too bad, did you forget I’m the first one to touch the coffee machine each day? 8D
To: Park Chanyeol
No wonder you’re so energetic…
But it’s nice to see he has you whipped already.
From: Park Chanyeol
Hey! >o<
“Cup of coffee for a mister Wu,” Baekhyun says, holding onto the mug with long, rather unsteady fingers. He weaves them together and grins cheekily once he manages to set it on the coaster. “On the house, since you’re one of its tenants.”
“Thanks.” Yifan doesn’t drink yet, though. “I’m guessing Chanyeol told you my name?”
Baekhyun nods, smile still on his face. “He talks about you a lot - or, well, he tells stories about your bitchface.”
Yifan rubs his temples. Chanyeol again… “I bet he talked about the time I tried asking someone for directions.”
“He did, last year.” Arm propped on the chair opposite Yifan, Baekhyun chuckles. “He also mentioned the time you had to take care of kids for an outreach program, and the time you guys...” After a single glance at Yifan’s face, Baekhyun averts his eyes and straightens with a stilted laugh. “…He said a lot. Of good things!”
What, does he have the bitchface on again? Yifan sighs and tries to relax his facial muscles with a smile. Hopefully it doesn’t look like a threatening one. “I guess it’s my turn to talk about him? And you can take a seat, you know. I’m the only customer around.”
“Well, true.” After a quick glance around and at Yifan’s face, Baekhyun’s tense, tangled fingers relax and he slips onto the table’s only other seat. “The embarrassing high school stories are my favorites. I feel like Chanyeol has a lot of them.”
Yifan smirks and raises a hand, counting off with his fingers. “He does, really - he once got mad scientist hair when he tried to use his mother’s curling iron, he’d trip over his own feet whenever he tried to dance, he had to crossdress for a contest and actually won…”
“Crossdress?” Baekhyun sputters and starts to laugh. “No wonder he seemed satisfied when I mentioned that I did once, too!”
“He has a hard time controlling his face,” Yifan admits, nodding sagely. Then, listening closely, he says, “Do you find it easy to read his expressions?”
Baekhyun puts his hands in his lap and looks away in thought. “Well…” His eyes flicker to Yifan’s face, almost asking permission for something.
But Yifan just sips on his coffee.
Eventually, Baekhyun hums and starts to talk. “His expressions are happy and cheerful, but he’s as sharp as a laser, so. Well.” His fingers start to twist together again. “I guess he can mix it up a bit, I think. I’ve seen him play around with others when he, um, seems? I’m not sure, but like he’s really not in his best mood. It’s kind of hard to explain… There’s just something there, somehow.” But with a soft, sobering smile, he says, “It’s just that he… doesn’t, with me. He doesn’t put up fronts. There’s nothing to read past.”
Yifan hides a smile behind his mug.
Rubbing his neck, Baekhyun chuckles, not meeting Yifan’s eyes. “Sorry, it’s a bit weird - I’m not as close to him as, well, you, of course.”
“It comes with time. And he says you’re fun and pleasant to hang out with, so.” Even though Baekhyun’s face is still set in a neutral smile, Yifan can see the other man’s ears turning red and continues. “Chanyeol likes people who don’t write him off as a hyperactive puppy, and he likes people he can dork around with even more.”
Staring off into the window at the side, Baekhyun falls quiet. Yifan stares out too, only to see Jongin, and he raises a hand in a small wave. Jongin makes a small wave back and enters the café, the chime above the door tinkling softly.
Baekhyun stands with a smile. “Have to go, job’s calling.” Then, the redness on his ears reaching his cheeks, he grins. “And, well, thanks.”
Yifan nods and Baekhyun turns, greeting Jongin with a bright “I’ll be right there!” as Jongin goes in front of the cashier to order.
Head tilted imperceptibly, Jongin glances over his shoulder at Yifan and blinks. But another customer enters, crossing between them - Yifan looks again but Jongin’s already looking away, placing an order.
The café’s starting to wake up with its usual bustle, the ringing of the bell sounding more often, now. Yifan takes another small sip of the coffee, wanting to finish it, but he finds himself sighing after - it’s practically a warm cup of sugar with a teaspoon of coffee, as Chanyeol always makes it. If Baekhyun really was the one who made this, then maybe he and Chanyeol are probably meant to be. (Not that that’s a bad thing.)
One last sip, and after a glance around, Yifan leaves. He’ll come back for his actual shift later.
From: Park Chanyeol
So wat if I tripped over my own feet, u did too :|
And… thanx for putting in a good word, lol xD
To: Park Chanyeol
How did you even hear us?
But you’re welcome.
Afternoon shift.
Well, some thirty minutes before it.
From: Luhan
The tip jar next to the cashier is now full lol
Also, Jongin was picking on the new supervisor, probably testing him or some dumb excuse like that. He’s gone now, but you might want to check around
So Yifan goes fifteen minutes early, arriving just in time to see Chanyeol talking to Guy-Whose-Bike-Ran-Over-His-Foot in front of the café. He’s apparently giving a run-through of the delivery process, if his last sentence - “Remember that we only deliver to places twenty minutes, at most, away!” - is anything to go by.
Bike Guy raises his hand in a small wave and Yifan nods in acknowledgement, but then Chanyeol’s suddenly bounding over, eyes and mouth open wide.
Yifan’s already sighing when Chanyeol reaches him. “Luhan told me Jongin did something?”
Hands on Yifan’s shoulders, Chanyeol dramatically recounts, “He was ragging on Joonmyun! Asking him why there’s hipster garbage inside the tables when he’s been going to the café even longer than Joonmyun has, asking him why he doesn’t bake as well as you when he’s the supervisor - rude, right? - and asking him why the place’s wi-fi was hella slow that day, man. I’m not yet even finished.” Chanyeol shakes his head. “It was worse than the time he was freaking out about the coffee.”
“But your coffee’s bad…”
Chanyeol blinks and smiles. “What?”
Yifan blinks. “I’ll talk to Kyungsoo. Did he leave already?”
“Min-boss - I mean, Min-chef’s here already, so yeah, he did. Joonmyun’s already gone, too, and Sehun left with Luhan just a minute ago, but Baek’s still helping around.” Voice suddenly taking a giddy, almost conspiratorial tone, he leans a bit closer with a grin and says, “Me and Baek actually live on the same street!”
Yifan gives a thumbs up and a smile in reply and Chanyeol practically bounces in place.
“Yifan,” Yixing calls from the employee door’s doorway, hands busy tying his apron. “Could you teach Zitao the workflow around here? I’m helping Jongdae.”
“Oh, and that, too,” Chanyeol continues, following after Yifan as the other man walks toward the café. “You said there was one new guy for the afternoon shift, not two?”
“I found him,” Yifan inclines his head in Bike Guy’s direction, “after I texted you. Sorry about that.”
Chanyeol smiles and says, “It’s fiiine.” He sticks his head into the room past Yixing and hollers a few goodbyes before calling for Baekhyun, who hops out a minute later with a chuckle. As the two of them leave, Chanyeol looks back and waves one last time before turning a corner, and then they’re gone.
…Well.
Yifan turns to find Bike Guy staring a hole into the pavement and tries to remember his name, but nope. Bike Guy is Bike Guy. Huang… something. Introductions are always so awkward, and although they’re not when Yifan can act cool, this guy has seen him with a running nose and run over his foot twice. Being cool is impossible. “So. Tao…zi. Taozi… right?”
Bike Guy chuckles, soft and… maybe cute? And Yifan finds himself staring before he suddenly remembers that no, of course you wouldn’t name a guy peach. “It’s Zitao.”
“Ah, s-sorry.” Yifan closes his eyes in an almost-wince - he’s pretty sure he hasn’t stuttered in months. After another second, he opens them again and continues, ignoring Yixing’s amused smile as the other man watches from the doorway. “I’m Yifan.”
“Yixing told me.” Wow, someone other than Chanyeol, for once. But then Zitao smiles and Yifan feels like he’s dying? Holy crap, high school crushes all over again. Yifan’s mentally berating himself when Zitao speaks again. “So when I’m not making deliveries, what do I do?”
“Uh?” Yixing does laugh out loud, now, and Yifan sends him a bitchface before turning back to Zitao, trying to smile nicely. “Sorry, was spacing out. Well, when we have a lot of customers, you help around, too. Which is why I’m gonna be teaching you.” Yixing starts walking inside, and Yifan follows, adding, “Not that we actually get crowded often, but we get by. Come in and get an apron.”
Zitao seems almost hesitant, walking forward but stopping right at the doorway.
Something suddenly comes to Yifan’s mind, then - “We give complementary mango chocolate cake slices to new employees.”
A grin lights up Zitao’s face and Yifan wants to hide in his hands before he does anything stupid. Like pat Zitao’s hair, or something. It looks fluffy. God.
From: Zhang Yixing
(´∀｀)
To: Zhang Yixing
What.
From: Zhang Yixing
You, earlier = (｡-_-｡ )♡
To: Zhang Yixing
I was not.
From: Zhang Yixing
¯\_( ´∀｀)_/¯
From: Kim Minseok
Don’t steal ingredients from the café to bake a cake for Zitao, now. :)
To: Kim Minseok
I won’t, trust me.
From: Kim Minseok
But I’ll gladly give permission if you ask. :) :)
From: Park Chanyeol
LOL I heard wat went down w/ u and Zitao yesterday from Yixing.
So I guess u’ll have to change your status on FB to ‘in a relationship’ now ROFL
To: Zhang Yixing, Kim Minseok, Park Chanyeol
WHAT.
To: Park Chanyeol
And YOU. Don’t tell me that, I’m not one who’s supposed to be changing his status on FB.
From: Park Chanyeol
Lols
Fifty won says u’ll be changing ur status on FB anyway because of ‘Taozi’
To: Park Chanyeol
GO TO SLEEP ALREADY.
So Yifan finds himself waking up a bit later than usual. He normally doesn’t get a series of annoying texts at eleven in the evening, sure, but that’s actually not the proper cause of his lack of sleep.
He presses his palms to his eyes and groans, turning to lie on his side. He’s pretty sure he hasn’t dreamt of pandas before.
He stays home that morning, curled up on his couch and bumming around in front of the electric fan like most people are prone to do in summer. There are re-runs of basketball games on the television, matches Yifan already knows the outcome to, so he changes the channel - it’s a nature documentary about pandas.
Yifan throws his remote on the couch and bums around in his bed instead.
From: Do Kyungsoo
Hi, Chanyeol told me you were looking for me? owo I’m not at the café today since I have a cold, sorry.
To: Do Kyungsoo
It’s fine, Kibum should be there. You’re friends with Jongin, right?
From: Do Kyungsoo
Ah, sorry about him. He just likes to mess around sometimes. The others are on good terms with him, but I’m sure you know how sensitive Chanyeol is when it comes to his coffee. ouo
To: Do Kyungsoo
…True.
I heard Jongin was ragging on Joonmyun, though?
From: Do Kyungsoo
Ah, well, that’s actually my fault. Sorry. I told Jongin I wasn’t sure if I could work well around Joonmyun, so Jongin’s overreacting and now he’s been picking on him. ono
To: Do Kyungsoo
What’s wrong? Did Joonmyun do something?
Kyungsoo doesn’t reply.
Yifan’s already showered and fixing his hair in a mirror when he finally gets a response, almost twenty minutes later.
From: Do Kyungsoo
Joonmyun didn’t do anything bad, but he’s my ex.
For an entire three minutes, Yifan stares at his phone.
To: Do Kyungsoo
I see.
Could you tell Jongin not to do it, though?
From: Do Kyungsoo
I just sent him a text. Not sure if he’ll actually listen, though. You know how he is. ono Sorry about that, really.
To: Do Kyungsoo
It’s alright. Thanks.
Yifan finds himself going to the café early again.
Jongin’s sitting on his usual table, not too far from the cashier. He’s looking in Joonmyun’s direction and about to raise his hand, probably to call the other man over, when Yifan enters and Jongin’s gaze and palm quickly rotate in his direction.
Yifan makes an amused, unimpressed face and nods back, approaching the table. “Nice save. Can I sit?”
“Why not?” Jongin says, lightly shrugging. His half-raised hand awkwardly slips back around his coffee mug.
So Yifan takes a seat, and after a glance at Joonmyun who’s busy dealing with a customer a few tables away, immediately begins, “Is there a reason you’ve been ragging on Joonmyun?”
“I guess Chanyeol told you?” Jongin braces his chin on his arm propped on the table and puts on a small, cheeky smile. “I don’t think he’s gotten over the coffee thing, yet.”
Yifan sighs. Why are there so many kids around him? “Yeah, I know. But the one who makes bad coffee is him, not Joonmyun.”
“Did you talk to Kyungsoo?”
“I did.”
“Then let me tell you that I’m not doing this because of that.” Head still resting on his fist, his gaze turns toward Joonmyun, and he says, “I think he has a crush on me.”
“Oh my god.” Yifan places his forehead in his palm.
Jongin continues, already grinning into his knuckles. “His reactions are way too flustered.”
Yifan shakes his head. “If we didn’t share several classes and several friends, I’m pretty sure I would have banned you from the café, now.”
“Do you want something? Hey, Joonmyun.” Jongin raises his other hand. “Ordering.”
Joonmyun turns around and, nibbling on his lip, starts to walk over. “Y-yes?”
Jongin points to Yifan.
Yifan shakes his head and, slanting an impish look at Jongin, says, “You don’t have to serve this guy anymore, Baekhyun or Minho can.” Jongin sputters from the side and Yifan adds, “I’m a supervisor of this café, too.”
But after a moment of thought, Joonmyun just smiles brightly. “I’m a supervisor, too, and I think I don’t mind.”
Jongin blinks.
Yifan blinks, too, but gathers his wits faster. “…Okay.”
And Joonmyun walks away.
“…He might really be a masochist,” Yifan says.
Jongin just shrugs again, and his face melts into its usual, cold indifference. But his throat’s bobbing in several gulps and Yifan cocks a knowing eyebrow.
Afternoon shift starts again and Yifan realizes what the panda dreams actually mean, now.
Tuesday’s a slow day and Zitao’s just sitting behind the counter, eyes half-closed. He has an earphone plugged into an ear and Yifan can faintly hear the music from the other one hanging freely - the café’s largely quiet, except for a few taps on a keyboard and a soft, low hum of wǒ bànyǎn nǐ xīnzhōng wéi yī yīngxióng.
“You’re a fan of Exo?” Yifan finds himself asking, sitting on another nearby chair.
Zitao straightens, nods, and smiles, his eyes crinkling and his eyebags - oh, Yifan thinks to himself, like a panda. “I’ve been a fan since their first mini-album - you like their songs, too?”
“I know they’re mostly a rock band, but ever since I heard Two Moons, I’ve started liking them since,” Yifan replies, looking out past the counter - Luhan and Sehun are at a table near the back, and a number of female customers are watching them chat and laugh with each other. “They’re having their concert soon, at the park in the middle of the campus.”
“Really?” Zitao’s mouth rounds in surprise before he suddenly deflates, slumping against the counter again. “Ah, I bet it’s expensive…”
Ài wúsuǒbùzài - “See that guy in the back with the big eyes?”
Zitao squints. “The one talking with Sehun?”
Yifan nods. “He’s from Exo.”
For a moment, Zitao doesn’t respond.
Slowly, one of his hands reach up to rub at his eyes, and Yifan hides a smile in his fist as Zitao’s sleepy eyes slowly widen and widen and “R-really?”
“Luhan’s a regular, a lot of us are friends with him.” Yifan leans his shoulder against the counter, his smile quirking - Zitao’s reactions are fun to watch. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind giving us free tickets.”
Zitao’s eyes are sparkling again. “Really?!”
“I think you’ve said that three times, already,” Yifan says, looking back to the front with a chuckle. “And he’s a nice guy - he’s already offered free tickets to most of the staff, but a number of us have things to do. “ He looks over to Luhan’s table again just in time to see Luhan feed Sehun a bite of cake, and he hurriedly averts his gaze. Luhan has cool shoes. “Pretty sure Sehun’s going.”
“Are you?”
Yifan blinks. He’s not much of a concert-going type of guy, but Zitao looks apprehensive and Yifan can guess where this is going. “Not sure. Why?”
“I don’t really go to concerts often,” Zitao admits, looking to the front, too. “I want to watch, but I haven’t actually gone to one alone…”
And maybe Chanyeol and Yixing and practically everyone will ask Yifan if he’s possessed, later, but. “I can go with you, if you want.”
“…really?”
Yifan has an ‘And that’s the fourth time’ ready on his lips, but Zitao’s grinning, and Yifan finds himself grinning back. “Why not?”
Qǐng nǐ gàosu wǒ rúguǒ zhèyàng jiùshì ài.
From: Luhan
Are you and new deli guy taking notes from me and Sehun or something lol, that was totally eyefucking HunHan style
To: Luhan
No, we weren’t doing it to rake in tips.
From: Luhan
Heyyy, lemme remind you that it wasn’t Sehun’s shift at that time. We’re totally real.
To: Luhan
I know, don’t worry.
So are you really going to kiss him in front of the crowd at the concert two weeks from now?
From: Luhan
Dunno… I told Sehun about it and he says he doesn’t mind, but I’m thinking maybe it’s better if it’s in private.
God I’m turning into a sentimental fuck
To: Luhan
Keep going. Since it’s your first kiss, make it special.
From: Luhan
How did you know that
To: Luhan
Chanyeol’s been taking notes.
From: Luhan
That tall shit, is it because of Baekhyun
To: Luhan
All the better for business. The tips are getting bigger each day.
From: Luhan
And eventually, you and your little peach will get a tip jar too lol
From: Luhan
You didn’t respond with a snark omg
From: Luhan
You are totally fucking
To: Luhan
No, we’re not. Please shut up. We are not getting a jar.
From: Luhan
Lol too late I told Yixing and Chanyeol already, you know the entire world’s gonna learn about it now
From: Luhan
And you used ‘We’ omg lol
To: Luhan
LET ME SLEEP.
So the concert happens, and -
Too many people, god, see, this is why Yifan doesn’t usually go -
Zitao grabs onto Yifan’s sleeve but Yifan holds onto Zitao’s hand, pulling him close. The crowd’s looking for their seats. We get VIP ones. It’s easy to get separated and lost, so just follow me, and don’t let go.
(It’s a good excuse.)
From: Luhan
Guess who I saw holding hands in the crowd lol
To: Luhan
Your fans were stampeding all over the damn place. Zitao would’ve gotten washed away if I hadn’t, so don’t give me that.
From: Luhan
I was actually talking about Joonmyun and Jongin but that works even better lol, you are seriously digging yourself into a hole
Just date already
To: Luhan
What, just suddenly ask him out? No.
From: Luhan
Of course not, play it smooth lol. Just try it out. Maybe it won’t work, maybe it will, but just stop being so sexually frustrated all the damn time. Maybe you’ll even lose your bitchface rofl
To: Luhan
I wonder why I even read your texts.
From: Luhan
Because you listen to me lol
Invite him to a basketball date or something, I know you love those balls
To: Luhan
How does Sehun even deal with you?
From: Huang Zitao
Thanks for going to the concert with me ^^ I’ll make it up to you!
To: Huang Zitao
Well, do you play basketball? :)
To: Luhan
I can’t believe I just listened to you.
Don’t tell Chanyeol and Yixing, please.
From: Luhan
Omg
From: Park Chanyeol
Remember to use protection
And Baekhyun recommends eating pineapple LOL
From: Zhang Yixing
This was obviously gonna happen ╮(─▽─)╭
To: Luhan, Park Chanyeol, Zhang Yixing
GOODNIGHT.
fin
bonus:
From: Zhang Yixing
You don’t mind your friend and your ex getting together? ( ・◇・)？
To: Zhang Yixing
It’s alright, that was a joke anyway. Jongin wanted an excuse to mess with Joonmyun in public and Joonmyun needed an excuse to be messed with in public. They’ve been going out for a while. ovo
From: Zhang Yixing
(ಠ_ಠ) Why would you want to be teased in public
To: Zhang Yixing
One’s a fairly sadistic dance major and the other one’s a fairly masochistic acting major, they manage to control one another pretty well. owo
From: Zhang Yixing
(⊙_◎;;)
To: Zhang Yixing
I’m a psych major, we can tell these things. ouo
fin (for real)
- masterlist + requests - watch - join -
only got around to reposting this now lol, i operate with extreme lag ;;
those coming over from taorisfics might be interested in an older taoris fic of mine, which i didn't post to the community. it can be accessed from my masterlist :)
also because i'm an unimaginative person
- cafe angel has appeared in 'i'll give it all to you, someday' and in part one of 'scilicet'
- mango chocolate cake has appeared in 'sublimation of a glow'
leave a comment? :)
ot12 friendship with taoris, baekyeol, hunhan, sukai
6k words
oneshot
repost of my runandgun fic for maayacola. original here
A good texting hand is the key to being a supervisor in Minseok’s little college café, and although Yifan’s inept when it comes to dealing with customers, he’s pretty good at sorting out the staff. Or the things going on between staff.
americano don't flow here
(only canadian and caramel)
"Yifan, can you take the afternoon shift as supervisor instead? It’s only for summer break, and I’ll be the chef for the same shift. Pay’s around the same, you’ll have to wait on customers sometimes, but it’s less work."
Brows furrowing out of habit, Yifan replies, "Well, I can, but why?"
Minseok’s about to respond, but then he closes his mouth, sighs, and smiles. "You put on your bitchface again, you know."
Yifan’s knife hand freezes, and he frowns, stretching to a stand from his hunch over the cutting board. "Again? Sorry." With a few twitches of effort, his face melts into… indifference, complete with sharp eyes and sharp eyebrows. Well, it's an improvement. "Thanks for reminding."
The corners of his smile turning an amused tilt upwards, Minseok answers Yifan’s awkward expression of gratitude with a “No problem.” The door behind him opens and he takes a few steps to the side, making way for an unfamiliar face. “Well, new school year means a lot of new guys, and one of them’s aiming for Business Administration and willing to try dealing with the guys in the morning shift. Meet Kim Joonmyun.”
New guy, skin pale and wrists looking pretty fragile, smiles. “Hello - Wu Yifan, right? I have Economics with Chanyeol, and he talks about you often.” He tacks a small laugh at the end, offering his hand.
Yifan gives it a firm shake and can’t help the half-smile that comes on his face. “Chanyeol talks a lot in general - the guys in morning shift are an interesting bunch.”
“Seems like it.” Joonmyun chuckles again, and his smile doesn’t falter even once as he speaks. “One of them seems pretty close with one of your customers - ”
“I’ll deal with it,” Minseok says, turning to leave.
Joonmyun’s eyebrows immediately slant in worry and he looks at Yifan with a questioning tilt of his head, but Yifan only blinks. “Sehun, the sleepy kid behind the cashier, does that to get tips from the female customers. They like it when he and Luhan display their affections for each other.”
And Joonmyun swallows. “Oh.”
Yifan nods. “Interesting bunch, yeah.”
From: Park Chanyeol
Hey! xD Have u met all the new employees already? Heard there were 3 of them, only saw 2 :-?
And congrats on ur promotion to pm shift manager lol, ur lucky u don’t have to deal w/ Jongin anymore -_-
To: Park Chanyeol
The other one’s coming to visit tomorrow, and he’s in the P.M. shift, so you might not see him unless you stick around until after your shift.
You’re welcome. I honestly don’t see why you guys have such a problem with Jongin, though.
From: Park Chanyeol
I don’t mind waiting around a bit to see the other newb :D
And that’s because he’s scared of u! xD He’s a brat when u or Kyungsoo aren’t looking. -_-;; I’m feeling bad for Joonmyun already.
To: Park Chanyeol
Are my eyebrows that scary?
And don’t say that, I’m sure Joonmyun will do fine. What do you think of Baekhyun? Didn’t get to talk to him earlier.
From: Park Chanyeol
R u srsly asking that first question? Lol. We call u Angry Bird for a reason.
And abt the 2nd question, u /do/ remember the time I was asking you if you knew a guy who’s in Pharmacy, has long fingers, sings like an angel and screams like the devil, right?
To: Park Chanyeol
Should I shave them off or something, seriously.
And your prospective crush from last year is Baekhyun?
From: Park Chanyeol
Lol, don’t shave them, u’ll probably be able to scare away even crows if u do.
And I was referring more to the fact that Baekhyun’s the guy who almost became my band’s lead singer lol. He seemed nice, but I didn’t really get to talk to him a lot, so it didn’t happen. I can’t believe u remember the prospective crush part tho, rofl.
But it’s not exactly prospective anymore… >u<
From: Kim Minseok (general message)
The new guys are starting on Monday, two days from now. Your shift changes will be effective then, too. I hope you all get along. :)
Also, bonus for anyone who finds a new delivery guy for the afternoon shift. Jino quit last week, and I’m having a hard time finding someone willing. Thanks!
To: Park Chanyeol
I just want to remind you that trying to work two consecutive shifts is usually painful, so try not to volunteer yourself. You’re already in the morning shift.
You were so obvious, you know. You were stuttering and speechless during your chat with him, and you’re never speechless. Kyungsoo was worrying again.
From: Park Chanyeol
Good chance for money, yeah, but I’m not an energizer battery lols. Making deliveries nine hours straight = nope
And Baekhyun said he liked my coffee! Of course I’d be speechless ;U; You all hate it for some reason.
To: Park Chanyeol
Good call.
You brewed his complementary new-employee cup? And he’s new, of course he’d say it tasted good. Even though you add too much sugar all the time.
From: Park Chanyeol
You probably have your bitchface on right now. :P
To: Park Chanyeol
You’re right. Damn it.
Yifan’s not really the type to walk around the campus at five in the morning to smell flowers and shit like that, but here he is, dying from a newly-discovered allergy to an unidentified something because Yixing said walks in the morning would be relaxing. (Was it the cat he fed? The dog he played with for approximately one second until he realized freshmen were staring? The plants that are everywhere?)
Maybe the reason Yifan has such a terrifying bitchface in the first place is because of Yixing and the rest of the kids in Minseok’s café, but Yifan hopes that’s not the case, because that would mean he’d have the bitchface for as long as he’s in contact with them. Which is practically forever.
And then Yifan’s day gets worse when he’s about to turn a corner and suddenly a bicycle and pain pain pain my foot fuck, fuck -
“S-sorry!” The bicycle reverses, and its wheel goes over Yifan’s foot again.
His nose is redder than Rudolph’s and his foot’s been crushed twice. Yifan doesn’t even have the energy to react beyond a wince and an actual, conscious bitchface anymore.
Staring at the small cake box in his bicycle’s basket, Bicycle Guy’s eyebags seem to get deeper and considerably darker, and Yifan momentarily feels bad. Maybe the bitchface was too much. “Uh, sorry…”
It’s not fine, because you don’t just run over a guy’s foot twice, but. “It’s alright,” Yifan says, right foot stinging and the rest of his leg tense and frozen. He shifts all his weight onto his left and sighs, putting his bitchface away. Bicycle Guy looks like he’s about to cry. “Really, I’m fine.”
“Oh…” After a short, quick breath, Bicycle Guy looks up with his face set in determination. “I’ll make it up to you!” He turns and grabs the box in his bicycle’s basket, saying, “You can have this cake slice, if you want, it’s mango chocolate and although it’s my favourite, I don’t mind - ”
What. “No, really, it’s fine.” Yifan waves a hand in dismissal. “And I have to go, I’m kinda busy. Walking.” A dreadful itch fills into his nasal cavity, and Yifan practically yells into his handkerchief, both his throat and nose in a world of pain. His words come out sad and nasal. “It’s apparently healthy - wait.”
Bicycle Guy blinks.
“You ride that bike well?”
With a shy smile, Bicyle Guy responds. “Well, I guess I’m okay…”
But Yifan’s already writing on some piece of paper he had found in his pocket, writing down ‘Café Angel’ in the most legible letters he can muster. “Do you want a part-time job? Four and a half hours in the afternoon, starting one-thirty. We’re looking for guys who can ride bicycles.” He hands it to the other man, on it written a cell phone number and an address. “If you’re interested, you can probably call that number for directions, but if you’re not, well.” He shrugs. “We’d be happy to have another customer.”
From: Kim Minseok
Do you know why I got called in the middle of the night by a Huang Zitao who’s in Physical Therapy and is apparently remorseful about running over your foot, so he’s decided to work at my café to make up for it?
To: Kim Minseok
His name was Huang Zitao?
And sorry, I gave him the café’s address, but I don’t remember the new delivery number so I gave him your number instead. But since he’s gonna be working with us, you’ll end up giving him your number anyway, so no harm done.
From: Kim Minseok
He seemed like he felt really bad about running your foot over. Like, a bit too bad.
And since you gave my number to a stranger, the bonus you get for finding a new delivery guy is nullified. :)
To: Kim Minseok
Are you insinuating that I gave him the bitchface?
And you put a smile at the end of that sentence?
From: Kim Minseok
I don’t have to pay extra, of course I’m smiling. :)
And I bet you have your bitchface on right now, don’t you?
It’s ten-thirty in the evening and Yifan doesn’t even bother to reply, too busy wondering how his friends of two years manage to predict his bitchfaces and too tired to think of a response.
Just kidding. There’s always energy for sassing back.
To: Kim Minseok
I bet you’re eating steamed buns right now, aren’t you?
From: Kim Minseok
I’m holding your pay. :)
Damn it.
It’s Monday.
Yifan goes to work just in time for the morning shift to start when he remembers that his shift is now in the afternoon.
The first thing Chanyeol does when he sees Yifan’s disgruntled face is laugh and clap like a seal, only managing to settle down when Joonmyun calls from inside the café, “Could you flip the sign on the door, Chanyeol?”
“Alright,” Chanyeol hollers back, leaning against his bicycle and shaking from suppressed laughter.
Yifan only sighs.
“I can give you a lift to the train station, if you want.” Chanyeol smiles, patting his bike. “No deliveries yet, and we don’t exactly get them often.”
“Nah, I’ll just… hang around, I guess. Maybe help a bit if I feel like it.” Yifan shrugs and takes a few steps past Chanyeol to the front door, but Chanyeol’s face breaks out into a grin and Yifan stops dead in his tracks, raising an eyebrow at the other man.
“You’re staying? Do you even have a social life outside Min-boss, Luhan, Yixing and me?” Chanyeol says, still grinning as he flips the sign on the door to ‘Open’.
One of the corners of Yifan’s lips quirk as he responds. “Yeah, I do - there’s rest of Angel’s staff. And I mean the guys on both shifts, not just the morning shift, alright?”
Chanyeol laughs again, securing the bike onto the stand next to the employees’ door. “Good for you!”
With another sigh and a smile, Yifan pushes open the door.
A tinkle sounds from above him and Yifan’s almost surprised, finding himself glancing up at the bell hanging above the door - hearing it from so close hasn’t happened to him in a while. There’s the smell of batter from the kitchen, too, not surrounding him like it usually does, and the wooden, glass-topped tables with small, hand-painted vases and salt-and-pepper shakers. Everything seems so new from the front door.
Yifan takes a random seat on a table next to the window and finds himself staring at the decorations sandwiched beneath the glass. Some of them are pastel-colored post-its, random things like ‘pathology textbook 1: page 71 to 82’ scrawled on in the worst penmanship Yifan’s seen besides his own, and some are pressed flowers pasted on paper and laminated. There’s one of the worn, lace coasters Minseok decided not to throw away, and maybe even a few love letters to and from different people - cute, but hopefully Minseok didn’t go digging through trash cans to get these things.
“The decor’s really homely, isn’t it?”
Yifan puts on his usual half-smile and hums in agreement, leaning back against his chair. “I guess it’s part of the reason why the guys who work here are pretty close.”
He gets a sheepish laugh in reply. “Ah, well, I’m actually pretty new here…”
“You’ll get along with them, trust me. And aren’t you and Chanyeol friends already?” Yifan stifles a knowing smile and looks up. “I work here, by the way.”
The waiter’s eyes momentarily grow wide before crinkling with a smile. “Café policy says that if it goes through the front door and it’s not wearing the work apron, then it’s a customer.”
A short chuckle bubbles from Yifan’s throat. “Well, then a cup of coffee, please - just make sure Chanyeol doesn’t touch it.”
Just as the waiter turns to leave with a call of ‘coming right up’, Yifan’s phone buzzes in his pocket.
From: Park Chanyeol
R u up to something? xO U got that evil smile on ur face for a minute. It’s worse than ur bitchface >n<
To: Park Chanyeol
Of course you’d be watching. I’m not stealing Baekhyun away, don’t worry. I’m just being a customer.
From: Park Chanyeol
Lols he told me not to touch the coffee.
Too bad, did you forget I’m the first one to touch the coffee machine each day? 8D
To: Park Chanyeol
No wonder you’re so energetic…
But it’s nice to see he has you whipped already.
From: Park Chanyeol
Hey! >o<
“Cup of coffee for a mister Wu,” Baekhyun says, holding onto the mug with long, rather unsteady fingers. He weaves them together and grins cheekily once he manages to set it on the coaster. “On the house, since you’re one of its tenants.”
“Thanks.” Yifan doesn’t drink yet, though. “I’m guessing Chanyeol told you my name?”
Baekhyun nods, smile still on his face. “He talks about you a lot - or, well, he tells stories about your bitchface.”
Yifan rubs his temples. Chanyeol again… “I bet he talked about the time I tried asking someone for directions.”
“He did, last year.” Arm propped on the chair opposite Yifan, Baekhyun chuckles. “He also mentioned the time you had to take care of kids for an outreach program, and the time you guys...” After a single glance at Yifan’s face, Baekhyun averts his eyes and straightens with a stilted laugh. “…He said a lot. Of good things!”
What, does he have the bitchface on again? Yifan sighs and tries to relax his facial muscles with a smile. Hopefully it doesn’t look like a threatening one. “I guess it’s my turn to talk about him? And you can take a seat, you know. I’m the only customer around.”
“Well, true.” After a quick glance around and at Yifan’s face, Baekhyun’s tense, tangled fingers relax and he slips onto the table’s only other seat. “The embarrassing high school stories are my favorites. I feel like Chanyeol has a lot of them.”
Yifan smirks and raises a hand, counting off with his fingers. “He does, really - he once got mad scientist hair when he tried to use his mother’s curling iron, he’d trip over his own feet whenever he tried to dance, he had to crossdress for a contest and actually won…”
“Crossdress?” Baekhyun sputters and starts to laugh. “No wonder he seemed satisfied when I mentioned that I did once, too!”
“He has a hard time controlling his face,” Yifan admits, nodding sagely. Then, listening closely, he says, “Do you find it easy to read his expressions?”
Baekhyun puts his hands in his lap and looks away in thought. “Well…” His eyes flicker to Yifan’s face, almost asking permission for something.
But Yifan just sips on his coffee.
Eventually, Baekhyun hums and starts to talk. “His expressions are happy and cheerful, but he’s as sharp as a laser, so. Well.” His fingers start to twist together again. “I guess he can mix it up a bit, I think. I’ve seen him play around with others when he, um, seems? I’m not sure, but like he’s really not in his best mood. It’s kind of hard to explain… There’s just something there, somehow.” But with a soft, sobering smile, he says, “It’s just that he… doesn’t, with me. He doesn’t put up fronts. There’s nothing to read past.”
Yifan hides a smile behind his mug.
Rubbing his neck, Baekhyun chuckles, not meeting Yifan’s eyes. “Sorry, it’s a bit weird - I’m not as close to him as, well, you, of course.”
“It comes with time. And he says you’re fun and pleasant to hang out with, so.” Even though Baekhyun’s face is still set in a neutral smile, Yifan can see the other man’s ears turning red and continues. “Chanyeol likes people who don’t write him off as a hyperactive puppy, and he likes people he can dork around with even more.”
Staring off into the window at the side, Baekhyun falls quiet. Yifan stares out too, only to see Jongin, and he raises a hand in a small wave. Jongin makes a small wave back and enters the café, the chime above the door tinkling softly.
Baekhyun stands with a smile. “Have to go, job’s calling.” Then, the redness on his ears reaching his cheeks, he grins. “And, well, thanks.”
Yifan nods and Baekhyun turns, greeting Jongin with a bright “I’ll be right there!” as Jongin goes in front of the cashier to order.
Head tilted imperceptibly, Jongin glances over his shoulder at Yifan and blinks. But another customer enters, crossing between them - Yifan looks again but Jongin’s already looking away, placing an order.
The café’s starting to wake up with its usual bustle, the ringing of the bell sounding more often, now. Yifan takes another small sip of the coffee, wanting to finish it, but he finds himself sighing after - it’s practically a warm cup of sugar with a teaspoon of coffee, as Chanyeol always makes it. If Baekhyun really was the one who made this, then maybe he and Chanyeol are probably meant to be. (Not that that’s a bad thing.)
One last sip, and after a glance around, Yifan leaves. He’ll come back for his actual shift later.
From: Park Chanyeol
So wat if I tripped over my own feet, u did too :|
And… thanx for putting in a good word, lol xD
To: Park Chanyeol
How did you even hear us?
But you’re welcome.
Afternoon shift.
Well, some thirty minutes before it.
From: Luhan
The tip jar next to the cashier is now full lol
Also, Jongin was picking on the new supervisor, probably testing him or some dumb excuse like that. He’s gone now, but you might want to check around
So Yifan goes fifteen minutes early, arriving just in time to see Chanyeol talking to Guy-Whose-Bike-Ran-Over-His-Foot in front of the café. He’s apparently giving a run-through of the delivery process, if his last sentence - “Remember that we only deliver to places twenty minutes, at most, away!” - is anything to go by.
Bike Guy raises his hand in a small wave and Yifan nods in acknowledgement, but then Chanyeol’s suddenly bounding over, eyes and mouth open wide.
Yifan’s already sighing when Chanyeol reaches him. “Luhan told me Jongin did something?”
Hands on Yifan’s shoulders, Chanyeol dramatically recounts, “He was ragging on Joonmyun! Asking him why there’s hipster garbage inside the tables when he’s been going to the café even longer than Joonmyun has, asking him why he doesn’t bake as well as you when he’s the supervisor - rude, right? - and asking him why the place’s wi-fi was hella slow that day, man. I’m not yet even finished.” Chanyeol shakes his head. “It was worse than the time he was freaking out about the coffee.”
“But your coffee’s bad…”
Chanyeol blinks and smiles. “What?”
Yifan blinks. “I’ll talk to Kyungsoo. Did he leave already?”
“Min-boss - I mean, Min-chef’s here already, so yeah, he did. Joonmyun’s already gone, too, and Sehun left with Luhan just a minute ago, but Baek’s still helping around.” Voice suddenly taking a giddy, almost conspiratorial tone, he leans a bit closer with a grin and says, “Me and Baek actually live on the same street!”
Yifan gives a thumbs up and a smile in reply and Chanyeol practically bounces in place.
“Yifan,” Yixing calls from the employee door’s doorway, hands busy tying his apron. “Could you teach Zitao the workflow around here? I’m helping Jongdae.”
“Oh, and that, too,” Chanyeol continues, following after Yifan as the other man walks toward the café. “You said there was one new guy for the afternoon shift, not two?”
“I found him,” Yifan inclines his head in Bike Guy’s direction, “after I texted you. Sorry about that.”
Chanyeol smiles and says, “It’s fiiine.” He sticks his head into the room past Yixing and hollers a few goodbyes before calling for Baekhyun, who hops out a minute later with a chuckle. As the two of them leave, Chanyeol looks back and waves one last time before turning a corner, and then they’re gone.
…Well.
Yifan turns to find Bike Guy staring a hole into the pavement and tries to remember his name, but nope. Bike Guy is Bike Guy. Huang… something. Introductions are always so awkward, and although they’re not when Yifan can act cool, this guy has seen him with a running nose and run over his foot twice. Being cool is impossible. “So. Tao…zi. Taozi… right?”
Bike Guy chuckles, soft and… maybe cute? And Yifan finds himself staring before he suddenly remembers that no, of course you wouldn’t name a guy peach. “It’s Zitao.”
“Ah, s-sorry.” Yifan closes his eyes in an almost-wince - he’s pretty sure he hasn’t stuttered in months. After another second, he opens them again and continues, ignoring Yixing’s amused smile as the other man watches from the doorway. “I’m Yifan.”
“Yixing told me.” Wow, someone other than Chanyeol, for once. But then Zitao smiles and Yifan feels like he’s dying? Holy crap, high school crushes all over again. Yifan’s mentally berating himself when Zitao speaks again. “So when I’m not making deliveries, what do I do?”
“Uh?” Yixing does laugh out loud, now, and Yifan sends him a bitchface before turning back to Zitao, trying to smile nicely. “Sorry, was spacing out. Well, when we have a lot of customers, you help around, too. Which is why I’m gonna be teaching you.” Yixing starts walking inside, and Yifan follows, adding, “Not that we actually get crowded often, but we get by. Come in and get an apron.”
Zitao seems almost hesitant, walking forward but stopping right at the doorway.
Something suddenly comes to Yifan’s mind, then - “We give complementary mango chocolate cake slices to new employees.”
A grin lights up Zitao’s face and Yifan wants to hide in his hands before he does anything stupid. Like pat Zitao’s hair, or something. It looks fluffy. God.
From: Zhang Yixing
(´∀｀)
To: Zhang Yixing
What.
From: Zhang Yixing
You, earlier = (｡-_-｡ )♡
To: Zhang Yixing
I was not.
From: Zhang Yixing
¯\_( ´∀｀)_/¯
From: Kim Minseok
Don’t steal ingredients from the café to bake a cake for Zitao, now. :)
To: Kim Minseok
I won’t, trust me.
From: Kim Minseok
But I’ll gladly give permission if you ask. :) :)
From: Park Chanyeol
LOL I heard wat went down w/ u and Zitao yesterday from Yixing.
So I guess u’ll have to change your status on FB to ‘in a relationship’ now ROFL
To: Zhang Yixing, Kim Minseok, Park Chanyeol
WHAT.
To: Park Chanyeol
And YOU. Don’t tell me that, I’m not one who’s supposed to be changing his status on FB.
From: Park Chanyeol
Lols
Fifty won says u’ll be changing ur status on FB anyway because of ‘Taozi’
To: Park Chanyeol
GO TO SLEEP ALREADY.
So Yifan finds himself waking up a bit later than usual. He normally doesn’t get a series of annoying texts at eleven in the evening, sure, but that’s actually not the proper cause of his lack of sleep.
He presses his palms to his eyes and groans, turning to lie on his side. He’s pretty sure he hasn’t dreamt of pandas before.
He stays home that morning, curled up on his couch and bumming around in front of the electric fan like most people are prone to do in summer. There are re-runs of basketball games on the television, matches Yifan already knows the outcome to, so he changes the channel - it’s a nature documentary about pandas.
Yifan throws his remote on the couch and bums around in his bed instead.
From: Do Kyungsoo
Hi, Chanyeol told me you were looking for me? owo I’m not at the café today since I have a cold, sorry.
To: Do Kyungsoo
It’s fine, Kibum should be there. You’re friends with Jongin, right?
From: Do Kyungsoo
Ah, sorry about him. He just likes to mess around sometimes. The others are on good terms with him, but I’m sure you know how sensitive Chanyeol is when it comes to his coffee. ouo
To: Do Kyungsoo
…True.
I heard Jongin was ragging on Joonmyun, though?
From: Do Kyungsoo
Ah, well, that’s actually my fault. Sorry. I told Jongin I wasn’t sure if I could work well around Joonmyun, so Jongin’s overreacting and now he’s been picking on him. ono
To: Do Kyungsoo
What’s wrong? Did Joonmyun do something?
Kyungsoo doesn’t reply.
Yifan’s already showered and fixing his hair in a mirror when he finally gets a response, almost twenty minutes later.
From: Do Kyungsoo
Joonmyun didn’t do anything bad, but he’s my ex.
For an entire three minutes, Yifan stares at his phone.
To: Do Kyungsoo
I see.
Could you tell Jongin not to do it, though?
From: Do Kyungsoo
I just sent him a text. Not sure if he’ll actually listen, though. You know how he is. ono Sorry about that, really.
To: Do Kyungsoo
It’s alright. Thanks.
Yifan finds himself going to the café early again.
Jongin’s sitting on his usual table, not too far from the cashier. He’s looking in Joonmyun’s direction and about to raise his hand, probably to call the other man over, when Yifan enters and Jongin’s gaze and palm quickly rotate in his direction.
Yifan makes an amused, unimpressed face and nods back, approaching the table. “Nice save. Can I sit?”
“Why not?” Jongin says, lightly shrugging. His half-raised hand awkwardly slips back around his coffee mug.
So Yifan takes a seat, and after a glance at Joonmyun who’s busy dealing with a customer a few tables away, immediately begins, “Is there a reason you’ve been ragging on Joonmyun?”
“I guess Chanyeol told you?” Jongin braces his chin on his arm propped on the table and puts on a small, cheeky smile. “I don’t think he’s gotten over the coffee thing, yet.”
Yifan sighs. Why are there so many kids around him? “Yeah, I know. But the one who makes bad coffee is him, not Joonmyun.”
“Did you talk to Kyungsoo?”
“I did.”
“Then let me tell you that I’m not doing this because of that.” Head still resting on his fist, his gaze turns toward Joonmyun, and he says, “I think he has a crush on me.”
“Oh my god.” Yifan places his forehead in his palm.
Jongin continues, already grinning into his knuckles. “His reactions are way too flustered.”
Yifan shakes his head. “If we didn’t share several classes and several friends, I’m pretty sure I would have banned you from the café, now.”
“Do you want something? Hey, Joonmyun.” Jongin raises his other hand. “Ordering.”
Joonmyun turns around and, nibbling on his lip, starts to walk over. “Y-yes?”
Jongin points to Yifan.
Yifan shakes his head and, slanting an impish look at Jongin, says, “You don’t have to serve this guy anymore, Baekhyun or Minho can.” Jongin sputters from the side and Yifan adds, “I’m a supervisor of this café, too.”
But after a moment of thought, Joonmyun just smiles brightly. “I’m a supervisor, too, and I think I don’t mind.”
Jongin blinks.
Yifan blinks, too, but gathers his wits faster. “…Okay.”
And Joonmyun walks away.
“…He might really be a masochist,” Yifan says.
Jongin just shrugs again, and his face melts into its usual, cold indifference. But his throat’s bobbing in several gulps and Yifan cocks a knowing eyebrow.
Afternoon shift starts again and Yifan realizes what the panda dreams actually mean, now.
Tuesday’s a slow day and Zitao’s just sitting behind the counter, eyes half-closed. He has an earphone plugged into an ear and Yifan can faintly hear the music from the other one hanging freely - the café’s largely quiet, except for a few taps on a keyboard and a soft, low hum of wǒ bànyǎn nǐ xīnzhōng wéi yī yīngxióng.
“You’re a fan of Exo?” Yifan finds himself asking, sitting on another nearby chair.
Zitao straightens, nods, and smiles, his eyes crinkling and his eyebags - oh, Yifan thinks to himself, like a panda. “I’ve been a fan since their first mini-album - you like their songs, too?”
“I know they’re mostly a rock band, but ever since I heard Two Moons, I’ve started liking them since,” Yifan replies, looking out past the counter - Luhan and Sehun are at a table near the back, and a number of female customers are watching them chat and laugh with each other. “They’re having their concert soon, at the park in the middle of the campus.”
“Really?” Zitao’s mouth rounds in surprise before he suddenly deflates, slumping against the counter again. “Ah, I bet it’s expensive…”
Ài wúsuǒbùzài - “See that guy in the back with the big eyes?”
Zitao squints. “The one talking with Sehun?”
Yifan nods. “He’s from Exo.”
For a moment, Zitao doesn’t respond.
Slowly, one of his hands reach up to rub at his eyes, and Yifan hides a smile in his fist as Zitao’s sleepy eyes slowly widen and widen and “R-really?”
“Luhan’s a regular, a lot of us are friends with him.” Yifan leans his shoulder against the counter, his smile quirking - Zitao’s reactions are fun to watch. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind giving us free tickets.”
Zitao’s eyes are sparkling again. “Really?!”
“I think you’ve said that three times, already,” Yifan says, looking back to the front with a chuckle. “And he’s a nice guy - he’s already offered free tickets to most of the staff, but a number of us have things to do. “ He looks over to Luhan’s table again just in time to see Luhan feed Sehun a bite of cake, and he hurriedly averts his gaze. Luhan has cool shoes. “Pretty sure Sehun’s going.”
“Are you?”
Yifan blinks. He’s not much of a concert-going type of guy, but Zitao looks apprehensive and Yifan can guess where this is going. “Not sure. Why?”
“I don’t really go to concerts often,” Zitao admits, looking to the front, too. “I want to watch, but I haven’t actually gone to one alone…”
And maybe Chanyeol and Yixing and practically everyone will ask Yifan if he’s possessed, later, but. “I can go with you, if you want.”
“…really?”
Yifan has an ‘And that’s the fourth time’ ready on his lips, but Zitao’s grinning, and Yifan finds himself grinning back. “Why not?”
Qǐng nǐ gàosu wǒ rúguǒ zhèyàng jiùshì ài.
From: Luhan
Are you and new deli guy taking notes from me and Sehun or something lol, that was totally eyefucking HunHan style
To: Luhan
No, we weren’t doing it to rake in tips.
From: Luhan
Heyyy, lemme remind you that it wasn’t Sehun’s shift at that time. We’re totally real.
To: Luhan
I know, don’t worry.
So are you really going to kiss him in front of the crowd at the concert two weeks from now?
From: Luhan
Dunno… I told Sehun about it and he says he doesn’t mind, but I’m thinking maybe it’s better if it’s in private.
God I’m turning into a sentimental fuck
To: Luhan
Keep going. Since it’s your first kiss, make it special.
From: Luhan
How did you know that
To: Luhan
Chanyeol’s been taking notes.
From: Luhan
That tall shit, is it because of Baekhyun
To: Luhan
All the better for business. The tips are getting bigger each day.
From: Luhan
And eventually, you and your little peach will get a tip jar too lol
From: Luhan
You didn’t respond with a snark omg
From: Luhan
You are totally fucking
To: Luhan
No, we’re not. Please shut up. We are not getting a jar.
From: Luhan
Lol too late I told Yixing and Chanyeol already, you know the entire world’s gonna learn about it now
From: Luhan
And you used ‘We’ omg lol
To: Luhan
LET ME SLEEP.
So the concert happens, and -
Too many people, god, see, this is why Yifan doesn’t usually go -
Zitao grabs onto Yifan’s sleeve but Yifan holds onto Zitao’s hand, pulling him close. The crowd’s looking for their seats. We get VIP ones. It’s easy to get separated and lost, so just follow me, and don’t let go.
(It’s a good excuse.)
From: Luhan
Guess who I saw holding hands in the crowd lol
To: Luhan
Your fans were stampeding all over the damn place. Zitao would’ve gotten washed away if I hadn’t, so don’t give me that.
From: Luhan
I was actually talking about Joonmyun and Jongin but that works even better lol, you are seriously digging yourself into a hole
Just date already
To: Luhan
What, just suddenly ask him out? No.
From: Luhan
Of course not, play it smooth lol. Just try it out. Maybe it won’t work, maybe it will, but just stop being so sexually frustrated all the damn time. Maybe you’ll even lose your bitchface rofl
To: Luhan
I wonder why I even read your texts.
From: Luhan
Because you listen to me lol
Invite him to a basketball date or something, I know you love those balls
To: Luhan
How does Sehun even deal with you?
From: Huang Zitao
Thanks for going to the concert with me ^^ I’ll make it up to you!
To: Huang Zitao
Well, do you play basketball? :)
To: Luhan
I can’t believe I just listened to you.
Don’t tell Chanyeol and Yixing, please.
From: Luhan
Omg
From: Park Chanyeol
Remember to use protection
And Baekhyun recommends eating pineapple LOL
From: Zhang Yixing
This was obviously gonna happen ╮(─▽─)╭
To: Luhan, Park Chanyeol, Zhang Yixing
GOODNIGHT.
fin
bonus:
From: Zhang Yixing
You don’t mind your friend and your ex getting together? ( ・◇・)？
To: Zhang Yixing
It’s alright, that was a joke anyway. Jongin wanted an excuse to mess with Joonmyun in public and Joonmyun needed an excuse to be messed with in public. They’ve been going out for a while. ovo
From: Zhang Yixing
(ಠ_ಠ) Why would you want to be teased in public
To: Zhang Yixing
One’s a fairly sadistic dance major and the other one’s a fairly masochistic acting major, they manage to control one another pretty well. owo
From: Zhang Yixing
(⊙_◎;;)
To: Zhang Yixing
I’m a psych major, we can tell these things. ouo
fin (for real)
- masterlist + requests - watch - join -
only got around to reposting this now lol, i operate with extreme lag ;;
those coming over from taorisfics might be interested in an older taoris fic of mine, which i didn't post to the community. it can be accessed from my masterlist :)
also because i'm an unimaginative person
- cafe angel has appeared in 'i'll give it all to you, someday' and in part one of 'scilicet'
- mango chocolate cake has appeared in 'sublimation of a glow'
leave a comment? :)