name for the cup ; sungyeol x everyone ; g
"name for the cup.
one-shot / g / sungyeol x everyone / romance; general / (2,808 words)
→ Sungyeol remembers names as much as he remembers every face that enters the espresso-ridden coffee shop. And he finally tastes love.
"If I asked for a cup of coffee, someone would search for the double meaning." - Mae West
Sungyeol remembers names as much as he remembers every face that enters the espresso-ridden coffee shop.
A man (or was he?) named Sungjong comes in the coffee shop every Friday afternoon ordering the same strawberry shortcake and hot chocolate, alone, uniform ironed white, books in hand. He walks-no, he strides with a certain ladylike flow in the hips to the counter and says his order smoothly, as if on routine. Sungjong can’t be missed because he was a sight; his elegant stance, the graceful settling of his hair, his milky complexion, the melody in his voice. He is the luxury of a Friday afternoon, the entertainment, the oblivious eye-candy, after a hard-hitting exam or an embarrassing job interview or maybe even the center of a conversation. He is beautiful.
But Sungyeol ought not to ask if he wasn't obliged to take names. He felt like he knew this boy, Sungjong, after 32 Fridays of the same order. Sungyeol has watched him in a certain slowmo shot in an artistic film grading of a Super8 camera and can pay for another run of the show. He is a star, a name he will never forget. Forget common courtesy! Forget the faux anonymity! Forget--
"Can I get your name for the cup, Sir?" Sungyeol asks swimming in the sweetness of his stare, the playful curve in his grin.
"You know," the boy says with a twinkle in his eye and a tap of his slender finger. Sungyeol raises a suspicious brow.
Sungyeol debates if he was to write "U-know" as most teenagers (girls) would channel an idol as their identity ("Changmin," some lady says with hair spiked up, like thorns ready to pierce his eyeballs; “Ever”, with a barista calling out, “One iced caramel macchiato for-Ever!”) but judging from the boy’s small smile and playful tone of voice, Sungyeol decides to go with what he knows and knows very well.
Sungjong.
-
A Nam Woohyun arrives.
And no, Sungyeol didn't intend to know his family name. He only came once, a Sunday night, with a beautiful young lady. Sungyeol judges it's Nam Woohyun's first and, unfortunately, last time entering a coffee shop.
Faux-smile on and he leaves his lady on the shop's corner.
"Umm, it's my first time here so…"
Nam Woohyun struggles but Sungyeol figured that out earlier.
"Very well, sir. You might want to have our sweet chocolate mousse topped with strawberries for the lady there and a casual cup of soy easy-foam caramel macchiato for the two of you. Would that be great?"
He looks slightly confused, foreign as he takes more than five seconds to reply. It’s as if a huge marquee of large words “soy easy-foam caramel macchiato” flashed before his eyes and he’s scared and suddenly so little.
As much as Sungyeol sounded impressive and extremely intelligent at that very moment, Nam Woohyun’s reaction to his offer just negated his ego. Did he sound too foreign with his coffee jargon? Does a jargon of some kind even exist?
"Just get what I said and I'll raise the sugar-level for your coffee if you don't like it," Sungyeol hurries, seeing the growing queue of customers.
Nam Woohyun, this time, agrees in an instant.
"Can I get a name?"
This fellow, yet again, processes for more than what's supposed to but he picks up, slightly, "Nam Woohyun."
Sungyeol manages to retain his perpetual smile and avoid a pretentious laugh ready to escape. He doesn't need a family name but if he wants to let Sungyeol know that, then he'll wait until the young lady becomes a Nam as well.
And this foreign man's return.
For now, Nam Woohyun's face crumbles at the sip of his macchiato. He'll enjoy it, as he enjoys holding his girlfriend's hand under the table, sweetening the coffee even more.
-
His voice echoed through the coffee shop. He was loud. Obliviously loud because when he enters this peaceful oasis, his plugged earphones are louder than any fireman's siren. The guitar riffs resonate from the plugs and the bass was enough to send mild vibrations through the marbled counter. It deafens and shakes Sungyeol as well.
"Hello there," the man's voice is immediately soft and moderate when he pulls out from his thunderous earphones. He’s stunned because it was a two-word song, a harmonious string of words so much better than what he’s listening to. Sungyeol thinks if ever he has listened to himself.
"Just a very strong espresso,” he continues bouncing to the echoing music.
Sungyeol checks the time. "But Sir, this won't get you to sleep," defends the concerned barista but is fronted with an innocent smile.
"Good!"
Sungyeol sighs in defeat, and feels heavier when the customer’s deteriorating skin and dark bags zoom in his vision.
"Name for the cup, Sir?"
"Sunggyu," he replies and for a moment, Sungyeol thinks he heard a melody behind his spoken name.
"Write the word "sleepless" before my name. That'll motivate me," customer Sunggyu requested seeming to be dancing in place and bouncing around, either practicing or keeping himself awake.
Sungyeol allows it and lets Sunggyu, and his sleep, go.
Surprisingly, Sunggyu returns. Every after a day minus Sunday, he turns heads when he enters the cafe, loud but almost pleasant. He orders the same thing so Sungyeol doesn't ask as soon as they’re both familiar and gets a signal from him. He never missed requesting for preceding words before his name; Superstar Sunggyu, when he mentions something along the lines of training, world class star, something something.
"Ssh Sunggyu," Sungyeol gives when he was too loud that one night where students were studying in some couches.
On a Wednesday, his eyes were eaten by dark circles and his earphones weren't plugged in his ears. Heads turn, because he wasn't him. He fights a smile when he approaches Sungyeol and he thinks it was the signal.
But it wasn't.
"Umm, uhh," Sunggyu struggles and Sungyeol watches his eyelids, thin slits, fall heavy and struggling to carry them awake. He thinks for another five seconds, blankly staring at the menu. Sungyeol doesn't rush him. His "umms and uhs," slowly became melodies dancing in a catchy rhythm so he makes him do it a couple of times before its 10 seconds.
"Sir, we'll have something for you in a moment. We'll give it to you for free since we've noticed your constant visit since last month," Sungyeol fakes the reward because he cashes his own money in. Sunggyu, in his absent mind, walks to the nearest table with a weak whisper.
"Thank you."
Sungyeol serves the hot chocolate himself, doubling the marshmallows. He lets the cup face Sunggyu, who seemed to have his eyes closed. But it was worth the try, getting his attention. "Sleep, Sunggyu."
After a few large gulps, he rests his head on the table and sleeps.
Sunggyu gestures, Friday night, and he's back on track. The dark circles were still there but hours of sleep make enough difference for these people; trainees. Sungyeol prepares the usual and writes a word before his name.
"Sing, Sunggyu."
That was the last time he saw Sunggyu in the coffee shop.
The next was in the television.
-
The shine in their bodies fascinated Sungyeol. The two men approaching him were very sweaty, but it didn't look repulsive. They looked shiny and undeniably appealing. They walked with a certain grace, their feet sliding along the wooden floor as if afloat. They were dancing, not walking. They had wings.
"Anything cold, please," the man with thick lips and sharp eyes says with a certain keenness in his voice then turns to his companion, contoured eyebrows, thin lips, charismatic eyes. Was he foreign? They were so different in images but the gazes they shared showed something. Though, Sungyeol couldn’t really figure what it was.
"Iced vanilla macchiato and hot chocolate fudge with extra mallows," the charismatic one orders with a pleasant smile. Wow, he's handsome. "Names, please?"
“Hoya, Dongwoo."
Sungyeol will definitely remember that.
"You remember me and my friend right?"
Hoya returns on a Thursday night, and Sungyeol's thankful he didn't leave earlier for his shift.
Of course, "Yes, Hoya-shi!" He receives a suspicious stare from Hoya and he wishes he didn't say his name. "My friend is celebrating his birthday today and I want to give him something really good," Hoya explains, words trailing while he studied the cakes displayed on the glass panel. There was a certain glint in his eyes. It was unusually happy and horribly contagious. His smile was genuine and excited. Sungyeol wonders why and he thinks it's because of Dongwoo, and how they're complete opposites but perfectly matched. Or how they look flawlessly in sync together; it's like the whole world stops to watch them for a little while. They were perfect. And definitely in love.
"Our chocolate cake is a best-seller. It has strawberries inside as a surprise so that might just be perfect for a birthday surprise." It was one of Sungyeol's favorite cakes and for the sake of love, he wanted others to have a taste of it. When Hoya cashes in and holds the boxed cake, his friend enters the cafe.
Sungyeol hears a quiet cuss from Hoya when their eyes meet. It was too late. Dongwoo's smile reached his ears already. His laugh, a very mocking, lengthy, and funny laugh, started to slip from his lips. He points to the box, then to Hoya's shocked face. They laughed together but mostly, Hoya snickers in disappointment.
"Is that for me?" Dongwoo asks with a huge grin plastered in his face. Their charisma was both so different as well. He can tell that Dongwoo was always the calmer one, balances the intensity of Hoya's appeal. The curve in Hoya's brows seemed less tensed when met by Dongwoo's smooth ones. Dongwoo, in all his presence, was calm while Hoya was adrenaline. But this time, Dongwoo manages to engulf Hoys with his calm.
"Is that for us?" He changes it, and they share another laugh. "You didn't have to, you silly baby," he wraps an arm around a disappointed looking Hoya. Sungyeol watches the two of them, perfect lovers eating his favorite cake. Hoya looked frustrated but strains himself in silence. They’re like puzzle pieces; a huge pile of different corners and various shapes but still meant to connect to each other, just the two of them.
"Wow, Howon!" Dongwoo says his real name and Sungyeol adds it to his name collection. Hoya, Howon, snaps to look at Sungyeol. He serves Dongwoo coffee lined with a coffee art heart. The plate had chocolate letters spelling, 생일축하해! -호야. "Happy birthday, Sir!" Sungyeol greets and looks at Howon, whose eyes were as shocked as Dongwoo's.
"Surprise, Dongwoo!"
Hoya smiles.
When they leave, Hoya stays behind to give Sungyeol a rather tight hug.
"Thanks."
For some reason, Sungyeol thinks he felt a thud from his chest that collided with the beating of Hoya’s heart. It was horribly contagious and the small gesture of his appreciation made him feel like a triumphant Cupid and even considers for the smallest second that after coffee, love is what he loves the most. And he genuinely hopes that it goes the same for these two dancers.
And Sungyeol waits for a surprise to come from an own love.
Sungyeol sips on his ordered Americano and tastes love at its best.
-
There was perpetual sadness in the eyes of this Monday customer. He comes alone, leaves alone. So when Sungyeol gets a name, he makes sure he doesn't forget.
"Myungsoo," He says after an order of hot chocolate.
This Myungsoo settles on the couches. If none of it was available, he leaves. When he does find a seat, he takes a couple of sips of his hot chocolate and sleeps. The cafe doesn't make him leave, because he usually sleeps when the cafe isn't really filled with people. When he wakes up, he shoots up and takes sharp looks on his sides. He gulps his remaining chocolate drink and runs outside. It was always on routine so when Sungyeol thinks it was enough, he confronts him. He confronts him because Sungyeol felt this twisting sadness in his chest. He confronts him.
Through coffee, of course.
"Are you okay?" Sungyeol writes in the cup instead of “Myungsoo”, that one time. Myungsoo sees the note but falls asleep immediately. God, if only Myungsoo’s fingers weren't twined with the cup, he could've taken it back. He’s almost certain Myungsoo would think of it as a dream. Myungsoo, as if on schedule, disappears in the coffee shop in an instant. When he's finally gone, Sungyeol rushes for the cup and twists it, finding a reply. Tough luck if Myungsoo actually had a pen.
"None, none, none…
“네."
It was written in small text, like a girl's handwriting. It was horribly short and the lack of other characters made him assume all the possibilities. After a moment of contemplating, Sungyeol heaves and gives a hearty laugh.
"Good."
Myungsoo arrives, same dead eyes and lazy orders. But Sungyeol smiles his brightest, hoping to give him some of the energy. He doesn't seem to remember the cup-question, maybe because it happened a week ago. Or maybe he actually does regard it as a dream. Before he hands the drink to Myungsoo, he alters his name again. "-.-" he draws and hands it. When Myungsoo sits and notices, he laughs.
At that moment, he felt havoc in his heart, as if fireworks have imploded in him and the sound of his laugh with the crescent arcs of his smiling eyes, embraced Sungyeol with immediate comfort. His toes curl in delight and he almost laughs at the next customer. They share a short glance, one with the most diverse meanings and he goes on again with his assuming nature. When they part gazes, Myungsoo sleeps.
When he leaves, Sungyeol steals the cup before it's discarded. A simple drawing greets him, a smiley face with a ginormous smile, gums wider than the teeth. He laughs, earns a number of stares and keeps the cup.
He arrives with the same dead eyes but a slight curl in his lips when they're in front of each other. He gives a short gaze, his pupils drowning him. As part of his barista responsibilities, he asks for names as if he doesn't remember. Even if he knows his name, he asks anyway because he imagines it as Myungsoo formally introducing himself to him.
"Your name, Sir?" he asks, pen ready to touch the cup.
"Your name," Myungsoo repeats.
Sungyeol raises an eyebrow and slowly looks at him. He was smiling, a very cute smile. It hits him when he realizes he wasn't repeating what he said.
He was asking.
Sungyeol, he writes with a smiley face (a heart would be too much, and too obvious) beside it. When he receives the cup, Myungsoo looks at it with a nod and a smile, and sleeps yet again.
It was Monday when schoolwork piled up like towers forming on Sungyeol’s shoulders. It was enough for him to miss work for a whole week. The fact that he might not even take the part-time job scared him. There was a slight decrease in his periodicals but with complete focus on academics during the week, he pushes to exceed his quota. He returns to the coffee shop on a Tuesday, two weeks after taking leave.
He settles his bicycle which he rides from school to the shop just 10 minutes away. The shop has always been jam-packed especially during dismissals where high schoolers take the time off and the nightlife starts. When he enters, the little bell signals, and familiar faces smile at him.
But something caught the corner of his eyes.
A stool screeches and a man stands straight up looking at Sungyeol with his not-so lazy eyes.
“I thought you weren’t coming back,” he smiles in disbelief.
Sungyeol stares at him, speechless but more than delighted, sweeter than any honey for an English Breakfast Tea.
“…you speak in sentences,” was the only thing he manages to quip just for words to come from disbelief.
Myungsoo and Sungyeol laugh in unison and from the time being, Myungsoo manages to stay awake for him because,
“Blinking would be a waste when you’re with me.”
And Sungyeol remembers everything; the faces that enter the shop, the names, the orders, the trainees, the dancers, the boys who look as lovely as girls, the lazy I love you’s from held hands under the tables, and the lazy I love you’s from the sleeping boy at the corner of the shop holding a cup that had obvious hearts for a name, Myungsoo.
And he remembers love.
started: october 31, 2011 finished: october 31, 2011 (edit: december 23, 2011)
Author’s Note: This was written two years ago. :) This is a one of 14 other Infinite fics I wrote for a personal Project14 I started last ’11 which I never got to post. As with the writing date where Infinite was just a rookie group, I did my best in characterizing the members based on first meeting and the casual follow-ups. It has been great seeing how the boys have achieved a big name in the industry and actually being there to witness it from You Are My Oppa days! Well, here goes Sungyeol.
one-shot / g / sungyeol x everyone / romance; general / (2,808 words)
→ Sungyeol remembers names as much as he remembers every face that enters the espresso-ridden coffee shop. And he finally tastes love.
"If I asked for a cup of coffee, someone would search for the double meaning." - Mae West
Sungyeol remembers names as much as he remembers every face that enters the espresso-ridden coffee shop.
A man (or was he?) named Sungjong comes in the coffee shop every Friday afternoon ordering the same strawberry shortcake and hot chocolate, alone, uniform ironed white, books in hand. He walks-no, he strides with a certain ladylike flow in the hips to the counter and says his order smoothly, as if on routine. Sungjong can’t be missed because he was a sight; his elegant stance, the graceful settling of his hair, his milky complexion, the melody in his voice. He is the luxury of a Friday afternoon, the entertainment, the oblivious eye-candy, after a hard-hitting exam or an embarrassing job interview or maybe even the center of a conversation. He is beautiful.
But Sungyeol ought not to ask if he wasn't obliged to take names. He felt like he knew this boy, Sungjong, after 32 Fridays of the same order. Sungyeol has watched him in a certain slowmo shot in an artistic film grading of a Super8 camera and can pay for another run of the show. He is a star, a name he will never forget. Forget common courtesy! Forget the faux anonymity! Forget--
"Can I get your name for the cup, Sir?" Sungyeol asks swimming in the sweetness of his stare, the playful curve in his grin.
"You know," the boy says with a twinkle in his eye and a tap of his slender finger. Sungyeol raises a suspicious brow.
Sungyeol debates if he was to write "U-know" as most teenagers (girls) would channel an idol as their identity ("Changmin," some lady says with hair spiked up, like thorns ready to pierce his eyeballs; “Ever”, with a barista calling out, “One iced caramel macchiato for-Ever!”) but judging from the boy’s small smile and playful tone of voice, Sungyeol decides to go with what he knows and knows very well.
Sungjong.
-
A Nam Woohyun arrives.
And no, Sungyeol didn't intend to know his family name. He only came once, a Sunday night, with a beautiful young lady. Sungyeol judges it's Nam Woohyun's first and, unfortunately, last time entering a coffee shop.
Faux-smile on and he leaves his lady on the shop's corner.
"Umm, it's my first time here so…"
Nam Woohyun struggles but Sungyeol figured that out earlier.
"Very well, sir. You might want to have our sweet chocolate mousse topped with strawberries for the lady there and a casual cup of soy easy-foam caramel macchiato for the two of you. Would that be great?"
He looks slightly confused, foreign as he takes more than five seconds to reply. It’s as if a huge marquee of large words “soy easy-foam caramel macchiato” flashed before his eyes and he’s scared and suddenly so little.
As much as Sungyeol sounded impressive and extremely intelligent at that very moment, Nam Woohyun’s reaction to his offer just negated his ego. Did he sound too foreign with his coffee jargon? Does a jargon of some kind even exist?
"Just get what I said and I'll raise the sugar-level for your coffee if you don't like it," Sungyeol hurries, seeing the growing queue of customers.
Nam Woohyun, this time, agrees in an instant.
"Can I get a name?"
This fellow, yet again, processes for more than what's supposed to but he picks up, slightly, "Nam Woohyun."
Sungyeol manages to retain his perpetual smile and avoid a pretentious laugh ready to escape. He doesn't need a family name but if he wants to let Sungyeol know that, then he'll wait until the young lady becomes a Nam as well.
And this foreign man's return.
For now, Nam Woohyun's face crumbles at the sip of his macchiato. He'll enjoy it, as he enjoys holding his girlfriend's hand under the table, sweetening the coffee even more.
-
His voice echoed through the coffee shop. He was loud. Obliviously loud because when he enters this peaceful oasis, his plugged earphones are louder than any fireman's siren. The guitar riffs resonate from the plugs and the bass was enough to send mild vibrations through the marbled counter. It deafens and shakes Sungyeol as well.
"Hello there," the man's voice is immediately soft and moderate when he pulls out from his thunderous earphones. He’s stunned because it was a two-word song, a harmonious string of words so much better than what he’s listening to. Sungyeol thinks if ever he has listened to himself.
"Just a very strong espresso,” he continues bouncing to the echoing music.
Sungyeol checks the time. "But Sir, this won't get you to sleep," defends the concerned barista but is fronted with an innocent smile.
"Good!"
Sungyeol sighs in defeat, and feels heavier when the customer’s deteriorating skin and dark bags zoom in his vision.
"Name for the cup, Sir?"
"Sunggyu," he replies and for a moment, Sungyeol thinks he heard a melody behind his spoken name.
"Write the word "sleepless" before my name. That'll motivate me," customer Sunggyu requested seeming to be dancing in place and bouncing around, either practicing or keeping himself awake.
Sungyeol allows it and lets Sunggyu, and his sleep, go.
Surprisingly, Sunggyu returns. Every after a day minus Sunday, he turns heads when he enters the cafe, loud but almost pleasant. He orders the same thing so Sungyeol doesn't ask as soon as they’re both familiar and gets a signal from him. He never missed requesting for preceding words before his name; Superstar Sunggyu, when he mentions something along the lines of training, world class star, something something.
"Ssh Sunggyu," Sungyeol gives when he was too loud that one night where students were studying in some couches.
On a Wednesday, his eyes were eaten by dark circles and his earphones weren't plugged in his ears. Heads turn, because he wasn't him. He fights a smile when he approaches Sungyeol and he thinks it was the signal.
But it wasn't.
"Umm, uhh," Sunggyu struggles and Sungyeol watches his eyelids, thin slits, fall heavy and struggling to carry them awake. He thinks for another five seconds, blankly staring at the menu. Sungyeol doesn't rush him. His "umms and uhs," slowly became melodies dancing in a catchy rhythm so he makes him do it a couple of times before its 10 seconds.
"Sir, we'll have something for you in a moment. We'll give it to you for free since we've noticed your constant visit since last month," Sungyeol fakes the reward because he cashes his own money in. Sunggyu, in his absent mind, walks to the nearest table with a weak whisper.
"Thank you."
Sungyeol serves the hot chocolate himself, doubling the marshmallows. He lets the cup face Sunggyu, who seemed to have his eyes closed. But it was worth the try, getting his attention. "Sleep, Sunggyu."
After a few large gulps, he rests his head on the table and sleeps.
Sunggyu gestures, Friday night, and he's back on track. The dark circles were still there but hours of sleep make enough difference for these people; trainees. Sungyeol prepares the usual and writes a word before his name.
"Sing, Sunggyu."
That was the last time he saw Sunggyu in the coffee shop.
The next was in the television.
-
The shine in their bodies fascinated Sungyeol. The two men approaching him were very sweaty, but it didn't look repulsive. They looked shiny and undeniably appealing. They walked with a certain grace, their feet sliding along the wooden floor as if afloat. They were dancing, not walking. They had wings.
"Anything cold, please," the man with thick lips and sharp eyes says with a certain keenness in his voice then turns to his companion, contoured eyebrows, thin lips, charismatic eyes. Was he foreign? They were so different in images but the gazes they shared showed something. Though, Sungyeol couldn’t really figure what it was.
"Iced vanilla macchiato and hot chocolate fudge with extra mallows," the charismatic one orders with a pleasant smile. Wow, he's handsome. "Names, please?"
“Hoya, Dongwoo."
Sungyeol will definitely remember that.
"You remember me and my friend right?"
Hoya returns on a Thursday night, and Sungyeol's thankful he didn't leave earlier for his shift.
Of course, "Yes, Hoya-shi!" He receives a suspicious stare from Hoya and he wishes he didn't say his name. "My friend is celebrating his birthday today and I want to give him something really good," Hoya explains, words trailing while he studied the cakes displayed on the glass panel. There was a certain glint in his eyes. It was unusually happy and horribly contagious. His smile was genuine and excited. Sungyeol wonders why and he thinks it's because of Dongwoo, and how they're complete opposites but perfectly matched. Or how they look flawlessly in sync together; it's like the whole world stops to watch them for a little while. They were perfect. And definitely in love.
"Our chocolate cake is a best-seller. It has strawberries inside as a surprise so that might just be perfect for a birthday surprise." It was one of Sungyeol's favorite cakes and for the sake of love, he wanted others to have a taste of it. When Hoya cashes in and holds the boxed cake, his friend enters the cafe.
Sungyeol hears a quiet cuss from Hoya when their eyes meet. It was too late. Dongwoo's smile reached his ears already. His laugh, a very mocking, lengthy, and funny laugh, started to slip from his lips. He points to the box, then to Hoya's shocked face. They laughed together but mostly, Hoya snickers in disappointment.
"Is that for me?" Dongwoo asks with a huge grin plastered in his face. Their charisma was both so different as well. He can tell that Dongwoo was always the calmer one, balances the intensity of Hoya's appeal. The curve in Hoya's brows seemed less tensed when met by Dongwoo's smooth ones. Dongwoo, in all his presence, was calm while Hoya was adrenaline. But this time, Dongwoo manages to engulf Hoys with his calm.
"Is that for us?" He changes it, and they share another laugh. "You didn't have to, you silly baby," he wraps an arm around a disappointed looking Hoya. Sungyeol watches the two of them, perfect lovers eating his favorite cake. Hoya looked frustrated but strains himself in silence. They’re like puzzle pieces; a huge pile of different corners and various shapes but still meant to connect to each other, just the two of them.
"Wow, Howon!" Dongwoo says his real name and Sungyeol adds it to his name collection. Hoya, Howon, snaps to look at Sungyeol. He serves Dongwoo coffee lined with a coffee art heart. The plate had chocolate letters spelling, 생일축하해! -호야. "Happy birthday, Sir!" Sungyeol greets and looks at Howon, whose eyes were as shocked as Dongwoo's.
"Surprise, Dongwoo!"
Hoya smiles.
When they leave, Hoya stays behind to give Sungyeol a rather tight hug.
"Thanks."
For some reason, Sungyeol thinks he felt a thud from his chest that collided with the beating of Hoya’s heart. It was horribly contagious and the small gesture of his appreciation made him feel like a triumphant Cupid and even considers for the smallest second that after coffee, love is what he loves the most. And he genuinely hopes that it goes the same for these two dancers.
And Sungyeol waits for a surprise to come from an own love.
Sungyeol sips on his ordered Americano and tastes love at its best.
-
There was perpetual sadness in the eyes of this Monday customer. He comes alone, leaves alone. So when Sungyeol gets a name, he makes sure he doesn't forget.
"Myungsoo," He says after an order of hot chocolate.
This Myungsoo settles on the couches. If none of it was available, he leaves. When he does find a seat, he takes a couple of sips of his hot chocolate and sleeps. The cafe doesn't make him leave, because he usually sleeps when the cafe isn't really filled with people. When he wakes up, he shoots up and takes sharp looks on his sides. He gulps his remaining chocolate drink and runs outside. It was always on routine so when Sungyeol thinks it was enough, he confronts him. He confronts him because Sungyeol felt this twisting sadness in his chest. He confronts him.
Through coffee, of course.
"Are you okay?" Sungyeol writes in the cup instead of “Myungsoo”, that one time. Myungsoo sees the note but falls asleep immediately. God, if only Myungsoo’s fingers weren't twined with the cup, he could've taken it back. He’s almost certain Myungsoo would think of it as a dream. Myungsoo, as if on schedule, disappears in the coffee shop in an instant. When he's finally gone, Sungyeol rushes for the cup and twists it, finding a reply. Tough luck if Myungsoo actually had a pen.
"None, none, none…
“네."
It was written in small text, like a girl's handwriting. It was horribly short and the lack of other characters made him assume all the possibilities. After a moment of contemplating, Sungyeol heaves and gives a hearty laugh.
"Good."
Myungsoo arrives, same dead eyes and lazy orders. But Sungyeol smiles his brightest, hoping to give him some of the energy. He doesn't seem to remember the cup-question, maybe because it happened a week ago. Or maybe he actually does regard it as a dream. Before he hands the drink to Myungsoo, he alters his name again. "-.-" he draws and hands it. When Myungsoo sits and notices, he laughs.
At that moment, he felt havoc in his heart, as if fireworks have imploded in him and the sound of his laugh with the crescent arcs of his smiling eyes, embraced Sungyeol with immediate comfort. His toes curl in delight and he almost laughs at the next customer. They share a short glance, one with the most diverse meanings and he goes on again with his assuming nature. When they part gazes, Myungsoo sleeps.
When he leaves, Sungyeol steals the cup before it's discarded. A simple drawing greets him, a smiley face with a ginormous smile, gums wider than the teeth. He laughs, earns a number of stares and keeps the cup.
He arrives with the same dead eyes but a slight curl in his lips when they're in front of each other. He gives a short gaze, his pupils drowning him. As part of his barista responsibilities, he asks for names as if he doesn't remember. Even if he knows his name, he asks anyway because he imagines it as Myungsoo formally introducing himself to him.
"Your name, Sir?" he asks, pen ready to touch the cup.
"Your name," Myungsoo repeats.
Sungyeol raises an eyebrow and slowly looks at him. He was smiling, a very cute smile. It hits him when he realizes he wasn't repeating what he said.
He was asking.
Sungyeol, he writes with a smiley face (a heart would be too much, and too obvious) beside it. When he receives the cup, Myungsoo looks at it with a nod and a smile, and sleeps yet again.
It was Monday when schoolwork piled up like towers forming on Sungyeol’s shoulders. It was enough for him to miss work for a whole week. The fact that he might not even take the part-time job scared him. There was a slight decrease in his periodicals but with complete focus on academics during the week, he pushes to exceed his quota. He returns to the coffee shop on a Tuesday, two weeks after taking leave.
He settles his bicycle which he rides from school to the shop just 10 minutes away. The shop has always been jam-packed especially during dismissals where high schoolers take the time off and the nightlife starts. When he enters, the little bell signals, and familiar faces smile at him.
But something caught the corner of his eyes.
A stool screeches and a man stands straight up looking at Sungyeol with his not-so lazy eyes.
“I thought you weren’t coming back,” he smiles in disbelief.
Sungyeol stares at him, speechless but more than delighted, sweeter than any honey for an English Breakfast Tea.
“…you speak in sentences,” was the only thing he manages to quip just for words to come from disbelief.
Myungsoo and Sungyeol laugh in unison and from the time being, Myungsoo manages to stay awake for him because,
“Blinking would be a waste when you’re with me.”
And Sungyeol remembers everything; the faces that enter the shop, the names, the orders, the trainees, the dancers, the boys who look as lovely as girls, the lazy I love you’s from held hands under the tables, and the lazy I love you’s from the sleeping boy at the corner of the shop holding a cup that had obvious hearts for a name, Myungsoo.
And he remembers love.
started: october 31, 2011 finished: october 31, 2011 (edit: december 23, 2011)
Author’s Note: This was written two years ago. :) This is a one of 14 other Infinite fics I wrote for a personal Project14 I started last ’11 which I never got to post. As with the writing date where Infinite was just a rookie group, I did my best in characterizing the members based on first meeting and the casual follow-ups. It has been great seeing how the boys have achieved a big name in the industry and actually being there to witness it from You Are My Oppa days! Well, here goes Sungyeol.