#050; Sweet Tooth
Title: Sweet Tooth
Artists: Exo, Red Velvet
Pairings: Irene/Suho, Kai/Seulgi
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 4.1k
Warnings: n/a
Prompt: #050
Summary: Suho is as cool as melted ice cream.
Notes: Thank you very much; hope you like it! ;)
Red Velvet Ice Cream Parlor Grand Opening!!!
Flavor of the day: LEMON HAPPINESS
Said the sign outside the door. Had Suho noticed, he might have cracked a smile at the cartoon lemon slices drawn around the yellow letters. But as it was, he had several hungry mouths to feed. Exo’s football team burst into the air-conditioned parlor and crowded around the counter in a chaos of helmets and dirty uniforms. The poor girl behind the divider looked terrified at the sight of nine athletes practically drooling over the menu. She looked no older than fifteen and wore a purple YERI nametag over her red-and-white uniform.
“I want to go first!”
“Well too bad, because I’m going first-”
“I can’t see!”
“Hey, I’m older!”
“Who was the one that scored the last shot, again? Oh, right, ME!”
“Hey, I was the one who suggested ice cream!”
“I’m the youngest-”
“I’m better looking-”
“No you’re not-”
“I’m tallest-”
“And I’m the one with the credit card,” Suho interrupted. Instantly, the rabble quieted, eyeing Suho’s wallet with shifty eyes. “Everyone, line up by your jersey number. Chanyeol, take off your helmet and put away the football. Is this the kind of image you want to give Exo?”
Grumbles. Like ducklings, they obeyed, swayed by the prospect of free ice cream. Suho took off his sunglasses and sighed. Sometimes, he felt more like a father of eight toddlers than a captain to eight teenaged athletes. Even his and Kai’s hyperactive puppies were easier to take care of.
“H-hello.” The girl at the counter shot him a grateful look, before smiling at the first in line: Baekhyun. “Welcome to Red Velvet, Sooman Town’s newest and happiest ice cream parlor! Would you like to try our refreshing Lemon Happiness special?”
“Nope! I already know my order:” Baekhyun barely spared the menu a glance. “Double chocolate rocky road with whipped cream and sprinkles and fudge and candied worms. Oh, extra-large size please. And an oreo milkshake. Ooh, do you have ice cream sandwiches too? Can I have two of them, one strawberry and the other chocolate?”
Suho’s eyes bugged out at the horrific sounding string of words. It only got worse with each subsequent person-except Xiumin, who thankfully seemed to share Suho’s philosophy on wise eating choices and simply ordered a small milk tea. Suho made a mental note to call in a certified nutritionist next week to give the team a talk on healthy eating habits.
A second girl with a JOY nametag came from the back to help Yeri with the orders, and Suho handed Yeri his credit card.
“You’re not getting any ice cream, Mister...” Yeri peered at the card. “Suho Kim?”
“I don’t like ice cream; it’s unhealthy,” Suho replied automatically, before realizing maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say in an establishment dedicated solely to selling said treats. But Yeri nodded.
“Irene says so too. She never lets me eat any...” She sighed and stared enviously as the football team devoured their orders.
“Oh?’ Suho smiled, recognizing the petulant expression as the one that often appeared on his own younger brother’s face. “Is Irene your older sister?”
“No! Well, kind of... Her parents own the store, but she bosses us all around. She’s sitting over there, actually.”
Suho followed the direction of her finger, and nearly dropped his wallet.
There was a female sitting alone in the booth by the window. She had long black hair, so smooth that it seemed almost painted on. Her head was bent over a magazine in utmost concentration. She must be on a very fascinating passage, for she didn’t seem to notice or care that the parlor was currently overrun with nine sweaty guys dressed in football gear.
Light streamed in through the windows, surrounding her face in a glow of sunshine. Suho watched, mesmerized, as she reached out a hand to tuck a strand of hair beneath her ear.
She had really long hair.
Really long.
“Kai,” Suho ordered. “Give me your ice cream.”
“What?” Kai looked up mid-lick. “But hyung-”
Suho grabbed the chocolate waffle cone out of Kai’s surprised hands and strode over to the booth, ignoring his brother’s cry of protest. The female Irene didn’t look up as Suho approached, apparently too engrossed in her reading. Suho knew the feeling.
He cleared his throat and leaned against the booth. “Good afternoon.”
Irene lifted her head, and Suho nearly spilled the cone as she blinked at him. Up close, she was even more unreal looking-like a doll. In fact, she looked a bit like a female version of Luhan, Exo’s former soccer captain that Suho had had a helpless and confusing crush on for a good part of his freshman year.
But Luhan didn’t have long hair, and he didn’t read books by the window-side.
“I’m Suho Junmyeon Kim.” Suho offered his free hand, which Irene accepted with a confused expression. “I was just stopping by this charming place for a dairy refreshment, and I happened to notice you... notice you reading. I’m a fan of literature myself. What book is that?”
Still looking confused, Irene showed him the cover of her magazine: Beach Babe-How To Dye Your Hair the Perfect Blonde!
“Ah...” Suho racked his brain for any similarities in his reading history. “I...enjoy self-improvement literature as well.”
Irene gave him a once-over, and Suho was suddenly glad that it was mid-season. Hopefully, she took notice of the muscles he had been building up over the past few weeks of training and practice. “I’m captain of Exo High’s football team.” Suho continued as he gestured to his uniform, then in the vague direction of his suddenly-quiet teammates. “Perhaps you’ve heard of us?”
Irene nodded, slowly. “Seulgi and Wendy go to Exo High. They work here, too.”
Her voice was soft but sweet...just the type Suho could imagine listening to all day...as she read aloud to him from a book as she sat by the window-side with her long, long hair down...
“Oh, I know them! They’re on the lead cheerleading team.” Suho glanced at his brother, who now bore a pout on his face as he mourned the loss of his ice cream. Seulgi must not be around, otherwise Kai would be running for the nearest exit by now. He turned his attention back to Irene. “And are you a student nearby...?” he asked hopefully.
“I’m a freshman at SM University.”
An older woman, then. Suho tried to calm his racing he. Suddenly, he didn’t feel quite so proud of his varsity football uniform anymore. As Suho tried to think of something mature and collegiate to say, he took what he hoped was a casual yet sensual lick of Kai’s ice cream--
And promptly spit it out.
“How much sugar is in this refreshment?!?!” he cried in horror. “That’s it! Kai, we’re having vegetables for dinner tonight!”
“But hyung!!!”
As he wiped frantically at his mouth, Suho realized Irene was staring at him. His hands froze.
“N-no offense! I don’t mean to disparage your establishment’s dairy offerings! I’m just-it’s just-too sweet-I mean, all that sugar...my tastebuds are very sensitive-I mean, uh...” Suho trailed off as Irene handed him several napkins with the beginnings of a smile.
“I’m not a very adventurous ice cream eater myself,” she comforted, saving Suho from his embarrassment. At least she wasn’t regarding him like he was from another planet anymore. “I almost always get vanilla.”
“What a coincidence; my friends always say I’m ‘vanilla’!” Suho cried, eagerly seizing upon this common bond. Perhaps his image could be salvaged after all. “Although, I’m not quite sure what they mean by that...”
Irene giggled.
“...I can’t believe it. Is she actually laughing?”
“I didn’t know Suho could tell funny jokes...”
“Go Suho! Whoo!”
“Hyung, hurry up with your flirting! You owe me a new ice cream!”
Flavor of the day: VANILLA
“Hello again,” Irene greeted from behind the counter. Suho tried not to stare as her long hair swished behind her. It was tied up in a ponytail today, and the ends looked like they had been dipped in electric pink paint.
A girl with a hidden wild side. Suho found his heart give an irregular skip.
“Good afternoon, Miss Irene,” Suho said coolly. He would’ve returned her smile, but his teammates had advised him to appear aloof and mysterious if he wanted to attract an older female with refined tastes. Earlier that afternoon, instead of following the training drills he had written on the whiteboard, the entire football team had ambushed Suho in what they claimed was an “intervention, because you have no game. No offense.” Which Suho had takengreat offense to, especially when even his own brother had agreed. Kai couldn’t even get within two feet of a certain cheerleader without running in the opposite direction.
Anyway, the result of that hour-long lesson was that Suho had been forced to change into a leather jacket and apply liberal amounts of hair gel. In his pocket were several notebook pages full of ice-cream related compliments and things to do (Tell her you have four dogs; girls like cute things. Take off your shirt.) and not to do (do NOT talk about golf. Girls don’t think it’s cool.) Kai had even offered to accompany him to the parlor, partly as moral support and partly to make sure that Suho reimbursed his ice cream order.
As Kai drooled over the extensive menu, Suho tried to pick out the most innocuous sounding item. At least the banana split had natural fruit in it...?
“Would you like to try our daily special?” Irene asked, holding up a sample spoon. “Wendy made it this morning. It’s vanilla; organic.”
“Oh! That sounds promising...”
“I chose it myself. I was hoping you’d drop by today so that you could try some.”
Well, when she put it that way, Suho couldn’t possibly refuse! Fighting to keep the dazed smile off of his face, Suho accepted the spoon and took a tentative lick. It was honestly still too sugary for his liking, but at least it was free of the distracting rainbow decorations that had been on Kai’s ice cream yesterday. And the fact that Irene had scooped it for him made it all the more sweet.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I think...” Suho gulped as he tried not to faint from her intent gaze. “I could grow to like it...a lot.”
“I hope you do,” Irene replied with a small smile.
Their gazes locked.
“Good, now say the line,” Kai whispered in his ear. Suho opened his mouth--
“Hey, Irene, I’m back! I can take over now!”
The instant Seulgi Kang appeared through the back door, dressed in an “RV” apron instead of her usual Exo High cheerleading uniform, Kai shot down to the floor. Suho’s smile shot down as well.
“Kai, what on earth?” he hissed, nudging the cowering boy with his foot. Kai wagged his head back and forth desperately up at him.PRETEND I’M NOT HERE, he mouthed. His eyes were wide with terror.
“Hey Suho,” Seulgi greeted, joining Irene at the counter, oblivious to the scene she had just interrupted. “Didn’t think I’d ever see you here. Weren’t you the one that made the cafeteria get rid their milkshakes last month?”
“Of course,” Suho scoffed. “As growing adolescents, we must be mindful of the nutrients that we put into our body-“
There was a painful pinch to his leg. Suho glanced down, and Kai shook his head up at him. Uncool, he mouthed. Suho coughed.
“Ah, I mean, I have no idea what you’re referring to.” Suho turned his attention back to Irene. “I would like one scoop of the all-natural vanilla iced dairy treat, please. And I’ll have a second scoop, of...what’s your next-favorite flavor?”
“Strawberry,” Irene said, at the same time Seulgi said: “Orange!”
“Strawberry on top of the vanilla. And a separate orange, for my brother.”
Kai glared up at him.
“Three scoops total...” With a few taps and rings from the register, Irene entered his order. “Will that be all?”
“...no, actually.” Suho cleared his throat, trying to ignore the fact that he currently had a pouting 80+ kilogram anchor on his leg. He stared into
Irene’s liquid pools of eyes and tried to remember the line he had practiced so diligently just half an hour ago. How did it go…?
“Is it hot in here? Because I’m melting from your-“
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Irene cried. “Thank you for reminding me! I forgot to turn on the fans!”
“No, it’s alright...actually...” Suho trailed off as Irene hurried to the switches by the wall. As the overhead fans whirred to life, he ignored the twin looks of pity that Kai and Seulgi were shooting him. Suho signed the receipt as slowly as he could, trying to buy time. Perhaps today would not end in a touchdown, but he hoped he had at least made some progress in gaining Irene’s favor.
“Thank you for the ice cream recommendation, Miss Irene.”
“Just Irene. And it was my pleasure. Come back soon,” Irene replied with a small smile, as she collected the receipt. Her fingers brushed against his, and Suho felt his brain freeze over.
Suho jerked his head in a nod. Then, in as smooth of a move as he could, he slid his sunglasses back on so that neither girl would see the hearts beginning to form in his eyes. Shaking Kai off of his leg, he walked out of the parlor on jittery legs.
“Some assistance you are,” Suho complained, fifteen minutes later. They had driven to the park and were now eating by the benches, so that Kai wouldn’t stain Suho’s precious car with his messy eating habits. Kai was making significant progress on his Seulgi-endorsed order, while Suho attempted to dilute the sweetness of his own order by taking gulps of green tea in between each bite.
“Hey! What about you? You left me ALL ALONE in there!”
Suho raised an eyebrow. “You refused to get up from the floor. You would’ve rather I dragged you out the store like some dog? In front of both girls?”
Kai sulked and re-busied himself with the ice cream. “No,” he mumbled into the orange.
“What was all that about, anyway? I know you obviously have a crush on Seulgi Kang, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. These feelings are a natural part of growing up, as your body undergoes hormonal changes-”
“HYUNG” Kai screamed in mortification, spitting bits of ice cream all over Suho’s shirt.
“-and you’re a very accomplished and sweet young man; I’m sure Seulgi would be happy to get to know you. You just need to have more confidence in yourself!” Suho ruffled a squirming Kai’s hair. “In fact, I recall a particularly helpful passage in the motivational book I’ve been reading that might help...Let me just get it out...”
Suho rummaged through his book bag, and Kai took that opportunity to flee.
FLAVOR OF THE DAY: Orange Happiness
Stupid girls,” Kai muttered. If Suho were in earshot, he would no doubt scold him for his uncharitable words. But Suho was currently on the other side of the glass, inside the parlor. He’d been in there for at least ten minutes already.
Just how long did it take to order, anyway??
While Kai was supportive of his brother’s happiness, this whole ice-cream-love-story thing was getting less cute by the day. Now, Suho barely had any time to hang out with him after school, preferring instead to stare at Irene. Suho had also forbidden Kai from entering the parlor unless he promised to “behave in a civilized manner”-aka, not hide at the first sight of Exo High’s star cheerleader. Which was why Kai was currently stranded outside the air-conditioned building and sweating underneath the blistering hot sun, holding four dog leashes as he waited for Suho to finish ordering/flirting/being lame. Kai peeked inside and stared wistfully at the tubs of multicolored ice cream. Should he risk it?
No.
Kai knew what his brother, Sehun, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, Chen...well, okay, the entire team...thought. But they were wrong! He didn’t have a crush! He just happened to, for some weird reason, lose the ability to control his sweat glands or speak normally or balance both feet properly on the ground whenever Seulgi Kang crossed his path. That was all.
“Don’t ever talk to girls, okay?” Kai ordered Monggu, Jjanggu, Jjangah, and Byul.
Four barks.
“Good.” Who needed brothers, when you had four much cuter and nicer puppies? Kai reached into his pocket for his handy stash of dog treats. “Sorry, Monggu, you don’t get one. Suho says I have to put you on a diet.”
Monggu gave an angry whine and turned his back on him. Kai sighed; he knew just how it felt to be deprived of food you loved because of a certain lame Suho Kim. He glanced wistfully back at the parlor entrance, in time to see a gigantic, pink bear waddle out the doorway, carrying a tray of ice cream samples in its paws. Kai felt the leash in his left hand go taut, as Monggu made a beeline for the food.
“No! Monggu, NO!”
Too late. The bear wobbled as Monggu crashed into its leg. The ice cream samples went flying; the bear went toppling.
“Whoa, hey!” Kai sprang to his feet. Jjanggu, Jjangah, and Byul had joined Monggu in his attack. “Bad dogs! Leave the nice bear alone!” They whined at Kai’s unusually harsh tone, and Kai hurried to gather the tangled leashes together. He tied the ends to the nearby lamppost and rushed over to help the overturned bear. But the damage was done; little lumps of orangey ice cream were melting on the sidewalk.
“I’m so sorry! They’re usually well-behaved...it’s my fault. Suho always says I should be stricter with our kids...sorry, sorry...”
The bear waved a paw, brushing off Kai’s apologies. It didn’t seem too bothered, but then again that might just be because of the smile that was (permanently) sewn onto its face. As Kai stuttered more apologies, it offered Kai one of the non-spilled sample cups.
“For me?” Kai accepted the small cup. “Thanks!”
The bear saluted.
“Is that whole thing a costume?”
A nod.
“Cool. I like animals. It must be really hot inside that thing though.”
Another, much more emphatic, nod.
“I’m not even wearing that much, and I’m sweating a lot.” Kai gulped down the sample in one go and accepted a second. “Ugh, I wish hyung would hurry up.”
The bear glanced through the window, at Suho leaning against the counter. It then waddled over to the chalkboard sign by the doorway and erased theFlavor of the Day message, replacing it with-
We call him Mr. Vanilla.
“You call him...oh, right, you work here!” Kai sat up in sudden excitement. “Hey, you should tell Irene to ask hyung out! He’s a really nice guy. And smart. And romantic. And he owns the entire Bleach and Evangelion collection.”
...are you trying to be his wingman or something?
“Hyung needs all the help he can get,” Kai said, seriously. “He’s not as cool as he seems.”
I don’t think Irene minds.
“Oh, okay, good. Because she has to like him for his inside too. Hey, by the way, not that I care or anything but um....do you know everyone that works here? Like...S-Seulgi Kang?”
The bear nodded.
“Cool. Just wondering.”
The bear waited. With an extremely red face, Kai mumbled, “does she ever, um, mention guys from her school...? not that I care!”
The bear nodded.
Kai swallowed. “Oh.”
If a bear could ever wear a smug expression, that would be the one the Red Velvet mascot was currently sporting. Kai was too busy staring into his tiny sample cup to notice, though.
“She’s a really good dancer,” he mumbled into his spoon. “She always does the main moves during the cheerleading routines.”
I know.
“...you do? Oh, and she called Monggu adorable once! I was going to say thank you, but then my feet kind of...ran away.” Kai squirmed at the memory, and the bear gave his arm a comforting pat.
Maybe she thought it was cute! ;)...
“Lame, more like,” Kai scoffed. “I’m not like Suho. I’m not good at talking.”
You seem to be doing just fine now.
“That’s because you’re wearing a bear suit. I can talk to animals about anything.” Kai patted Monggu, Jjanggu, Jjangah, and Byul. “But not girls.”
Actually, I’m
“And definitely not Seulgi....because...” Kai sighed. “I guess I kind of like her maybe...”
“Aw, only kind of?” The bear took off its head, revealing a distinctly human head. Behind the waves of messy long hair was a familiar face.
“...surprise?” Seulgi smiled guiltily as Kai choked on his ice cream. “Wow, I think this is the most I’ve ever heard you speak-wait, hey, don’t run away!”
When Suho finally exited the parlor, clutching a scribbled phone number triumphantly in one hand and a vanilla-strawberry ice cream cone in the other, he was greeted by the sight of four whining puppies, a sheepish-looking pink bear, and no human boy in sight.
FLAVOR OF THE DAY: Vanilla-Strawberry Swirl (Come and Taste Me!)
Congratulations to Exo High’s football team for their first win!
“Vanilla-strawberry?” Suho couldn’t keep the smile off of his face.
“Do you like it?” Irene already had a cone ready, which she handed to Suho across the counter in exchange for a pink and white bouquet. Yeri stared with starry eyes. “I came up with it up yesterday.”
“I think it’s an excellent combination,” Suho said approvingly, before pulling a notepad out of his pocket and flipping it to the first page. He cleared his throat. “But you know...if you were ice cream, you’d be my favorite flavor.”
Yeri gasped. Seulgi wrinkled her nose. Irene laughed.
“Right back at you, Mr. Vanilla.”
“Thank you,” Suho said. He flipped the page. “My heart melts whenever I see you.” Flip. “You give me chills; they’re multiplying.”
“Oh my god!” Yeri squealed. “Oh my god,” Seulgi groaned. Irene smacked their bottoms with a cleaning towel.
“You two-go wipe the tables and leave us alone.” She turned back to Suho and smiled expectantly. “Any more?”
“For you, always,” Suho returned the smile and returned to his notepad. “You’re cool and refreshing.” Flip. You’re a cherry on top of my sun-day.” Flip. I want to make you scream-”
Irene raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Suho’s mouth dropped as he processed the words on the last page. “That’s not-wait-I didn’t write that one! My teammates are-I mean-” Suho sighed. A good leader shouldn’t blame others; he should’ve known better than to leave his precious notebook out on the bench. “I’m sorry, that was crude. I should have checked beforehand-” his stuttering came to a halt as Irene leaned forward with a gleam in her eye.
“Suho,” Irene said, lips pursed. Suho gulped, prepared to be scolded. “Not that I have an objection to that, but you haven’t even kissed me yet.”
“I-uh.” Suho gaped. “Ah. Uh. Um. Yes, you raise a good point...” his words ended in a mumble as Irene closed the distance between them.
Irene smiled when they separated. “Tasty.”
“Gross,” Kai moaned, from his booth. “Hyung, HURRY UP! I’M BORED!” Unfortunately, Suho was too engrossed in trading disgusting smiles and/or spit with Irene up at the front to pay him any mind. Sighing, Kai flopped down in his seat, hiding himself behind the booth divider once again. “Girls suck,” he muttered, stabbing at his sundae.
“Mind if I join you?” A familiar voice interrupted. Kai’s head snapped up in alarm. Without waiting for a response, Seulgi slid in next to Kai in the booth, trapping him in place. She flipped her hair and grinned as Kai flailed. “Gotcha. Can’t run away from me now.”
“I w-wasn’t going to!” But Kai’s panicky eyes said otherwise.
“Really? Because I always see more of your back than your front. Not that I’m complaining.” Seulgi nudged him. “It’s a nice view.”
Kai flushed. “Um,” he said eloquently.
“So, we never finished that conversation from last week...”
“HYUNG, HURRY UP!”
“He looks like he’s going to pass out,” Suho noted in worry. “Maybe I should go over...”
“Don’t worry, Seulgi doesn’t bite...well, unless your brother is into that sort of thing.” Irene laughed as Suho’s eyes widened in horror. “I’m joking.
Now, where were we...”
Suho wondered whether Irene snuck ice cream during her work day, because her lips tasted like a delightful combination of strawberry, vanilla, and maybe a hint of chocolate. And with each taste, Suho found himself wanting more.
Perhaps he did have a sweet tooth, after all.
Artists: Exo, Red Velvet
Pairings: Irene/Suho, Kai/Seulgi
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 4.1k
Warnings: n/a
Prompt: #050
Summary: Suho is as cool as melted ice cream.
Notes: Thank you very much; hope you like it! ;)
Red Velvet Ice Cream Parlor Grand Opening!!!
Flavor of the day: LEMON HAPPINESS
Said the sign outside the door. Had Suho noticed, he might have cracked a smile at the cartoon lemon slices drawn around the yellow letters. But as it was, he had several hungry mouths to feed. Exo’s football team burst into the air-conditioned parlor and crowded around the counter in a chaos of helmets and dirty uniforms. The poor girl behind the divider looked terrified at the sight of nine athletes practically drooling over the menu. She looked no older than fifteen and wore a purple YERI nametag over her red-and-white uniform.
“I want to go first!”
“Well too bad, because I’m going first-”
“I can’t see!”
“Hey, I’m older!”
“Who was the one that scored the last shot, again? Oh, right, ME!”
“Hey, I was the one who suggested ice cream!”
“I’m the youngest-”
“I’m better looking-”
“No you’re not-”
“I’m tallest-”
“And I’m the one with the credit card,” Suho interrupted. Instantly, the rabble quieted, eyeing Suho’s wallet with shifty eyes. “Everyone, line up by your jersey number. Chanyeol, take off your helmet and put away the football. Is this the kind of image you want to give Exo?”
Grumbles. Like ducklings, they obeyed, swayed by the prospect of free ice cream. Suho took off his sunglasses and sighed. Sometimes, he felt more like a father of eight toddlers than a captain to eight teenaged athletes. Even his and Kai’s hyperactive puppies were easier to take care of.
“H-hello.” The girl at the counter shot him a grateful look, before smiling at the first in line: Baekhyun. “Welcome to Red Velvet, Sooman Town’s newest and happiest ice cream parlor! Would you like to try our refreshing Lemon Happiness special?”
“Nope! I already know my order:” Baekhyun barely spared the menu a glance. “Double chocolate rocky road with whipped cream and sprinkles and fudge and candied worms. Oh, extra-large size please. And an oreo milkshake. Ooh, do you have ice cream sandwiches too? Can I have two of them, one strawberry and the other chocolate?”
Suho’s eyes bugged out at the horrific sounding string of words. It only got worse with each subsequent person-except Xiumin, who thankfully seemed to share Suho’s philosophy on wise eating choices and simply ordered a small milk tea. Suho made a mental note to call in a certified nutritionist next week to give the team a talk on healthy eating habits.
A second girl with a JOY nametag came from the back to help Yeri with the orders, and Suho handed Yeri his credit card.
“You’re not getting any ice cream, Mister...” Yeri peered at the card. “Suho Kim?”
“I don’t like ice cream; it’s unhealthy,” Suho replied automatically, before realizing maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say in an establishment dedicated solely to selling said treats. But Yeri nodded.
“Irene says so too. She never lets me eat any...” She sighed and stared enviously as the football team devoured their orders.
“Oh?’ Suho smiled, recognizing the petulant expression as the one that often appeared on his own younger brother’s face. “Is Irene your older sister?”
“No! Well, kind of... Her parents own the store, but she bosses us all around. She’s sitting over there, actually.”
Suho followed the direction of her finger, and nearly dropped his wallet.
There was a female sitting alone in the booth by the window. She had long black hair, so smooth that it seemed almost painted on. Her head was bent over a magazine in utmost concentration. She must be on a very fascinating passage, for she didn’t seem to notice or care that the parlor was currently overrun with nine sweaty guys dressed in football gear.
Light streamed in through the windows, surrounding her face in a glow of sunshine. Suho watched, mesmerized, as she reached out a hand to tuck a strand of hair beneath her ear.
She had really long hair.
Really long.
“Kai,” Suho ordered. “Give me your ice cream.”
“What?” Kai looked up mid-lick. “But hyung-”
Suho grabbed the chocolate waffle cone out of Kai’s surprised hands and strode over to the booth, ignoring his brother’s cry of protest. The female Irene didn’t look up as Suho approached, apparently too engrossed in her reading. Suho knew the feeling.
He cleared his throat and leaned against the booth. “Good afternoon.”
Irene lifted her head, and Suho nearly spilled the cone as she blinked at him. Up close, she was even more unreal looking-like a doll. In fact, she looked a bit like a female version of Luhan, Exo’s former soccer captain that Suho had had a helpless and confusing crush on for a good part of his freshman year.
But Luhan didn’t have long hair, and he didn’t read books by the window-side.
“I’m Suho Junmyeon Kim.” Suho offered his free hand, which Irene accepted with a confused expression. “I was just stopping by this charming place for a dairy refreshment, and I happened to notice you... notice you reading. I’m a fan of literature myself. What book is that?”
Still looking confused, Irene showed him the cover of her magazine: Beach Babe-How To Dye Your Hair the Perfect Blonde!
“Ah...” Suho racked his brain for any similarities in his reading history. “I...enjoy self-improvement literature as well.”
Irene gave him a once-over, and Suho was suddenly glad that it was mid-season. Hopefully, she took notice of the muscles he had been building up over the past few weeks of training and practice. “I’m captain of Exo High’s football team.” Suho continued as he gestured to his uniform, then in the vague direction of his suddenly-quiet teammates. “Perhaps you’ve heard of us?”
Irene nodded, slowly. “Seulgi and Wendy go to Exo High. They work here, too.”
Her voice was soft but sweet...just the type Suho could imagine listening to all day...as she read aloud to him from a book as she sat by the window-side with her long, long hair down...
“Oh, I know them! They’re on the lead cheerleading team.” Suho glanced at his brother, who now bore a pout on his face as he mourned the loss of his ice cream. Seulgi must not be around, otherwise Kai would be running for the nearest exit by now. He turned his attention back to Irene. “And are you a student nearby...?” he asked hopefully.
“I’m a freshman at SM University.”
An older woman, then. Suho tried to calm his racing he. Suddenly, he didn’t feel quite so proud of his varsity football uniform anymore. As Suho tried to think of something mature and collegiate to say, he took what he hoped was a casual yet sensual lick of Kai’s ice cream--
And promptly spit it out.
“How much sugar is in this refreshment?!?!” he cried in horror. “That’s it! Kai, we’re having vegetables for dinner tonight!”
“But hyung!!!”
As he wiped frantically at his mouth, Suho realized Irene was staring at him. His hands froze.
“N-no offense! I don’t mean to disparage your establishment’s dairy offerings! I’m just-it’s just-too sweet-I mean, all that sugar...my tastebuds are very sensitive-I mean, uh...” Suho trailed off as Irene handed him several napkins with the beginnings of a smile.
“I’m not a very adventurous ice cream eater myself,” she comforted, saving Suho from his embarrassment. At least she wasn’t regarding him like he was from another planet anymore. “I almost always get vanilla.”
“What a coincidence; my friends always say I’m ‘vanilla’!” Suho cried, eagerly seizing upon this common bond. Perhaps his image could be salvaged after all. “Although, I’m not quite sure what they mean by that...”
Irene giggled.
“...I can’t believe it. Is she actually laughing?”
“I didn’t know Suho could tell funny jokes...”
“Go Suho! Whoo!”
“Hyung, hurry up with your flirting! You owe me a new ice cream!”
Flavor of the day: VANILLA
“Hello again,” Irene greeted from behind the counter. Suho tried not to stare as her long hair swished behind her. It was tied up in a ponytail today, and the ends looked like they had been dipped in electric pink paint.
A girl with a hidden wild side. Suho found his heart give an irregular skip.
“Good afternoon, Miss Irene,” Suho said coolly. He would’ve returned her smile, but his teammates had advised him to appear aloof and mysterious if he wanted to attract an older female with refined tastes. Earlier that afternoon, instead of following the training drills he had written on the whiteboard, the entire football team had ambushed Suho in what they claimed was an “intervention, because you have no game. No offense.” Which Suho had takengreat offense to, especially when even his own brother had agreed. Kai couldn’t even get within two feet of a certain cheerleader without running in the opposite direction.
Anyway, the result of that hour-long lesson was that Suho had been forced to change into a leather jacket and apply liberal amounts of hair gel. In his pocket were several notebook pages full of ice-cream related compliments and things to do (Tell her you have four dogs; girls like cute things. Take off your shirt.) and not to do (do NOT talk about golf. Girls don’t think it’s cool.) Kai had even offered to accompany him to the parlor, partly as moral support and partly to make sure that Suho reimbursed his ice cream order.
As Kai drooled over the extensive menu, Suho tried to pick out the most innocuous sounding item. At least the banana split had natural fruit in it...?
“Would you like to try our daily special?” Irene asked, holding up a sample spoon. “Wendy made it this morning. It’s vanilla; organic.”
“Oh! That sounds promising...”
“I chose it myself. I was hoping you’d drop by today so that you could try some.”
Well, when she put it that way, Suho couldn’t possibly refuse! Fighting to keep the dazed smile off of his face, Suho accepted the spoon and took a tentative lick. It was honestly still too sugary for his liking, but at least it was free of the distracting rainbow decorations that had been on Kai’s ice cream yesterday. And the fact that Irene had scooped it for him made it all the more sweet.
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I think...” Suho gulped as he tried not to faint from her intent gaze. “I could grow to like it...a lot.”
“I hope you do,” Irene replied with a small smile.
Their gazes locked.
“Good, now say the line,” Kai whispered in his ear. Suho opened his mouth--
“Hey, Irene, I’m back! I can take over now!”
The instant Seulgi Kang appeared through the back door, dressed in an “RV” apron instead of her usual Exo High cheerleading uniform, Kai shot down to the floor. Suho’s smile shot down as well.
“Kai, what on earth?” he hissed, nudging the cowering boy with his foot. Kai wagged his head back and forth desperately up at him.PRETEND I’M NOT HERE, he mouthed. His eyes were wide with terror.
“Hey Suho,” Seulgi greeted, joining Irene at the counter, oblivious to the scene she had just interrupted. “Didn’t think I’d ever see you here. Weren’t you the one that made the cafeteria get rid their milkshakes last month?”
“Of course,” Suho scoffed. “As growing adolescents, we must be mindful of the nutrients that we put into our body-“
There was a painful pinch to his leg. Suho glanced down, and Kai shook his head up at him. Uncool, he mouthed. Suho coughed.
“Ah, I mean, I have no idea what you’re referring to.” Suho turned his attention back to Irene. “I would like one scoop of the all-natural vanilla iced dairy treat, please. And I’ll have a second scoop, of...what’s your next-favorite flavor?”
“Strawberry,” Irene said, at the same time Seulgi said: “Orange!”
“Strawberry on top of the vanilla. And a separate orange, for my brother.”
Kai glared up at him.
“Three scoops total...” With a few taps and rings from the register, Irene entered his order. “Will that be all?”
“...no, actually.” Suho cleared his throat, trying to ignore the fact that he currently had a pouting 80+ kilogram anchor on his leg. He stared into
Irene’s liquid pools of eyes and tried to remember the line he had practiced so diligently just half an hour ago. How did it go…?
“Is it hot in here? Because I’m melting from your-“
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Irene cried. “Thank you for reminding me! I forgot to turn on the fans!”
“No, it’s alright...actually...” Suho trailed off as Irene hurried to the switches by the wall. As the overhead fans whirred to life, he ignored the twin looks of pity that Kai and Seulgi were shooting him. Suho signed the receipt as slowly as he could, trying to buy time. Perhaps today would not end in a touchdown, but he hoped he had at least made some progress in gaining Irene’s favor.
“Thank you for the ice cream recommendation, Miss Irene.”
“Just Irene. And it was my pleasure. Come back soon,” Irene replied with a small smile, as she collected the receipt. Her fingers brushed against his, and Suho felt his brain freeze over.
Suho jerked his head in a nod. Then, in as smooth of a move as he could, he slid his sunglasses back on so that neither girl would see the hearts beginning to form in his eyes. Shaking Kai off of his leg, he walked out of the parlor on jittery legs.
“Some assistance you are,” Suho complained, fifteen minutes later. They had driven to the park and were now eating by the benches, so that Kai wouldn’t stain Suho’s precious car with his messy eating habits. Kai was making significant progress on his Seulgi-endorsed order, while Suho attempted to dilute the sweetness of his own order by taking gulps of green tea in between each bite.
“Hey! What about you? You left me ALL ALONE in there!”
Suho raised an eyebrow. “You refused to get up from the floor. You would’ve rather I dragged you out the store like some dog? In front of both girls?”
Kai sulked and re-busied himself with the ice cream. “No,” he mumbled into the orange.
“What was all that about, anyway? I know you obviously have a crush on Seulgi Kang, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about. These feelings are a natural part of growing up, as your body undergoes hormonal changes-”
“HYUNG” Kai screamed in mortification, spitting bits of ice cream all over Suho’s shirt.
“-and you’re a very accomplished and sweet young man; I’m sure Seulgi would be happy to get to know you. You just need to have more confidence in yourself!” Suho ruffled a squirming Kai’s hair. “In fact, I recall a particularly helpful passage in the motivational book I’ve been reading that might help...Let me just get it out...”
Suho rummaged through his book bag, and Kai took that opportunity to flee.
FLAVOR OF THE DAY: Orange Happiness
Stupid girls,” Kai muttered. If Suho were in earshot, he would no doubt scold him for his uncharitable words. But Suho was currently on the other side of the glass, inside the parlor. He’d been in there for at least ten minutes already.
Just how long did it take to order, anyway??
While Kai was supportive of his brother’s happiness, this whole ice-cream-love-story thing was getting less cute by the day. Now, Suho barely had any time to hang out with him after school, preferring instead to stare at Irene. Suho had also forbidden Kai from entering the parlor unless he promised to “behave in a civilized manner”-aka, not hide at the first sight of Exo High’s star cheerleader. Which was why Kai was currently stranded outside the air-conditioned building and sweating underneath the blistering hot sun, holding four dog leashes as he waited for Suho to finish ordering/flirting/being lame. Kai peeked inside and stared wistfully at the tubs of multicolored ice cream. Should he risk it?
No.
Kai knew what his brother, Sehun, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, Chen...well, okay, the entire team...thought. But they were wrong! He didn’t have a crush! He just happened to, for some weird reason, lose the ability to control his sweat glands or speak normally or balance both feet properly on the ground whenever Seulgi Kang crossed his path. That was all.
“Don’t ever talk to girls, okay?” Kai ordered Monggu, Jjanggu, Jjangah, and Byul.
Four barks.
“Good.” Who needed brothers, when you had four much cuter and nicer puppies? Kai reached into his pocket for his handy stash of dog treats. “Sorry, Monggu, you don’t get one. Suho says I have to put you on a diet.”
Monggu gave an angry whine and turned his back on him. Kai sighed; he knew just how it felt to be deprived of food you loved because of a certain lame Suho Kim. He glanced wistfully back at the parlor entrance, in time to see a gigantic, pink bear waddle out the doorway, carrying a tray of ice cream samples in its paws. Kai felt the leash in his left hand go taut, as Monggu made a beeline for the food.
“No! Monggu, NO!”
Too late. The bear wobbled as Monggu crashed into its leg. The ice cream samples went flying; the bear went toppling.
“Whoa, hey!” Kai sprang to his feet. Jjanggu, Jjangah, and Byul had joined Monggu in his attack. “Bad dogs! Leave the nice bear alone!” They whined at Kai’s unusually harsh tone, and Kai hurried to gather the tangled leashes together. He tied the ends to the nearby lamppost and rushed over to help the overturned bear. But the damage was done; little lumps of orangey ice cream were melting on the sidewalk.
“I’m so sorry! They’re usually well-behaved...it’s my fault. Suho always says I should be stricter with our kids...sorry, sorry...”
The bear waved a paw, brushing off Kai’s apologies. It didn’t seem too bothered, but then again that might just be because of the smile that was (permanently) sewn onto its face. As Kai stuttered more apologies, it offered Kai one of the non-spilled sample cups.
“For me?” Kai accepted the small cup. “Thanks!”
The bear saluted.
“Is that whole thing a costume?”
A nod.
“Cool. I like animals. It must be really hot inside that thing though.”
Another, much more emphatic, nod.
“I’m not even wearing that much, and I’m sweating a lot.” Kai gulped down the sample in one go and accepted a second. “Ugh, I wish hyung would hurry up.”
The bear glanced through the window, at Suho leaning against the counter. It then waddled over to the chalkboard sign by the doorway and erased theFlavor of the Day message, replacing it with-
We call him Mr. Vanilla.
“You call him...oh, right, you work here!” Kai sat up in sudden excitement. “Hey, you should tell Irene to ask hyung out! He’s a really nice guy. And smart. And romantic. And he owns the entire Bleach and Evangelion collection.”
...are you trying to be his wingman or something?
“Hyung needs all the help he can get,” Kai said, seriously. “He’s not as cool as he seems.”
I don’t think Irene minds.
“Oh, okay, good. Because she has to like him for his inside too. Hey, by the way, not that I care or anything but um....do you know everyone that works here? Like...S-Seulgi Kang?”
The bear nodded.
“Cool. Just wondering.”
The bear waited. With an extremely red face, Kai mumbled, “does she ever, um, mention guys from her school...? not that I care!”
The bear nodded.
Kai swallowed. “Oh.”
If a bear could ever wear a smug expression, that would be the one the Red Velvet mascot was currently sporting. Kai was too busy staring into his tiny sample cup to notice, though.
“She’s a really good dancer,” he mumbled into his spoon. “She always does the main moves during the cheerleading routines.”
I know.
“...you do? Oh, and she called Monggu adorable once! I was going to say thank you, but then my feet kind of...ran away.” Kai squirmed at the memory, and the bear gave his arm a comforting pat.
Maybe she thought it was cute! ;)...
“Lame, more like,” Kai scoffed. “I’m not like Suho. I’m not good at talking.”
You seem to be doing just fine now.
“That’s because you’re wearing a bear suit. I can talk to animals about anything.” Kai patted Monggu, Jjanggu, Jjangah, and Byul. “But not girls.”
Actually, I’m
“And definitely not Seulgi....because...” Kai sighed. “I guess I kind of like her maybe...”
“Aw, only kind of?” The bear took off its head, revealing a distinctly human head. Behind the waves of messy long hair was a familiar face.
“...surprise?” Seulgi smiled guiltily as Kai choked on his ice cream. “Wow, I think this is the most I’ve ever heard you speak-wait, hey, don’t run away!”
When Suho finally exited the parlor, clutching a scribbled phone number triumphantly in one hand and a vanilla-strawberry ice cream cone in the other, he was greeted by the sight of four whining puppies, a sheepish-looking pink bear, and no human boy in sight.
FLAVOR OF THE DAY: Vanilla-Strawberry Swirl (Come and Taste Me!)
Congratulations to Exo High’s football team for their first win!
“Vanilla-strawberry?” Suho couldn’t keep the smile off of his face.
“Do you like it?” Irene already had a cone ready, which she handed to Suho across the counter in exchange for a pink and white bouquet. Yeri stared with starry eyes. “I came up with it up yesterday.”
“I think it’s an excellent combination,” Suho said approvingly, before pulling a notepad out of his pocket and flipping it to the first page. He cleared his throat. “But you know...if you were ice cream, you’d be my favorite flavor.”
Yeri gasped. Seulgi wrinkled her nose. Irene laughed.
“Right back at you, Mr. Vanilla.”
“Thank you,” Suho said. He flipped the page. “My heart melts whenever I see you.” Flip. “You give me chills; they’re multiplying.”
“Oh my god!” Yeri squealed. “Oh my god,” Seulgi groaned. Irene smacked their bottoms with a cleaning towel.
“You two-go wipe the tables and leave us alone.” She turned back to Suho and smiled expectantly. “Any more?”
“For you, always,” Suho returned the smile and returned to his notepad. “You’re cool and refreshing.” Flip. You’re a cherry on top of my sun-day.” Flip. I want to make you scream-”
Irene raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Suho’s mouth dropped as he processed the words on the last page. “That’s not-wait-I didn’t write that one! My teammates are-I mean-” Suho sighed. A good leader shouldn’t blame others; he should’ve known better than to leave his precious notebook out on the bench. “I’m sorry, that was crude. I should have checked beforehand-” his stuttering came to a halt as Irene leaned forward with a gleam in her eye.
“Suho,” Irene said, lips pursed. Suho gulped, prepared to be scolded. “Not that I have an objection to that, but you haven’t even kissed me yet.”
“I-uh.” Suho gaped. “Ah. Uh. Um. Yes, you raise a good point...” his words ended in a mumble as Irene closed the distance between them.
Irene smiled when they separated. “Tasty.”
“Gross,” Kai moaned, from his booth. “Hyung, HURRY UP! I’M BORED!” Unfortunately, Suho was too engrossed in trading disgusting smiles and/or spit with Irene up at the front to pay him any mind. Sighing, Kai flopped down in his seat, hiding himself behind the booth divider once again. “Girls suck,” he muttered, stabbing at his sundae.
“Mind if I join you?” A familiar voice interrupted. Kai’s head snapped up in alarm. Without waiting for a response, Seulgi slid in next to Kai in the booth, trapping him in place. She flipped her hair and grinned as Kai flailed. “Gotcha. Can’t run away from me now.”
“I w-wasn’t going to!” But Kai’s panicky eyes said otherwise.
“Really? Because I always see more of your back than your front. Not that I’m complaining.” Seulgi nudged him. “It’s a nice view.”
Kai flushed. “Um,” he said eloquently.
“So, we never finished that conversation from last week...”
“HYUNG, HURRY UP!”
“He looks like he’s going to pass out,” Suho noted in worry. “Maybe I should go over...”
“Don’t worry, Seulgi doesn’t bite...well, unless your brother is into that sort of thing.” Irene laughed as Suho’s eyes widened in horror. “I’m joking.
Now, where were we...”
Suho wondered whether Irene snuck ice cream during her work day, because her lips tasted like a delightful combination of strawberry, vanilla, and maybe a hint of chocolate. And with each taste, Suho found himself wanting more.
Perhaps he did have a sweet tooth, after all.