INTERTWINE

company

Pit-ta-pat, pit-ta-pat. The raindrops tapped softly against the window pane gently in a uniformed and melodious manner.The Dream Cafe was empty, chairs neatly stacked up on top of the circular tables,food display racks tucked away under the counter. On top of the counter sat Mark Lee, dressed in an oversized black hoodie along with plain grey joggers. He strummed the overly-used strings of his guitar mindlessly, as he waited for Jeno to and get the shop ready for closing.

Mark enjoyed the ambience of the cafe. Having a penchant towards calm, peaceful environments, he was usually found there during the after hours before closing. The soft running of the tap in the back of the kitchen, the harmonious clinks and clanks made by the cups and plates along with Jeno's occasional attempts to spice up his dry humour made Mark feel at ease and sometimes even gave him some inspiration to compose short music phrases on his instrument.

The Lee considered himself lucky to meet a guy like Jeno. If the two had not accidentally spilt coffee on one another a year ago while walking along the tranquil streets, Mark's will to do anything may have fizzled out completely by now. It was unthinkable at how Mark may have had to survive without Jeno, his mundane personality and amazing coffee creations. As daft and cheesy as it sounds, it was true.

Jeno was a little brother Mark had never had.

"Yo, are you done?" Mark called out for what seemed to be the millionth time in the span of twenty minutes, supporting himself with his right hand as he hopped off the counter.

"I'm coming." Jeno replied calmly from the storage room. Mark let out an audible groan that tickled Jeno, causing him to let out a soft laugh.

As Mark paced up and down the cafe, he could not help but notice the minimalistic and homely interior of the eatery. Walls were painted a soft beige, with posters of various retro bands from 60s forming small collages at some corners, along with several vinyls hung in a straight row on the walls beside the counter. The oak chairs complemented the soft look of the establishment, along with one or two sofas decorated with brightly coloured cushions. Mark could not help but feel his heart warm a little. On the outside, the building looked utterly daunting, but once you stepped in, it was the complete opposite.

Mark wished that the cafe was his home. Technically, it was. He spent more time there than his apartment anyway. But the eatery provided Mark with some sort of refuge that he had never experienced in his apartment or back in his Canadian hometown.

As Mark was busy running his hands over the different music vinyls, Jeno had packed up the necessary items and put them back into the storage room. He made his way out, finally ready to head home with his trusty companion, but as Jeno saw how Mark was so immersed in his own world just by looking at vinyls, he could not help but smile.

Despite being a year younger than the latter, Jeno took care of Mark like a newborn child. Flying away from home to Korea was a scary thing, and when Mark first arrived he did not have a clue of what to expect. Thankfully, Mark was a clumsy boy, and the unexpected occurrence was a indeed a god-send.

Jeno cupped his chin as he watched the older fondly. A grown adolescent boy, named Mark Lee, looked at vinyls like they were one of the Seven Wonders Of The World.

His innocent and curious demeanour never failed to amuse Jeno.

"Mr Lee, are we good to go?" Jeno called out, snapping the older out of his own world. Mark Lee whipped his head around before forming a small smile. Nodding his head in response, the pair made their way out of the establishment, switching off the colourful LED lights that lined the roof top. The huge "OPEN" sign flashed repeatedly for a bit, before turning off completely, ready to be turned back on for another busy day.