3 Paths to Love

Chapter 33

Seunghyeon bit his lip as he piped a swirl of icing on a lemon roll cake, finishing them off with a little swoop. Pulling back with a grin and with the last of the icing, he squeezed it onto the tip of his finger and licked it off, humming.

"Hey, you done?" Kwangsun asked from the table at the other side of the backroom.

"Almost," Seunghyeon said and peeled off his gloves. He walked over and leaned against a chair, chuckling as Kwangsun poured the freshly roasted beans into airtight containers. "Need help?"

Kwangsun shook his head and set the sack down between the legs of his chair. With a cheeky grin, Kwangsun picked up a bean and placed his hands behind his back. Then he held out two fists. "Guess which one has the bean, Kitty."

Seunghyeon pursed his lips and Kwangsun wiggled his eyebrows. Snorting a laugh, Seunghyeon squinting at Kwangsun's hands, humming. "This one," he said, poking Kwangsun's left hand.

"Correct," Kwangsun said and opened his palm to reveal a single coffee bean. "Good job."

Seunghyeon chuckled. "Thanks. What do I win?"

"The bean, of course." Kwangsun gently held his hand, turned it over and placed it onto Seunghyeon's palm. Seunghyeon bit the inside of his cheek and closed his fist.

As Kwangsun pulled away, his fingers brushing against Seunghyeon's skin, a shudder ran up his arm and his chest tingled. Seunghyeon stiffened and dropped his arm, tucking the bean into his pocket. He cleared his throat, shaking the giddiness out of his head. "Now I can make the world's tiniest espresso," he said dramatically and headed back to the counter.

"It'll be the best coffee you'll ever have. That bean is priceless. I searched through all these beans to give you the perfect one," Kwangsun said, gesturing to all the beans around him.

Seunghyeon bit back a smile, eyeing him for a moment before grabbing another pair of gloves. "If that's the case we should display it in a gallery and get famous."

Kwangsun whistled. "That's the dream."

Giggling, Seunghyeon grabbed the powdered sugar and sieve. "And then after, maybe Monsta Z will give us free tickets to their concerts."

"Ah, that'd be cool," Kwangsun said. "I've been listening to them on repeat since you showed them to me."

Seunghyeon hummed, his chest swelled up at the idea of Kwangsun enjoying the same music.

"They're actually hosting a concert soonish," Seunghyeon said, ignoring his rising heartbeat. He shook his head and turned around. "You should come with me. It'll be fun."

Kwangsun blinked at him before grinning. "Yeah, that sounds awesome. When is it?"

Seunghyeon beamed. "I can't remember the date," he said, humming. "But I know it's in July."

Kwangsun's face fell. "Oh." He averted his eyes and rubbed his chin. "Um..."

Seunghyeon tilted his head. When he opened his mouth to speak, the bell above the door chimed and Kwangsun shot up. "I got it," he said and hurried out of the room.

"Uh, yeah," Seunghyeon said and watched him leave. He heard Insoo's voice and shook his head.

He dusted the top of the cakes with more sugar and gnawed at his bottom lip. Was July not a good time for Kwangsun? Well, even if that was the case, it wasn't a big deal. Seunghyeon took a deep breath and nodded. They still had the whole summer to hang out. Seunghyeon hummed and set the cakes on a tray, thinking of new, more exciting plans.

Seunghyeon padded across the living room, readjusting his headband as he plopped onto the couch next to Taeyong. He rested his head on Taeyong's shoulder, watching him hold his phone up and talk to their parents.