𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭 ‣ 𝐃𝐨𝐤𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐤⋄𝐉𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐝𝐨𝐤

Chapter 2: A Half-Assed Answer

Wearing a mask, Kim Dokja walked towards the tabletop and placed the coffee down on the steel counter. "Song Remi?" He called, reading the name off the plastic cup. A girl no shorter than Han Sooyoung ran up to the counter and smiled at him. She took the cup and paused, "oppa, you look familiar." Her soft voice said. One of his coworkers snorted, given it being that she looked almost the same age as her.

"I have the common eyes, Remi-nim," he smiled underneath his mask, eyes creasing.

She pursed her lips and sighed, walking away to her group of friends- appearing disappointed. Kim Dokja sighed and tapped the tabletop.

Beside him, Kim Namwoon groaned and put the whipped cream on the dark mocha. When the boy didn't stop, Kim Dokja turned towards the back counter and tapped it. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong my ass," Kim Namwoon murmured under his breath. He walked over to where the sauces were stored and drizzled caramel on the drink. "Another batch of lovers." He eyed past the man, and Kim Dokja blinked blankly.

He turned around. Of course, a girl was giggling while holding a boy's hand, her face flushed. The boy wasn't visible from their angle, but he seemed to have a protective arm wrapped around her.

"Ah? What happened to you and Lee Jihye?" Another worker turned around from getting the orders. Kim Namwoon banged the counter. "We're friends. Were friends and are friends." He stated, then proceeded to drizzle chocolate on the frosting, grumbling under his breath once more.

He put a few grated chocolate pieces on the whipped cream and picked a cover-up. "I don't want to end up like you, Dokja. Still single despite the age." He snapped the lid shut.

Kim Dokja could say he was offended. He thought about a comeback and looked around the room. His eyes landed on the door, and he saw two familiar faces walk in.

Kim Namwoon sighed and continued, "even your looks, they're average, along with your personality, you should've met someone."

"I would say the same about you, Namwoon-ah, but your personality is a bit. . . " Kim Dokja hummed and took the drink from the boy's hand and walked over to the front counter and wrote something with a marker, then called for the customer. Handing the woman two straws when she came to pick the drink up.

Just then, Yoo Sangha and Lee Hyunsung spotted him and hurriedly walked to the counter. "Good evening, Yoo Sangha-ssi and Lee Hyunsung-ssi, the usual?" Kim Dokja asked, smiling at them through his mask.

"Ah, no, I'll just have a simple green tea," Yoo Sangha replied. "I'll take black coffee," Lee Hyunsung stated and added, "we would like to talk to you after your shift, Dokja-ssi." She smiled.

"Mhm, you're in luck," Kim Namwoon gruffed and fumbled the milk vending on. "It ends in a few minutes."

Kim Dokja nodded at the boy and turned back to face his friends.

"Order's taken!" Kim Namwoon added.

"Thanks," Yoo Sangha smiled.

Kim Dokja got back to making his companions' orders, only to hear Kim Namwoon murmur something.

"She's a friend," Kim Dokja said.

"I knew."

—————

"So what was it?" Kim Dokja sat down wearing a simple black tee-shirt and jeans, the mask still on his face. He placed the black coffee in front of Lee Hyunsung and set the cappuccino cup in front of himself. Kim Namwoon had done the honors of delivering the green tea to Yoo Sangha himself, much to only get a compliment.

"Well," Yoo Sangha scratched her cheek. "It's Sooyoung-ssi."

"What's up?"

"She has made some adjustments."

Kim Dokja raised a brow, and used his right to take his mask down, and proceeded to sip a bit of the bitter liquid. "Was it the one Jonghyuk-ah was in?"

"Yeah. . . " Lee Hyunsung paused.

"He's an arrogant Sunfish. How can I help?" Dokja asked, crossing his legs and drinking once more.

Lee Hyunsung and Yoo Sangha looked at each other. "How much favor is considered to be called a huge favor?" The ex-military man asked.

Kim Dokja narrowed his eyes and lowered the cup. "What are you getting at, Hyungsung-ah?"

"Erm. . . per se. . . we were informed that Jiwoon-ssi couldn't make it. . . and. . . uh," Lee Hyunsung took a deep breath. "She wants you to take the role."

Kim Dokja slammed the mug back on the table and proceeded to cough. He stared at them in astonishment. "You're kidding?" He asked, reaching into his pocket and taking a tissue to wipe his chin.

"No."

Kim Dokja's face dropped. "You want me to—you-know-what with him? That Sunfish bastard?"

"It's just a photo shoot, Dokja-ssi," Yoo Sangha pressed.

"That's how everything starts, Yoo Sangha-ssi, and plus, we aren't talking about cringe selfies, we're talking about actual photoshoots and—and the ones that actually end up on magazine covers." Dokja rested his head on his hands, swallowing.

His two friends shut up for a moment before Yoo Sangha nudged at Lee Hyunsung. "Have you ever read a BL manwha?" Hyunsung asked.

Kim Dokja averted his eyes, clearly disliking the fact that particular topic was brought up. He had only read it once due to peer pressure, not by will.

Damn. . . curiosity.

"Sooyoung-ssi hasn't told us the clothes or sponsor material of the whole thing, so we're assuming it's a photoshoot asked by rich client." Lee Hyunsung paused, "would you, Dokja-ssi, in terms of whether you want yourself in. . . uh. . the more stoic. . . no. . . er. The one who would be the intiative or not?" The other man broke their eye contact, clearly appearing flustered given the situation.

"Huh?" Kim Dokja raised a brow. His tongue licked his lip. He had heard about something like this in that manwha.

Yoo Sangha's face caught color. She quickly covered her cheeks with one hand and waved for them to continue with her other hand.

"I-uh-well," the other man cleared his throat. "In BL, there's usually. . ." he paused and cleared his throat, "excuse me. There's someone as the. . . er, initiator, and the other one is—" He cupped his cheeks and sighed, looking down. "Well, a receiver? . . . Hum. . . er. . . the opposite of the intiator?"

Yoo Sangha looked down once again.

Kim Dokja took a sip of his coffee.

"Well, bluntly, the top is all assertive and stuff— stoic and all. . . And uh. . . I'm sorry to say this, but. . . Muscular. And uh. . . Dokja-ssi, I won't be surprised if Han Sooyoung-ssi sets you like the so-called bottom." Lee Hyunsung stumbled over his own words, feeling his hands sweat up. "But Jonghyuk-ssi is not assertive. . . ?" Hyunsung looked down flustered, unable to meet the latter's eyes.

Kim Dokja lowered his brow and frowned, refraining from spitting out the bitter drink. "I need to talk to Han Sooyoung." The man stood up.

"Wait! Dokja-ssi," Yoo Sangha exclaimed and stood up. "Was it a yes or no?"

"I'll answer that once some role-flipping is made." Kim Dokja smiled and pulled his mask back in place. As he left, Yoo Sangha sat down and murmured a 'congratulations' to the shaking Lee Hyunsung, who still wasn't looking up. 

[1203 words]