like never before | beomkai

04 | iced americano

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Kai had a dream that he ended up jotting down in his journal.

Taehyun would give him loads of shit for doing that, but old habits die hard. He grew up writing everything in a notebook, and he will probably grow older doing so.

It's a habit he was not the biggest fan of. Unlike playing the piano and playing games, it was a habit he couldn't show off. So when Yeonjun saw him eating breakfast as he was writing, his face fell red and he immediately scrambled to hide in his room. Taehyun dramatically knocked on his door as soon as he did. It was an easy reminder that Kai was being picked up for work and the hour ended with him being in front of the counter with a big smile on his face.

"Glad you can help me again today, Hyuka. I thought you'd be out preparing for college like Taehyun," Soobin never forgets to tell Kai how grateful he is, and Kai would always shake his head at that. The cafe wasn't so bad, he's starting to like it here. "Are you taking Legal Management, too?"

Taehyun must have mentioned that he's planning to study law in the future.

"Political Science. I found Politics interesting in high school, and it's not a bad choice for pre-law," Kai answered nonchalantly. He's planned this for months already. "How about you?"

"I'm not sure. My parents want me to study Nursing, but it's not really my thing."

"There's still time to decide."

"It's not enough," Soobin sighed, and Kai didn't know what to say. "Uhm, did Taehyun mention anything about a party tonight? We asked him to invite you."

A party. Why do they keep hosting parties? Kai couldn't imagine all the free time on their hands. "It's not really my thing.."

"But still! It's not even a huge party. Just a few friends and all five of us with alcohol and music."

Kai doubts that, but he didn't give Soobin an opportunity to convince him further. "I'll think about it."

It was an answer that Soobin knew too well when it came from Kai. A frown draws on the older one's lips, "You're going to flake again, aren't you? I thought we're friends again."

Now, that made Kai frown. "We are! I wouldn't be here if we weren't!" He laughs to ease the tension.

Kai absolutely hates parties for so many reasons: there's alcohol, and alcohol makes people act different; there will be so many people he doesn't know, and he's not the best at making friends; and lastly, the image of Beomgyu holding a plastic cup with colored lights illuminating his face would send Kai in a spiral.

He does not want to make a fool of himself.

"Uh, I think someone just spilled their frappe," Kai made a not-so-subtle attempt to avert the subject, and Soobin let him. He rushes to the back for a rug and some bleach before walking to clean an.. already clean table.

The escape didn't last too long as Beomgyu entered the cafe with the chimes that grew familiar in Kai's ears. Soobin was quick to hiss in playfulness and prepare his oh-so-famous Iced Americano, so Kai made no efforts to entertain Beomgyu from settling in a table.

Unfortunately, Beomgyu had other plans. He made a beeline to where Kai was and for a moment, the worker wonders if Beomgyu forgot that he's a regular in a cafe his best friend works at and orders absolutely only one drink every other day.

"Iced Americano for Beomgyu, please," Beomgyu said, a bit too quiet for Kai's liking.

Kai awkwardly smiles and bobbed his head like a broken machine. "Coming right up."

Today, he writes Beomgyu's name a little too squiggly from the nervousness he feels under the pressure of the customer's eyes unmoving on him.

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Beomgyu made his order at the counter again the next day. "Iced Americano," He said, like Soobin isn't doing the drink already.

"Okay," And Kai answered like the whole ordeal isn't strange.

"You weren't at my party last night. Why?" The dead tone on Beomgyu's voice made Kai freeze. He forgot how straightforward Beomgyu is and it seems like avoiding the question isn't possible with him.

Kai showed another awkward smile that he's been wearing around Beomgyu lately. "I was busy."

"Taehyun clearly said you weren't."

"Unfortunately, being best friends doesn't mean we know what each other are doing 24/7," Kai made a mental note to kick Taehyun in the ass later.

The drink came and Kai wrote Beomgyu's name in a rush. "Iced Americano for Beomgyu."

"Thanks," Beomgyu said, barely above a whisper. Kai wasn't sure why Beomgyu's been whispering around him since yesterday but it made him feel strange. It feels a bit.. intimate. A very inappropriate thing to feel with a customer, so Kai brushes it off every time.

"You're welcome."

Don't come to the counter again.

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The third time Beomgyu approached the counter was for a straw.

"I dropped the one you gave me," He reasoned, and Kai knew well that there was nothing wrong with asking for another straw anyway when they're all reusable.

Kai offered a new one with a tissue and a smile. Beomgyu took it with eyes that burned Kai's skin, but didn't leave as soon as expected. To this, Kai's brows furrowed. "Do you need anything else?"

Beomgyu shrugged. "That's all. Thank you," He said, then he left.

There was definitely something strange with Beomgyu these days.

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Days come and go, but Beomgyu's order stays like a permanent marker on paper.

Soobin nudged Kai's shoulder after giving Beomgyu the drink, and was pouting when Kai looked his way. "Is Beomgyu picking on you?"

"I wouldn't say he is, but I wouldn't say he isn't either," Kai said. "I don't really know."

Soobin snorts. "He's an idiot. I'm sorry if he's given you a hard time while you're working here."

"No biggie.. but can I ask a favor?"

"Anything," Soobin's eyes widen in anticipation. He gets a little too excited when it's Kai.

"Can you teach me how to do the Unicorn frappe? It looks so pretty in the picture but I don't know what it looks like in real life. I think my younger sister would love it," Kai finally said after pondering since the moment he saw the drink earlier.

Soobin eyebrows raised up and his lips slowly tugged a smile. The dimple on his cheek almost made Kai coo in adoration. "Of course! Yes! Let's do that. Oh my gosh! I can't wait. Should we do it now? Or.. No. Let's do it later! Are you fine with studying until closing?"

"I'm fine with it as long as I'm not much of a bother."

"You are never a bother to me! I can teach you more if you want. Oh my gosh. This can be our thing! Yeonjun hyung is going to be so jealous."

Kai tilts his head to the side in curiosity. "Why would he be jealous?"

"Well, cutie. We're on our road to becoming best friends and he's not!"

Kai bursts into a fit of giggles. He never had anyone say that to him before. Taehyun was his only best friend for years and now here's Soobin claiming that they'll be best friends over a frappe making lesson. Kai thinks it's endearing. Having friends is endearing.

Maybe it's not too bad.

"Don't tell Beomgyu," Soobin whispered almost a bit comically. "He might want to tag along and ruin everything."

Kai chuckled. "I don't think so."

Beomgyu and 'becoming best friends' doesn't sound well together.

"Trust me. He'll want to tag along. Isn't that why he's been trying so hard to get your attention lately? To get close to you?"