snowflake ☆ k.dy ☆ ayakashi series | ✔

doyoung [two]

It was a couple weeks later that found you at an unfamiliar coffee shop. You were in the high-end business district right next to the high-end shopping district. Jaemin desperately needed a fix, but because his favorite (read: richest) customer was supposed to be coming in that day at an unknown time, he didn't want to risk leaving the store. So your services had been enlisted, and you now stood in line, Jaemin's order already in your mind. And after looking at the prices, you were glad that he was going to pay you back for this. Coffee prices this high should be illegal. But looking around at the other clientele there, you figured they could easily pay for it. And after doing a double take at the clientele, you were surprised to see a face that was becoming more and more familiar to you.

After ordering Jaemin's iced americano with five too many shots of espresso, you joined the group of people waiting for their order, sidling right up beside Kim Doyoung.

"Hi," you said.

He looked over, displeasure at being bothered turning to mild surprise as he recognized you, "Oh, Ms. Y/L/N."

"So, did your boss like the book?"

"Yes, Mr. Qian is very happy to have it."

Another beat of silence. You weren't sure if it was social awkwardness or something else, but you kept trying to make conversation with him.

"Getting your own coffee or is it for—"

"Both. Mr. Qian is very generous."

"Uh—"

The barista called out what must have been his order, as he tartly dismissed himself, "Goodbye."

After shouldering his way through the other patrons, he accepted the two drinks cordially and took off without another word to you. Though he did afford you a sharp side-eye before disappearing into the crowd.

Jaemin's order was ready just a few minutes later, and you secured the drink before starting down the sidewalks as well.

As soon as you arrived at the doors of Grandeur, you felt sorely underdressed, but entered anyway. You looked around for your best friend but couldn't see him anywhere. So you instead walked up to the front desk, manned by a rather tall and pretty older woman—Jaemin's boss, you were pretty sure. Wouldn't have been your first choice for asking for help in finding Jaemin, but there apparently wasn't another employee around. She raised an eyebrow at you approaching her.

"Hi, uh, I have a coffee, for Na Jaemin?" Your voice squeaked just a little bit at the end, and you didn't mean for it to pitch up into a question like that.

She continued looking down at you with disinterest, so you continued, "Could I give it to him? Do you know where he is?"

"He's with our most valuable customer in the private shopping area," she replied curtly.

"Okay, great, where—"

"You will most certainly not go back there and disturb Mr. Qian!" Her voice was suddenly stern and affronted as she scolded you, and you were surprised both at that, and at who the 'valuable customer' apparently was. Jaemin's richest customer was Kun?

"Well—" you cut yourself off at the figure who emerged from behind a red velvet curtain at the back of the store. "Oh! Doyoung!"

The snow spirit's head whipped up from where he had been typing on his phone, and his eyes widened incredulously at you. He walked over, and the woman you had previously been speaking with seemed absolutely stunned that you knew Kun's personal assistant by first name.

"Are you stalking me, Ms. Y/L/N?" He asked dryly, and it was your turn to be surprised. Did he just... crack a joke?

"No, actually, but it is funny running into you again," you remarked, glad to be speaking to someone who you were mostly sure didn't absolutely hate you. "Can you give this to Jaemin for me?"

Doyoung gingerly took the coffee from you, "Of course."

"Thanks!" You smiled at him in relief. "I won't hold you up, you looked like you were doing something important. Bye!"

And with that, you took leave of the store, all too happy to be out from under that woman's gaze.

☆

Jaemin called you later that night as you were reclined on your couch, watching your drama with Taeyong. You put it on pause and put your finger to your lips in a motion for the Nekomata to be quiet while you picked up the call.

"Hey, NaNa!" You greeted him brightly.

"Hey, Y/N, thank you so much for the coffee today!" Your friend gushed out.

"Oh, of course, wish I could've given it to you myself though."

"Yeah, Ms. Kang can be a hardass, but it comes with the territory," he replied, and you could imagine him shrugging his shoulders at that. "Though I am really surprised that you asked Mr. Qian's assistant to give it to me. And that he agreed."

"What? Why?"

"He's... cold, I guess you could say. I've been Mr. Qian's personal shopper for months now and I've never seen that man smile, not once."

"Yeah, I can see that..." you snickered. "But Doyoung doesn't seem that bad."

"Doyoung?" Jaemin repeated the man's name incredulously. "You're on a first name basis with him? How well do you know this guy, Y/N?"

"Well, I call him by his first name, he calls me Ms. Y/L/N, so not really a mutual first name basis there. And not too well, we've just met a couple times because Kun bought a rare book from my parents' shop."

"Kun?" He seemed even more taken aback at you calling the Oni by his first name. "Y/N..."

"He gave me his number, I figured I'm allowed to call him by his first name."

"He—oh dear Lord I'm going to have a stroke—Mr. Qian gave you his number? Like, flirting with you?"

"Yeah, it was pretty uh... straightforward."

"You called him, right? Because, Y/N, if you passed up your best chance at a sugar daddy, so help me, I will come over there and smack some sense into you right now."

"I called him once, for a... favor."

"You used Mr. Qian as a booty call?"

"Oh god, no!" You shot him down, not realizing that he'd interpret it like that. "I needed a ride somewhere and it was kind of a last resort. And I'm not planning on doing it again, I don't need or want a sugar daddy."

"I'm putting my shoes on right now."

"If you come over here, Na Jaemin, I will ban you from ever seeing Tama again."

There was a spiteful pause before he relented, "Fine. But you're being an idiot. I'm sure besides his loads of money, Mr. Qian is a great guy. He treats me with basic human decency, which I can't say for most of my customers."

You scoffed, rolling your eyes, "Oh goody, he treats customer service people as people. The bar is really on the fucking ground, Jaemin."

"As your best friend, I'm telling you, you could do worse than Mr. Qian."

"Yeah, thanks."

"You're not going to call him, are you?"

"You know me so well."

You and Jaemin exchanged a few more words before hanging up, and once you had, you noticed Taeyong looking at you from the other end of the couch, nose wrinkled up with distaste.

"What?" You asked, then remembered your remark about 'Tama' to Jaemin. "I won't let him harass you, I promise."

"You saw the Oni?" He asked, leaning forward to sniff the air.

"No, I saw his assistant for all of two minutes today," you replied with an eyebrow raised. "Why?"

"Oni are bad news, Y/N..."

"Sicheng told me the same thing. Why?"

Taeyong shook his head, ears twitching, "Don't ask me. It's like Wraiths, they just are."

You weren't sure you liked that comparison, but you honestly didn't know enough about Ayakashi or Oni, so you kept your reservations to yourself for the moment.