Flowers on the Moon ; jinyoung-centric

Chapter 1: a cup of cappuccino

"Gosh, why couldn't he have just ordered his own coffee? I want to go home already," Yugyeom grumbles under his breath as he puts his phone in his pocket, continuing to roam around the quiet streets in hopes of finding a cafe. 

He should've been at home right now, had it not been for the text message he'd received from Bambam a few minutes prior, when he had just gotten outside the school gates, asking Yugyeom to buy him coffee. If it had been any other day, he wouldn't really mind that much, but today had been particularly tiring (and annoying). 

Besides the stacks of homework their teachers had given and multiple surprise quizzes, his classmates had been getting on his nerves the whole day as they kept bothering him with questions about the lessons (why they didn't just ask their professors, he didn't know), souring his mood even more than it already was. 

He'd been ready to go home and quickly do the assignments so he could sleep, but now he has to go to a coffee shop, too. Today really wasn't his day. 

He stops in front of a vintage-looking cafe amongst the other modern apartments and convenience stores. There was a single door surrounded by two, large windows, and a couple of tables sat by the entrance. He could see a glimpse of the inside, where more tables were lined up amidst the somewhat dim lighting and a person behind the counter pouring what he guessed was coffee onto a cup. 

Shrugging, Yugyeom opens the door and is immediately met with the aroma of brewing coffee. There were some book shelves lined across the walls alongside some lights. The beige wallpaper matched perfectly with the wooden tables and chairs, creating a beautiful and cozy-looking setting as faint music plays in the background. 

This place felt like a completely different world from the empty street outside. How had he never seen this cafe before? Well, this wouldn't be his first time going here, for sure.  

Surprisingly, there wasn't anyone inside except for the barista. 

Huh. Maybe it's a new place here? 

"Oh, hi," the barista greets from the counter, smiling as he wipes his hands on his apron. "What would you like to order?"

Yugyeom stops in his tracks and has to do a double take because, God, how could a smile be that adorable? There's a beat of silence, and he's staring a bit, albeit admiring this person's appearance. His ruffled, black hair hung slightly over his eyes, lips pulled up into a warm smile that graced his features beautifully. 

"Just one cappuccino, please." He says after a while, smiling and handing some money over. The barista nods and quickly hands him the change before proceeding to make the coffee. 

Yugyeom sits down on one of the chairs in front of the counter and opens his phone, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the message notification staring back at him. 

Bambam: did u get my coffee

Me: i'm buying it now hold on

Bambam: from which cafe? 

Me: i found a cafe down the street we pass by when we're going to school. i think it's new, there's no one here

Me: the barista's rlly cute but u didn't hear that from me

Bambam: oh? 👀

Me: yep. anyway i think your coffee's done, i'll be home in a bit

Bambam: kay thanks! 

"Here's your cappuccino." The barista places the cup on the counter with another smile, and Yugyeom feels his heart skip a beat. Those wrinkles around his eyes might've been the most wholesome sight he's ever seen before. How could someone be that cute? 

Yugyeom takes the coffee with a smile and stands up. "Thank you." He contemplates for a moment, before speaking again. "Sorry if this sounds a bit personal, but do you happen to go to the university a couple streets from here?" 

Something in the other's expression shifts, and Yugyeom frowns as his smile falters for a split second, eyes shining with something akin to...

Fear? 

It's a few moments later when he finally answers. "No, it's okay. And no, I don't," he shakes his head, smiling shyly. "I actually dropped out last year from my old school. Something happened, to say the least." He ends his sentence with a chuckle, though it seems almost forced and pained. Yugyeom couldn't help wondering what that 'something' was. 

"I see." He says, nodding. As curious as he was, Yugyeom decided to drop the topic after noticing how tense the barista seemed. "So you're working full time here?"

"Yeah. I just opened this cafe this morning, actually. It was a tough decision, but I realized this is what I wanted to do." He responds, a piece of hair falling across his eyes as he glances at his hands before looking up again. Yugyeom only met this person now, but something about the way he talked told him he truly cared about his job. 

"I'll tell my friends to come visit this place." 

The other's eyes widened a bit. "Oh, you really don't have to." 

Yugyeom chuckles, shrugging. "It's the least I could do. Besides, I could tell you really care about this cafe. Your hard work deserves to get paid off." 

The barista flushes a light shade of red. "Thank you. I really appreciate it," he says sincerely, bowing slightly. 

"It's no problem. Oh, and my name's Yugyeom, by the way. It was nice meeting you." 

"You too," he smiles once again. "I'm Jinyoung."

Yugyeom sends a quick goodbye before exiting the cafe. The sun was already going down, and the streetlights had been turned on, illuminating the road in a cozy, dim lighting. The image of Jinyoung's eye smile flashes across his mind for a moment, and as he makes his way down the street, Yugyeom knew this wouldn't be the last time he'd be going to that cafe.