" we won't actually have to choose a side...right? "
[ ateez pirate au // book 1 ]
an ongoing story that shows the issues the ateez boys have to go through on their way to pirate kings. old, familial problems from their pasts become bigger issues t...
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chapter 11
the explanation
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"Bartender ... bartender ... if ya don't pay attention to me right now I fucking swear I'll limb ya-"
Crash!
Mingi jumped at the sound of a glass shattering. As he slowly came back to his senses, he realized he had a customer sitting in front of him on the opposite side of the counter. However, the customer's hand was unclenched and empty, so Mingi put two-and-two together. He grabbed the nearest broom and maneuvered his way around the counter to the rowdy customer, only to be met with an older gentleman leaning down to pick up the glass shards.
"Sir...?" Mingi came to a halt, crouching down to the man's level.
The man flipped his head up, watching Mingi in surprise before blurting out, "Ah, you're Junsu's employee - Mingi, right?"
Mingi blinked his eyes, completely forgetting about the dropped glass and angry customer above him, before nodding his head in confirmation. Junsu was his boss; the man rarely spoke about his workers, let alone Mingi of all people. If anyone, the man would brag about his brother, Minhyuk - well, as of late, Mingi's brother had been slacking, so maybe not. The half-monster just stared back with wide eyes, unknowing of what response to conjure up.
"Amur, get off the ground, you're scaring the boy," an older woman stated, sitting a couple seats away near the counter.
"Ah, yes Jangmi-nuna, here Mingi-ah," Amur joyfully said, sweeping the last pieces of glass into his hands and passing the handful to Mingi. Mingi, without any other option, just took the pile of glass gingerly, cupping one hand over the other as he abandoned the broom. His gloves were coming in handy for once, thankfully. The man, Amur, simply stood back up, wiping his hands together, and took a seat next to the Jangmi woman. Mingi could faintly hear 'I told you to stop calling me that...' before coming back to his senses.
Mingi followed suit of Amur by going back behind the counter to dispose of the glass before returning to his duties. He was about to attend to the annoying customer who dropped the glass in the first place, only to realize the man already disappeared. Whatever.
The boy observed the older duo in his peripherals, specifically eyeing up Jangmi. The older woman wore a faded knitted top and long cotton skirt despite the summer heat. However, something looked so familiar about her. Mingi licked at his lips, trying to decipher whatever he was thinking about, before sighing and returning back to the real world. Maybe I recognize her from one of my side jobs, he distantly thought, sweeping a glance at the two of them again. He managed to notice how the duo were twitching in their seats as their eyes wandered around the tavern; it seemed like they were looking for someone or something - Junsu, he guessed. His boss went out for a smoke break a bit ago and likely wasn't returning for a while, so Mingi took it upon himself to saunter over to Amur and Jangmi.
