"Chenle, save those fists for when you truly need them. Step Number Two towards reforming you: keep your reactions under control."
"Ew, imagine having self-control."
⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒
in which a police office...
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Ring ring. Ring ring. Chenle picked up his phone and checked the number calling. He didn't recognise it. He pulled his legs up onto the mattress and shrugged at his two roommates, who were looking at him expectantly.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Zhong Chenle? This is the manager of Sweet Café."
He scratch the back of his head with a hopeful smile and raised his eyebrows at his friends. "Oh, hello. How are you?"
"I'm great, thank you. I'm calling in response to your application to work at the café. I'm impressed with your resumé and I'd love to have an interview with you."
"Of course." He tried not to sound as excited as he felt.
"Does Saturday afternoon suit?"
"It does indeed. So around one o'clock, then? At the café?"
"Wonderful. I'll see you then."
He exhaled softly and took a moment to breathe. "That was the manager of the café. Apparently they want to interview me."
Donghyuck's face lit up like a spark because he knew how important it was for Chenle to start working again. Renjun was happy because he knew his friend had needed somewhere better to work than the bar.
"Great!" Donghyuck whooped, raising his arms above his head for a two-handed high five that he expected Chenle to come over to him to fulfil.
The ravenette obliged. He lifted himself up off the soft duvet and over to Donghyuck, who was on the other side of the pushed-together beds. "I mean, it's only an interview. I still need to get hired. And what about you? We applied together."
"Le, it was always going to be a nice to have for me. You need this. It's going to be great! Imagine you in a barista apron — no, imagine Jisung seeing you in a barista apron!"
Chenle let himself feel happy about it. They were leaving the hotel in the morning, so they would definitely be back home by Friday. "Just you wait, soon you'll get a call too and we can be coworkers!"
Renjun suddenly remembered that they were leaving tomorrow. "Guys, we need to pack. Let's celebrate while we get the bags ready."
•・•・•
There was a small gift shop beside the hotel. It was inconspicuous but Chenle spotted it before it was too late. He had money left over for souvenir shopping but he didn't really need to spend it on himself.
"So who is it for?" Jeno asked quietly, the shop relatively empty. It didn't feel right to raise his voice.
"Someone who made this trip special," he answered. "And it's none of you guys."
