Unlikely Harmony || DaouOffroad AU

CH5. The Other Side

The day started early for Offroad. The call from Daou, cancelling practice, still lingered in his mind, leaving him irritable. Now, with nothing else on his schedule, he felt aimless. He dressed quickly in his usual attire, black jeans, a sleeveless graphic tee, and a leather jacket, and made his way to Pentor's café, hoping a change of scenery would help him shake off his frustration.

Pentor's café was a cozy hideaway in the city, with an eclectic mix of furnishings and a reputation for strong coffee. Pentor, his close friend and the café's owner was behind the counter, his face lighting up when he saw Offroad.

"Hey, Offroad!" Pentor greeted, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"You're up early. What's the occasion?"

"Hey, Pentor," Offroad said, slipping into a stool at the counter. 

"Just needed to get out. Daou cancelled practice today, and I could use a break."

His friend raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Cancelled practice? That's a new one. Anything particular going on?"

"Just some label meeting," Offroad said.

"It's driving me nuts. We need to stay on track with this project and delays like this don't help. The sooner we finish all of this, the sooner we can get rid of each other."

As Pentor began to brew another pot of coffee, Geler strolled in, his relaxed demeanour a stark contrast to Offroad's tense energy. Geler's eyes landed on Offroad, and with a mischievous grin, he joined him at the counter. "Morning, guys. What's got you all twisted up?" he asked, far too cheerful for the vibe surrounding the gloomy musician.

"Daou cancelled practice," Offroad muttered, clearly annoyed.

Geler's grin widened, immediately seeing an opportunity to tease. "Aww, is little Off sad he doesn't get to see his P'Daou today?" he said in a sing-song voice, drawing out the last part just to annoy him.

Offroad shot him a look, his jaw tightening. "P'Gel, you're really not funny," he groaned, taking a half-hearted swing at Geler's shoulder, which he dodged easily, laughing.

"Alright, alright, I'll shut up," Geler said, raising his hands in mock surrender while still chuckling.

 As he pulled out his phone, his tone shifted, though the amusement lingered. "But speaking of buzz, have you seen the viral posts of your dinner with Daou?"

Offroad's playful annoyance disappeared in an instant, his expression hardening. His shoulders tensed. "Yeah," he said, his voice a little colder. "I've seen them. What about it?"

Geler raised an eyebrow, sensing the shift in mood but still pushing forward. "Just saying, it's everywhere. People are talking. Looks like more than just a dinner to some."

Offroad clenched his jaw, a wave of frustration surfacing. He wasn't in the mood for Geler's teasing anymore.

Pentor, who had been quietly brewing his coffee, chuckled as he glanced over. "Oh, come on, Offroad. You two looked like you were having a great time. The internet's loving it."

Geler, picking up on Pentor's tone, added with a smirk, "Yeah, the comments are hilarious. They're calling it a 'bromance in the making.' How's that for a headline?"

Offroad rolled his eyes, trying to stay composed. "Seriously? People love to blow things out of proportion. We were just having dinner. Doesn't mean we're best friends or anything,

Pentor leaned in, still chuckling. "Well, it seems like the fans are really invested. They're either picking sides or shipping you two hard."

"I'm aware but I'm not here to play into fan theories. We've got a project to focus on, and I'd rather not get sidetracked by internet nonsense."