raspberries and mocha | heejake

9

Heeseung wiped his hands on his apron, taking a deep breath as he was summoned back to Riki's table. His exhaustion clung to him like a second skin, but the energy at the table was anything but dull. Riki had his usual playful smirk on, but it was clear something was brewing. As Heeseung approached, Riki leaned in close, his breath tickling Heeseung's ear.

"Hey, Hee, the person next to me needs something," Riki whispered mischievously. Heeseung nodded, preparing himself for whatever request was coming next. But before he could even turn to the person, Sunoo stopped him, a grin spreading across his face that immediately made Heeseung suspicious.

"Hold up, Heeseung hyung." Sunoo called out, his voice laced with excitement despite his whispering.. Heeseung sighed internally, having a pretty good idea of where this was going. He braced himself, forcing his face to stay neutral for the sake of his reputation.

"So, Jungwon and I were talking," Sunoo started, a sparkle in his eye. Heeseung could already feel his thoughts running wild, and he knew exactly what was coming next. Sunoo's grin widened, and Jungwon was now leaning in too, a soft smirk playing on his lips.

"We couldn't help but notice," Jungwon began, "those two hot waiters you have working here. The ones that have been, uh, staring at us all night."

Heeseung's heart skipped a beat. Of course they noticed. Sunoo didn't waste any time, leaning in as if to share a secret. "You know, the one I've been eyeing? He looks like he'd fuck the life out of me, and honestly, I'd love every second of it."

Heeseung's jaw clenched, and he fought the urge to roll his eyes. For my reputation's sake. Stay cool. He kept his expression calm, nodding like this was a completely normal conversation.

Jungwon chimed in, clearly having his own fun. "Yeah, and the one I've been watching? He looks like he's ready to pounce on me the second we get close. It's almost dangerous." He laughed softly, but Heeseung could see how serious he was beneath the teasing tone.

Heeseung sighed, resisting the eye roll that was threatening to escape. "You're talking about Jay and Sunghoon, right?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Sunoo and Jungwon nodded eagerly, grins plastered on their faces. Heeseung gave in, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Well, Jay and Sunghoon would be happy to hear that. Let me tell you, they've been doing their fair share of staring, too."

Both Sunoo and Jungwon lit up, clearly thrilled by the confirmation. "You got any details?" Sunoo asked eagerly.

Heeseung sighed dramatically, but a grin broke through his tired demeanor. "Alright, alright. Jay's the one with the blonde hair, always looking like he's brooding, and Sunghoon's the raven haired, probably the one that's been grinning like an idiot all night."

Sunoo practically beamed. "Knew it!" he exclaimed. Jungwon nodded in agreement, both of them looking far too pleased with themselves.

"Thank you, Hyungg," Sunoo said with a wink, and Heeseung waved it off, quickly excusing himself before the conversation could get more...explicit.

As soon as he returned to the kitchen, Heeseung found Jay and Sunghoon waiting, eager as ever. He didn't even get a word in before they both started grinning at him.

"Well?" Jay asked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Heeseung raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Let's just say Sunoo and Jungwon were pretty impressed with you two."

Jay and Sunghoon exchanged glances, grinning like they'd just won the lottery. Heeseung chuckled under his breath. "They said you guys were, uh, quite the eye candy."

Jay couldn't help but laugh, and Sunghoon's grin only widened. "Told you," Sunghoon muttered to Jay, nudging his shoulder.

"Yeah, well, good luck with that," Heeseung teased, shaking his head as he walked away, knowing full well that this was just the beginning of whatever chaos his friends were about to unleash.

And yet, through all of it, that raspberry scent lingered in the back of his mind, never letting him forget the stranger who had completely thrown him off balance.

Heeseung grabbed a fresh batch of napkins, his feet moving on autopilot as he approached Riki's table. He flashed his usual polite smile, handing the napkins to Riki without much of a word, trying to keep the interaction quick and professional. But as he turned to walk away, he couldn't help himself—his eyes drifted toward the stranger once again. Just one last glance.

The stranger was still immersed in his phone, dark hair falling over his forehead, oblivious to the way Heeseung's heart seemed to stutter in his chest. His face was as breathtaking as before—those big, puppy-like eyes framed by long lashes, and the curve of his lips that hinted at a kind of innocence, almost as if he hadn't completely shattered Heeseung's composure. Thank god he hadn't noticed...yet.

Heeseung practically sprinted back to the kitchen, trying to shake off the lingering spell that stranger had on him. He needed to focus. But when he finally returned to the safety of the back room, there they were—Jay and Sunghoon. Oh my god, could they not stop staring at Riki's table? His best friends were being so obvious about it, it was almost painful.

Heeseung rolled his eyes, walking past them with an annoyed huff. "Seriously, could you guys be any more obvious?"

Jay and Sunghoon exchanged a look before bursting into laughter. Jay, ever the more smug of the two, leaned back against the counter. "What can I say? They're hard to ignore."

Heeseung groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "You guys are the dumbest, most idiotic people I've ever met," he muttered, but he couldn't hide the smile tugging at his lips.

Sunghoon grinned, nudging Jay. "Hey, at least we're entertaining."

"Entertaining isn't the word I'd use," Heeseung shot back, crossing his arms. "More like...a train wreck I can't look away from."

Jay chuckled, not missing a beat. "Well, seems like you've got your own train wreck over there." He jerked his head in the direction of Riki's table. "I saw the way you looked at him."

Heeseung's smile faltered for a moment, his heart skipping as he realized they weren't wrong. He had looked—too much. And now, the thought of that stranger was stuck in his mind, as if the scent of raspberries still clung to the air around him.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Heeseung muttered, though his face was already giving him away.

Sunghoon smirked. "Oh, we know. We definitely know."

Sure they do. But Heeseung's thoughts were quickly interrupted by the clock ticking, for it was time for a very-much deserved break. 20 minutes. What could possibly go wrong? Right?

Wrong.

As soon as Jay and Sunghoon's heads shifted towards the clock, they only gave each other one last grin before Jay turned back to the counter and crooked his finger towards Jungwon's direction before walking to the balcony. Jungwon and Sunoo seemed to have got the hint and immediately squealed at each other before actually excusing themselves from Riki and the stranger. Sunghoon looked at Heeseung one last time and followed on sync.

Oh dear god.