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The next morning at Café Étoile was a study in awkwardness. From the moment Hao walked in, he could feel the tension in the air like a thick fog. Every movement felt exaggerated, every sound louder than it should have been. And it all centered around one person—Hanbin.
Hao stepped behind the counter, his usual confidence faltering as his mind replayed the events from the night before. The kiss. He could still feel the heat of Hanbin’s lips, the press of their bodies as they hid from the store staff. His cheeks flushed involuntarily, and he quickly busied himself with arranging cups, trying to push the memory away. But it wasn’t working.
Hanbin was already there, leaning casually against the espresso machine, looking like nothing had changed. His dark hair was as effortlessly tousled as ever, his expression unreadable. But there was a noticeable stiffness in the air between them—something unspoken, hovering just beneath the surface.
"Morning," Hanbin said, his voice casual, though there was a hint of something lurking beneath the surface—like he was testing the waters, waiting to see how Hao would react.
Hao swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady. "Morning." He didn’t dare look directly at Hanbin, choosing instead to focus on wiping down the counter even though it was already spotless. Why does it feel like the entire room is staring at us?
The silence that followed was unbearable. Usually, the early morning rush would fill the café with noise and chatter, but today it felt like the world had gone quiet just to highlight how uncomfortable things were between them.
Hao could feel Hanbin’s gaze on him, burning into the back of his head, and it took everything in him not to turn around and demand to know what the hell that kiss was about. But every time he worked up the nerve, the memory of Hanbin pulling him close, of the way his heart had raced in that moment, stopped him.
It was just to avoid getting caught. That’s all. He repeated that thought to himself over and over again. But even though it made sense, it didn’t explain the strange pull he felt whenever Hanbin was near.
"Busy day, huh?" Hanbin finally said, breaking the silence. There was a slight edge to his voice, like he was enjoying how flustered Hao was.
Hao gritted his teeth. "Yeah. Sure."
He glanced over at Hanbin, who gave him a lazy smirk, clearly noticing his discomfort. Great, now he thinks this is funny.
As the café slowly began to fill with customers, the usual routine kicked in, but the awkwardness lingered. Whenever they had to cross paths behind the counter, Hao did his best to avoid Hanbin’s eyes, but each time their hands brushed or they had to pass a cup to one another, he could feel the unspoken tension tightening between them.
