✔ Caffeine || CHOI SOOBIN FF

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟟𝟘

~bloop bloop~

-Start of Chapter 70-

The last customer waves goodbye and the soft chime of the bell echoed as the door closes behind them. I exhale. leaning against the counter, watching Seoha wipe down the espresso machine with his usual focused expression.

Pulling out my phone, I scroll through my schedule for tomorrow, ensuring everything is in place before dialling Hana. She picks up on the second ring, her voice bubbly as ever.

"Unnie! Did you double-check your bags? What about the presentation? And don't forget-"

"Relax" I interrupts, smiling at her flurry of concern "Everything's packed. The presentation's ready. I've triple-checked the bags. Happy?"

"Mostly" she replies, though her tone remains skeptical "You're going to Japan for a branch opening. It's a big deal Y/N. I want you to be perfectly prepared."

"Calm down Hanaaa. It's just a small trip" I reassure her, "And its not like I'll be running the branch myself. The new team is alreasy trained and ready."

"But stillll....." her voice seems softer now, "Don't over work yourself, okay? You've been pushing too hard lately."

"Yeah yeah sure." I mutter.

Seoha looks up from the counter, raising an eyebrow as he overhears, "Tell her, you're leaving the cafe in good hands. I don't think she trusts me." he says in teasing voice.

Hana hears him and laughs through the phone, "Oh I trust Seoha. It's you I don't trust, unnie. You'll probably call in every hour to check on things."

"I will not" I protest, though the sheepish tone in my voice betrays me.

"Uh huh sure" Hana says, clearly unconvinced. "Just... take care of yourself, okay? And call me when you land."

"I will."

~~~~~

Soobin's POV

Dinner at the dorm is loud, as always.

Beomgyu is halfway through a rant about how Hueningkai ate his snacks again. Hueningkai denies it, claiming innocence between mouthfuls of rice, while Taehyun sits in amused silence, quietly munching on his food. Yeonjun, ever the instigator, fans the flames with sarcastic remarks, grinning as Beomgyu gets louder.

The chaos feels... normal. Familiar.

But it doesn't reach me anymore.

I sit there, poking at my food, barely registering the banter. Their voices blur together, fading into the background as I focus on the clinking of my chopsticks against the bowl.

"Soobin, you good?" Yeonjun asks, his voice cutting through the haze.

I look up, startled, and force a small smile. "Yeah. Just tired."

It's the same excuse I've been using for the last two years now.

Yeonjun studies me for a moment, but he doesn't push. None of them do anymore.

~~~~~

After dinner, the conversation shifts to our upcoming tour.

"We're finally going to Japan again!" Beomgyu says, excitement lighting up his face. "It feels like agesss since we've been there."

Hueningkai nods enthusiastically. "Same! The snowfalls there are soo pretty. Apparantly it still hasn't snowed there yet."

"Make sense, we are going a bit early. I'm just excited to meet the fans again," Yeonjun says, leaning back with a satisfied smile.