*
It was late. The dark clouds overhead were threatening to release large raindrops, and the last people remaining on the streets were scattering.
Jung Hoseok realized a little too late that the forecasted storm had arrived. The click of his dress shoes were quiet compared to the rhythmic tapping of the droplets above him.
He had just left his sister's home after a long night at some fancy dinner he was tricked into attending. Because of this, Hoseok was forced to take shelter in the corner bakery, scuffling around with wet hair and sopping shoes.
The young barista waiting at the counter greeted him with a flashy smile, the man's dark brown bangs falling just above his eyes. Hoseok let out a soft greeting just as the lad turned around to speak to a fellow employee.
He continued to walk, his shoes letting out an obnoxious squeak, the man quietly looking for a table. With what he considered to be stealth, he watched the cute man as he conversed with the other worker.
He seemed to be hypnotized by the stranger, but after snapping out of it, he shimmied out of the coat he wore that day, folding it nicely and placing it on the table. He stood again, heading to the register to order a bit of food.
He he requested a small black coffee plus a cake pop. As he payed, he stared at the surprisingly tall employee, eyes lingering on his nametag. Once he received his card again, he grabbed the warm paper cup, returning to his seat.
He let out a happy sigh while lifting the cup to his lips. However, Hoseok quickly noticed a number scribbled on the side. He bored holes into the digits, his eyebrow raising slightly. He took a breath and calmly sipped the drink. Eventually, though, the realization hit him, and every nerve in his face went haywire.
Though Hoseok wasn't too surprised, he couldn't seem to stop the smile from forming on his lips. The man behind the counter was looking at Hoseok. They both knew why.
Hoseok stood, smiling as warmly as he could with so many mixed emotions bubbling up inside him.
Just as he pushed open the frosted glass door, he heard a voice behind him declaring he was going home.
He ignored it for the sake of getting out of there as fast as he could.
