SOTUS: The University Days (and Other Universes)

Tulips Are Better Than One (Cup of Coffee)

Tew tries his best to suppress his laughter, but the way the barista said "hey, brew!" really cracks him up.

"Please don't laugh, Tew. I'm just doing my job here," Knot explains himself. They are obliged to greet the loyal and wonderful customers of Hey, Brew! that way.

"I know, I know... but it's really funny. You know, you can skip it if it's just me."

Knot looks at his left and checks if his P'Tum isn't listening. "I will if the boss isn't here," Knot whispers. "So, what's for the Bud Romance boys today?"

Tew laughs again. Even the name of the flower shop he's working at is funny to him. Or maybe he just likes laughing in general. Knot likes that about him a lot. Tew then grabs his phone and shows it to Knot.

2 iced lattes
1 iced cappuccino (soy milk)
1 java jelly with Hawaiian salted caramel syrup

"No whipped cream for all," Tew adds.

"Got it. No need to remind me every day, Nong." Knot winks. He's about to write the customers' names on the cup, but Arthit, the other barista on shift, snatches the marker from him. "I'll do it," he says.

Tew knows what's happening, but he shrugs it off, for he knows a single bad move against the bad-tempered barista would put his life in jeopardy. He just steps aside after paying so Knot can take the order of the next customer. He carefully watches Arthit as he makes their drinks.

After placing the lid on the last cup, Arthit carefully puts them all in a holder and gives them to Tew, who doesn't bother to check the names on the cups.

The florists of Bud Romance have been customers of the coffee shop for a while now, so the baristas already know which coffee goes to whom. Em always likes to experiment, and he wants everything ultra sweet, so the java jelly with Hawaiian salted caramel syrup is automatically his. Oak and Tew always get iced lattes, and Arthit, although he finds it boring, remembers them.

And Kongpob always has his drink with soy milk, not whole milk, so the iced cappuccino is obviously his.

But the name on the cup of the iced cappuccino isn't "Kongpob."

Tew glances back at Arthit, who gave him a satisfied smirk. "Come back soon!" He hears him say. Tew just gives him a sheepish smile before going out the door.

With the cup holder on his left hand, Tew strides to cross the street and enters their flower shop. It's just across Tum's coffee shop, between Any Given Sundae and All Buns Intended.

"Thanks, man," Em says as he gets his sweet cup from Tew. He also grabs Oak's and hands it to him. The latter is not really employed in the shop, but his friends are, so he hangs out there with them.

Their flower shop is the largest in town, but they're not expecting a lot of customers today since it's Tuesday.

"Kong, here's your coffee," Tew says as he gives Kongpob the remaining cup on the holder.

Kongpob pulls his hand from the flower arrangement he's making and grabs the cup intended for him. He turns it around just to find yet another insult written on his cup.

Yesterday, it was "stupid."

Today, it is "idiot."

His face makes an unimpressed expression, but he still sips his coffee nonetheless. Arthit might like to anger him every day with his rude names to him, but the guy really makes the best iced cappuccino.

"You know you can report him to their manager," Tew says.

Kongpob looks at him but just shakes his head. He knows Arthit won't really go hard on him and he's just doing this to annoy him after Kongpob himself did the same the first time they met.

After all, he's also doing his payback in his own way.

They are almost done with their coffee when they hear their door chimes.

"Welcome to Bud Romance!" All four of them say in unison after parting their lips from their straws.

"Wow, I feel so welcome," Tutah glees, wearing his white uniform, brown apron removed. "I should've told you our order earlier when you got your coffee, but you quickly went away," he tells Tew as he steps inside the shop. He doesn't mind picking up the weekly flowers to decorate their coffee shop, though. He really likes being in the presence of the florists around him right now.

Tew and Em attend to Tutah's order, moving around the shop in an impressive synchronization. Tutah just watches them with a smile.

When they're done, they're both holding a bunch of white carnations and camellias that the other shop ordered. He has no reason to, but Tutah feels giddy. It's not every day that he would receive a bunch of flowers willingly given by—not only one, but—two guys.

"Thank you, P'Tutah," they tell him after he pays for the flowers. He's about to walk out the door when somebody pokes his shoulders. When he turns around, he's greeted by Kongpob's wide smile. He's holding a single yellow flower, which he inserts in the bunch of white flowers Tutah is holding.

"Please give it to P'Arthit. Tell him it's from me," Kongpob says.

Tutah gives him a slightly annoyed look. He's aware of what Kongpob is doing, and he doesn't want that he's being a part of the coffee-cup-flower war that Kongpob and Arthit are in.

"Okay, okay, fine. I'll give it to him. But when will you stop this thing of yours? You know, you're wasting flowers and marker ink for weeks now."

Kongpob, again, just smiles and opens the door for him. Not expecting any answer, Tutah just shakes his head and goes back to their shop.

When Tutah enters their coffee shop, there are fewer customers than when he left. There's just one guy at the corner and a pair of girls at the second table from the front door. It's expected since it's a Tuesday post-rush-hour morning, and their usual customers are already in their respective workplaces and schools. It's supposed to be a relaxing day at his job, he thinks. He goes to the back to prepare the flowers.

But before everything else, he drops by the counter, which is currently being manned by Arthit. He takes the yellow flower from the bunch and places it in the tall mug beside the cash register.

"What's this?" Arthit asks, even though he knows what it is and who gave it. Every week, Kongpob gives him one. Last week, he received barberry.

"Buttercup," Tutah answers.

Arthit rolls his eyes. Then, he looks around the shop. While there are still no customers, Arthit fishes his phone from his pocket and goes to the website he has bookmarked. It's a website that explains the meaning of flowers.

Buttercup means childishness. That's what the website says.

Arthit grits his teeth. "Childishness? So I'm the childish one now?"

But Tutah has long been gone to the back to answer him, and Knot was sent somewhere to buy supplies. So Arthit receives no answer from anyone.

The annoyance in his face is evident, and it lasts the entire day. Even his customers notice it.

And they also notice the buttercup that remains in the tall mug beside him.