nct dream ; critical zone

HANGING

tw// hang

Jaemin just finished packing his bag for a really busy day. He has classes in the morning, a shift at the coffee shop in the afternoon, and will take care of Chenle at night. So, it was an extra busy monday for him.

He walked down the stairs to find Mrs. Parks in the kitchen, making breakfast. It was just the comfort he needed before a hectic day.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Parks!" he greeted the 32 year-old woman cooking pancakes.

"Oh, Jaemin! Did you sleep well? I cooked blueberry pancakes for you." Mrs. Parks asked the boy.

"Yes, I did. Did you sleep well, Mrs. Parks?" he asked back.

"Yes, son. I made you peach juice. Have coffee later, drink this for now. I knew about the amount of espresso you put in your drink, Jaemin, that's not healthy."

Jaemin laughed but thanked Mrs. Parks. As a thoughtful person, he was happy that someone was being thoughtful for him as well.

The blueberry pancakes and the golden fried chicken was enough for Jaemin to boost the start of his day.

Walking to the station quickly, Jaemin got on the train as soon as he can. He could run late if he does not. He read some of his books on the train while listening to the playlist that Jeno made. Jeno told him that he might do part time DJ after he leaves the shelter.

Jaemin arrived on time for his first subject, Korean Literature.

Jaemin's mood was pretty good that day. He was listening attentively classes and was participating in recitations.

Among the seven boys, Jaemin was one of the more studious ones. He is also a boy who loved fairytales. Though stereotyping is an act common in the city, he thinks that fairytales are for everyone, everyone has a dream they want to come true, whether it'd be going to Destinyland or riding a spaceship.

He wanted to be a parade director. He loves the whimsy feeling of a parade that makes you light-hearted and happy, almost feeling like a toddler. There was an art to parades that not many understood, they thought it's just a set up to cater to children, but it could be more than that. Even adults can enjoy parades if the parade is done right.

As classes ended at 3pm, Jaemin went out the door to fill in his shift at the coffee shop. He was eager to make this day productive and worth it.

He greeted the people at the coffee shop with the smile he is known for. He was cheery as he likes the coffee shop. Actually, all seven of them like it. The place had so much memories in it.

"I'm here now!" he greeted, making Haechan face him.

"Great! Now taste this for me." Haechan said, handing him a cup of coffee, exactly what he needed.

"What's this?" Jaemin asked, smelling the contents of the cup before giving it a taste.

"2 shots of espresso, vanilla syrup, almond milk, and crushed almonds.  How is it?"

"Whoa! What did you put in here, it's amazing! How are the almonds still crunchy?" Jaemin was astounded of the coffee Haechan made.

"I put the almonds in liquid nitrogen so that they could also act as ice. We actually had some of those in the fridge." Haechan explained.

"Why are you making this though? All the recipes in the menu are fine." Jaemin was curious.

"Mrs. Parks wanted me to make some new flavors. Some parts of the menu don't get ordered anyway." Haechan answered.