The Toothbrush and Toothpaste Chronicles

That Last Customer

That Last Customer 

{This is fiction, please. Luhan is not younger than Sehun.}

Bubble tea, better known as boba, has become ubiquitous and globally recognised. It has been said to have been invented in the year 1988 when Lin Hsiu Sui, an employee at Chun Shui Tang Tea House located in Taiwan, decided to pour her tapioca dessert into her iced tea. 

Since then, bubble tea has become internationally acclaimed and hailed as a popular drink, and it is hard not to find a single bubble tea shop in Asian countries such as Hong Kong and Taiwan. In South Korea, however, there is a certain bubble tea shop located along Banporo Street. Many a customer entering the shop to purchase a cup of bubble tea will get to hear the fascinating tale about how the shop's owner encountered a certain customer, who changed his life for good...

 - 

Sehun shuts off the machines, wipes the table and gets ready to pull down the shutters. Luckily, today has been a productive day so tiring himself out for twelve hours from eight in the morning until eight at night has paid off. Now, all that is left to do is just to close the store, head home and catch a few winks before dawn comes to visit once again tomorrow. 

Just as he tiptoes to pull down the shutters, he feels a small hand tapping him on the butt (because Sehun is so awkwardly tall and the person must therefore be vertically challenged, not to mention that the former was tiptoeing) and a soft voice calling, "Sir? May I have a cup of bubble tea?" 

He spins around only to see a young boy, probably around eight to nine years old, looking at him with earnest eyes.  The brown curls get swept to the side of his face as the boy awkwardly brushes against them with his chubby fingers. The eyes persist to scan Sehun's face unblinkingly as Sehun stares back. 

Sehun coughs. Why is such a young boy here at his shop at such a late hour? Where are his parents? The questions flood his mind as he mechanically nods, pushes up the shutters he had just pulled down a moment ago, and bends down to unlock the door with his key. 

"I-I'm sorry, Sir, it's okay if you don't want to take the trouble...I'll just go to the other shop," The boy gestures to the neon lights at the end of the street with a tone of regret, and a sigh. There is something distinctly pitiful about him, and something that compells Sehun to open the door quickly, his voice sounding horribly strangled. 

"Come in," He says, finding this sudden act of generosity extremely sudden and strange. He had never been one to act so kindly to a young child, especially one that had tapped him on the butt. Children had always irritated Oh Sehun, with those whiny, high-pitched voices, and the parents cooing at them, patting their heads affectionately...bah! Nonsense! Children are still humans, and deserve to be treated as such.

He certainly did not believe humans should be treated well, for life is not fair, and life is not always 'well' and smooth. But this boy...seemed different from the whiny bunch. He wasn't loud, in fact, he could be considered rather introverted and he didn't argue, or ask Sehun to hurry up, or demand for anything. 

Sehun attempts to start the conversation and he asks the boy what flavour of bubble tea he would like, and the latter replies with a smile and a request for the Taro flavoured milk tea.  There is an awkward silence as he prepares the bubble tea, and states the price in a monotone which he hopes does not scare the boy away. 

Alas, the boy becomes rigid with fear, shock, or some unidentifiable feeling. He feels around in his pocket, but his hand only comes out holding a one won coin, a meagre comparison to the sum that Sehun has just stated. 

"I-I don't have enough..." He says, his face falling. There is of course, no way to cancel the order, for Sehun has already placed the Taro bubble tea on the counter directly in front on him. Something clicks in Sehun's heart, something that makes him say, "It's okay, just enjoy the bubble tea. It's on the house."