【Ａｓｐｈｙｘｉａ】 seongjoong

Real

When Hongjoong walked into the cafe, he wasn't entirely prepared for the sight that greeted him.

It was busy. More so than he had ever really seen it. Poor Wooyoung was behind the counter trying to juggle multiple orders and you could see that some of the patrons looked a bit annoyed, probably from their wait. The counter was a bit of a mess. Empty coffee mugs and small plates were piled up from customers returning their trays but the poor barista didn't have time to clean them.

The moment Hongjoong walked in and the bell over the door jingled, Wooyoung lifted up his head from where he was pouring water over the coffee grounds on the siphon. His smile was welcoming but you could see that the poor man was a bit overwhelmed. His shirt sleeves were rolled up but his apron had a few spots on it. His hair was disheveled from running his hands through it a few too many times.

"Hello, welco-" as soon as Wooyoung looked up to greet a potential new customer, his hand shifted and the hot water he was pouring spilled onto the counter and himself, burning him. "Ah! Aish...."

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, "How come the cafe is in shambles and you've been here maybe an hour?"

"It's been awhile, okay?" The blonde grumbled as he dabbed a towel on his now burning lap. "And it's not like you know any better. You've only been here for, like, two weeks."

The red-head didn't budge to the sass. "Ok, and do you want Mr. two-weeks to help you or not?"

At that moment, there was the sound of breaking glass as a customer bumped their mug off the table. Wooyoung threw his head back in exasperation. "Oh dear god, yes."

Hongjoong smirked as he grabbed a spare apron from underneath the bar and tied it on. He wasn't in the rest of the uniform but he figured it didn't matter at the moment.

He made a grab for the broom and dustpan. "You take care of drinks, I'll handle the customers."

"Yeah because you suck at it," the blonde scoffed.

"What was that?" the red-head said as he made a motion as if he were putting the broom back.

"Nothing!" Wooyoung squeaked as he quickly prepared to pour water over the siphon once again.

"Uh-huh," Hongjoong hummed before walking towards the mess. "Smart choice."

For the next hour or so the two men were kept busy pulling themselves out of the weeds. Dishes were cleaned, broken or chipped mugs were replaced, and orders were filled. Slowly everything regained order and Wooyoung and Hongjoong found that they made a rather cohesive team. Wooyoung was good at making coffee and snacks. He had a rather efficient system that only he really understood but it worked. Hongjoong was friendly with an easy going persona that seemed to win over even the most irate customers.

The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon and the warm light filtered in through the window beautifully and cast all the seating in its golden glow. It made the entire dining area warm and appear more cozy. The rush had slowed as more people filtered out but there were still about two patrons still sipping Americano's and reading paperbacks when the door chimed again, signaling a new arrival.

"Welcome-" Hongjoong looked up from walking a tray of dirty mugs back to the counter. He looked over and the end of his greeting died out a little as he felt his mouth suddenly go dry. "Oh, Seonghwa."

Wooyoung, at the name, looked over from where he was shelving newly cleaned mugs. Sure enough, at the door stood the handsome suit clad man with his ever present briefcase in his hand. His shoulders seemed a bit tense but at the sound of his name, they relaxed a bit and a small smile took shape on his face.