Late | k.ys

8

Wooyoung interrupted Yeosang's peaceful breakfast the next Monday.

"What's up, folks!" Wooyoung declared, slamming the door to the Kang household wide open. Yeosang started, the weather forecast on his dining table soup rain. Meanwhile, Bojung the dog stepped all over Yeosang's shoes in an attempt to greet Wooyoung. He laughed as Bojung licked his sneakers, arms, and then his face. Yeosang sat their staring at the two, suddenly noticing their similarities.

"Stop staring at Wooyoung like he's your soulmate," Yeohee entered the dining room without a care for the world. She sat down across Yeosang and slurped her own chicken soup. "Dad's off on another business trip so don't expect him to be around today. Mom's at the supermarket. She told you not to come back home late."

"Yeah, yeah," Yeosang grabbed a couple of tissues and started wiping half of his meal away. He turned to Wooyoung, who was smiling proudly at him while he drank his soup.

"What?" Yeosang asked.

"Nothing," Wooyoung continued to rub the top of Bojung's head. "By the way, wanna stop by Illusion Café today? I really need some caffeine in my system."

"Sure," Yeosang slurped up the rest of his soup and set it in the sink, making sure Bojung stays inside the house before following Wooyoung out. Wooyoung crunched on an apple he stole from Yeosang's dining table and told Yeosang about some cute girl he saw in drama class.

"Hey, isn't that Changbin and Hyesoo?" Wooyoung asked, pointing to two people in front of them.

Yeosang looked up ahead. Sure enough, the girl he likes and her brother were walking meters in front of them, chattering animatedly about something.

"They live in our housing complex?" Yeosang asked.

Wooyoung raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing!" Yeosang exclaimed, slapping Wooyoung's shoulder loudly. "I just haven't seen them around before."

"Makes sense," Wooyoung shrugged. "They only moved in this neighborhood a year ago.'

Yeosang lost sight of the two as his legs led the two friends to a bright red café. Yeosang looked up at the dim neon sign spelling out ILLUSION and sighed, reminded of the magicians and the big mission resting upon his shoulders.

"What's up, folks!" Wooyoung yelled as he swung the door open. Yeosang shrank like a snail sinking into its shell behind him, blushing a red tomato color. Luckily, there weren't that many customers today—only a middle-aged man sipping coffee while reading his newspaper, a little girl with her mother playing with her doll, and a junior who goes to Yeosang's school looking through a few homework papers; perhaps getting ready for a test. None of them paid any mind to Wooyoung. The barista behind the counter did notice him though.

"You're going to scare all the customers away if you keep doing that," the indigo-haired young man sighed as Wooyoung strode towards him confidently.

"I attract customers instead, Josh," Wooyoung flipped his non-existent hair back and winked at Joshua Hong, causing Yeosang to massage his nose bridge, regretting his decision to accompany him already. "It's my blessed handsomeness."

A waiter passed by and snorted. "Yeah right."

"Mind your own business, Bang Jinhyeok," Wooyoung stuck his tongue out jokingly. Jinhyeok stuck his tongue out in response and walked away to serve a smoothie to the little girl, who ecstatically mopped the table with her doll's blonde hair.

"Anyway, what would you like from Illusion today?" Joshua asked, clearing his throat.

"A caramel latte," Wooyoung nodded. "Yeosang?"