❞Venti Macchiato, please.❝ minjoon ✔

❞ Chapter XIII ❝

“Jimin.”

“I’m on break,” Jimin gruffs around his bite of egg salad sandwich, not bothering to look up at Hoseok’s tentatively caring voice. “Seriously, I only get two of these all day, can’t you just-“

“Okay, okay, calm down, it’s just No Jams wants to chat and I thought you might want to know,” Hoseok says blithely, hands up as he steps out of the back room. “You know, just in case he’s come to beg for peace with you so you don’t pour salt into his coffee tomorrow or-“

“I’m not going to pour salt into his coffee,” Jimin defends, turning to Hoseok. This is a trick. It’s probably is a lie. Hoseok has taken on the role of Destiny in his life and is trolling him.

“I think Yoongi would for you if you don’t want-“

“No,” Jimin says, frowning. “If anyone were going to pour salt into his coffee, it would be me, but I don’t want to pour salt into his- would you stop?” Hoseok doesn’t, continuing to grin amusedly at him as Jimin sighs, wipes his mouth, and stands up. “This is not taking out of my lunch break,” Jimin tells him.

“Not at all,” Hoseok says with a definite nod. “I wouldn't dream of questioning that. Lunch break is sacred.”

Behind the counter, holding his venti macchiato and looking vaguely anxious and reminiscent of the many mornings Jimin had watched him suffer through a coffee line, Namjoon is waiting. “Hello,” Jimin says, stepping up to the register and putting on a pleasant ‘I’m your barista and that’s about it’ smile. “How can I help you?”

“Five o’clock?” Namjoon says, eyebrows raised as if they’re the ones asking Jimin the question and not Namjoon.

“I’m sorry, we don’t have that on the menu,” Jimin answers.

“No,” Namjoon frowns in a mix between frustration and pouting. He sighs, fingers shifting around his coffee, before he fixes Jimin with a concentrated look. “I’m not ordering something.”

“Then what do you want?”

“To know if you really think I have a nice jawline.”

Jimin blinks at the unexpected request and the even more unexpected look of timid anticipation from Namjoon. Every morning Namjoon had walked into the café looking like he’d convinced himself and knew he was well on his way to convincing half the world that he was good looking.

And yet…

“Maybe,” Jimin answers. “Why?”

“I was just wondering,” Namjoon tries to shrug off, but his ears turn pink and it’s still cute. “I was also wondering,” he continues as the door to the café opens. “If I came by at five, if you’d be here.”

Just like that, the business professionalism and cold cut frost superiority is gone and Namjoon is what Jimin has slowly been seeing over the last few weeks. An awkward, kind of cute, hesitant man who takes himself too seriously to believe anyone else ever would.

“No,” Jimin says, and smiles with a laugh as that satisfaction at Namjoon’s suddenly fallen face warms through him. It’s fun to watch Namjoon’s confusion, but it’s even more fun to watch that spark of reignited happiness and success when Jimin finishes, “I’d be on the other side of the counter by that time.”

For the first time since Jimin had seen Namjoon walk into the café, he sees him smile. Not just a small confused smile that wasn’t sure if it should be there or not, but a real smile, genuine and pleased.

That smile, that flash of teeth as the cocky attitude drops, Jimin likes that look the best on him.

“I’ll see you then,” Namjoon says, stepping back and looking extremely proud of himself.

“Don’t be late,” Jimin calls, and grins himself when Namjoon frowns at him briefly. “I’m a very busy person, New Jersey.”

This, this feeling of rushing satisfaction at Namjoon’s shocked face as his friends burst into laughter at the table behind him, this is victory. Jimin has finally figured out what winning is, and he can legitimately say he’s pleased with the result.