❞Venti Macchiato, please.❝ minjoon ✔

❞ Chapter I ❝

"He's here."

The line from the counter to the door is about twenty people long, and there are much better things to do than to look to the end of it to see the impatient businessman that has just walked in the door. According to patterns of behavior, he's probably looked at the line, sighed angrily, looked to the ceiling to silently ask 'why do you hate me, oh supreme being of XX doctrine I follow', and then shifted his weight to go back to his oh so important business call on the cellphone practically glued to his face.

It's rush. That insane hour of the morning when there's always a line to the door of people in various states of irritation at how long it takes to get their morning coffee is typically referred to as 'morning rush'. It's a shame it's not referred to by it's more applicable name of 'the epitome of suffering at the threshold of Hell'. At least, that's how it feels to the people not waiting in line for their coffee orders. Those people are the people behind the counter, taking seven orders at a time, sweating through their clothes, and trying to smile and please these bitchy customers so they can get a tip for their slavery to this cheerfully time of the day labeled 'rush'.

To the guy that just walked in looking like nothing is as exasperating as this slight inconvenience to his busy busy day as a busy busy businessman, it's a minor thing. His day will go on after this brief moment of frustration. For the people behind the counter who have to be nice to every one of these impatient busy busy businessmen and women that step up to the counter with their negative view on existence, it's a Big Thing.

It's the daily torture that leaves them wasted for the rest of the day and has a running tally in the break room (courtesy of Hoseok) of all the nicknames they've given their clientele.

This one, the man that's just walked in, has been a personal favorite, and somehow always, every time, Jimin gets stuck with him.

"No," Jimin says immediately, turning to look at Hoseok who has taken that exact moment to step back and flag down Yoongi to take over for him at the machines. "No, I hate you."

"Have fun," Hoseok tells him with that sort of forced cheerfulness he adopts every morning to gloss over his internal dialogue of 'I may be plotting mass murder right this second'. When exactly that line of 'smiling' snaps, Jimin isn't sure, but he also doesn't ever want to be around when it happens. "Play nice with your friend. He looks so happy to see you."

Jimin doesn't groan. That's unprofessional, and if Ryeowook heard him Jimin would be stuck doing dishes and closing hours for the next month. Instead, Jimin internally screams as he politely, cheerfully, wonderfully, and courteously asks each customer for their temperamental order to be spat at him. On an average morning, Jimin hears about four hundred names pass through the doors and, out of that four hundred, ninety percent can't believe that he hasn't memorized them and their order by now.

Sometimes, on rare days, a customer will be nice and playful and tease him for not knowing their name. Jimin can tolerate these people, sometimes, mostly because at least they're not pissed at him for just trying to do his job and get them their coffee in a timely manner.

That's, essentially, is all he does. Coffee. Jimin, every morning, gets someone their caffeine fix for the day so they can socially interact like normal creatures after their withdrawal symptoms stop. After he sees them.

Of course, this means when they see him, they're on full out monster mode.

Especially the man who had just stepped in a few minutes ago, nineteen names and twenty four separate coffee orders before he arrived at the counter and Jimin's awaiting smile.

"Hi," Jimin says, cheerfully, watching as the businessman in front of him barely even looks at him. "What can I get for you today?"

The man looks almost exactly the same as he does every day. Perfectly crisp white button down held with a perfectly business boring straight black tie, a suit jacket that's either blue, gray, or black (today, it's a soft gray) with matching slacks, and a cellphone that Jimin is entirely sure has been physically attached to him. The only thing that doesn't match everyday is his hair, which is either styled back from his face in a dramatically gelled swoop or softly falls into his face and is still somehow more styled than Jimin can ever be bothered with for his own appearance.

Every day, every single day, this man comes in, orders a venti macchiato somewhere between long sentences to whoever he is on the phone with, and treats Jimin like he's the automated voice on an ATM he's personally offended to interact with.

And every day, without fail, Jimin smiles despite how much he wants to smack the asshole for being such a douche (seriously, everyone is busy, Jimin is so busy his brain is on fire with orders and panic). Everyday, Jimin smiles sweetly after getting the order and asks the man in the nicest, perkiest voice he possibly can; "and a name for that order?"

"Namjoon," the man says. Whether he's speaking to the guy he's talking to on the phone every time he tells Jimin or not, Jimin doesn't really give a shit.

"Great," Jimin says, scribbling 'NnmJo~_' on the cup because he doesn't have time for actual letters with the line now extending out the door. "We'll have that order up in just a second."

The man, 'Namjoon', rolls his eyes as if Jimin is wasting his time by breathing and getting him his coffee, before walking off and launching back into whatever 'more important than anything' conversation he's having.

This morning is just like every morning, where Jimin's eyes linger on Mr. Busy Busy Businessman Namjoon and he imagines Namjoon's hair bursting into flame. Just casually, normally, bursting into flame and awarding Jimin his vengeance.

"Are you trying to torture me or him with this shit?" Yoongi asks when Jimin hands him the cup with Namjoon's half-assed name and the order 'x'd out in the correct boxes on the side.

"I love you," Jimin frantically tells Yoongi. "I just-"

"Excuse me!" calls the woman at the register who has had to wait for a whole three seconds before Jimin can take her order. Yoongi doesn't even glare over, too busy making three drinks at once while Hoseok works on the other machines and Jimin turns back to the line of customers.

"Sorry, hi," Jimin says, trying not to snarl at the woman's impatient face. "How can I help you?"

Out of the corner of Jimin's eye, he can see Namjoon get his coffee as he's dealing with another customer placing an order. He can see Mr. Busy Busy Namjoon glance at the name scrawled on the side of his cup, stop walking, frown, and glance over at him briefly.

In that moment, as Jimin almost misses the frantic secretary rambling off his list for his CEO's who may fire him if he comes back with the wrong order, Jimin's life changes.

The man, Namjoon, is offended by the fact that Jimin doesn't have time to write out his full name and have proper penmanship. Suddenly, as the secretary changes his order and Jimin has to turn away and try not to scream as he attempts to erase everything he'd just heard and written on five different coffee cups, he has a small ray of sunshine to 'morning rush'.

"Why are you smiling?" Yoongi asks him when the line has dwindled down to a manageable ten people a little later.

"No reason," Jimin says, and realizes, with a strange sort of maliciousness he's never felt before, that he is actually smiling and it's genuine.