iced caramel latte ➵ yungi

matcha latte

"MINGI-yah this is the 5th time you've been late to work this month." his boss scolds when the orange haired strides into the cafe without a care in the world, 15 minutes after his shift was supposed to start.

"i'm sorry SEONGHWA." mingi laughs, knowing that the older would let him off the hook because he didn't have the heart to yell at his friend.

"respect your elders and use honourifics you ungrateful child. you should be glad that i haven't told HONGJOONG, you know that he would go absolutely ballistic." seonghwa throws mingi his black apron and beret, "if this happens one more time we are cutting your pay cheque."

"that's not fucking cool, hyung." he laughs, earning some glares from a few of the customers sitting close by.

seonghwa couldn't help but roll his eyes as he finishes up the drink he was in the process of making and calls out the number written on the cup. "honestly, you're just lucky we haven't fired you yet. now come on, it's a monday, everyone needs their coffee, and i need a break."

his boss disappears behind the employee only door as mingi ties his apron on and fixes the beret onto his head, washing his hands before taking over the station that seonghwa had left for him. 

"one iced americano and two matcha lattes mingi." his coworker instructs after handing mingi the cups with the order and numbers written on it.

"yes ma'am," his hands get busy, taking the ground coffee beans, tamping it down and putting it in the espresso machine for the americano, then whisking some matcha powder with water for the lattes.

he worked quickly and efficiently, moving without needing to think much since he had the movements ingrained in his muscle memory.

mingi had been working at that cafe since he moved from his small hometown to the big bustling capital a few years ago. seonghwa was the very first friend he made when he moved. perhaps it was seonghwa's authority complex but he immediately took mingi under his wing when he was lost in this metropolis completely unfamiliar to the country boy. and it lead to the two having an awfully close relationship. a platonic one though. seonghwa was too busy with the cafe and his own studies to have a relationship or act on his emotion—as well as too busy to see the heart eyes his business partner sends him every time they're in a room together.

mingi may be a jerk but not in that way, he wasn't about to steal seonghwa away from hongjoong. seonghwa wasn't his type anyways, he wasn't carefree enough, always such a stickler for rules and trapping himself inside a box that he doesn't want to break free from.

mingi wanted someone willing to push the envelope. jump, fucking leap, out of their comfort zone.

"order number 72!" he shouts out after he finished preparing the drinks with a flourish, sending a sweet smile and bidding a goodbye to the customer before going back to his station to start the next order when the door chimes and a handsome stranger comes running in.

they looked frazzled, eyes fixated on the ground, lips moving quickly as though chanting words to himself.

"ugh it's him again." SEOLHYUN at the counter rolls her eyes when the customer finishes paying and heads to sit down.

"what do you mean, again?" mingi chuckles as he starts the next batch of drinks.

"if you showed up for your shift on time you would know." she mumbles under her breath, faking a smile when the next customer in the queue stands in front of her. "welcome, what would you like to order today?"