[Neo Zone] Population: 23 Kids

Passing the Coffee

The kids were in a very aggressive game of balloon volleyball, Don't Need Your Love or Chewing Gum, Superhuman Cherry Bomb Chain Bosses versus the Foreign Swaggers with Kun and Renjun on the Don't Need Your Love or Chewing Gum, Superhuman Cherry Bomb Chain Bosses team and Hendery acting as commentator and referee.

So the usual set up and teams.

Balloon volleyball was exactly as it sounded. Volleyball, but with a balloon because no one could get hurt and nothing could get broken that way. 

A blanket was strung up between two bunkbeds to act as a net, and there were no out of bounds or illegal hits. The only rules they had were that you can't cross the net, and you can only hit the ball three times on one side, but never more than one hit per person.

They had to rotate players a lot because it was a small space and so everyone could play, but that didn't make it less chaotic.

So when Mr. and Mrs. Suh came down to talk with the kids, it took awhile to get their attention and actually be noticed. And then it took even longer to get them all to calm down. But once they were, all twenty-five of them were in a giant circle, some of them sitting on the lower bunkbeds while Yuta took his high perch.

"We're going to propose something and talk it through with you guys, okay? Just hear us out first before you ask questions. We're not doing anything if you guys aren't ready." Mr. Suh started, Jisung's eyes immediately widening.

He wanted to ask so bad if they were getting divorced because of the fight and if they were all going to have to move out of the Limitless Cafe basement, but he said to save the questions until after they explained. So he just had to sit there in nervous silence.

Haechan reached over and grabbed his sunglasses, slipping them on just in case he didn't need his eyes exposing him.

"He's being dramatic, it's not that deep." Mrs. Suh commented, reaching out and petting Bella when she came up to her. "What do you guys think about us retiring?"

The room stilled, Mr. Suh glaring at his wife for ruining the methodical approach he thought they had planned out. Johnny was the first to break the silence when he saw Lucas was ready to scream.

"I think you deserve it after all the work you've done," the kids nodded eagerly, "but what about the cafe?"

"Why is everyone always concerned about the cafe first? Why not 'wow that sounds great! What will you do?'"

"Wow that sounds great! What will you do?" Chenle cheekily repeated.

"We were thinking on traveling around for a few years before settling down and becoming chill old people. Thanks for asking." Mrs. Suh actually seemed genuine, but now the kids had more concerns.

"You're just going to leave us here?" Xiaojun croaked. His first thought was when he heard his parents had died, and he wasn't sure he could deal with another set of parents disappearing on him.

"Well when you put it like that it sounds mean."

"We're not just leaving you. We already plan on coming back as often as you need us to, and we're not leaving until after this years graduations and you all are positive you'll be alright." Mr. Suh stepped in.

"I don't think they're ever leaving then." Jeno whispered to WinWin, the older just nodding.

"No one answered what's happening with the cafe, though." Taeil pointed out, highly concerned he would actually have to find a job now instead of just helping out.

Mrs. Suh sighed, "Take a wild guess."

"We're letting Skip take over and it's becoming an underground demon corporation?" Haechan fired off, Renjun sitting up excitedly.

"I have always felt a strong connection to Hell down here, that could work out nicely."

"That's because we're underground."

"Sorry, that's me."

Doyoung and Ten explained at the same time, the two of them glaring at each other.

"So is there or is there not a demon in the clock?" Lucas asked, extremely confused with what was going on.

"There isn't, but we're off topic." Taeil butted in, both Haechan and Renjun hissing in disagreement.

"Are we taking over?" Jaehyun asked, the parents smiling in return.

"You trust us not to completely ruin it beyond repair?" Yuta asked in disbelief.

"We trust Kun to keep it alive."

"Kun's in charge?!" YangYang screeched. "You're seriously leaving it to him? When there's a whole Johnny sitting here?"

"Yeah, why am I in charge?" Kun asked.

"I think Kun would do great in charge of the cafe." Jungwoo butted in, giving the older an encouraging smile.

"But I don't know everything Johnny does." Kun turned to the Suhs who were just listening to them bicker with a smile on their faces. "You guys can't be serious about that."

"We're not. Johnny will be legally in charge of the cafe. If you want, of course. We just know Kun would be the first one to actually put a fire out while you guys start dancing."

Mark leaned over to whisper to Hendery, feeling only a little called out. "Why do they have to know us so well?"

"If they hadn't known us almost our whole lives, I'd be concerned."

"If the cafe ownership is changing, does that mean we can change the name, become a chain restaurant and expand across the country?" Taeyong asked, Johnny immediately gasping.

"What's wrong with the name? I came up with it when I was eight!"

"Have you considered that maybe that's the problem?" Ten teased, Johnny frowning.

"Alright, but what would we change it to if not Limitless Cafe?" Jaemin commented.

"There's really no point in changing it if we've already built a local support for it. Besides, if the name is Limitless and we keep expanding, it just fits." WinWin pointed out, unable to imagine the cafe with a different name than the one it currently had.

"Why are we expanding anyways?" Shotaro asked, confused where that came from suddenly.

"Capitalism." Taeyong answered, the younger kids just nodding as if they knew what that meant.

"Let me get this straight," Sungchan spoke up, Ten snickering under his breath for a second for some reason, "the Suhs are retiring, Johnny's going to be in charge of the cafe but Kun's really in charge, and now we're turning into a branch cafe instead of keeping our local charm?"

"I love how we're all referring to the cafe as ours now." Jaehyun mumbled, causing Xiaojun to laugh.

"The branch and expanding was just an idea thrown out, and Johnny's only in charge if he wants to be." Mr. Suh answered.

"Of course I want to take over for you guys!"

The room then subtly turned to Jisung, the youngest freezing up. He had no idea why they were looking at him if he hadn't said anything this entire time.

"What?"

"It's your call, kiddo. Name change or no name change?" Mrs. Suh asked, his eyes widening.

"Why is it my call?"

"Because you've been too quiet." Yuta answered.

"Can we not then? I like it."

The parents smiled. Limitless Cafe it was then. They were actually scared for a second it would be changed to something weird and strangely less personal. Deep down they knew eight year old Johnny would pull through in the end.