Summary: Your boyfriend is currently on a tour overseas and calls you right in the middle of a meeting, because he has certain needs he asks you to tend to - even from the other side of the world.
A/N: I'm a long distance girlie and I got you all other long distance girlies or those who long to be one in their dreams 💓
"WHAT?!" you typed into your phone, eyes darting between the text your boyfriend had sent and the familiar faces in the online meeting, all staring at you from your laptop screen and expecting an answer to a question that you had somehow forgotten altogether.
"Could you please elaborate on your problem, especially the last part, so that I can provide the most helpful answer?"
You feigned professionalism to breeze past your embarrassing inattention, but the truth was that even when one of the meeting participants repeated every word with even more detail about their struggles, all you could hear was background noise as another question seemed to materialize before your eyes:
"What are you wearing?"
The exact same words had thrown you so completely off balance that you had suddenly forgotten what this entire meeting was about. Breaking eye contact with the team as little as possible and nodding occasionally, you moved your fingers across your phone, hoping to hit the right keys and praying that auto correct would have mercy on you as you replied to your boyfriend:
"Not now"
Somehow, you still felt your cheeks flush and could only hope that nobody would notice through the camera. Jaehyun was currently on a short overseas tour, and it had already been a week since he left. Every night, before his show started on the other side of the world, you tried to face time for at least ten minutes. Messages were infrequent due to the time difference, but they were always sweet.
"What are you wearing?" Jaehyun texted again.
You remembered. Today was his second day off in a row, so he had a little bit of free time. You took a deep breath in when the person in the meeting finished their explanation, turned your phone upside down, and tried answering their question as best as you could with the little information you had been able to grasp.
You heard your phone buzzing a few more times while doing so, but you tried to ignore it. There were only five minutes left in the meeting, Jaehyun could at least be patient for that long if he really wanted something from you. However, those five minutes felt like an hour as you had to listen to your boss simultaneously praise you and close the meeting.
The moment everyone logged out of the meeting, your reached for your phone with nervous fingers.
"What are you wearing?"
"Send me a picture"
"What are you doing?"
"I'm lying in bed here"
"What are you wearing?"
You nearly choked on your own saliva skimming over the texts. But before you could gather your thoughts on them, Jaehyun's name popped up big on the screen along with the incoming call. You made sure you had entirely logged out of the meeting and checked twice that your camera and microphone were turned off as well.
"What are you wearing?" Jaehyun asked as soon as you picked up.
You heard it rustling on the other side of the line, implying that he was currently lying in bed, just as he had texted you.
"Sleeping in today?" You tried to change the topic, but Jaehyun was persistent.
"Are you working from home?"
"Yes."
He repeated, "What are you wearing?"
"I was in a meeting just now and I actually have to prepare-"
You heard him chuckle. "Now, who is your boss? Your computer or me?"
A sigh escaped your lips. "You, of course."
"Good girl." A chuckle again. "Now, tell me what are you wearing?"
"A white button up and leggings."
"Mm-hm… and underneath?"
A mix of nervousness and anticipation tugged on the corner of your lips. "The red bra that you like so much."
A pause, followed by a deep inhale. "Tell me more."
"I'm still clocked in for work, Jaehyun."
You could feel his wide grin across the wide ocean. "Technically, on this side of the earth, your workday hasn't even started yet."
You rolled your eyes, but smiled. "What do you want me to do?"
"Go to the bedroom."
You briefly checked to ensure all your chats were answered, hoping to increase the odds that nobody would notice your absence for the next ten to fifteen minutes. On your way to follow Jaehyun's instructions, you heard a dull rustling paired with the jingling sound of metal. It seemed he had already discarded his jeans.
You sank back into your pillows, bringing the phone closer to your ear. "I'm on the bed now."
"Good." Jaehyun gulped and lowered his voice. "Take off your pants too. But slowly, so that I can imagine it."
He didn't ask for a video call - as always. You appreciated the fact that he supported you in standing your ground, because you weren't ready for that kind of step yet. It’s not that you weren’t tempted to take these sessions with your boyfriend to the next level whenever he was abroad. But since you had only done it a handful of times so far, you wanted to take it slow - and he was being patient.
"Done," you said, stretching out your legs on top of the blanket before you unbuttoned your shirt upon Jaehyun's next instruction.
"Do your red bra and panties match?"
"Yes."
"Very nice. Now, take off your bra too."
You still felt a bit shy, but kept telling yourself that nobody was watching you, so you should just enjoy the very little time you had with your boyfriend whenever he was on tour.
"Take your time," Jaehyun coaxed you.
A few more moments passed. Then, you hooked your thumb into the right bra strap and pulled it down. You did the same with the other after switching the phone to your opposite hand. Leaning forward slightly, you unclasped the bra at your back and took it completely off.
"Now, I want you to touch your breasts the way I do. Can you do that?"
Of course you could, and you told him.
Your fingers were cold when you touched the skin on the slope of your breast. Goosebumps became slightly visible around the nearby area, but you kept going, knowing that you would soon enough grow used to the sensation. You dragged your fingers upwards until you reached your most sensitive spot.
"Very well," Jaehyun said with a light chuckle, having apparently caught on to the change in your breathing rhythm. "What do you feel?"
You closed your eyes, listening to him talk to you through the phone when you were suddenly hit by a massive wave of longing. "I miss you."
"But I'm right here, aren't I? You can hear my voice, you can feel me. My hands are on your breasts and they wander upwards. You can feel my fingers playing with your nipples and causing you to let out that one sound you always make when you get into the mood… Ah, there it is. Told you so. Good girl."
You gulped and your fingers halted. You hadn't realized how perfectly he could talk you through this, effortlessly taking your mind off your embarrassment and shyness. He could read every single one of your moves, emotions, and tones.
"How do you feel?" Jaehyun asked.
"I feel… good."
"Very well. Do you have your eyes closed?"
"Yes." You knew what usually came next.
"I lower my head and take your nipple between my lips. Keep touching yourself… good. I can hear how much you enjoy it, imagining me doing this to you right now. You'd be running your fingers through my hair and pulling on the strands the moment I start sucking. Are you still with me?… Very well. You can be as loud as you want. I love it."
You kept your eyes closed, because you knew the moment you opened them, it would be hard to get back into the illusion of Jaehyun being right on top of you, settling between your legs and indulging in your breasts as though it were the greatest joy of his life. Instead, you mimicked everything you remembered with your own hands.
"Now, slowly run your fingers down to your stomach."
That was when Jaehyun usually would lean on his side and trace his hand along the middle of your body, past your navel until he reached the waistband of your panties. Following his memory, you did exactly that.
"You're still wearing your panties?"
"… Yes."
"Take them off.."
You put Jaehyun on loudspeaker and placed the phone next to you on the pillow. You slid the small piece of fabric over your bum, using your legs to help discard it entirely by partly tugging and partly kicking it away.
"Done."
You felt exposed rather than completely turned on right now, having opened your eyes after all and watching yourself spread out naked on the bed like this. But seeing the wet stain left on your underwear, you concluded that you were turned on more than you had actually admitted to yourself so far.
"Spread your legs wide," Jaehyun urged. "Tell me how wet you are."
"I'm soaked," you told him, but hadn't dared touching yourself there yet. You significantly felt something moist on the onset of your thighs though.
"Mh-hm… how come?"
"Because I imagine you on top of me."
"What do I do next on top of you?"
"You touch me."
"Where exactly do I touch you? Say it."
"Between my legs."
"Say more."
"You… you place your hand there. And then you… spread me wider, because you know I instinctively want to bring my thighs back together. You then start stroking me. Slowly… at first. To get me used to it."
"Do it."
It wasn't like you had never touched yourself before. It just took you quite a bit of time to find the right movements and angles again, and Jaehyun could tell you were struggling.
"Easy," he calmed you. "Just the thought of you is enough to make me grow. Take your time. Tell me if I can help you with something, I'm patient."
"Tell me about the night we first met."
You both knew exactly what was coming, yet you could hear this story a million times over from him.
"When I first saw you by the bar at the brand's dinner party, I had two thoughts. First: What is this beautiful woman doing here all alone? And second: How long would it take me to get her to my hotel room and strip her out of that sexy black dress - the one that makes me hard just at the thought of imagining what she looks like underneath?"
"So, you wanted me because you thought I was sexy."
"No," he said, shaking his head. "I wanted you because I knew you were alone on purpose. I saw all that boredom mirrored in your eyes when I talked to you. Neither of us wanted to be there."
"So we decided to be together instead."
"Exactly."
You slipped your index finger inside you which was directly welcomed by a warmth and wetness only Jaehyun's voice and presence could cause you to feel.
"Better now?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Use two fingers, like me."
You pushed your middle finger right next to where the other one already was. The slippery sound you made as you started moving them in and out of yourself was music to Jaehyun's ears, and you heard him groan.
"Good girl. What do you imagine now?"
You closed your eyes again. "I see you next to me. It's you who uses his fingers inside of me."
"Do you remember what I do aside from that?"
"Y-yes."
"Do it and describe it to me."
You swallowed heavily. "I let the heel of my hand rub over… my clit."
"And how does it feel to you?"
"So good. Just like you doing it."
"How about picking up the pace a bit? Let me hear how you imitate me when I'm not with you."
Listening to every word he said, you settled into a flow of motion. You rubbed the ball of your hand over the area where your clit was located, simultaneously pushing and pulling your two fingers in and out of yourself. It was the perfect combination of internal penetration and external stimulation right where you were the most receptive to an orgasm.
Indeed, it had taken you a bit more time than it would have if Jaehyun were doing it, but soon enough, you found the right rhythm and pressure. You followed them in an alternating pattern that came close to your boyfriend's own blueprint. A moan escaped your lips before you even had time to think about it, and immediately, he encouraged you,
"Don't hold back. Let me hear everything. Let me hear how I can make you feel, even from afar."
You noticed the onset of an orgasm as a familiar sensation tugged at your very core - one you couldn't quite hold onto. You knew exactly what to do next, but you needed Jaehyun's help to get there.
"Are you close too?" you asked him instead.
He liked your pro-activeness. "Yes."
"How big have you grown?"
You rolled your head back into the pillows and let your fingers slip out of yourself. You didn't need them inside you now to finish yourself off. Instead, you placed them directly over your mound, parting your fingers slightly so that your sensitive bundle of nerves rested perfectly between them, slick and dripping wet.
Jaehyun replied, "So big that at this point, you can feel my thighs tense and use your entire hand."
You could vividly imagine it. As you rubbed your clit between your wet fingers, the slippery noises mixed with your moans to fill the room. In your head, you had Jaehyun's cock in your mouth now, using your lips, tongue, and hand all at the same time.
And you told him that, only causing him to swear under his breath. "Shit. Do you know what you're doing to me?"
Yes, you knew exactly what he wanted. You heard him moan on the other end of the line as well, the sound of his hand moving up and down his length reaching you clearly.
You felt the coil of lust growing bigger and bigger, tugging at every part of you, making your toes curl and the inside of your mouth run dry.
"Are you thirsty?" Jaehyun asked.
But the both of you knew it wasn't water that you now needed.
Your answer was always the same, "Yes."
You saw him in your imagination, legs spread wide with your hands dominating every movement of his until there was no self-control left in him anymore - and none left in you, either.
Your muscles shook, sending spasms to every last fiber of your body as your orgasm took over, making you cum all over your wet hand. You didn't hold back your noises, letting go of every restraint while imagining Jaehyun on top, under, inside, and above you all at once. You recalled every memory you had saved, desperate to make this brief moment with him last.
You had been so busy with yourself that you hadn't noticed what went down on the other side of the ocean. While you slowly came down from your high - the blanket beneath you soaked with your discharge and a light sheen of sweat covering your body - you acknowledged the fact that it had gotten very silent on Jaehyun's end.
"Are you… still there?" you asked into the void.
But at that moment, you saw a new chat notification on your phone. A picture from Jaehyun that he had sent you just a few seconds ago.
"Sorry I finished shortly before you," he told you the same time you opened it. "I couldn't hold back anymore listening to you moaning like that… My good girl."
The evidence was right there in the picture.
Your cheeks heated and you quickly closed the picture again, saving it for later in case you were in the mood for another session - entirely alone this time though.
When you returned to your laptop not much later, you had three missed calls from your boss and another meeting you were ten minutes late to.
String walking?? woww that's crazy cool :0 be safe!! I have to hand in my final draft of my thesis in a few days but I procrastinated like crazy and now im super ill 😭😭 I'm also working a 10 hour shift today so I gotta manifest some good healing energy ngl... but also I dug my own grave lol. I'm not really following the wc but I can't believe US won from Paraguay like what's going on...
Thank you! It was so cool though, I can’t wait to try out my new archery skill in regular practice 🤩
Let me tell you something as someone who handed in her final thesis on the last day and thought she could write the ending paragraph the morning she had to print it out and send it over all by 10am… Don’t trust yourself when you get tempted to go to sleep and think you can finish it the next day. It never goes well hahhaha But I manifest good healing energy for you too, you will do well ✨💓✨
Omg I had my bets on Paraguay while my co workers all betted for the US hahahah and they were right
hii!! I hope you're doing well :) do you have any fun plans for the weekend?
Hiiii :) Oh, this Saturday I will attend a special archery workshop to work on my string walking skills hehe Otherwise, just watching football on Sunday with my friends, because it's Germany's first game in the World Cup... IM SCARED LOL
hi omg i just want to let you know how happy i am whenever i see an update from my favorite nct writers way way back (like you!) i've been a reader since 2022 so it really warms my heart whenever i hear from you guys 😭 like it doesn't even have to be a new writeup, even a reblog or a life update makes me happy. you have been a part of my stan life and girlhood, i feel like i grew up with you and nct as well. take care always and do whatever makes you happy! 🥹🤍
Omg you're so sweet for telling me this! Your message really warmed my heart, you know?! During Taeyong's and Jaehyun's military services, it was just so quiet here. I thought people lost interest and fell out of love with nct, their bias or this world altogether. Which is... just life. We grow up, we develop new interests, move on with life, and also leave some things in the past. I was sooo happy when I saw my notifs spiking again as soon as Taeyong and Jaehyun came back, and then getting messages from my readers - like you - again! Who are still here, cheering and supporting... I cannot express enough how grateful I am to still be on this journey with you which will hopefully last many, many more years!! Thank you for taking your time to write me all of this, I hope I can continue contributing to your happiness too 💖💖💖
Because today I broke up with my unfaithful boyfriend of 2 years and can finally write some spicy stuff again without a loser judging me! Jaehyun would never 🤠🤠🤠
hey!!! you haven’t updated in a long a time, how is life going?
hiii! Thank you for checking in, that means a lot 🤍
Don’t worry, I’m still here!! Last year I really went through a hard time because of my living circumstances and it was dragging on and on… but I’ve finally moved! That’s why I have been inactive since Christmas (even on my private sns which is really untypical for someone chronically online like me…) It was a long process (and so mentally draining) since I’ve moved across country and I had problems with renovations and the old landlord and so on - but it’s finally over, I assembled the last pieces of furniture today and what‘s left to do is setting up my office slash library where you will find me writing new stories VERY SOON!! 🤙
Pairing: navy soldier/idol!Taeyong x barista!reader
Genre: fluff, romance
Word Count: 3.8k
Summary: Over the past few months, you’ve developed a crush on a navy soldier who frequented your café almost every weekend. When he stops coming, you begin to wonder whether you waited too long and missed your chance altogether.
A/N: Happy Christmas, guys! 🎄 This is my present for you - in celebration of the year coming to an end and Taeyong's return. Thank you for your constant support and for still and always being here 💚
In the spring, he liked strawberry ade.
In the summer, he liked iced Americano.
In the autumn, he liked coconut smoothies.
In the winter, he liked sweet potato latte.
You had his order ready by every Saturday afternoon.
That was when he would usually stop by the little coffee shop you were working at - sometimes with his friends, sometimes all by himself. Sometimes he wore his navy uniform, sometimes he wore casual clothes.
But always, he ordered the same seasonal drinks and always, he was smiling.
Until one winter day, he suddenly stopped coming altogether, and you began to wonder whether you had missed your chance because you had waited too long.
"What will you do once the new year starts?" the coffee shop owner asked you on another Saturday afternoon in December when you waited for him to no avail. She was a lady in her mid fifties who had welcomed you very warmly when you had turned up here lost and hopeless earlier in the spring. "Will you leave our small town again or will you stay here a little while longer?"
You had landed in this rural part of the country after fleeing from your old life in the big city by the seaside. After a bad break up with a guy who betrayed you only a month after you had moved countries for him, you got on the next bus towards an unknown destination.
That unknown destination was supposed to be a temporary solution only, but you had ended up staying longer than intended for two reasons: You still didn't know what to do after, and the only silver lining in your otherwise dim life was the person who usually ordered a sweet potato latte around this time of the day.
The exact drink you had already prepared out of a habit and was now sitting on the counter for the third week in a row, untouched.
"I know you want me to stay." You sighed. "I will consider it."
"You can look for a job in Daejeon, it's just around the corner and I have very good connections there so that it won't be too much of a problem to find a company that sponsors your new visa. And who knows…" She winked. "Maybe he will come back one day."
According to your boss, he had apparently finished his service, so even that was gone for you. You wished you had known, even though the only words you had ever exchanged were hellos and goodbyes, and the usual respectful "how are you?".
You didn't know his name, neither anything else about him. You thought you still had time to gather all the courage to ask him out as though almost one year wasn't enough.
And now it was too late.
"Maybe he will," you answered to your boss, knowing very well these words didn't come from the bottom of your heart as you didn't believe in her hopeful saying. "I had almost a year to figure things out, and now that I have to decide, I'm still unsure. It feels like I did nothing and only wasted time."
"You were healing and finding yourself. That's a whole lot of work too."
"You think so?"
You stared out of the entrance door, still hoping he would emerge through it any moment. But you had long found out not to expect anything anymore in the first place.
The first snow of the year had started to fall this morning and the streets and houses were already covered in a thin, white blanket. The little café was usually very busy at this time of the week, but this Saturday, it was unusually quiet as many students had traveled to their respective hometowns for winter break already, only three sitting quietly at their respective tables, studying or reading.
"It's okay if you don't know it yet, dear." The owner patted your back. "I told you, you can work here until your last day, no matter your decision. If you want to stay in the country or leave entirely again... You know how much I appreciated your help from the moment you walked in here and asked for a job. I just cannot sponsor your visa with my little shop, but I know it's also not what you want."
You smiled apologetically. "Yes, I would very much like to start a career in my field again."
"See, you have direction already." She then nodded at the drink sitting on the counter untouched. "Is this for him?"
You smiled and drew your shoulders up. "Maybe, I hope that he is on vacation and will come back here to get his usual drink as though he was never gone."
"So many months and you didn't even ask him for his name," the lady sighed. "Back in my days, we just went up to the guy we liked. There was no social media, no way to contact each other other than paying a visit or getting their landline number. Today, everything is much easier, yet you didn't jump at the chance when you could."
You laughed in embarrassment, hoping to hide your disappointment. "It's fine. If it hasn't happened until now, then it wasn't meant to be. Though, perhaps, a part of me still hopes he will find his way back here someday when I'm still present."
"It's never too late," she said, and just at that moment, the doorbell chimed in announcement of new customers.
Your heart already skipped a beat at the sound before you heard giggles and disappointment settled at the fact that a group of young women walked in instead of the person you had hoped for. They were probably in their early twenties and foreigners just like you.
"This is the café where Taeyong regularly went to!" one of them exclaimed.
"I can't believe we're finally here!"
"What did he say in his live again was the best drink he got here?"
"Sweet potato latte!"
"Let's get that one!"
The group, which consisted of four women, went up to your counter.
"We'd like four sweet potato lattes, please!" one of them ordered.
It was always the same.
For the past three weeks, several times a week, one shy young woman or a very giggly girl group would visit your coffee shop and order a drink a certain Taeyong would supposedly order all the time here.
You just didn't know a person called Taeyong.
But the girls were always so cute and kept your business running even during the slower days, so you were willing to mix as many sweet potato lattes as possible.
But as you were pouring milk into the third cup, you couldn't hold yourself back to ask them, "Who's this Taeyong person people like coming here for?" You always swore to yourself that you would look him up after work, but usually forgot about it by the time you arrived at home. "Is he a famous chef? A food blogger? An influencer?"
"He is an idol!" one of the girls answered excitedly as she watched you preparing the drinks with sparkly eyes. "And a very talented and famous one on top of that."
"Oh, I don't know much about Korean idols, sorry."
"Surely, you must know him and interacted with him if you work here on the weekends!" another girl chimed in.
"I've been working here since April, on all weekends, as a matter of fact."
They shared a long look you couldn't exactly define and all four heads then turned back at you in unison. One girl stretched out her hand in which she was holding her phone.
"Look at my display!" she told you. "That's Taeyong! Does he look familiar to you? Please try to remember, we'd love to hear some stories about him!"
You squeezed your eyes. "Eh… I cannot quite tell."
The guy on her display was donned in lavender shorts that showed a little bit of skin and a long-sleeved cardigan. He was kneeling on what seemed to be a bed with white sheets, wearing black patent-leather shoes. A delicate face with light-pink and blue hair that rolled on the nape of his neck stared at you, lips a bit brighter than the same color on the top of his head. He looked beautiful, just like a fairy.
The face though… there was something familiar in his gaze, but the wallpaper was way to bright and the face way too small on the display.
But you were sure you had never seen this person before in your life.
"Are you sure he's been here before?" you asked back carefully. "I'm sure I would recognize a person this pretty and yet still striking looking."
"Of course she wouldn't recognize him!" the girl at the back said. "She hasn't changed her wallpaper since the magazine issue was released, which was in 2023! He's been in the military for almost two years, he looks entirely different now! Here, let me show you-"
"Oh girls, it's fine!" you laughed it off, having finished preparing the last drinks for your customers. "Just enjoy your drinks, and if I happen to come across a person that looks like him, I'll post it on our social media, promise."
"I doubt that he will return as he's already back in Seoul," the girl who had showed you her phone said with much disappointment as she took her drink. "But it's nice to visit a place he's frequented during our roundtrip."
"So where are you you guys headed to next?"
You chit-chatted with them for a little while longer before you returned to your position and started wiping the counter, getting dragged back into your thoughts. The girls' idol didn't leave your mind though. Perhaps this time, you would really look him up. You must know him for sure if their story was true. But who could it be?
There was only one military guy who had visited the café as often as they claimed their idol did and ordered the same drink. But there was no way they could mean him…
He had nothing in common with the person on the picture.
Your guy was muscular and buff, had short dark hair, wore black-rimmed glasses and was fairly tanned. He stood out as well, but in the way he carried himself and the aura he radiated, which had made you drawn to him in the first place.
One time though, he had taken off his glasses.
And then you faltered.
That gaze…
Your hand already slipped into the pocket of your apron to fish out your phone when the bell rang, announcing another customer. By now, everyone had left and the owner was about to close the shop.
You turned around, preparing yourself to tell the guest they unfortunately needed to leave. But the breath you had just sucked in got stuck in your throat as you froze mid-motion. Stunned, you looked into the face you had just imagined a moment prior.
A face that was so familiar, yet so foreign to you as he was both people: the guy from the military and the guy from the girl's lock screen.
How could you have missed that?
"Am I too late?" he asked with a smile.
Now you knew his name too: Taeyong.
"It's never too late!" the owner chimed in with a giggle and then disappeared in the backroom.
You gulped, hiding your shaking hands in the pockets of your apron. Why was he here? According to his fans, he was supposed to be in Seoul and your small town was hours drives away from the capital. You had so, so wished for this moment to come, but now that he was actually here, you were hit by shyness again and didn't know what to do.
"O- one sweet potato latte?" you asked, catching your voice in the middle of the sentence as not to let your insecurity slip.
"Yes, please."
You pulled the corners of your lips into a forced smile and shifted back to the counter where you started to prepare his drink. The noise of the coffee grinder filled the silence of the empty café and it somehow reassured you as you were searching for the right words to speak to him. When the machine stopped - too soon for your liking - you still hadn't found them.
"You weren't here the past few weeks," was your meek attempt when you poured the shot into a cup. It was better than nothing though.
A quick glance at him from the corner of your eyes revealed his surprise. "I didn't think you'd notice."
Had he really been this oblivious? You smiled. "Of course I noticed. Out of a habit, I always prepared your drinks nonetheless. But you never came to pick them up."
He raised his brows, now in disbelief. "You did?"
Your cheeks heated up, but you hid them by dropping your head and pouring milk into the cup. "I thought you were sick or on vacation… Until I realized you might have finished your duty here."
"Yes. I went back to Seoul where I reside."
"What brought you back today then?"
You put the lid on the finished drink and placed it on the counter as slowly as possible as you didn't want him to leave yet. You didn't dare looking up. As his answer took to long to come though, you had no other choice but to do so.
He was looking aside, the back of his hand covering the lower half of his face. The tips of his ears had turned pink and a touch of that flush had also settled on the upper half of his cheeks. Apparently, you weren't the only person quite awkward in this setting.
"I had to pick up some stuff I had left behind."
"I see…"
"And," he added quickly before your disappointment could settle, still not facing you but slowly lowering his arm, "I was wondering whether you were still here."
"Oh, you did?" You inhaled sharply, unsure what to respond to this. "I was always here. But I might not stay for much longer."
His head snapped back at you, his eyes wide. "You're leaving?"
You heaved your shoulders up and let them down again. "Maybe I'll stay, maybe I'll leave… I don't know yet."
"Where would you go to?"
"Back to my home country? Maybe to another city here? I really don't know. It depends…"
"On what exactly?" he wanted to know.
"What brings me to each destination."
"What brought you here?"
"A broken heart and the urge to run away from my pain."
He nodded understandingly in a way that signaled you he truly knew what you were talking about despite the spare words. "And now? How do you feel now?"
Nobody had asked you this before, but you had your answer ready by heart, "Healed and open for something new."
A bright smile spread across his lips and he leaned over to pick up his sweet potato latte. "Then you should cease this feeling, no matter where it brings you to."
His gaze lingered on you a little too long, and too much time passed before he turned around and moved into the direction of the door. He looked back at you too many times and walked too slowly for someone who intended to leave. Everything he did, he took his time with in hopes for…
But even though you had the chance - again and again - you let it pass - again and again. No matter how hard you tried, how much you wanted to stop him and tell him to stay, not a single word passed your lips.
Until the bell chimed and the entire coffee shop was empty again.
"Ouch!" was the first word you uttered when you got hit by the kitchen towel that the owner had just slapped you with.
"Girl, are you insane?!" she scolded you loudly. "Why did you let him go?!"
"I was- he was-," you stuttered. "He is-… he is an idol!"
The elderly lady stared at you as though you had entirely lost your mind. "So what?! Isn't he human and can't have feelings too? You just had a normal conversation, what makes him different now? He is the same guy that frequented the café with no care in the world. He came here every Saturday because of you, and now returned from Seoul just to see you again, and you messed it up!"
"What would he want from me?" you asked, intimated by the fears you had just made up in your mind. "I'm just… a normal person."
"You are kind, reliable, talk well with strangers, handle even difficult situations properly, treat everyone the same, and are a fast learner. He's perceived this probably in all those weeks he stepped by here. We may not know it ourselves as the workers, but our customers, they know from the first moment they step into a shop. How they are treated, how they feel around us. What could he not like about you that I don't like already?"
You stared at the door through which he had left, watching the snow dance through the air as the wind had gotten stronger. A nearby street lamp illuminated each flake, putting them in stark contrast to the dark later afternoon background.
"I made a terrible mistake," you suddenly uttered nearly absentmindedly.
"As I said, it's never too late. Go," the owner first said softly. Then, as you still hesitated, urged louder, "Go!"
With one swift with motion, you discarded the apron and ran through the café, opening the door without even caring to put on a jacket. Ice cold wind hit you like a wall the moment you stepped outside, but you swallowed the pain down.
"Taeyong!" you yelled, looking to the left and right of you.
But as expected, there was no figure close by. You first ran into one direction until you reached an intersection that was just as empty. You then turned back and ran to the other side of the street. Even there, there was no other human being except for you, standing alone in the dark and yelling again,
"Taeyong!"
Now you realized the cold that had crept under your thin layers, seemingly under your skin as well. You started shivering and tried shielding your face with your hand from the heavy snowfall that made it difficult for you to see. You felt really hopeless and a little stupid too, as you yelled out again,
"Taeyong!"
He must be gone by now. From what you could observe through the snowfall, you were still the only person in the immediate vicinity. If only it wasn't snowing so heavily, you could see better and run faster. If it weren't for this stupid weather and your stupid actions, you would have found him by now.
But you had missed your chance. The owner was wrong.
Sometimes, it was too late.
Taeyong would never return to this small town when he was a big idol, probably residing in a luxurious home in the capital. And Seoul was such a big city. There was no way you could find him as you knew nothing about him. He had many fans too, that made it impossible to approach him at concerts…
You wanted to cry.
You really hated the stupid snow and your stupid attitude.
"Aren't you cold?"
Your head shot up. He stood directly in front of you, tall and broad. Snowflakes had settled on his glasses and shoulders despite him holding an umbrella that he was now spreading over the two of you.
"You're back!" you exclaimed.
He pursed his lips and avoided your gaze. "I couldn't leave just... like that. I wanted to go back."
"I was looking for you!"
He locked eyes with you again, astonishment mirrored in them. "I heard you calling my name. So you know about… me. For how long?"
In his voice swung a touch of wariness. You couldn't blame him for being careful considering who he truly was.
"I only figured it out today when another group of girls came in and ordered a sweet potato latte, because their idol liked drinking one here."
"Oh yeah… I talked about it in the live stream after my return. I'm sorry for causing problems with that statement. But it's the truth. It was my favorite coffee shop. It still is."
You shook your head. "It brought us more customers and made us more popular, my boss is really pleased. So thank you for that, I suppose."
"You… " He paused and you witnessed the upper halves of cheeks changing color again. "You really had a sweet potato latte prepared for me in all the weeks I was away?"
"Yes. But only in the winter. In the spring, I would have prepared strawberry ade, in the summer iced Americano, and in the autumn coconut smoothies."
He was speechless for a moment. "You know all of my favorite drinks in your café."
"That was because I always looking forward to Saturdays."
For a long moment neither of you said a word. Suddenly, you also didn't feel so cold anymore. There was a warmth that radiated from the depths of your heart that you had deemed lost quite a while ago. Apparently, it had still been there all this time.
"So," he then started, "When will you know what to do next?"
"Maybe I already have a tendency," you admitted.
"You do?" he asked.
You nodded, smiling shyly. "Daejeon has been on my mind for quite a while actually. I've been there often and I like it. It's not far away from here, but it's still a bigger city with more opportunities for me. Maybe I can even jump back into my old career now that I speak the language quite well. And…" You paused and eventually brought yourself to confess with the heat now creeping up your entire face, "It's only a two hour drive to Seoul. I wouldn't mind visiting the capital every now and then either, though I surely prefer the countryside."
He grinned. "Well, I would be happy about that, honestly. But what if I tell you Daejeon is actually my hometown and I'm there quite often?" His grin grew bigger.
"So… you would have come here again if we hadn't met today?"
"Of course. And every day after that until you would have said yes."
You tilted your head. "Yes to what?"
"To getting a sweet potato latte with me this time."
Perhaps, your boss was right. It was never too late.
You learned it right there, on a snowy winter afternoon in a small town you had initially never wanted to step foot in but that had given you way more than you had bargained for in the end.
Hey guys!! I took a short break, because of work and then vacation, BUT I'm back now and wow, I've seen all your requests! I'll do them once I've finished my short, romantic, winterly Taeyong one shot, because I cannot celebrate my bias coming back without doing something for him, too! 🥰
i was shedding tears when she took out her strawberry chapstick. Thank you so much for writing this 💕 this felt different yet similar from all of your works. I love love love love all of your works like every single one of them! And it’s very hard to find good five these days from good authors and I’m glad we have you! I love this so much and i was genuinely crying, sending you lots of love 💕
This nearly made me tear up… thank you so much for saying that, I cannot put into words how much your message means to me 🥺🥺🥺
At a few points, I felt so discouraged, because throughout the past months, the activity decreased a lot on here. It’s the military era, I suppose? That’s why I’m so happy to still see avid readers! Thank you so much, this keeps me going 💖💖💖 And there will be times when it gets better - when enlistment is over, at the latest🤭
