Owl here, from @dragonowl. I've decided to make a side blog where I will be posting random kpop things, random kpop fics, as well as random things from The Sky That Doesn't End.
That means random inspirations, plot points, writing snips, etc. That means spoilers. If you're interested I hope you will follow me here. But, if you want to avoid spoilers, you might want to avoid it ^^"
Have a wonderful week!
Also...I didn't really put a lot of work into editing my side projects...so there's probably lots of mistakes. And the flow might not be the best. Just a heads up.
Current Side Projects
Masterlists for the Atiny:
Want to join the pirate crew? Read Starlit Destiny
Just looking for a cozy coffee shop to take a break in? Try out Scribbles of Courage
I've started posting Starlit Destiny on AO3! Just the first three chapters for today to get the ball rolling. But I'll probably post daily till it's caught up.
Rated: PG (I think) for violence and mentions of sensitive topics.
Summery: A lonely siren loses the only person he has ever cared for. While hunting down those that took her, he comes across a pirate seeking revenge. As they follow their goals, they build a crew. A family. Now this misfit band of not quite pirates are working to uncover the darkness that is trying to take over.
First, Prev, Masterlist
Chapter 12: Learning and Growing
♠Jongho♠
It was worse than he had expected. The space was cramped, meaning they were always on top of each other. Which also meant he could never quite get away from San and Wooyoung’s antics. He didn’t know how the others put up them, though, sometimes it was with barely veiled frustration.
Like right now.
Jongho took a bite of his apple while he watched the others from where he sat on a barrel.
San was showing Yeosang how to tie a knot for the rigging while Seonghwa and Wooyoung were cleaning the deck.
Well. Seonghwa was cleaning. Wooyoung stopped every few seconds to complain about the task and how pointless it seemed to him. The captain and Seonghwa both looked like they were moments away from throwing him overboard.
Wooyoung flung his rag, making a spray of water arc over the deck and across Yeosang’s face. To his credit, the man only flinched and let out a deep sigh.
“Wooyoung, focus please,” Seonghwa urged. “It’ll be done faster if you stop stalling.”
“Ah, Hyuung,” Wooyoung drawled, flopping back onto his rear. “It’s boring. Can’t we make it fun at least?”
“We’re cleaning.”
“Tell us a story. About you. We still don’t know anything about you.”
“Wooyoung…”
“Like, what this is?” Wooyoung held up a norigae, decorated with pearls. “Where did you—”
Seonghwa had Wooyoung’s wrist in a vice grip, pulling him up from the ground and taking the accessory back before any of them could blink. When he let go, Wooyoung fell back to the deck and gawked up at the eldest in shock.
“How did you get this?” Seonghwa growled as he checked his clothing.
Even though everyone seemed to be focused on Seonghwa, Jongho’s attention was on Wooyoung. He could only see Seonghwa’s back from where he sat, but whatever expression he had was making Wooyoung scramble away. His friends were watching with wide eyes and bated breath.
“I—I’m sorry, I just — I was curious and took it off you after breakfast. I didn’t think—”
“Don’t touch it again.”
“Seonghwa,” the captain called out, interrupting them. “He didn’t know. Go cool off.”
The man didn’t show any sign of acknowledgment at first, then turned sharply to where Jongho could see his face. The youngest dropped his apple, making it thud and roll across the wood, and Seonghwa’s eyes were immediately on him. Brightly glinting, non-human eyes with sharp, narrow pupils. Jongho held his breath but Seonghwa’s gaze was off of him in an instant, the anger in them flashing to something else Jongho didn’t have enough time to recognize.
Seonghwa shed his jacket and top, making a pair of gills along his collarbone visible, then kicked off his shoes and jumped overboard.
The sound of the splash did something in all of them. Jongho could breath again and stood from the barrel as San and Yeosang ran to Wooyoung’s side.
“What were you thinking?”
“Are you okay?”
“We don’t steal from friends.”
Their rambling was drowned out as Jongho tried to process what had just happened.
“He’s a siren,” he said suddenly and everyone grew silent and turned their attention to him. He’d known that there was something different about Seonghwa, but this… “Did everyone already know?” Jongho knew, he knew that they didn’t trust him yet. He didn’t trust them. It had only been two days since he joined. But this was still something he felt was important to know.
“He didn’t tell any of us,” San said. “I just figured it out. But my father’s a fisherman and I basically grew up on the ocean.” He finished off with a shrug.
“I found out a few nights ago,” Yeosang said, his eyes out on the ocean where Seonghwa had disappeared. “He was singing on the deck.”
“I just knew. I guess I thought it was obvious,” Wooyoung added.
“And yet you thought it was a good idea to provoke him,” San grumbled.
“I’m sure it makes sense why he doesn’t really tell people,” Hongjoong said as he made his way across the deck. “He’s not very good at hiding it though.” He gave them a small smile then collected the discarded garments and placed them neatly on a barrel by the railing. “He’s not dangerous,” he continued. “At least, not to those he trusts. I almost feel bad for the person behind all of this. Only almost though. They deserve whatever’s coming. That norigae is really important to him,” Here he fixated Wooyoung with a sharp look. “I recommend you apologize and never touch it again.”
“Yes sir,” Wooyoung said, and for once, Jongho didn’t detect anything other than sincerity in his tone. “It belonged to her, didn’t it?”
Hongjoong nodded with a tight smile, then pat Wooyoung’s arm before he went back to steering.
San and Yeosang also patted Wooyoung before going back to what they had been doing previously.
Wooyoung stood lost in thought for a moment, then grabbed his discarded rag and began to clean in earnest.
“Well Jongho,” the captain called to him. “Do you want us to let you off at the next port now that you know? Or will you stay?”
Jongho met his eyes for a moment before collecting his discarded apple. “I’ll stay for now. If he can keep from killing after all that then my level of trust hasn’t changed. Besides, I would have thrown the thief overboard.”
Wooyoung sputtered in protest while the others laughed at his expense. Jongho ignored it though and went below deck.
♥
Wooyoung shifted from foot to foot as he waited for Seonghwa to finish tying his belt, back still towards him. It hadn’t surprised him that the siren was ignoring him.
“Hyung,” he tried, and Seonghwa stilled. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t know, but that’s not an excuse. I shouldn’t have taken it from you. It won’t happen again.”
Seonghwa’s shoulders slumped slightly and he turned to face Wooyoung. He didn’t say anything or meet Wooyoung’s gaze, but his brow furrowed when he caught sight of the already blooming bruise that was poking out from under Wooyoung’s sleeve.
Wooyoung moved to hide his arm behind him but Seonghwa gently grabbed his elbow before he could. The siren pushed up his sleeve then inhaled sharply once the full extent of the injury was visible.
“I’m sorry,” Seonghwa said with a deep sigh.
“No, don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have —”
“Stop. No matter how important the norigae is to me, it’s no excuse for what I did. I lost control and could have done worse. It won’t happen again,” Seonghwa said then began to pull Wooyoung across the deck. “Why didn’t you bandage it?”
“It’s really fine, hyung,” Wooyoung tried to ease as Seonghwa grabbed a salve and bandages. “I’ve had worse.”
Seonghwa fixed him with a raised brow then pushed up Wooyoung’s sleeve, making him hiss in pain. Without another word, Seonghwa began to apply the salve then wrapped the bandage over the bruise. When he was done Wooyoung looked it over, impressed.
“Surprised?”
Wooyoung rubbed at his neck and smiled. “Kind of. I didn’t think a siren would need to know how to bandage a wound, since bandages can’t really get wet.”
“You’re not wrong. I’ve never really had need of them for myself.” Seonghwa started cleaning up, his gaze dark again. “I helped Nari a few times after she got done with work. She showed me how.”
“Nari…is that…?” Wooyoung didn’t finish the question, afraid of crossing another line.
Seonghwa nodded his head though, his expression softened as a sad smile appeared. “She’d already been through so much, and then.” He stopped, his expression darkening once more.
“It’s a really pretty name,” Wooyoung said quietly. Then he looked up at Seonghwa with determination. “Don’t worry, hyung. We will get her back.”
♠
Jongho tried not to let it show as frustration ate at him, instead downing the drink in his hand as he and the majority of the crew tried to eavesdrop on the conversations around them.
Two days. They had been in this port town for two days, trying to get any information they could, only to come up empty handed. But the captain was positive they would get something here. The town was bustling with pirates and traders and other sorts from all over the globe. Many of the languages being spoken were completely foreign to him, though the others didn’t seem to be having as many issues understanding those around them.
It was the first time he’d been on foreign soil, though he wasn’t sure who exactly this town belonged to considering the diversity.
“Captain,” Yeosang said suddenly. “We’ve been here for a while and aren’t mingling. We should probably move on.”
Hongjoong hummed in thought then turned in his seat to view the rest of the tavern. “How about you and Jongho go purchase some supplies and track down the duo. Seonghwa and I will meet you back on the ship in a couple of hours. I want to try a more direct approach, and ask around about a ship.” He stood and started towards a rowdy corner table that was predominantly speaking an unknown language. Seonghwa stood a moment later and followed after handing a paper and pouch to Yeosang.
The silence that followed was awkward. Jongho hadn’t yet had a one-on-one conversation with Yeosang, who seemed to only really spend time with the troublemakers. Though he himself was quiet most of the time.
“Um…Seonghwa hyung gave me a list and some money,” Yeosang said hesitantly. “Should we get going?”
“Yeah,” Jongho said with a nod, then downed the rest of his drink. “We should probably hurry before your friends get into trouble.”
Yeosang let out a small laugh as he placed some coins onto the counter, but quickly covered it up and started towards the door without any other response to Jongho’s comment.
Silence prevailed again once they were outside and while Jongho didn’t usually mind, this time it was uncomfortable. And, he had questions. Like, how did someone who came across as a noble or scholar know how to fight the way he did? It was common for nobles’ sons to learn swordsmanship and archery, but the way Yeosang had jumped him, the way he fought, his strength, did not line up with the appearance he gave off. And if he was a noble, why was he so close to the riffraff that San and Wooyoung clearly were? Their upbringing was clearly different.
“Would you…” Yeosang started and stopped and Jongho looked at him hoping it would encourage him to continue. “Would you like to spar some time?”
“Why?”
That came out wrong.
“Well, I just thought it would be good to practice…and know each other’s fighting styles so that we can work together better, but—”
“No, you’re right,” Jongho said quickly, surprised at the sudden quick rambling from the quiet man. “It’s a good idea. We all have different training. If we end up in an altercation, and we likely will, it’ll be important to be able to work together with minimal issues.”
Yeosang nodded, then fidgeted with his sleeves. “My training makes it easy to analyze other fighting styles in order to combat against them, but not with them. Sparring with the others has been helpful since Wooyoung and San grew up training together and the captain was a part of a crew. Seonghwa hyung and I are the only ones who don’t have that experience.”
“You seem to have the most professional training based off of what I’ve seen from the spars,” Jongho said. “And from what I’ve experienced. What was your training for? Since you’ve known Wooyoung and San for so long I’m just surprised you didn’t train with them. You’ve also got some techniques that aren’t a typical training style, so I’m curious.”
Yeosang’s expression became more serious. He opened his mouth then closed it again and his eyes flicked around the market stalls, looking for something. “There’s potatoes. We should purchase some,” he said, ignoring the question, and when he reached for a potato, Jongho could see his hand trembling. So Jongho dropped it.
Things were quiet and awkward once more after that. Jongho had clearly touched a sensitive topic. Unsure how to break the tension again, he kept silent, only offering his opinion here and there on prices and haggling them when necessary. They made their way into a rougher area with people gathered around street fights and various gambling games.
Jongho wrinkled his nose at the spectacle and opened his mouth to comment when he heard a familiar voice.
“Oh good,” Yeosang said, heading towards one of the groups. “We don’t have to search for them now.”
Jongho hesitated before following Yeosang, who was pushing through the rowdy crowd. San and Wooyoung came into view just as San threw his arms up with a victorious shout.
“Good game,” Wooyoung said as San started to pull his winnings to him. “We appreciate your contribution to our cause.”
Jongho could see the other players growing more upset with Wooyoung’s words, one of the men reaching for her knife.
“You cheated!” one of the men shouted and Wooyoung crossed his arms. “That’s the only way you could have won.”
“You can’t predict the winner of a game of chance unless you yourself are a cheater,” Wooyoung said smoothly. Jongho moved forward to intervene before things got out of hand, but Yeosang put a hand up to stop him.
“Just watch,” he whispered.
“Come on friend,” Wooyoung continued, putting on a winning smile. “We’re all good sports here. My friend here just has traveler’s luck and we’d stay for another round, but our crewmates are here so we have to go. It’s such a pity too. This is the most fun I’ve had in a while. Ah!” Wooyoung stepped towards one of the spectators. “You sir! You look like you’re ready to try your hand at this game. Give it a go. These men really play a good game.” Before the stranger could respond, Wooyoung seized his wrist and pulled him to the center. “Ever played before?”
The stranger nodded, still in shock.
“Of course you have! You look like you would be a great challenger. What do you say?”
The stranger looked at him, then at the player who had been shouting at Wooyoung, then smiled. “Sure, why not. I have some extra coin today. Bet I could take the rest of your money with it.”
“I’d like to see you try,” the other man said. “Take a seat. We’ll see if you can put your money where your mouth is.”
With that, all of the attention that had been on San and Wooyoung was now on the next game, and the two were with them before Jongho had fully processed what had happened, all smiles and hidden laughs. They turned to walk away and Wooyoung threw his arm across Yeosang’s shoulders. Once there was distance between them and the group and had started shopping again, Yeosang spoke. “Did you cheat?” he asked and Wooyoung smirked.
“Of course.”
Jongho stopped in his tracks, making the others nearly run into him. “You what?” he hissed, turning to face them.
Wooyoung’s smirk didn’t drop, but his brows lifted in surprise. “You thought I was going to play fair? When he was cheating everyone out of their money before we stepped in? I just won back some of the money that didn’t belong to him in the first place.”
“That doesn’t make it right.”
“Guys,” San said, stepping between them. “This isn’t the place. Let’s finish getting what we need and head back to the ship.”
“We shouldn’t cause a commotion here,” Yeosang added when neither of them moved.
“Fine,” Jongho said, starting once more down the street. “But we are talking about this.” He didn’t wait for a snarky response, but was sure Wooyoung had rolled his eyes at the comment.
Genre: Coffee Shop AU. Barista x Writer. Seonghwa x OC
Rated: G
Summery: The owner of a small cafe has fallen head over heels for one of their regulars. He tries to keep it to himself though, worried about crossing the line with a customer. Meanwhile, a writer can't help but get distracted by the cute owner of the coffee shop when she's supposed to be working on her next book. Of course, they're unable to keep it from their friends who are more than happy to watch romance bloom.
First, Prev, Masterlist, AO3
✧10✧
Seonghwa
“Yunho, can you grab the props from the back?” Seonghwa said as he finished tidying up the table by the window. He put a sign on it to make sure no one took it since it was becoming a favorite seating spot. “Have you heard anything?”
“Got it,” Yunho said, joining him. He placed the tub of things in the chair, catching it last second as it almost tipped off from its uneven weight. “He should be here any minute.”
“Good,” Seonghwa said. “Hopefully he can get enough pictures taken before the rush starts. We can’t spare Wooyoung.”
“San is coming with him,” Wooyoung said. “Just got a text. He’s offered to cover for me if it gets too busy.”
“San.” Seonghwa looked skeptical. “behind the counter?”
“He can run transactions,” Wooyoung said. “There won’t be a repeat of last time. He promised.”
“Could be worse,” Yunho said. “Could be Hongjoong.”
Seonghwa and Wooyoung grimaced at the image of Hongjoong behind the counter. He’d likely try to help with preparing a drink, only to end up somehow burning something.
The bell above the door jingled and they turned to greet the customer, but were instead greeted by their friends.
“Hello,” San said, his tone taking on a cute lilt. “We have arrived. Song Mingi in the house.” His voice raised in volume, and Seonghwa’s eyes darted to the few customers already in the cafe.
“Morning,” Mingi said, voice just as loud. “Who’s ready for promo time?”
“We’ve got everything prepared for you,” Yunho said, gesturing to the box.
“And this,” Wooyoung said, as he pulled off his apron, “is for you.” He threw it at San, who barely caught it. “I’m so ready to take some nicer photos than our every day ones.”
“Just remember not to get too loud,” Seonghwa said. “People do come in here to study.”
“And work,” Wooyoung said with a wink which received a glare from the oldest in response.
“I’ll get started on some of our seasonal drinks,” Yunho said and headed towards the counters, dragging San along with him.
“Wooyoung, can you make one with art before you start on the photography?” Mingi asked as he shed his coat, which Seonghwa took from him. “I’ll start getting a background set up.”
“Sure thing!” Wooyoung left them quickly and Seonghwa looked at Mingi with a raised brow.
“You’re going to drink that one, aren’t you?”
“He never makes us fancy ones,” Mingi said. “Is it wrong for me to get one with art out of him every now and then under the pretense of work? At least it’s not going to waste.”
Seonghwa couldn’t argue with that. He was just happy to have the help with promotions. “Oh hey, I have an idea for an event I’d like to run by you later. But it can wait until you and Wooyoung are done,” he said, readjusting his apron as his eyes darted to the front door.
“Oh, yeah?” Mingi seemed to brighten. “That’s new for you. I’m excited to hear about it.”
Seonghwa half-heartedly bumped into his shoulder at the teasing. “I’ve got to get to work,” he said instead. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do, hyung.”
“And remember, please be mindful of the customers.”
“Don’t worry.” The response was instant, casual, like he’d said it a million times. Which, he had.
Seonghwa shook his head with an endearing smile as he walked off. Wooyoung was finishing up the design on a latte when he joined the others behind the counter.
“Changbin just texted and said they’d be bringing the baked goods over in about fifteen minutes,” Wooyoung said. He carefully placed the latte onto a tray and started to make his way out.
“Oh, good,” Seonghwa said. “That way we can add a couple items to the photos.”
“Wooyoung,” Yunho called out before the younger man could leave the space. “Let me know when you’re almost done with that one so that I can start the next one.”
“Will do.”
Now that the chaos from set up was under control, Seonghwa took a deep breath and went through his mental checklist of what needed to be done. The rush wouldn’t hit for a while, and all the current customers were set with their orders. The case was ready for the bakery items and Nari wasn’t in yet. There wasn’t much to do now except make drinks as Mingi needed them and make random orders as more customers came in.
He busied himself with cleaning that wasn’t necessary, making mental note of stock as he went. Before too long, their neighbors showed up with pastries and he filled the case while Yunho made the next drink for the photos.
“How’s it going with the regular, hyung?” Changbin asked as he started placing cookies on the top shelf. He nearly dropped one, eyes darting to the two in front of him. Felix’s eyes were sparkling, and both held equally knowing grins.
He cleared his throat and focused back on the cookies. “I don’t know what your talking about,” he said.
They looked at each other and rolled their eyes, Felix’s grin turned into a smirk. “Wooyoung hyung has been keeping us updated. We know all about her,” he said.
“Don’t you two have a business to get back to?” Seonghwa insisted. How many people had Wooyoung told about his crush?
“He said she’s the reason you insist on having multiple slices of the strawberry cake available every day,” Changbin said. “Here I thought you just wanted leftovers for yourself or San.”
“Don’t worry, hyung,” Felix said, raising a fist. “Fighting.”
They both left after that, chuckling and meeting Wooyoung’s eyes as they exited.
“Why don’t you just ask her out?” San said.
“Not you too,” Seonghwa groaned, closing the dessert case with more force than necessary. “We’ve been over this. She’s a customer. I’d be overstepping.”
“If you say so, hyung.”
Another customer came in and Seonghwa nudged San. “Focus please.”
When the transaction was done, he started on the drink, giving him an excuse to ignore San’s teasing. Instead, he focused on figuring out how to best execute the plan he had in mind.
What to say.
What to offer.
How to offer without it coming across as out of the blue or feeling like a burden.
“Hello, welcome to The Wishing Star,” San greeted brightly.
“Noona!” Wooyoung shouted and Seonghwa’s head shot up, eyes darting to the entrance in time to see Nari give a small wave to Wooyoung before continuing to the counter.
Seonghwa couldn’t escape his drink making to meet her there.
San glanced back at him with a knowing smile before turning back to her.
“Hi,” he said, more enthusiastic than when she entered.
“Hello,” she said, unsure.
“You must be the regular hyung talks about,” San said.
“Oh,” she said as she glanced behind San to seek him out. Their eyes met and pink dusted across her cheeks.
“Hi Nari,” Seonghwa said quickly. “I’m just finishing this drink, then I’ll be right there.”
“D—don’t worry about it,” she said.
Still, he finished the to-go order as quickly as he could, listening in on their conversation in case he needed to do damage control for anything San said.
“Are you San?” she asked.
“I am?” San said in surprise. “How did you know.”
“Intuition,” she said. “It’s nice to finally meet the famous roommate.”
“Psh, famous? I’m not so sure about that.”
Seonghwa could hear the blush in San’s tone. If he were a bird his feathers would be puffed up.
“Look’s like we’re both meeting celebrities today then,” San said as Seonghwa handed the drink off to the customer, then started to rush back. “The famous regular that plays animal crossing and writes books for a living.”
“I’m not…”
“Nari,” Seonghwa said when he was close enough. She looked up at him as he quickly closed the distance, hopefully missing how his hand latched onto San’s shoulder with a little more force than necessary. “More editing today?”
“Of course,” she said. Then, she looked behind her, towards the two by the window and dropped her voice a bit. “What’s going on today? Who…?” She didn’t finish the question, but he could see the curiosity burning in her eyes.
“That’s Mingi,” he said. “He’s our marketing and promotions manager. And Yunho’s best friend. We’re getting more professional photos today of our new and seasonal drinks to post on socials for the next month or so.”
“And Wooyoung is getting to take the photos?”
He nodded and she beamed.
“That’s great!” she said. “He’s such a good photographer. It’s a shame he doesn’t do it more.”
Seonghwa opened his mouth, but San spoke before him.
“That’s what I keep telling him. He’s been using every excuse in the book lately about why he hasn’t been taking any photos,” he pouted.
“We’ve all been trying to get him to take some time to work on it,” Seonghwa said. “But he won’t listen.”
“Ya!” Wooyoung shouted. “Stop talking about me like I’m not here.”
San raised a finger to his lips to shush their friend, who just started grumbling under his breath as he went back to work.
“I’m taking photos now, aren’t I?” he huffed to Mingi, who just patted him on the shoulder.
“In his defense,” Yunho said, joining them. “It has gotten a lot busier here lately. There’s not really a good time for him to take off.”
“I’ve offered to cover a shift or two,” San said, pouting again.
“Why don’t you focus on the shift your covering now instead of berating me for something completely unnecessary and wasting everyone’s time? Hmm? Hmm?” Wooyoung said, speaking 90 miles and hour as he walked over.
Seonghwa raised his hands, gesturing for Wooyoung to calm down before he bothered the customers. “Okay, okay,” he said. “We’ll drop it.”
“Thank you,” Wooyoung huffed. “I swear, no one ever takes my side. Yunho, can you start on the next drink please? I’m nearly done.”
“Of course,” Yunho said, holding back his laughter from the mild altercation. “I was taking your side, by the way.”
“Whatever,” Wooyoung said, with a wave of his hand as he walked back over to the photo area where Mingi was watching, mildly confused.
San started typing on the tablet in front of him, then looked up at Nari. “Just coffee, right?”
“That’s right,” she said, in surprise. “Guess I really am famous. Or does my order just annoy Wooyoung that much.”
“What do you think?” San said with a grin. “If you really want to annoy him, you should order something else today when he’s not working.”
“Hmm,” she hummed in thought. “Maybe…”
“Noona! Don’t you dare!” Wooyoung whined, stomping his foot once.
She chuckled at the response as she fished her wallet out of her purse. “I’m only teasing,” she said. Her eyes shone like stars, completely captivating Seonghwa’s gaze. The light brown shone in the sunlight, with little flecks of sparkling gold, and he felt like the air had left his lungs.
“I’ll…get started on you coffee,” he said, stuffing his hands in the pocket of his apron and turning away. “You’re table is open.”
“Thank you, Seonghwa,” she said, her voice light. The way she called his name was gentle, and he couldn’t help the blush from rising to his cheeks.
Still, he turned and smiled at her, praying that the evidence of his crush wasn’t too visible. “Of course. Do you mind if we use your table to eat lunch again?”
“Not at all,” she said. “I’m always happy for the company.”
He turned away again to fix her mug of coffee, hoping that the heat on his face would die down enough that he could actually take it to her.
The bell above the door dinged, thankfully knocking him to his senses. The following sound of the late morning rush had him hurrying to drop off her drink with a promise to check on her once everything had died down again, before he was back to work.
His and Yunho’s hands were full with keeping up with the orders, as well as making sure San didn’t get too overwhelmed or confused. But, just as quickly as the rush had come in, it was gone and he was left catching his breath along with the other two behind the counter.
“I don’t know how you do this every day,” San said. “Multiple times a day. I’m wiped.”
“You’re doing great, Sannie,” he said, ruffling the younger man’s hair. “Don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“Hyuuung,” San huffed, pushing Seonghwa’s hand away to fix his hair.
“I’m going to get started on the next drink for Mingi and Wooyoung,” Seonghwa said. It was one of his favorite new additions, so he was excited to work on it. Excited to share it. But he had two versions to work on, so it would take him a little bit.
“Then, I’ll go around and check on customers,” Yunho said, grabbing the coffee pot.
“Okay,” Seonghwa responded, too focused on gathering the ingredients and going through the checklist. He’d have it memorized before too long, but he had to make sure this one was perfect…for the photos.
After starting the espresso and prepping the dark chocolate, he pulled the pre-cut strawberry stars and star ice cubes from the mini freezer, then the homemade strawberry compote from the fridge, along with creams. Everything was a matter of timing. He grabbed one of their new latte glasses and filled the bottom with the strawberry compote. Then he carefully added in the star strawberries, using the ice to help hold them in place along the side of the glass before drizzling some chocolate to help hold them a bit better.
The espresso finished just as he was ready for it, and he quickly poured it into the mixing glass with the dark chocolate and mixed them together. He then poured it into the glass in tandem with some cream, allowing the liquids to marbleize. Then, he topped it with a healthy amount of whipped cream and added a couple more strawberry stars as a garnish. The finishing touch was a sprinkling of dried strawberry crumbs.
Satisfied, he stepped back. It was perfect.
“Ooo,” Yunho said. Sidling up next to him. “Looks good, hyung. You finally perfected it. Got a name yet.”
Seonghwa shook his head, quickly getting to work on the hot version of the drink. “No,” he said. “But it will come to me.”
“I’m surprised. You’ve never really struggled with naming one before. And this is the only new one without a name.”
“I know. I just want to make sure it’s perfect.”
“Whatever you decide will be great,” Yunho said, his voice encouraging.
The name was taking a surprising amount of time, and it irritated him. He wanted to get it on the menu as soon as possible, but couldn’t until he made a decision. Still, he knew what was holding him back. Why he wanted to be perfect.
Finishing touches on the hot drink, he loaded the two onto a tray, then retrieved a slice of strawberry cake that he had set aside earlier. Then, more careful than was probably necessary, he took them to the front.
“Perfect timing,” Mingi said, him and Wooyoung looking up from the screen of Wooyoung’s camera. “We just finished with this one.”
“I’ll take it off of your hands then,” he said as he carefully unloaded the items on the tray to the table, then grabbed the other hot and cold drinks. “San has been waiting patiently.” The whip cream on the hot chocolate had certainly deflated, making the mint leaf and cookie droop a little sadly, but the mint chocolate lover wouldn’t mind.
He turned to see the temporary cashier watching him with crescent eyes. Hands clenched and shaking on the table as he tried to contain his excitement. He was certainly earning the drink today.
“Wait,” Mingi said before he could walk away. “I want one of those. Does he get both?”
“No, one of those is mine,” Wooyoung said. “San and I have been trying to get a mint choco drink on the menu for ages and he finally listened to us, so we have dibs.”
“But I like mint choco too,” Mingi whined. “You can get one whenever since you work here.”
“Then just come by more frequently. Besides, you took the latte art one earlier,” Wooyoung argued back as he started to arrange the drinks and cake for the perfect photo. “Ooo, your labor of love,” he teased the oldest. “Finally ready to debut?”
“Almost,” Seonghwa said. “Just needs a name. Here,” he handed over the cold mint chocolate drink. “Share it.”
“I don’t want to share,” the two said in unison.
“Then rock paper scissors for it,” Seonghwa sighed. “Those are mine when you’re done.” He pointed at the strawberry based items, ignoring the whining.
“Just yours?” Wooyoung said, wiggling his eyebrows, but Seonghwa ignored him and turned to head to the counter. He handed the mint hot chocolate to San, who took it with glee, ignoring the rock paper scissors game happening behind him.
San took a long drink of the now mostly cooled liquid and hummed in satisfaction. Then he sent a wink at the oldest. “Do I get a bite of the strawberry cake?” he asked innocently.
“No.”
“But—”
“No buts.”
San pouted, then took another sip of his hot chocolate and was satisfied all over again. He grabbed the mint chocolate cookie, that was barely floating now, with his teeth and it fell apart on him.
“I’ll get you a spoon,” Seonghwa said, starting to round the counter. “Don’t make a mess.”
✧✧✧
It took longer than he was hoping, but they finally finished and were on to the next drinks. He took the items to Nari’s table with light steps, careful not to spill them. They weren’t as pretty as they had been, and probably not as good, now closer to room temperature.
Carefully, he set the cake in Nari’s peripheral, then the two drinks. She looked up, watching as they appeared one by one, then look at him in surprise.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“New seasonal items,” he said. There was some awe in her expression as she looked back at the drinks, and he couldn’t help but be filled with pride. “I wanted to make something for the season that complemented the strawberry cake. Since it’s a favorite.” He added the last bit quickly. “And it will be a collaborative promotion with the bakery next door.”
“Well, they look amazing,” she said. “Are you getting to take a break now?”
He nodded and slid into the booth across from her. “Just for a minute. Which one do you want?”
“I’m sorry?” she asked, eyes wide. “I get one?”
“Of course,” he said. “I want to get your opinion on whether or not they actually complement the cake.”
“Are you sure?” her hands hesitated forward, but he could see the anticipation in her eyes. “I’m sure one of you is a better judge of that. I don’t know the first thing about coffee.”
“But you’ll be able to tell if they go together.” His tone was insistent. “It’s good to get customer feedback, and I trust your opinion. Plus, you’ve been working so hard. You deserve a treat here and there. So,” he nudged them towards her slightly, “which would you like?”
“Then…” she reached forward and slowly slid the cold one towards herself. “I’ll take this one.”
He smiled and slid the hot, now cold one, towards himself.
She took a long drink from hers, closing her eyes and really savoring it. She hummed in delight then finally opened her eyes and looked at him. “This is amazing!” she said.
He held out a small fork for her, then slid the cake a bit closer once she took it.
“You have to stop spoiling me with all these free treats,” she said even as she readily sunk the fork into the spongy cake.
He wanted to tell her he would happily spoil her every day, in greater ways. That the drink was made specifically for her. That she was quickly becoming his favorite person.
But he couldn’t.
So, instead, he told a half truth. “Let me treat my favorite customer every now and then,” he said.
She looked up at him in surprise, fork still in her mouth. Pink dusted her cheeks as her eyes shot back down to the table, cake, laptop, anything but him.
She took another drink, then swirled the straw around in thought. “You treat me a lot though,” she said.
He shrugged, but she didn’t see it. Instead, she continued.
“Tell me about the drink,” she said. “What all is in it?”
He scooted forward in his seat, and explained it in detail. She looked at him again, met his gaze, her attention matching his excitement. There was still a light dusting of pink on her cheeks, and he was sure his matched. Especially once Yunho called for him to come back.
He stood reluctantly, hand still on the table. “I’ll be back in a little while to eat lunch,” he said. “If it’s not a bother.”
She shook her head. “It’s never a bother.”
“Then,” he cleared his throat, to overcome with her response. “I’ll have the others come eat lunch first.”
“Okay,” she said, then lifted she glass slightly. “Thank you again, Seonghwa. I think this will be a big hit. You did a great job.”
“Thanks,” he forced out, then walked away. His face was burning. He needed a minute. But one look at the others told him he didn’t have that. So he swallowed the embarrassment and joined them. Shooing Yunho away to take his lunch break.
✧✧✧
It was another hour before Mingi and Wooyoung were done. They joined him and Yunho behind the counter with the props and final drinks and Wooyoung slouched against him dramatically. “I’m starving,” he whined. “I could practically fade away.”
“Then go eat,” Seonghwa said. “I’m not stopping you. It’s long past your normal break time.”
“Thanks, hyung!” Wooyoung cheered, then tried to plant a kiss on Seonghwa’s cheek. But the oldest was faster, pushing him away before he even got close.
“Don’t,” Seonghwa said with a grimace. “Just go eat.”
The youngest saluted, then disappeared into the back to grab his food.
“I’m going to head out to eat,” Mingi said. “As long as you don’t need any other photos taken.”
“No. But, before you go,” Seonghwa said, stopping him in his tracks. “Let me give you some money for lunch and…” He trailed off as he searched for his wallet.
“What’s up?” Mingi asked when he didn’t finish.
“I just wanted to go ahead and run my event idea by you so you could start thinking it over.”
“Oh yeah! I completely forgot.” Mingi put his hands in his pockets, attention fully on Seonghwa in anticipation. “What were you thinking?”
“Well, what about a book launch event? A reading and signing with the author. Maybe some live music. I’ve heard it can be a really great evening event. Especially in the winter.”
“Sounds good. Do you have an author in mind?” Mingi’s eyes were wide and curious as he leaned forward in excitement.
“I do,” he said, matter of fact. “She has a book coming out soon, but I don’t know the exact date yet. It might not work out timing wise. Or she or her company might not be interested. I wanted to run it by you before bringing it up.”
Mingi nodded in thought. “It would fit the atmosphere of the cafe well,” he said. “And a rare evening event could pull in more people. San could probably sing…” he trailed off, then looked at Seonghwa and smiled. “I like it. Why don’t you go ahead and reach out to them, see if there would even be any interest, find out a timeline. And I’ll start brainstorming some ideas.”
“Really? You like it?”
“What’s not to like, hyung?” Mingi said with a chuckle. “Whether you believe it or not, you have good ideas.”
“He’s right,” San said, joining them.
“You don’t even know what we’re talking about,” Seonghwa said.
“Don’t need to,” San argued. “Mingi said you have good ideas, that’s all I need to know to agree.” He grinned at the oldest, adjusting his apron. “I’m ready to get back to work boss.”
“And I’m going to head out,” Mingi said, happily placing the offered lunch money in his pocket. “I’ll get to work on the photos after lunch and reach out to you tonight or tomorrow about any extra information I need to start posting.”
“Thank you, Mingi.”
“Just keep me updated on the event idea.”
“Will do.”
Mingi headed off and San turned to Seonghwa curiously. “What event idea is he talking about?”
“Something that is still very much just an idea. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” San said, taking his spot back behind the register.
“Thank you again for the help today. You can go as soon as Yunho and Wooyoung are done with their lunch.”
“I don’t mind staying longer if that would help. That way they have an extra hand while you take your break. And then, you can take your time.” He looked at Seonghwa with meaning and the eldest looked away, busying himself with cleaning the already spotless counter. “But really,” San continued. “I’m happy for the extra income after losing so many days to that stupid bug.”
“Do you have enough gigs lined up right now?” Seonghwa said in concern.
“Yeah. I’m booked up the rest of the week, so I’ll be okay. The rebooking and slow start back just stressed me out a little. But it’ll be fine.”
“Okay. Just let me know if you need some extra hours. I’m sure we could figure something out. You could sing here on the weekend maybe. Get some tips.”
“That might not be a bad idea. Thanks, hyung. I’ll let you know.”
✧✧✧
Seonghwa took a slow bite of his food, trying to figure out how to start the conversation.
Nari was editing her story, and he didn’t want to interrupt her, but he also knew she still hadn’t eaten. And, he didn’t want to wait another day to talk to her about his idea.
When she started tapping a key in thought, fingers no longer flying over the keyboard, he took a risk. Carefully, he tapped her hand, and she looked at him. Her eyes weren’t really focused on him though, her thoughts still clearly somewhere on the story, and he couldn’t help but smile at her concentration.
“Why don’t you take a break and eat?” He said. “You look like you might be stuck.”
She sighed and leaned back in the booth. “I am,” she said. “That obvious?”
He nodded. “You weren’t typing as fast, and it looked like you might have erased a line a couple times.”
“I did. It’s just a sentence that I struggled with when I was writing the first draft. I still can’t seem to clear it up. Even with my editor’s notes.”
“Well, maybe taking a break will help. Clear your head. Give it some fuel.”
“You’re probably right.” She closed her notebook and pushed it to the side, then her computer. “It’s just hard to take a break once you start making progress.”
“But, you’re not making progress at the moment,” he said, helping her clear a small space for her to eat. “So that means it’s time to rest.”
“Thanks,” she said with a small smile. Then she pulled out a rapped kimbap roll. “It’ll come to me.” The small space filled with the sound of foil and the nervous tapping of her foot under the table. “It’s just this sentence. I just can’t…” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “It’s fine. Sorry. You don’t want to listen to me rant about this.”
“I don’t mind.” He said, bumping her foot with his. She immediately stopped bouncing her leg. “If it helps you destress, I can listen.”
She smiled, hand coming up to rub the back of her neck. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate it. But I would rather talk about something else while we’re both on break. Get my mind off of it.”
“Okay,” he said. “Um, it’s still work related. But I had something I wanted to talk to you about, if that’s okay.”
“Oh, sure,” she said, eating a piece of her kimbap.
His leg started bouncing under the table as he tried to formulate the words. Her foot bumped his, mimicking his earlier action and he smiled at her in gratitude. “Have you ever had a launch event for one of your books?”
Her eyes widened in surprise and she shook her head. “No,” she said slowly. “I’m not really well known, so I haven’t seen a reason to.”
“Well…I was looking at event ideas for the cafe this winter, and there were couple book themed ones out there. The book launch seemed interesting, and with your book being published soon, I thought it might be a good one.”
She leaned back in her seat, face scrunching in thought before she bit her lower lip. Then she sat forward again. “What exactly would that look like?”
“There’s a couple of ways to go about it,” he said, putting his food down to really focus on explaining. “Usually a reading of the first couple pages or the first chapter. Or a random exert from the book. Sometimes a book signing. Sometimes live music. Something calm to match the atmosphere. From there the details vary.”
She looked away in thought, chewing on her lip again. “It sounds like a really fun idea,” she said slowly. “But I don’t know that my book will pull in very many people, and…I don’t know if I would be comfortable reading in front of others. Public speaking was not my forte in school.” She smiled, but he could tell it was somewhat forced. “I can see if there’s another, more popular author who might be a better choice though.”
That took him by surprise. He wasn’t even sure how to respond at first. But he met her eyes and didn’t back down, reaching across the table to gently wrap his fingers around her wrist. “I don’t want another author though,” he said. “The reason the idea caught my eye was because it made me think of you. This isn’t about big numbers or a grand promotional event. This is about creating a cozy, friendly atmosphere. Giving people a something to enjoy on a cold winter night. And collaborating on something with someone I care about. Besides,” he smiled brightly, switching his grip to her hand and giving it a little squeeze, “I’m sure you have plenty of readers who would be interested. And we have regulars who I’m sure would be happy to discover your writing.”
She smiled back at him. Less forced, but still unsure.
“But, what if no one comes. It will be such a waste of time and money.”
“It won’t,” he insisted. “Promise. No matter the outcome.” She started chewing on her lip again and he pressed on. “And if you don’t want to read, we can just have someone else do it. I was also thinking San could sing while people are arriving. His voice fits the vibe perfectly. I can send you some of his recordings.”
“I like the idea,” she said. “I really, really do. I’m just not sure.”
“I am. But I don’t want to force you into it. So why don’t you give it some thought today, and talk to your publisher about it. Mingi already said he liked it and is going to start making a plan.”
She took a deep breath then squeezed his hand back. “Okay. I’ll think about it,” she said. “You won’t be upset if I decide not to though, will you?”
“No,” he said quickly. “Of course not. It’s whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“Okay.” She smiled, more genuine this time. Relief noticeable in her shoulders. “Thank you, Seonghwa.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” he said. His eyes landed on his hand on hers, and he rubbed this thumb across her palm. In comfort, in support. “I’m sorry if this stressed you out. I didn’t mean for it to.”
She squeezed his hand back and he looked at her again. She shook her head then met his eyes. “You were just thinking of something that would benefit both of us,” she said. “That was really thoughtful. I’ll let you know once I make up my mind.”
Summary: A tired shrine god. A reluctant fox familiar. And love that looks suspiciously like irritation, service, and stolen moments of care.
A/N: If you're a fan of shoujo anime but have yet to check out Kamisama Kiss... please do yourself a favour and change that😭 it's so peak, I had to write something inspired by it.
ATEEZ MASTERLIST
"Hwaaaa~ I'm home~"
You sang as you skipped past the torii gates and into the shrine, where your fox familiar—your companion of several months now—was sweeping the compound as he usually did.
He cast you a glance, mild irritation settling over his features as always. "Firstly, my name is Seonghwa. Second, you're late."
With a pout, you stepped inside, guilt tugging at you. "Sorry… you know I was rushing to finish my school project. I thought I was done, but my classmate pointed out a mistake, so I had to fix it right before submission. Don't worry, I'll get straight to work!"
Without waiting for a response, you hurried off to set your school bag aside before heading toward the usual spot.
Your divine duties as the land god, the deity of this shrine that had taken you in months ago, waited for you there. It had all started when you became homeless due to your father's endless debts, and a kind man offered you a place to stay, never imagining you would eventually become the shrine's replacement god.
That had been months ago, and so much had changed since then.
Back then, Seonghwa had refused to acknowledge you as anything more than a mere human, still bitter over the betrayal of his former master. He took that resentment out on you, cold and dismissive, unwilling to accept a new bond.
But one contract sealed by a kiss was all it took for him to begrudgingly put up with you.
And so, here you were.
Sitting among stacks of prayer slips, answering each one earnestly despite the exhaustion settling deep into your bones. From across the room, the fox watched you for a moment longer than usual.
You didn't notice him stop sweeping.
The faint rustle of the broom against stone faded behind you, but you were too focused on the papers in front of you to think much of it. One after another, you sorted them, read them, and responded with practised care; your handwriting slightly messier than usual, your thoughts just a little slower.
A soft thud landed beside you.
You blinked, glancing up.
Seonghwa had set a tray down at your side. A simple meal; nothing extravagant, but warm, carefully prepared, still steaming. "You haven't eaten." It wasn't a question.
He might have acted indifferent, all sharp tongue and lazy irritation, but he wasn't foolish. He had noticed, quietly, that you had been sleeping less and less since that school project was assigned. Ever since then, you had been stretching yourself thin, dividing your time between shrine duties and the life of an ordinary high school student, pushing through days that blurred too quickly into nights.
You opened your mouth to argue, instinct more than energy, but the words didn't quite come out right. Your brain lagged behind your intention, caught somewhere between exhaustion and duty. "I'm fine, not hungry yet... I'll just—"
"Eat."
One word. Flat. Final.
He didn't raise his voice. He didn't need to.
You hesitated anyway, pouting, because that was what you always did, because work was waiting, because prayers didn't answer themselves, because there was always something else you should be doing.
The fox sighed through his nose, as if you were something incredibly troublesome he had been burdened with. Then, without asking, he crouched beside you before picking up the chopsticks and nudging the bowl slightly closer to your hands.
"If you faint in the middle of this shrine," he said coolly, "it will be inconvenient for me."
A pause.
"…Eat properly."
His tone was still sharp. Still distant.
But he didn't move away.
Those words worked like magic, just as he had expected. The strategy was practically foolproof, especially with how much he knew you hated the idea of troubling or burdening others.
"Yes, sir!" you chirped, grinning as you gave a double salute with both hands and began eating. "You're being so good to me, Hwa~ I knew you cared deeply for me~"
He scoffed, crossing his arms and looking away with an irritated scowl. "Shut up. I'm just making sure this shrine runs properly. Who else is going to answer the prayers if you die?"
You blinked, chewing slowly, brows furrowing. "Eh? Who said anything about dying? Besides, wouldn't you be happy if I died anyway…? Then you could finally be free of an incompetent master… maybe Master Mikage would come back then." Your voice softened slightly at the end, the name of his former master hanging unspoken but understood between you.
Seonghwa went still for a good while before he flicked your forehead. "Don't talk nonsense and finish your food."
"Ow!" you yelped, pressing a hand to your forehead. "It hurts, you dummy."
"Good. I meant it to."
When you finished eating, a heavy, food-coma warmth started settling into your limbs. You let out a small, dramatic whine, but when you turned back to the stack of prayer slips to continue working, you blinked. "Eh? They're gone…"
Seonghwa nodded slightly, keeping them just out of reach.
"I'm organising them," he muttered, the excuse sounding distinctly unconvincing as he caught your reaching hands and pushed them back toward you. "You're like a drunkard right now," he added flatly. "Take a nap first, you idiot, before you start giving shrine patrons bizarre answers to their prayers."
You paused at his words, as if considering them. Your gaze lingered on him for a moment, slow blinks, eyes already growing heavier by the second. Then, with a small, sleepy hum, you gave in. "Fine… just for an hour…" you murmured, voice soft and fading at the edges. "Only because you begged me to, Hwa…"
"Mhm, sure." It was a ridiculous claim.
And he would never admit it, but he found it all, found you so… endearing.
You leaned forward before you could second-guess yourself, sinking easily into his arms with a sleepy little grin, as if trusting him to catch you had never even been a question. That simple, unguarded joy you always carried lingered in your expression even as exhaustion finally won out. Your lips brushed lightly against the familiar curve of his shoulder as you drifted off, a quiet, contented sound escaping you.
And that, of all things, was what made it worse.
Seonghwa tightened his hold almost instinctively, catching your now-limp form properly as you fully surrendered to sleep. He let out a soft, irritated huff, as if you were nothing but trouble, already shifting you into a more comfortable position with practised ease.
The fox watched you for a moment longer than he needed to.
Your breathing had already evened out, fingers curled loosely against his sleeve as if you'd decided, somewhere in your sleep, that letting go simply wasn't necessary. The shrine was quiet again, just the faint rustle of wind through paper charms and the distant creak of wood settling into the night.
He clicked his tongue softly.
"…Stupid human," he murmured, but there was no real bite to it.
And as he shifted slightly to make sure you wouldn't slip, it came again; those quiet, unspoken habits he had developed without ever acknowledging them.
The way he always left a portion of food warmer than the rest, just in case you came back late. The way he "happened" to reorganise your papers whenever your handwriting started getting too messy from exhaustion. The way he remembered your routines better than you did, correcting them with irritation rather than concern. The way he always, always looked up when your footsteps crossed the torii gate.
He told himself it was practical. Necessary, even. Someone had to maintain order in the shrine, after all.
But as he adjusted your position again, careful not to wake you, Seonghwa's gaze softened in a way he would never allow when you were conscious. "…Troublesome," he said again, quieter this time.
Yet his hand didn't leave your shoulder. Not even when the night deepened. Not even when he knew you'd stay.
No matter how weak he still believed you to be, this human of his, this silly little god, deep down Seonghwa knew there was nothing he wouldn't protect you from, nothing he wouldn't endure for you; and though he would never say it aloud, he had long since stopped caring whether his former master ever returned, because if it came to it, he would remain by your side forever without hesitation.
Here's something fluffy and lighthearted after the emotional damage I just put y'all through with San's By Order of the Black Pirates chapter LMFAOAOAOOOOO
As always, thank you for reading! Hope y'all enjoyed <3
Rated: PG (I think) for violence and mentions of sensitive topics.
TW: Mention of suicidal thoughts
Summery: A lonely siren loses the only person he has ever cared for. While hunting down those that took her, he comes across a pirate seeking revenge. As they follow their goals, they build a crew. A family. Now this misfit band of not quite pirates are working to uncover the darkness that is trying to take over.
Notes at the end of the chapter
First, Prev, Next, Masterlist
Chapter 11: Going in Circles
♠Jongho♠
Laughter. Joy. A complete lack of concern or remorse.
The more he watched the group of pirates going about the town without a care in the world, the more it made his blood boil. And the people were swayed by their charisma, oblivious to what they had done, or what they were.
His eyes narrowed, focused on the one that seemed to be the center of the group. He was pretty sure he had heard “captain” being thrown around when they were addressing the man, but that wasn’t lining up with what he had known. As far as he was aware, this man was not the captain of the Mad Tiger.
Mutinies happened though. So, it wouldn’t have really surprised him if the captain had changed. Honor wasn’t something he expected from pirates.
He thought he could expect it from the government though.
Perhaps people just weren’t as good as he had always believed.
The group turned away from the street gambling one of them had participated in and continued down the street towards his hiding spot. He turned quickly, pretending to admire some of the wares from a merchant’s table as they passed him. Then, once they were far enough away he followed them through the tight crowd.
He kept hoping they would head back to their ship. Following them without being noticed was becoming increasingly difficult.
While he often unintentionally snuck up on people, doing it purposefully had never been his strong suit.
⸸
Yeosang carefully checked their surroundings again, noticing once more the person that had been in their vicinity for the past hour. If their tail knew he had been made, he’d given no indication of it, so Yeosang had just continued to observe.
But it had gone on for too long now.
He couldn’t tell what danger the man posed. All he knew is it wasn’t someone his father had sent after him. He were too obvious.
Still, they needed to be cautious.
He sped up from the back of the group to come beside Hongjoong, trying to remain as natural as possible while crossing into the personal space of the man he still considered a stranger. “Captain,” he said with a smile. The pirate stalled slightly in surprise. They had yet to trade many words, so Yeosang didn’t blame him. Still, he was greeted with a smile that helped him carry on, though now with a lower voice. “We have a tail,” he continued with his head ducked slightly. “He’s been following us since before the game we stopped for. But, I can’t figure out his intent. He may be harmless.”
The captain hummed, nodding with pursed lips. “Good catch,” he said, then grinned as a glint entered his eyes. “If we try to create some distance for a sneak attack, do you think you would be able to pin him?”
Yeosang tried to remember the build of their stalker, but he’d struggled to even estimate an age. “Maybe. The only successful read I’ve gotten off of him is that he’s likely had military training, just based on his gait and posture. So it might be good if Seonghwa hyung is prepared too.”
“We should all be prepared. When I start weaving through some alleyways, I’ll let him know. You make your way to the back again to tell the others, and then get ready. I’ll signal you.”
“Yes captain,” Yeosang said with a quick nod before slowing his pace.
“Hey Seonghwa, check this out,” Hongjoong said, waving him over.
When Yeosang’s pace was even with Wooyoung and San once more he whispered, “Get ready,” as Hongjoong did the same with Seonghwa.
Wooyoung and San tilted their heads in response, their brows raising in confusion, but he focused his gaze forward, hand twitching as he prepared himself.
♠
They’d sped up some, no longer moseying through the market, but instead wove through the allies. He wasn’t positive, but it seemed as though they were beginning to head towards the outskirts of town. The area was getting less populated, and there were less shops around. But that didn’t make sense. There would be no reason to head into such a dead area.
Unless…
He paused in his tracks, wondering if he had been made.
But there hadn’t been any indication…no. That wasn’t true. The one that had been at the rear had suddenly gone to the front and traded words with the captain before falling back again.
They knew about him.
Sword ready, he rushed forward as they entered another alley. Whether they were planning on running or fighting, he was prepared.
They went down another alley, then another, and another, and each time the distance between them grew until…
He stopped in his tracks.
They were gone.
The path ahead led to a three-way split. If he continued, the chances of him choosing the correct direction weren’t great.
He needed to stop and think. If he could just think—
The world in front of him went dizzy as something grabbed him and spun him around and the breath left his lungs. When the world was still again he registered two things. Someone had a firm grip on him, with their arm wrapped around his throat, and there was a knife in his peripheral.
“Drop the sword,” a deep voice whispered. He hesitated, but the knife was brought closer to his throat, so he complied. “I’ve got him Cap—”
He lurched backwards, slamming his assailant into a beam, grabbed the arm around his throat, then threw the man over his shoulders. The pirate was only dazed for a moment before his legs lashed out and they were both on the ground. The knife was at his throat again, but he grabbed the pirate’s wrists, twisting and squeezing. To the man’s credit, he barely groaned at the pain.
“Drop the knife or both your wrists will end up broken,” he ground out as the pirate tried to get free. The close proximity gave him a better look at which pirate had attacked him and he nearly let go in surprise. It was the one that had been in the back, that hadn’t looked like he’d fought a day in his life. But the strength with which he was resisting proved otherwise.
“That’s enough,” a new voice said sharply as two swords appeared in his vision, his throat once more the target. “Let him go.” The captain stood over him, one of the swords firmly in his grip. “His wrists or your throat, you decide.”
He glared at the captain then let go.
“You alright, Yeosang?” the captain asked and the assailant nodded in response while two other pirates descended on him to check his wrists, but he gently pushed them away.
“Would you care to explain why you’ve been stalking us?” the captain asked, gaining everyone’s attention.
“I think there’s been a misunderstanding,” he said as he got to his feet.
“Oh really? How long did you say he’d been following us, Yeosang?”
“Around an hour, Captain,” Yeosang responded.
“And we just took a maze of turns to confirm you were in fact following us,” the captain said. “I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a misunderstanding, you see. So I’ll ask one more time. Why? You’re clearly with the military or the royal guard.”
“How did you…?”
“Please, you reek of it.” The captain sheathed his sword then crossed his arms. “But, as far as I know, we haven’t done anything wrong to gain the authorities attention.”
“Haven’t done anything?” he shouted, his hands balled into fists. This was it. He would finally get some answers, even if it killed him. This wouldn’t end in a punishment like when he was training. But he had already gone this far. “You kidnapped people! And I’m sure, sold them! Both of which are illegal. The people you bought were normal people, living normal lives before they were taken. And you want to try and tell me you’re innocent? But, right, you’re lawless pirates. What do you care about the lives of others.”
Both the face of the captain and the man behind him darkened.
“So that’s what this was all about,” the captain said, just above a whisper. He turned, clapped a hand on the shoulder of the taller man, then started to walk away, the trio right behind them. “Leave him. We should get back to the ship.”
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“I admire your drive. But you’ve got the wrong crew.”
“Liar! I saw you with them.”
The captain paused, then the others.
“There were children, women, and elders. All herded onto a ship to never see their friends or family again.”
“Would it have mattered to you if they had been slaves?”
“What?”
“If they had already been slaves and then bought and sold, or those that were in debt, would you be stepping in? No. Because what does the law do for those people? And another question. You watched as they were herded onto the ship, which means you saw the captain. Correct.”
“Well, yes.”
“Was I the captain?”
“I…” He stopped and sputtered as the man eyed him. But he clenched his fists, determined. He wouldn’t let them sway what he knew. “That doesn’t matter, you were with the crew.”
“Not when they did that. I was busy patronizing a pub.” the man took a deep breath and faced him fully when he didn’t waver. “Alright then. Were any of these men there?”
He looked at the unfamiliar faces, and couldn’t place them. “I don’t remember,” he shot back.
“You do. Answer truthfully.”
“Fine. N-no, but—”
“You’re looking for the Mad Tiger pirates. I left that crew after I found out that the captain,” the title was said with such venom it almost made him step back. “had bought humans like they were cattle. I was not a part of that, but I am trying to set things right. Now, if you’ll excuse us.”
As the captain turned again, one of the others whispered into the man’s ear, who then motioned the rest of them into a whispering huddle.
He watched them, unsure what was happening and wondered if he would be able to grab his sword to get away while they were distracted.
But even after his outburst and accusations, it didn’t seem like they were planning on killing him. In fact. They’d seemed intrigued, their hard expressions turning soft as he ranted.
The captain turned around suddenly, breaking up the huddle, and held out a hand with a wide grin on his face. “I’m Captain Hongjoong, and it seems as though we have similar goals. My crew thinks it might be in everyone’s best interest if you join us. Even if you might kill us in our sleep. But you have information resources we don’t, and, I’m sure, vice versa.”
He stared at the captain, then the crew. It could be a trap…but there were enough of them that they could have done whatever they wanted to here and now instead of complicating things. “Did you really think I’d trust you that easily?” he snapped.
“Someone I love was taken by those pirates,” the man behind the captain spoke up, gaining his full attention. There was a softness under the sharp features that intrigued him. “We’re trying to get her back as well as save the others.”
“You might as well accept the offer,” the one that had whispered to the captain snarked, posture radiating defiance. “I doubt you have many other options since you’re likely going against your superiors to do this.”
“Wooyoung’s right,” the captain said, regaining his attention, hand still stretched out. “What do you say, Mr. Guard?”
“Inspector,” he corrected. “Inspector Choi Jongho.” He firmly took the offered hand and the captain smirked at his show of strength.
“Quite a grip. Don’t take this the wrong way, but aren’t you a little young to be an inspector?”
“Aren’t you a little young to be a captain?”
Hongjoong laughed, then patted his arm before releasing him. “I think you’ll fit right in. Come on. We’ll take you to our ship and you can see for yourself that we’re telling the truth.” Then the captain turned and once more started off, the others following quickly. Some gave him a smile as they turned, but not another word was spoken and none of them checked to make sure he was following.
Jongho hesitated for a moment then sighed, picked up his sword, and fell into step a few feet behind the group. Seeming to notice, Wooyoung looked back at him with a smile.
He almost smiled back, caught off guard at the genuine friendliness in it. But, whatever the pirate was doing to try and get Jongho to lower his guard, wasn’t going to work. He shoved the blooming trust back down and focused on the path they were taking in case he needed to make a quick escape.
To his surprise, they were heading to the docks. He had already checked for the ship with no luck. There was a chance they had come to shore from it on a dinghy, but it didn’t matter. He’d search the ship for evidence as soon as their guard was down.
They passed one bustling vessel after another, cargo, ferry, some dinghies, then stopped, in front of a very small ship. Or maybe it was a large boat.
He waited for the joke, for one of them to start laughing and redirect him to another ship, but instead, the captain took the lead and boarded. The rest were right behind him and quickly got to work on various tasks.
The captain and Wooyoung headed towards a door that must have led to a small enclosed quarter or below deck, while the others got busy with ropes and supplies.
“You can follow the captain and put your things away,” the one who had not yet interacted with him spoke up, pausing in his work with the ropes. “I know this isn’t an ideal situation, and you don’t trust us yet, but we are trying to help those people. And I hope we can help each other.”
“What do all of you have to gain though?” Jongho asked. “You’re risking your lives for complete strangers. What? Out of the goodness of your heart?”
The pirate smirked at him, amused but not mocking. “There are more selfless people in the world than you think. I’m San by the way. Welcome aboard.”
First, Prev, Next, Masterlist
Another member has joined the family/crew!!! Our baby bear is here!!!
Just like Scribbles of Courage, I think I'll start posting this one on AO3 as well. I'll update the master list with a link as soon as that happens.
Genre: Coffee Shop AU. Barista x Writer. Seonghwa x OC
Rated: G
Summery: The owner of a small cafe has fallen head over heels for one of their regulars. He tries to keep it to himself though, worried about crossing the line with a customer. Meanwhile, a writer can't help but get distracted by the cute owner of the coffee shop when she's supposed to be working on her next book. Of course, they're unable to keep it from their friends who are more than happy to watch romance bloom.
First, Prev, Masterlist
⁕9⁕
Nari
“Hey, Seonghwa,” Nari called as he popped out of the curtain to the back room.
He came to an immediate halt and looked at her. “Yeah?”
“When you have a minute, would you mind looking at this sentence?” she ask as she tapped the paper in front of her where she had underlined a section in red. “I’ve been staring at it too long and I can’t tell if I’ve fixed the original problem or not.”
“Sure,” he said with a smile. “Give me five minutes.”
“Oh, it’s no rush. I don’t want to be a bother. Just whenever you’re available.”
His smile grew. “It’s no bother. I just need to take these up to the counter. I’ll be right back.” He held up an armful of receipt rolls, then continued on his path.
As promised, he returned quickly and she held the bundle of pages out to him.
“Right here,” she said, pointing to the sentence that was giving her a headache. “Both my editor and I can’t decide the best way to fix it. We’re in too deep.”
His eyes went over the sentence a couple of times and he tilted his head in thought.
“Do you mind if I read the page to get a bit more of an idea of what’s going on?” he asked, now leaning on the counter.
“Of course,” she said. “If you have the time. I’d really appreciate any help I can get right now.”
His eyes tracked across the paper several times, then he flipped to the previous page for a moment before flipping back. Without looking away from the page, he grabbed a pen from his pocket and leaned forward as he placed the pages on the counter. “I think…” his brown scrunched as he made some notes, “this might help…” His focus didn’t waver as he looked over the page once more. “It really doesn’t need much,” he said then looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers over the rim of his glasses.
She felt herself go rigid as butterflies fluttered inside of her.
“Thanks…” she said as she slowly took the pages from the other side of the counter, unable to break eye contact.
He suddenly cleared his throat and stood straight, looking away. “I don’t know that what I wrote even makes sense. I’m definitely not a writer.”
She looked over his note, trying to force her brain back into “work” mode.
His rewording was good. Really good.
“This is great,” she said as she snapped a picture to send off to Yeosang. “Thank you. It really does help to have a fresh pair of eyes.”
“I’m just glad it made sense,” he said. The door dinged and he looked up as multiple voices filled the space. “Looks like a rush. I’m going to get back to the others. Let me know if you need anymore help.”
“Thanks Seonghwa. Good luck with the crowd.”
It looked like a group of high schoolers and she did not envy him.
Her phone vibrated, pulling her attention back.
Looks good. I think we should go ahead and change the sentence to that. - Yeosang
She felt like she was glowing a little bit with pride, even though the edit was not her doing. But, she felt like she had asked the right person.
I agree. It was a friend’s recommendation
Looks like they know what they’re talking about. - Yeosang
Was it someone at the cafe? - Yeosang.
Yep
You’re not just putting your work on your new “friend” are you?” -Yeosang.
Of course not!!!
And whats with the ““? They are my friends
Hmm.
And it’s “What’s” - Yeosang
I’m gonna smack you
He went silent after that and she was sure he was chuckling to himself. This was probably Jongho’s fault. She was sure he’d said something, because up till this point Yeosang had been completely oblivious to her crush. If he knew now, she was sure to get all kinds of remarks.
She just needed to keep them both away from the cafe and she would be fine.
Her phone dinged and she glared at it, expecting another snarky remark from her editor.
Heeey ~
How’s my favorite author doing? - HJ 🐿️
“Oh.”
HI!
Woah…
Someone’s excited
Guess your book is going well? - HJ 🐿️
We’ve made excellent progress in the editing
Does that mean I can read it and start designing the cover soon? - HJ 🐿️
Yes!
How soon?? - HJ 🐿️
I can send you the draft tonight if you want
YES - HJ 🐿️
Meeting in two days?
Perfect
I’ll let Jongho know
We can meet at the cafe you’re always talking about - HJ 🐿️
Oh
We can meet somewhere else
Nope
I’ll see you there, Friday at 11 - HJ 🐿️
We can just meet at our usual place
You don’t need to come all the way over here
Nope. I want to meet him.
Now let the inevitable happen - HJ 🐿️
She blew hair out of her face, frustrated. Had Jongho told him too? Or had she let something slip the last time they had hung out?
Him?
Who?
Nice try.
I’m not stupid.
It’s clear you have a crush on the “friend” you were taking food to - HJ 🐿️
Joooong…
I won’t say anything to him.
Promise.
But if I figure out which one it is, you get to treat me to coffee. - HJ 🐿️
And if you don’t figure it out in one try you’re dropping it.
Deal.
But I will figure it out - HJ 🐿️
She let her head drop to the table then groaned as it hit harder than she intended.
“Nari!” Seonghwa called as he rushed over. “Are you okay?”
She rubbed her forehead but kept her face down as she nodded, feeling it already heating up. “I’m alright. Sorry,” she said, waving him away.
“Did you need help with something else?”
“No, no. My friends are just being…annoying.” She sighed and flipped her phone face down so that the evidence was hidden.
“Mean annoying? Or…Wooyoung annoying?”
“Hey,” said man interjected as he walked by. “I am entertaining and keep the mood up.”
She knew Seonghwa was likely rolling his eyes without even having to look at him and she giggled. She sat back and smiled, her heart warming as Seonghwa looked at her in concern. “My friends are like Wooyoung. They’re just teasing me but don’t mean anything hurtful by it.”
“That’s good,” he said as his worry melted into a soft smile.
“Oh,” she sat forward ignoring the thump her heart made. “My editor liked how you changed the sentence. Thanks again.”
“Of course,” he said. “I’m at your service.” He gave a little bow and her heart thumped again.
If Hongjoong really came then there was no way she would be able to hide her crush from him.
~~~
The plan was simple. Get to the cafe early enough to get the booth and order their drinks so that she could limit her interactions with Seonghwa in front of Hongjoong.
Simple enough.
She doubted Seonghwa would stick around much to chit chat if he knew she was having a business meeting.
He wasn’t like Wooyoung who probably wouldn’t care and would likely talk up a storm to Hongjoong. But she wasn’t worried about Wooyoung. Or Yunho who would just be the normal level of friendly.
Yes. Things would be fine.
Fifteen minutes early would be enough to have everything in place.
She pulled out her phone as she entered the cafe, ready to text Hongjoong where she would be sitting so that he would head straight to the table and—
“Noona.”
She stopped in her tracks, barely in the door, and she looked at the counter with wide eyes.
Hongjoong was already standing there in a conversation with the entire crew of the cafe. His grin was that of a cat that had eaten the canary and she almost turned back around to leave.
“Noona?” Wooyoung asked while he and the others looked between her and Hongjoong with wide eyes.
He just nodded and turned back to them. “Yeah, she’s two years older than me,” he clarified.
“Wait,” Seonghwa said, fidgeting with his apron. “You two know each other?”
She decided it was too late for her to escape and continued towards them.
“No,” Wooyoung cut in. “More importantly. If you’re two years older than Hongjoong hyung, then you’re two years older than Seonghwa hyung.” His look of shock slowly morphed into a grin as he snickered. Then he stopped. “Can I call you noona too?” he asked, his eyes suddenly locked on her.
“Sure,” she said and shrugged, trying to calm down. She shot a glare at Hongjoong and hissed, “You’re here early,” under her breath.
“Is it a crime for me to catch up with my best friend?” he asked, still grinning.
Her eyes widened again. “Best friend?”
“Yeah.” He pointed at Seonghwa. “We’ve been friends since college. I didn’t realize his cafe was the one you frequent until you sent me the address. I’m surprised we haven’t run into each other yet. But I also don’t make it over here very often.”
She looked at Seonghwa who was looking at her in equal surprise.
“So…” he started, then cleared his throat, “how do you two know each other?”
“We’re coworkers,” Hongjoong said before she could respond. His brow ticked up as he watched his friend. “I design her book covers.”
“Oh.” Seonghwa’s shoulders seemed to relax a little and an unsure smile replaced the shock that he’d had since the whole interaction started.
“We’ve also been friends since college though,” Hongjoong continued. “I’m honestly surprised this hasn’t happened yet.”
“Funny how everyone can be connected and never know it,” Yunho said. “That’s too bad. We could have all been friends sooner.”
“Yeah,” Nari said. She risked a glance at Seonghwa and met his eyes. The surprise eye contact made them both quickly look away and she turned to Hongjoong. “Did you already order?”
He was grinning again, his gaze on Seonghwa before he turned to her. “Nope, but I’ll order if you want to go ahead and sit down.”
“You’re not paying for me,” she said, and crossed her arms.
“Come on noona.”
“Nope,” she said then stepped forward and looked at Wooyoung who was directly behind the register. “I’ll take my usual please.”
“The boring coffee?” he asked with a frown. “Or the mocha?”
“Just the coffee today,” she said. “We’re going to be brainstorming for my book cover. It’s a work day for us.”
“Still. It’s not a normal work day.”
“Maybe later,” she conceded. “But just coffee for now.”
“Always so practical,” Hongjoong said.
“And boring,” Wooyoung teased.
“Leave her alone you two,” Seonghwa said, jumping in. “Let her order what she wants.”
“Thank you, Seonghwa, I appreciate it. And I’m paying for mine,” she said pointedly at Wooyoung.
“I’ll take the same as her for now,” Hongjoong said as he handed his card to Wooyoung before she could finish fishing for her wallet. “You can pay for the second round.”
Wooyoung took the card, eyes darting between the two as he rung up the transaction. “Sorry, noona, I’m more afraid of him,” he said quickly at her glare.
“I’ll go make a fresh pot just for you two,” Yunho said, effectively escaping.
“Fine,” she said with a slumping sigh. “I’ll go get us a table.” She sent another frustrated glare at Hongjoong, then walked off.
She found her usual booth open to her relief and slid in, back to the front of the cafe. Hongjoong slipped in across from her before she finished unloading her supplies and she spared him a glance.
“I’m buying lunch,” she said as he settled in.
“Fine,” he said with a huffed laugh.
“So,” she started, not giving him a chance to start asking her questions about her supposed crush. “What did you think? Do you like it so far?”
“Were my constant messages while reading it not enough?” he asked. “I already have a page of notes and several sketches for ideas.”
“I can’t wait to see what you have in mind.” She scooted closer as Hongjoong placed his sketchbook and a marked up copy of her draft on the table. She reached for his sketchbook but he slammed his hands on the cover. She met his eyes that were full of mischief. Mouth pulled into a grin.
“So,” he drawled out.
“Please, Joong, let me see,” she pleaded, trying to keep her eyes from darting to those behind the counter.
“I will. But first.”
“Not now,” she hissed in a whisper. “And remember, if you’re wrong, you drop it.”
“I know I’m right though.” His grin grew and he pulled his sketchbook away from her.
“Joooong.”
“Coffee,” Yunho said cheerfully as he came towards their table. He juggled the pot, holder, and mugs with ease as he placed everything between them, then pored the first serving for them. “Just holler if you need anything else, hyung, noona.”
He traded a knowing glance with Hongjoong, then strolled away.
“What was that?” Nari asked, eyes narrowing.
Hongjoong ignored her, instead opening his sketchbook and turning it to her. “What do you think?”
Her eyes narrowed on him farther before she glanced down at the open pages. Then she gasped.
It was a beautiful illustration. One that she immediately recognized as one of her favorite scenes she had written. “Joong,” she breathed as she reached for the book. “This is amazing.”
“Thanks,” he said. “I don’t think it will work for the cover, but I loved the scene and wanted to recreate it.”
She flipped to the next page and then the next, and each time she was blown away. “You’ve captured the essence of my book as always.”
“You bring the stories to life in the way you write them,” he said as he lightly touched her hand to push the book flat so that he could see the pages. He didn’t move his hand though, much to her surprise. “There’s a reason I call you my favorite author. You make the book art easy.”
There was a clang on the table that made her jump and Hongjoong pulled his hand away as they both turned. A grin on his face if she wasn’t very much mistaken.
“I brought over some cookies,” Seonghwa said, eyes on the book with a strained smile. “Thought you could use some fuel.” He looked at her and she felt her face flush. He looked upset, even though he was smiling, but she couldn’t place why.
“Thanks, Hwa,” Hongjoong said as he reached for a cookie. Seonghwa turned to him sharply.
“My pleasure. She’s always working so hard, and now that I know she has to put up with you I wanted to offer some more encouragement.”
“Thank you,” Nari said as she grabbed a cookie herself.
He turned back to her, his expression softer. “Of course.”
“I’ll have you know, she enjoys and appreciates my company,” Hongjoong said, gaining Seonghwa’s attention again. “I help her with her fashion taste and she’s my muse.” The strained smile was back to Nari’s surprise, but Hongjoong seemed to not care. “I don’t know where my art would be without her. Here, see.” Hongjoong took the sketchbook from her hands, brushing his fingers against hers and there was a sharp inhale. “What do you think Hwa? My art has definitely gained some life thanks to her writing.”
“It looks great,” Seonghwa said. “I better let you get back to it then. Sorry for interrupting.” He turned and quickly walked away.
She opened her mouth to say it was fine but the words died on her lips as she watched him go, surprised by the change in his countenance. She was even more surprised when he went into the back room, throwing the curtains aside with more force than usual.
Hongjoong was chuckling to himself, eyes also on where his friend had gone, and Nari couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to.
“Joong,” she said. “What was that?”
He turned back to her, surprised. “What was what?”
“Don’t,” she snapped. “Why were you acting like that?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said with a grin and shrug.
“Don’t try to pull that,” she whispered. “You never act like this. What are you doing?”
“I’m just having some fun,” he said. “You made a good choice.”
She sat back in surprise and some of the teasing left his expression for something a little more genuine. “As soon as a found out this was the cafe, I had a feeling. Because Wooyoung definitely isn’t your type.” He looked over at the two bustling behind the counter. “I guess it could have been Yunho…but I only needed to see you and Seonghwa interact for a couple seconds to confirm things.”
She looked down, her face burning. “Please don’t say anything to him. They’ve all been so kind to me and if he finds out, I’m going to feel too embarrassed to come here. And, I don’t want things to get awkward.”
“You think he’d turn you down?”
“I don’t want to risk it. The more I get to know him, the more I enjoy being around him, and I don’t want to lose that on the off chance that he feels the same way. Besides,” she picked up her pen and played with it. “If he likes me, I’d want him to ask me out on his own.”
Hongjoong crossed his arms and sat back, thoughtful. “You’re right. I’m sorry for teasing. I can imagine you’re in a rough spot.” He sat forward again and smiled. “Okay, I won’t play cupid or matchmaker. But, I’ll be cheering you on. I think you two would make a cute couple.”
“Thanks Joong,” she said, matching his smile with a small one, more relaxed now. “Now, do you think we could focus on the book cover? I kind of want to get my mind off of this.”
“Of course,” he said. Grabbing his notebook, he turned it to a page that was already covered in notes, then grabbed a pen. He paused for a second. “Noona, I really am sorry if I pushed too much.”
“It’s okay Hongjoong,” she said. “I know you were just looking out for me.” She smiled and narrowed her eyes. “And I know you’re nosy. But it’s always in fun, so I’m not worried. You wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”
“No, I wouldn’t. And, I’m glad it’s Seonghwa. That way I know you didn’t fall for a random creep.”
“I guess I have good taste,” she said with a shrug.
“If you did you wouldn’t have turned me down.”
“It’s been five years. When are you going to let it go?”
“Never. Even though I got over it quickly.”
“You were never serious about it to begin with,” she said, her voice a little sharper. “Really threw me off.”
He laughed, his eyes sparkling again in mischief. “No hard feelings then.”
She rolled her eyes then turned back to the notebook. “Just know, the next time you have a crush, I’m not holding back on the teasing.”
“Noona,” he whined.
“Don’t dish it if you can’t take it Joong.”
“I just won’t tell you then,” he said as he crossed his arms.
“Like you won’t be keeping me up all night to help you pick outfits.
~~~
Nari stretched, contented with the day’s progress.
“I’m so excited,” she said. “It’s looking so good.”
“I’m glad,” Hongjoong said. “I’ll start getting some final drafts ready to send to you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” She slumped in the booth and closed her eyes. “Time for dinner. I’m in need of fuel.”
“Want to go grab some kimbap?”’ Hongjoong asked.
“Nah,” she said. “I have some left overs at home. And my mom brought me some side dishes I need to eat.”
“Very well.” He started packing up his things and she followed suit.
“Next time,” she said. “Once we finalize the cover design, I’ll treat you to some barbecue.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“Are you leaving?” Wooyoung asked from behind the counter. “Did you get the design done?”
“Almost,” Hongjoong said. “I have to make final revisions. Then we’ll be good to go.”
“That’s awesome!” Wooyoung left the counter area and began to collect their coffee dishes. Continuing to chat, but making it look like work. “I can’t wait to see the final product.” He looked at Nari and winked. “Do I get an autograph?”
“You want to read my book?”
“Of course!” Wooyoung placed the dishes back on the table with a huff. “Why wouldn’t I? I’ve been watching you write non-stop to finish. Of course I’m going to read it.”
She smiled, his words warming her. “I will gladly sign your copy,” she said.
He grinned and collected the dishes again. “I’m going to be first in line at the book signing.” He said stated proudly.
“Book signing?” Seonghwa asked as Yunho and him joined the conversation. “You’re going to have a book signing?”
“According to Wooyoung I am,” Nari said with a laugh.
“Might be something to think about,” Hongjoong said. “You should run it by Jongho.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t think I have enough readers for that.”
“I think you’d be surprised,” Hongjoong said.
“I agree,” Wooyoung said. “You just have to promote it super well. I’ve come across a lot of really interesting sounding books when doom scrolling.”
“I don’t know,” Nari said with s small shrug. She really wasn’t ready for the disappointment of hyping herself up, only to crash and burn when no one showed.
“Just a thought,” Hongjoong said, noticing the shift in her mood.
“If you decide to do it, let me know,” Seonghwa said. “We’ll close up shop so we can come.”
“Oh, no,” she said quickly. “I wouldn’t want you to loose a days worth of business over something silly like that.”
“It’s not silly,” he said, sliding into the booth to sit next to her, then tilted his head so that he could hold her gaze. “You’re our friend, and we want to support your work.”
She smiled at his words, trying to ignore the heat rushing up her neck. He was being so sincere, and it meant everything to her. More than he could probably know.
“Thank you,” she said, ducking her head. “That means a lot to me.”
First, Prev, Masterlist
Hello! Posted the first chapter on AO3 and I'll be posting the rest shortly. In case you prefer reading on there.
Rated: PG (I think) for violence and mentions of sensitive topics.
TW: Mention of suicidal thoughts
Summery: A lonely siren loses the only person he has ever cared for. While hunting down those that took her, he comes across a pirate seeking revenge. As they follow their goals, they build a crew. A family. Now this misfit band of not quite pirates are working to uncover the darkness that is trying to take over.
Notes at the end of the chapter
First, Prev, Next, Masterlist
Chapter 10: Midnight Serenade
✧Seonghwa✧
Seonghwa took his place, lounging on the railing, while Hongjoong took a seat on the deck. The young captain rested his back against the wall, pulling a flask from his coat before getting comfortable.
They’d silently agreed to let the three friends have some space until things started to grow less tense. Hopefully they could work through things a bit more than they’d been able to so far. The past day had only allowed for them to spend their time settling in and determining roles on the little ship, leaving little room for any real, deep conversation. The air had remained awkward, and Seonghwa could tell that Hongjoong was at his limit.
Hence the flask.
“Want a drink?” Hongjoong asked him.
He shook his head and looked up at the moon, letting the sound of the ocean relax him. Instead, the moon reminded him of Nari. He took out her norigae and began to rub his thumb along the knot’s pattern. Hoping that tracing his finger along the weaving would calm his racing thoughts. When that didn’t work, he began to sing without really thinking. Tears pooled in his eyes and he let them fall, allowing the pearls to collect in his lap, while also ignoring them.
Later, he would gather them. A small income for their mission. Hopefully something that could help with their ship problem.
But right now, he focused on the moon, the waves, and Nari.
Hongjoong let him be, easing his own worries with alcohol. The human had already attempted to reassure him, but the lack of progress was beginning to weigh on Seonghwa’s mind.
Every day that passed by was another day with Nari in danger. Another day that the enemy could cover their trail. Another day that she was alone.
The door to the small indoor space opened, and he stopped singing, but didn’t turn to see who had come on deck. Well aware that the state of his eyes would likely spook them. Instead, he began to gather the pearls into his sleeve as he attempted to calm down so that his eyes would change back. There hadn’t been a good time or moment for the subject of what he was to be brought up. And he didn’t want to add another thing on top of what the trio was already wrestling with.
“Hey, Yeosang. Unable to sleep?” Hongjoong asked.
To Seonghwa’s surprise, there was no response.
“Yeosang?” Hongjoong repeated.
Concern for spooking the young man were put aside out of curiosity as to why Hongjoong wasn’t being given a response. Seonghwa turned his head away from the ocean back towards them. Yeosang was walking in his direction, eyes glazed over but focused on the ocean. Seonghwa’s eyes widened slowly in realization.
“Hongjoong!” He shouted quickly as he got down from the railing. “grab him!”
Hongjoong scrambled to his feet and the two made it to Yeosang about the same time.
Seonghwa looked into Yeosang’s eyes and searched them. His heart thudded in his ears and he dropped his head in shame.
“What’s wrong with him?” Hongjoong asked, giving Yeosang a small shake. “Seonghwa, was this you?”
“Yes,” Seonghwa said, just above a whisper. “I wasn’t paying attention while I was singing.”
“But I wasn’t affected.”
“It wouldn’t affect you unless I wanted it to. I didn’t think it would affect anyone on board, but I should have been more cautious.” He tried to get Yeosang’s attention, but the young man was still in a daze. “Yeosang,” he spoke gently, trying to add some influence into his words. “Yeosang, you need to wake up.” Yeosang’s eyes fluttered and his body slumped against Seonghwa as it relaxed. The three lowered to the ground as his legs no longer supported him.
“I don’t understand,” Hongjoong said, looking between them. “Can you explain it to me?”
“Everyone is safe,” Seonghwa reassured. But, Hongjoong raised a brow and looked pointedly at Yeosang. “Everyone will be safe, now that I know.”
“That doesn’t explain anything.”
Yeosang groaned, then began to sit up straight, but his body was responding slowly. Still lethargic. “What happened?” he questioned, realization slow as he looked between Hongjoong and Seonghwa, eyes widening in surprise. He pulled away from Seonghwa, then looked around. “Why am I out here?”
Seonghwa reached a hand out, but Yeosang pulled away, leaning back on his arms.
“That’s my fault,” Seonghwa said, retracting his hand and bowing his head. “I apologize. I was not controlling my song like I should have.”
“What?”
“I am a siren and my singing can lure people into the ocean.”
To Yeosang’s credit, he didn’t seem any more surprised. But, he did look away in thought.
“You’re taking it rather well,” Hongjoong commented.
“It is a surprise, but not unexpected,” Yeosang said. “I already knew there was something different. This just explains things.” Seonghwa chuckled. “I’m just confused why you would sing on board of a ship with…” His eyes widened and he looked around. “What about San and Wooyoung? Are they okay?”
“They’re fine,” Seonghwa said, rubbing his neck. “You are the only one that was affected.” Yeosang looked more confused than he had earlier. “Let me explain. I owe that to Hongjoong too.” He took a deep breath and continued. “Siren songs manipulate the thoughts and emotions of humans. When we’re young and just learning our song, we don’t have as much control, and each sirens’ song naturally affects a specific emotion. Love, loneliness, anger. Mine…affects thoughts that are already leaning towards death. So unless someone has already been contemplating death, they won’t be affected by mine.”
Realization washed over Yeosang’s features and he looked down again as his face darkened.
“Wait,” Hongjoong said, trying to piece it together. “You mean…?” He looked at Yeosang, and then Seonghwa who nodded in confirmation.
“I am old enough now to know how to control my song so that it has no affect on anyone, or I can make it affect everyone. But, I let that control slip tonight. That was my mistake. It won’t happen again. I am truly sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Yeosang said as he got to his feet. “I’m… I’m going to go back to bed.”
“Wait,” Hongjoong said as he and Seonghwa also stood. “I think we should talk about this.”
Yeosang kept his back towards them. “I’m fine captain. I won’t let my thoughts affect the crew or the mission. I was just in a bad head space today. Good night. I’m sorry for causing any concern.”
“Please,” Seonghwa said. “Don’t apologize. And, we’re here if you ever want to talk.”
Yeosang nodded in response, then began to walk away. His hand paused on the door handle and he gripped it. “If you could keep this from San and Wooyoung, I would appreciate it. I don’t want them worrying.”
“It’s not our place to intervene in your friendship,” Hongjoong said, as he started over towards the side of the ship. “Get some rest.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Hyung is fine, Yeosang. I may be the captain, but I see the crew as a family. We rely on each other and survive together.”
“Then, thank you, hyung. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Yeosang,” Seonghwa said as Yeosang slipped soundlessly back into the room.
After a few minutes of silence, Hongjoong spoke. “He’ll be okay, right?”
Seonghwa stared at the door for a moment, then walked over to join the captain. “His emotions are a mess,” Seonghwa said, leaning on the rail as Hongjoong took a drink. “It would be more surprising if they weren’t after everything. I was trying not to listen to them out of privacy. But maybe if I had…”
“There’s no point in dwelling on it now. What’s done is done.” He patted Seonghwa’s shoulder and took another drink before slipping the flask back into his coat. “I’m going to get some shuteye too. You okay to take watch for a bit?”
“Of course,” Seonghwa said.
“Thanks.” Hongjoong pushed off of the rail and walked back towards his earlier resting spot. “Wake me if you need anything. Night.”
“Goodnight.”
Seonghwa didn’t move for a while, listening instead as the captain settled in, then refocusing on the ocean and the moon.
He was alone once more. Like he had been the night he’d met Nari. Except he wasn’t truly alone now. He was with people he was slowly coming to care for.
A family.
That’s how Hongjoong had described a crew.
Maybe…it wouldn’t hurt to open up some more. Maybe, this family that Hongjoong was building could be a home for him and Nari once they found her.
It made him excited, thinking about it.
A family. Something he never thought he would have until Nari showed up in his life.
He smiled at the thought. He wasn’t like the moon anymore, alone in the sky.
First, Prev, Next, Masterlist
I'm so sorry for the delay. I really wanted to get a chapter up yesterday. It was originally going to be the next chapter. But at some point in my writing, a scene happens later that pointed to these events. I originally thought, maybe I didn't need to add it and could just infer. But, the more I thought about it, the more I felt the story needed this chapter. I started writing it yesterday and finished it a few minutes ago. So, I'm not completely satisfied with it and might end up editing it later. It still feels like it's missing something. But I wanted to get it posted.
I've fixed as much as possible. And it's not too bad considering I kept falling asleep while I was typing last night.
I'll be posting chapter 10 of Starlit Destiny tomorrow. I think.
I have the original chapter edited. But I decided that I wanted another chapter to happen before it.
I'm almost done transcribing the new chapter; however, I keep getting held up.
I had a small, unexpected health issue when I got home from work. It threw off my whole night, and now I'm struggling to stay awake.
Which make editing impossible.
Thank you so much for your patience! Let me know if you would like to be tagged once the chapter is up.
As always, thank you for all the likes and follows. It's been keeping me going.
Have a very blessed day, night, afternoon wherever you are.
Genre: Coffee Shop AU. Barista x Writer. Seonghwa x OC
Rated: G
Summery: The owner of a small cafe has fallen head over heels for one of their regulars. He tries to keep it to himself though, worried about crossing the line with a customer. Meanwhile, a writer can't help but get distracted by the cute owner of the coffee shop when she's supposed to be working on her next book. Of course, they're unable to keep it from their friends who are more than happy to watch romance bloom.
First, Prev, Next, Masterlist
✧8✧
Seonghwa
Seonghwa went through the opening work duties with a skip in his step on Wednesday. Or he would have if he could. His energy still wasn’t completely back, but Wooyoung and Yunho were helping to make the load easier. He would have to treat them for covering the last several days on their own.
Most of his friends had told him to take an extra day, just to get his strength up. But, he was tired of sitting around, and, he had someone he wanted to see.
Besides. He was in the clear. His fever had broken days ago and his cough was almost completely gone. Still, the others insisted he either stay at the register so that he didn’t overwork himself and go to the back when he needed to sit down and rest. He could tell they were going to be hovering over him.
It was about an hour after opening when Nari walked through the door. Her smile widened when she saw him and she made her way over with a little bounce.
“Seonghwa,” she said brightly. “You’re back.”
He heard the other two gasp in surprise behind him but ignored them. “I am,” he said. “Finally better. How is the editing going?”
“It’s going,” she said with a shrug. “I can never decide if getting the words on the page or seeing all my mistakes are the hardest part of writing. Sometimes editing makes me want to give up.”
“We’re our own worst critic,” he said.
“You sound like my friends,” she said with a chuckle.
“Maybe that’s because we are friends.” He leaned a little closer, and grinned. “Coffee?”
“Yes please.”
He turned to Yunho, who nodded, then he turned to their desert case and pulled out a slice of cake.
“It’s on the house today,” he said and she waved her hands.
“Seonghwa, you don’t have to.”
“I want to,” he said as he slid the plate towards her. “You brought me food and kept me company while I was sick.”
“I really shouldn’t accept it,” she said, pushing the plate back towards him. “Wooyoung-shi already treated me multiple times.”
“Well,” he said, pushing it back again. “This is me thanking you, not him. Take it and I promise it will be the last time. Please, Nari.”
He felt Wooyoung drape an arm on his shoulder and held in a grimace.
“Just take it,” the younger man said. “But hey, when did you all start talking so friendly?” He removed his arm and lightly nudged Seonghwa in the side. “Huh, hyung?”
“It just happened,” Nari explained, then grabbed the cake. “I’m going to go sit down and start working.”
Without another word, she walked away and Seonghwa’s eyes tracked her till she took a seat at the counter, even though her normal table was open.
Wooyoung snickered and Seonghwa turned a glare on him.
“Man, I knew you liked her, but I didn’t realize you had fallen that hard,” Wooyoung said with a smirk. “You’re welcome, by the way.” Seonghwa flicked his forehead lightly, but Wooyoung whined like he had done it seriously. “Hyung.”
“Don’t whine,” Seonghwa hissed. “Don’t you have something better to do? Like work?”
“Nope! Look, everyone is seated and has their orders. I have all the time in the world until another customer comes in.”
Seonghwa hoped one would come in soon. Especially now that Yunho had joined them, and was wiggling his brows at Seonghwa.
“Look at you go, hyung,” he said. “I’m honestly a little surprised Wooyoung’s plan to get you two to talk worked.”
“Can you both keep it down or drop it,” he whispered as his eyes darted to Nari. He was tempted to grab them both by the ear and drag them into the back, but that wouldn’t do anything other than cause a scene.
Yunho draped an arm around his neck and he tried to shove the giant off but it proved to be too difficult. “We’re just excited for you,” Yunho said as Seonghwa crossed his arms, resigned to their torment.
“Okay. I get it. Now can you please get off of me?”
“Fine, fine,” Yunho said, laughing as he removed himself. “You ready for a rush hour? It should hit pretty soon. Nari-shi usually comes in right before.”
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Seonghwa said. “I’m just glad for the business.”
“Just remember. If you get tired at all, go take a break,” Wooyoung urged. “We don’t want you collapsing on the floor.”
“Yes, mom.” Seonghwa rolled is eyes but smiled. He was thankful for his friends, even if they were nosy sometimes.
The rush came a few minutes later just as it had been predicted, and Seonghwa thought he was holding up pretty well. It was right when he started to notice he was struggling to stay standing that Yunho appeared with a stool for him to sit on so he could continue to take orders. They knew he wouldn’t retreat to the back, so they did the next thing that they could.
Once everything began to lull again, he was more than thankful for it. Maybe a break wouldn’t be a bad idea either. He checked the time and turned to the others. “Should we order lunch?”
They nodded enthusiastically and Yunho disappeared into the back room for a moment before reappearing with their stack of delivery menus. “What sounds good today?”
“Something solid,” Seonghwa said quickly. “I loved the soup and porridge while I was sick, but I need something else now. Maybe a rice bowl, or kimbap…”
“I think I want noodles,” Wooyoung said, grabbing the menu of one of their go to restaurants.
“Auntie’s Table it is,” Yunho said, already in agreement as he pulled out a notebook. “I’ll place the order.”
Seonghwa took the notebook to jot down what he wanted while the other two debated if and what they wanted to share. He plopped the notebook back into Yunho’s hand before he took quick strides over to Nari.
She was fully engrossed in the manuscript on the table, making little marks here and there. Her hair was still pulled back into a messy ponytail at her nape, but a lot of it had fallen out, into her face.
“Nari,” he said, a little quieter than he had intended, still not quite used to the dropped formalities. She didn’t respond to his call so he tried again, taking a step closer to poke the top of the page she was focused on. “Nari.”
This time she did hear him, but it seemed her attention was still mostly on her work, even as she looked up at him. Her brow was still scrunched and words were silently leaving her mouth as she finished either a thought or sentence she was working on. She blinked as realization filled her eyes and her cheeks darkened slightly.
“Sorry,” she said. “I was really focused. Is everything okay?”
“It’s okay, I didn’t want to bother you, but we’re ordering lunch and I wanted to see if you would like anything. That way you don’t have to leave to eat,” he said, a little under his breath so as not to catch the attention of other patrons. “Unless you brought something,” he added quickly.
“Oh, no I didn’t,” she said in surprise. “I was just going to leave for a bit, but as long as it’s not a bother, that would help me a lot.”
“Okay.” He turned and waved Yunho over. “Nari’s going to order with us,” he explained.
“Oh, great!” Yunho handed over the menu. “Just tell me what you want when you’re ready and I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Oh, I love this place. I’ll be quick.”
The bell above the door rang and Seonghwa excused himself to join Wooyoung once more. He expected the teasing as soon as it started, but it was milder this time. Thankfully.
Though he supposed it was his own doing.
~✧~
Nari moved to her normal booth when the food came and it was decided that each of them would take turns sitting with her while they ate. He wanted to go last, to have the excuse to sit and talk with her longer. But they, Nari included, insisted that he should sit down to rest and eat sooner rather than later.
They still had a nice conversation together, about animal crossing and her writing plans. She was clearly stressed about the editing, even thought she was trying not to be. Her editor was one of the best, she insisted, and all the stress was of her own doing.
“If I get stuck, and it’s not busy in here, would you mind if I asked for your input?” she asked to his surprise.
“Are you sure? I don’t know how much help I would be.”
“It’s nothing crazy,” she explained. “Sometimes sentences stop making sense if I’ve been staring at them too long. Or, I can’t tell if a scene is coming across correctly. It can be really helpful to have outside opinions.”
“In that case, I’m at your service,” he said. “I’m sure you can ask the guys too. They’d probably love to get a sneak peak with how nosy they are.”
She chuckled at the statement as her eyes darted over to the two still working. “I kind of noticed.”
“It’s not really Yunho’s fault though,” Seonghwa said. “He just always happens to be around when things happen.”
“How lucky?”
Seonghwa shrugged. “He does seem to enjoy it.”
They laughed together and his eyes tracked across her face, trying to memorize the details of her expression. How her eyes wrinkled lightly in the corners as they closed slightly in mirth, and how her hand came up but not enough to cover her smile.
He looked back down at his mostly finished food, trying hard not to get caught.
“I’ll have to ask them if they’re interested when they come eat,” she said after a minute. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”
“Are you sure them eating lunch here won’t be a distraction?” he asked. “You’ll probably be getting back to work.”
“I should be fine,” she said. “I’m making good progress right now, so even if I’m a little distracted for another hour it won’t really matter.”
“Okay. But if we do start becoming a distraction at any time, just let us know and we’ll give you space.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I’ll let you know whenever I need to lock in.”
He smiled then lifted his spoon to take another bite but paused. There was no way he could eat anymore. He’d already eaten more this meal then he had since being sick, and knew overdoing it was a bad idea. So, instead, he started to pack up his food for later. As much as he didn’t want to leave the table, it was time.
“I better get back to work so the others can eat,” he said.
She looked at the half eaten bowl and her brow scrunched up in concern. He wanted to ease the wrinkles away but kept his hands firmly where they were.
“You didn’t eat very much,” she said.
“I’m still getting my appetite back,” he explained. “But trust me, I’m stuffed.”
She looked at him skeptically, then nodded in acceptance or understanding, maybe both. “Are you sure you’re not overdoing it today? You just got better.”
“I’ll be careful,” he said. “After the guys eat, I’ll take another break.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be waiting here for you then.”
“Waiting for what?” Wooyoung said, now suddenly beside the table with his own food. They both jumped and Seonghwa felt like he had been caught doing something, even though he hadn’t. His face warmed up as he got to his feet.
“Nothing,” he said. “Hurry and eat.” He rushed off, ignoring Wooyoung’s scoff and remark as he retreated to the back room to put his food away, and to calm his beating heart.
She wanted to spend more time with him today. Even though she was busy with her own work.
He couldn’t help but wonder if that was a good sign.
~✧~
When he slid back into the booth across from Nari, she glanced up at him with a smile, then refocused back on the page in front of her as she wrote with vigor. She was focused again and he couldn’t help but observe her as she worked with such passion while he sipped on his tea. At some point, he started to drift off. Whether it was because he was still recovering, the warmth from the tea, or the familiar sounds of the cafe, none could really say. Though Wooyoung and Yunho both theorized it had something to do with the sound of pencil scratching against paper, and that their hyung had already began to feel comfort in Nari’s presence.
The fact that she occasionally paused to watch him sleep was something they kept to themselves. Only sharing a glance with the unspoken promise that it would be something they wouldn’t tease him, or her, about.
The Ateez lore is stressing me out so much right now. I need so badly to chat with someone about it. But I don't think any of my friends are free at the moment ㅠㅠ
I plan on posting Scribbles of Courage today. But I need to get my head on straight in order to edit the chapter.
Rated: PG (I think) for violence and mentions of sensitive topics.
Summery: A lonely siren loses the only person he has ever cared for. While hunting down those that took her, he comes across a pirate seeking revenge. As they follow their goals, they build a crew. A family. Now this misfit band of not quite pirates are working to uncover the darkness that is trying to take over.
Notes at the end of the chapter
First, Prev, Next, Masterlist
Chapter 9: Playing the Board
♥Wooyoung♥
Wooyoung shoved items into a pack, not really paying attention to what he was grabbing. His mind was racing, blood boiling as he thought about the previous night. Confusion, anger, and hurt all took turns guiding his thoughts.
How long had Yeosang been hiding this secret? How could his father force him to be a killer?
And he’d actually gone through with trying to kill them.
No.
No, he hadn’t.
Looking back, if Yeosang really was a trained killer, an assassin, then he had clearly been holding back. Though Wooyoung had a few bruises to argue against that. But, based on Yeosang’s stance, speed, and hesitation…he was hoping to lose. Maybe only sub-consciously, but it was clear to Wooyoung’s trained eye.
If the pirates hadn’t shown up…would he or San have killed Yeosang in self-defense? A chill ran up his spine as he shoved a few more items into the pack then threw himself back with a groan.
There was a quick knock on his door, then it slid open and San poked his head in. His eyes were red and shadowed and his clothes were in disarray, making him look as bad as Wooyoung felt.
“Hey,” San said, slipping into the room. “Are you all packed?”
“Mostly. I just need to grab my knives and tools.”
“Did you talk to your dad?”
Wooyoung nodded and pushed himself onto his elbows. “I told him I couldn’t explain everything and he’s worried but understands. He even gave me some drinks to offer to the captain. You? Are your parents okay with it?”
San shrugged. “About the same as your dad I guess. Mom wasn’t thrilled, but they trust me and I told them I would find a way to visit them as much as I could.”
He scuffed his foot against the floor and Wooyoung fiddled with his bag, not sure how to address their dilemma.
“We can’t leave without talking about it,” Wooyoung finally said.
“He can’t stay here,” San stated. “His father…I knew he wasn’t a good man, but…I didn’t think. How long was he carrying that weight without us knowing?”
Wooyoung didn’t say anything. Couldn’t say anything.
“Do you think he’s actually…you know…?”
Wooyoung let out a deep breath and got to his feet. “Probably. Why would his father trust him to follow through with killing us if he wasn’t already capable of killing?”
“Do you think his mother knows?”
“Maybe, but I doubt it. He would never tell her.”
“Then she doesn’t. His father wouldn’t want anyone else to know.” San paused again in uncertainty. “We’re still going to try and convince him to go with us, right? It would be easier to convince the pirates now since they know he can fight.”
“They know he can fight because they saw him trying to kill us. I doubt they’ll trust him.”
“But he wasn’t actually trying to kill us!” San shouted, balling his fists. “You know he wasn’t. We can still convince them. We have to at least try. If he stays—” He threw his head back and let out a deep groan.
“I didn’t say we shouldn’t try. We have to. He’s our friend and we won’t abandon him. If they won’t accept him then we’ll just have to try something else,” Wooyoung said as he grabbed San’s shoulder. “But we have to convince him first.” He squeezed to try and offer some comfort then let go. Walking across the room he grabbed his weapons from a locked chest and secured them in place out of view. “Let’s go.”
♥
“I’m sorry, I haven’t seen Yeosang today,” Saena said. “You’re welcome to go check his room though.”
“Thank you, Saena nui,” San said as he dipped his head.
“If he’s not there, I would ask his mother.”
“Will do. Thanks Nui. We’ll see you later.” Wooyoung winked and the gisaeng giggled, but San slapped his shoulder for his antics, then started down their normal path.
When they got to Yeosang’s room he knocked, holding himself back from just barging in. “Yeosang, it’s us. Can we come in?”
They were only greeted with silence so Wooyoung stepped forward and knocked harder, making the door shake. “Ya! We need to talk. You better not be ignoring us!” More silence, but Wooyoung pressed on, pounding even harder on the door. “Ya! Yeosang!”
San put a hand on his shoulder, whispering his name quickly.
He sighed and took in a deep breath to calm down. “We…we’re not mad. We just want to talk about it. Everything will be okay, so please…”
He took another deep breath and San patted his shoulder.
“Yeosang’s not here.”
They both jumped back and turned towards the new voice.
“He left early this morning,” Yeosang’s mom said. “So I would appreciate it if you didn’t disturb my guests.”
“We’re sorry,” San said with a bow. “We just…do you know where he went? It’s…we had a fight yesterday and we want to clear things up.”
“I’m afraid not,” she said, her hands tucking into her skirt. “I honestly thought he was with the two of you.”
“Oh, okay. Thank you.”
She closed the distance between them and took San’s hands in both of hers. His brows ticked up minutely but he didn’t say anything. “I’m so thankful that both of you have been such good friends to him,” she said. She squeezed his hands then let go and they immediately clenched into fists. “I hope you are able to find him and straighten everything out. Have a good day boys.” She took Wooyoung’s hands, patted them once, then continued down the hall.
“Well great,” Wooyoung huffed, running a hand through his hair. “Now what? Where could he have run off to?”
San nudged him with his elbow then opened his clenched fist slightly to reveal the tiny scroll that had been placed in his hand. They quickly checked their surroundings before San unrolled it.
“Check the docks and ferries. He left late last night after mentioning the ocean. Good luck.”
“He’s running away…” Wooyoung said just above a whisper.
“He probably thought it was his only choice.” San clenched the note in his fist again. “We have to burn this, just to be safe.” He started down the hall towards the kitchen instead of heading back to the entrance. It was already bustling with people preparing all kinds of food and drink. Most of them barely paid them any mind as San made his way to a furnace. Those that did look their way, Wooyoung was quick to distract with just a few words.
Once the note was in, San found a poker and moved it farther to the center of the fire just to make sure it was gone.
“Is there something I can get you boys?” An older woman asked as she came up to them.
“We’re sorry to intrude. Yeosang’s mother said we could come get some roasted sweet potatoes. But it doesn’t look like there are any ready yet, so we’ll get out of the way.” San said, quickly getting to his feet.
“Well, come back later with Yeosang-ah,” she said with a smile. “We should have some then.”
“Thank you,” Wooyoung said. They both bowed and then hurried out.
Once they were a ways from the gibang and on a busy main road, Wooyoung leaned onto San and spoke under his breath. “Looks like he had a similar idea. We should check the ferry first but we’ll have to be careful not to let anyone know what’s happened. We don’t want his father catching on.”
They walked in silence for a little while, deep in thought. “Wooyoung,” San finally spoke, his tone cautious. “What if he’s already gone and we can’t find him? Or what if his father—?”
“We’ll find him. One way or another.”
♥
“You’ve already missed two ferries and I don’t keep track of passengers. Now leave me alone to do my job.” The much larger man pushed Wooyoung away, irritated, then stomped off.
“Why that—”
“Leave it,” Wooyoung said, brushing off his clothes. “We should have known he wouldn’t tell us anything. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”
“He’s still a jerk. And a sore loser.”
“I don’t disagree with you.”
“So what do we do then?”
“We follow our original plan and join the pirates. Hopefully we can run into him when we go ashore in other towns.”
San nodded, crossing his arms. “You’re right. If we stay and keep asking around it would be putting us and him in danger. My guess is he left to keep everyone safe.”
“Agreed,” Wooyoung said, scuffing his foot on the dock. “I can’t believe he’s making us worry this much. When I see him again…”
“You would have done the same thing.”
“Would not!”
San raised an eyebrow at the outburst.
“Fine. Maybe I would have. Still—”
“Oh, there they are,” San said, changing the topic. “It looks like they’re already preparing to leave. We should hurry.”
Their pace increased but when they got to the ship they paused.
“It’s so…small,” Wooyoung said.
“She’s reliable though,” the captain said, surprising them both. He was leaning over the railing, grinning widely at them. “I wasn’t sure if you were still coming after what happened yesterday. Go ahead and come aboard. We’re trying to leave soon so we could use a hand getting ready, and you’ll probably want to get settled first.”
They made their way onto the deck as he talked, both noting the glint that was in the man’s eyes. It gave them pause and he noticed, making his grin sharper.
Seonghwa was on the other side of the modest vessel, busy with preparations, but he noticed them and offered a small nod and Wooyoung was sure that the man had a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
“Follow me. I’ll take you below deck so you can put your things down,” Hongjoong said as he led the way to a door. They were quick to follow. “I do plan on getting a larger ship, but there’s no reason to have one if I don’t have a large enough crew to man it.” He opened the door and started down some stairs which they had to pause at to let their eyes adjust to the sudden decrease in light. “You can put your stuff wherever you can find room that’s out of the way. We’ll have to take turns sleeping since they’re aren’t enough beds. But Seonghwa and I already do that since we like to always have someone on watch.”
As he explained things, they tried to get their eyes to adjust to the lighting by looking around the small space.
There was a loud scrape of wood against wood that made them both stop and turn to the sound.
“What…” San breathed as their eyes widened.
Yeosang stood on the other side of a small table, looking at them like he’d seen a ghost.
“Oh yeah,” Hongjoong drawled with humor in his tone. “I forgot to mention we had someone join us late last night. He’s only here on a trial run though since he’s never been to sea before. But I’d say things look promising. Well, on that note I’m going to head back up to finish up while you get settled.”
There were footsteps and then the door closed, but the three left in the room barely noticed. After a few more minutes of staring in silence, Yeosang looked away, his eyes searching the room frantically and Wooyoung could see the wheels turning in his head. Without a second thought he was on Yeosang in a second, not allowing him time to try and find an escape. “Ya!” Wooyoung shouted, grabbing his arm in a vice grip. “I can’t believe you were actually going to leave without talking to us.” He hit Yeosang’s arm once, twice. “After yesterday you owe us a better explanation. You—”
“Wooyoung, that’s enough,” San said quietly as he pulled Wooyoung off of Yeosang. Wooyoung let go and turned away.
“Do you have any idea how worried we were?” San asked, his eyes fixed on Yeosang’s “Your mother told us you left and to check the docks, but no one would tell us anything at the ferry. I thought your father might have already found out and—”
“You came looking for me?” Yeosang asked suddenly.
“Of course!” Wooyoung shouted, whipping back around. “We told you we would talk about what happened. But then you ran off!”
San grabbed Wooyoung’s shoulder but didn’t look away from Yeosang.
“You’re our best friend. Did you really think we were going to abandon you?” he asked.
Yeosang looked away, unable to meet their gaze anymore. “But I…I was going to kill you.”
Wooyoung scoffed and crossed his arms. “Do you think we’re stupid?” he snipped. “We’ve been learning to fight almost our whole lives. You were holding back. If the pirates hadn’t stepped in we might have…” his arms fell at his sides at the dark thought. “Anyways. We’re just glad you’re okay. But next time, you tell us when something serious is going on. No more secrets.”
“Yeah!” San cut in, pointing a finger at Yeosang. “I can’t believe you’ve been hiding your skills all this time. So you better be ready for a fair spar.”
San and Wooyoung both smiled, trying to break the tension and slowly a small smile made its way onto Yeosang’s face.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice wavering.
“None of that,” Wooyoung said, waving a hand quickly as the other wiped harshly at his eyes. “I’m not crying on my first day as a pirate.”
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Author's Notes:
As stated on the last chapter of Scribbles of Courage, there won't be a new chapter next week. I apologize! I hope you enjoy this chapter though. Thank you for reading!
Genre: Coffee Shop AU. Barista x Writer. Seonghwa x OC
Rated: G
Summery: The owner of a small cafe has fallen head over heels for one of their regulars. He tries to keep it to himself though, worried about crossing the line with a customer. Meanwhile, a writer can't help but get distracted by the cute owner of the coffee shop when she's supposed to be working on her next book. Of course, they're unable to keep it from their friends who are more than happy to watch romance bloom.
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⁕7⁕
Nari
As far as breaks go, Nari would say this one was rather nice. She’d been able to relax and start a drama that had been on her list. As well as do some cleaning and rearranging of her room.
Not to mention exploring. As she had hoped, her friends had agreed that an evening out on the town sounded fun, and they went window shopping. As well as actual shopping. They took a small break at the cafe, and the others instantly clicked with Wooyoung and Yunho, although she thought it might be impossible not to.
Seonghwa texted her every now and then, but according to Wooyoung, who was in touch with San, the roommate, Seonghwa had mostly been sleeping. So, she didn’t think about it too much that he hadn’t reached out about playing Animal Crossing. Still, when she took time to just sit, she would pop onto her switch and check to see if he had added her as a friend.
At first she was checking her phone every time it buzzed with a notification. But most of them had been from Jongho and Yeosang. While her editor wasn’t saying anything about his progress, or the abysmal quality of her grammar due to her quick writing, he was blowing up her phone with comments about the story itself. Jongho was a little more restrained, but she had stopped checking it quite so often.
So, in the late afternoon of her third day off, her phone was upside down on the coffee table while she was busy taking down Link as Kirby when a notification popped up in the top corner of her screen.
MARS is playing Animal Crossing New Horizons
She glanced at it, but ignored it, then stopped and looked at it again, confused. It was gone too quickly, but she didn’t recognize the account name. Shortly after, she got a second notification.
Friends Online: 1
Her phone vibrated once more and she couldn’t grab it fast enough.
Hello. Are you up for playing acnh? - Seonghwa💫
She stared at the message, frozen, almost unable to believe it.
Unless you’re busy playing something else. I don’t want to interrupt. - Seonghwa💫
I’d love to pl—
She deleted the message and tried again.
I’m not busy. Just killing time.
I’m always up for ac.
Okay
I’ll open my gate. - Seonghwa💫
Okay.
I’ll be over soon.
I need to switch games.
Take your time - Seonghwa💫
She still went as fast as she could to get from one game to the next, then debated her character’s outfit for a minute before making her way to the airport so that she could fly over.
~~~
Nari giggled as Seonghwa’s character ran excitedly around two of the residents. He paused and then,
They’re together!!!
Popped up above his character’s head. Then he started to run around them again before his character engaged in a conversation with Judy.
She was fixing to start a conversation with the polar bear when another character showed up on the screen and she ran over to it. Opting for a faster means of communication then the in game chat, she grabbed her phone.
You have Bangle!?!?!
I LOVE HER
She initiated a conversation with the tiger while she waited for a response.
Me too!
I love my villagers
Did you see Joey? He’s so cute!
I have a card for Ione too, but I haven’t added her yet. I’m not ready to say goodbye to anyone else. - Seonghwa💫
I did! He’s very cute.
Wow! I love her design! She’s hard to get.
You’re so lucky!
I’m glad I finally have someone to talk to who understand. I bragged to the guys but they don’t get it. - Seonghwa💫
I’m sorry.
It’s okay. We all have our interests.
Want to see my house? - Seonghwa💫
Sure!
Her character followed his and she couldn’t help the smile as his little character gave hers a tour of his house, the rest of the island, and his personally designed clothes.
At some point, his character started lagging behind and she found herself waiting awkwardly before it started moving again. Then a text came through on her phone.
I’m so sorry. I’m having a hard time staying awake. - Seonghwa💫
That’s okay. You should get some rest.
I had fun today!
Me too! Have a good day, Nari-shi – Seonghwa💫
~~~
Monday meant work started up again.
As he had said, Yeosang had started editing immediately and not stopped until he was done. She’d woken up to an email with the first draft full of his recommended changes that had been sent long after she’d gone to bed. So, even though she wanted to take a longer break, she figured she might as well get to work.
So, much to Wooyoung’s frustration, she was back to ordering the “boring” coffee. But, he’d slipped her a cookie for encouragement. She’d had to sit and the counter again, which meant any time she grew frustrated at her own writing skills, she could just strike up a conversation with Wooyoung and Yunho, who were more than happy to oblige when there was a loll in customers. As it grew close to lunch time and the cafe had a rush of customers, she felt her stomach start to grumble and decided she should probably take a break.
Wooyoung was checking his phone anxiously, and after waving him down, confirmed that he was once again struggling to find someone to take food to Seonghwa. So, she offered to do it since she would be leaving for lunch anyways.
It was evident how relieved both he and Yunho were, and once they confirmed she was coming back after lunch to keep working, offered to keep her things in the back room so that she wouldn’t have to lug them around.
To say she was nervous was an understatement. She’d grown a little closer to Seonghwa over the weekend while playing animal crossing, but she was still coming to his apartment, semi-uninvited.
She knocked on the door and waited, straightening out her clothing to occupy herself. It didn’t take long for Seonghwa to answer the door since she had messaged him when she’d arrived at the building. He immediately moved away to give her room to enter, his movements still sluggish. This time he had a mask on, but he still kept his distance.
“Hi, Seonghwa-shi,” she said, trying not to show she was nervous. He was pale and it worried her, but he was in a blue sweater today instead of just sweats and a t-shirt, so she assumed he was starting to feel better.
“Hi, Nari-shi,” he said. His voice was still a little raw and a small cough escaped him. “Thank you for bringing my food again.”
“Of course. Do you want me to just leave it here on the floor again?”
He nodded. “One of these days I won’t have to kick you out immediately. Sorry.”
“No worries,” she waved off his concern and placed the bundled food and cup of tea on the ground. “I’m just taking a small break for lunch, but I have to get back to editing soon. I’ll be heading back to the cafe after I eat to start working again.”
“Oh.” His brows scrunched in concern. “I’m sorry, I’m taking up your break time. San would have been able to bring me something in an hour. I could have waited.”
“No, no. That’s okay,” she said quickly. “I wanted to walk around and stretch some since I’ve been sitting all morning. And your place isn’t far. This wasn’t a problem for me. I also,” she paused, unsure if she should continue. “I wanted to check on you. In person.”
When she met his eyes again, his were scrunched into crescents and her heart skidded in her chest.
“I appreciate it,” he said. “San’s had to catch up on work, so it’s been a little lonely.”
“I can imagine.” Her face was definitely red. “Is there anything else you want? I can run and—”
“No, no,” he said quickly, shaking his head. “You’ve already done so much.”
“Okay. I’ll head out so that you can eat then,” she said as she took a step back. “Just text me if you need anything else.”
“I’ll…I’ll see you Wednesday? Assuming I don’t suddenly feel worse, I should be back at work.”
“That’s good to hear. I’ll see you then. Have a good day Seonghwa-shi.” She turned and gripped the door handle, not wanting to leave yet but knowing she didn’t have a choice.
“Wait,” he said suddenly.
Surprised she looked back at him.
“You can…um…you can just call me Seonghwa,” he said. She blinked in surprise and he continued nervously. “I mean, that is, if you’re comfortable with it.”
“In that case,” she said, her voice a little quieter than she meant. “You can call me Nari. I’d say we’re close enough now to drop formalities if your okay with it.”
“Only if you are.”
“I am.”
“Okay, then,” he rubbed his neck and she couldn’t help but notice his ears seemed to have darkened some. “Have a good day Nari. I will see you on Wednesday.”
“Thank you, Seonghwa. I hope you continue to feel better.”
Then she slipped out of the door and pressed her back against the cold metal, hoping her heart would calm down and her face would cool off before she had to see anyone else.
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Author's note:
Hello everyone!
Just wanted to give you a heads up that I will be rather busy next week, so I don't think I will be able to post for this or Starlit Destiny.
I'm sorry about the delay, but I should be back the week after!
Rated: PG (I think) for violence and mentions of sensitive topics.
Summery: A lonely siren loses the only person he has ever cared for. While hunting down those that took her, he comes across a pirate seeking revenge. As they follow their goals, they build a crew. A family. Now this misfit band of not quite pirates are working to uncover the darkness that is trying to take over.
Notes at the end of the chapter
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Chapter 8: Welcome Aboard
✧Seonghwa✧
Hongjoong swaggered down the steps below deck and Seonghwa reached out, worried that the Captain would trip and fall. He could never tell what was sea legs and what was drunkenness with the man.
“Well,” Hongjoong drawled. “I’m sorry we couldn’t get any information. But at least it was slightly productive. When do you think—?”
Seonghwa held up a hand, silencing the Captain. Something wasn’t right. He could feel strong negative emotions coming from somewhere on the ship. No. Somewhere in that room. He gestured towards one of the walls with his head as he felt the stowaway’s emotions shift, now aware of their sudden silence.
“Keep talking,” he mouthed silently at Hongjoong. The man nodded as Seonghwa pulled out a hidden knife.
“Ugh, thanks for helping me,” Hongjoong said, a little louder than was necessary. “I’m so tired I can’t even finish my sentences.” The captain moved a chair hoping to give the illusion that he had sat down as Seonghwa continued towards the wall. “Would you mind getting me some water?”
“You need to get some sleep after you finish it.” He was closer, and the fear coming from the stowaway was palpable now, even with their charade. Once the wall was an arms length away he could see a small notch in the wood boards that was likely a long forgotten handle. Grabbing it, he quickly swung the door open.
The person inside was backed as far into the small space as he could get, shrouding him in shadow. Light glinted off of a raised dagger and Seonghwa thought he resembled a cornered tiger. As the intruder grew tighter on himself, Seonghwa prepared, ready just in time to dodge as the young man lunged at him. He hadn’t been the target though, instead completely bypassed in favor of the doorway out.
Hongjoong intercepted him though, gun raised as he blocked the exit.
“Well, well, well. We must stop meeting like this,” Hongjoong said.
The man froze and Seonghwa’s eyes widened in realization.
“Yeosang, was it?” Hongjoong continued. “Why don’t we lower our weapons so we can sit down and have a civilized conversation. You clearly didn’t come here to kill us. So, instead of sneaking around you can just ask me what you’re wanting directly. No need to play stowaway.”
Yeosang didn’t move for a minute. Then, slowly, he lowered the dagger, and then his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know where else to go and you said you were looking for a crew so I thought…”
Hongjoong lowered his weapon then gestured at their small table with his head. “Sit down. Seonghwa, could you make us all some tea while we talk?”
Seonghwa gave a quick nod but didn’t lower his guard as he started the task.
“Do you have any experience on a ship? Or working with others?” Hongjoong asked, taking a seat.
Yeosang didn’t move at first and Seonghwa could feel the turmoil inside before it solidified almost completely and he took a seat across from the captain.
“No, sir. But…” he trailed off but Hongjoong didn’t let the silence take over.
“But what?”
“You, you saw me fight and knew I was holding back. And, because of my training I know how to get information. I’m also good with poisons. I can make them and have a high tolerance. So, if you’re ever in a questionable situation with food or drink I can always test it first.”
“I’m not a noble that’s worried about being assassinated.”
“No, but you’re going against the government to free a slave. Even as a pirate, that’s risky.”
Hongjoong raised a brow at that. “How did you know?”
“I told you. I’m good at gathering information,” Yeosang replied, meeting Hongjoong’s gaze for the first time. “You’re going to make enemies, assuming you haven’t already. You don’t even have to keep me on if I don’t meet expectations. If I could just join you for a little while until I’m further away. Then, I could leave and just pay you for my passage.” His words came out faster as he spoke, trying to negotiate.
Seonghwa placed the tea on the table with more force than was necessary, stopping the rambling before it could get out of hand. Yeosang’s breathing was heavy and his eyes were wide as he met Seonghwa’s. The siren only held his gaze for a moment before breaking it to fill the tea cups. He placed one in front of Hongjoong, and then Yeosang, before pouring one for himself and taking a seat next to the captain.
“We need the hands,” he said, taking a sip of his tea. “And he’d be loyal.”
“What makes you think that?” Hongjoong challenged. “Nearly killing his friends? Or was it betraying his father that gave you that impression?”
Yeosang’s head dropped again.
“He’s loyal to the people that matter to him. You said yourself that he wasn’t going to kill his friends.” Seonghwa took another sip as he sorted through the storm of emotions going through the young man’s head. They were too messy though.
“Alright, well, if you think it’s a good idea.”
“You disagree?” Seonghwa glanced at Hongjoong out of the corner of his eye, brow ticking up.
“That remains to be seen. The ship and ocean might not even agree with him. If he doesn’t have sea legs he won’t be of any use.” Hongjoong took a sip of his own drink and Yeosang looked up at them, eyes darting from one to the other.
“Are you…are you saying I can stay?” he asked.
“I’m saying you get a trial run,” Hongjoong answered. “We have to trust you and you have to actually be useful. If you break our trust there won’t be any second chances.”
“Thank you,” Yeosang said, bowing. “Thank you so much.”
Hongjoong smiled and patted him on the shoulder while Seonghwa tried to hide his own smile. Instead he gestured at the tea.
“Drink this and then you can get to rest. We don’t have many options for sleeping arrangements right now, but we’ll try and make sure you’re comfortable.”
“I’ll find us a proper ship soon,” Hongjoong said, his fist thudding on the table. “Can’t be a proper pirate without one.” He held out a hand to Yeosang and grinned. “Welcome aboard.”
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Author's Notes:
This isn't my favorite chapter. But it's done, and here. I thought I might rewrite it, but couldn't really think how, and didn't want to spend a ton of time trying to, only to get frustrated.
I hope it still reaches your expectations. Thank you for reading! Have a great day!
Genre: Coffee Shop AU. Barista x Writer. Seonghwa x OC
Rated: G
Summery: The owner of a small cafe has fallen head over heels for one of their regulars. He tries to keep it to himself though, worried about crossing the line with a customer. Meanwhile, a writer can't help but get distracted by the cute owner of the coffee shop when she's supposed to be working on her next book. Of course, they're unable to keep it from their friends who are more than happy to watch romance bloom.
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⁕6⁕
Seonghwa
Another cough wracked his body and he curled up even more on the couch, clutching his fuzzy blanket as much as his exhausted body would allow. He hoped the porridge would come soon so that he could eat it, then climb back into his bed and sleep for the rest of the day.
It was a struggle to stay awake and before long he was nodding off.
Seonghwa hadn’t even realized it until a knock on the door startled him awake. He forced himself upright, immediately hit with another coughing fit and a wave of dizziness. Once it passed he wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and stood up, bracing himself on the armrest.
“I’m coming,” he called out, his voice hoarse and weak and he doubted the person on the other side of the door heard him. His shuffle to the other side of the room was slow and reminded him that his legs currently hated him. He would have to take more pain relievers.
There was another knock on the door, this time a little unsure, and he wondered who Wooyoung had gotten to deliver the food, a little frustrated that he hadn’t been more forthcoming when Seonghwa clearly didn’t have the energy to play around.
As frustrating as it was though, he trusted Wooyoung. Maybe he had just gotten a delivery service. So, Seonghwa forced on a small smile that he hoped was friendly enough and swung open the door. At first, his sickness and medicine muddled brain didn’t process who it was standing there.
“Hi, Seonghwa-shi.”
Then it hit. His eyes blew wide and he inhaled sharply. Faster than he had recognized her, he recognized the coughing fit that was fixing to hit. He covered his face with his arm and turned away just in time. It was one of the fits that hurt and would leave him exhausted.
“Oh my,” Nari gasped, followed by the sound of shuffling.
He glanced over at her, still coughing, and held up a hand to keep her from getting closer. She did as he indicated, but her focus on him stayed sharp and worried.
“Can I do anything?” she asked.
He shook his head as the coughing started to subside. “Sorry,” he said. The roughness of his irritated voice made him wince as he tried to stand straight, hoping to give her the idea that it wasn’t too bad.
“You don’t need to apologize,” she said quickly. “Here. Maybe this will help. Wooyoung-shi said it was tea.” She held out a to-go cup from the cafe.
He hesitated, then reached out to grab it. Mindful not to brush his fingers against hers and spread the germs. “Thank you,” he said as he took a sip. The ginger yuja tea immediately soothed his throat and began to fight away the chill; he had to keep himself from downing the whole glass then and there. When he pulled it away, she was still watching him in concern and her care warmed him up even more.
He was suddenly very glad that he had forced himself to take a shower and throw on a fresh pair of sweats considering his clothes and hair had been damp with perspiration when he had woken up that morning and discovered his fever.
“You, um, you can set the food right there on the floor,” he said. “I don’t want you to come in. You might catch it.” A couple more coughs forced their way out from him talking and he caught as she took another step forward, then stopped.
“Are you sure?” Her voice was hesitant and her brows knitted as she looked him over.
He nodded again, then leaned against the wall, feeling his legs growing weaker, and she noticed. “Even though I kept everything clean and we kept our distance, I still caught what San had. Thank you for coming, though. I wish I could be more hospitable to show my gratitude.”
“No, no, that’s okay,” she said quickly. “I was happy to help. Besides, Wooyoung said he would treat me as a thank you.”
“I’d like to as well,” he said. “When I’m all better, of course.”
“Oh, you don’t have to.”
“I want to.”
Her eyes widened slightly, then she looked down. “Okay then, we’ll talk about it later.” She looked at him, and her surprise was replaced with concern again. “I’ll get going so that you can sit down.” She placed the food on the floor by her feet, then paused. “Oh right,” she started as she crouched down then began to fiddle in her bag. To his surprise, she pulled out a switch case and then a pen and mini notebook. “Wooyoung said you like animal crossing. Let me give you my friend code and, if you’re board, maybe we could play together.”
A tired but genuine smile spread across his face. “I’d like that,” he said.
“Okay, this will just take a moment.” She turned on her switch and quickly wrote some notes.
“Did you reach your deadline?” he asked. She looked up at him, beaming, and his heart fluttered.
Oh, wow. She’s so pretty.
He was in so much trouble. He always had a hard time hiding his feelings around her, but today.
Today he did not have the energy to even try.
“I did,” she said brightly. “Just in time too. My editor teased me for cutting it so close.” She looked back down and a couple small coughs made him cover his mouth which allowed him to hide the fact that his face was beginning to burn. “I have a few days off, so I’ll probably just be sitting around, playing or watching tv.” She tore out the sheet of paper and placed it on the food container. “I gave you my number too, so if you want to play, or if you need anything else, just let me know.” She looked at him again and her brows furrowed as her concern grew again.
He’d curled in on himself, one arm wrapped around his torso while his other hand covered as much of his face as he could without it looking too weird.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded, not trusting his voice quite yet.
“You should really sit down. You look flushed. Are you sure you don’t want any help? I can get everything ready while you—”
“I’m okay,” he muttered. “Thank you.” He hated this. He was probably coming off as short, but he really needed her to leave. And really didn’t want her to get sick. With the coughing fits happening anytime he talked too much, he couldn’t even explain. “I’ll text you,” he said instead when he saw her deflate a little.
“Okay,” she said and her smile came back, small, but there. “Get some rest. I’ll talk to you later.”
He nodded, finally uncovering his face to give her a smile in return.
As soon as she was gone and the door was closed behind her, he slid to the floor, then kicked his legs in frustration.
She was here, at his apartment. She had brought him food and tea on her day off, even though they were basically strangers, and had been worried about him. She liked animal crossing. And she had been so cute!
While he looked like a mess who wasn’t even able to show her his face.
He groaned.
Never had he wanted to simultaneously hug and strangle Wooyoung. It was usually only the latter.
He pulled out his phone, needing to direct his frustration.
I hate you - he texted.
You’re welcome ;)
Don’t let the food get cold – Wooyoung
The responses were almost instant. The little brat had been waiting for him.
He let his hand with his phone drop into his lap, then laid his head back against the wall and took a deep breath. After a minute, he looked over at the food that was still on the floor and saw the little piece of paper sitting on top.
Oh, right!
She gave him her number!
He lunged forward, quickly regretting it. But he ignored the pain and the coughs as he quickly saved her number into his phone.
Hello, Nari-shi. This is Seonghwa.
He sent it off without over thinking it, then debated sending another message. After a couple tries, he was satisfied and sent one.
Thank you again for coming all this way to bring me the tea and food. I’m sorry. I didn’t talk much because it makes me cough.
I hope you get home okay.
While he waited for a response, he grabbed his food and got to his feet, needing to do something to distract his nerves. He had barely made it into a kitchen chair when his phone dinged and he rushed to check the message.
Hello, Seonghwa-shi!
Like I said, I was happy to. And I’m almost home now. I live close to the cafe, so it wasn’t out of the way for me. I hope you feel better soon. The bug you have sounds miserable.
Were you able to eat the food? – Nari🌼
I’m fixing to
He thought for a second then added,
Wooyoung texted right after you left and fussed at me about eating it before it gets cold
I didn’t take him as the mothering type.
But it makes sense. He was really worried. – Nari🌼
He’ll surprise you
It’s nice to have friends that care. My publisher nagged at me for writing instead of eating lunch the other day. Said cake doesn’t count. – Nari🌼
He’s sort of right.
I know. It’s unusual for me to do that. It just slipped my mind that day. – Nari🌼
He nodded to himself in understanding and started slowly on the food. He’d need to hurry because he could feel the sleepiness creeping back in. The porridge and tea were soothing, even though the flavors were muted, and he was happy to get some comfort food into his belly.
It’s good that you’re close with your publisher
That must make work a little easier
The whole company is close. It’s really nice.
We met in uni. Jongho’s a couple years younger then me, but he had big dreams. He was the last of our friend group to graduate, but when he did, he started his own company and we all joined him.
Kind of reminds me of you and the others based on what Wooyoung-shi told me. – Nari🌼
I guess we have a lot in common
Like strawberry cake
And Animal Crossing~
He smiled, letting his eyes close to rest them, then jerked when his head bobbed down to his chest. He was starting to fight a losing battle. And it was time to just surrender.
I’ll add your friend code later
He blinked and shook his head, trying to stay awake.
It might be tomorrow
Sorry, I keep nodding off. I’m going to take a nap
Of course. Listen to your body and get lots of rest.
It was nice talking to you. – Nari🌼
You too. Have a good day Nari-shi
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Author's Notes:
Okay. The fact that I can't alight right on here is really making things hard. When I have written texting in the past, I usually make the sender's text align right, and the receiver's left. Just like how it would appear in an actual text.
I tried using html to format it, but it wouldn't take. Suggestions are welcome!
I ended up just indenting the texts from Seonghwa, so hopefully that translated well. If it didn't, just let me know and I'll figure out something else.
As always, thank you so much for reading! The masterlist received so many likes, which really warmed my heart and encouraged me.
Genre: Coffee Shop AU. Barista x Writer. Seonghwa x OC
Rated: G
Summery: The owner of a small cafe has fallen head over heels for one of their regulars. He tries to keep it to himself though, worried about crossing the line with a customer. Meanwhile, a writer can't help but get distracted by the cute owner of the coffee shop when she's supposed to be working on her next book. Of course, they're unable to keep it from their friends who are more than happy to watch romance bloom.
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⁕2⁕
Nari
Nari deleted the line for the umpteenth time and held in a groan as she ran a hand through her hair.
Why can’t I just finish this one scene?
She slumped in her chair and reached for her now cold coffee, then sighed. Her phone buzzed and she peaked down at it, already knowing it would be a message asking about her progress. She was thankful that her editor and publisher were her friends and helped her stay on track, but right now the check-ins were causing more stress.
You can do this.
She flipped her phone over then gathered her hair into a scrunchy and focused back on her screen. With so little time left before her deadline, she didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself. Or get angry at the deadline she had set.
So what if the dialogue was stiff for now? That’s what editing was for. Right now she just needed to get something on the page.
And so she did.
Even though she was unsatisfied with the scene, she was able to move on to the next one that had already been in her head since the whole story had come to mind. She wrote with a fury and didn’t notice the time around her passing until a loud gurgling interrupted her thoughts. It broke her out of her concentration and she looked down at her stomach in betrayal. Then, glancing at the corner of her screen, her eyes widened in shock. It was way after her normal lunch time. But she didn’t want to stop yet and pack up. Her flow was finally going smoothly and—
Her stomach interrupted her again and she glared down at it. Then back at her screen and the blinking line on the document.
Just thirty more minutes. I’ll pack up when I finish this scene.
Blowing some fringe out of her face she focused once more on the screen in front of her and tried to immerse herself back in the scene. It proved to be difficult with the gnawing in her stomach, but she’d done it before. It was just as her fingers started to fly over the screen again that there was a slight rattle as something was set in her peripheral. Her eyes briefly glanced over to it without processing what was there, then they darted back a moment later as her brain caught up.
A slice of cake sat within reach, next to her now refilled mug of coffee. It was her favorite cake that she only splurged on for special occasions. There was a little fork sitting on a folded napkin next to the dessert, and a pink sticky note on the edge of the plate.
Surprised, she looked up to thank whoever had dropped it off. However, the words disappeared when her eyes met the young owner’s who were blown wide in surprise at being noticed. Before she could gather her thoughts, he had ducked through the curtain into the back room. Her brows raised in confusion so she sought answers from the little note.
You seem more stressed out than usual and we noticed you skipped lunch. Hopefully this will help until you can get to a stopping point. It’s on the house today. You’ve got this! Fighting!
/)/)
( . .)
( づ★
She smiled at the words and accompanying doodle, then turned to the other two men who were snickering together by the register, their own gaze locked on where their boss had disappeared.
The shorter one with two toned hair noticed her attention and sent her a wink before turning away to busy himself with something. The giant was still trying to hold in his laughter when he met her eyes, but instead of acknowledging her, he turned away and acted as though he hadn’t seen her.
Not completely sure what any of their actions meant, or maybe not wanting to over think it, she took a bite of the cake, nearly melting. It was perfect.
She’d have to talk to her friends about ordering a cake from the bakery next door once her book was released.
But first, she had to finish the draft.
⁕
It took her a little longer to finish the scene then she had hoped. But that was likely due to the cake and coffee she was consuming, so she was fine with it. The sugar must have helped too because she felt like that was the smoothest her writing had gone all day.
Satisfied with her work enough to take an actual meal break, she started to pack up her things, throwing glances at those behind the counter. The owner was missing, likely in the back again. She deflated, having hoped to thank him personally for the cake, but she had overheard them talking about ordering necessities, so she assumed he was just busy with that.
Still, she couldn’t not thank him.
After tucking the note he left into her notebook for encouragement later on, she grabbed her own sticky note and penned a small thank you letter. Once she was satisfied with it, she placed it carefully next to the empty cake plate.
“Time to head out?”
She jumped in surprise as the two-tone haired worker spoke, grabbing her dirty dishes.
“Um, yeah,” she said as she slipped her backpack onto her shoulder. “I desperately need lunch.”
“I can imagine. I think you’re the only person here who hasn’t had anything. Well,” he smirked. “other than the cake.”
“Which I am incredibly thankful for. I really didn’t want to stop in the middle of that scene when I finally felt I was making progress.” She looked at the curtain to the back room, biting her lip before turning back to him. “Was the cake from your boss?”
“Yeah,” he said with a little more enthusiasm than she was expecting. “Hyung noticed how focused you were and how late it was getting, so he wanted to give you something to tide you over.”
Her heart skipped a beat and she mentally chastised it. “Can you tell him ‘thank you’ for me?”
“Of course! You’re one of our vips so we’re happy to show our thanks for your loyal patronage.”
“Oh.” She deflated a little. Of course that’s all it was.
“Will you be back tomorrow?”
“I should be,” she said, a little surprised at the chit-chat. Even as long as she had been coming, she hadn’t really held a conversation with any of them. “My deadline is tomorrow night, so I’m sure I’ll be buckled down like I was today.”
“Cool, we’ll see you then.” He smiled brightly and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was a twinkle in his eye. “Hopefully your usual seat will be open. Oh, and, you can always bring your lunch in with you if you don’t want to leave to eat.”
“Really? Oh that would make things so much easier. Thank you!” Her phone buzzed and she grabbed it, wincing when she saw who it was. “I’ve got to take this. That’s my publisher checking in. I’ve been screening my calls.”
“Oof, good luck,” he said with a chuckle. “Have a good day.”
“Thanks, you too,” she said.
“Oh, and I’ll make sure he gets your note.”
Her face burned at the knowing look he seemed to have and she forced out another “Thank you,” as she answered the call and rushed out the door. “Hey, Jongho.” She took a deep breath, hoping her tone sounded normal.
“Nari. is everything okay? Yeosang and I have been trying to get in contact you for hours.”
“Everything’s fine, and I’m on track. I was just trying to make progress and didn’t want to get distracted with my phone. But I’m finally taking a break and getting lunch.”
“You’re just now eating lunch? But it’s after three. I know you’re trying to hurry, but if you need more time we can push the deadline a couple days. You need to take care of yourself.”
“I’m okay, really,” she said in a rush. This is why she loved working for her friends. Yes business was important, but they were also always checking in on each other. “I was just really focused and they gave me a piece of cake, so I wasn’t dying.”
“Cake isn’t lunch.”
“Thanks mom.” She rolled her eyes.
“Wait, who gave you cake?”
“Um.” She tripped a bit on her feet as she felt her face heat up again. “You know, the guys at the cafe that I write at.”
“Oooh.” He hummed and she could hear the teasing. “Was it the cute owner you always mention?”
“Choi Jongho—”
“Alright, I’m sorry.” He chuckled and she sighed. “But, it was obviously him with how you’re acting, noona. One of these days I need to go and see for myself who’s caught the eye of my best writer.”
“I swear—”
“Have a good lunch,” he said quickly. “Check in with me again tonight, and don’t skip dinner. Bye~”
The line went dead and she held in a groan to avoid the stares of those around her. One of these days, he’d become aware of his own crush, and when that happened, she wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.
⁕⁕⁕
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Author's note:
To keep things simple, I'll likely be using the same name for ocs for specific members. So, Nari is the name of Seonghwa's x Oc in both this and Starlit Destiny. We'll see if she pops up anywhere else too.
because if I don't do that I will spend entirly too long coming up with the "perfect" name every fic...
Little doodle I did for this chapter.
I sketched it about a year ago when I first started writing. Decided to try and finish it. It was supposed to be a simple black and white. But I kept going. I kind of want to redraw Nari in the second panel. I don't like how her head turned out...
