#barista!au

[worms-for-brains]

Barista! Soap and Businessman! Ghost?

(John MacTavish watch the damn cup!!)

[sunskisser]

chocolate-coated hearts | r.l.

୨ৎ series masterlist

barista!remus x shy!reader

summary: you go to a new cafe to order donuts for your friend, immediately enamoured with the barista

tw: nothing? reader takes literature as a major, also kind of has social anxiety

a/n: might make this a series! i’ve got a few ideas <3

An anxious sigh escapes you as you stand idly outside the cafe, peering inside through the mosaicked windows. It was jam-packed, people pushing past each other and snake-like queues forming throughout the space. You wriggle your phone out of your coat pocket and glance at the message that your friend, Madison, had sent in a half hour ago.

hey gorgeous!! mind picking up a few donuts for me at Beanie’s before you come over? a few of the pbj ones, and some chocolate ones too. thanks xx

She was expecting, and you went by whenever you could to help her out after her asshole of a boyfriend left.

Normally, you wouldn’t bother. You hated crowded places, and Beanie’s was the definition of crowded – an old-style cafe which had blown up overnight because of its scrumptious donuts and vintage aesthetic. But who were you to deny the cravings of the woman bearing your goddaughter?

You take a deep breath and push the creaky wooden door open, cringing at how the bell rang and signalled the whole cafe to your presence. But no one so much as looked up, busy trying to buy or sell food, or find a table.

You push your way through the sea of people, joining the queue in front of the counter. It was long, you noted, and would probably take another fifteen minutes or so until it was your turn to place an order. You fish out your crumpled book from your bag and turn it to the page you had stopped on yesterday. It was the second classic of the term – Pride and Prejudice. Taking literature as a major meant you spent more time reading than anything else, but you weren’t complaining.

As you read, you scribbled down plot points to take note of and quotes which meant something worth writing about. Your eyes stayed glued to the page, trying to work out hidden meanings and flowery language. Once you were back home, you’d have to compile all your analysis onto that worksheet Professor Ragnarsson had given out, write the 10-page long review, and then –

“Hey! Shut the damn book and order, will you?”

Your heart jumps in your chest at the sudden harsh tone. You close your book and whip your head around to see a middle-aged man glaring at you before peering down at his watch. “There’s a long queue, and we don’t have all day.”

The heat rushes to your cheeks as you open your mouth to apologise – but before you can say anything, you hear an oddly soothing voice from behind you. “Hey, don’t be a jerk. She didn’t know the counter was open.”

You glance back towards the counter, and you swear your heart stopped beating for a second. Angelic was an understatement to describe the man standing in front of you, tall and lanky and absolutely fucking beautiful.

His chestnut brown hair perfectly framed his pale face, eyebrows furrowed in annoyance as he glanced at the rude customer behind you. There were pinkish scars tracing from above his eyebrows to right below his lips, but they looked golden under the orange light – he looked like some kind of heavenly being.

When his eyes dart back to you, his expression instantly softened, lips tilting upwards in a smile. You thought you would melt into a puddle right there and then just by gazing into his warm, honeyed eyes. “Hi, gorgeous. What can I get you?”

You blink, your mouth involuntarily falling open slightly. Gorgeous? Was he talking to you? Maybe he was referring to the man behind you.

His smile widens, and that does absolutely nothing to calm the feeling of your heart bouncing around in your stomach. “It’s okay if you can’t choose just yet, I know the number of options can be…” he chuckles, “overwhelming. Take all the time you need to decide.”

Oh my god, you thought. His laugh sounded musical, like the tender feeling of being enveloped in a warm embrace. You’d put it on a record player and play it on loop for hours if you could.

“Hurry the fuck up –”

“One more word from you and you won’t be getting your coffee today, buddy,” the godly-looking barista snapped in a slightly louder tone at the man behind you, face contorted in irritation.

You hear silent cursing behind you, a twinge of embarrassment turning you red. You quickly glance back up. “Sorry, hi, hello. I’ll um… I…” the words were on the tip of your tongue, but seemed to dissolve when he glanced at you with those agonisingly pretty eyes and kind smile.

Snap out of it, you internally curse as you open your mouth again. “I’ll get three peanut butter-jelly donuts, and four chocolate donuts.”

“Okay. Which chocolate ones?” he asks, tapping his tongs against the display dome with stacks of donuts. There really were a lot of options – chocolate sprinkles, belgian chocolate, chocolate glazed, double chocolate – your mind seemed to freeze up for a second. Which one would Madison want?

You quickly look behind you, seeing the man’s face twisted up in what looked like rage. It seemed to be taking him all his willpower not to lash out at you, and the customers behind him didn’t look much far off.

You turn back to the counter, eyes wide with panic as you feel the blood rush to your head. You had never been good at this; thinking and choosing on the spot. That’s why Subway was always a no-go for you, that’s why Madison had specifically told you what to get her – just that she hadn’t been specific enough. “I… I’m not sure. I think, um…”

“Hey, take it easy,” you look back up to see Remus giving you a reassuring smile, a slight hint of concern on his face. Your despair must have been embarrassingly evident, then. “It’s alright if you can’t choose. Do you want me to pick for you?”

You ought to have been humiliated, the way you immediately nodded and gave in to his offer. But he just gave you an easy smile and nodded, picking up one of each type and placing them in the box.

“Thank you,” you mumble sheepishly as you move to the payment counter, fishing in your bag for a wad of notes.

“Of course,” he grins, and it was so bright you thought it could probably light up the whole cafe. “That’ll be $15.90.”

As he waits for you to pay, he takes a quick look down and begins to brush crumbs off his apron. You look up at the wrong moment, eyes immediately fixing on the curves of his biceps visible through his T-shirt, and his slender fingers.

He glances back up at you, catching a glimpse of your flustered look and instantly smirking. You look away abashedly, counting the money and handing it to him.

The brush of your fingers against his calloused palm sent a jolting shock through you as you quickly pull back, not missing the way his smile widened as he cashed the money into the register.

“Thanks for visiting, sweetheart. Hope to see you again soon.”

You don’t reply, afraid you’d crumble into a blushing, gooey mess. Flashing him a brief, nervous smile, you pick up the box of donuts before turning around and heading straight for the exit. Sweetheart.

You huff as you open the door and step outside, pulling out your phone to complain to Madison all about the stupidly handsome barista at her favourite cafe. God, he really knew what he was doing.

[cod-enthusiast]

Continuation to this post

CW: Reader wears a dress but gender isn’t specified

Finals was over, graduation was a few weeks away and your friends wanted to celebrate by doing a wine tasting tour of all things. So you dress up, put on that dress you’ve been dying to try out and making sure your hair looks presentable for once. First stop is the cafe before meeting your friends.

“It’s the graduate!” Price says with a smile.

“Thanks John.” You chuckle as you walk up to the counter. “I’ll have my coffee to go please.” You say to Kyle and beam at Ghost when you see he’s behind the machine.

“So ye’ a Doctor now, since ye’ gotta PHD?” Johnny asks.

You shake your head, still beaming. “Not a doctor, just an architect.”

“Still impressive, we’ll still see you around right, love?” Kyle asks.

“Of course, I’m not gonna abandon my favourite cafe just because I’m graduating. You guys got me through some tough times.” Your drink in a takeaway cup is handed over by Ghost. You’re about to pay when Price interrupts.

“On the house for the graduate.” He smiles.

“You sure you aren’t just trying to cozy up so I can update the place for you now?” You tease.

“Well…” His wife playfully hits him behind his head.

“Thank you, have a good one everyone.” You wave as you walk out the door.

It’s not until you’ve walked down the block that you feel something brush against your fingers on the cup. Turning it around to face you, you find a sticky note.

“Dress suits you :) - 👻”

[bylyric]

You wok at a cafe...

Barista!AU where you work at a cafe and Whitney's a troublesome customer, who in order to pay back the damages he owes the cafe, starts to work there as a barista as well...

- @cake-of-signs

Troublesome customer!Whitney who always struts into the café like he owns the place. He drags in the scent of cigarette smoke and trouble. The door chimes overhead, but it’s never as loud as the slap of his palm against the counter as he leans in, smirking.

Troublesome customer!Whitney who never orders off the menu. He expects you to just know what he wants. Half the time, he makes up names for drinks that don’t exist. The ‘Whitney Special’ changes every week. Sometimes, it’s just a double shot of espresso with enough sugar to kill a horse. Other times, it’s something disgusting, just to see if you’ll make it.

Troublesome customer!Whitney who ‘forgets’ his wallet more times than is remotely believable. He flashes you an unapologetic grin when you glare from behind the register. “Guess you’ll have to put it on my tab, huh?” His tab is longer than some novels, a list of drinks, snacks, and questionable purchases.

Troublesome customer!Whitney who is the bane of your manager’s existence. He smokes right outside the entrance, letting the smell drift inside. He carves his initials into the counter and scrawls "Whitney was here" on the bathroom walls. More than once, he's changed the menu board to feature ridiculous drink names—your boss was not amused by "whitchino" or "Hot Bitch Latte."

Troublesome customer!Whitney who, when finally confronted about the damages, just grins. “Alright, alright. I’ll make it up to ya. Put me on the payroll.” And somehow, against all logic, he actually gets hired.

Troublesome customer!Whitney who is a nightmare incarnate as a barista. He won’t wear the uniform properly, leaving the apron strings undone and rolling up his sleeves like he’s about to throw hands with the espresso machine. He still smokes right outside the café doors, flicking ashes onto the sidewalk and winking at customers.

Troublesome customer!Whitney who has the worst work ethic you’ve ever seen. He takes breaks whenever he feels like it, sits on the counters when no one’s looking, and openly heckles anyone who takes too long to order. “Oh my God, just pick something. It’s coffee, not a life decision."

Troublesome customer!Whitney who actually makes disgustingly good coffee when he bothers to try. He never follows the recipe, just eyeballs everything, but the results are always perfect. Of course, he’ll never let you forget it. “See? Natural talent. Some of us are just built different.”

Troublesome customer!Whitney who refuses to pay for his own drinks. He steals sips from yours whenever he gets the chance. He leans in, grabs your cup off the counter, and takes a slow, obnoxious sip. “Mmm. Tastes better when it’s yours.” You could kill him.

Troublesome customer!Whitney who abuses his employee discount. He loads up on pastries, then conveniently ‘loses’ his wallet when it’s time to settle up. You’ve started tracking what he owes in the break room. He’s winning.

Troublesome customer!Whitney who never actually quits, even when his tab is paid off. He acts like he’s doing the café a favor by sticking around. “Place would fall apart without me, wouldn’t it?” The worst part? You’re almost starting to believe him.

[zens-mysticmess]

Linktober 2025 | Day 18

Main Masterlist | More Viper

Favorite Customer | Idol!Xavier x Barista!MC | Prompt: Coffee

Gorgeous! Tall! Extremely talented! Anyone would be lucky to have the attention of the internationally famous idol ☆AVIER. Like me. I'm just a normal barista and a friend of Xavier more than a fan. Well, I guess I'm more than just a friend at this point, too.

Divider: @/strangergraphics

CW: Brief description of murder, obsessive fan (sasaeng) mentality, and mentions of cops/interrogation room

The handsome bodyguard entered first and looked around. He made eye contact with me and gave me a greeting nod. I returned it with a smile. Was it already Thursday? There weren’t many people at the coffeeshop right now. Just a couple waiting on their order and a businesslady on her laptop watching a concert.

“Hey, scooch over. I’ve got this next order. Watch my hands and my demeanor.” I told Simone who was currently training.

She started to pout, “I was doing just fine. There aren’t--oh my gosh!”

I closed her mouth with one hand as the tall man entered. Ashy blonde hair pushed back by dark glasses. He was wearing black jeans today with a black turtleneck and a white techwear jacket. By the sound his shoes were making on the wooden linoleum, I could guess he was wearing some type of heel.

“Mornin’, Xavier. Are you gonna get your usual or something different this time?” I asked.

“Good morning, Y/N. I think I’ll go with my usual drink, but I’m allowed a pastry today. What do you suggest?” He looked at me instead of the menu above.

“We’ve got our fall menu in full swing. We still have apple cider donuts, pumpkin fritters, apple fritters, cinnamon apple drizzle croissants, and mini pumpkin pies. A fresh batch of cookies are coming out in two minutes.” I typed in the orders for his bodyguards and familiar staff, too.

The lady in the corner had paused her concert and was staring at Xavier. He was a popular idol known for his boyish charm and very sweet fanservice. His falsetto was iconic, and his breath control was enviable.

I usually took his orders unless I was sick and not at work on a given Thursday. This had been going on for about a year. He’d even wait for me to come out of the bathroom if the timing wasn’t exactly right. Today was no different.

“Hmmm, I’ll take two of everything you just mentioned. Three of the apple fritters, though. Let me know when you’ve typed everything in.” His gentle voice requested.

I typed as I talked, “You’re going on tour soon, right? I’m gonna miss our Thursday banter during that time, but I’m glad your international fans get to see you in person.”

“Yeah, lots of work has been going into it. Fittings, meetings, all that fun stuff. I feel like I’m going to fall asleep standing up more than normal. I’ll be back before New Year’s. Then we can pick up where we left off.” His light blue eyes didn’t leave me as I tapped the screen.

“Looking forward to it. Total’s on the screen.” I said with the utmost sincerity.

I heard all the things he couldn’t say. He’d miss me more than the subpar coffee. He’d miss my face and my voice more than the alright pastries. I knew that’s what he meant. It was the truth that had to be silent because of who was around. His fans were starting to crowd the windows. I sighed.

“They’re faster than usual.” I said, handing him his receipt.

“Yeah, well, my concert is tomorrow night, so I expected to have more eyes on me.” He gave a wave and a dazzling smile.

Several squeals and two people fainted. I tried not to laugh at their desperation. Xavier put $25 in the tip jar.

“Speaking of, you’ll be there, right?” He asked me.

“Yep. Got some nosebleeds for triple the price, but you travel the crowd often enough that I don’t mind.” I said.

He smiled, “Good. I’ll see you there.” and then he sat at a table near the window just to make sure none of his fans got too restless.

I helped Simone pack up the large order. What my co-workers didn’t know is that he had sent his manager to wait for me after work a few weeks ago. I had front row tickets, sound check, and backstage access.

If he didn’t publicly admit I was his girlfriend, soon, though, I’d throw a fit.

Gosh, that girl gave me the creeps. Xavier thought to himself.

He knew that he was a popular idol, so ‘fans’ like her were a dime a dozen. Still, she was getting worse by the week. She didn’t even work Thursdays before. If there was any other time that Xavier could’ve shown up to his favorite coffee spot, he would have. At the same time, the service wasn’t that good when he sent his manager to order instead of him. So he played her game, talked to her nicely.

She kept talking despite typing in my order, “You’re going on tour soon, right? You should stay in China and keep our Thursdays, but I guess your international fans should get to see you too.”

“Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it though I’ll be back before New Year’s. It’s really not enough time.” I made sure everything went in correctly since she had messed up last time.

“Looking forward to it. Total’s on the screen.” The way she said that made my blood chill.

I noticed my fans were getting a bit rowdy near the glass. They knew I came here weekly, so I wasn’t surprised they were there. I’ve been coming here since before I debuted. I waved at them to calm them down.

“They’re faster than usual.” She handed me my receipt.

I took it, trying my best to avoid touching her hand, “Yeah, well, my concert is tomorrow night, so I expected to have more eyes on me.”

One called my name. It was the girl I loved. I waved in her general direction making a bit of an uproar. They were so cute, though. I put my usual into the tip jar since I knew 10% would go to children in need.

“I’ll be there.” The barista replied as if I asked her something. “Yep. Got some nosebleeds for triple the price, but you travel the crowd often enough that I don’t mind.” She gave a too-wide grin.

I was worried people would think we were dating with how easily she weaseled herself into my life. She was a constant on my fan sights. Every concert. I knew that she had bribed one of my newer managers into giving her front row tickets, sound check, and backstage access. He seemed apologetic, but he’d be fired if he did it again. Or maybe he was being a good buffer.

“Xavie, your order’s ready!” She called out.

I gave a polite smile and took the first bag from her, our fingers brushing for a split second. My stomach churned and I tried not to recoil.

“Thanks.” I replied. “See you.”

And I waited for my staffers to get the rest of it. I couldn’t wait to leave. She didn’t know this would be the last time I showed up here. That is, if she stayed. I didn’t like using my power to get people fired. However, I wouldn’t let her ruin my memories of this place with how uncomfortable she made me. I talked to her boss. They’d fire her while I was on tour, or I’d never come back.

She’d probably call out or get restless without me there as often. It would seem like a natural consequence. Perhaps she’d quit on her own.

He didn’t say it. I thought we talked about it. His last trip at the coffee shop, I thought he understood. Instead…he went public with some random girl! I knew she had gotten to him! They had matching hats and rings. I knew that was his jacket and not one she had got during thrifting!

Well then…he had his chance.

IDOL ☆AVIER ATTACKED ON STAGE BY SISHENG FAN

It was the biggest news for the next 24 hours. Every channel both traditional and not. The moment going viral and being suppressed on social media. A traumatic moment for everyone who saw the glint of a knife, the splurt of blood, heard his screams in the headset before it was turned off. The screens at the venue went black.

“I don’t remember what happened next, officer.” I put on my best innocent act. “I just got so upset that he was lying to everyone!”

“What was he lying about?” Officer Tara asked.

“He’s not dating that girl. He’s dating me! We’ve been together for a whole year! Our anniversary was next week, and he’d be out of town. So he was supposed to bring me up on stage and tell everyone!” I said and then remembered that I should’ve been crying.

I sniffed, “I didn’t mean to hurt him. I don’t even. What did I do? I just remember getting mad and the next thing I knew, there was blood on my hands. I hate blood.”

A captain of some sort came in and said, “Miss, Y/N. I feel it’s only right to let you know that Xavier didn’t make it. You’re officially a murderer.”

I hid my smile, “What a shame. He always was my favorite customer.”

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Linktober Masterlist | Next >

[rddyatbat]

Abe would not be able to withstand the barista world (inspired by a real sticker I pulled literally yesterday)

[underoospeterparker]

heyy congrats on 600 follows !! ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ ♡

i have a 🪸 corals request ! a blurb on barista!steve rogers x reader sounds super cute <33 [i was thinking maybe reader is his favourite customer to the point where he has her order memorized !! (๑^ ᴗ^๑) ]

again congratulations !! <3

join the celebration

barista!steve rogers x fem!reader, 0.4k words

The sound of the coffee shop bell ringing and your excited squeal made Steve's eyes lift from the iced coffee he was pouring. In a second, his face twisted into a massive grin, a dimple popping out from his cheek when he saw you wave at him enthusiastically, a smile mirrored on your lips.

As you came up to the counter, Steve's heart squeezed when you were pushed aside by another customer who was waiting for his iced coffee. You glared at him, but Steve was quick to interject. "Your coffee, sir," he said, sighing exasperatedly, "is over there."

He pointed to the collection stand and the man moved to go there. Steve stopped him with a hand on his chest. "You shove her again, and I can't be held responsible for what I'm about to do." He paused, making sure the man was listening. Sure enough, his eyes had widened in surprise. "You got it?"

The man gave Steve a curt nod and left, leaving only you and Steve at the counter. His face gentled when he saw you up close, a happy glint in your eye. "Hi, sweetheart," he greeted you, a tilt to his lips. "The usual?"

You suddenly paused your violent attempts at fishing your wallet out of your purse to stare at Steve. "You know my usual?"

Your question was quiet, and the barista's eyes softened. "Of course I know your usual," he replied, a small smile on his lips, "a caramel frappuccino; less ice, no whipped cream."

"How do you do that?" He gave you a confused look. "I mean, how do you memorise everyone's orders?"

You must have looked bewildered, because he laughed. "I don't memorise everyone's orders, honey," he replied, "just yours."

The comment made you blush; a bright pink spreading across your cheekbones as you fought the urge to giggle in front of him, which would have been terribly embarrassing. Instead, you gave him a small smile, then pulled out your wallet with a flourish. "Well," you whispered, taking out your credit card, "I do come here too often, don't I?"

He moved to the cashier, inputting your order with a quick press of his thumb, but his eyes remained on you. "Not often enough."

[berriesandjunnie]

❝ you must like coffee a lot ❞

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° synopsis the tale of a student who keeps coming back to the same coffee shop just for the barista. ┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° genre & tags fluff / barista!seungkwan / student!reader / small coffee shop vibes / potential love at first sight on behalf of the reader / just overall soft blushy gushy stuff ┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° pairing seungkwan x afab!reader ┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° w.c 1.8k words

┆ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ ◛ ° author’s note n/a

˚ ༘♡ ·˚꒰ now loading… enjoy! ꒱ ₊˚ˑ༄

“Anyone would think you have a caffeine addiction, y/n.” Your best friend sighed as he walked beside you, pulling the scarf wrapped around his neck over his chin as a harsh, bitter wind blew into your faces. Your hands grasped your jacket as you pulled around your lithe body to protect you as much as you could.

“Trust me Nonnie, best coffee in Seoul.” You flashed him a grin, your feet picking up their pace to reach the coffee shop sooner. Just the thought of being somewhere out of this wind was appetising right now but you classified yourself as on a mission. This started about two weeks ago, unbeknownst to Vernon. You’d discovered this quaint, chill vibes coffee shop on your walk to class one day and impulsively you decided to just grab your usual iced americano from there.

Now you weren’t sure if you was turning up for your iced americano or the barista behind the counter who complimented your drink choice the first day you entered as a customer. He was cheerful, hosting a warm smile and you could sit and listen to his voice all day. Sometimes you would skip class and instead sit in the coffee shop with your laptop, working - to an extent, of course. Your eyes would find themselves always drawn to the barista, watching as he completed basic tasks or made other customers’ drinks. When the coffee shop was particularly quiet, you’d even heard him sing in a hushed angelic voice to the songs they would play on the small static radio on the shelf.

All of this and you still didn’t even know this name, he never had his name tag on - you figured perhaps he was new and waiting for it or he’d maybe just lost his name tag. The dim golden lights filled the place with warmth from where they glowed as you pulled Vernon into the coffee shop, the bell on the door jingling. Undoing your coat, you hadn’t even noticed the eyes set on you.

“Long time no see, how is school?” The familiar voice spoke up and you chewed your lip as you approached the counter. As difficult as it was, you were fighting the grin that was trying to light up your pale-from-the-cold face. Vernon side glanced you.

“Hm, getting by, I can’t wait for winter break,” you mused with a smile that he returned without a second thought, “I’ll have an iced americano and a slice of chocolate cake, please - oh and a latte.”

Vernon chuckled, leaving your side to sit at a table by the window. You watched him shrug off his coat now that you were in temperatures significantly higher than those of outside. A soft hum came from your throat as you tapped your foot, shivering slightly.

“Boyfriend?” The barista joked quietly, his voice a little low as not wanting to embarrass you. The words made your eyes widen, quickly shaking your head paired with the wave of one of your hands.

“No no no, a good friend of mine.” You were quick to interject, not wanting the barista to believe you were in a relationship. He didn’t say anything but his eyes looked over once more at Vernon before he placed your items onto your tray, telling you your total so you could pay.

Quietly, you took the tray to the table Vernon had chosen, sighing as you too now shrugged off your heavy coat. Vernon’s pale hand reached for his latte, cupping his hands to the mug for a heat source. Once your coat was removed, you fixed your outfit before sitting and patting out your skirt. Vernon rolled his eyes.

“So, are you actually coming here for coffee?” He scoffed quietly as he took a sip from the mug in front of him. Unconsciously your eyes widened as you stared at him, the straw of your iced americano in your mouth as no words came out. He raised his brow, his eyes glossing over your reaction before he looked down at his mug, smirking with a chuckle, “do you even know his name?”

You were silent for some time as you came to the realisation that your best friend had finally cracked your obsession with this tiny coffee shop that no one really knows about. He had finally cracked why your attendance was plummeting under 50% and why he’d found your laptop open on some tab about the types of coffees. It was all coming together and Vernon was brimming with a cocky attitude that he’d figured it out. A sigh escaped you as you placed the iced americano down, yet to have even sipped it.

“No, I don’t,” the words barely came out of your mouth, fighting the urge to look at the barista in question, “I’m not straight forward like you, Nonnie, this stuff is difficult...”

Vernon sat back in his chair, his arms folded across his chest as he stared out of the window as the clouds appeared to open up above Seoul and the streets experienced a pour of rain, heavily beating against the pavements and windows. There was no song for the rain to create however you could still relate to the chaotic, rushed sounds the rain made. It mimicked your mental panic about your situation with this barista who most likely didn’t even feel the same.

“Look, today we’ll make one step of progress, okay? Either you ask his name or I do.” Your best friend spoke again, leaning forward onto the table so his voice was more hushed. You were almost thankful that he wasn’t yelling it out in the empty cafe. Your eyes side glanced the unaware barista, who was unpacking more cakes for the front of the counter. You pursed your lips before nodding.

“Okay, when we leave.”

-

His name was Seungkwan. He’d dropped school to work at his mother’s coffee shop and you were pleasantly surprised by the information that he was the same age as you. He asked for your name in return and with that warm smile that showed his chubby cheeks, he complimented your name and called it beautiful. You vividly remember the heat rising to your cheeks as you thanked him. Did he even know the effect he was having on you simply by existing? 

Your daily routine of grabbing an iced americano continued, as if it was becoming your holy grail to see Seungkwan at least once a day. Your parents had made their concern quite obvious about whether or not you were addicted to caffeine or not, but you never interjected that you were more addicted to the barista than the taste of coffee. 

With the South Korean summer sun burning down on you, you had a small skip to your step as you manoeuvred your way to the coffee shop - your favourite location in the entirety of Seoul currently. Vernon had baseball practise today - apparently sports is more important than summer break - so you were venturing alone but you didn’t mind. He was slightly pressuring when it came to your progression with your favourite barista and you simply wanted some peace without him jokingly about children’s names. The bell sounded your arrival into the coffee shop on this particular day, the sounds of voices chiming happily as people gathered to enjoy the warm weather. Within seconds, your eyes had met those familiar ones behind the counter, his smile beaming - most likely in relation to the popularity of the coffee shop on this day.

“Y/n,” he greeted as you approached the counter, “you must like coffee a lot - what can I get you?”

Your cheeks flushed pink at his words but thankfully they were already colourful from your walk here paired with your make-up. You let out a small laugh to hide your embarrassment yet you decided to be bold for Vernon.

“I like the barista more,” you mused before getting your purse out of your bag, “the usual, please.”

Seungkwan froze, his eyes wide and cheeks rising in temperature as he stared at you in surprise. He hadn’t expected you to reciprocate anything that he had felt towards you in these past months - and somehow you had just hinted that you did. Nervously, he smiled and let out a chuckle.

“You’ve been so quiet I didn’t expect that,” he mumbled, beginning to make your iced americano like he always did. You smiled as you leaned onto the counter, “my sister is taking over my shift at 12... do you want to go get a drink somewhere else?”

“I’d love to.” You beamed, catching his eyes once more.

-

“You’re actually attending classes again?” Vernon poked as he pushed your shoulder gently as you walked through the school corridors. The next academic year had begun, summer seemed to breeze by with Seungkwan by your side whenever he had time off. You’d been to the movies, the beach and he had even taken you to Jeju for the weekend. 

“Shocker, isn’t it?” You rolled your eyes, chewing your gum quietly as you admired the bustle of students. You hadn’t missed this but it was your final year and suddenly you felt nostalgic to the school building, recognising that you’d miss being cram packed into a corridor on your way to classes like you were sardines and you’d also miss how Vernon and yourself would pass notes covered in awful doodles to each other.

“Big one, what made you change your mind about education so suddenly?” He laughed, taking a gulp of his energy drink that you had warned him about many times before, “what happened to the pretty barista boy? Ended up being gay or something?”

With a scoff, you slapped Vernon’s arm, shaking your head as he rose a brow.

“No,” you dragged with emphasis, “why were you hoping he was gay?”

It was Vernon’s time to scoff, shoving his spare hand into his jacket pocket with a huff as you exited the school building. The first day back to classes had been completed successfully and you didn’t feel the urge to start cutting classes again just yet. The crowds of sardines began to disperse a little once they hit fresh air, the heat of September still making people sticky and clammy. Your best friend opened his mouth but words didn’t come out as his eyes found something amongst the masses. You rose a brow, turning your gaze to follow his and your lips turned quicker than you could even imagine. There stood by the entrance gate to your school campus was Boo Seungkwan.

“Ooooooh...” Vernon exhaled as you quickened your pace towards the male, trying to follow your steps as he watched Seungkwan engulf you in his arms, bringing you into his chest as the two of you rocked slightly in the hug. Seungkwan pressed a kiss to your head and you looked up at him, smiling.

“Thought I’d come make sure you actually did keep your promise and attend classes.” Seungkwan teased, causing you to scoff and roll your eyes as you tip-toed to press your lips to his.

Thank God for coffee.