Delivery Boy
Pairing: Han Gyeong-su x reader (Cheong-san x sister!reader)
A/N: I actually am so happy about the love for Gyeong-su I've seen on this site, when I was watching the show I loved him but since he "isn't in that much" I was worried no would really care about him. He's such a cutie. Also the legal drinking age in Korea is 19 (as far as I'm aware) in case any of you Americans get confused with the ages. Credit to @uzmacchiato for the borders. Enjoy :)
You glance up at the sound of the bell.
Putting on your best customer service voice, you greeted the incoming figures, “Hello, welcome to Cheong-san Chicken, how may I-”
You stopped your greeting, deflating as you realized it was just your brother and his friends. “Oh…it’s you.”
“Hey,” Cheong-san scolded, “We’re still customers. We want chicken.”
You raised an eyebrow, looking over him and his friends, all still in their school uniforms. “And are you planning on paying?”
Cheong-san paused before lowering his head, looking up at you with his best attempt at puppy dog eyes. “I was hoping my beautiful older sister would make some for her younger brother and his friends, who are all stressing about senior year.” He spoke up, trying to guilt you.
“No”
Cheong-san and his friends all made noises of disapproval… well, all but one.
“Come on, y/n, you remember how hard senior year was. Have sympathy on us youngsters,” I-sak called out, pleading, as she leaned on On-jo’s shoulder. The pair were starving.
You narrowed your eyes at her. “Youngsters? You’re a year younger than I am. My senior year ended only a few months ago,” You pointed out.
"And yet you've already stopped showing us sympathy. It's like you're a grumpy old woman," On-jo teases, and Cheong-san nods along with his friends.
"Hey!"
The voice of protest did not come from you, but instead from Gyeong-su, who was glaring at his friends.
“She is still a beautiful, young, gorgeous… lively, pretty woman. And you should respect her,” He announced dramatically before turning to look directly at you, as if you were going to praise him for defending you.
You smirked, “Thanks, Gyeong-su,” you spoke in a teasing tone, and he instantly melted, smiling at you with a stupid grin. He couldn't help that his name sounded so beautiful coming from your mouth.
“Dude! That’s my sister,” Cheong-san whacked Gyeong-su's arm, though the boy barely winced - too focused on you.
“Lucky for you, I’m in a good mood. Just this once, I’ll make you some chicken… on the house.”
The group cheered, now all sending you praises and thanks. Though Cheong San annoyed you, like all younger brothers do, you could sympathise with the stress of senior year. The way parents and teachers treated it, it seemed like even a zombie apocalypse wouldn't get you out of exams.
It felt weird to now have free time with university running much less frequently. You picked up a job at your parents' shop just to fill in the time in your now-empty days.
The least you could do is make them some chicken.
You heard someone clear their throat, breaking you out of your thoughts. Turning, you were met with Gyeong-su, who was still standing by the counter, watching as you heated up the oil.
“Shouldn’t you be studying with the others?” You nodded your head over to where the others had set up their books, starting to study. Cheong-san kept gazing up at Gyeong-su, sending him a suspicious look.
He didn't quite believe that Gyeong-su had stayed back just to ‘grab some napkins’.
“I wanted to ask how you’ve been,” He spoke, trying to seem casual. You eyed him, mimicking the suspicious look your brother held.
“I’ve been good, Gyeong-su.” You kept your answer simple, bracing yourself for what he had to say next.
“Anything new going on in your life? Like, oh… I don't know… maybe a new boyfriend?”
You snorted, finally working out the reason he came over. “No. Can’t say that I have a new boyfriend,”
Gyeong-su let out an exaggerated gasp, as if he hadn't already interrogated Cheong-san about your dating life. “Well, that shouldn't be. You're too pretty to be single.” He leaned closer over he counter. “How about this? I'm a kind person. I can be your boyfriend.”
You looked him up and down, as he held his arms out, like he was presenting himself to you.
“I’m not going to date you, Gyeong-su.” You spoke blankly as you began to transfer the chicken from the frier into a basket. His arms instantly slumped, and he frowned. “Why not?” Gyeong-su whined.
“Because you’re still a high schooler.”
He gave an offended look. “You were just complaining that you're only a year older than us. It’s a perfectly acceptable age gap… I wouldn't even call it that.” He rambled, hoping to convince you to reconsider.
You shook your head. “But it’s different. A lot happens in a year after you graduate. I’ve become a woman, while you’re still a boy.”
He pouted, not really helping his case. “I’m a man”
You hummed at the comment, though you clearly didn't believe him.
“I am a man, I swear. I’ll do anything to prove it,” Gyeong-su insisted, seeing how you weren't listening.
You placed the basket of chicken in front of him. “Can you take this chicken over to your friends?” You asked, and he looked down at the chicken, then back at you.
“Will you be my girlfriends if I do?”
“Nope.” You shook your head, and he sighed, still taking the chicken with him as he dragged his feet back to his friends. “Thank you,” You sang out after him, before returning to cleaning the kitchen, waiting for some real customers.
You and Cheong-san’s friends stayed relatively separate from then on, Gyeong-su trying to steal glances at you ever so often, only to be scolded by Cheong-san.
After a while, you heard the bell at the door ring again.
“Hello, welcome to Cheong-san chicken-” You cut your greeting short again, seeing that this time it was only your mother.
“Hi, Mom,” You greeted, and Cheong-san and his friends all called out greetings.
“Oh, look at you. I'm so proud of you, working in the family business.” Your mother rushed over to you, taking your cheeks in her hands and squeezing them. “My little girl is all grown up,”
Cheong-san laughed at your embarrassment as your mother began to fuss over you.
“Mom, stop it. It’s embarrassing” you whispered and she waved you off. “Please, you don't need to be embarrassed in front of them,” She gestured to the younger teens, who were all giggling.
“I’m just so happy to see you working so hard. I told you, a job really is the only way to become a proper adult.”
Suddenly, there was a banging sound, as something hit the floor. You all turned to see Gyeong-su now standing, his seat pushed to the floor.
You’re mother tilted her head, confused by the boy's sudden movement. “Gyeong-su, are you alright?”
“Mrs Lee,” He spoke, moving forward and bowing in front of her.
“I would like to get a job at your establishment.”
---
“I still don't think it’s a good idea to hire a senior. Maybe you should reconsider”
You pleaded with your mother as she moved around the restaurant, tidying it up.
“I mean, you're the one who told me you’d rather me lose a leg than be distracted in senior year.”
Your mother waved you off. “He’s only going to be doing deliveries on the weekends. We need some extra help.”
“No, we don't.” You gestured to the empty restaurant. You had managed to get a group of regulars to keep your business afloat, but you weren't exactly drowning in business.
“I think it’s very admirable what he’s doing. Especially everything going on with his family,” She sent you a look, warning you not to fight with her anymore.
“I guess so,” You admitted, as the sound of the door opening caught your attention.
An unimpressed-looking Cheong-san had opened the door for an ecstatic Gyeong-su. He sent you an excited wave, though your mother was the one to return it.
“Look who's here,” Cheong-san grumbled. As much as he loved the boy, Gyeong-su was his best friend after all, he hated how excited he got every time you were brought up.
“Thank you again for this job, Mrs. Lee. You're the best," Gyeong-su cheered, and your mom beamed at the compliment. "You will not regret hiring me.”
“Oh, you are such a sweet boy.” Your mom smiled sweetly. She gestured to you. “Y/n will be training you tonight, alright.”
“What?” You, Gyeong-su, and Cheong-san all exclaimed at the same time, though Gyeong-su was the only one saying it with joy.
“What? You’re leaving them alone,” Cheong san complained, gesturing angrily between the two of you. You didn't seem much happier about the idea.
“Yes, I have to run some errands around town, ”Your mom spoke, and Cheong-san gaped in disbelief. “Don't worry about the business, your sister is fully capable of taking care of it herself.” Your mother smiled, completely oblivious to the real reason he was upset.
“But mom-”
“No buts,” She interrupted Cheong-san, “Now get back to studying. We don't want you failing senior year,” She ushered him out, not letting him get a word in before closing the door of the shop.
You and Gyeong-su were now all alone.
You dragged your hands over your face, groaning as you thought about the shift ahead. Opening your eyes again, you looked to Gyeong-su, who was already staring at you.
You gave him a blank look, and he smiled widely. “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?”
You sighed. “Come on, let’s get you to work.” He quickly moved to your side, standing awfully close to you as you led him to the kitchen. He bumped into you as you abruptly stopped, grabbing your arm for support.
“I'm going to need some space,” You ordered, moving your arm away, and he quickly shuffled away. Despite your scolding, he still looked at you enthusiastically.
“Ok, so first off, we have our spicy sauce, our mild sauce, and our sweet sauce.” You showed him, and he just grinned.
“You’re sweet,”
You groaned, turning to face him. “Look, Gyeong-su, I hope you didn't just get this job to impress me.” You pointed at him, and he shrugged. “I just got this job because I’m a man, and men have jobs.”
He tried to act casual. “If you're impressed by me and fall in love, that would just be an added bonus.”
You raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, I’ll let you know now - you not listening and getting dirstacted by me won't do much to prove you're a man”
He seemed to freeze at that reveal, his mind racing as he took in the new information.
“So if you want to impress me, you'd better listen to the rules. You got that?”
Gyeong-su nodded, suddenly filled with determination. You shook your head at the goofy boy, not being able to take him seriously at all.
Still, you couldn't deny that for the rest of the night: he showed an impressive amount of work ethic.
---
You heard the bell ring as you mopped the floor of the restaurant.
“Last delivery all done,” Gyeong-su announced proudly as he swaggered through the restaurant.
He had been working at Cheong-an Chicken for over a month, and you had to admit - he had been a lot of help to the company. He was always on time, he got amazing reviews from customers, and he always offered to help with work even if it wasn't in his description.
So far, the only issue was that Gyeong-su’s “little crush” hadn't gone away in the weeks of working with you.
You nodded as he put the delivery bags away neatly on the shelf. Once he was done, he headed back to the floor, watching you mop.
“Sooo… do you have any plans for after work?” He asked, and you shrugged. “I don't know, not in particular. The night is still young, so I'm willing to make plans.”
He smiled widely. “Really? What do you think you might do?” Maybe this was finally his chance.
“Hmmm,” You pretended to think, tapping your chin dramatically. “Maybe I’ll go get a drink at a bar.”
You smirked, and Gyeong-su’s face dropped. You know full well that he was trying to get you to hang out with him. You also knew full well he still had a few more months until he turned 19.
He groaned. “When are you going to see that I’m a man?” He whined, and you raised an eyebrow. “When you start acting like one,” You gestured to his little hissy fit, as you rolled the mop and bucket back towards the supply closet.
“But I have been acting like it.” Gyeong-su followed you, a desperate look on his face. “I’ve been working really hard here, and your dad even said I was one of the hardest workers he’s ever met.”
“I don’t disagree,” You spoke, patting him on the shoulder. “But that doesn't make you a man.”
You grabbed your purse, slipping on your jacket as you headed towards the door. Yeah, your house was only upstairs, but Gyeong-su had planted the idea of going out after work, and now you wanted a drink.
Before you could reach the door, Gyeong-su’s voice broke through the silence.
“Is it me? Do you just not like me?”
You turned around to see him looking at you with a sad face.
“Because I really like you, so if there’s something wrong with me, I’ll change it.”
You stare at Gyeong-su as his eyes roam your face. Despite all his desperate attempts to ask you out, he had always seemed shameless. This was the first time you had seen him truly vulnerable.
You couldn't help but feel a wave of guilt wash over you.
Sighing, you walked over to one of the packed-up restaurant tables, taking a seat at it and sitting on it. You gestured for Geyong-su to follow, which he did quickly, looking up at you expectantly.
“Look, Gyeong-su, you're a nice guy.”
He winced at the worst. “Oh, this sounds like every rejection ever,” He complained, burying his head in his arms.
“No, I’m serious,” You insisted, gently pulling on his back so he was facing you again. “You are an amazing guy. You are hard-working and caring, and you have never once made me uncomfortable - you listen when I say stop and you make sure everyone around you is included. You're also very funny…girls love funny.”
He looked up at you, trying to hold back a smile.
“You are better than, like, 80% of guys from my year level. You know what, make it 90.”
He shyly smiled, though the look was quickly replaced with one of confusion. “Then why don't you like me?”
You took a deep breath. “It’s not that I don't like you, Gyeong-su.”
He lit up, this being the first time you even suggested anything but neutrality about him.
“But you are going through a very different stage of your life right now. I know it’s only a year difference, but your last year of high school and your first year out are not compatible. It wouldn't be fair for you to have to try and balance the university lifestyle while you need to graduate, in the same way it wouldn't be fair for me to be tied back down to high school while I’m trying to find my footing as an adult.”
Gyeong-su nodded silently, hanging his head down a little bit. You frowned at the reaction. "Gyeong-su, I swear I'm not making this up. If things were different then…" You trailed off, not wanting to actually say it out loud. It hurt a bit to think about how things could be different.
Maybe Gyeong-su had grown on you more than you thought.
Placing a gentle hand on his back, you leaned down a bit, trying to get a view of the boy who was still hiding his face. “Do you understand what I mean?” You asked, wanting to make sure you hadn't broken his heart.
"Yeah, I do," Gyeong-su nodded.
“You mean…. that we can date as soon as I graduate high school?”
He turned to you, finally revealing his face, which was covered in a crazy grin. You couldn't help but snort at his expression.
“Really? That’s all you got?” You asked, and he nodded, standing up from his chair with a look of determination.
“I’m going to be such a good boyfriend to you next year,” He spoke excitedly, before pointing a finger at you. “So you better not go find another boyfriend til then. I know the boys your age don't treat you as well as I do.”
You shook your head fondly, hearing your own words used against you. “You’re crazy,” You simply stated, though there was no insult behind your words.
“Put those chairs away and lock up before you leave,” You ordered as you stood up and headed to the front door.
“I’m serious, you know?” Gyeong-su called out to you. “As soon as I graduate, I’m going to ask you to be my girlfriend.”
You couldn't help but smile at the sweet, handsome boy pointing at you.
“I look forward to it.”
