♡ “𝖨 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗇𝖺 𝗌𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾, 𝖨'𝗆 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖨 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝖿𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽, 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖨'𝖽 𝗋𝗎𝗇 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝙮𝙤𝙪.”
new hire!fem!reader x regular!jiung
𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: when the cafe jiung visits quite regularly gets a new hire, he can’t help but be subconsciously pulled in by her, and it isn’t just about the coffee or sweet cookies.. it’s something sweeter.
𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨: swearing, most likely inaccurate personalities, intentional lowercase, sort of love at first sight??, pure FLUFF!! mostly writing + smau, use of yn, probably a lot of misuse of punctuation, pov switches, not fully proofread
jiung closed his phone, shoving it into his back pocket as he walked to the front of his apartment, grabbing and shrugging on his jacket.
he bent over to grab his shoes, his fingers supporting the heel of the shoe while he shimmied his foot into them. he grabbed his wallet and stuffed it into his pocket, then reached for his earbuds, putting them in his ears while turning on some music.
walking out of his apartment, he locked the door behind him, making a beeline for the coffee shop that was only a few blocks away.
it didn’t take long for jiung to reach the café, swinging the door open, excited to get away from the chill that bit at his cheeks.
“welcome in!” a voice called, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. he was used to a more elderly voice, but this one was unfamiliar and young.
he looked up only to meet eyes with you. his heart fluttered wildly, you were… pretty. more than pretty. jiung didn’t believe in love at first sight, but he did believe in fate, which is as close as it gets.
your lips curved into a smile and he paused. he must look like an idiot right now. he almost forgot he should already be at the counter by now. he offered a shy smile back, walking up to the counter to order.
“do you know what you’d like to have or do you need some time?” you asked, standing in front of the screen you took the orders on.
he cleared his throat quietly, regaining the senses in his brain, “Uhh.. i’d like an iced americano, please. twelve ounces.” he answered, his eyes flitting down towards the seemingly new display of pastries, his eyes widening.
his voice was somehow calm despite being somewhat nervous, “woah. since when did you guys get pastries?”
you let out a small chuckle, placing his order of the americano into the device. “since i started working. i make them.”
his gaze returned to you at your answer, feeling a warmth spread through his chest at your laugh. “that’s awesome. can i get one of those chocolate chip cookies?”
“of course, anything else?”
he nodded, “a hot sweet tea, twelve ounces, all to go please.” he dreaded saying the last three words, but he promised keeho he’d get him that tea.
you smiled after typing in his order, “your total is 5500 won,”
jiung pulled out his wallet, taking out the needed cash and handing it over, your hands brushing. he tensed, his heart skipping a beat but he pulled his hand away as if nothing happened at all. “keep the rest,”
“oh, thank you.” you paused, putting the cash in the register. “name for your order?”
“ah, jiung.” he gave a nod, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“okay, i’ll call your name out when your order is ready.” with that, you turned around, preparing his order with practiced ease.
jiung was sitting at the table shoved closest to the corner when he heard you call his name, his heart picking up without even meaning to.
he glanced up and quickly made his way over, grabbing the to-go box and drink carrier you provided him.
“thank you so much,” he took a peek at your name tag, committing your name to memory before turning away.
“have a good day!” you called out, watching him leave.
the next day, he came around again, giving you a shy smile while telling you the same order - minus the tea.
as he gave you the totaled money, he spoke, “the cookie was really good. best cookie i’ve had in a while.”
you couldn’t help but laugh, shaking your head, “it’s just a normal cookie. i appreciate it though.”
when you gave him his change, he lingered for a moment, like he wanted to say something before turning away and sitting down at the closest table.
after a while, you came to his table instead of calling out his name. “hey, sorry it took so long, we got slammed all of a sudden.” you gently set his cookie and iced americano in front of him despite the rushed sound of your voice.
he shook his head, giving a reassuring smile, “no worries,” he took a sip from his americano as you quickly made your way back to the counter, gathering orders.
he paused when he saw a small writing on the small label of the cup, pulling it back to get a good look. “thank you for your patience :).” it was simple, but it was enough to make his heart stutter in his chest.
the bell above the door jingled, it was becoming a more frequent sound, and surprisingly it wasn’t that annoying.
you glanced up, catching eyes with a familiar customer, jiung, that had caught your attention the past few times he’s been in. he was quiet, respectful and had very soft hands - from what you had felt from the brief second.
but he wasn’t alone this time. a slightly taller, more confident guy accompanied him. they walked up to the counter, a polite smile on jiung’s face while the other was taking in his surroundings.
“hey,” he spoke quietly, “can i get a twelve ounce iced americano aaand… a breakfast sandwich, please.”
you nodded, already typing the order in. you looked up when his friend spoke, “iced americano for me as well,”
just as you were about to put in the order, you saw jiung basically whip towards his friend, catching your attention.
“you’re paying for your own,” he said it like it was non negotiable, his friends eyes widening.
“huh?! i didn’t bring my wallet!”
“why would you not bring your wallet?!”
“i thought this was like, your treat or something. I don’t know man.”
you tried to contain your laughter at their bickering, biting the inside of your cheek to conceal it, but ultimately failed.
it seemed like it was all they needed for them to stop, their heads simultaneously turning in your direction.
jiung cleared his throat, “fine.. i’ll pay,” he mumbled, a light pink hue forming on his cheeks.
he didn’t say anything else as he inserted his card, letting it drain his money while his friend found them a seat.
“he a close friend of yours?” you knew it was silly to ask, it was obvious they were close, but you wanted to talk to jiung a little bit.
he hummed, “intak? yeah. he comes in here with me occasionally. i mostly come in here with our friend, keeho, but he’s sick.” he removed his card, putting it back into his wallet.
you nodded in understanding, “aw, hope he feels better soon,”
he gave you a small smile, to which you returned, “thank you,” he reluctantly turned around, meeting his friend at the table.
once you made their drinks and jiung’s sandwich, you walked over and placed it in front of them.
“thank you,” intak said as he grabbed his drink, taking a large gulp.
you only nodded in response, looking over at jiung, who was already looking at you, but quickly looked away.
you bit back a smile on the way up to the counter.
the rest of the time they were there, you couldn’t help but sneak glances at jiung until they threw away their trash and bid farewell.
“have a good day, miss!” intak called out, jiung only raising a hand in goodbye.
the day went by slow. each ring of the bell made your pulse spike, looking up in hopes to see jiung, only to be disappointed. you never let it show on your face though, keeping yourself professional.
it was ten minutes til closing when you heard the bell jingle again, about to politely tell them you’re closing, but you then hear their voice. his voice.
“hey, am i too late?” jiung asked, slightly out of breath as if he ran all the way here.
you looked up, unable to hide the smile that formed on your face. “a little. i’ll let it slide though.”
jiung gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck, “sorry,”
“it’s fine,” you said sincerely, shaking your head, “would you like anything? i’m about to put things away.”
he reached the counter, glancing around in thought before speaking up, “just an iced americano, if it’s not too much to ask.”
“never too much,” you replied, turning away to make his drink, the faint sound of the espresso machine whirring as it pulled the shots and ice clanking as you stirred it.
putting the lid on his cup, you make your way back over to him, setting the drink in front of him along with a straw. “stay here for a moment,” before he could even get a word out, you walked away, leaving him confused.
you came back with a to-go box, grabbing the last few cookies and placing them in it. he watches with raised eyebrows, about to protest while you shove the to-go box his way.
“what’s this? why?” he asked, gently taking the box.
“it’s the last few left, just take it.” you answered, a smile present on your face.
it made him pause, feeling heat rush up his neck, “oh, thank you. you didn’t have to.”
“i wanted to,” you trailed off, then cleared your throat, “plus we won’t be open tomorrow. who else will eat those cookies?”
jiung let out a slight chuckle, grabbing his americano and the to-go box. “i guess that’s true, huh?”
you hummed with a nod of your head, leaning against the counter. you felt a bit closer to him, the intimacy of being with a customer past closing suddenly hit you, causing your heart to beat faster. you wondered if his was doing the same.
his voice brought you out of your thoughts, “um, how much?” he asked, indicating to the stuff in his hands with the tilt of his chin.
“don’t worry about it, it’s on me.”
“i can’t let you do that,” he sat his things on the counter before pulling out his wallet, taking out 3000 won and handing it over. “it’s the least i can do.”
you narrowed your eyes at him jokingly, but took the money, “thank you,”
“no. thank you. see you on monday.” he grinned, the sight almost made your legs buckle. that’s a little overdramatic, but it really did make your chest feel warm.
you swallowed thickly, nodding a little too quickly to play it cool, “see you monday..” you echoed though he was already out the door.
jiung entered the café, the door closing behind him. his eyes widened at seeing the huge line in front of him, he didn’t realize it could get this busy on a monday of all days.
when the line disappeared one by one, it was finally his turn to order. he met your eyes, noticing how you perked up slightly. he smiled, earning one back.
“hey, told you i’d see you, didn’t i?” he asked, to which you nodded to.
“you did,” you said matter-of-factly. you leaned a little closer, “what can i get you today?”
he glanced around the menu, deciding to be somewhat adventurous today. “Uh.. frappe?”
“woah really? what flavor?” you asked while you typed it in.
you raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it, excited to do a surprise drink. “you got it. anything else?”
he took out his card, nodding slightly, “uh, hot sweet tea, please.”
once you were done typing out the order, he slid his card, “i’ll call out your name when it’s ready.”
“okay, thank you.” he replied with a smile before going to sit down.
it was a longer wait than usual considering the fact that there were so many customers that had been in front of him, so while he waited, he contemplated how to ask for your number without coming across creepy… or embarrassing himself.
he opted to doing it in a more subtle way, feeling butterflies in his stomach the more he thought about it. he grabbed a napkin and took out a pen he had brought in case. he wrote his number on the napkin before he could back out, knowing the more he thought about it the more of a possibility he’d back out.
he tensed when he heard his name finally being called out, but quickly recovered, grabbing the napkin and putting the pen away with haste before he stood up.
the walk to the counter felt like a humiliation ritual, his brain short circuiting. as you gently pushed the drinks towards him, he slid the napkin over to you as subtle as he could, though he knew you noticed it.
“thank you for the cookies the other day, they were delicious. have a good day.” his words came out in a tumble, his cheeks heating up and he quickly grabbed the drinks and turned away without waiting for a response, walking out of the cafe as if he had places to be.
you were behind the counter, setting up some pastries when you heard a knock. you glanced up, ready to tell them that you weren’t open yet. but you saw jiung, a smile making its way onto your face without even realizing.
you quickly made your way towards the door, unlocking it before opening it, stepping aside so he could come in.
“you’re early,” you said with a raised brow, though it wasn’t mean.
“you said come early,” he countered, grinning ear to ear. you narrowed your eyes, tapping the door before letting it go, it shutting gently.
“i did say that. you really want that cheesecake, huh?” you tease, turning away to walk to the back, jiung following behind you.
he nods even though you can’t see him, “just a little,” he answers, stopping in the doorway, watching as you walk around the room.
you chuckle, opening the fridge and taking out the cheesecake that had been sitting up for a little over six hours. “well, let’s just hope it’s good.” you said while looking at the floor, making sure you didn’t trip as you make your way out of the room.
a pair of hands grabbing your arms make you pause, you didn’t even realize you were about to knock into him, let alone know he was in the doorway. you look up, your eyes locking, and you could feel the tip of your ears burning in embarrassment.
he clears his throat, stepping back to give you room, his hand scratching the back of his neck.
“sorry,” you apologize as soon as your mind caught up, feeling a bit foolish but deciding to ignore it. you tip your head towards the counter, “come on.”
you both stepped behind the counter, you setting the box on a clear spot before opening it, revealing the cheesecake.
“wow, it looks really good.” jiung said from beside you, his eyes glued to the cake, you almost thought he was gonna drool for a moment.
you only smile, grabbing a knife and plate. you take the knife, cutting a generous piece of the cake, then set it on the plate for him.
“for you,” you said while handing him the plate, your hands grazing, and you could’ve sworn a spike of electricity went up your arm. you did your best to ignore it, pointing to the silverware. “take what you need, you can sit or do whatever, i have to open.”
he nods, but he looked at you as if he didn’t understand a word you said. you looked away first, closing the box to the cheesecake to put it back in the fridge.
wordlessly, you started to put out some more pastries, clean off some tables and refilled the napkins on each table.
the next time you saw jiung, he was sat quietly at one of the tables, eating his cheesecake with what looked like enjoyment.
since you were basically done opening up, but still had some time to kill, you slid into the chair in front of him.
he immediately looked up, his eyes widening. “great cheesecake,” he spoke through a mouthful.
you giggled, the sight was kind of endearing. “i’m glad you like it. if there’s some left in….two hours, i’ll give it to you.”
“huh? really?” he asked, a sparkle in his eyes.
“of course. if you don’t mind staying here, that is.” you replied while standing up, heading over to the door, ready to open up for the day.
at the sound of silence in response, you figured he was just thinking about it, but when you turned around you were startled to see jiung right in front of you.
you could see his adams apple bob as he swallowed nervously, seemingly working up the courage for what he was going to say.
“how would you feel about a date? tomorrow, if you’re free?” he asked hesitantly, his voice wavering slightly.
as you stood there stunned, his cheeks heated up, embarrassment flooding him instantly. “Ah, it’s okay if not, i—“
“i’d love to,” you cut him off, your own cheeks flushing.
he paused, “wait really?”
a/n: ugh i had so much fun writing this i hope you like it!! 🥹
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