#patrons are left confused as to why the picture of the champion and friends look so similar to those serial killers

[magpiewriting]

Missed opportunity for free food by simply entering Cas into every eating competition they come across that offers lifetime free food if they win

[spikemuth-post]

My Lost Piers  Fic

I recently dug up the first story I wrote about Piers. I sent it to a friend back when I was still trying to gauge and understand all the characters and thank goodness she kept it

—-

The sound of the T.V. was buried underneath your laughter as you reached over to grab some pizza off the table. You were celebrating your new flat with the only 2 people who were free to help you move in today. Hop was on the floor in front of you, his Cinderace chowing down with him and Marnie was beside him. Her Morpeko was waddling about, playing with the litter of Yampers that your Boltund had. "That is something else." You managed to say, looking away from Marnie. Her smirk didn't go away and she was persistent in wanting to make eye contact with you. You resisted for a bit. " What makes you think that I like your brother?" "That is the most unconvincing denial I have ever heard," Hop snorted as he lowered pizza into his mouth. "You might as well have said 'I don't think Piers is hot! Who said that! Definitely not me!" Hop mocked your voice so convincingly that your Boltund wandered over to see what was going on. You gave the pooch a scratch behind the ears, red in the face at the portrayal. "You like him, don't you-" "No!" Your defense made them both start snickering and Hop looked over by the pizza box. All of your phones were beside one another and so you didn't notice that he grabbed yours and not his. He began to fiddle with it as Marnie laughed at you. "Well, answer my question. Why would you think that?" "Well, to be honest, I didn't." She admitted coyly, "I asked if you liked him because I know for a fact that he thinks you're cute. I was just trying to maybe give you both a little push." "H-He does?" "Yeah, that's good." Hop mumbled to himself as he typed. Neither of you noticed. "Well, would you consider going on a date with him if he asked? Or asking him on a date?" "T-That does sound nice... but what if he doesn't like me like that? Thinking I'm cute and actually liking me are two different things-" "Hey check this out," Hop snickered, holding up your phone so you could see the screen. Marnie wasn't facing it, so she hopped off the couch and leaned over it on your side so you could both get a better look. Your mouth fell open and Marnie read it out loud. " 'Hello there, sexy. Your body is a temple and I want to uncover ALL it's hidden treasures. Maybe meet me at my new flat tonight after dark?'. You didn't have to put both tonight and after dark, Hop. They mean the same thing-" "DO NOT SEND THAT!" You and Hop jumped to your feet and he backed up from you a little bit. As he backed up he squeezed the phone unconsciously, not knowing he was touching the screen. "Relax, Mate. I'd never send it. You're my best friend. Do you really think I would... do...that...oh no." Hop glanced at the message to delete it, horrified to see the word 'sent'. You reached out for your phone and felt a tidal wave of emotions seeing Hop's face. "uh-" "Hop... Tell me why you're looking at it like that." “Uhhhh... Okay... But You can't be mad at me-" "HOP!" "I’ll do damage control," Marnie grumbled, grabbing her phone and going to call Piers. Anger poured out of your mouth and Marnie couldn't help but smile. Upon getting Piers's voicemail her smile dropped. "...I think his phone is off... Good news, I think that means he hasn't seen it." "WE CAN ADDRESS THAT AFTER WE KILL HOP!" "As much as murder would spice up our evening... Our priority should be getting ahold of my brother and letting him know what happened."

—

Obstagoon continues to whine for his trainer's attention, getting a pat on the head every so often. Piers was too focused, staring at the options before him and trying to determine the best move for such an intense and cutthroat strategy game. “...A3-“ “Aw man, you sunk my battleship.” Raihan complained. Burying his face in his hands, he put the peg in his ship. Piers just rolled his eyes. “I wonder what’s taking Leon so long to get here. The movie starts in 20 minutes.” “Yeah, we need to leave soon,” Piers mumbled, taking his phone out to check the time. He didn’t remember the battery died until he looked at it, angrily tossing it back in his pocket. “Text him, see where he is.” “Yeah, give me a minute... G7-“ “Nope-“ “OH COME ON!” As Raihan fumed, Leon entered his apartment, looking oddly determined. The reason being was a call he got from his brother to delete a text from you by any means necessary. His friends didn’t seem to notice anything wrong. “Finally! Come on, we have to get going.” “Uh, yeah, sorry I’m late... Hey, Piers, can I borrow your phone?” “It’s dead, Sorry.” Piers just shrugged but Leon seemed nervous, making Raihan offer his phone. Leon took it with a ‘thank you’ not wanting to decline and be suspicious. This was going to be harder than he thought. ----

They settled into their seats, Raihan’s eyes glued to the soda advertisement. The theatre had only 2 or 3 other people in it, all of them sitting rows above the trainers. Leon was focused on Piers’s phone, which was in the rocker’s back pocket. Leon bought a phone charger and a reserve battery, ready to get his plan into action. He sat beside Piers and the theatre darkened. Raihan seemed so invested already but Piers was leaning on his armrest. The bored rocker’s hip was slightly up as he leaned on his left leg. He wasn’t leaning all the way back in his chair either. Leon could see his phone peeking out of his back pocket.  “Ugh, how long are the logos?” Piers complained to Raihan. As he turned to him, Leon began to slowly reach for the phone. The two were having a small conversation so Leon thought he had plenty of time to grab it. Unfortunately, Piers rolled his eyes at what Raihan said and sat back in his chair. He sat on Leon’s open hand and both men just froze for about solid minute as the opening scene of the movie rolled on. Piers opened his mouth but shut it just as fast, unable to articulate his thoughts. “...Uh... Can I have my hand back?” “Why is it on my ass in the first place?” The moment Piers shifted to release him Leon pulled his hand away. While embarrassed, he was still victorious, hiding Piers’s phone from the rocker’s view.  “Everything alright, mate?” “Yeah, yeah... I thought there was gunk on your seat. I was just um picking it off before you sat down.” “Uh huh,” Piers didn’t feel like picking that apart, ready to sleep through this flick. “Well, next time you want to cop a feel, at least give me a warning.” “Sorry, Piers!” Leon grinned. The moment Piers looked away, he plugged the phone in. Any minute now. All it had to do was power on.

--

When the movie picked up, Leon completely forgot about the phone. He was so invested in the story that he didn’t notice it power on. Piers was asleep on his hand. Raihan was on his phone, texting Nessa about how terrible this movie was.  He looked over to Piers, seeing the Rocker drooling slightly. He couldn’t pass this opportunity up, taking a picture of the sleeping Piers and then sending it to him immediately. “He’ll enjoy this pic when he wakes up.” Raihan snickered. Leon heard him but didn’t understand until Piers’s phone began to ring on his lap. The sound of the hard rock ringtone made Piers wake. He turned to Leon, confused to see his phone on his lap. Leon panicked and silenced the phone.  “... Oh, It’s back on.” “Uh, yeah... I charged it for you!”  “Oh that’s nice...” The groggy Piers looked at the screen. He saw a cut off text, a notification about a picture message and a missed call from Marnie. That was the only thing he really cared about, perking up to see the bright red ‘Missed call’. “Hey, I’m going to step out for a bit, I need to call Marnie back.” He reached for his phone and Leon took in a harsh breath. He gripped the phone tight, making Piers raise a brow.  “Uh, it’s not polite to call in the middle of a movie.” “...I know? That’s why I said ‘step out’. Look, I have to call Marnie back. What if she needs me?” “I-I’m sure it’s nothing-” “Leon, this isn’t funny-” “Can you two keep it down?” A woman 2 rows ahead said suddenly, looking back at the men in disgust. “I’m trying to watch the movie-” “Spoiler alert, Rosco dies.” Piers snapped. A couple of people in the theatre groaned. Even Raihan seemed to be incredibly distraught by the news. “Give me the phone.” “No!” “Leon!” “I’m telling the manager.” The woman complained, getting up to leave the theatre. Piers just couldn’t let her leave without one last jab. “Go ahead, sweetheart, I’ve been kicked out of nicer places.” “Yeah, he got thrown out of the Hero’s bath in Circhester for throwing a bath bomb in there,” Raihan commented. That didn’t get the reaction out of Piers that he wanted and he finally started to look into what the hell was going on next to him. “You guys okay?” “Give me my phone!” “uh, um- BATTLE ME FOR IT!” “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” “Alright! Theatre battle!” Raihan seemed pumped at the idea. Even a few of the moviegoers were interested. The Ex Champion and the Ex Dark Gym leader. Even the manager, who just arrived with an angry patron in tow was oddly invested.

---

“Leon hasn’t answered at all!” You panicked. Marnie was of great support and Hop locked himself in your bathroom to protect himself. “I am so nervous. What if he failed? Oh, Piers will never talk to me again!” “I mean... I think the worst-case scenario is that he shows up at your house thinking you’ll sleep with him... Which I also think you might want-” “Marnie!” “I’m still convinced you like him... Maybe we shouldn’t have outsourced the problem to Leon.” Hop opened the bathroom door for a second but when you whipped your head in his direction he closed it again. “I was just going to say that they went to the movies! Maybe we could go and see what’s happening!” “That’s not a bad idea.” Marnie chimed in, “It would be better to explain it in person.”

--

There was a large crowd outside of the theatre when you all arrived. You exchanged a confused glance around before working through the crowd. In the center was Leon and Piers, each down to their last pokemon. Leon was biting his lip, at a type disadvantage. It looked like Piers was going to win this. Raihan seemed amazed, acting as the referee. When you Hop and Marnie showed up, Leon seemed to glow, gesturing to Marnie immediately. “Look, Piers, Marnie is here! Just ask her yourself!” “Marnie?” Piers turned around to look. Marnie gave a shy wave. Next to her, he saw you and he hoped that his heated cheeks weren’t visible. While he was distracted Leon took the phone out, deleting the latest Message Piers had received. He cheered to himself. “What are you doing here?” “Oh, um, nothing.” Marnie had to quickly think of something. Since the message was now deleted, it seemed counterproductive to bring it up. “I... wanted to know if the movie was good.” “Oh, no it’s garbage-” “Here’s your phone!” Leon called back his Rillaboom, handing Piers his phone. The sudden surrender made the crowd upset but Piers honestly was just confused. He had his own pokemon return, eyeing Leon suspiciously. “S-Sorry about that!” “... The fuck is going on?” “Hop! Buddy! Why don’t we go get something to eat? “ Leon suggested, putting his arm around his brother. Everything was moving so fast that Piers had no idea what to say. Raihan huffed but ultimately didn’t care. He strode over to Piers, putting his arm around him and poking at Piers’s phone screen.  “Anyway, I sent you a pic of you asleep,” Raihan teased, “It should be your most recent message.” Hearing that made Leon freeze. Piers checked his messages from Raihan, shaking his head slowly. “Nah, mate, I’ve got nothing from you.” “What! Ugh, I’ll resend it.” “... Oh, Y/n, you texted me. Sorry I missed it.” He opened it before you could say anything and Hop saw that as the perfect opportunity to ‘nope’ out of there. Leon followed fast. Marnie didn’t want any part of this either, looking off to the side. You were speechless as Piers read the text, staring at it for a while. Over his shoulder, Raihan looked it over, his jaw dropping open once he finished. He pursed his lips and walked away, not wanting to get involved either. You tried to turn around and leave but the moment your back was to Piers it was over. He put his arm around your waist, pulling you to his side as you both walked off. He even cleared his throat cutely. “Piers-” “I think you and I need to talk about a couple things, love.”

[frogsagainandagain]

favorite lyric from every fob song

i’m so sorry this is so long please skip this is mainly for me to be able to reference

*songs with incredible lyrics throughout that it was extra hard to choose one or two

honorable mention:  and maybe next time/i’ll remember not to tell you something stupid like I’ll never leave your side

calm before the storm:  you said, between your smiles and regrets: “don’t say it’s over.”

switchblades and infidelity:  walking out on the show is walking out on you/and walking out on you’s still the best thing that I ever did.

pretty in punk:  well I’ve seen your boyfriend/and i don’t think he treats you right/but that’s none of my business is it?

growing up*:  i’ve dried my eyes, now it’s “rushmore”/i’m deep with futures like chicago/no, glenview never meant a thing to me/she never meant a thing to me

the world’s not waiting (for five tired boys in a broken down van):  we’re all “hasbeens” and “never-were’s”

short, fast and loud: good god i wish i was tall

moving pictures:  where can I go when I want you around/but I can’t stand to be around you

parker lewis can’t lose (but i’m gonna give it my best shot): in the meantime just talking with my shoes/converse with my converse

tell that mick:  stop burning bridges and drive off of them

dead on arrival:  i know I’m not your favorite record/but the songs you grow to like never stick at first

grand theft autumn: you need him/i could be him

saturday:  and i read about the afterlife/but I never really lived

homesick at space camp:  landing on a runway in chicago and I’m grounding all my dreams/of ever really seeing california

sending postcards:  when you go i will forget everything about you

chicago is so two years ago*:  she took me down and said:/“boys like you are overrated. so save your breath."          bonus:  with every breath i wish your body will be broken again

the pros and cons of breathing:  i want to hate you half as much as i hate myself

grenade jumper:  living like life’s going out of style.

reinventing the wheel:  i can’t wake up to these reminders of who i am:/a failure at everything… 18 going on extinct.

patron saint*:  and when it all goes to hell/and when it all goes.

my heart is the worst kind of weapon:  we are salt - you are the wound

it’s not a side effect:  and think of all the places/where you’ve been lost/and then found…out/in between my sheets/in between the rights and the wrongs

our lawyer:  we’re only good cause you can have almost famous friends

gin joints:  i used to waste my time dreaming of being alive (now i only waste it dreaming of you)

dance, dance: joe trohman is lame

sugar:  isn’t it messed up how i’m just dying to be him?

nobody puts baby in the corner: you look so good in blue

dark alley: joke me something awful just like kisses on the necks of "best friends”

atavan halen:  i’ll be stuck fixated on one star/when the world is crashing down

sophomore slump*:  cause i swear i’d burn this city down to show you the light

champagne:  they say, “you want a war? you’ve got a war.”/but who are you fighting for?

i slept with:  douse yourself in cheap perfume it’s/so fitting, so fitting of the way you are

sixteen candles*:  she said, she said, she said, “why don’t you just drop dead?"       bonus:  so say what are you waiting for?/kiss her, kiss her

get busy*:  i used to obsess over living,/now I only obsess over you

XO:  to the "love”, i left my conscience pressed/between the pages of the bible in the drawer

snitches and walkers:  show me a starry-eyed kid/i will break his jaw

the music or the misery*:  it’s true romance is dead, i shot it in the chest then in the head.      bonus:   and if you wanna go down in history then i’m your prince      bonus bonus:  i went to sleep a poet, and i woke up a fraud

thriller:  i can take your problems away with a nod and a wave/of my hand, ‘cause that’s just the kind of boy that i am

take over, breaks over:  don’t pretend you ever forgot about me.

arms race:  i wrote the gospel on giving up/(you look pretty sinking)

me & you:  the best way/to make it through/with hearts and wrists intact/is to realize/two out of three ain’t bad/ain’t bad

hum hallelujah*:  i thought I loved you/it was just how you looked in the light.

golden:  and i knew that the lights of the city were too heavy for me

thnks fr th mmrs:  get me out of my mind and get you out of those clothes

don’t you know:  i could learn to pity fools as I’m the worst of all/and i can’t stop feeling sorry for myself

the after life of the party:  put love on hold,/young hollywood is on the other line

tunnel of love:  got postcards from my former selves saying: “how’ve you been?”

doldrums:  you’re wrong/are we all wrong?

fame > infamy:  “there’s too much green to feel blue”

you’re crashing*:  the headline reads “the man hangs”, but the jury doesn't                bonus:  baby boy can’t lift his headache head

ringing in my ears: new york eyes, chicago thighs

ginasfs:  threw caution to the wind,/but i’ve got a lousy arm

hard to say:  but don’t get the wrong idea/we’re gonna shoot you

lullabye:  when you wake up the world will come around

disloyal order*:  what a match, i’m half doomed and you’re semi-sweet        bonus: boycott love/ detox just to retox 

i don’t care:  say my name and his in the same breath/i dare you to say they taste the same

winona:  bop bop ba dop

america’s suitehearts: why won’t the world revolve around me?

headfirst slide:  i don’t just want to be a footnote in someone else’s happiness

(shipped) gold standard:  plant palm trees on lake michigan before it gets cold/i gotta feel the wind chill again before i get old

(coffee’s for closers)*: i will never believe in anything again/though change will come

donnie: i’m the one/who charmed the one/who gave up on you

27:  you’re a bottled star/the planets align/you’re just like mars/you shine in the sky

tiffany blews: dear gravity, you held me down in this starless city

wams*:  what makes you so special?/i’m gonna leave you/i’m gonna teach you/how we’re all alone

nosebleed:  goes to the desert the same war his dad rehearsed/came back with flags on coffins and said,/”we won, oh we won.“

west coast smoker:  got my degree in the gutter,/my heart broken in the dorms of the ivy league

pavlove:  i want to make you as lonely as me/so you can get, get addicted to this

the phoenix:  wearing our vintage misery/no, i think it looked a little better on me

light em up:  a constellation of tears on your lashes/burn everything you love, then burn the ashes

alone together:  but i don’t think i’m coming home and i said/i’ll check in tomorrow if i don’t wake up dead

where did the party go:  my old aches become new again/my old friends become exes again

just one yesterday:  letting people down is my thing, baby/find yourself a new gig/this town ain’t big enough for two of us

the mighty fall:  two’s a whole lot lonelier than one

miss missing you*:  baby, you were my picket fence           bonus:  i will sing to you every day/if it will take away the pain

death valley:  undress to impress/you can wear the crown but you’re no princess 

young volcanoes:  come on make it easy/say i never mattered  (basic ik)

rat a tat*:  i’m the lonelier version of you/i just don’t know where it went wrong \

srar:  how’d it get to be only me?/like i’m the last damn kid still kicking/that still believes 

the king is dead:  the may never think and wonder why, dear christ/every time i see you i just want to paint the walls white

art of keeping up disappearances: erase the conclusion/but never meant to clear up/any of the confusion

hot to the touch:  if it’s never been broken/can’t believe in it/now you’re just a problem/for someone else to fix

love, sex, death:  but out of every pretty pretty miscalculation/you have got to be my all-time favorite

eternal summer:  i can’t do this again/i need more oxygen

demigods:  what if we were demigods?/they’d take to our knees/raging at the half of our sins

american made:  when i was younger i couldn’t wait for the days to pass/now i know they’ll never last/and i just want my childhood back

caffeine cold:  don’t breathe life into a monster then/complain when he destroys it all again

irresistible:  too many war wounds and not enough wars/too few rounds in the ring and not enough settled scores/too many sharks, not enough blood in the waves

ab/ap:  i think i. i fell in love again/maybe i just took too much cough medicine

centuries: heavy metal broke my heart       bonus: we are the poisoned youth

the kids aren’t alright*:  and i still feel that rush in my veins./it twists my head just a bit too thin./all those people in those old photographs I’ve seen are dead.

uma thurman: the end of the fucking song

jet pack blues*:  did you ever love her? do you know?/or did you never want to be alone?

novocaine:  if you knew, knew what the bluebirds sang at you,/you would never sing along

4th of july:  you are my favorite "what if”/you are my best “I’ll never know”

favorite record:  and i confessed, confessed to you/riding shotgun underneath the purple skies

immortals:  i try to picture me without you but i can’t

hotel in nyc:  a birth and a death on the same day/and honey I only appeared so i can fade away/i wanna throw my hands in the air and scream/and i could just die laughing on your spiral of shame

young and menace?? champion?? i’m sorry who?? what?? huh???

hold me tight or don’t:  i got too high again/when i realized i can’t not be with you/or be just your friend/i love you to death but i just can’t/i just can’t pretend/we were lovers first/confidants but never friends/were we ever friends?

the last of the real ones:  'cause you’re the last of a dying breed/write our names in the wet concrete

7-9 legendary:  i want to choke (u)/and get sick off of you/like secondhand smoke

alpha dog:  i want to put the midwest home again

austin we have a problem:  i gave you pretentious./i gave you indifference, but you only wanted undressed and defenseless.           bonus: hey! everyone’s an underdog.

catch me if you can:  oh dear lord,/please let me into heaven, for just an afternoon.

from now on we are enemies:  a composer but never composed/singing the symphonies of the overdosed

guilty as charged:  i got greater expectations than oliver twist

hand of god*:  it’s not gossip if it’s the truth/i’m sick of always writing songs for you to slit your wrists to

lake effect kid*:  i’ve got the skyline in my veins/forget your night times/summer love on a gurney with a squeaky wheel/and joke us, joke us/till lakeshore drive comes back into focus

mskwyditd (demo)*:  we sold our souls in dark hotel rooms/we slip tongues and lie like “i will see you soon”

star 67:  maybe we could talk this over/but i swear to god/and i’ll have this phone to my head.

we don’t take hits, we write them:  and my life is holding our heads to this gun/you and your new boy think you can come in and keep me off, but you’re wrong

yule shoot your eye out:  and all i want this year is for you to dedicate your last breath to me/before you bury yourself alive

[all-about-wannaone]

Coffee Shop Love [Part 1]

Words: 5155

Genre: Romance, Fluff, Angst 

Characters: Park Jihoon x Reader (Y/N = Your Name) 

Plot: This might sound like your typical Korean drama scenario (cue coffee prince) where a barista finds himself falling heads over heels for a customer and vice versa, or at least that is what Y/N thought. Who knew that she might actually have met her first love in a place as simple as a quiet coffee shop off the streets of Hongdae? 

A/N: Yup, I am back with another fully written one shot this time around! At first, it all started with the picture above that I had found on Instagram and a scenario just formed in my head right then and there. This took me about 3 days to write and proof read and I decided to gift this to all who have followed me despite my lack of activity or have liked and reblogged my content, despite the many other great scenario writers out there for Wanna One. :’) I shall not hold you back any further and happy reading! ^^

Warning: Side character death, Lost of a “loved” one 

PART 1 | PART 2

“Good afternoon! Welcome to Angelinus Coffee House! What would you like to have today?” The cheerful looking teenager asked with a huge smile on his face.

Despite the cute greeting, it seemed to me that it was just not in his character to be so enthusiastic. However, I would not have asked it any other way. In fact, it was clear that he was one of the factors as to why this cafe was so popular in the area. Apart from the fact that they did have genuine coffee (as what my best friend claimed), but knowing her, there was definitely another side to the story and as far as I knew, it simply meant baristas who were, by her standards, “drop dead gorgeous”.

I did admire him for a bit, but snapped out of my reverie quick enough to focus on the menu instead and throw off some suspicion that I had been probably stared endearingly. Unfortunately, the menu encompassed a total of 5 boards, ranging from the usual coffees to teas to frappes and to smoothies. It was confusing to say the least and it did not help that there were at least 5 different types of coffees such as a Brazilian coffee, African coffee and many many more.

In fact, if one thought the variety was confusing enough, the teas were even worse. It probably had 10 times more items than the coffee menu, ranging from the traditional English Breakfast to exotics like a certain Earl Grey Lavender tea, ingredients imported from France and England.

“You seem a little confused,” the barista spoke again and I felt my cheeks getting a little warm the moment he pointed out my obvious confusion, “I’ll help you then!”

“First thing’s first, coffee or tea, or even something more on the frappes and smoothies?”

“Uh… I-I like sweet stuff so perhaps a f-frappe?”

Oh no Y/N, why the hell did you just stutter?

“Oh, that’s nice! I love frappes too! So would you prefer caffeine based ones or would you like some fruits to freshen up and spruce up the up and coming summer season?”

“Caffeine based would be good. I’m here to meet a friend to study actually and I hope that’s okay. My friend’s a regular, but she’s not here yet, so I figured that I would come in and order a drink first. For her, she would like the Vanilla Latte!”

The barista nodded his head with a smile and tapped in the order immediately with his fast and adept fingers into the cash register. I was not sure whether it was the exhausted me talking but he actually did look good when he was focused on his job.

“And for you, I have one last question for you,” He continued, making eye contact again, “Would you like something that tickles your taste buds or would you like a safe bet instead and see how the cafe fairs? You have not been here before so it’s only right if you try something that you are familiar with. We champion for comfort and satisfaction!”

I laughed at the last sentence, probably a bit too loudly, and he chuckled too with a cute smile and he looked as if he was grinning from ear to ear while his ears got redder and redder.

“Now that you mention it… Perhaps I will try the Vanilla Mocha Frappe! I just realised how much I drink those at the usual cafes so I shall have that!”

“No problem! You made an excellent choice and it’s usually the one which coffee critics come back for and oh, would you like a cake to complement your orders? Simply top up 4000 won each and you can earn yourself a cake, cupcake or even a brownie topped with some homemade artisan ice cream!”

“Thank you very much, but I think we would put that on hold first. Personally, I’m still a little stuffed from lunch…” And after I said that, I felt myself blushing once again and cringing at how much information I had spilled to this stranger of a barista. Yes, I was known to babble a whole lot but not this much to a stranger! Any more information and he would probably have known where I came from, which school I attend and probably what I wanted to be when I grow up.

“No problem! That will be 12,100won and please take a seat! I will attend to your order right away!”

And that was what I did, I paid him the exact amount and took my place at a booth seat in the corner of the cafe. I would not call it a quiet corner, considering that it was right next to a floor-to-ceiling window panel facing the street, but it was surely conducive for learning.

The sunlight was about right and perfect for Instagram pictures of food, treats and drinks. Furthermore, it had just the right music; chill with a little summer vibe to it, and it had just the right level of noise. It was not filled with endless chatter like the chains of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, combined with the endless whirring of the coffee machines and loud discussions of projects by both college students and businessmen. Here, they only had the latter, coupled with a few students who were either going to study or catch up with friends and should I say a visually attractive barista too?

I proceeded to take out the work that I had brought from my bag, laying it out on the table neatly, but I took notice of the barista again and this time, he was preparing my a Vanilla Latte for my friend who would be coming in later. He was already finished with my drink, to my surprise, and all that was left was the whipped cream that was said to be imported from Japan.

It was obvious that he knew what he was doing and handled the complicated machine skillfully. Based on what I had known from the Angelinus branch here in Apgujeong, they had invested in a handmade coffee machine. It had a chic and simple design with lots of different buttons and mechanisms (that I was probably bound to destroy if I was the one making them). In fact, he made the job of being a barista seem like he was also an artist, and that was also shown when he put his skills into making the perfect coffee art for my friend. To me, it was not clear what it was and all I saw was his hand moving in a smooth zig-zag motion at first, before ending off the entire demonstration with a straight line down.

Once finished with the finishing touches and the whipped cream, he placed the drinks on a tray and was ready to bring them to me before I heard an extremely loud and boisterous call, “Y/N-ah!! Wow, you sure are early. Sorry for the wait and hi Jihoon-sshi!!”

I buried my face in my hands laughing, as all the other patrons shot her looks of surprise, with some snickering, but she did not seem to bother and just walked straight for the booth seat before sliding in and taking out her stuff immediately.

“I’m sorry I took so long. There was a train delay at my place but I’m glad it wasn’t like the major one where lines 1,4 and 6 broke down. Trust me, if I wasn’t wearing these stupid shoes, I would have ran here. Hope we can get some stuff done today and have a productive one ahead. Wow, I’ve missed you and it’s been so long?? I’ve not seen you since… January? Or perhaps even Christmas?”

“Hi Y/F/N! Here are your drinks. One vanilla latte for you and one vanilla mocha frappe for you.”

That was obviously Jihoon, and he laid the drinks neatly towards the edge, so we would not have any chance to hit it away, together with some brown napkins and a straw next to mine. When we glanced at one another, he shot a smile and gave a small bow, saying, “Enjoy!” before heading back to his station and entertaining the rest of the customers with the same enthusiasm that he had greeted me with.

“Dude, could you just stop being so obvious? You’re literally shooting heart eyes at him.”

I blushed immediately at the comment and looked at my friend, only to realise that she had raised an eyebrow while shaking her head. However, her lips only curved up into a mischievous smile and said, “I know he’s adorable and let me just be really honest, he reminds me of you sometimes so hit me up if you want me to be your cupid!”

She gave a wink and I returned a glare, telling her to focus on her work instead as I turned on my laptop while she took her textbook and opened to the right page in order to attempt a History assignment (or at least that what it looked like) that she had been given. According to her, it was going to be graded and it was clearly an assignment that had probably caused her to pull her hair out at times. Then again, despite her playful tendencies, she was hardworking and incredibly intelligent so I believed that she would have no problem, if she stopped worrying.

“Alright, let’s focus, shall we? We’ll do it in blocks of 45 minutes, take a break and who knows, we might be able to purchase some cakes later too!”

After the rather productive study session, I found myself going back almost every single day. Sometimes, I did not come back just to study, but I found comfort in the ambience of the place. Jihoon was still there, skillful and attracting all the teenagers as usual, and I managed to catch some other baristas as well. There were quite a number and it was clear that they were pretty good friends and their names were Hwang Minhyun and Ong Seongwoo especially, who seemed to cater more for the college students and fresh graduates.

Sometimes, there were live music performances by the two baristas, Kim Jaehwan and Ha Sungwoon, who belted out hit after hit and it was not a surprise if all the patrons who sat there questioned why they would become baristas instead of pursuing careers to be a singer or an artiste. Apparently, Jaehwan had a couple of busking gigs in Hongdae, Ewha and Gangnam, and was pretty well known.

Indeed, it was almost like my third home when I just needed some quality me time. When I needed to study for a test the next day, discuss group projects or when I just needed to seek some comfort from all the CSAT stress, it was a perfect place to relax and unwind. Occasionally, I would nod off as I buried my head into my jacket that I had placed comfortably on the counter. Of course, there were times I felt like they were going to chase me out soon (these handsome boys definitely had peak hours) but it never happened.

In fact, when I did wake up, I would be greeted with a drink and a muffin or a cookie, depending on whether my drink was hot or cold. It could range from Americanos (which I did not like very much) to fruity, refreshing smoothies to matcha lattes to frappes or even hot chocolate. However, when it was a cold drink, there was always a note on a receipt which had my supposed order with encouraging messages and notes.

“There is no rainbow until there is a storm so hang in there!”

“I know school’s tough and it might not always go your way but keep pressing on, work hard and let’s walk through the path of flowers together.”

“H.O.P.E = Hold on, pain ends.”

Indeed, it never failed to bring me a smile to my face and sometimes the occasional giggle when the lines looked like it was something off a Tumblr dashboard. However, it baffled me on who could have given me the drink. It was impossible for me to order because I was in my beauty sleep and despite asking the baristas at the cash register, they would just shrug and shake their heads, but I did catch a glimpse of a smile once, but put it off because that would be impossible.

I tried to stay awake once to see whether this Mr Mystery Coffee Buyer would show up again, but it turned out to be different baristas whenever I went. There was no pattern and there were no repeats of the same drinks. Sometimes, it was also considered to be the “Secret Menu of the Day”, which was only meant for members of the branch. My friend had conspired all sorts of theories, including one that it might just be the baristas, but I played it off because to me, that was only a scenario which was too good to be true.

It either happened in romantic comedies, sappy Korean dramas and fanfictions. Sure, it might have been inspired from a real life encounter, especially for the writers, but it was a rare case and I surely did not want to think about any of that right now. Jihoon was only an eye candy, I would tell myself, but perhaps my body was telling me a different thing; my heart flutters when he smiles, together with the formation of butterflies in my stomach and there are times when time does not seem to matter as he puts his artistic talent in gastronomy to good use.

There was a day, however, when I had received a Chemistry test back, only to realise that I had barely passed it. I studied hard, I really did, but the results clearly did not have anything show for it. I did not cry in front of my classmates, but I sure felt like my heart had been smashed into smithereens, impossible to repair. I had wasted sleepless nights, experienced cram school programmes and even night studies, only to get such a score.

And once again, I found myself back at Angelinus Coffee. Jihoon was there, together with Minhyun, Jinyoung and Woojin. When Jihoon did wave though, I did not wave back due to the many thoughts that surrounded me. It was as if a yoke were on my shoulders and it did not help that the CSATs were a mere 3 months away.

It determined our future, our lives and where we would end up in. Friends around me were doing pretty well, scoring As and Bs and here I was, scoring Ds and Es. I did not really know what was in store for me anymore, but what I do know is that I could just use some pretty good me time; all on my own in the quaint little cafe which had grown to be a part of this difficult high school journey and I took my usual seat at the corner of the cafe, not facing the street this time around but the wall and as I placed my head onto my jacket, I could feel the tears threatening to fall and it did. There was no will in me to fight it and perhaps it would be better to let it all go.

Little did I know that I would fall asleep, and I was soon awaken by a soft tap on my shoulder. It was gentle, light and I almost did not feel it, but when the taps continued, I opened my eyes and squinted to get used to the dim light around me but I was greeted with a blanket around my body, a takeaway cup and a barista in front of me with a broom in his hand and face inches away from mine.

Yup, that was Jihoon and why would I be expecting anything different right? I nearly jumped out of my skin and I’m sure he got a shock when I woke up too.

He cleared his throat a little, before stuttering and telling me that the cafe was going to close for the night. I furrowed my brows and took a glance at the clock on the wall, only to realise that I had been sleeping for the past 5 hours, packing my stuff in a hurried manner and was about to leave with my steaming hot drink in hand and my books.

“Wait!!” A shout was heard and I turned around, only to see that Jihoon had changed out of his attire and also looked like he was ready to go home. Now that I looked at it, I could not help but chuckle a little at his quirky fashion out of his usual work attire. It was stylish in terms of the pieces that he had put together, but the colours were pretty striking to say the least. He had a pair of black sneakers with mismatched neon shoelaces, a yellow mustard shirt, black pants (the only normal thing in the outfit) and a red and white plait with some streaks of brown and grey.

“I-it’s late and I’m sorry for not waking you up earlier so that you could go home before the sun set. Don’t worry, I’ll walk you home.”

“I-it’s alright Jihoon-sshi. I’ll be fine!”

“I’m not sure how well you really know this place Y/N but it really isn’t safe. Trust me, there’s a reason why we close at 9.30pm.”

Looking at his expression, it was clear that he was serious and this was unlike the Jihoon that I knew, serving drinks and serving customers with a bright smile on his face. For some reason, I could see the slight sorrow in his eyes as he spoke, but he quickly turned away and told me to wait for him while he went to the back and packed his things.

“Let’s go!” He said in a chirpy tone once again, and he was back to the cheerful Jihoon I knew.

Once the cafe was locked up, we took a relatively quiet walk to the nearest bus station. I was walking on the side of the road initially, but Jihoon told me to switch places, saying that it was truly not a safe place around here in the night. In fact, it was clear to see why; the street lights were quite dimly lit and it was full of dark alleys which seemed to lead into nothingness and mystery. In addition, the only activity around were bars and late night eating places.

Drunken shouts and laughter could be heard in the far distance and Jihoon placed his hand on the small of my back, pushing me forward slightly. As we walked, we started to talk and I found out a little bit more about him, which was surprising to say the least.

He was a 3rd year student in the prestigious Seoul School of Performing Arts and he was apparently taking Chemistry (the same as I did), Math, Geography and Literature, while majoring in modern dance as an art form. I then proceeded to ask him how he was able to balance his work and school life, considering that he was not around only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He further elaborated that he was surprised he could even pass the years and I found out that he was a smart and intelligent boy, only scoring As and Bs for all subjects, including his art form. He said that he liked to listen to music too (which we found out we had similar tastes in) to relieve the stress and visit the arcade occasionally during the holidays with his supposed best friend, Jinyoung.

“Which bus do you take Y/N?”

“8604! My home is about 5-6 stops away from here!” I replied.

“Oh I take the same bus! We can go home together then!”

I smiled and nodded as we continued to sit there in comfortable silence and he continued to scroll through his social media, while I sat there and did the same, responding to the encouraging messages that my friends had sent to me. It was already late, but it still managed to brighten up my day and I was probably smiling subconsciously as I read their messages and jokes that they had sent to me in order to make me laugh.

Unfortunately, there was a question nagging me at the back of my mind. When I looked at Jihoon, he had already put his phone back in his pocket and continued to admire the city lights and the night scene around him, occasionally glancing to the right to look out for the bus. He had an aura of sadness around him, like he was actually carrying an invisible weight on his shoulders.

The once comfortable atmosphere became a little tense and sad. There was no other words to describe it other than tense, awkward, some stress and sorrow.

“Hey.. You alright?” I asked and Jihoon’s shoulders jumped a little.

“Y-yeah.. I’m fine. Just thinking, you know??”

His smile was a sad one, like something that he was trying his best to keep on his face to throw off any form of thinking that he was suffering on his own. I turned away to look for the bus, before glancing worriedly at my watch. The bus was usually fast and frequent but it did not seem to be showing up at all, and it was impossible that we had missed the last bus.

“Do you want to know why I was so worried Y/N? I know you were a little uncomfortable when I had insisted on bringing you home. Trust me, I’m not a stalker.”

“I know. Don’t worry about it! I’ve just never had anyone been so insistent, and don’t worry, with a face like yours, there’s no way that I would have suspected you to be a stalker.”

Wait, why the hell did I say that?

He actually laughed at my statement, before asking in a joking tone, “You know you should never judge a book by its cover right? Now I see why I needed to accompany you home, especially when you seem to be naive and gullible.”

“I-I’m n-not.” I stuttered and I felt my face going red for the nth time that day. I did not know what was it about Jihoon, but he sure had the talent for making a girl’s heart flutter and skip a beat with his gentle and soothing voice.

“I was just kidding,” he laughed before continuing, “Anyway, all jokes aside, I feel like you deserve an explanation as to why I was so… protective back there, especially since we have not known each other very much.”

My eyes turned to face him (after I had got over my embarrassment) and gave a nod, signposting for him to continue his story and whatever he needed to tell me.

“His name was Kwonhyeop and he was my high school senior. Not only did he have a unique name, but he was also unique in terms of his personality too. We came from the same neighbourhood, went to the same school and eventually became pretty good friends. Sometimes, he was not just a close friend, but also an older brother whom I could rely on in times of need. When I needed help in my Math homework, he would help me solve them and when I needed some money for lunch, he would provide it for me, without asking for anything in return.”

“He was a smart boy, and it was pretty clear that all the teachers loved him for just being himself. Girls chased after him occasionally, but he had made it clear that he wanted to focus on his academics first before thinking about the next phase of life and where it would lead him.”

Jihoon took a deep breath, as if he was trying to control his emotions and continued, “We walked here together once, after our interview at Angelinus Coffee, where I work now. Unfortunately, who would have thought his life would have ended so shortly? We were simply walking to the nearest bus stop and we just had to bump into a bunch of drunkards who drank so much they reeked of alcohol and smoke especially.”

“They told us to watch where we were going, but we ignored them and walked faster, but it was to no avail before one of the guys grabbed Kwonhyeop all of a sudden and pulled him into the alleyway. I tried to follow and even fought with the burly men in order to attempt saving my friend. I was not strong enough, and that served as my biggest disadvantage, because the last thing I saw was a wooden plank coming straight for my head.”

And at this point, I could hear the slight sniffle and how his voice has become more airy, showing how much choked up emotions he had stored within him, “And when I woke up, I saw him sitting opposite me, but his head was down and he had obviously been beaten up into a pulp. When I stood up, the world started to spin and I felt a certain warm liquid cascade down my temples but I ignored it, more concerned for my friend who now sat beside me.”

“Indeed, he was barely breathing and had clearly suffered multiple stab wounds in his back and he also had a gaping hole in his stomach. God knows if I let out a strangled scream but someone walking past did hear me and called the relevant authorities, but everything had passed by in a blur as the passer by told me to calm down and that everything would be alright. As the time ticked by, I knew better.”

His sniffles were more obvious now and soon, Jihoon was letting out choked up sobs. He did not need to say any more because it was clear that his friend, Kwonhyeop, did not make it through the ordeal. The latter was clearly someone whom he had depended on and looked up to, but he was taken away from him in the most tragic of ways. Hence, it justified his story pretty well and I could see the fear in his eyes as he relived his memory for the sake of providing closure.

I did not know what to do, so I followed my natural instinct and grabbed his neck, putting his head on my shoulder as the tears continued to roll mercilessly down his cheeks and his breath got more and more shallow. I felt like my blazer was going to be drenched soon with his tears, but it did not matter anymore. Jihoon had protected the naive me from the cruelty of the world out there by protecting me physically, and it was only right if I did the same, except that his was to protect his vulnerability and moments of weakness; more on the emotional side.

Of course, I provided him with tissues and he took it sheepishly before apologising, saying that it must have been awkward for me to hear such a traumatising story, but I shook my head and proceeded to rub small circles into his back as a form of encouragement and comfort. It was clear that he needed someone to be there for him, but apart from his “family” of baristas, I suppose he needed someone different for a change and it was probably too personal to go around sharing with anyone without any solid reasoning.

“Oh, the bus is here.” He said, wiping the remains of his tears and flagged for the bus. I, too, did the same and we boarded the bus together, smiling at the bus driver who greeted us with a bright and cheerful smile.

And we were back again sitting in comfortable silence, but I did not realise that Jihoon had, in fact, fallen asleep; probably exhausted from crying. Suddenly, I felt something hit my shoulder with quite an impact and I turned to look, only to be faced with Jihoon’s auburn brown hair. It was weird definitely, because he was actually taller than I was when we stood up and my shoulder must have been quite a distance from his head if he wanted to sleep just like that. I adjusted my shoulders a little bit and he adjusted his head, finding the most comfortable position and rubbed his head against my shoulder.

Also, it was only then that I had noticed his “god-given” features. He had doe shaped eyes, long eyelashes, a small (and adorable) nose with heart shaped lips that seemed to be tinted with a light peach coloured lip balm. He had good skin too and it was probably as smooth as a baby, to the envy of all girls.

When they said that God was fair, I suppose it did not really apply for Jihoon, apart from his tragic past. It must have been hard for him to go through such emotional stress, but he still put on a smile and seemed like the happy-go-lucky and adorably awkward barista that the town probably knew.

I did wake him up at my stop, and he was surprised to see that he was actually sleeping on my shoulder, blushing slightly and apologising that his head must have been heavy. I shook my head, and subconsciously went to ruffle his hair and he blushed even more with his ears and cheeks becoming the colour of a cooked lobster.

He walked me home anyway and we engaged in small talk with an easy going nature. It was clear that he was finally at peace and I could not have been more thankful that he was back to the Jihoon that I knew. I would not say we were exactly friends, but we knew each other to joke around, laugh and just enjoy each other’s company. Furthermore, I suppose the fact that we were the same age really did help to get to know each other better.

“I’m home,” I said with a smile on my face, “Thank you Jihoon-sshi for bringing me home. It was great getting to know you better and thank you for the hot chocolate too.”

He only nodded and smiled while scratching the back of his neck and walked off, before asking, “Wait!! Can I…. uh… have your number?”

“S-sure,” I replied and God knew why I was still stuttering, “No problem at all!”

“Y/N-ah,” and I hummed while typing my name and my contact into his phone, “Thanks for listening to me. It’s been a long time since I opened up my feelings like that and I really appreciate it. It makes me feel a whole lot better and hopefully, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

PART 2 IS OVER HERE!