Work Text
It had been a tiring week filled with back to back meetings, contract negotiations, and long business flights that left Jumin feeling drained. As much as people deemed him a workaholic, that didn’t mean he never felt exhausted. Jumin had been staring out the car window focusing on nothing in particular, until he was snapped out of his thoughts by the colorful blur just up ahead the street. The car had paused just in time at a stoplight and Jumin’s eyes finally adjusted to take in the sight in front of him. There were balloons in front of a small shop, a large sign hanging overhead announcing its grand opening. It seemed to be going well, a steady flow of people coming in and out. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or maybe it was the way he saw people smiling in a way that seemed so foreign to him as they exited the shop, but in a spur of the moment decision, Jumin told Driver Kim he was going to make a quick stop.
Driver Kim simply nodded as he parked the car in front of the shop's entrance.Jumin stepped out and was finally able to take a good look over its exterior. A few potted plants hung on hooks attached to the ceiling of the small roof overhead the main entrance. Twinkle lights were wrapped around the shops windows which Jumin noticed had small doodles of coffee cups and flowers painted onto it. As he tilted his head up, he read the name of the coffee shop aloud—Café Cielo. He knew café meant coffee but he wondered what ‘cielo’ meant. The word came out butchered every time he spoke it and he gave up with a shake of his head, promising to search it up later. He didn’t realize how long he’d been standing in front of the entrance until an older woman suddenly cleared her throat.Jumin immediately moved to the side as he bowed his head slightly.“My apologies, ma’am, I hadn’t realized. Please go on ahead, I’ll grab the door for you.”Jumin went to reach the door, holding it open for her to enter. The lady smiled at him, the corner of her eyes slightly creasing from age as she thanked him. Just before she fully entered, she paused.“Wouldn’t you also like to come in?”She gave him another friendly smile that made Jumin unable to say no. The older lady simply chuckled as he stepped inside the shop, seeming a little frazzled at the liveliness inside the store. Loud Spanish music was playing over the noise of coffee grinders and the chattering of customers. It was so different from any of the usual places he frequented. He stepped in line and began to read off some of the items offered from the chalkboard menu up ahead. He hadn’t even realized it was his turn to order before a voice called out for him.“I can help the next customer!”The cashier called for him and he stepped up to the register, feeling strangely unprepared.He was definitely unprepared to be meeting someone like you.You smiled at him like he was a longtime friend you haven't seen in a while. It was such a genuine smile that Jumin could almost make himself believe perhaps you two had met each other sometime in the past. But that couldn’t possibly be true. He would never forget a smile like that.“If you’re unsure about what to order yet, I can offer some recommendations.”He hadn’t even realized he’d been simply standing there silently that entire time. You smiled at him curiously as his brain mercifully began to function normally once again.“My apologies, that was rude of me.” Jumin shook his head slightly, a bit flustered.The soft laugh he got in response almost sent him spiraling again. The edges of your eyes slightly crinkled as you smiled at him, it reminded him of the older lady he had helped earlier.“Don’t worry about it, we blank out sometimes. It happens to me too.” Were you trying to make him feel better? It made him feel a bit happy.Jumin cleared his throat slightly before speaking. “I see. I’m glad to hear it’s a common occurrence then.” He couldn’t help but notice the slight upward tilt of your lips at his words. He wondered why that was.“Are you heading to work?” you asked curiously as your eyes scanned the suit he was wearing. It was his usual attire, but with the way you observed it, his hand went to immediately adjust his tie. It seemed that the warmth inside the store was getting to him. That was the only logical explanation for why he suddenly felt a heat creep into his cheeks.“Yes, I usually head to work around this time. And yourself?”A playful smirk graced your lips as you slightly leaned in close to him. You looked around dramatically before you whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but I also should be at work right now.”Jumin’s eyes widened a bit at your confession.
“Will your boss be alright with you playing hooky?”Your eyes glinted with a bit of mischief at the genuine worry in his tone.“Let’s ask right now.”Jumin was about to ask what you meant by that, before he was interrupted by an older woman, who he recognized instantly as the one he met at the shop's entrance.”Mijá, I told you to stop teasing the customers!”The older lady playfully smacked your arm as your face broke into a wide smile before a loud laugh spilled from your lips. Jumin noticed the slight blush in your cheeks as you calmed down from your sudden laughing fit. He simply watched as the older lady scorned you like a small child while you tried your best to hold back a grin. It only went on for a minute before she ran off to help some other customer that had approached the counter.“Sorry about that.” You finally turned your attention towards Jumin again, letting out a breathless laugh. “As you probably could tell, my mom doesn’t really like me doing that.”“The teasing?” Jumin wondered aloud.“Exactly that.” You gave him a slanted grin. “But I couldn’t miss such a good opportunity.”Jumin’s eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, earning him that smile which you seemed to give so effortlessly.“You still haven’t realized?”
Jumin shook his head.“You asked me if I was also heading to work,” you explained in an amused tone.It took only a second for the realization to finally click in his head.“Seems like you could use some coffee.” You shot him a playful smile that had your brown eyes glinting.“It seems so.” He loudly cleared his throat, doing his best to ignore the slight blush that was trying to bloom across his face. “Anything strong will do, I usually take espresso shots.”He proceeded to give you his order as you looked down to tap it into the small screen in front of you. The sun was starting to fully come out now as it poured through the windows. It bathed you in a soft orange light that brought out the brown highlights in your otherwise dark hair. He noticed the way you silently repeated his order to yourself before glancing up at him with those brown eyes and bright smile that was so rare to see in his everyday life.“Don’t worry about paying for it, young man! It’s on us today!”A voice nearby the espresso machines had both of your heads turning. The older woman simply waved at Jumin as she sent you a knowing look that had you nodding in understanding.As much as he appreciated the sentiment, he shook his head.“I’m grateful for the offer but please allow me to pay. It’s the least I can do to help you both celebrate your first day in business.” Jumin had barely reached for his wallet before you quickly stopped him. “My mom is very picky about these things,” you admitted, casting a sideways glance to the older woman who was now laughing and chatting away with another customer. “I won’t hear the end of it if I let you pay. So how about a deal?”“Only if it’s a good one,” Jumin shot back with an amused smile.“Let us cover the drink for you today and you can cover it next time.”Jumin smiled as he processed your words. “That just sounds like a deal to make sure I keep coming back.”“It’s exactly that.”Jumin couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. “I was going to come back regardless, but yes, I accept your deal.”Your face lit up as you smiled, seeming satisfied with his response. You quickly moved to take out a pen from the front pocket of your apron as you went to grab a cup.“Will you do me the honors of giving me your name?”You didn’t catch the hesitant pause before he gave his response.“Jumin Han.”He waited to see your reaction.There had been so many instances in his life where once people found out who he was, they were practically pouncing on him for some sort of personal gain. He hadn’t even realized it but speaking with you felt like a breath of fresh air where he could finally relax for once. That small voice in the back of his mind, which he had barely managed to shut off—even if only briefly—came back now at full volume. He couldn’t ever truly lower his walls, for the moment he did, there were always people wanting to take advantage of him. Please don’t be like them. Unaware of the inner turmoil going on within Jumin, you simply repeated his name as you wrote it on the cup and quickly handed it to the young barista beside you.“Okay Jumin, you’re all set!”The unwavering kindness in your voice remained the same and Jumin couldn’t help but let out a small sigh in relief. He smiled back at you as he quickly took out his wallet and dropped a tip in the glass jar, walking away before you could even say anything about it.Jumin glanced at you before he left the coffee shop hoping you would look, but you were too busy helping the long line of customers to notice. He was fine with that, knowing he’d be back again soon anyway. He had a deal to uphold, after all.The scent of coffee filled the car as Driver Kim completed the drive to take him to his office. As he was fiddling with the brown cup sleeve, he noticed a small hidden message scribbled underneath it.
Have a good day at work Jumin! See you soon :D
His face broke out into a wide smile as his eyes scanned the written message over and over again. He was definitely going to become a regular at the coffee shop and that was a deal with himself he didn’t plan on breaking anytime soon.
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The morning rush had passed and you finally had time to take a breath. Really, you should have expected the cafe to be popular–especially after the insane amount of people that you rang up on opening day. It was a blur of faces that had you exhausted by the end of it, but you tried your best to remember their names.There was still one name that especially stood out to you–Jumin Han.It would be a lie to say you weren’t the least bit impressed by the man. The way he carried himself reflected confidence and charisma. More honestly, you were surprised he even stepped foot into the cafe. You held back a small laugh as he looked around the cafe with a serious look as if he were carefully committing everything to memory. He was so focused on the menu that he didn’t even notice it was his turn to come up to the register. The frazzled look on his face when you asked for his order and the way his eyes scanned the menu at a record speed only confirmed your suspicions.Despite the aloof impression he gave off, it seemed he had a surprisingly clumsy side to him. You couldn’t help smiling at the man in front of you. His flustered expression almost made you want to laugh but you held it back in fear that he’d get the wrong idea. Still, that didn’t mean you couldn’t tease him a little. Maybe that’s why you wrote that note on his cup. You remember the smirk on the barista’s face as you handed it to them and the relentless teasing you had to deal with the rest of the day.Nearing the end of your shift, you were in charge of counting up the tips. The busy morning and opening celebration put people in a friendlier mood than usual which meant tips had been generous.Someone had taken generosity to a whole new level.Your eyes almost popped out at the crisp one hundred dollar bill hidden within the wads of singles in the tip jar. Before you could even question who the mystery tipper was, a low whistle came from behind your shoulder. The same barista who’d been teasing you all day stared at the huge tip you placed on the table and smiled cheekily at you. “Your man really likes you, that’s for sure.”You laughed. “You mean your man, Leila. Don’t think I didn’t notice the way you looked at Jumin when you gave him his drink. I’m surprised you didn’t propose to him on the spot.”“Okay, first of all, that man was hot. Did you see his eyes? That stare was just so…ugh I can’t even put it into words!” Leila walked in circles as she spoke, her hands combing through her hair as she rambled on with a dopey smile on her face. If you didn’t know her well, you would think she had actually fallen for the guy. But having grown up together and being childhood best friends meant that you knew her way too well. Leila was a hopeless romantic with an endless list of crushes (if they could even be called that) who only lasted a day before she moved on to the next person. If Leila was a hopeless romantic, you were the complete opposite. A “logical person who is realistic” you liked to describe yourself, but Leila just called you a scaredy-cat. The funny thing was, you couldn’t really deny her words–especially considering the way all your past relationships had ended.The idea of being completely vulnerable to someone was something so foreign to you. Even looking back on your past relationships, you could admit that you had always kept up some walls. The distance was something you needed to keep yourself safe from any emotional heartache.You’d seen firsthand what a broken heart could do to a person.The memory of your mom breaking down in tears after you asked her when your dad would come back home was something forever etched into your mind. Your absent father was someone you’d rather not think about but you couldn’t help but resent him after another one of your relationships came to an end saying that you were too “closed off.”You couldn't really disagree with them, so you just accepted the breakup and that was the end of it. It had become a repetitive cycle that you were tired of so for the time being, you decided it was time to take a break from the whole dating scene. It was nice to focus on yourself for a change, especially now that your mom had opened up the shop she had always dreamed about. She shouldered so much over the years, taking on jobs day in and out to provide for the both of you. While you could never say you grew up in wealth, you didn’t ever feel like you were particularly missing anything. Your mom was there for you, supporting you in more ways than one, and at the end of the day you were happy simply being with her.It was your decision to start working at the cafe, despite her insistence that you didn’t need to. You simply shook your head, smiling at her and telling her that you wanted to. It was going to take a bit of effort to learn how to properly brew coffee and become a full fledged barista but at least you could rely on your past job experiences to help you in dealing with the customers. Your mom laughed calling you stubborn but you could tell that she appreciated your offer. Once you had your mind set on something, you’d give it your all to be able to achieve it.You had gotten so lost in thought that you almost forgot Leila was still talking to you.“Anyway, he is definitely crushing on you. I could see it in his eyes, you saw it too right?”You had no idea what she was talking about anymore.“Who’s crushing on who now?”Leila shook her head in defeat. “Sometimes you can be so clueless, I swear…,” she sighed while walking away.As you finally finished counting up the tips, your mind wandered once again to who could've possibly left such a big tip. Surely, it couldn’t have been the guy Leila insisted on...right? Despite the fact that all signs pointed to him, you still wanted to make sure for yourself.