What Usual?

"Is that all? " Jungwoo questioned as a small, generous smile grew upon his lips. The relaxing and pleasant aura of Sweet Tea Café brought upon a welcoming warmth. The soft jazz flowing in the background as it mixes with casual chatter and occasional laughs, created a peace that was just as enjoyable as the coffee that Jungwoo made. White tiles covering the floor, reflected the sunlight from the large surrounding glass windows. The cafe offered a vibrant, friendly, calming atmosphere that customers simply loved, which Jungwoo loved.

There were only a few instances where this peace was disrupted. Either an angered customer or just a mere accident. After being dealt with, the peace would instantly revert. "Thank you! " the young woman blushed as she never expected to be served by such a handsome barista. His slim build, shiny black hair, small face, cute nose with full pink lips wasn't anything expected from this unpopular café. Even though his good looks stood out, they fit just perfectly with the cafe's decor. You could definitely tell the owner put a lot of thinking into the design.

The bell above the door chimed, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Jungwoo stood straight trying to gain a good impression as he acknowledged a tall, handsome, slender but muscular, scowling, young man strutting through the cafe. He was covered in black, from his long, dainty hair to the sheeny pointed shoes he wore. Heads flung to view him and his contradicting presence. The casual chatter shifted to disbelieved gasps and the occasional laughs became joyous squeals. Just by the presence of this man in black, the tranquility that the cafe previously held was kicked out the door and told never to come back.

With that absent peace noticeably gone, the manager rushed out from her office door to observe what the hell could be happening in her cafe. She also gasped at the sight of the dazzling young man. She nearly tripped as she tried to run over to Jungwoo. She gripped onto his shoulders, squeezing so painfully hard, but that was something Jungwoo was used to after working here for over a year. He looked down upon her nervous features with much confusion. She huffed and puffed as if she was about to have a panic attack, maybe she was.

"Do you know who that is? " she barely managed to say. Jungwoo's eyes searched the appearance of the man and he wasn't going to lie, he did seem awfully familiar. He stared back at his manager as she did the same to him, still breathing heavily. "N… No, I don't think… I do? " He replied, hesitating on every word as he didn't know if his denial would be found upsetting. A quick but fierce slap landed on his lower back. He winced and questioned the reason for this sudden abuse. "That's Kim Hanwon, you fool! His advertisement is literally right in front of the cafe! Big and bold! "

~

The astonishingly handsome man swung left to right in his luxurious ergonomic chair as he grew even more impatient. It was 11am and his intern had yet to enter his office and give him his daily supply of caffeine. He clicked his pen, staring viciously at his office door as if that would make his intern come any faster. His patience finally died as he grabbed his phone and basically punched in his manager's number. The call was instantly answered. "Your intern got cold feet and didn't show up. " he said lowly, gritting his teeth. On the other side of the call, his manager sighed before speaking, "Mr. Kim, I apologize. "

"I don't need an apology right now. I need a coffee. The coffee that I was to have, hold and drink an hour ago. " Hanwon tried his best not to lose his temper because he knew it wasn't his manager's fault…. completely. "I can get you that coffee in like… 2 hours, but I'm guessing you don't want to wait that long? " Hanwon glanced at the clock, each tick it made felt like it was mocking him. He hung up, slamming his phone against his desk. He started again with his swaying as if it was a way of coping with this anger he was suppressing.

Ring. Ring. Ring. His phone rang. He pressed his phone to his ear as he answered the call. "Hanwon-ssssiiiiii! " the caller exclaimed with their obvious fake friendliness. Hanwon-ssi? That's a name no one dared to call him. He wasn't close with anyone and refused to be, so this caller was obviously putting on an act. "It's Jeongmin! I forgot to tell you I wouldn't be coming into work today! "

Ahh, of course it was the missing intern. Only someone as unprofessional as Jeongmin would call him Hanwon-ssi. "You forgot? " Hanwon said as he unconsciously raised his neatly trimmed brow. "Ah… yes! I was feeling sick yesterday so I—" Hanwon cut him off as he said, "No, no, no, " he chuckled as he continued, "I wasn't asking for an explanation. I was just simply shocked by the amount of audacity you have to tell me you forgot about your own job. "

"Hanwon-ssi, it's not that! I just—", " And you still dare to call me by that? Should I report you to Manager Lee? " The other side of the phone was silent. He guessed Jeongmin was frantically thinking of excuses to make up for his previous poor ones. "I'm sorry Han- sir!! Tomorrow I'll buy you 100 cups of your favorite coffee! " Jeongmin said, a smile still present in his voice. "Brainless." Hanwon sighed before he hung up. He was trying his absolute best to tolerate Jeongmin ever since he joined his agency.

The only thing that was maintaining his place as intern was his special skill; disguise. He was able to look and manner himself just like Hanwon. The only noticeable difference between them was that Jeongmin had a bit more build than Hanwon. It wasn't a striking difference but some fans were able to pick up on this easily when Jeongmin would be in place of Hanwon for certain events. Their whole scheme was that Jeongmin would leave events through the front door while Hanwon would be safely guided through the back door.

"What a sly fox. He isn't even sorry. " Hanwon sighed as he lifted himself out of his chair. Unfortunately, today would be the first time in a long while he would have to get his own coffee. He didn't even know where the closest cafe was. Did they even make his usual? Calling Jeongmin for the location of where he normally purchases his coffee from would be very helpful, but his pride stood against it. So, now, Google Maps would be his intern for the day.

~

"You're acting like that's common knowledge?! " Jungwoo huffed.

"He's our first celebrity customer and you don't even know him?! " Leeyun, the cafe manager, retorted.

"Excuse me… " A husky masculine voice interrupted. They whipped around swiftly to take in the sight of The Top Model Kim Hanwon. They blushed out of embarrassment realizing he probably heard their idiotic conversation. Leeyun slowly looked at Jungwoo, giving him a 'good luck to you' smile before she dashed back into her office.

Now it was Jungwoo and the handsome hunk Hanwon left at the counter. Jungwoo positioned himself in his usual calm composure and greeted his upset celebrity customer with one of the most delightful smiles he could ever form. He thought way back to all the customer service tips Leeyun taught him when he just began working here. How to deal with an upset customer? Some might find it challenging but for Jungwoo, it was just a breeze.

"Good morning! Would you like to talk about your day while I make your coffee? I prepare them here all on my own. " He said brightly, hands gesturing along the counter filled with various types of coffee beans, pretty machines and small tasty snacks. "Since today is such a special day, you can get a free chocolate chip cookie! " The cookies were placed in a small vintage basket and covered with a glass cloche embellished with a white ribbon. Truthfully, it wasn't the day that was special, it was the customer.

Jungwoo smirked internally as he knew that the attractiveness of the counter would stun anybody, even a top model. "Do you have to talk? " Hanwon said very much bothered by Jungwoo's failing attempt at starting a wholesome conversation. Jungwoo's jaw dropped along with his 'calm' composure. He thought to himself, "Then how do I maintain a good impression??? " Then he really thought about it.

He's gained enough experience to know that some people really don't want to be talked to. Not speaking was their way of peace and Jungwoo respected that. The right thing to do in this situation is to ask the basic barista questions. He smiled once again before asking, "What would your order be for today? " So simple but just enough to get the job done and to fix the awkwardness between Hanwon and him. He thought.

"The usual. " Hanwon said dryly, looking away from Jungwoo as he expected him to fetch his order. A few seconds passed as he glanced back at the barista just to find him frozen in place. His eyes opened just as wide as his mouth. Clearly this foolish barista didn't hear him the first time. "The usual. " He repeated a bit louder but Jungwoo kept stationary. His scowl deepened.

What he understood was that this young barista was a fan of his that was trying to remain relaxed around him, but his euphonious voice broke him. One of the hardest things about being Hanwon is that he was just too hot for the human mind to function smoothly. He sighed thinking even that would drive Jungwoo crazier.

For Jungwoo, he was taken back. He was too stunned to speak. "Did he seriously just ask for 'the usual'? " Jungwoo thought. He was beyond confused. Was it also common knowledge to know what Top Model Kim Hanwon drank for his coffee? Jungwoo broke his stance, biting his lips for he didn't know what to do in this situation. Yes, for an ordinary customer he'd ask them to expound but for a celebrity? Wouldn't that come off as rude?

Jungwoo looked behind Hanwon as he saw a line of eager fans wanting to interact with their idol. He was holding them and Hanwon up as he saw the irrigation replacing that excitement. "Could you… list out how you want your coffee? " Jungwoo fidgeted with his apron as he said with a crooked smile. This time Hanwon stood frozen.

Jeongmin would always get his coffee. He never cared to ask what made it, he just knew it was the most heavenly, soul melting coffee ever made. His eyes jumped anxiously across the menu searching for what sounded half as good of how his regular coffee tasted. Nothing matched up. His face blushed with embarrassment.

His eyes casted down on his reflective phone screen. It showed him nervously contemplating whether to ring Jeongmin or just deal with this. His phone lit up just as his hope did. He sighed with a bit of relief, expecting it to be an incoming call that would save him from this awkward interaction, so that he could easily raise his hand, say "A moment please," walk out and never come back. Unfortunately for him, it was an alarm reminding him he had a shoot in the next 30 minutes.

His eyes locked with Jungwoo's as his phone inconsiderately vibrated, as Jungwoo's fingers shakily twirled around a loose thread on his shirt, and also as his fans pleaded for his precious attention. He thought of the quickest way to escape this mess. Hanwon dropped his hands, turned around fully, then bolted towards the door.

As Jungwoo noticed Hanwon's hurried actions, he jumped up, rushing from behind the counter. He dodged and swerved between customers like they were slow cars on a highway. When he finally neared the pacing model, he grabbed onto his wrist and yanked him back. The force of his tug had Hanwon uncontrollably whipping back in Jungwoo's direction. An expression of surprise visibly present on his face as he tipped over, bouncing into the barista. Jungwoo clutched onto Hanwon's built biceps as they both embarrassingly tumbled onto the floor.

Their eyes met, just as their bodies unwillingly did. They breathed heavily. Their close proximity had them sharing breaths. They were faced directly, both staggered in their current position. Hanwon was planked above Jungwoo, as Jungwoo shied away from the unwavering stare of the top model.

Click, clruu. The sound of a camera shutter was heard. They scattered apart, brushing off all traces of dust as they stood grounded. Hanwon raised his fist to his lips, clearing his throat, just about ready to dash out of the café.

"Uhm, I'm so sorry! " Jungwoo bowed with the intention of hiding his heated cheeks. His eyes caught a reflection of him on the tiled floor. His hair was a mess, his apron had untied, and he faintly saw that his lips were bleeding. "Why did I polish the floor today? This is so humiliating! " he mentally cringed. He sheepishly raised up, internally exhorting Hanwon to leave.

"I'll go— hold on. " Hanwon said, just about to leave the cafe and this awkward situation, until he noticed a small cut on Jungwoo's lips. He reached into his tightly fitted jeans and pulled out a blue handkerchief. His eyes lifted to meet the barista's brown ones before it trailed down to his now bloodstained lips. He carefully patted the wounded area as he heard the other winced.

He pulled back, his gaze still lingering on Jungwoo's lips. "It needs ointment." Hanwon said, slipping back the soiled kerchief into his pocket. "I'll buy you a new one, I'm so sorry." It was like every time Jungwoo said sorry, his ears would get ten times redder. He never enjoyed fan service. He found it incredibly cringey and foolish, yet he never thought he'd experience it first hand. Especially with the undeniable fact that he was not a fan of Hanwon nor did he even know the man. And! Especially in front of a bunch of giddy fans.

The crowd had their phones out and he had no doubt he'd be seeing himself later on social media. He wasn't quite sure but crazy enough, heard someone say "I was hoping for a kiss…". How disgracing! What was worse was that his boss, who had run away to cower in her office, was now peeking above the counter, also recording. He was beyond ashamed.

"There's no need." Jungwoo's body relaxed at that. Hanwon felt a little guilty after toppling over the guy, knowing he was bigger compared to him. He'd make it up to him. He'd allow him a chance. "Just make me my usual when I get back. " With that, Jungwoo was all tense again, and Hanwon was strutting out the café.