fairytale hell asteroid | l.dh

thirteen.

Donghyuck's giddy mood suddenly dissolved after he walked back into the café. He was not sure exactly what it was, he had been so excited to find an empty spot so he could sit down and bother you for your entire shift.

After scanning the area, basking in the quiet environment and calculating the number of customers in the café so he could estimate how destructive he would allow his behavior toward you be, he seamlessly pressed down the once enamored expression on his face and switched on his confidence just to walk to an empty table of his choice.

He sat down and shifted his position to make himself comfortable. Pulling his phone out from his pocket just to twirl it in his hands, he looked from left and right, looking for your shadows. In the corner behind the cashier counter, just next to the staff room, was where he found you lurking. He smirked when you turned around immediately after he caught your eyes, but even his feign confidence knew not to fight the longing in him for his true attention.

He watched as you bent down to pick something from the cabinet below. You pushed the box onto the bar area as you conversed with the boy he saw last time he came here. A calming sensation rushed over him once again; he remembered, all the time, the touch of your hands and the concern in your voice. Once again, the fire of longing in him flared.

You were only a few steps away. Come here. He called silently. Come to me.

The dramatic rise of disappointment in his eyes did not get lost on Renjun after he defeatedly took up your request to wait Donghyuck's table. Renjun wasn't sure if Donghyuck had changed the gleam in his eyes obnoxiously so he could make a point that he wanted you, or if he simply had no control over his facial expressions whatsoever and was unable to conceal his disdain for seeing Renjun walk near his table.

It better not be the first option because Renjun knew very well Donghyuck has feelings for you, as he didn't exactly make his crush secretive today nor the other day he was here. Renjun also knew he could be very influential when it came to butting into other people's business. It would serve in Donghyuck's favor to not activate his petty side, he thought silently to himself as he took a big turn and walked back to the cashier counter.

"I refuse to deal with this, [Name]," Renjun hissed as soon as he slid behind the counter and approached you.

You carefully stirred the milk tea in your hand as you perked up to look at your coworker. Renjun looked defeated—upset, and maybe even a little angry if you counted the way he squeezed his eyes and gritted his teeth as if holding back the cuss words from flowing out of his mouth. He looked miserable to have been pulled into the situation all of a sudden, and you chose to ignore him.

"You can't refuse to deal with customers, Renjun," you said while pouring the milk tea into a cup, careful of any spills. "This is your job. Not to mention, is it not your dream to be on top of everyone else all the time? How could you do that when you can't even serve one customer?"

He laughed incredulously at you. He knew that you knew you were being ironic; you were the one who asked him to take Donghyuck's orders for you first, after all, so you chose to run away from your duty first. You simply did not care enough to not be hypocritical, which made him wonder what happened for you to want to avoid the boy in the first place? From what he saw last time, you two seemed to have ended on good terms.

"Don't try to manipulate me, [Name]. Just like you, I don't care about anything enough to be manipulated," he hissed somewhat playfully, stomping his feet in tiny and careful movements to not alert the customers in the café. Then, he took a step closer to you and got all up in your face, his lips quirking downward to show his dismay. "I can deal with customers, just not the boy who you have feelings for!"