Why do I have to be stuck in a barely lighted coffee shop with an outrageously good-looking guy who kissed two times, and he might not even remember one of them, right on the day when I feel like my life has no meaning what so ever? And without a phone?
I've been contemplating these questions for the last 27 minutes since I discovered that I had to wait 3 hours for Joshua's first shift...
Meanwhile, Wendy was awkwardly sitting a few booths away from me, after he apologised more times than I cared to count.
"So..." he decided to break the silence, "This might not be as bad you think...it's a new experience..."
"Sure, 'cause being stuck inside a dark and slightly creepy coffee shop for hours at three am is exactly the kind of experience that everybody has on their bucket list."
"Oh come on, it's not that bad." he tried to remain positive after hearing my sarcastic response, "What could possibly go wrong in here?"
"I have a few horror movies in mind that disagree with you. I swear if I see one red balloon in here, I'll die!"
"We all float down here."
Annoyed, I picked up one of Jihoon's books, which were spread across the table in front of me, ready to throw in the face of the teasing boy.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." he instantly held up his hands in surrender and as an attempt to protect himself, "I was only joking! Didn't know you were that scared of clowns. And come on, that movie wasn't even that scary."
"Of course I'm terrified of clowns! Who isn't?! And for your information, 'IT' is pretty creepy and it scarred me for life!" I argued, making him chuckle.
"Whatever you say." then he turned serious. "Aside from our current situation, are you okay? You seem a bit down..."
"I'm fine."
"You know, you can tell me. I'm never going to judge you."
"I...I just feel like I'm failing in life or something. As if everyone has figured out what they're going to do with their lives. Everybody is moving forward, except me. I just feel like a complete failure..."
"You're not a failure-"
"You don't know that. You don't really know me that well." I regretted those harsh words the minute I said them.
"You're right. I don't know you that well," he said as he stood up from his sit. For a minute, I thought he was going to another part of the coffee shop to get away from me, but then he continued, "I don't even know your name. Which is funny because I've been trying to find out what it is for these last few weeks."
"That's not really my fault-"
"I know, and I don't blame you for it." he interrupted. Wendy was now sitting down in front of me, staring straight into my eyes. " But still, I don't think you are a failure. If a guy you barely know is sure that you aren't failing in life, then he's probably right."
"...thank you...I'm just not feeling okay today..."
"Is there something I can do to make you feel better?"
"I don't know...can we just talk about something else?"
"Okay then...we should probably talk about what happened last week..."
"You remember that?"
"Sort of. I was convinced it was a dream at first, but then Minghao told me what happened." he chuckled, "It's funny how we kissed twice, and we didn't even go on a date yet. I'm pretty sure we're doing this in the wrong order. Minghao also thinks you may picture me as a pervert."
"Yeah, we sure are failing this whole 'getting to know each other first' thing. Don't worry, I don't think you're a pervert. Jihoon, on the other hand, is convinced that you're a serial killer with very unconventional methods."
"Really? How did he come up with that theory? I'm far from being a serial killer!"
" I don't know...I mean, the way you quoted the clown from 'IT' is a huge red flag..." I joked.
"Well then, what can I do to convince you that I'm not a serial killer with an undying love for a creepy clown that devours children?"
"Hmm...I don't know, I'll have to think about that..."
We stood there in the booth for a while, without saying anything, only smiling at each other. Maybe being stuck here won't be as horrible as I thought. ________________________________________________________
The time me and Wendy spent inside the coffee shop turned out to be very enjoyable. We talked for hours as if we knew each other for years. We joked around and even at some point, we turned on the radio that Joshua keeps in the back room. We also did other things, like inspecting Chan's bag and all the random stuff he keeps there, along with trying to figure out where Jeonghan's secret stash of food is. I know he has one, but we weren't able to find it...yet.
Our fun ended at 6 am, when we heard the door open, revealing a very confused Joshua Hong.
"What are you two doing here?"
"I came here for Jihoon's books, as you know. And he came to get Chan's bag-"
"And then I let the door close and lock itself-" Wendy continued my explanation.
"So we got stuck here."
"Why didn't you call me then?" Joshua asked me, resembling a concerned father.
"I didn't bring my phone..."
"And neither did you?" Joshua pointed to the boy standing beside me, who shook his head in response.
"But wait, what you're doing here so early?" I inquired. Joshua usually starts working at around seven, when all the sleep-deprived students and early morning lovers start to surface.
"The manager called me, saying that there a noise complaint. But I guess I figure out the cause of it. " the older boy laughed. This whole situation amuses him more than it should.
"Oh...that was probably us..."
"With the radio and all..."
"Our bad...sorry about that." Wendy apologised and then grabbed my hand, "But the two of us should probably go now! I'll text Chan to pick up his bag."
"What about Jihoon's-"
"Don't worry, I'll text him!" Joshua quickly offered.
"Great, let's go then!"
"Are you sure-"
"Yes, I'm sure. Bye!" a very amused looking Joshua waved at me, as Wendy dragged out of the coffee shop.
"So...I think it's finally time for the two of us to go on a date."
"Now?"
"Why not? Oh, and before I forget, my name is Wen Junhui, but my friends call me Jun. It's nice to meet you." he smiled.
"Jun? Hmmm...I don't know, Wendy does suit you pretty well..." I joked. "Well, Jun, I promise to tell you my name if this date you mention goes well."
"Deal!"
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