universe cafe // exo

- 5 -

A couple days have passed since Soojin and Chanyeol devised their plan to push Kyungsoo and Jun-Oh into social interaction. Soojin happily skipped up to Jun-Oh's apartment door with two drinks in hand. She knocked on the door, humming a song to herself while in a happy mood.

The door cracked open and Jun-Oh poked her face out. "Soojin? Hurry, come inside." Jun-Oh opened up the door a bit more for Soojin to come in.

Soojin chuckled and entered, looking at the blanket tightly wrapped around Jun-Oh. "You're so paranoid."

"The cafe is literally on the other side of the street. I can't let myself be seen." Jun-Oh closed the door.

"Fine, fine." Soojin held up the drinks she had in hand and extended one towards Jun-Oh. "I brought us some drinks."

   Jun-Oh's eyes suddenly expanded in worry. "You went to Universe Cafe this morning?"

   "... Yeah, I thought you were missing your favorite drink." Soojin shook the extended drink, trying to get Jun-Oh to take it.

   "Now he's really going to think I'm ignoring him if you're going and I'm not." Jun-Oh went over and plopped onto the couch with her face in her hands.

   "It's okay, hush child. He wasn't even there." Soojin joined her friend on the couch and set the drinks on the coffee table in front of them. "Chanyeol made them."

   "That tall guy that was working with him and bought your drink?"

   Soojin nodded in response.

   "So you didn't see you-know-who in the area?" Jun-Oh questioned.

   "Junnie, you can't even say his name?" Soojin smacked her own forehead. "He's not Voldemort."

   "I'm sorry, I'm just embarassed!" Jun-Oh whined.

   Soojin laughed. "You must really like this guy despite only seeing him while he worked."

   Jun-Oh sighed and leaned against the back of the gray couch. "It's just, he always worked whenever I came in. We had a thing, you know?" Jun-Oh looked at the ceiling and pursed her lips in thought. "He welcomed me in a monotone voice with a blank expression. I ordered my drink. He told me the total. I have him the money. Sometimes with my card, sometimes with cash if I had some on me." Jun-Oh smiled a bit. "If I paid more, he gave me cash back. Made my drink. I took it and thanked him, then sat at a table in the corner on my computer to study Chinese for when I go to China."

   Soojin narrowed her eyes, thinking about the unnecessary details. "That's... literally how business works."

   "Yeah... but he's cute." Jun-Oh shrugged. "You know?"

   Soojin grunted and threw a pillow down on her lap in frustration. "Junnie!"

   "What?!"

   "You like him! He obviously returns the feeling! Just talk to him!" Soojin couldn't emphasize her words more than she already had.

   "Fine!" Jun-Oh surprisingly gave in. Soojin even looked taken aback. "Tomorrow," Jun-Oh declared. "I'll go tomorrow morning. No promises I'll talk to him though."

   "You might have to order from him," Soojin pointed out.

   "You go in first. If he's working the register, tell me so I can hide in the bush while you get the drinks—" Jun-Oh stopped herself to think. "Wait, no because then he'll think that I'm avoiding him if it's only you." She grunted in frustration. "Why is life so complicated?"

"This is what we'll do," Soojin sat up straight and faced her friend, "we'll enter the cafe together. We go up to the counter together. If Kyungsoo is working, we order from him. If not, we still order. If it is Kyungsoo, then when he brings us our drinks, we'll explain the situation and that we're sorry the cup was thrown away. All of this was an accident." Soojin nodded slowly at her own words. "Then you two can contact each other and everyone will be happy."

Jun-Oh frowned a bit from feeling some nervous. "I'll try," she mumbled, fidgeting with her thumbs. "But no promises because my voice might give out on me at any moment."

"Good," Soojin sighed. "At least you're going to try. Now, let's binge watch all our childhood shows and order take-out."