The next day, Han had woken up in an oddly less black mood than usual. Crying was cathartic, after all.

It was a gloomy day, so he had put on a sweatshirt and had gone to the Little CupCake Café. He said good morning to Chan and put on his yellow apron that had just arrived from the laundry.

It was just a normal Tuesday and the day seemed to be going well, when Minho walked through the door of the café.

That time he didn't go to his usual isolated table, but went straight towards Han, who pretended not to see him even when the boy took a seat on one of the high stools in front of the counter. 

It had been a week since Han had written to him for the first time and he kept thinking about that embarrassing message: "I would like to find something like that too..."

He had never even admitted to himself that he needed something or someone to make him love life again. Indeed, he was convinced that he was completely disillusioned, that he didn't want to try to love again and that he was keeping everyone away because of that.

And instead, at the first handsome-faced boy who approached him, he was there to show himself vulnerable.

And he hated feeling vulnerable.

Minho had made a quick bar drop during that week, but nothing unusual had happened. Until it was Monday again, Han's day off, and he was so broken that he had ignored the older's message. So in that moment Han oscillated between embarrassment, guilt for not having answered him and anger at feeling all those emotions for a stranger. Indeed he was trying not to take his eyes off what he was doing behind the counter, so as not to meet Minho's.

«Good morning, Minho!» the orange-haired boy was the first to speak, grinning a smile adorned with his dimples.

Han cursed Chan mentally and forced himself to look up from the dishes he was washing. 

«Good morning!» Minho greeted the older and then turned to Han, «Woah, you look really good in that apron!» he joked.

Han raised an eyebrow annoyed as he heard Chan cackle and walk away.

When you feel vulnerable and exposed, the best defense is offense, right? Being sour and unfriendly. And Han was good at it, he was trained to keep people away.

«You should change your pick up line, you know?» he snapped, wiping his hands and walking to the coffee machine.

«The usual?» he asked, already preparing an americano coffee.

«This morning I would like two iced Americanos, please» Minho said.

Han asked no questions, used to weird requests by customers, and then selected the usual cupcake Minho ordered and handed it to him on a saucer.

«You weren't here yesterday» Minho started.

Han placed the two coffees in front of the boy and looked at him perplexed:

«Did you come to find me?» he said, looking surprised for a moment. For a second, the idea of Minho looking for him almost pleased him.

The older smiled victorious, he was happy to have scratched Han's usual inexpressiveness.

Jisung quickly pulled himself together: «Do you know that stalking is a crime?» he snapped.

Minho took one of the two coffees, without wiping that annoying winning smile from his lips: «You didn't answer my message and I was worried.» Then he handed the other americano to the waiter, «Would you like to have a coffee with me?»

Han ignored the offer and resumed drying the dishes: «I'm working.»

Minho looked around. The place was completely empty: «I'm your only customer, can't you take two minutes of break?»

Han snorted loudly: «Minho, why the hell are you so persistent?» he said, going around the counter and sitting down next to the hazel hair boy. He grabbed the second coffee and started drinking it, a glint of defiance in his eyes.

"I'm drinking coffee with you, so what? What have you got now?"

They were closer than they had ever been and Minho seemed to appreciate that, taking the liberty of observing the boy's features. Han Jisung was truly beautiful. His face was soft, long-limbed, despite those chubby cheeks. The high cheekbones and the small nose made that face masculine and delicate at the same time. His mouth was small and protruding, seasoning it all with a touch of cuteness.

Minho smiled: «Who told you not to use honorifics?» he asked, sassy. 

"Oh, so do you wanna play, Minho?" Han thought, knowing he had never lost.

«So, Minho-nim, why the hell are you so persistent?» he crossed the older eyes and Minho looked intimidated for a moment. Han had a sweet face, he looked like a squirrel, but his eyes could be terribly intense.

And even that slightly angry, slightly hurt look was beautiful. Those eyes were an explosive mix of vulnerability and extreme fighting strength and they really fascinated Minho.

«You can call me Minho-hyung» the boy smirk, continuing their game.

«I prefere Minho-nim, sir.» Han joked, raising an eyebrow with no intention of letting go.

"Let's see who's more stubborn, then." 

He finished his coffee in a few sips and got up to go back behind the counter, «Thank you for the coffe, sir.» he said in a cold and ironic tone.

Minho sighed. There was no way to approach that boy, was there?

He too had a pride deep down and that boy kept pushing him away any way he could. Why insist? 

«All right, thanks to you, Han.» Minho said, letting go and getting up from the chair.

Jisung seemed astonished. He noticed that the cheeky grin on Minho's handsome face was gone and he felt disappointed. He didn't think that the boy who looked like an idol would give up so quickly.

But that didn't matter, did it? In the end he had won, right? He had gotten what he wanted: to push him away.

Minho left a banknote on the counter and without waiting for the change he said: «See you, Han Jisung» and disappeared, leaving the winner boy feeling like he had lost something.

.          .          .

Han looked up as he heard the café door open, but it wasn't Minho this time either. It had been a week since his last visit and, without understanding why, Han felt guilty. Again.

Had he treated him too badly?

And why was that weird boy interested in him? After all, he didn't want to make friends, Minho had to learn how to accept a negative answer.

Chan gave him mischievous glances but didn't dare say anything.

«What are you laughing at?» Han snapped, annoyed. He knew that when his boss had something to say, sooner or later he would have said it. And Jisung hated waiting.

«Minho is fine, he's just busy» Chan explained.

«And when did I ask?» Han retorted, sour. 

If there was one other thing Han couldn't stand - yes, there were many - it was that someone could read his mind. And Chan seemed to do it incredibly well.

However another question jumped into Jisung's mind as he continued to fill the coffee machine with the powder: "How does Chan know how is Minho doing?"

The boy with the orange hair sighed, looking at his employee with soft eyes: «Han-ah, I don't know you at all, but I get the feeling you think you don't deserve friends.» 

Han sighed too and looked up from the coffee pot that was filling with the hot liquid.

«You're, right, Chan-Hyung.» he said, crossing his gaze with an extremely serious look, «You don't know me at all.»

Chan nodded, stepping away from the boy a little.

«All right, Han. I'm sorry».

.          .          .

Minho returned to the Café one evening after training just before closing time. As soon as he walked through the door, Jisung locked his eyes on him.

He didn't know whether to be happy to see him or annoyed. Why hadn't he shown up all this time? And more importantly, why did Han care?

In any case Minho looked exhausted. He had a more sunken face than usual and two large dark circles under his eyes, that anyway seemed lively and serene as usual.

«Hi, Minho» Chan welcomed him with a smile, approaching the usual table where he was sitting.

«Hi, Chan-hyung.»

"Chan-hyung?" Han was watching them from behind the counter, glancing from one to the other, "Since when are they friends?"  

Luckily the Café wasn't big and Minho's table wasn't too far from the counter, so Han could hear everything they were saying without much effort.

«You look tired... What can I take you?» Chan asked kindly, like the perfect host he was.

«Yes, it's concert season.» Minho snorted, letting himself slide on the chair in a sprawled pose, making the older laugh. «Just a slice of cheesecake, please, it's too late for coffee» he added.

At that moment Han, who was too concentrated on observing the scene, slipped a glass on the floor, breaking it. Chan and the customer immediately turned to him.

«Han-ah! Are you hurt?» Chan hurried over to him, while Minho watched him for the first time since he'd set foot in the café that night and blinked twice.

«I'm fine, I'm fine.» the boy mumbled, trying not to blush for the poor fool. Did they notice he got distracted because he was staring at them? At him?

He picked up the pieces from the ground and got ready to prepare a slice of cheesecake for Minho. Meanwhile Chan had returned to the client and had even sat down in front of him to keep him company.

Han kept sending both of them questioning looks trying to figure out what was going on. The club was closing, but Chan had never sat with customers before. And Minho had called him Chan-hyung. That was weird.

«You should come too, next time» Chan said, looking at the guy behind the counter. He knew perfectly well that Han was dying to know why they had suddenly become more intimate, but he would never have asked. Han was one of the proudest people Chan'd ever known.

«Where?» Jisung asked, feigning indifference, as he carried Minho's cake on a platter.

«Two nights ago we met together at the pub by chance. We found out we have a mutual friend.» Chan explained.

Minho was strangely silent and didn't stare at the youngest as he usually did.

Han shrugged without saying anything and went back behind the counter, finishing up cleaning so he could close the Café and go home. He didn't want anything else.

After a while, Chan stopped chatting and laughing with Minho and approached Jisung:

«I'll finish here. Go change, Han»

The younger did as he said. It wasn't the first time that Chan had made that gesture and he had learned that trying to oppose him was impossible. It was an order from the boss, after all. 

He went to the back of the Café, took off his apron and put it away in his locker. He put on his baggy sweatshirt and a cap and walked back into the room, surprised to find out Minho was still there.

«See you tomorrow, Chan. Bye, Minho-nim» he hurried to say to leave.

«Wait!» Minho got up from the table, «I'll go with you» he added, hastily leaving some cash on the table.

Han tried to hold back his surprise while Minho joined him, after waving to Chan.

Once out of the Café, Jisung looked at him waiting for an explanation. An eyebrow raised, eyes thin and suspicious.

«What?» Minho asked, feeling unease under that gaze.

«You're not going with me anywhere at all.» Han said, trying not to sound too much rude.

«Oh, that.» the hazel-haired boy scratched his neck, «It was an excuse, I need to talk to you.» he explained.

That sincerity and the slight blush that had formed on Minho's cheeks amazed Han. And they kindled his curiosity too, to be honest.

«O-okay, I'm listening» he said, not moving a step. Minho didn't seem like a bad person, but Han wasn't going to tell him where he lived or even walk all the way with him.

Minho sighed. He hoped to walk a bit before speaking, but Han didn't seem to have any intention of doing so.

«I think we started off on the wrong foot.» he said, looking down, «And I'm sorry if I sounded pushy.»

Han gulped, uncomfortable in front of a speech that seemed very serious and deep.

«I'll not joke like that again, but, really, I'd like to be your friend.» Minho added, crossing Han's gaze.

There those were again, the stars in his eyes. He had such a soft expression that Han thought for a moment that it was Minho who needed a friend.

Impossible, he seemed like a sociable boy. Chan had also said that they had a mutual friend and that they had met in the pub. He didn't need a new friend, he didn't need him. 

«Minho, I-»

«Don't answer me now, please. At least think about it.» he interrupted him, his voice full of hope.

Han wondered what Minho found so interesting about him that make him so persistent. If he didn't feel just lonely, then why? Did he pity him? Did Han look like a lost kitten to help? 

«Okay, I'll think about it, but may I know why?» he asked, without masking his suspicion.

Minho sighed slightly and then crossed his eyes again:

«Because you look like someone who's been through hell. And so am I.»

Elle's note:

Okayy here I am but, we got a problem: I don't like this chap at all!! What do you think? Is it boring?? 

Please, let me know!! T____T

N.B. The honorifics "-nim" that Han used is a very very very respectful way to call someone, like you know a teacher, a doctor and so on. 

Next chap: when this reach 15 stars or on saturday!