chapter one : lee felix (stray kids)

It was just another day at Four Seasons Café and I had been there since seven in the morning. Now that the lunch rush was finally over, I was going to be able to go home in half an hour after I cleaned up. I sighed whisking a few blonde strands out of my face and readjusting my headband for the millionth time that day. I appreciate my manager trusting us to take care of the lunch rush for that day, but it was definitely more hectic than any of us had planned. I was working with Ashley and Christina, my favorite crew, who were both chatting away while restocking cups in both the front area, and the drive thru. "I'm going to wipe down the tables outside," I spoke just loud enough for them to hear. There was currently no customers in the small, cozy building, but I've always been a little more timid and quieter, even though I've been working at this café for ten months.

The two of them just replied simply with "okay" before continuing their conversation. I grabbed a rag and a spray bottle filled with disinfecting fluid and went out the door that led towards the back area of the deck. It wasn't necessarily a terrace by any means. Our town, Great Rapids, was quite small, but busy enough to have a pretty strong economy. It was warm outside, but not too hot where I'd be sweating. I started with the table closest to the back and made my way around the building until I was at our front steps where ivy was hanging overhead and draping off of the deck posts. I finished up the last table outside and went back into the air conditioned building and started wiping down the inside tables and chairs. The warm toned wood of the tables and white metal chairs with grey cushions made the café seem very inviting, and I felt like I wanted to sit down.

I heaved another sigh as I was finishing up in the back area. I loved my job, but at the same time it could get pretty repetitive and almost made me want to quit. But since my boss was eight months pregnant and it was pretty difficult to find people to work, I just decided to stick with my job until I graduated. I was going to be a senior in the upcoming school year and going to go to our alternative school which is used more for those who have a harder time learning in certain environments. For me it was the amount of people. I used to live in a much smaller town with a tiny population of less than 1,000 people which was around 22 miles away. Our family moved from Newton to Great Rapids when I was in 8th grade. It was scary going from a class of 19 people to a class of about 100 people. I hadn't managed to make any new friends, but still kept one friend from Newton who kept in contact with me often. We were parabatais, partners in crime, and sisters.

Just as I was finishing up the last table, I heard the familiar creak of the front door opening and looked up on instinct. It took about five seconds before the customers came into view and I almost dropped the spray bottle and rag in my hands. I blinked and felt my heart rate speed up as the two males glanced my way. I took a quick breath but greeted them as normally as possible. "Hello. Welcome in!" I called out as I smiled a little. The two men who I knew as Lee Felix and Bang Chan from Stray Kids, smiled back. "Hi~" Felix greeted. Chan also said hello before the two turned back towards the direction of the front counter. They stepped towards the bookshelf that separated two of the rooms and talked to each other quietly, smiling as they looked at the merchandise on the shelves. I turned back to the table and let out a big breath of air I didn't realize I was holding. What the heck were they doing in one of the smallest towns of North Dakota?

I tried composing myself with not much luck and finished wiping up the table as I heard the two ordering drinks. I put the rag in our rags and towels hamper and stuck the spray bottle onto the ledge in our stock room/office area underneath the sink. I heard someone's footsteps approaching and I glanced up. "Hey can you help us make drinks up here?" Christina asked, poking her head around the corner. "Uh yeah. Of course," I responded. "Thanks," she grinned, and the two of us made our way behind the coffee bar/front counter. Felix and Chan were still ordering a couple more drinks and Ashley was writing on some cups. I could feel my cheeks heating up a little. It's such a smaller world than I ever thought before.

I grabbed some of the cups Ashley had set on the bar and read them. 4 americanos so far and a couple smoothies. I filled up the americano cups halfway with water and the smoothie cups up with ice. I gave the smoothie cups to Christina for her to do as I grabbed the portafilters for triple shots and started filling them up with coffee grounds and tamping them. As I was pulling shots, I heard Felix remark about how pretty the shop was and I smiled softly, looking up quickly.

"Yeah. It's very well decorated! And I like the name too," Chan said. Ashley nodded at the two of them. "Yeah, our two owners bought this place last year in November. It used to be called the Green Pine, but our owners wanted to be independent. One of them was working here since it first opened, and now she finally was able to buy it. There was another Green Pine like 15 minutes from here, which isn't too bad." Christina laughed. "Not to flex or anything, but we're the busiest in the area." I poured the shots into one of the cups and quickly filled it with ice as Christina continued on. "Most people really like how we are now a lot more. A lot of interior designer changes as well." I filled up another cup with shots and was icing it as I put in, "We're hoping to repaint the outside of the building from that weird green color to something more fitting." Felix grinned. "Not gonna lie, we were actually quite hesitant about coming in here because the outside is kind of odd. But I'm glad we did." Chan nods. "The interior really makes up for it. What is that weird green color anyway?"

My coworkers and I laughed, looking at each other for a second. "It's definitely not a very pretty color," I say, dumping out the used grounds into the knock box and wiping out the portafilters. I started filling up the two portafilters with grounds once again. "I wish it was like a sage green or maybe even like a half stained wood, half masonry," I continued. The two males nod. Ash handed them their change and grabbed the last two cups, filling one with ice and one with a couple flavors in it. She gives the smoothie cup to Christina and sets the other cup to the left of the finished americanos. I look at her expectantly. "Just a 24 latte," she informs me at my glance. I nod and tamp the two portafilters and start pulling the shots. "You guys definitely aren't from around here right?" Christina pipes up as she is putting whipped cream on two of the smoothies. Chan and Felix both shake their heads saying something quickly to each other in Korean. "No. We're actually from South Korea," Chan says. "Really?!" Ash and Christina say in shock. I just quietly laugh to myself as I pour the shots into the two cups and slide them to Ash to ice.

The boys laugh at the reactions they received and nodded in affirmation. "Wow. Oh my God. Why are you guys all the way out here?!" Ashley asks, as she ices the two americanos. "We're just here on vacation. We're actually artists, and make music with our six other members," Felix replied as I started shots for the latte. My coworkers nodded in understanding. "That's why there's so many drinks," Ash remarked. I read the writing on the cup. A mocha latte. I grin to myself ironically and put the cup back on the counter. As I was cleaning out the other three shot portafilters, Christina stated, "You guys speak English very well." I mentally slapped my forehead. Of course the locals would bring that up. "We're originally from Australia," Chan said with a small grin. "Dang. You guys get around. I hardly got enough money to leave my house," commented Christina. I snickered and fist bumped her saying, "Relatable." We all laughed together just as I heard the shots being finished pulling. I poured them into the cup for the mocha latte and poured in about an inch of milk. I grabbed a spoon and started stirring it.

Mocha lattes are one of my absolute favorite drinks ever. It's very sweet and tastes exactly like hot chocolate, just with coffee in it. I wondered who's it was. Felix, who's basically the male version of me, or one of the other members? I finished stirring it as best as I could and filled it pretty close to the top with milk and handed it to Ashley. She iced the latte as well and asked if they wanted drink carriers. "Yes please," Chan smiled. She glanced at me and I nod in acknowledgement. To the left of the espresso machine that was right by the drive thru were our cardboard drink holders. I grabbed two of them, struggling at first, but managing to snatch them. I heard Felix's deep chuckle at my struggle and I wrinkled my nose, but smiled at him.

I set the drink carriers in front of Ashley and helped her put lids on the drinks and stick them in the drink carriers. Christina finished putting whip cream on the last smoothie and put it in the last slot of one of the carriers. I grabbed eight straws just in case they would want them for all of them, despite the latte and americanos having a sippy lid and not dome lids like the smoothies. I stick the straws between the drinks and let Ashley and Christina grab them and reach over our small chalkboard menu on the back of the bar counter and hand them to the two males.

"Hope you guys have a good day," Christina said smiling. The two nodded and smiled back. "You too!" Felix said. "Actually, I was wondering-" Chan started. Felix smacked him lightly on the arm with his free hand. "Don't worry about it," he said. "No it's okay!" Ashley laughed. Chan glared at Felix before turning back to us. "Have you guys ever been to Mount Rushmore? It's in South Dakota. Not really that far from here?" We all nodded for him to continue. "Would you recommend going there? For like tourists and stuff? Or is there other things we can also do around there that could be fun?" Ashley and Christina look to me to answer, since I'm always the one talking about the area. "Uh- Um yeah," I stutter a little over my words. It felt weird talking to them in person. Felix and Chan were so much more easy going than I originally thought. And they were waiting for my reply. I nervously but habitually played with my fingers while I spoke.

"Mount Rushmore is a really fun place to go to. Everyone there is super patriotic, but the sculptures themselves are really neat. If you get there around seven o'clock in the evening, that's usually the best time. Walk around on the trail, look inside the museum area right above the amphitheater, and watching the night ceremony is super fun for anyone. Other than Mount Rushmore, there's a lot of other cool things to do. Climb on the Needles on Needles Highway (which are basically a bunch of cool rocks that are shaped a lot like needles). Drive on Wild Life Loop Road and visit a couple lakes and look at buffalo. There's a lot of cool hiking places everywhere as well. You could also go to Rushmore Shadows, a camping resort. And walking around Art Alley or Main Street in Rapid City."

I laugh and nod my head shyly. "Sorry to ramble like that." The two smile and shake their heads. "No you're fine," Felix says. Ashley heads to the drive thru window to take someone's order and Christina goes and stands next to her to help her out. I go and stand at the front till to stay out of their way. "You seem to know a lot about that area!" Chan says, in what I assume to be, an impressed voice. I nod again, smiling. "Yeah. I'm a Virgo. I love adventures. And The Black Hills is one of my favorite places to explore because there's always something different there." Felix raises his eyebrows slightly. "You're a Virgo?" I nod for the third time grinning a little nervously. "Felix is a Virgo too," Chan says, elbowing said man. Felix's lips curved into a smile and nodded. "I know," I replied. The two looked confused for a second before it processed. I gasped and slapped my hand over my mouth unintentionally. I felt my cheeks heat up again. "So you know who we are!" Chan said. I nodded, embarrassed at myself. "But you're so chill," Felix added.

I blew a breath through my nose, chuckling a little, dropping my hand. "Uh yeah. I guess?" Chan grinned. "Definitely chill. Never expected a Stay in a small town like this!" "Not as much as I would've never expected Stray Kids to be in Great Rapids!" I responded. "True, true," he answered. "Would it be okay if I asked you to sort of be our tour guide while we stay here?" I shrug and tilt my head a little to the side. "I'd love to of course, but I'm going to have to work it out with my manager and coworkers." "You don't have to," Felix put in hesitantly. "No! It's okay. I'd want to do that," I said.

"Where is everyone else? And where are you guys staying?" I inquired. "Oh, they're at the hotel we're staying at here in town. They just wanted drinks after the long plane rides we had," Chan explained. "Ah okay. I'm going to be getting off here right now, so I can meet you guys somewhere and we can work out a plan," I suggested. The two members nodded their heads. "You can just meet us at our hotel. It's AmericInn I think?" Felix said, to which Chan nodded. I smiled and nodded again. "Okay! I'll see you guys in a bit then!" The two smile widely and wave. "Bye Stay~" Felix spoke. I giggle and wave bye. "Bye Felix, bye Chan~" The two turn around and head out the door, heading to a van I assume they had rented. I sigh and smile happily to myself. Never in a million years would I ever think to meet them in the middle of nowhere. Ashley and Christina had finished with the drive thru order and been standing there staring and watching the interaction.

"How the heck did you know them?!" Christina asked bug eyed. I laughed and shrugged. "Maybe you guys need to be a little more cultured. You swines." We all laughed together as Ashley smacked my arm. "They were kind of cute," she said. I responded, "But you already have a boy." She smacked me again, grinning. "Hey! A girl can dream."

- Jean M. -

_P.S. Do you guys want another part to this?_