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⇛ Hero's Soup
7:40am

"You've only been here for a week and you already look sick of it," Sana teased, brushing a damp cloth over the counter. "What's up with you today?"

"Fuck off," Chan spat, already getting annoyed from the female's comments as he was still shaken and upset from the argument over the weekend with Felix. He wondered if the younger would even visit the café that day, but as much was he wanted to see that freckled smile after their dilema, he wasn't sure if his heart and mind could handle the tension that would surface if the two were placed in the same room again. "Just, don't talk to me today."

"Okay?" Sana raised her arm in sarcastic defense before returning her focus to cleaning, soon tossing the cloth to the back. "Just, fix that attitude before you deal with those customers. I would help you but-"

"How would you help me?" Chan inquired, face still unreadable as he stared blankly at the other. But he knew exactly what she meant. He knew that it was wrong and would toss his seven days out the window. He knew that it would cut off that one more day that he needed to break his record. But fuck it, right?

Felix wasn't there to caution him, and Felix didn't send an inspirational quote to him that morning. Nobody was there to fill the other gaps in his life that were somehow managing to cover up the deepest and darkest, so why should he care? "If you want to help me, help me."

Smirking, Sana glimpsed at the clock and then back at the older before strolling to the back. "Have a seat," she motioned her arm to the counter near the sink, looking Chan in the eyes as he did as told. "We have twenty minutes. Are you sure you want my help?"

Chan's mind ran over the thought guiltily before refocussing solely on the pleasure he had been lacking for so long- and though he didn't miss it before, being so close to that entire experience brought back the stinging, desperate feeling in his chest. "Fuck it," he chuckled lightly, getting off of the counter to unbuckle his belt and lower his jeans before retaking his seat on the marble. "Help me."

-

⇛ M&J Psychology Clinic
7:50am

"Are you sure you can go to work today?" Seungmin eyed the sniffling boy as all three stayed put in their vehicle, already parked at the clinic. "You know, Hyunjin could ask Jeongin to ask Minho to give you the day off," he chuckled lightly, rubbing Felix's knee as he faced the boy in the backseat. "We don't want you to overwork yourself."

"It's fine," Felix faked a smile, shaking his head. "Look, I started working like three days after Changbin broke up with me, and it's not like C-chan," he coughed, slumping and looking down when he just hardly mentioned that name. "Shit. It's not like him and I were together, okay? We're just two friends who broke off. I'm going to work today."

"If you say so," Hyunjin sighed, observing Felix through the rearview mirror, shaking his head when the boy quickly lowered his head again to wipe off a tear in hope that the two hadn't noticed. "But remember that you can call us at any point, okay? Just call or text and we'll be here."

"It's okay guys," Felix faked a chuckle, grabbing his side bag from the seat next to his before holding on to the door handle. "I'll be okay. But on lunch- on lunch I think- I don't know if I should, but I already crave a coconut latte."

"You mean you still want to go to the caffe?" Hyunjin asked with wide eyes, sighing and slumping with an unamused expression. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I don't want to go. I just- I like the café. It makes me happy, and I only stopped going because I missed Changbin, but I don't want to jeopardize my happiness because of a guy again." Felix pouted slightly, mind running over his decision once more. "I'll go. I'll order with the second cashier, and I'll ignore him."

"Up to you," Seungmin only shrugged, not willing to caution again out of both respect and consideration for the older. "Well I think you should get going. We don't want Minho to scold you for being late."

Felix sighed and smile at his friends before leaving the vehicle, flashing them both a small wave before entering the building.

"I think he likes that guy a little more than he admits," Hyunjin sighed, both boys still gazing at the now bare entrance. "And I hope I'm wrong, but I think he may have fallen in love with him."

"Love?" Seungmin pursed his lips in thought, glancing at his boyfriend. "I hope not. Maybe he just liked him a lot, and being confronted with so many lies and confessions. Yeah, maybe- hopefully, it's just that."

"Yeah, but I doubt it," Hyunjin muttered before starting up the engine. "Let's just hope for the best."

-

"Felix," Minho alarmed the secretary as he was already waiting for the younger at the front desk. "Don't be scared, I'm just really anxious," he panted, droplets of sweat visible above his glasses. "Um... I need your help with something."

"What might that be, sir?" Felix questioned nervously, resting his bag near the desktop on the table. "I hope everything is okay."

"Everything is fine. It's fine," Minho swiftly glanced behind, returning his gaze to the younger when he was sure that Jisung's door was closed completely. "I need you to contact all of our patients who have appointments on Friday."

"Sir?"

Clearing his throat and looking down, Minho continued. "I- I need you to tell them to be there together at lunch time. Tell each of them that they should be there at 1pm."

"Okay? May I ask why?" Felix strolled over to his seat, powering on the desktop before looking up at the superior. "Sorry if I'm intruding."

"N-no. You're not," Minho sighed, chewing on his bottom lip. "I'm gonna- I'm gonna propose."

-

⇛ Hero's Soup
1:45pm

"Why are you so nervous all of a sudden," Sana teased upon seeing the blonde check the time for what had to be the fifth time. "It's 1:30. And it's been 1:30 each time you checked. What has you so anx- ohh."

"Oh what?" Chan scoffed, returning his gaze to the entrance as another, familiar customer walked in. I just want 4pm to arrive so I can get out of hear," he lied, faking a smile as the stranger neared the counter. "Welcome to Hero's Soup, what can I get you?"

"Regular coffee," Jeongin thinned a smile at the familiar worker before handing Chan the money, flashing a subtle wave as he left.

"Yeah, I was saying. I just want to leave, I'm not nerv-" Chan's words got stuck in his throat as his gaze lingered over the glass windows to the front of the café, blinking twice when the familiar side profile neared the entrance... and entered. "I'm not- I'm not nerv- fuck," he sweared, tears already forming in the boy's eyes.

Chan tried to keep a serious, unbothered expression as Felix neared the counter, observing how the boy's gaze never even once met his. Sana glimpsed over to her stiff co-worker, shaking her head at how flustered the boy who's dick she had choked on earlier had become.

"Hero-" Chan was cut off again when he noticed the younger blonde slip from his side to the female's, still not sparing the older one glimpse. He watched in disbelief as Felix ordered is coconut latte- but that was it for Chan. He wasn't going to take it. "I'll make it," Chan interrupted the two, unthinkingly grabbing Sana by her waist, pulling her to his side and turning over to hers. He still didn't look at Felix while preparing the boy's latte, but he could feel the piercing gaze of disbelief sink into his shoulders.

"What the-"

"Coconut latte," Chan muttered, forcing a faint, side smile as he rested the drink against the counter. "That'll be-"

"I know how much it is," Felix cut him off, still not once making contact with the older's eyes. "Just, give it to me. Here," he handed Chan the money and reached to grab his drink, wincing when a force prevented him from collecting the latte from the counter. "What are you-"

"Sana, I'm taking my fifteen minutes," Chan called out, keeping his eyes on Felix as he walked around the counter to the boy's side, latte still in hand. "Come get your latte, will you?"

"Chan, why are you doing this?" Felix almost yelled, marching behind the boy to an empty table. "Give me my latte. I took it to go, I'm not staying-"

"Stop lying."

"You're one to tell me about lying," Felix spat, glaring as he kept a palm open in a demanding manner to receive his drink. "The only reason I'm even fussing is because I already paid. Give me my fucking latte or my money back."

"Why are you acting upset?" Chan shrugged nonchalantly, resting the drink against the table, still keeping it in grip. "If you want it, come get it. Have a seat, and drink your latte, Felix."

"Chan I'm not going to sit down, what the fuck? Give me my latte so I can leave."

"There is no way that you came for the latte to leave, Felix. You know I work here. You wouldn't just come so close to me to leave again," Chan's lips quivered as he looked up to speak to the younger, a tear slipping when he saw the serious, cold expression on the boy's face. Felix hid his true emotions so well- he hid the love and hurt and admiration for the addict so, so well. "Just sit, let's talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about, Chan. I came here because I refused to let some lying sex addict be the reason why I resist the urge to get my favorite drink," Felix spoke a bit- quite too loud this time, al the neighboring customers flipping their heads to his direction. "Fuck. You know what? Just keep it. Keep the fucking latte and leave me alone," he marched off before his own formed tears flowed out.

Felix regretted what he said. Of all the people who knew Chan, he was the one with the least amount of excuses to spit the addict's issue in his face like that- because he was well aware that Chan told him a lot of private things, and those things were told to only him. He knew that he had promised to help the addict, and he honestly had hope that the boy he liked- loved, would and was getting better.

He remembered the severe hurt and regret that surfaced in the older's eyes when he slipped those words, but he couldn't go back. Felix couldn't go back and tell the person that bombarded him with heart breaking lies that he was sorry. Because Chan broke him first, right?

That should be enough of an excuse... right?