Chapter Text
"Smooth, did you really just call him honey?" Don laughed as he kept looking at Brian who was drowning in misery. His head in his palms, sweat trickling down his temples.
"Oh, did I?" Brian was panicking. "You know what the worst thing is? I don’t even remember. It was just pooof and it appeared there and there’s no way to delete it, because he already read the message." He took a deep breath, although he knew it would do nothing to calm him down. "And he actually left me on read. What now, what if he doesn't respond at all? It’s been an hour, Don."
Rolling his eyes, Don snatched the phone from Brian’s hand. "First of all, stop looking at it, stop overthinking, it won’t unsend just because you wish for it or look at it some more. Second, the guy has a rehearsal, if you don't get your reply until evening… then I guess you fucked up. Third, we’re at work and we both know we need the money, so move your perky butt over to the counter, okay?"
Brian groaned, more irritated with himself than with his friend. He knew the other was right, so he walked over to the counter to do what he was paid for, yet his mind kept on running back to the conversation.
Hour and several customers later, and Brian needs to take a break. He excuses himself to the bathroom, telling Don to take over for a minute. All he needed to do was breathe for a bit, without anyone else commenting on his inner turmoil. Don't get him wrongz he was happy to have Don support him, but at the same time, there were things he wanted to keep to himself - for example him feeling miserable after, most probably, fucking up all that this was, whatever it was.
He finally closed the door behind him. It was a long stressful day. He wanted to check whether Jae replied. But one, he knew that if he didn't get the reply he so desperately hoped for, he'd feel even worse and two, Don had his phone with him. He said something about it being safe with him, telling Brian that he needs to take a break. So he does. He doesn't know how much time passes, until frantic knocks disturb him from his pity party.
"Kang get your fat ass over, we have customers waiting." Brian recognised the voice. Their manager.
"Yes, sir. I'll be right back." He answered and waited for the manager to leave.
‘’Where exactly are we going?’’ Wonpil asked, but instead of reply, he only got a soft hum from Jae. Did they get lost? Possibly. It's either that all the streets looked the same, or they already passed that maple tree several times. Sometimes it seemed to Wonpil that Jae's navigational abilities equalled to those of a headless chicken. ‘’You sure we didn’t get lost? I'm pretty sure we passed that maple tree several times.’’
Jae stopped in his tracks and looked at Wonpil as if he grew second head. ‘’Pirrie, I really felt like acting nice after what happened earlier,’’ he looks at him with an expression of disbelief, ‘’but this is Canada, they have maple leaf on their flag for a reason.’’
Wonpil rolls his eyes and gestures towards one of the buildings next to them. ‘’Yeah, and next to each and every single one of them, they have the cafe called ‘the Black Cat’ don't they?’’ Jae spun around and pushed his glasses up his nose - they indeed walked around here before. He was too afraid to admit his defeat, so instead of saying anything to Wonpil who was bent in half from laughing, he just walked into the cafe, leaving his bandmate behind.
Mission complete, he made Wonpil smile again, although unintentionally.
‘’Good evening, welcome to the Black Cat, hope you're not allergic!’’ Don smiled at the tall asian newcomer but cringed on the inside every time he had to greet a new customer. He was sure that whoever came up with that weird shit (their manager) of a greeting was having a good laugh at each and every employee having to repeat it bazillion times a day.Tall guy stopped in his tracks, eyes bulging out and looking quite comical as he started to look around varily. Bending down and scanning the room.
‘’Good evening, welcome-'’ Don decided against finishing, firstly because of embarrassment and distaste for the greeting, secondly because he realized that the lanky, tall and quite honestly weird person walking in seconds prior, came together with the newcomer.
‘’What would you like to order?’’ Don asked and plastered the brightest smile on his face. He couldn't wait for his and Brian's shift to be over. After all, Brian promised to pay for the dinner - or rather, Brian agreed to pay so that Don won't tease him over his messages with certain someone any longer.
Shorter of the two came over, but looked a bit lost. ‘’Sorry, my Englishi berry bad.’’ He gave and apologetic smile, and Don just had to smile back. ‘’I will have kape and keikeu, gut keikeu, plijeu. And Jae-'’ Gesturing to the guy behind him, he said, ‘’tea. Grin tea. Okay? Thank you!’’ Don's smile grew even wider, not in a mocking way, more in admiration - where there is will ,there is a way and this guy was walking proof of that. Don gestured thumbs up - international language if you will and Wonpil beamed back.
Wonpil looked around only to see Jae still looking around frantically. He turned back to Don, pointing to his own head and twiring his index finger around for a second or two. ‘’My peurendeu, Jae… keureiji.’’ Don chuckled and looked at the other man. Jae… crazy person looking for what exactly? Jae, Jae the allergy king. Jae… Jae?
‘’Jae? As in Jae Park?’’ Jae whipped his head in Don's general direstion so fast that Wonpil almost heard his neck crack.
‘’Forget the cats, we need to go, Wonpil!’’ Jae squeaked scared that they got recognised, but Wonpil didn't even move. Jae didn't realise he spoke in English, and that Wonpil didn't Englishi.
Jae wasn't fast enough to drag Wonpil out, when Don interrupted, ‘’Actually, there are no cats,’’ Jae visibly relaxed but still tried to drag Wonpil out the door. They're not safe here anymore. This guy recognised them, goodbye privacy, goodbye conversation about Wonpil getting ‘rejected’. ‘’Also, no need to run. I just recognised you, because my friend has your face as his phone wallpaper.’’ Don pointed behind himself, in general direction of toilets.
Jae let go of Wonpil and started to look around, then at Don suspiciously. ‘’And that friend… is here?’’
‘’Yup, just went to-’’ Don didn't even finish, as Jae was trying to pull the shorter one out the door. ‘’No, no need to-'’ Don started to panic, wondering what to do to keep those two customers here. Forget the fact he wanted Brian to meet Jae face to face and see his expression. He felt the presence of his manager stadning right behind him - loosing two customers when the cafe was empty except for them seemed like a life or death situation.
Jae must have noticed the change of expression in Don's face because he suddenly pushed Wonpil forward and blurted out in English ‘’Told you I wanted to stay, why would you drag me out, Pil?’’ Wonpil stared dirtily at Jae, then smiled at the barista and his manager. Jae sometimes wondered if Wonpil's English was really that bad, or he just pretended.
‘’Please sit down, I'll bring your order in a minute.’’ Don said, visibly relaxed.
Brian wasn't mentally prepared for what greeted him, or rather - who. Don was grinning wide. He must have already chose the most expensive place for their dinner. Damn, he knew he should be more careful around his best, although nosy friend.
‘’Guess whaaaaaat?’’ Don chirped, grabbing Brian by his shoulders.
Brian eyes him up and down. ‘’You okay?’’ His friend was sure looking forward to the free meal.
‘’I am, question is, will you?’’ Brian had no time to mul over the words as Don dragged him over to the counter, then put his hands on sides of Brian’s face to turn it in the direction of-
‘’What?’’ Brian, usually elloqunt had hard time speaing. He felt lump in his throat, his hearbeat speeding up. ‘’That's J-’’
‘’Yeah, your Jae…’’ Don teased, but patted his friend on the back. ‘’Go get your man, tiger. Here, their order.’’ Don pushed two drinks straight in front of Brian, who stepped back, frozen.
‘’No, no I can't go there, it will be weird.’’ Brian made to turn and run back where he came from, but Don dragged him back. ‘’I really can’t, Don. I couldn't sleep at all last night’’ He pointed to the dark circles under his eyes, ‘’I have this on,’’ gestured to the uniform that made them both cringe equally - with black cats print all over. ‘’It's just not the right timing.’’
Don rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh. ‘You're right about that uniform, however-’’ He made longer pause for the emphasis, ‘’These two guys are waiting for their drinks, one of them is your boyfr-'’ Brian started to scowl. ‘’Anyways, I told him about you, so go.’’
‘’Told him what exactly?’’ Brian whisper-yelled, making Jae's head turn in their direction. Brian quickly hid behind the counter and internally celebrated that Jae's sight is not that great. ‘’The heck are you? Matchmaker?’’
‘’Go and find out, I need to do my business-'’ Don turned to walk away, but Brian, as comically as it looked caught him by his pants and refused to let go.
‘’What sort of business, you liettle-'’ Brian hissed, still sqatting behind the sounter.
Don looked over the counter and then back at Brian. ‘’Business number two, and also, we have a customer.’’ Don disappeared so quickly that Brian landed on his knees, because he was hanging on his trousers for dear life.
‘’Am I interrupting something? We ordered a while ago already-’’ Sounded the voice from behind the counter. Brian dreaded turning around - he recognised the voice. What other thing could he possibly do than stand up, look at Jae and hope for the love of God, that he wouldn't get recognised? ‘’- wait. Brian, right?’’ Brian felt like pretending he has a twin with that name, but Jae's smile was so wide and sweet that Jae could call him a potato and he'd still say thank you and give him his heart.
‘’Uhh, yeah.’’ Brian smiled back, hoping he didn't look like he had constipation.