Hidden Behind A Smile (JIN) CH2 - Coffee Shop

Hidden Behind a Smile (JIN) CH2 - Coffee Shop

The bell rings and someone walks in the store. Instinctively, I stop dancing and continue work normally. When I'm done, I return to the register in time for them to check out.

"Hey! You're the guy from yesterday! Did you get your card situation worked out?" I ask.

The masked guy mumbles, "Yeah, sorry about that..."

"It's no problem!" I smile.

When I finish scanning the items, he turns away and folds something into the tip jar.

"Oh you don't have-"

"Thank you... for yesterday" He says so quietly, I almost don't hear it, "if you'd be open to it, could I maybe treat you to a coffee some time?"

"Oh, I don't know when my schedule is free..." I flip through the papers on my desk, trying to find my schedule.

"It's okay. Never mind"

"March 17th! I'm free then!" I shout, "Here's my number, text me the details" I scribble down my phone number and rip it off of my schedule, handing him the slip.

"O-okay" He takes it and walks outside.

Oh no. Was I too forward? I was just excited to hang out with someone, I lost track of my social skills. Oh no no no. Now he probably thinks I was hitting on him...,

I mean, he was kinda cute...

WHAT AM I THINKING? I can't cheat on my ultimate bias. It's Jin or no one. I will look forward to meeting a friend though.

—————————————

March 17th came around and I was in sheer panic. The same question that we all face, what should I wear?

I settle on a thick beige sweater that I button up and tuck in to my black skinny jeans. Grabbing my bag, I walk out the door and down a few blocks before arriving at the small cafe we agreed upon.

When I arrive, he's already sitting at a table. He waves at me.

I sit down. He has a drink in his hands and two are resting in front of me.

"I um.. didn't know what you'd want so I just ordered two. I hope that's okay" He giggles.

"That's fine! What are they, though?" I curiously pick up one.

"You have to guess!" He mischievously smiles behind his face mask.

"Ugh, come on." I groan.

Taking a sip of the first one, I immediately put it down and repeatedly shake my head no, "That has no sugar at all! Did you order just straight black coffee?"

He laughs uncontrollably, "Yes."

"That's so mean! How could you do that to me.." I pout.

"Okay okay, try the next one" He wipes a tear from his eye.

I hesitate before bringing the straw to my lips. A milky mixture fills my mouth, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. I swallow the drink then investigate the receipt.

"Hey! No cheating! What do YOU think it is?" He steals the receipt away and looks into my eyes.

"Uh, nutmeg, cinnamon, maybe... caramel? Like a caramel latte?" I guess.

"Close!" He says, "It was a caramel macchiato"

I take another sip, "I taste it now! That was good, you really tricked me." I laugh.

We continue drinking our beverages (minus the americano he ordered previously) and get to know each other. We both like the color purple, he used to go to the college I'm going to now, and he has the most unique laugh I have ever heard.

"I can't believe we've talked this long and I don't actually know your name" I laugh, "Or did you tell me and I forgot?"

He hesitates, "um.. that,"

I follow his gaze out the window. Then back to him, "What is it?"

"You forgot! Yeah, haha that's what happened. You forgot it." He replies.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I say, pondering what his name was. I don't remember him telling me, but then again I've been so busy these days. It'd be easy to forget. I must've seen it on his card when he checked out the other day..., was I even paying attention?

"It's okay." He smiles behind the mask, "You never told me yours though!"

"Oh! My name is Y/N" I grin, "What's yours then?"

"No! You have to guess."

"C'mon! What's with all these games? Just tell me."

"J" He replies, "It starts with a J."

"I'm too tired for this. I'll just call you J" I say.

We laugh and continue our drinks until they're empty. Eventually we have to leave, walking together out of the cafe.

"Oh, I didn't realize it was raining.." I look down at my curled hair and sweater, cursing the rain pouring from above.

He looks at me, "Did you walk here?"

"Yeah" I respond.

He starts taking his jacket off to give to me.

"Oh no! You don't have to, you'll get way too cold!" I say, shoving the jacket back into his hands.

"I'll be fine. You don't want to ruin your pretty outfit." He says.

I blush at his compliment. Accepting his jacket, I shrug it over my shoulders, taking note of the faint smell of his cologne.

"I guess, this is goodbye then" I frown.

"No, I'll text you this evening. It's not goodbye, just see you later." He waves and runs off into the rain.

"That boy..." I smile to myself before walking back to my apartment.

Hidden Behind a Smile (JIN) CH6 - A Blissful Day

I fumble with the strap of my bag while gazing at the gates of the amusement park. Is he here yet? He never clarified where I should meet him..

Maybe this is all just a prank and I should just leave. No, no, Jinnie would never do that. He's a good person.

"Y/N!!"

I turn around and see Kim Seokjin running up to me. The wind rushes through his hair, an angelic smile painted on his face.

"Y-you" I try to speak.

"You look beautiful, Y/N." He smiles down at me.

I blush, "you too."

He gently takes my hand in his and walks with me into the park. The butterflies in my stomach speed up at the sudden contact. He just giggles, "I'm so glad you came today."

"Why wouldn't I? It's not every day you can see the lovely Seokjin" I laugh.

Clouds swirl in the sky, a clear and bright sunshine smiling down on Lotte World. The light just enhances his beauty, he looks so full of life.

"How about that one?" He points to a tall ride. Though it wasn't the biggest here, it still made me freeze in fear.

"I don't know, I'm not good with heights.."

"It'll be fun! Let's just try."

We stand in the line. It twists around the entrance. When it's finally our turn, Jin gets into his seat and buckles his seatbelt. As I get in, he leans over and tightens mine for me.

"T-Thank you" I stutter.

It starts off slow. We build up energy on the smaller hills. When we reach the tallest one, I tighten my grip on his hand. We speed down the rails, moving so fast I can hardly see. When my vision focuses I notice the extreme distance between us and the ground. My breathing picks up, and he must have noticed. A warm hand tilts my face towards him.

"Hey, it's okay. Just focus on me. Don't look down."

I stare into his eyes, no longer thinking about the ride, "How did I get so lucky?"

"What was that?" He chuckles.

"N-nothing! Did I really say that out loud.." I shake my head in embarrassment.

"It's such a pretty day out today," He starts, "I feel like the luckiest guy in this park."

I blush at his words. We go on a couple more rides. As we walk around, searching for our next target, a rumbling sound interrupts us.

"Ah, sorry" Jin laughs, "That's my stomach. Do you want to get something to eat?"

"Sure!" I smile.

We wander around, eventually finding a small ice cream truck. We go up and wait for the two people ahead of us before ordering.

"I'll have chocolate" Jin says while turning to me.

"Um, could I get mint chocolate?"

The worker writes our order down and hands us the cones after they're done making them. We continue our stroll until settling on a bench in the park. The bench is on the small side, so me and Jin are quite close to each other.

I munch on my ice cream before Jin breaks the silence, "Mint chocolate, huh?"

"I love mint chocolate! I haven't had it in so long! Don't tell me..." I send him an accusing look.

"I'm sorry, I really don't like mint chocolate.."

"Really?" I gasp, "I guess that's okay. It's not for everyone."

"I do like you though.. so maybe I'll give it a second chance"

Before I can even react to his flirt, he swoops in and licks my ice cream.

"Hey!" I shout.

"Hmm" He mumbles while chewing, "Y'know what? It's not bad. Maybe it's because you're here" He winks at me.

"T-that's" I stutter, trying to hide my blushing face behind the small waffle cone, "that's not fair!"

"What? Do you want to try mine too?" He smirks while passing me the ice cream.

Hesitantly, I lean forward and try his. The chocolaty flavor of the ice cream melts in my mouth, closely met by a painful brain freeze. I rub my forehead and groan at the pain.

"Oh no, brain freeze?" He asks. I nod.

He continues to eat his ice cream while basking in the glorious afternoon sun, "You're so cute..."

————————

The rest of the day went by well. We went on a couple more rides, took some pictures at a Photo Booth, and had dinner. The sun was saying goodbye to us, waving it's orange and pink hues through the sky. We walked through a small park on the way back to my house.

"So, how do you feel?" He asks, referencing the date.

"Terrible." I reply bluntly.

"What?! Why?? Was it something I did?" He panics.

"It was the best day of my life. I'm sad that it's over."

"Oh," he laughs in relief, putting an arm around my shoulder, "Me too. But it doesn't have to be over just yet"

I freeze and look up at him.

"One more lap around the park?" He suggests.

I grin and agree.

——————————-

We walk up the narrow steps to my door, his arm still over my shoulders.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to go on this date with me" He said.

"Yeah, thank you for asking me." I reply, "Though I can't imagine why you did."

"Aigoo," he reaches up to ruffle my hair, "You were so charming when I first met you, but now that I've spent more time with you..."

I stand still in front of the door, fearing his answer. This is it. This is when he says that I'm weird or not funny or that he doesn't like me.

He notices my nerves and boops my nose, "You're more than just a pretty face. You're so funny. I want to go out again sometime,- i-if that's okay with you-"

"Definitely!" I squeal.

We agreed to exchange LINE accounts instead of numbers. I passed him my phone as he typed in the digits, sending himself a quick message so he'd have mine too. As he gave my phone back, I noticed the name he'd saved his contact under:

'Your Jinnie <3'

Hidden Behind a Smile (JIN) CH1 - Card Declined

As I'm checking someone out, a masked figure enters the shop. I continue scanning the items for the current person, but when they leave, I glance at the cameras around the store and find him browsing the aisles.

When he comes to the register, I scan his items like normal. He gives me his card to pay with, and instantly a beeping rings through the store and a red message pops up: "DECLINED".

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, I'll go put it back..," He mumbles, a blush of embarrassment present on his face.

I sigh, "it's not that much. Just take it."

"Are you sure? I don't want to steal and-"

"It's no big deal. Have a good day, sir." I respond.

"I'll repay you, I promise! Thank you so much!" He grins, running out the door.

——————-

The day was moving very slowly. Despite being 6 hours into my shift, it felt like a million had passed. I don't see anyone in the store, so secretly I pull out my phone and begin scrolling through social media.

"Umm... is this register open?"

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I got distracted. Yes, it is!" I toss my phone to the desk and begin scanning items.

I was so busy scanning that I hadn't even looked at the customers face before asking for a payment method. When I did, I felt myself fall back a bit, catching myself on the counter.

"Y-you-... you're"

"Haha, yeah." He muttered.

"I'm sorry, you probably get that all the time. How will you be paying today?"

"Cash." Jin replied.

He passed me some money and I counted, "Um, I'm not sure we have change for a $100..."

"It's alright, keep the change." He smiled.

"I'm afraid I can't do that J- er, sir. What you're buying is only $17.89" I stutter.

"It's a tip. Call it a gift from a friend" He winks, then promptly exits the store.

I stand there 🧍 starstruck, a bunch of 20s in my hand. Initially, this day was going pretty terribly. First the incident this morning that I was going to have to pay for, then 6 hours of boredom. Now, I got to meet Jin AND got a huge tip?

The grin doesn't leave my face for the rest of the day.

————————-

When I get home, I turn on my K-pop playlist and begin washing the dishes. Whenever Jin starts singing, I smile to myself.  I can't believe that happened!! Was that even real?

Coffee and Violets (SUGA) CH1 - Hoseok

    You glance up after hearing the bell ring, signaling someone came into the cafe. A boy with dark hair and a bright smile walks in.

    "Hello! What can I get for you today?" you greet.

    "Could I get a caramel macchiato?" He asks.

    "Yep! Will that be for here or to go?"

    "To go, please." He responds.

    You begin to make his drink as he leans against the counter. Soon enough his drink is ready and you package it up, sliding it across the counter to him.

    "Thanks!" He takes a sip of it, "Hey, this is really good! I'll have to come here more often."

    "Thank you!" you respond, proud of your skills.

    "Actually, I've been meaning to bring this up the whole time, but I run the flower shop right next door."

    "No way!" You respond, genuinely surprised. You guess you had a blind spot for that shop, you never bothered to check it out.

    "I'm sorry I never came by! I guess I should introduce myself then. My name is Y/N"

    "Nice to meet you Y/N! I'm Hoseok."

    You two talked about running businesses, funny exchanges with customers, and the struggles of living on your own. Since it was a slower afternoon in the cafe, you welcomed the conversation.

    "So, do you run this place all by yourself?" He asked, tilting his head.

    "Yeah. I tried getting someone else working here once, but it didn't work out too well." you answer. He nods in response.

    "Do you run your shop by yourself?" You ask him.

    "Actually no!" He responds, "I run it with my friend Yoongi. We've known each other for years now, so we work pretty well together."

    "That's awesome!" You say, "It must be nice having a friend you've known for so long"

    There's a pause in the conversation while he seems stuck on what to say. You notice and add, "I'm just kind of introverted, is all. I had a best friend I was really close with in elementary school!"

    "What happened to them?"

    "We drifted apart in middle school. Once we went into high school, she moved away."

    "I'm sorry to hear that..," He says.

    "We weren't really into the same things anymore. I was busy with my writing, she was caught up with other things. We'd only call every few months and when we did, we'd have nothing to talk about."

    "I see" He said before taking a sip of his drink.

    "I'm sorry for rambling on so much! We don't need to have a pity party, that was years ago. I'd be glad to have new friends though. Maybe you can be one?" You trail off, a little embarrassed at your directness.

    "Of course! Let me give you my number."

    You pull out your phone and he types in his number. He sends a quick text to himself before grabbing his own phone to save the contact.

    "You said you were a writer?" He asks.

    You nod in response. "I have been since I was young, but as I got older I became consumed in my fictional worlds. I'd always be drafting new plots or naming new characters. Sometimes I'd even draw my own characters, though I'm not much of an artist" You laugh.

    "That's so cool! I'd love to read your work sometime!"

    "Yeah! That'd be nice" You respond.

    "Alright. I better get back to the shop, but I'll talk to you again soon, 'kay? Maybe next time I can bring Yoongi along."

    "Sure! Enjoy your drink" You smile.

    He leaves the shop and you sigh to yourself, delving into your thoughts. That was so much fun, I haven't had a conversation like that in forever. Maybe it'll be nice having a new friend to talk to.

You pull out your phone and check your recent messages. His name had been saved as 'Hoseok :)'. You laugh to yourself. "His positive vibe sure is contagious."

Hidden Behind a Smile (JIN) CH3 - The Ticket

It's been three months since I first met J. Almost every day now he'll come into the store and buy something, or just chat at the register. I've noticed he usually comes in at the beginning of my shifts, around 6:00 am. It's pretty quiet in the shop at that time. Most people are still asleep. I wonder what his job is for him to be up that early...

When he comes in today, I was restocking the banana milk while listening to BTS' new album, Love Yourself 'Answer' . Right as I was getting into Epiphany, he barged in.

"Nice singing there" He giggled.

"Hey! Who said you were allowed in." I pouted, "My singing is just fine. Not that you would appreciate good singing anyways."

"What do you mean? Are you calling me a bad singer?" He taunted.

"Yes. I bet you are."

Smirking to myself, I took the empty boxes into the back room. When I came out he was still there, standing around awkwardly.

"So, why are you here today?"

"I just uh, wanted to chat." He replied.

A light pink tints his face as he says it. I grin, "Don't tell me. Are you still embarrassed that you lost to me in Uno last week?"

"No! You probably cheated... It's all about luck anyway." He paused, looking over the shelves, "So... you like BTS?"

"What's it to you?"

"Well, you were listening to their new album. I'm just curious."

"Are you an Army too?" I question.

"Something like that. Who's your bias?"

"Oooohhhh of course Jin. He's my ultimate bias. He's so perfect,.." I gush.

"It sounds like you really like him."

"I do.. I hope I get to meet him one day!"

"You haven't yet?" He asks.

"Well, I mean.. kinda." I thought, "One time he came in here to buy something. He left a large tip too, it was surprising. However I was too embarrassed to get a good look at him"

"Embarrassed?"

JIN POV:

"Embarrassed?" I asked.

"Well, I was distracted looking through twitter on my phone. I didn't even realize someone was there! He was probably waiting a while before asking if I was open... He was super polite about it I just- .." She sighed, "I just thought my first time meeting him would be more special."

I thought it was cute. I smile sympathetically before she continues, "But I'm not gonna count that! I'm saving up, and hopefully soon I can afford to go to a fan meet! Then I can meet him properly, and talk to him, and OH! Have you seen those photos of them holding their fans' hands? Gosh, I would FAINT!" She rambles.

Even though my mask was covering my face, I felt myself blush bright red. When I first came in here, I noticed her immediately. She seemed so beautiful, but not in a way like magazines or models. It takes you a second. The more I look at her the more I see it, her sparkly eyes, her soft hair, everything about her screams comfort. She seems like the type of person you can really lean on when you're having a hard time. And that is beautiful to me.

"Yeah, well I hope you get to meet him" I gulp.

Before she can respond, I rush out of the store, nervous that she'll notice how flustered I am.

————————

Back at work, I'm distracted by thinking how I can get her in to the fan meet. There's one coming up, but the announcement doesn't go out until tonight.

I stumble through the door to my manager's office, nervous about my ask. He's sitting at his desk and typing something on his computer.

"Um... Manager," I start.

"Yes, Jin?" He replies, eyes still on the screen.

"So, about the fan meet coming up..."

"Mhm?" He says.

"Would it maybe be possible to get tickets for someone?" I ask, looking down at my hands.

"Yeah, why?"

"Really?"

"Do you plan on inviting a family member? We can send them an invite-"

"No no no! I want to invite a friend!" I interrupt.

"Okay, what is their name and email address?"

"Actually, I was thinking I could give it to them.., I just need the ticket."

"Why didn't you just say that?" He laughs.

He stands from the desk and walks out of the office. After talking with some people, he gets the ticket and hands it to me, "Here you go, Jin. I'm happy you're making friends."

"Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!" I take the ticket and bow before rushing back to the practice room.

—————————————

The next day, I run in to the convenience store. Looking around, I find Y/N stocking the shelves.

"Y/N!! Y/N!!!!!" I yell through the aisles.

"Yeah yeah, I'm here. What do you want, J?"

"I have a gift for you!!" I cheered.

She perked up at that, "What is it?"

I pull the ticket out of my pocket and hold it up, "TA DA!! I got you a ticket to the fan meet!"

Seeds of Hope (JHOPE) CH3 - What?!

I lean back in my chair and sigh as my chapter finally publishes. Two chapters done already! I close my Wattpad tab, get up and leave my apartment.

Exiting the building, I walk the crowded cement for a while before choosing a place to eat lunch. I walk up to the counter and order.

"Hello and welcome! What can I get for you today?" The cashier says.

"Hi! I would like a large fry and a medium drink, please."

"Coming right up!" She grabs a cup and hands it to me, "Here is your cup, go ahead and fill it up over there!"

She motions towards the soda fountain. I thank her and leave to fill up my cup. 

I gawk at all the options. I'm used to only water and coffee, but look at all the choices! Making my decision I reach for the Sprite dispenser, but another hand brushes against mine at the same time.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I apologize, jumping out of the way.

"No no no it was my mistake! Please, you go first!" A voice all too familiar to me says.

"You first, I didn't realize how long I had been standing there. It must have been annoying," I say with a laugh as I lift my gaze.

"Wait... J-HOPE?" unknowingly I drop my cup. J-Hope had been standing there this whole time and I didn't even realize? His hand had even touched mine!

I bend down and pick up my cup whilst trying to hide my blushing face.

"Oh, you know me?" He stutters back to me.

"Y-yeah! I'm Army!" As if this situation couldn't get any more awkward, it had to be with my idol.

"Y-you're..." I pause, gathering up the courage to say what I'm about to say. "You're actually my bias."

"That's so cool!" He says enthusiastically, "I didn't think I had any fans, haha."

I can tell he's looking at me, but still I attempt to hide my face.

He starts to speak again, more nervous this time, "If that's the case, would you like to have lunch with me?"

✿

After we both receive our food, we pick a table and sit down.

"As you probably know already, I'm J-hope. You can just call me Hoseok, or oppa." He tells me, "Anyways, I realize I never asked you for your name!"

"O-oh!" I reply, still shocked at my current situation. "My name- I'm Stacy. Stacy Waters..."

"Stacy... I like it!" He says.

"Thank you!"

"That's not a Korean name though, where are you from?" He asks.

"I'm from the States" I answer. "But my eomma is Korean, so we moved here to be closer to her family."

"Oh really? Your Korean is really good though!"

"Haha, thanks. My eomma taught me a bit."

✿

We continue to talk as we eat our food. Even though we don't have a lot in common, we still enjoyed a nice conversation. I feel like we're good at opposite things, like how he's good at dancing and I have terrible rhythm. He's also a very hopeful person (like his name), whereas I tend to lean towards the more negative side of things. Despite this I felt like we got along great, if anything better because we're so different.

We talked long after we had both finished our food. Eventually, it was time to go.

"Wait..." Hoseok stopped as he searched the backpack he was carrying.

He pulled out a pen and started writing something on his receipt. After he finished he held it close to him and continued.

"I-I had a really good time today. It isn't often I get to talk to people outside the company." He took a deep breath before speaking again, "This is my phone number. I'd like to meet again... only if you want to, that is..."

"I'd love to." I took the paper from him and gently folded it before putting it in my back pocket.

He smiled at me, "Cool! Er- Thank you! Uh... See you again soon?"

I laughed at his awkwardness.

"Definitely."