ic / au.

@jung wooyoung. xiaoting's ears perk up, squinting slightly as wooyoung calls himself stupid. "you're not stupid at all! you shouldn't say that to yourself. besides, you handle a lot of customers. I would understand if you had trouble," she huffs slightly after saying her piece. her features return to its original softness as he listens to the words he says after. she sighs, not one of annoyance or anything negative, before she gives him a smile, "it was nice to meet you too. I'm excited to see what this event would bring."

@shen xiaoting. "oh!" he exclaimed, slapping his forehead with his palm. "i'm stupid...you /do/ come in here every day, so why would tomorrow be any different?" wooyoung felt slightly embarrassed; heck, he always paid attention to her! "er, anyway, i'll...i'll see you tomorrow then. we can begin whenever you arrive. sound good?" he beamed at her before grabbing a towel to wipe his hands on. "it was nice to officially get to know you, and i look forward to spending lots of time together during the taste testing!"

@jung wooyoung. if wooyoung didn't ask about pay, then xiaoting would have done this for free because of the obvious benefits being tasting drinks and spending time with this man before her. it's too late to say it as the moment has passed, anyway. "I- it's alright with me! I would love to come back, even though I usually visit daily, haha." the awkwardness seeps through and she masks it with a laugh. "take your time! I'm willing to wait for it."

@shen xiaoting. honestly, this exchange couldn't have gone any better in wooyoung's opinion. he'd given the woman his phone number without any issues, despite it being for a work purpose. a win was a win, right? her next question surprised him a bit. he hadn't exactly thought of a price to pay her. not to mention, he probably would have to work out something with his bosses. "before i give you a specific wage, let me run it by my bosses, okay? if you come back tomorrow, i'll let you know your pay. is that alright with you?"

@jung wooyoung. internally, she is freaking out as he writes his number on the paper. it feels as if she won a challenge or got a promotion. she takes the paper, looking at the numbers listed before folding and placing it inside her pocket. "I'll keep it safe! thank you for this," she says firstly before taking a decent sip of the drink. with a sigh, she continues on, "what are you paying? that made me feel curious to know now." her eyes focus on his, the curiosity is evident in her gaze.

@shen xiaoting. "i knew we could count on you!" he chirped happily, grabbing a piece of paper and quickly scribbling down the names and phone numbers of his bosses/business partners, along with his own, before sliding the parchment over to her. "you can text or call me any time for anything you need. i included my bosses so they'd be in the loop as well." wooyoung smiled and relaxed against the counter with his elbows propping him up. "oh, and of course, this wouldn't have to be just a volunteer service; i'd be more than willing to pay you for your trouble."

@jung wooyoung. she would have been one of the people being surprised by him, yet she is still busy being flustered over him; she definitely missed on the part of him zoning out because of it. "ah, I was thinking about that, actually! a checklist form would be helpful, so I won't miss on any factors that you need to hear from me," she responds after nodding at his words. thinking back to her schedule, she taps her chin with her index finger before humming out a happy tune. "I'll have time to do so. even if the days will be busy at times, then I'll try to come around. I can't miss an opportunity like this." besides, why wouldn't she visit and have some time with him? spending time with him (and well, her admiring him) makes her feel completely at ease.

@shen xiaoting. "yeah?" he immediately exclaimed, earning a few surprised looks from the other customers in the coffee shop. "er, i mean...that would be wonderful if you could help us out by trying the drinks. i'll even make a checklist or something so you can rate the presentation, taste, quality, etc." why did this suddenly seem like something only seen in the movies? a pretty girl he (definitely) has a crush on, who regularly frequents the cafe, agrees to working with him and ultimately snowballs into them becoming a couple and-... , did he just zone out? "um, just whenever you have time, we'd really appreciate it."

@jung wooyoung. the stutter that escaped wooyoung's lips make xiaoting's smile even brighter. she's trying her best to keep the giggles in, but some of them escape. his offer is nothing but tempting; a great opportunity to try and comment about the drinks he would prepare. she would love to try every one of them, if it is possible. though what caught her attention most of all are the words he uttered after. her eyes are wide due to the surprise as her cheeks start to redden before she clears , shaking off the feeling of butterflies fluttering inside of her. "w-well! there's no need to think much about it when I would love to do that. it would be an honor, actually," she says, continuing to smile at the male in front of her.

@shen xiaoting. her comment had wooyoung blushing quite noticeably; of course, he learned over time what the woman enjoyed and what she didn't care for...not that he'd easily admit to that. he bit down on his bottom tier and worried it between his teeth as he waited (im)patiently to find out what she thought about his concoction. her radiant smile was what hit him the hardest; she actually loved his drink! "a-ah..." he started intelligently, before quickly clearing his throat. "i'm happy you think so. if you'd like, any time you come into our little shop here, i can prepare you a drink that's not on the menu. my bosses would like that, considering you'd help us plan for future releases, heh. plus...i'd have the opportunity to spend more time with you."

@jung wooyoung. a bright smile blooms on her face as she catches the drink he slides to her. the sight of him being excited is enough to make her coo, but she holds it in, nodding instead. "I'm pretty sure that I'll like it, anyway. I assume that you know my preferences well enough by now," she says, bringing the drink closer to her brims; the smell that it exudes hits her first, making her hum happily. once she appreciates it enough, she takes a sip, sighing softly afterward. the taste itself is heaven for her taste buds; every ingredient into this is the right amount. "I'm not exaggerating when I say this- it is perfect like you say it is," she tells him truthfully, beaming at him.

@shen xiaoting. "it definitely helps keep my mood up, that's for sure." he smiled, mixing together her drink before adding a bit of whipped cream and cinnamon on the top. after sliding it over to her, he leaned forward a bit and rested his chin on his hand. "go ahead and take a sip, and tell me if you like it. if not, i'm happy to make you a new one! this just happens to be what i make myself when i'm working. it's got the perfect amount of caffeine to help get me through a long day." wooyoung figured that if he actually sold the drink, he'd make quite a bit of money, but he wasn't ready to share it with the other customers just yet.

@jung wooyoung. xiaoting could only nod her head when wooyoung mentions about those types of customers. despite it being a rare occurrence for most businesses, she still can't help but have this little worry cling to her; the thought of him having to deal with them is enough to make her heart ache slightly. "that's true, you should focus more on those ones, anyway," she says after sighing quietly. her heart flips as he mentions it being made for her before she focuses on him and how he makes her special drink.

@shen xiaoting. "worrying today?" he repeated, a curious brow raising on his face. "what would you be worrying about, miss?" wooyoung questioned as he cleaned his hands on one of the rags he had behind the counter. "aha, unfortunately, just like every other business, i've had my fair share of unhappy customers. although, i do try to just focus on the good, kindhearted ones." of course, wooyoung always welcomed criticism, just not rude, distasteful comments that were meant to hurt, not help. "no, i haven't offered it to anyone else. only you!" and with that, he began to work his magic.

@jung wooyoung. a bright smile graces xiaoting's lips, feeling relieved that wooyoung is doing well too. "I guess I'm not worrying today, huh?" she says before letting out a laugh. her head moves to nod, responding truthfully to his next words. "I mean, who wouldn't enjoy them? that's what brings them in even more." her gaze meets his as she hums thoughtfully, wondering if she should take on the surprise she's offered. she teases him for a moment, "have you been offering that to others as well? though do surprise me!"

@shen xiaoting. if possible, wooyoung's smile widened even further. "that's wonderful to hear! i'm doing well, too. can't complain, actually, heh." of course, he would never mention that she was the one he waited to see to brighten his day. "ah, yes. most days are busy here, which makes me happy. i love watching people enjoy my creations!" with a proud gleam in his eye, he continued, "would you like your usual drink today, miss? or would you like for me to surprise you with a 'wooyoung special'?" he winked.

@jung wooyoung. the moment he smiles at her, xiaoting could feel her cheeks get warmer and her heart beats get louder by the second. she wants to pout at how easy he could get her feeling like this so easily, but decides not to as she gives him a bashful smile in return. "hey! I'm doing quite well today," she replies happily, adding 'better since I've seen you' in her thoughts instead. her focus goes over to her fellow customers before back at him. "what about you? it seems today is just as busy as the day before."

@shen xiaoting. he'd been waiting since he opened the café this morning for his most loyal (and favorite) customer to walk in. wooyoung, of course, couldn't help but develop a crush on the woman upon first laying eyes on her. after all, what wasn't to love about her? her smile could stop a heart, her kindness could put any good samaritan to shame, and her overall aura just...infatuated him. wooyoung was almost worried about how quickly she'd him in. as he daydreamed, said woman entered his café and approached the counter. flashing her his usual charming smile, wooyoung greeted her with a cheery "hello, miss! how are you doing today?"

@jung wooyoung. xiaoting was on her way to the cafe she frequently visited. it has been her go-to ever since she first discovered the little place. once inside, her gaze laid upon the customers that filled it and she couldn't ever be more proud of it. it surely deserved the recognition that it got. a bright smile forms its way on her brims as her gaze lands on the man behind the counter. it would be a lie to say that she didn't find him adorable ever since. a good drink and a cute employee? she's very lucky to experience both at the same time. she brings herself to the counter after as she didn't want to stand around and be an inconvenience to everyone around her.

@shen xiaoting. wooyoung wiped down the main counter of his little cafe while glancing around the dining area with a content smile. customers were packed from wall to wall. the cafe had gained a significant amount of popularity in the past few weeks after a critic had high praise for it in a well-known food magazine. wooyoung hadn't expected it to last very long; after all, he'd just been a man with a dream and a love for coffee when he started the business. now, three months had passed since the grand opening, and wooyoung couldn't have been prouder of all that he'd accomplished.