wanderlust

here’s a little tl;dr for hyunjin (tw: death mention):

               “ hm, i think it gives it character. i think it works quite well. i wouldn’t feel comfortable in a place that looked perfectly polished. you know when you walk into someone else’s home and it looks straight out of a catalogue? yeah, i don’t vibe with that … it throws me off. givesm e bad feelings. those people could be serial killers for all i know. ” when she noticed that she had, once again, started rambling about nothing, sora decided it was best to stop herself before things got awkward. he probably already counted the seconds until she would be leaving again, so she didn’t need to push it.

              she loved people who were like herself. it probably sounded a little conceited, but she took great pride in the fact that she managed to open up her own business and do something she genuinely enjoys. sure, she could probably have gotten a better job if she had done better in school and gone off to university instead, but it was safe to say that she would have been a lot more miserable that way. so, the fact that hyunjin had fulfilled his own dream as well was admirable enough for sora to enjoy his company. “ yeah, you know how the saying goes. sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. ” she couldn’t help but cringe at herself. “ i’m glad that it worked out for you. i can tell that you enjoy what you do, so i think it’s really admirable. keep going! ” a smile graced her features as she scanned the counter, looking for something. “ do you have a tip jar? ”

“i agree… if a place looks too – artificial, i guess – it can make you feel kind of weary. it’s hard to feel comfortable in a place like that.” he nodded, glad to hear that she has the same sort of sentiment. it was amusing to see her start to talk to him like that; he hadn’t expected either of them to just start talking about seemingly unimportant things like whether a space was decorated or not and whether or not that was comfortable, but that was what being asked about the shop did for hyunjin – it was always a talking point, one that could put anyone on a tangent, it seemed.

At the follow up question, Hailey could only allow a soft, breathy laugh. To voice her thoughts on the matter would certainly be rude. Who was she to say that only aged persons could brew up a splendid cup of coffee? But pondering on the thought once more, one could also consider it a compliment, no? For Hailey to think so highly of the other’s talent— despite age— was definitely something worth cherishing. Regardless of the back and forth thoughts, the girl decided to remain mum on the subject. Instead, she offered a tight lipped smile and pretended she hadn’t said anything at all.

The expression on her face soon became one of innocent curiosity. One moment he was objecting her words, looking as solemn as ever. Then the next, he was avoiding eye contact. Was it something I said? She thought to herself, her lips jutted out into a pout as her eyebrows furrowed with concern. “I was only trying to compliment you. It’s not everyday that one gets to drink such divine coffee, made by someone just as stunning.” Hailey gestured back towards the shop owner, her words firm as she spoke her truth. “Today has been as easy on my appetite as it has been on my eyes. You should be proud of yourself! If I hadn’t known any better, I would have thought you to be a model!”

             ❝  we’re  a  different  breed  and,  unfortunately,  some   people  just  won’t  always  be  able  to  understand  that;  no   matter  how  much  we  want  them  to.  ❞  his  words  carry  a  hint   of  morose  embedded  within  his  tone  as  he  remembers  old   friends  and  romantic  partners  who  left  him  in  the  end  simply   because  he  wouldn’t  (  couldn’t  )   prioritise  them  over  his  aspirations.  it’s  a  scenario  he  knows hyunjin  can  relate  to,  even  if  they’ve  never  discussed  it   outright.  ❝  at  the  end  of  the  day,  the  only  one  who  can   decide  what’s  best  for  you  is  you,  but  for  what  it’s  worth,   i  think  the  roost  is  a  pretty  sweet  hang  out  place,  ❞   gunwoo  offers  a  playful  wink  to  the  other  before  shaking  his   head,  ❝  no  need  to  thank  me,  but  only  the  first  session  is   free.  after  that,  i  cost  one  mocha  per.  ❞  another  wide  smile makes  itself  at  home  on  his  visage,  eyes  turning  to crescents.  

             when  he  hears  hyunjin’s  response,  his  expression  falters  dramatically.  ❝  sweet?  ❞  he  asks  in  faux  disbelief  before  his  eyes  narrow,  ❝  you’re  just  lookin’   to  make  things  difficult  for  me,  aren’t  you?  ❞  a  few  nods   as  he  flips  through  his  mental  rolodex  of  new  recipes.  “❝   okay,  i  think  i’m  up  for  the  challenge.  ❞  once  the  two  have entered  the  bakery,  he  directs  the  other  towards  the  stools   at  the  counter  (  hand  painted  to  look  like  a  variety  of  donuts  ) normally  used  for  those  who  come  to  the  bakery  by  themselves and  converse  with  him  and  whoever  else  is  on  staff.  ❝  why   don’t  you  pick  your  flavor  of  seat  and  i’ll  get  started.  ❞   grabbing  his  usual  apron  from  the  hook,  his  hands  quickly  tie the  strings  and  he  looks  to  hyunjin  to  ask  a  final   question,  ❝  do  you  prefer  persimmons  or  pomegranates?  ❞

hyunjin could only nod in return – he told himself those words more often than he liked to admit. some people just didn’t get it. it was a hard truth, and though hyunjin too needed to compromise in the little ways he could, sometimes it felt like the odds were just stacked against him. he didn’t know much that he could say, only knowing that he agreed. he offered gunwoo a slight smile. “i’m glad, that means i’m doing my job.” a curious look appears on hyunjin’s face when the other shakes his head. “session? you act like you’re a therapist or something.” he chuckles, shaking his head for a moment before his smile widened. “okay, deal. you know where to find me when you want to take me up on that.”

           IT SURPRISED HER  that somehow ,  the man hadn’t managed to get a proper look at mini’s drawing of him .  in fact ,  one might as well say the illustrator exposed herself !how embarrassing ,  mini thought ,  brows furrowing together as she looked down at her hands .  oh well ,  it was too late to turn back now .  ❝  um … sure ,  of course !  ❞  she replied with as much excitement as she could muster ,  though it always was a bit  scary  to show even something as simple as a sketch to someone  —  especially if it was the very person she’d been using as inspiration .

            as she moved her hands away from  the sketchbook ,  mini let out a long sigh  &  reached for her cappuccino ,  taking a long sip as if to prepare herself for any sort of reaction .  the girl was confident in her skills of course ,  but still ,  you never know .  watching his face as she let him take a good look at the unfinished piece ,  mini tucked a light pink lock behind her ear .  ❝  it’s not finished ,  by the way …  oh ,  &  i meant to ask for your  permission ,  too !  it just- i kind of forgot to ,  if i’m being honest .  that is quite embarrassing ,  isn’t it ?  ❞  how impolite of her ,  to say the least .  ❝  uh …  ❞  she cleared her throat ,   ❝  so ,  what do you think ?  ❞

he waited expectantly for mihi to show him the sketch, his curiosity rising. hyunjin had been wanting to know what she’d been working on all this time, why she spent so much time here. though the other sounded excited to show him, she also sounded kind of nervous, which he found a bit strange. shrugging off any sort of concern about it, his eyes started to scan over the sketch before he picked it up.

it was him; he could see that – and it was beautiful; he was beautiful. not words he would ever use to describe himself, but the fact that someone else found him worthy of drawing? spending who knows how many hours doing so? hyunjin was clearly flattered, also a little embarrassed. he couldn’t recall (to his knowledge) having this happen to him before, so he wasn’t too sure how to respond. his face lit up though, the more details he took in as he stared at the face on the paper. at her next words, he couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “it’s okay, i know you can’t go back and ask permission now, but i don’t really mind…” he paused. “i like it a lot, actually – it looks nice so far. i just never really thought someone could see me like that, i guess…” he placed the sketchbook back down on the table in front of her. “do you need a closer look at me or anything?”

sungmi started to rock back and forth on her heels at the pause in the conversation, perfectly ready to turn back and head home, but then he offered up the invitation to step inside. of course he first instinct was to make up an excuse - in fact her mouth opened to tell some lie about stuff needing done at home. but she stopped herself in time. 

effort, she yet again reminded herself.

“sure” she replied with another smile, stepping inside when the door was held open for her. she was a firm believer that how one took care of their home said a lot about the person, and the vibe she got from hyunjin’s living room was just warm. her eyes were immediately drawn to all the books lining the shelves and she moved closer to them, adjusting the circle frames resting on her nose so she could read the titles a little easier. “i didn’t know you liked to read. what sort of stuff are you into?”

she glanced over her shoulder back at him, her curiosity written over her face. “i think twenty five percent of my paycheck goes into books these days.”

hyunjin did his best to try and read her expression, hoping that she would accept the invitation instead of leaving to go back home. he didn’t know her quite well enough to be sure of how she would take it; he had immediately expected that she’d just go home, but if he hadn’t tried to invite her in, he probably would’ve just kept thinking about how he should’ve just done it anyways. taking the risk had been worth it. he closed the door behind her, happy to let her come inside. hyunjin was suddenly glad that he kept his house and his stuff under wraps; he would’ve felt so embarrassed to have a guest if his house looked bad. like the roost, he arranged his decorations and home environment so that it was a calm and peaceful place where one could relax – after all, this was one of the only places he could do so. as sungmi’s eyes scanned the books covering his shelves, he smiled slightly. “mostly non-fiction… i have to admit, most of them are for research for the café, or old journals that my dad had before he passed, or my own journals – but honestly, i’ll read anything if there’s something to learn from it, i don’t discriminate.”

              sungho frowned at the other’s words, sulking silently. it was all in good fun, yet he could never resist the urge to act like a prima donna when he was joking around hyunjin. “ i don’t care who else makes that joke, you should laugh at mine because i’m funnier than those other people. ” he probably wasn’t, but … fake it til you make it, right? “ oooh, so i’m special, you say? ” his voice got about two octaves higher as he leaned against the counter, pretending to twirl a strand of hair around his index finger. “ how shameless of you to flirt with me like that. at least buy me dinner first. ” 

              “ well, it’s true. they always say you have to be the difference in the world that you want to see, but it’s easier to complain about how boring your life is rather than changing something about it. and even if you wanted to actively take matters into your own hands and do something about your boring daily routine, things might not go as planned and end up being even worse than before … which is probably why most people are content with living their life the way they’ve always known it. i know a lot of people like that. ” he wasn’t one of them, but he had still failed to make a successful change, so was he any better than those who didn’t even try? “ you know, you probably have a point there. i was taught that you don’t have to actually be confident, you just have to pretend that you are. that way, people are fooled into thinking you have a lot of confidence even when you’re self-conscious as hell. that’s the tactic i used back in high school — worked like a charm. ”

sungho’s attitude cracked him up – he wasn’t entirely sure what made him act this way around hyunjin but he really didn’t mind, since it was so entertaining. “i mean, i was just saying that it happened in general. i didn’t say i laughed at anyone else’s version of that joke either.” he shrugged it off, his eyes focused on the other leaning in on the counter. “oh, so that got your attention? cute… cute – i’ll keep that in mind then.” hyunjin continued to tease the other, enjoying joking around with him.

i’m always here to look out for a friend, @cadvnce​

one thing that heejoon strives the most for in his daily life is to always spread good vibes. specifically, he wishes that everyone could look at life as if it were all simple. one of the things he’s recognized from any stressed person on eastbell is that they have a view of life being more complicated than it needs to be. maybe he lacks the understanding because he doesn’t have a job, so he doesn’t have to stress too much about it. maybe he doesn’t get it solely because of the fact that he chooses not to make a situation appropriately. 

either way, heejoon continued to live life with that mindset that he begins to worry about others who seem to be pushing themselves. one of them being poor han hyunjin. the older of the roost was not only a barista of the roost, but he was also the owner. so obviously, he has a lot of responsibilities to tend to. responsibilities that heejoon could not even get an ounce of understanding about. but there was no denying that the other was always working hard at his job. it amazes the younger how he was able to handle so much on his plate and still be operating. had heejoon been in his situation, he probably would’ve shut down. 

that’s why he visits him one night when business is quieter than it usually is. as he opens the door and notices the other’s face automatically, a lazy but genuine smile appears on his lips. “hyung! good to see you! you’re just the person i wanted to see~!” he smiles as he walks over to the counter to have a proper conversation with him. “how’ve you been, my good man? have you gone on your dinner break yet? is that a thing? it should be a thing. you need it, my dude.” 

okay, that’s enough heejoon. 

everyone on the islands probably knew about hyunjin’s more… grandpa-like personality. he didn’t go out much, and didn’t do things most people his age probably considered fun. for the most part, it didn’t bother him too much, except for the fact that it kept him from making many friends. he didn’t really blame them, all he really did was work and talk about coffee, so it wasn’t too surprising that not many tried to hang out with him after his shift when it seemed most likely that he wouldn’t accept the invitation and would probably just go home anyways.

it was true – he had always been a hard worker, and he’d practically prepared for owning this very shop every moment of his life. he’d learned what it was like to own and work in a coffee shop in the city, and moving here meant that his actual dream was realized. to him, that was part of why he poured all his time and effort into it; he wanted it to succeed, and he felt like there was no end to perfecting every part of it – yet he didn’t feel tired.

the roost is quiet, just how he likes it – until heejoon comes in. hyunjin, when he notices him come in, knows that the other is probably going to  talk about dragging him out for the night or something – he’s convinced that it has to be. “good to see you too. what’s up, heejoon?” the closer the other gets to him, the more curious hyunjin’s eyes become. “i’m okay, why do you ask?” he paused, offering the other a look of confusion. “dinner break? i usually eat dinner when i finish up here…” hyunjin was a tiny bit embarrassed by that fact, it was probably just about dinner time for most other people, if not past it, but here he was, still behind the counter. you know… he’s probably right.

growing up, dabin did not think that she would become one of those adults who couldn’t go a day without a cup of coffee. yet here she was, lounging aroudn at hyunjin’s cafe before her shift—once again—and sipping away at her iced americano. she was well aware that he didn’t completely understand her choice of coffee, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t make the best ones in town. ever since she’s discovered this place, it’s the one she frequents the most often. as a result, she’s decided to muster up her courage to start a conversation with hyunjin way back when, and now she thinks they’ve gotten close enough where she can consider him a friend. hopefully he thinks of her the same. 

“oh!” she sits up in her chair before scooting herself closer to her desk to lean towards hyunjin. “i didn’t come prepared though,” she says with a slight whine in her voice before stirring the straw in her drink to buy herself some time. “okay, so i’ve always been curious, but what’s the difference between a latte and a cappuccino? i’ve seen people debate quite a lot about one is better than the other, but i can’t tell the difference. they seem to have the same ingredients.” the frown on her face grows deeper as she’s utterly confused about the two drinks. she has absolutely zero knowledge on coffee, but she’s always been open to learning about new things, and she can’t wait to leave this cafe and go onto her shift with a new fact in her head. 

there were some customers in this world that hyunjin didn’t understand – of course, there were those who had very… detailed and specific orders, if he put it nicely… but then, there were those who always ordered iced coffees. it was true, it made no sense to him, and he pretty much never would accept an offer for one – definitely not in his own establishment. who wanted more water in their coffee? who wanted the taste to end up watered down? it was worse than just letting the coffee cool off. no matter how confusing and… unappetizing it sounded to him, he’d be a fool to turn away potential customers, as long as their orders were exclusively coffee, of course.

rain nodded slowly, hyunjin’s response striking a resonant chord within him. “you’re right, i should just look on the bright side. it could’ve taken me a week again…” he convinced himself to smile before nodding again, this time with a little more energy, when hyunjin moved to make the blend. did hyunjin look a little tired today? rain couldn’t tell, but maybe he’d been having a busy day too. “don’t worry, take as long as you need! i’ve got nothing else to do for the rest of the day.”

there was a pleasant buzz in his head – not the usual anxiety wasps, but like the soft fuzz of flower petals against his cheek. rain propped his chin up with a hand on the counter so he could watch hyunjin work, wondering how many more friendship points he needed to gain before he could ask what the secret was. “oh,” he said when he remembered something that had been nagging at him since he took his first sip of coffee from here, “i have a question. you’re the owner of this shop, right? why’s it called ‘the roost’?”

“a week? again? i can only imagine…” if hyunjin had to be in such a position, he knew whatever thing he’d been told to fix wouldn’t leave his mind until it was fixed. he hated the thought of it. staying up thinking of (or tasting) ways to perfect his coffee or think of new blends was a headache enough, not to mention a painstakingly slow and nitpicky process. no matter how tired he was though, his hands remembered every single part of every machine. part of him really didn’t want to reply to the comment about being free for the rest of the day – it made it sound like the other would just sit here and he didn’t really like that image. “what sort of things do you like to do when you aren’t working?” he asked, continuing his work on the drink.

seonmi giggles, knowing it’s true; hyunjin’s never kicked her out once. even when the traffic was heavy in the middle of bustling seoul, he’d let her stay curled up in his shop, writing and rewriting sentences until they felt as smooth as the cafe’s hazelnut latte. “you can’t,” she teases, feigning a dramatic swoon, “what would i do without the roost! and you,” she adds, playfully mixing up the order of priorities, only proven right when hyunjin doesn’t even need to ask for her order. “see? no one else on this island would let me stay past closing and know my order by heart.” seonmi purses her lips together and nods, a tiny picture of absolute assurance in their friendship.

moving over to the table by the countertop, she sits close enough to chat with him without disturbing the other patrons. something about the roost has everyone coming here when they need to accomplish something, and she definitely doesn’t want to take away from that atmosphere. seonmi hums, opening up her laptop. “i’m branching out, at the gazette! y’know, as the lifestyle editor! there’s this piece of travel that i’m working on, hm.” seonmi busies herself with pulling up the document on her cloud, turning to hyunjin while it loads. “got any thoughts on the travel scene around the islands?”

she’s not really stuck, the challenge of a new topic still fresh and innovative, but she likes having hyunjin’s input anyway. he’s seen worse drafts from her, with all that time they’ve spent after closing while she tests out phrases on her tongue, asking for his opinions. seonmi starts working on a pretty flat lay of the table, workspace arranged just right — all that’s left is the cup of coffee to complete the mise en scène of the newest post for her blog. that, and a friend to accompany her!

there were very few scenarios in which hyunjin could even imagine kicking seonmi out and considering that none of them had happened thus far, he was pretty sure there wouldn’t be a problem. he could remember quite a few times when it was closing time, and she had asked him for more time, and he obliged with no hesitation. it was the kind of place he wanted the roost to be – especially for his friends; if the shop could be a comfortable place where both work and fun could happen, he was usually nice enough to bend his own rules for the ones he cared about, within reason. “you do know that if i weren’t here, the roost wouldn’t be either, which means you’d have whatever old coffee that could’ve been here, only if there were a coffee shop.” he teased, unable to stop himself from laughing a little.

❪    🧸  /  @cadvnce​​  ❫  

most  people  on  their  off  days  liked  to  stay  in  ,  recharge  their  batteries  and  allow  themselves  to  rest  .  not  kayee  though  !  every  day  was  a  free  day  for  him  !  even  the  days  he  worked  he  viewed  as  off  days  ,  or  maybe  he  should  call  them  on  days  .  he’s  always  on  and  fueled  up  .  he  liked  being  free  ,  as  free  as  the  butterflies  flying  around  him  !   butterflies  were  supposed  to  be  free  ,  at  least  that’s  what  his  mom  told  him  after  finding  him  trying  to  catch  some  ,  and  he  was  supposed  to  be  free  too  !  though  ,  he  guesses  not  everyone  can  be  the  same  way  …  at  least  that’s  what  sungmi  told  him  after  he  dropped  by  unannounced  at  her  place  when  she  apparently  had  plans  .  he  didn’t  really  understand  what  the  announcement  part  had  to  do  with  him  coming  by  for  fun  but  he  promised  to  visit  her  sometime  later  anyways  !

humming  underneath  his  breath  ,  hands  dug  into  his  jean  pockets  ,  stitches  turns  from  sungmis  door  deciding  he’ll  just  walk  around  eastbell  instead  .  maybe  he’ll  just  clock  into  work  unannounced  …  he  has  fun  at  work  ,  his  tiktoks  always  do  better  when  he  uploads  there    !  his  thoughts  get  sidetracked  as  he  sees  an  unfamiliar  face  surrounded  by  boxes  .   ❝    oh  ?    ❞   curiosity  peeked  ,  he  skips  over  while  the  person  has  their  back  turned  to  him  .   ❝   hiiii  !    ❞   bending  down  to  get  a  hold  of  two  boxes  ,  he  grins  widely  at  the  man  .  ❝    you  must  be  moving  in  !  you  are  ,  right  ?  i’m  stitches  !  we  aren’t  neighbors  but  i  live  on  this  island  too  !  you’re  actually  neighbors  with  my  friend  sungmi  !  right  over  there  ,  she’s  busy  though  so  don’t  knock  on  her  door  today  !  i  already  tried  !   ❞  his  head  bops  in  the  direction  of  the  house  nearby  ,  signaling  the  direction  of  the  house  in  mention  ,  walking  towards  the  opened  door  to  put  down  the  boxes  .  ❝   this  house  is  so  nice  ,  the  previous  owner  never  let  me  come  inside  because  i  accidentally  broke  a  window  once  .  oh  ,  don’t  worry  ,  it’s  fixed  now  !  i  had  to  pay  for  it  because  that’s  what  adults  do  !  anyways  ,  where  are  you  from  ?  oh  ,  what’s  your  name  ?  i’m  stitches  !  did  i  say  that  already  ?  ❞

it was hyunjin’s first day on eastbell – and there were so many boxes. he knew practically everyone in the world complained about how much moving sucked and considering this was his first move that was actually far away from home, made it so much worse. saying goodbye to his mother and going through all of his stuff to decide what to get rid of and what to actually keep was a headache enough, but now he was going to have to unpack and figure out where everything should go. luckily, he had a good enough knack for design to come up with something nice. would there be nice furniture and decorations for him to use for his home? for the shop? it was a question for later. what mattered was getting everything inside, and then unpacking the absolute essentials so he could at least rest for a while.