TRACK 11: HELLO
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At the corner of Main Street, there's a coffee shop that Mingyu likes to go to with his friends. They meet up there and just talk about life since the mall is boring and there are cute girls who enter the shop sometimes. Mingyu and his friends hitting on these girls, however, is another story, and most of those stories are simply failed attempts.
Mingyu was what you could consider a regular- his friends didn't go to the coffee shop as regularly as he did. The baristas recognized him, and they always had his regular, an iced americano, ready for him before he could even speak. It was this kind of cliché that Mingyu lived, but it was a comfortable cliché; he didn't mind.
Seokmin likes to frequent the shop with him. A struggling author, Seokmin is either cooped up in his apartment or he's in the coffee shop with Mingyu. The baristas recognize Seokmin too, but they never have anything ready for him because he always gets something new- Seokmin likes the variety, and it sometimes helps with his writer's block.
Junhui, on the other hand, rarely visits the coffee shop. Unlike Mingyu, he actually loves to roam in the mall and hit on random girls in the mall because that's just what he did best: play around with girls. He was the type to successfully hit on a girl in the coffee shop, but those girls typically were the same to Junhui, so he prefers the selection in the mall.
It's a rarity to have three boys in the same place at the same time since the city itself was so big, but sometimes, coincidences happen, and they all end up in the coffee shop together.
"Hey, Mister Writer. How's the manuscript coming along?" Mingyu asked, an iced americano already in his hand as he sat down next to Seokmin at the table the writer was at.
"Sunggyul got mad at me," Seokmin sighed. "He said I need to fix a lot of the characterization and that the word count was too low."
"Take it easy, dude," Mingyu patted Seokmin on the shoulder. "You already released a novel this year. You should wait two years!"
"This idea is just too good, though," Seokmin stopped working on his story and sat up. "Picture it: Venice, 1921. The air is romantic, the sky is a lovely shade of pink, and the two characters are hopelessly in love-"
"That sounds overly cliché," Mingyu couldn't help but comment.
"You're overly cliché," Seokmin tsked and resumed his work.
Mingyu focused on the coffee in front of him. Maybe he was cliché; but if he was cliché, then what did that make Seokmin who was a writer that writes and rewrites in his local coffee shop and writes the most sappy love stories that teenage girls are enthralled with?
"I ran here as soon as I could," Junhui said dramatically as he walked over to Seokmin and Mingyu.
"What? Why?" Mingyu asked, Seokmin looking up at Junhui with a look of frustration.
"You didn't hear?" Junhui asked.
"No, that's why I'm asking you," Mingyu shook his head.
"There's a new barista, and she's a cute one," Junhui leaned down and whispered into Mingyu's ear. "Vernon saw her yesterday and tried to pick her up, but she refused."
Both Mingyu and Seokmin turned their heads to the right to see that there was indeed a new barista, and that she indeed was cute. She had long, dark hair and bright, wide eyes. She also had a pearly smile, cute, tan skin, and the cutest laugh that the three boys had ever heard. Mingyu looked at Junhui, who was now sitting down at the table across from Mingyu, with wide eyes. Seokmin nearly choked on his spit as he turned back to his manuscript.
"How did you not notice her when you got your usual?" Junhui asked.
"Yuna had my order! I don't pay attention to these sorts of things," Mingyu gasped.
"Lucky, old man Park took care of my order today," Seokmin grumbled.
"Anyway, wish me luck boys," Junhui stood up and started stretching. "I'm going to go for her."
"Why do you get to try first?" Seokmin asked.
"I called dibs!" Junhui said. "Plus, you two blind idiots didn't even see her."
"I was working on my manuscript," Seokmin mumbled.
Junhui rolled his eyes and made his way towards the register where the barista girl was standing. Mingyu and Seokmin watched carefully as Junhui began to speak to her.
"Hey, I would like a caramel macchiato, one orange scone, your name, and your number all for here, please," Junhui requested with his signature smile.
"Got it, got it, Ji Sooyoung, and no thanks," the barista girl smiled back. "Would you like anything else?"
Mingyu and Seokmin snickered to themselves as Junhui physically struggled.
"Why not? Do you have a boyfriend?" Junhui asked as he reached into his wallet to pay for his food.
"No," the barista girl, Sooyoung, shook her head and accepted the bill Junhui handed her.
"What's a cute girl like you doing single then?" Junhui asked with shock. "You're my type, so we should go out some time."
"Thanks, but you're not my type," Sooyoung declined as she handed Junhui his change.
"What's your type then?" Junhui persisted.
"Not the flirty type, that's for sure," Sooyoung said. "I can help who's next!"
"Who says I'm the flirty type?" Junhui shook his head.
"Your pickup line," Sooyoung rolled her eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a customer to attend to."
Junhui reluctantly got his drink and his scone before he went back to the table where Mingyu and Seokmin were struggling to hold in their laughter. As soon as Junhui sat down at the table, Mingyu and Seokmin burst out laughing, Junhui scowling at the two.
"It's not that funny," Junhui snapped.
"It is that funny when you've finally managed to fail for once," Seokmin wiped tears from his eyes. "When I get rejected, it's sad because I can never get a girl. You, on the other hand, can basically choose which girl you want to be with."
"What's her type, anyway? I have to know now," Junhui mused as he drank his coffee.
The three boys sat there and drank their coffee slowly as they pondered Junhui's question. They all collectively looked back at the cute barista, who was laughing as she prepared the drinks. They all sighed in unison, and they turned back to their drinks. The boys were silent before Seokmin said, "Maybe I'm her type. I'll ask her."
Seokmin got up from the table eagerly, Junhui and Mingyu watching him with weary eyes. Junhui turned to Mingyu and said, "How much do you want to bet Seokmin might actually get her number?"
Mingyu hummed and said, "Hundred."
"Damn, you're pretty confident," Junhui laughed and sat back in his chair. "Alright, bet."
Junhui and Mingyu shook on it as Seokmin finally arrived to the register where the barista was waiting. She wasn't working on a drink, so she was just standing around waiting for a customer.
"Hey there," Seokmin greeted. "How long have you been working here for?"
"About a week now," Sooyoung said. "How did you know I was new?"
"I'm a regular here," Seokmin smiled. "I'm Lee Seokmin, author."
"Ji Sooyoung," she held out her hand for Seokmin to shake, which he did. "So, you're an author? That's so cool! What do you write about?"
"Ah," Seokmin started to feel a little embarrassed. "I write mainly romance novellas. I'm a bit of a romantic, actually."
"Wow," Sooyoung was enthralled. "That's amazing."
Junhui poked Mingyu's arm and whispered, "You might as well give me that hundred right now."
Mingyu smirked. "Just wait, Junhui."
"What books have you published?" Sooyoung asked Seokmin.
"Well, there's one story I have that's more angsty- it's called Forest and there are two characters who meet up in a forest and fall for each other. It's more cliché, really," Seokmin chuckled.
"I should definitely read that some time, then," Sooyoung smiled at Seokmin.
At that moment, a customer came up behind Seokmin. Sooyoung went to attend to the customer, and Seokmin stepped to the side; his hopes went up because he thought he might actually have a chance with the cute barista. After she was done with the customer, Sooyoung went back to Seokmin, and Seokmin took his chance.
"I was wondering maybe we could exchange numbers? I would love to get coffee with you and discuss book with you," Seokmin went for it.
Junhui and Mingyu looked from afar with bated breath. They watched as Sooyoung let out a small laugh and say, "Sorry, but I'm not really interested."
Mingyu grinned as he held out his hand for Junhui to hand over the hundred he won, and Junhui scowled as he fished the money out of his pocket. Seokmin's jaw dropped as he asked, "May I ask why?"
"You're just not my type," Sooyoung said with the same smile on her face.
"What is your type, then?" Seokmin asked.
"I'm still looking for him," Sooyoung hummed.
Seokmin couldn't argue with that. He didn't want to press further and ask what was wrong with him because Sooyoung might get angry with him, and his low self esteem didn't deserve that trauma. He returned to Junhui and Mingyu with sullen face. Mingyu patted the poor boy on his back and said, "It's not you, don't worry. You'll find someone eventually."
"I wish I could live the life of a cliché," Seokmin sighed. "I'll just stick to writing cliché's for now."
"Mingyu," Junhui turned to Mingyu. "Aren't you going to try for Sooyoung?"
Mingyu hummed as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was a cliché, which meant the way he fell in love must've been cliché too. With the barista girl, with Sooyoung, it probably was love at first sight- the ultimate cliché. If clichés were her type, then she would've gone with Seokmin, but now that Seokmin was out of the picture, Mingyu still had a chance. Mingyu stood up slowly and walked over to the barista. He didn't bother turning back because he knew Junhui would make the same bet with Seokmin on whether or not he would get Sooyoung's number. Mingyu was determined to get her number because he still wanted to live that cliché. He walked up to her and said, "Hello."
Sooyoung turned around and smiled as she saw Mingyu. She sighed out and said, "Hello. What's your name?"
"Mingyu, Kim Mingyu," Mingyu stated.
"Hello, Mingyu. I'm Ji Sooyoung," Sooyoung smiled with her teeth this time, and Mingyu could've sworn his heart skipped a beat when she did so.
"Then, Miss Ji Sooyoung, I have a couple questions for you," Mingyu said as he leaned slightly onto the countertop.
"Ask away, Mister Kim Mingyu," Sooyoung giggled.
"How cliché would you say your life is?" Mingyu asked.
Sooyoung hummed and put her hands on her hips as she thought out loud. "Well, I'm a broke junior in college working at a coffee shop at just a little over minimum wage, so I would say it's pretty cliché."
"How do you feel about the concept of love at first sight?" Mingyu continued.
"Cliché, but I believe in it," Sooyoung nodded. "Are you trying to get at the concept of clichés, Mister Kim Mingyu?"
"What if I am, Miss Ji Sooyoung?" Mingyu asked.
"I'm all for it," Sooyoung laughed and leaned her head back slightly, her long hair swaying to the side just a bit. Her hair fell over her shoulder as she said, "My turn to ask questions. Is your life cliché?"
"I wouldn't deny it," Mingyu accepted. "I also don't despise the fact that my life is very much cliché."
"Then," Sooyoung leaned forward and whispered. "Would you like to connect our cliché lives, Mister Kim Mingyu?"
Mingyu grinned. He pulled his phone out of his back pocket and said, "I would love to, Miss Ji Sooyoung."
Sooyoung took Mingyu's phone from him and entered her number. She told him to text him, and Mingyu said he would before he returned back to their table. He grinned at the two boys as they sulked at him- they were upset that Mingyu got the girl.
"So, who won the bet?" Mingyu asked.
"I did," Seokmin laughed as Junhui's head slumped even lower.
"Wow, how much did he lose this time?" Mingyu snickered.
"He lost another hundred to me, so two hundred today," Seokmin said as he high-fived Mingyu.
Mingyu looked back at his phone as Seokmin and Junhui talked about what was most likely Seokmin's manuscript- Mingyu wasn't paying attention. He wanted to text her, but he didn't know what to say. He looked to the right and saw Sooyoung. He waved at her, and she waved back. Suddenly, Mingyu knew what to text her. He unlocked his phone and opened a new conversation with her.
"What did you text her?" Junhui suddenly directed his attention to Mingyu.
Mingyu pressed send and then looked at Junhui as he said, "Hello."