HAIR DYE → MEANIE

11

Mingyu walked into the coffee shop that Jeonghan told him Seungcheol worked at with his dog. He walked up to the counter to see Seokmin cleaning mugs behind the counter.

"Oh, I didn't know you worked here!" Mingyu exclaimed.

"Oh, hi, Mingyu!" Seokmin smiled and greeted the boy. "Yeah, I've been working here since the start of this year."

"Nice. Anyway, could I get a latte to go?" Mingyu asked.

"To go? Why don't you stay here and drink?" Seokmin started putting in the order.

"I got my dog with me, and I don't know if he's allowed in here for too long," Mingyu said as he looked down at King.

"What?" Seokmin looked up immediately and then over the counter to see a large golden retriever looking up at him, his tail wagging fluidly left to right. Seokmin's eyes sparkled as he jumped over the counter and started petting King. King barked and licked his face as Seokmin laughed happily.

"Seokmin, why are you barking like a dog again?" Seungcheol walked out from the kitchen with a hat on his head.

"It's not me this time! It's Mingyu's dog," Seokmin said cheerfully.

"A dog?" Seungcheol's eyes got starry immediately, and he, too, came from around the counter and started petting Mingyu's dog.

King was overwhelmed. He was so excited by the love and affection he was receiving that his tail started wagging extra hard. His tail hit the hat off of Seungcheol's head, and Mingyu gasped. He really didn't think that Seungcheol's head looked that bad, but up close, it was really sad to see no hair on the boy's head. Seungcheol didn't seem to care that his hat wasn't on his head, though. He was too busy playing with King.

"Okay, that's enough," Seokmin laughed as King licked his face one last time. "Seungcheol, you can keep playing with King. I'll take Mingyu's order."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Seungcheol said. He completely sat on the ground at that point and was giving King all of the scratches.

"So that was a latte, right?" Seokmin asked after washing his hands.

"Yeah, and since this place is dog-friendly, you can make it for here," Mingyu smiled.

"Great. One latte coming up," Seokmin smiled.

"Don't I have to pay, though?" Mingyu asked.

"For that boost of serotonin? No," Seokmin shook his head. "You're good."

Mingyu smiled and left King with Seungcheol as he sat down at a table near his dog and the barista petting his dog. The shop was completely empty except for him and the boys working there, but it was kind of early in the morning, so it made sense to Mingyu.

"Thanks for letting me play with your dog," Seungcheol thanked Mingyu. "If you don't mind, I'm just going to sit here and catch my breath."

"No worries," Mingyu laughed. "How's your head?"

"It gets cold a lot, but I think I'm starting to get used to it," Seungcheol thought out loud as he put his hat back on. "Of course, I would much rather have hair, but I'm going to have to live like this for now."

"How's basketball?" Mingyu asked; to be honest, he was there with a purpose, and that was to ask Seungcheol about Wonwoo since he apparently is the one boy on the basketball team who has known Wonwoo the longest.

"It's good, but there's one player on the team that I'm worried about. He just always seems kind of distracted," Seungcheol admitted.

"Who?" Mingyu inquired.

"Wonwoo," Seungcheol said.

"Not this again," Seokmin rolled his eyes as he walked over to the two boys at the table with Mingyu's coffee in his hands. He set the cup down on the table and pulled up a chair to join in on the conversation.

"He never pays attention, Seokmin! He's always in his own world. No one ever knows what he's thinking," Seungcheol sighed.

"Maybe he has a lot on his mind?" Mingyu asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Nah, he definitely doesn't think about anything. He's like that saying, uh, what is it again?" Seungcheol looked to Seokmin for help.

"No thoughts, head empty," Seokmin sighed.

"Yeah, that. Not even Soonyoung has been able to figure out what that boy is thinking, and he's the one guy that can get everyone to open up," Seungcheol crossed his arms over his chest.

Mingyu sighed and set his cup down. King noticed Mingyu's sullen face, and he placed his head on Mingyu's knee. Seokmin and Seungcheol giggled happily as they saw the dog trying to cheer his owner up.

"So Wonwoo's a closed book," Mingyu sighed.

"Not really," Seungcheol shook his head. "It's easy to tell what makes him happy, and for something that makes him happy, he'll do anything, honestly."

"Like what?" Mingyu asked.

"That one director he really likes, uh, what else," Seungcheol frowned. "He likes ramen, but he can't eat seafood. Oh, he would literally stab a bitch for a hamburger."

"Also, Wonwoo's, like, really shy when he first starts talking to someone," Seokmin pointed out. "It took me a while for him to talk to me about movies."

"He likes movies?" Mingyu asked.

"Oh yeah, but he's definitely a horror movie kind of guy. I can never watch movies with him," Seungcheol shuddered. "Wait, why are you so curious anyway?"

"Ah, no reason," Mingyu looked away and drank his coffee, a pink blush rising to his cheeks.

Seokmin turned to Seungcheol and blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, then Seungcheol blinked, then Seokmin blinked, and then they both looked at Mingyu while sporting the same annoying grin, "You like Wonwoo, don't you?"

Mingyu buried his hands in his face and squealed, the other two barista boys laughing at him.

"You definitely have a chance with Wonwoo, don't worry. You're his type," Seungcheol chuckled out.

"Really?" Mingyu squeaked out.

"Yeah. If you ever need help, feel free to ask us. We'll help you get with your crush," Seokmin winked at the distraught boy.

Mingyu smiled and sighed. He was grateful that they were willing to help him get with Wonwoo. Asking Wonwoo out didn't seem as daunting anymore.