Archive of Our Own

It is not a point in life where he is stuck, but a whole section of his life line and that thought alone is upsetting.

Kim Jongin in his mid-twenties is a famous manhwa artist. He has published three volumes with short stories so far, as well as two series. His first one has been a rather short series, while the second one has been going on for almost three years. Jongin is content with his achievements so far, but if things continue like this, if he keeps being stuck, unable to produce another work soon, his career might go down the drain. After all, there are a lot of other artists out there, competing with him, and it is just a matter of time until his fans have found a replacement for him. Jongin, no, Kim Kai might be quite famous, but he has not reached the status of internationally loved mangakas and manhwa artists yet. Yet. He plans to.

Plans are mere constructs of thoughts and intentions though, and having plans does not mean that they will be executed. Not anytime soon for Jongin, and certainly not when his lack of inspiration is interfering with his plans.

While Jongin has been a bit more positive about the end of his series at first - the prospect of some well-deserved vacation after two years and nine months of almost working nonstop is quite welcomed after all - he is quite miffed about it now. His fingers are itching to sketch and to draw, to fill blank spaces with ink and colors, giving life to characters that he will feel protective about, like any creator feels about his work and any father feels about his child. Still, it does not matter how much he longs to draw again, when he cannot come up with a good idea to draw. Jongin needs characters and stories, not just random scribbles and sketches.

Jongin remembers the last few meetings with his editor. He is not necessarily upset with Park Chanyeol, because Chanyeol is capable and he does not mean ill. He is rather upset with himself for being unable to come up with good suggestions (and being unable to use one of Chanyeol’s prompts, because he does not feel like drawing any of them). And with the minutes leading closer to this week’s meeting, Jongin feels dread building up. After the last few weeks of no results, for this week’s meeting, he could not come up with any useful plot. He has made a few sketches, but they are more like a student’s random drawings in class and not solid plans and character profiles for an upcoming series, and thus it feels like going into a serious meeting with empty hands.

No, Jongin cannot have that. And so he has cancelled the meeting, or tried to cancel it before. Yet, Chanyeol is still coming over. To look at the character sheets, he has said, maybe we can start the other way round this time, creating a plot based on characters, not creating characters to fit a plot.

Jongin does not believe that it will work for him that way. And so he does the only thing he can think of: avoiding Chanyeol. Chanyeol has the keys to his apartment that is his studio at the same time, and so the only way to actually avoid his friend and editor, is to disappear. Now or never, Jongin thinks and grabs his keys. He does not need his phone, when Chanyeol is most likely to bombard him with calls and messages, and Jongin does not want any confrontation yet.

When Jongin leaves his apartment, it is about half an hour before his appointment with Chanyeol. He is glad that he has done so. The last few weeks he has spent locked inside of his apartment, going out only for much needed groceries. But even that is rare when he can simply get his stuff online, delivered right to his doorstep.

Going outside now makes Jongin feel a bit more refreshed, even if it is the busy streets of Seoul that he is walking down now, air heavy with dust, mixed with the smell of coffee, food or cosmetics, depending on what store it is that he is passing.

His feet automatically lead him towards the more quiet streets of Hongdae, without the noisy tourists and persistent shop assistants that might drag one into a store, and he breathes in some - in his imagination at least - cleaner air, without all the pollution of cars. It is a bit greener here, too, with the few trees he has passed, and a lot of plants decorating the balconies and shop entrances. Jongin smiles.

Apart from the busy main streets with shops and cafés, the clubs and bars, there are more quiet places in Hongdae, too. There are small alleyways leading to guesthouses and hotels or simply private owned houses. There are not as many apartment complexes found here. Jongin's apartment, too, does not belong into one of those complexes that have soon become a characteristic trait for Seoul. It is a small one above a gallery, just one corner away from the main street. It is not far away from the almost always full café, known from the movie The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince. Jongin has to admit that he has never stepped foot inside there. Loud, packed spaces are not really what he is looking for as an artist who needs the silence to lose himself in his own ideas and imaginations.

The coffee shop he finds himself in now is none he has ever been to before. He has never crossed this place either, despite it being right in his neighborhood. He is still in Hongdae, right? He almost wants to curse himself for not bringing his phone; with GPS, he could track where he is now, as well as check what time it is. Who does not bring a phone when going outside nowadays? Well, Jongin does not, but only today, because usually, Jongin, too, is always reachable with a phone call or a message via any of those dozen apps he has downloaded simply for communicating.

Luckily, the moment Jongin steps into the café, he can read the time from an analog clock right above the counter. He is about ten minutes late for his meeting already, and it makes no sense to regret his decision and hurry back. He would end up being at least half an hour too late. And so Jongin decisively steps closer to the counter, approaching the young man standing there and greeting him with a bright smile.

"Hello, what would you like to order?" A soft voice sounds. It is a pleasant tone to the ear and Jongin finds himself smiling back at the other. He just can’t be grumpy when people are so nice and friendly to him.

"What would you recommend?" Jongin asks, just to listen to that voice some more. He does not get disappointed. The other male hums softly and Jongin looks down to watch slender fingers open a menu.

"Depending on your personal taste, there are different options," the man says. "You look like a coffee drinker to me, coffee with a spoon of sugar, no cream, and no milk. Is that correct?"

Jongin is amazed. It is accurate. That is how Jongin drinks his coffee. Because of his work, he has to stay awake, and caffeine has become one of Jongin's best friends during his first serialization and has stayed his best friend ever since. If he is honest though, he is not too much of a fan, actually preferring tea. Unfortunately though, tea always makes him sleepy, and soon he has learned to replace his beloved green tea latte with coffee.

"Yes. But only when I work," Jongin replies. The man opposite of him smiles, lips stretching and the corners pulled up even more, eyes crinkling in addition to that. It is the first time Jongin thinks labelling a smile as stunning would fit.

"Of course," the man replies. "Do you trust my judgment? I will make you a drink I'm sure you will like."

Jongin ponders his options for a while and decides to try. There is no reason against it, so why not? He nods.

The barista smiles and sends him off to take a seat. Jongin does so, settling down in a corner from where he can overlook the whole coffee shop. It is a small store, the colors of the whole interior kept in shades of cream, white and blue. Belatedly, Jongin realizes that the café he is sitting in now is called "Oh's heaven", a bit strange, but matching with the decor. The walls are painted like the sky, with different hues of blue and white accents, and the tables and chairs are all white, with pillows so comfortable it feels like sitting on clouds.

Jongin's eyes dart around, discovering the small details: a memo board on one wall with sticky notes, messages written in scrawly handwriting and pictures pinned to it, a filled bookshelf in one corner, the glass vitrine showcasing a variety of cakes and pastries, right by the counter where the barista is busily working on preparing a drink.

Jongin closes his eyes, listening to the soft sound of pianos. It takes him a while to recognize the quiet, but incessant background noise as the sound of rain accompanying the piece. It makes him a bit drowsy, feeling at peace like this, and Jongin wonders if that is the reason why there are no customers here. Maybe this café is just too quiet, too peaceful and therefore too boring? Admittedly, Jongin, too, thinks that it is a bit too quiet for his taste, but at the same time, it is a perfect space to work when he is avoiding Chanyeol again. He just needs the background music to be changed, and surely, if he asked politely, the staff would follow his request, right?

His eyes wander around again as he starts contemplating. It is really not a too bad place, clean, cozy and comfortable. Is it maybe the drinks and the menu offers here that keeps customers away?

In that moment the barista comes over to serve his coffee.

"Walnut caramel coffee," the young man says. "Please give it a try," he adds, when meeting Jongin's skeptical eyes.

"If you do not like it, I won't charge you," the barista says and bows, retreating back to the counter. Jongin watches him for a moment, thinking that the boy would make a good reference model for his next work - that is if he can think of a good plot. Maybe Chanyeol is not wrong, maybe this time, Jongin could start with creating an interesting character and then creating a world for that character to live in. He could draw bishounen this time, pretty faced male protagonists. Unfortunately, he has not brought any sketchbooks with him and so he cannot draw the boy. It is a bit frustrating, really, when he thinks that his inspiration is flowing back right now.

With a sigh, he places the cup close to his lips, blowing softly, before he takes a cautious sip. His eyes widen. It tastes a lot better than it sounds and a whole lot better than he has expected. Who knew that walnut and caramel and coffee would taste good together? He can’t really describe it, since he expresses himself with pictures, not with words, but even if he was a writer, all he could think of would probably be perfect. It is not really sweet, but the usual bitterness of coffee is pushed back by the taste of caramel and walnut, and the cream on top of it is so, so light. Jongin does not feel too full afterwards, and he certainly does not feel drowsy anymore.

When he walks up to the counter to return the cup and pay for his drink, the barista grins at him, as if saying see? I told you. Jongin chuckles.

"Thanks, I enjoyed it," Jongin says, and although it is uncommon here, in his home country, he insists on the other keeping the change. Even if he was charged double the amount, Jongin would still pay the whole price. After all, he just got a taste of heaven.

When he leaves the coffee shop and looks back, reading the shop's name again, his lips curl into a small smile. Oh’s Heaven. The name fits, he thinks.

Jongin is back at his apartment. On the way back he has bought some fried chicken with hot sauce, a reward for his returned inspiration. Other people might think that it is weird, but Jongin can practically feel it. Inspiration is like a mood to him, and when he is not in the right mood, he cannot create anything. To him, inspiration is the prickling feeling in his fingertips, like an itch, that forces him to draw, and it is also this strange feeling in his stomach, the excitement that is not much different from falling in love.

Maybe Jongin is in love. He is in love with his job again and that is the most incredible feeling, enabling him to do great things. Well, at least he feels like nothing is impossible now. And so he eats as fast as possible, cursing himself for ordering the whole chicken instead of asking for the chicken to be fully prepared with the bones taken out. It prolongs his whole meal, and Jongin, not one to waste any food, is determined to eat up before starting any work.

The bowl of rice he has warmed up in the microwave is gulped down in record speed, along with the salad he has gotten with his order of chicken. Jongin surely is no gourmet; he does not have the time to eat slowly, enjoy and appreciate each bite, and luckily, washing the dishes is not much of a chore when there is just one bowl, a pair of chopsticks and a spoon to wash, and soon enough Jongin is sitting at his desk, a sketchbook opened and a pencil in his hand. He grins, already anticipating the next few hours of concentrated work that will follow.

He sets down the pencil, loving the quiet sound of graphite scratching against paper and the sight of steady lines filling the pages and creating scenes, or, in this case, faces and identities.

Jongin spends two hours sketching. One paper after the other is laid aside as he finishes sketch after sketch, character study after character study. Next to the characters he has created, there are small notes that point out what is so special about that character, or what Jongin could add in the future. Random notes that help him with finalizing a character design.

When Jongin sits back for a breather, he puts down his pencil as well, stretching his limbs. It is not good to sit at one place for a long time, and whenever he remembers, he gets up and shakes his legs, trying to boost his blood circulation. It is rare though, especially when Jongin is in the mood to draw. The fact that he has stopped after merely two hours is proof that Jongin is not really in high spirits yet. He might have just tried to convince himself of that. And when he looks through his drawings, he can only sigh.

He has drawn only male characters, and all of them look quite similar to each other. Tall stature, rather thin, a face with perfect V-line and pretty, thin lips, eyes a bit small and almost disappearing in the few sketches of that character laughing. He's wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans, and on top of that, an apron of simple cut.

Jongin wants to facepalm. All he has drawn is the barista from the café, because the notes next to his sketches are not much helpful either. Has pretty eye smile, pretty hands, is good at making coffee, soft spoken and maybe a bit shy (?). It is really not helpful. He cannot create a story with five characters that are basically the same. Unless he makes the character bipolar or with a split personality; but he does not feel like doing that. Or a story of twins or triplets…?

Maybe he needs a break to clear his head. And so Jongin goes to take a shower first, then settles down next to his window to watch the changing lights outside. There are still quite a few people walking to and fro, clubbers and party goers taking shortcuts through the smaller streets to head to their destination. A few drunkards, a few giggly college students, a couple. He watches them without thinking much. The thinking will follow later, when he is back at his desk to work on a manuscript. For now, he needs to relax and ease his mind to hopefully be more productive later.

It does not help. Despite believing that he has found his motivation to start a new project, Jongin cannot grasp the plot. It is frustrating, because the plot is right there in front of him, but whenever he tries to catch it, it is as if it escapes through the gaps between his fingers.

Jongin has never been unproductive for this long and it is worrisome. He has texted Chanyeol earlier this morning, apologizing for yesterday's absence. Chanyeol has called him back immediately, and this time, Jongin knows he cannot avoid talking to the other. And so they talk and discuss and Jongin confesses that he has been hiding yesterday, in a pretty café not too far from his studio, and that he has actually worked on some sketches. He has a character and he is trying to build a plot around that character. Jongin confesses, too, that while he has been in high spirits the day before, when he was sitting in that café, his muse has left him when he got home. And so Chanyeol's suggestion was to go back to that café. Maybe he will find a hint on how to create his story there?

Jongin is thinking about it for a while, wondering if it is worth the half hour long walk to and back when he can use that one hour in the studio and work here. But then again, maybe it is his environment that is somehow influencing his creative process in a bad way this time, and so he decides to go to the café, Oh's heaven. And this time he comes prepared.

Jongin is sitting in a corner today. From here he has the best overview of the whole café. He does not need to turn his head around much to watch the people walking around outside, or the counter where Sehun is currently making another drink, humming to himself. The artist has chosen his own drink today, going for cappuccino, and he wonders if the barista can make the drink taste any better than at other places. It is a very basic coffee drink after all, not leaving much room to be experimental.

Soon enough, Jongin stops watching people, stops watching the coffee shop employee, and starts drawing instead. The pencil flies over the page and Jongin is creating a location this time. It is a coffee shop, a bit different from the one he is sitting in, but he tries to keep the same cozy feeling, adding a few minor details here and there to make it look more special.

"Here is your order, Sir."

Jongin startles at the suddenness, not having heard the other approaching. It makes him feel sheepish, a bit dumb even, but the barista does not even bat his eyelashes. He simply sets the cup on the table, a little cookie placed neatly on the saucer underneath. Jongin grins like a kid being rewarded with candy and dips the cookie into his drink. The cappuccino is okay, he thinks, but when he takes a sip at it later, he is a bit surprised. It tastes a lot better without the cookie, maybe he shouldn't have dipped it inside. There is an underlying aroma Jongin cannot quite name, but it harmonizes well with the taste of coffee and milk. Is it caramel and walnut again?

As he takes small sips of the drink, Jongin watches the barista moving around, cleaning here and there, and moving chairs just the slightest so they are standing at a perfect angle to the tables. It is a bit ridiculous, but he supposes there is not much one can do when there are not many customers around. There should be more customers though, because the drinks are really nice, and so is the place overall.

Jongin takes the pencil and starts drawing again, another sketch of the location, this time from another perspective. After all, if he is going to draw a barista it is unlikely that that barista would work in different locations, unless he changes his workplace. And Jongin does not plan to let his barista change his job often.

It is a lot of fun and Jongin gets far too enthusiastic about details, in his mind already painting the colored version. The coffee shop in his manhwa will be kept in soft beige and sand colors with splashes of white and brown in between. That is the color he associates with coffee and thus his café would look like that, too. As Jongin draws, he thinks that he could have become an interior designer as well, chuckling at that thought. Would his parents have liked that more?

An hour passes. Jongin continues drawing and sketching. He looks up to observe the barista from time to time, sketching out what he can see. There is a sketch of the barista bent over the table to wipe over the whole surface, another sketch of the barista working on one of the machines at the back. Another one with the barista handing over a drink to a customer. Jongin orders another cappuccino, along with a sandwich to still his hunger, and when the barista balances drink and food on a tray over to him, Jongin draws that, too.

As he bites into his sandwich, Jongin thinks about all the sketches he has made today. He really likes the idea of drawing the soft spoken barista with that calming smile, but he needs a story, a plot as well. A collection of drawings does not sell well, unless it is an artbook to a popular series. Jongin could have made an artbook as well, but he does not feel like drawing old characters over and over again. He has done so on fan meetings and there have been enough requests to draw the protagonists of his debut work as well as his two series.

Maybe it is because it has been such a long time since he last had to start a story from scratch that is making it difficult for him to create a new story now? Jongin shakes his head. No more thinking about his situation. He still needs to come up with a good plot and that will only come when he thinks about details.

He starts with his sole protagonist, his barista. The barista is quite young, a college student probably. So what is the reason for him to work when workload at school makes a part-time job almost impossible? Is it because he is studying something his parents are opposing, and thus have given him an ultimatum to either get kicked out or follow as they wish? The boy could have decided to chase his dreams, and so he left before he could have been kicked out. He ends up meeting kind people, maybe the coffee shop owners, who let him stay with them if he works on the weekends.

No. Jongin shakes his head. It is too close to his debut work. He cannot draw almost the same story with slightly different characters two times in a row. His fans are asking for a new work, not a remake of 3,6,5. He sighs deeply.

Okay. Second plot idea. So what if he is only a barista by day, but in the night is when he has his really lucrative job? He could be working as an escort, pretending to be a boyfriend or fiancé in high society circles. No, wouldn’t it be better if he was someone’s personal escort?

Wait. An escort or a boy with a sugar mommy wouldn’t even need to work as a barista. The night job would pay enough for a living, not to mention some extra luxury as well. His protagonist wouldn’t be a barista anymore, and that is opposed to his original plans so Jongin sets that idea aside as well, not to mention that such a story line might not be suitable for his fans, who are mainly teenagers and clearly too young for that.

So maybe if he is not an escort at night, he could be something else easily as secretive. A superhero maybe? Jongin thinks about it for half a minute and shakes his head. He can’t do that. There are too many manhwas and mangas with a superhero as protagonist already, and Jongin who is known for writing heartfelt stories of average people with their maybe not too unique lives, cannot simply start creating action manhwas now. It does not even fit his rather detailed drawing style either.

Jongin has scribbled down a few plot ideas, random keywords that could be woven into a story, but he cannot come up with a more detailed plot yet. He has planned to finish a rough draft for the outline today, but apparently, he won't be able to. It is when he works on the sixth or seventh idea that he feels a light tap on his shoulder. Jongin looks up, eyes locking with the barista's pair of hazel ones.

"Yes?" Jongin asks, unsure what the other might want from him.

"Excuse me, Sir," the boy says, voice just as gentle and smooth as Jongin remembers from their few exchanged words so far. "We are closing now."

"Oh." Jongin looks at his wristwatch, blinking when it tells him that it is just a few minutes past eight. Don’t coffee shops close around 10 PM or even later, especially the ones in Seoul?

The artist does not protest though. He nods and packs up all his stuff before walking over to the counter to pay. He slips another 10,000W note onto the counter when the other turns around and then Jongin hurries to leave.

When Jongin is back at his apartment, he goes through the stack of sketches he has made. The sketches of the locations all look quite okay, and Jongin is satisfied with them. His barista, too, looks really nice, and very, very much like the boy who has served him coffee for the last two days. And when he thinks about it, that boy was the only one working in the coffee shop every time he visited so far.

While Jongin does understand that there is no need for a lot of staff working when there is a low to almost non-existent influx of customers, it is still a bit weird to him. That boy has worked alone from the early afternoon until the evening. Do part-timers work that long? Is that a normal thing? Also, on Mondays and Tuesdays? Doesn’t the boy have other obligations like school or lectures at university? How can he be so free? As far as Jongin knows - because Junmyeon has told him so; the cousin and only family who actually supports Jongin's chosen path, teacher at Yonsei University, currently working on his PhD, but giving classes in literature as well - college students are not on vacation yet. And is it not strange to have two consecutive days without any lectures in the evening? From what he has heard of his friends, those who attended college, they were not this free to spend their time with jobbing. They had to focus on attending lectures and study some more, usually working on the weekends only. Is his barista a genius then? Or maybe he is not a college student, although he looks like one. Does that mean the boy might not be a part-timer only but a full staff member instead?

Jongin broods over this question the whole evening instead of sorting his character study and then trying to think of a storyline. He keeps telling himself that developing his barista first will provide him with a storyline later, so the most important thing now is to think of a background story. And the ones he has thought of so far are too ridiculous to provide a good explanation.

It is almost midnight when Jongin's stomach is protesting, forcing him to go out to grab some food. The food stalls that are so typical for Seoul have closed as well, and so Jongin has no other choice but to go for cheap convenience store cup ramyun. At least his stomach is filled now he thinks when he slurps on the noodles.

When he goes to bed that night, Jongin wonders if he should keep his barista as protagonist. He is somehow stuck with this idea, but at the same time he has the feeling that if he is persistent, there will be a great chance to find a perfect story for a new series.

It is early morning. Jongin is barely awake when Chanyeol calls. He has never understood how people could get up early when they went to bed late, because that is what Chanyeol does. As far as he knows, Chanyeol is overly active, not only busy with work, but being busy with running around and personally check if all the authors he is in charge off are doing fine, both mentally and physically. Not to mention that the man always finds enough time to take care of his family and friends as well.

Jongin is not only a work-related person to Chanyeol and vice versa, but they are really good friends, too. And good friends should know if their good friends are morning people or not. Jongin is not and Chanyeol knows.

"Chanyeol, please," Jongin groans, voice deep and laced with sleep. "I just woke up."

"It is about time," Chanyeol tells him. "You did not reply on kakaotalk."

Jongin just hums.

"So, how did that go? Any ideas for your plot? It does not have to be a detailed outline yet, just a few ideas for the main plot." Chanyeol keeps chattering away, talking far too much when he is the one who is supposed to only ask questions and let the other reply in length.

Jongin rubs his nape. "Uh... No results. I couldn't come up with anything." He knows Chanyeol is suppressing a sigh now. He can almost hear it.

"Listen, Jongin," Chanyeol begins and Jongin knows very well what listen, Jongin means. It means that Chanyeol is slowly getting fed up and Jongin understands very well, because he, too, is getting annoyed at himself - or rather at his lack of inspiration and energy to actually get work done. If he would be more focused...

"Hey, are you listening?"

"Of course."

"So, like I said, I do not want to pressure you, because pressure kills art, but you need to think of a story soon. The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be to get back into the magazine. We're discovering more and more promising talents over time and they might push you from your secure place here."

"I know," Jongin replies quietly and sighs. "I'm doing my best."

"I'm just looking out for you, buddy," Chanyeol says. "I do not think you'll have much more time. You should have an outline and the draft to the first three chapters ready by the next serialization meeting. Or the one afterwards even, but that will definitely be your last chance at being considered one of the magazine's authors."

"Right. Thanks for the info. I'll go back to work then," Jongin says and promptly ends the call. He feels a bit unwell now. This kind of pressure and the fear of possibly losing his job make him feel anxious. He did not need Chanyeol to remind him, because he knows. Or maybe it is because he knows but has pushed that thought aside that he needed this reminder. Either way, Jongin is now fully aware of what he has to do, and he has to do it fast.

Jongin takes a cold shower that numbs his mind for a while, but once he steps out of the shower, body dried and clad in comfortable clothes, he feels wide awake and refreshed. He decides then to go to Oh's Heaven - not only for breakfast, but also for some help and inspiration. If Jongin cannot come up with a fictional story, why not keep his plot close to reality then? He can simply ask the barista for his life story, and base his story off that. Hopefully, the other will agree to let Jongin interview him and use it as a foundation for his work.

For an interview Jongin does not need more than something to write notes, but he still gets his sketchbook and a few pencils. If he feels like drawing, he will continue sketching, too.

As Jongin walks there, he starts feeling nervous. What if the other refuses to tell him? Everyone has a right of privacy after all, and even if Jongin changes name and does not mention the ones that inspired him for a particular work, it does not mean they will feel comfortable with it. Also, what if the barista he is searching for is not working today? He does not know the other's working schedules, and Jongin is still assuming that the boy cannot work every day, 24/7. The boy looks too young, younger than him, and too much like a college student to be a full time employee. And who would work full-time in a coffee shop? Young people nowadays are aiming for high positions, for better, for more.

In the end, Jongin’s worries are unfounded. Once he steps inside the café, the barista greets him with a soft smile. Jongin can read how happy the other is to see someone becoming a regular customer. Or at least it seems like that, because Jongin has been coming here three days consecutively. He is not sure if he will visit here often once he starts getting busier, but for now coming here seems like a good thing to do when he is on the hunt for inspiration.

"Good morning," the barista chirps, awfully cheerful, but it makes Jongin smile a bit, too. "What would you like to try today?"

"Anything you can recommend," Jongin replies. The boy thinks for a while.

"A chocolate drink? A simple mocaccino maybe?"

Jongin is not a fan of mixing chocolate into his coffee, but somehow he ends up ordering that. He trusts the barista to some extent. So far, everything has tasted more than good, especially his first drink here, the walnut caramel coffee? The boy has recommended that drink to him and no matter how weird it sounded to Jongin at first, it has tasted heavenly.

Jongin chooses the same table as last time, sitting down and opening his notebook. He should have come prepared with a few questions, he thinks, using his pen to tap on the paper. It is too late now. He'll have to do it spontaneously.

When the boy brings him the drink, Jongin is quick to get up. The barista blinks a few times and Jongin does not quite understand why he has gotten up either, when all he wants is to ask the other for a talk.

"Uhm, hey, can I ask you a few things?"

The boy looks dumbfounded, but he still nods.

"Cool," Jongin says and rubs his hands together. "You should sit down."

The boy stares over at the counter, his look a bit worried. Jongin is sure there is nothing to worry about though. There are not many customers in here, just the group of students in that other corner, each of them focused on their textbooks, and another table occupied by two young ladies, chattering away in soft whispers.

"I'm sure no one will mind," Jongin reassures the other. "When someone walks over to the counter, or when someone enters the shop you will notice. Just sit down here."

Jongin pulls the other chair at the table closer so the barista can sit down next to him, where he has a perfect view on both entrance and the counter. Once the other is settled, Jongin goes straight to business.

"I'm a manhwa artist. I'm sure you noticed me sketching the last few days?"

The boy nods.

"I'm working on a new plot and I'd like to base a new character on you."

There, he said it. Jongin holds his breath for a moment, watching as the other freezes. His eyes are rapidly blinking and Jongin wonders how a real life person can be a perfect offspring of some shoujo manga fantasy.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

The boy nods and Jongin breaks out into a wide grin.

"In that case I'd like to ask a few more questions. For plot development."

The barista nods and Jongin starts to fire one question after the other, and by that, he learns a lot about the other.

His name is Oh Sehun. He is twenty-five years old, same age as Jongin. He has spent almost all his life making coffee and other drinks - non-alcoholic of course, although he has added liquor to some of his coffee creations before. He has been taking care of this shop for a long time already, trying his best to create the best drinks suitable for every mood and taste. He wants to warm people up and elicit a smile, bringing some happiness with a delicious drink, or wake people up and energize them so they are ready to start a hopefully not too tiring day of work or school.

"I think you've reached your goal then," Jongin says. "Your creations are all really good. This, too." He raises the almost empty cup of mocaccino.

"You're praising me too much," Sehun mumbles and Jongin can clearly see the eyes downcast, the lips pressed together to hide a smile and the soft blush that is so obvious against pale skin.

"No, I mean it. Honestly."

They do not talk about Sehun only though. Somehow the interview turns out to be a pleasant conversation with Sehun asking him back and Jongin replying happily. It has been too long since he last mingled with people and so it feels refreshing to talk to a stranger and form a friendship by a random conversation. He is sure that Sehun and he will become good friends, seeing how calm and mature the other is. Most of all, Sehun is a person spreading positivity, and a Jongin with writer's block - drawer's block actually - is a person who needs that positivity.

Jongin has to admit that he was a bit disappointed when Sehun told him he never heard of Kai before, despite reading some manhwa in his free time. The artist almost launches himself into a self-promoting speech, but is stopped in time by a phone call. Only after Sehun urges him to take that call (it is rude to ignore people when you are not busy) and reluctantly, Jongin gets up and packs his stuff. Chanyeol has called him back to the studio.

When Jongin wants to pay, Sehun refuses to take his money, telling him he gave too much money the day before. Sehun does not like to overcharge people. His drinks have always been and will always be affordable for everyone, and just like any other regular restaurant, he will not accept any tips.

Jongin sighs softly, really wanting to give some extra money for the delicious drink, the superb service and the other's willingness to help him. Instead, he promises to come back soon, and with him he will bring a volume or two of his works. Sehun nods and smiles, waving a bit to say goodbye.

Jongin is in a good mood when he hurries home, a little skip in his steps.

Back at his apartment, Chanyeol is already sitting there at his desk. Jongin does not really own a living room. He only has a small bedroom, a huge library filled with Korean manhwa and Japanese manga (of course in the original Japanese editions), his study with his desk and all equipment and materials he needs stocked there. Apart from kitchen, bathroom and a small balcony, there is one room left, which is usually used by his assistants, so there are only three desks in there. When he worked on his last series, he temporarily got two assistants assigned to help him. They usually do all the minor work, like cutting and inking, so Jongin can focus on drawing and plotting. Without the assistants though, his apartment had been eerily quiet the last few months.

"Yeol, you were interrupting my work," Jongin complains the minute he enters his study. Chanyeol is not even grinning like usual. His expression is grave and Jongin has a feeling there might be bad news. Did they decide to cut him off the list of their serialized artists? But if so, there would have to be a serialization meeting first and there wasn't. He knows for sure. They usually take place a month before the next quarter would start. Jongin should still have about a month.

"Jongin, sit down," Chanyeol says, as calm as possible.

Jongin nods and does as told. He sits down right on the spot, as he is used to sit on the floor already. He used to draw while sitting on the ground as well, when he was younger, and he still does it occasionally.

"Not really bad news," Chanyeol starts with a little smile. "But I am still worried. I wanted to check on you in person." Because I do not trust what you tell me over a phone call is left unsaid. Jongin understands though, he would think the same if he was Chanyeol.

"I'm really working on it," Jongin says with sincerity.

"I know, I've looked through your sketchbook. And I think a story about a barista suits your drawing style. We still need a story. And so I came here to brainstorm with you." Chanyeol gives one of these toothy smiles that are supposed to cheer people up. It does help brighten the atmosphere a bit, but Jongin can’t help feeling that it is faked. Is Chanyeol hiding something? It can’t be all good news only.

"If I cannot get something for the next serialization meeting they'll cut ties with me," Jongin says all of a sudden. That is the only conclusion he has. Chanyeol might have told him that he has some more time, but Jongin can feel it. He knows what the heads of the company are thinking about his inability to produce a new series for them.

Chanyeol sighs and nods. "Yeah. And none of us actually wants to lose a talented person like you. But if you cannot provide us with good stuff soon, we will have to make room for a new artist. We cannot let you hog the place. After all, this is a company and like any company we underlie the rules of capitalism, even if it kills creativity."

"No worries," Jongin says, although he is still not sure if he can pull it off. But then he thinks of Sehun and his encouraging words and he finds some strength to believe that this story will be a hit, too. He just needs to give it a chance.

"I'm still interviewing the barista. You interrupted us though, so I did not hear the most interesting part yet."

Chanyeol eyes him warily. "Okay. But did you get permission to base your story and character design on him?"

Jongin grins. "Yeah. He makes a perfect protagonist, does not he?" He feels relief seeing Chanyeol grinning back.

"Sure. Introduce me to him sometime if he's really as cute as you draw him."

Jongin can only scoff. While he has never disapproved of Chanyeol liking men and women equally, he rather not have Chanyeol hit on his newly made friend. Sehun does not seem like the person who would appreciate it. And what about Chanyeol's current boyfriend? Did they break up already? Jongin should be a bit more social and talk more to people he considers his friends. He realizes that he actually has done nothing during his break, except for lazing around, reading manhwa and playing video games all day.

"We'll see," Jongin replies. "So do I get an okay to continue this project?"

Chanyeol nods. He gets up and pats Jongin's shoulder, squeezing a bit as if to comfort him even. "I give you a week to come up with a basic plot and a manuscript for the first three chapters."

"A week?" Jongin furrows his brows.

"More than a week. You have time until next Sunday. Today is only Wednesday."

"Call. I'm sure I have more than that by Sunday."

"If you can manage five chapters I'll treat you to chicken for a week," Chanyeol promises and they are both grinning like idiots. When Chanyeol leaves a bit later, Jongin wishes he would spend more time with other people. It is quite sad to lead such a lonely life, filled with nothing but work and solitude rest when he takes a break. He should go pester Chanyeol more. Or, when Chanyeol is busy, he could go chat with Sehun. Sehun never seems too busy after all.

Jongin has promised to come back soon , and soon is apparently the very next day. It is early in the morning, and despite not being a morning person, he woke up feeling motivated and eager to get things done. And since Sehun conveniently offers a breakfast menu - sandwiches plus a drink of choice - Jongin finds himself going to the coffee shop right after a shower and the needed preparations.

The weather helps, too. It is sunny and warm enough to make Jongin feel more energized. He is almost as giddy as Chanyeol's beagle, a quite hyperactive, but sweet puppy. The newest addition to Chanyeol's family, as the other would say. Jongin just grins at that thought. He likes animals, but unfortunately, he does not have the time to take care of a pet.

"You seem to be in a good mood," Sehun says as he brings Jongin his morning coffee - not too sweet, simply perfect - and a sandwich. Jongin is a bit sad that Sehun does not sit down to have breakfast with him right away, but he understands that a coffee shop owner cannot treat one customer better than all the others. There are actually people in the coffee shop, Jongin notices, and maybe it is because he has not been here early in the mornings to witness. It seems that there is quite a number of high school girls coming here to get their morning coffee. Sehun serves them all with a smile and he chats with them, too. Quite flirty, Jongin thinks. So why are not there more customers in the afternoon? Sehun seems like the type of person to not only attract attention, but also a person who easily earns affection. Whoever talks to Sehun will get attached to the good looking and friendly barista.

Jongin watches and sketches the scenery - Sehun handing his customer a cup of coffee. Sehun preparing coffee. Sehun blushing and hiding his face at something one of the high school girls has said. Sehun waving at them…

Sehun really makes good material for the cheesiest type of romance manhwa, Jongin thinks and chuckles.

It is about an hour later that Sehun is free. Well, actually he could have come over earlier, but instead of joining the artist, Sehun has wiped over the counter and tidied up the counter. He seems to be some kind of cleaning freak, and Jongin notes that down, too. By now he has sorted his character file for Sehun on his laptop, although he still needs to fill the biography section. A few of his sketches are on his laptop, too, and he has named them after the various expressions and motions of the character on that sketch. For reference, if he needs it later.

Before he starts the interview though, Jongin gives Sehun a volume of his debut work. It might have been a bad idea, he realizes a few minutes later, when Sehun is immersed in his work. Sehun is reading, without paying attention to the world around him, and Jongin is actually fascinated. He likes people who can get absorbed into another world, people with enough empathy to feel, even with fictional characters. Jongin watches, and he likes the way Sehun's eyes widen, the way Sehun's lips part in wonder. He might use that expression later in his drawings, too; his protagonist is Sehun after all. And so Jongin does not complain about the lack of character information he gets today. The visuals he is getting instead is of good use, too, so Jongin is thankful to see the variety of emotions on Sehun's face. At some point, Sehun blinks even, as if trying to suppress tears. Jongin feels proud for being an artist who can appeal to people's emotions, but at the same time he feels bad for saddening Sehun. Sehun smiling is his favorite look on the other.

Watching him, Jongin thinks he likes Sehun just a little bit more now. Sehun understands his story, and that makes Jongin quite happy. It is his debut work after all, his drawings and the way he conveys his message not half as refined as his technique now and to still be able to draw such reactions is almost a miracle.

Sehun keeps reading and Jongin keeps observing and sketching. It is silent, except for the soft piano tunes playing from the speakers. The silence is then disturbed by the sound of bells. Jongin looks up immediately, watching a customer approaching the counter. He looks at Sehun and chuckles, grinning as Sehun is still immersed in reading. He nudges Sehun with his foot and almost laughs out loud. Sehun's startled and confused expression is endearing, but there is not much time to dwell on that. He points to the counter and Sehun scrambles up on his feet to walk over there and tend to the customer.

Jongin watches Sehun's expression turning sheepish, and it looks like Sehun is apologizing profusely for being late half a minute. It is cute, he thinks, and sketches that, too.

Jongin spends the rest of the day sketching Sehun in his natural habitat and spending quite some amount of money on drinks and food here. He does not regret it the slightest bit, even with his deadline drawing close.

The next day Jongin is back at Oh's Heaven, coming early in the morning to watch Sehun being a busy bee. He orders two sandwiches for breakfast even, waiting until the flow of customers dies down, until everyone is sated. There won't be many coming after the group of high school girls, and when his prediction is right, Jongin cannot help but grin proudly. He has always been good at observing. It is an ability he needs to make his works as realistic as possible. He wants his characters to be authentic and the character he is working on now, he believes, will be the most authentic one Jongin has ever created.

Sehun sits down opposite of him, and as Sehun eats the sandwich - not after trying to decline; after all, you bought it so you should eat it, you don’t need to buy me one - Jongin fills Sehun in with details of his works.

Jongin wants to create a story around a barista like Sehun, and now he just needs the background story. He wants to know what has made Sehun choose this path, instead of going to college. Things like that. Only if Sehun agrees to, of course. After all, Jongin does not want to pry too much, and he will understand if there are private matters and thoughts Sehun does not want to reveal. If there are questions that make Sehun feel uncomfortable, he is free to skip them.

Sehun nods, smiling widely, and Jongin thinks this is the first time he has seen a living person being exactly like a stereotype manhwa prince. He can almost see flower petals flying around Sehun’s face and sparkles, too. It is almost too much to bear, and he has to look away, unable to keep eye contact. He stares at his empty notebook, scolding himself for not preparing any questions today either.

In the end it does not matter. Even without preparation, Jongin can come up with enough questions for the conversation to flow, disrupted only by a few customers requiring Sehun's barista skills.

Sehun's story, Jongin learns, is none too happy. His grand-parents have opened this café decades ago. It has always been a family business, and so of course the coffee shop would be passed down to Sehun one day. Only, he has become the only worker here far sooner than expected. Sehun's parents passed away in a traffic accident. A car crashed into them, the driver drunk as the police later investigated. With the money Sehun got from the insurance as well as the compensation money he got from the other party, he had held the funeral.

Sehun had been only sixteen at that time, almost seventeen, and when he had to decide between keeping their store or education, he had gladly chosen the shop. After all, he has always known he would become a barista and coffee shop owner in the future. Giving the family's treasure into other people's hands had never been an option to Sehun, who wanted to pay tribute to both his parents and his grandmother, who had passed away two years prior. As for his grandfather, the man was still living, but too old and weak to work, which was the main reason why Sehun had to drop out of school to take over the otherwise unoccupied shop.

"Why did not you hire staff? You could be the manager and get other people to work for you," Jongin points out. Sehun just smiles.

"My grandfather is old and sick. I need to save as much money as possible. This building belongs to us, so I do not have to pay rent, but I need to pay for grandpa's medicaments and daycare, so I cannot afford education and hiring people. It is a lot more money saving if I use my own labor force."

Jongin nods. Okay, that sounds plausible.

"But is not it sad that you cannot pursuit an academic career like other people? Is not education what people seek for nowadays? You could always go to college, graduate, get a high paying job and get the shop back."

Sehun is still smiling, although he is shaking his head.

"It is not the same if someone else owns the shop in between. They might have changed the concepts, or rebuilt the café into a restaurant. I don’t want that. My grandparents and parents wouldn’t have liked it either."

Jongin looks around. He is not sure if he can believe Sehun when he insists on nostalgia, tradition and those kinds of values. All Jongin sees is a very modern coffee shop with an exquisite interior that is proof of a good taste and an eye for aesthetics. The homey feeling surely does not come from tradition only.

"You do not gain much profit here," Jongin remarks. He turns back to observe Sehun's face for a change of expression. After all, what he is saying sounds quite rude and too inquiring. "If this is an old coffee shop with tradition, wouldn't there be more people around?"

"Sadly that is not true," Sehun sighs. "It’s getting hard to operate this shop, and maybe you are right. Maybe I should have sold this shop. It is hard to survive between all the Starbucks, Cafe Benes and Tom’n Toms Coffee, but I'm trying to keep this alive for as long as possible. I do not want my parents' and my grand-parents' work to go down the drain."

"Maybe you need a change in concept," Jongin suggests.

"I like how it is now," Sehun replies calmly. "I have redecorated the interior a bit, but I don’t want to change too much. After all, this is still Oh's Heaven, and for those who have known this place for some time, I want to keep it like that. Tradition matters in a world where people forget their roots."

And Jongin can only listen and nod dumbly. He is not quite sure what to think of such a position yet, when all he believes in are personal freedom, individuality and the struggle for bigger and better and development.

Jongin is sitting at his desk the next day. There is a lot of thinking he has to do - without Sehun's presence, because the barista somehow irritates him. Sehun is just too... old-fashioned? Conservative? It does not match well with Jongin's rather liberalist ideas, and so he concludes that for the rest of the story, he will just use his own imagination. After all, no one said he had to retell Sehun's life, right? Sehun is just his muse, his source of inspiration, and Jongin will just take the bits that he needs to create a new bestseller.

"You have a protagonist now," Chanyeol says, and despite the static of the phone, Jongin can still make out the disappointment in the other's voice. He feels bad, really, because Chanyeol has been a friend to him, helped him with his career, yet Jongin cannot pay him back with working on a new project, which is what Chanyeol needs now to prove his worthiness as editor to hopefully boost his career and become chief editor later.

"Well, a protagonist alone is not enough for a story," Chanyeol says after clearing his throat. "You could do that, but it is a lot more difficult to keep people interested. We need at least a love interest or a best friend. Preferably both."

Jongin pinches the bridge of his nose. "I know. I was planning to give him a best friend or lover of some sorts."

Chanyeol hums. "What about the plot? You should choose a secondary character who fits the plot. What's the use of having another protagonist who rarely pops up?"

"I know," Jongin retorts and sighs. He doesn’t want to continue talking. He would rather think on his own right now.

Luckily, Chanyeol seems to get the hint. He tells Jongin to keep working on ideas; he will check on his star manhwa artist sometime later. Jongin ends the call with a relieved thank you, but at the same time he is anxious. How is he supposed to come up with a plot when his head feels so empty? In those cases, Chanyeol as his editor would be a great support, giving ideas to spark his creativity. At least that is how it is for other artists, his colleagues have told Jongin during brief meetings at the annual summer party or the new year's party. Those gatherings are not mandatory but those who plan to stay in the company, for them it is a great chance to exchange ideas and check out the rivals.

Jongin stares at his notes.

young barista. works alone. believes in family and tradition.

He ruffles his hair, almost pulling at the locks out of sheer frustration. He cannot come up with a plot because he does not understand Sehun. How can the boy be limited and bound by the limitations set on him by his family? How can he not pursuit his own dreams, choosing to believe in every word said to him, choosing to obey without another thought?

Bust just as irritated as Jongin is with Sehun and his life story, at the same time he is upset with Sehun's environment, the people that have pushed him into a direction, leaving him no other option. He has been raised to become a coffee shop owner, and now he is stuck there, because the shop opens seven days a week. Vacations are rare, he remembers Sehun telling him, just as it is everywhere in Korea. Shops need to open all around the year, using every day to gain just a bit more profit to pay the rent, and so Sehun has never gotten a chance to do anything unrelated to his shop in his many years of operating this place.

Sehun is like a caged bird, Jongin thinks, and he wishes he could do anything to free the other. He wants Sehun to see and experience life, and most of all, he wants Sehun to decide for himself. Jongin can almost hear Sehun's gleeful laughter on the first day of freedom.