When yuta said it wouldn't be that difficult to stumble upon his unwanted neighbour again and to get to know for his name, the poor male didn't imagined that it wouldn't be a piece of cake either, as it's almost the end of the week and yuta still haven't got to interact with hoshi aka 'that guy' till now.
whenever they saw each other in the residence lobby or in elevator or in parking lot etc either they simply ignore each other which became quite obvious.
Or they are in such a rush that if by mistake they make eye contact all they do is to bow their head slightly with a short formal smile and went on.
Yuta is feeling lucky for things to work like that but again he get reminded by kun once in a while of what he had said to him on call through his random text to yuta asking whether he got to know the name or not making the Japanese frustrated.
In hoshi's case he clearly don't put too much thought into anything his thoughts are clear if yuta is ignoring him, which is obvious.
He don't mind as he understand it's tough to open for some people to strangers as hoshi was like that too in the beginning but all thanks to his friends he was able to overcome his extreme level of awkwardness in social settings.
so he clearly don't seems to mind the Japanese's action at all and he also try to ingnore yuta as much as possible to make thing easier for the male but he isn't not sure whether it's good or not.
His thoughts are straight he'll ignore the Japanese as long as the Japanese want and if one day by any chance he came to interact with him he would talk to him like he do to all the other people, it's as simple as that for hoshi.
"Why are you here?" Hoshi saw taeyong looking at him with a questionable look, as the male has visited taeyong's cafe, surprising the older male at his sudden appearance.
"Its my day off so I thought why not make my day productive with trying something new out of my comfort zone; that's why I am here to do some work and to learn how you made such different kind of coffees" Hoshi said before placing down his bag at the same place as of taeyong's before grabbing an apron from the nearby drawer of the cash counter.
"You could have simply said that you are here to help" taeyong said helping hoshi in tying the apron and hoshi smiled foolishly.
"I thought you wouldn't like it if I said that" Hoshi said turning back to see taeyong.
"If someone else have said that, definitely I wouldn't liked at all, but I know you are here because you genuinely want to help out of your own will, not because you feel like you need to do show me sympathy and feel like I won't be able to handle it by myself"
Taeyong said and hoshi hummed feeling happy that taeyong got him with him trying to explain, as he know the older male is full of self respect and absolutely hate it when someone try to show his sympathy especially fake ones.
That's why he keep his issues to himself first because he hate bothering someone else with his problem and second because he don't like being looked up as a poor, helpless guy.
"Customers will start showing up after a few minutes, especially teens and working people who got their school, colleges and office, the cafe will be crowded in no minutes so if you feel uneasy let me know" taeyong told hoshi as he know how hoshi became uneasy at the place full of stranger.
"I am here to work, so don't worry" Hoshi reassured and taeyong clasped his hands.
"Alright then, let's begin" taeyong said and start preparing few drinks and coffee which people mostly buy beforehand, also teaching hoshi how to operate coffee machine and other electrical appliances and hoshi being a fast learner, followed taeyong's step and as taeyong had predicted customers start showing up after 10 or 15 minutes.
And that's how taeyong, hoshi and other two staff members day went with each of them being too busy to sweat a tear and hoshi who was a bit unsure in the beginning now find this job fun and realised how tough it is so run a cafe indeed, gaining more respect for taeyong and other who do this hectic job everyday.
[]
"I am tired" Hoshi said having no energy left in him now earning a soft chuckle from taeyong, who was waiting for the bus at his usual spot, with hoshi leaning on him a little.
"Now I am feeling bad to let you work with me till now, I shouldn't had accepted your request of staying there to work up till night" taeyong said.
"Nah! It was fun actually, seeing so many customers with different attitude and choices, it was fun but now I know it's not easy to handle them all, hats off to you and others" Hoshi said taeyong laugh and in meantime the bus came and they both head back to their respective home.
"I gotta buy few things from the shop, wanna come along?" taeyong asked to hoshi pointing toward the convenient store nearby.
"Only if you buy me snacks and ice-cream" Hoshi demanded and taeyong agreed.
"I gotta buy some things for the restaurant too, it's in the different section so I am going there if you want you can tag along or can buy whatever you want from here, what say?"
Taeyong asked hoshi after they were finished buy grocery for Taeyong's house and were currently roaming around the food section, hearing Taeyong hoshi decided to stay here and buy snacks letting Taeyong go and shop alone.
Putting down a good quantity of packet of snacks inside his trolly hoshi moved towards the ice-cream section checking out for the availability of his favourite flavours, being too immersed in it hoshi didn't saw yuta entering the same food section as him.
standing at a favourable distance buying things for himself when his eyes fall on the korean male who was checking through different ice-cream flavors displayed in front of him and was too occupied to even caring about the World around him.
Yuta wasn't sure whether he should continue shopping here or should go to buy something else to avoid hoshi his mind was telling him to follow the second option but his gut feeling was telling him to remain there as to how long is he going to act like this?
They live in same residency, meant to meet here and there so why running away everytime.
Listening to his gut feelings yuta took a deep breath and continued with his shopping turning his back on hoshi who after a long minute of struggle was finally done with his actual moto of being there.
Feeling satisfied with the snacks he had bought for himself and for Taeyong too ofcourse, he looked up and roam his eyes around the place in search if he want anything else to buy.
That's when his eyes fall on yuta who was moving to the different section of the store, feeling surprised hoshi first wanted to follow yuta as his intrusive thoughts got the best of him for a second but then realised it would made him look like a creep.
Dismissing the idea of it hoshi shrugged his thoughts off and decided to go to the cash counter first to pay for his bill so that he can eat all this food he have bought and wait for Taeyong.
Going to the bill counter hoshi saw Taeyong was standing last in the line, quickly following the older male hoshi showed Taeyong what he brought with childlike happiness while chit chatting with him about random things.
After couple of minutes after the bill got paid hoshi turned around without noticing the presence of a small girl who was standing too close to his leg perhaps trying to peek through his tall figure to the cash counter while holding her ice-cream which was now all over the floor also leaving some stain on the dress too.
"Oh shi- sorry! Are you ok?" Hoshi stopped himself from cursing midway seeing that it is a little girl, whose ice-cream fall down from her hand because of hoshi causing everyone to stop and stare at him with a disappointed look on.
Including Taeyong who rubbed his forehead in disappointment. Wondering how come hoshi be this clumsy but then he realised who his friend is so of course that's really normal for hoshi to find himself in such situations.
"I am sorry, are you ok?"Hoshi quickly bend down giving his grocery bag to Taeyong, sitting on his knees checking on the girl who was sobbing quietly, trying to wipe her tears away from her two little hands making hoshi feel terrible of himself.
"Its ok, don't worry" Hoshi looked up to see a male approached from behind, carrying a small boy in his arms and the little girl run toward him clinging into his leg and hoshi stood up looking at them with an apologetic look on.
"Dad m-my i-cream" the girl said between her sobs looking at her father with teary eyes, his dad pouted, patting her head.
"Don't worry, we will buy a new one ok" her father said in a soft tone and she lighted up.
"I am sorry, I really didn't saw your daughter out there" Hoshi bowed apologetically and the father of two adorable trots smiled at him genuinely.
"It's alright, I see you didn't did that intentionally, accident happens" the male assured hoshi making him look back to the little girl who was looking at him with a pout, making hoshi coo.
"If you don't mind then can I buy her a ice-cream?" Hoshi asked the male politely and the male agreed, and hoshi smiled widely before moving toward the little girl, again kneeling down, placing hands on his ears asking for apology with the most babiest look on.
The little girl smiled getting little shy seeing hoshi looking at her like that and back to look at her dad with a cute shy smile making her father, hoshi, Taeyong and everyone who were witnessing the scene unfold laugh softly at the Little girl's adorableness.
"What's your name?" Hoshi asked cutely making the girl look back at him.
"Arin" Arin replied in a really soft tone and hoshi smiled.
"I am hoshi" Hoshi introduced himself pulling his hand out for a handshake the girl first looked at his face then at his hand before making a handshake.
"Can I buy you an ice-cream Arin ssi?" Hoshi asked in the most possible baby tone and the girl nodded quickly exicted to get ice-cream, hoshi looked up Arin's Father for permission who nodded a bit and hoshi stood up offering his index finger to Arin to hold and the girl quickly accepted it.
Making there way to the ice-cream counter, hoshi carried Arin in his arms so that the girl can choose the ice-cream she wants to have while Taeyong trolling behind them carrying extra stuff because of hoshi.
After buying Arin two of her favourite ice-creams, hoshi bought a candy for her brother too who was sleeping peacefully in his father's arms.
"Once again I am extremely sorry" Hoshi apologised to the kids father for the last time, with Arin keep holding hoshi's hand.
"No worries and thankyou for this" the male said pointing towards their bill hoshi has paid, even after the male tried to stop him but hoshi being hoshi didn't listen and paid their bills.
"Arin let's go" Arin looked up at her father who was offering her his hand, Arin quickly took her father's hand and waved at hoshi with a cute smile on.
"Bye-bye uncle sho, bye uncle tae" Arin said making her father and taeyong laugh loudly and hoshi turned red in embrassment at the nick name given to him but smiled back anyhow at the adorable baby before she made her way out of the store with her dad and brother.
"What a cute baby she is."
Hoshi said smiling to which Taeyong nodded in agreement and they both made their way out of the Store didn't noticed a particular male staring at their side from afar with a soft unintentional smile....that's yuta.
who witnessed the entire scenario unfolding by mixing up in the crowd to make sure hoshi or Taeyong don't caught his sight.
And he can't help feel happy by the fact that there are still people like hoshi exist who have humanity left in them and he slowly begin to accept the fact that the Korean male is probably build that way
And don't fake being helpful like Yuta had presumed, he is clearly in a win-win situation here as first he got to witness such wholesomeness between a kid and a fully grown up man.
And second, he came to learn hoshi's name without even have to try so yuta is clearly at win-win situation here.
"Guess I don't have to try doing anything else in order to know the name. Finally now I can shut qian up from annoying me" yuta said to himself feeling Happy to being able to get away with such an stupid bet he had made with kun a week ago and now he can go back to avoid hoshi peacefully.
Firstly, I want to thank all those people who are giving this book a chance and taking out some of their precious time to read my work thankyou so much guys, because each and every view matters a lot to me thankyou!
And I hope you all are doing good and are at good place in your life, take care of yourself!
To be continued....