HEMP ROPE

38 Coffee Day.

 

At 5:00 p.m., students gathered at the Faculty of Business's multi-purpose area to read books. The closer it got to the examination, the more targeted the students became.

 

"I don't get it." Someone scratched their head, looking at the tutor. The tutor massaged his temple and redid the explanation.

 

Line!

Winnie the Pool: I'll be late, so you go ahead and go home.

\(=___=)/: Oh? Have you eaten?

Winnie the Pool: I'll look for something. Damn these bastards for studying at the last minute.

\(=___=)/: Who asked you to be smart hahaha

Winnie the Pool: Damn!

\(=___=)/: Go teach them, I'm going to the club.

Team laughed before pocketing his cellphone. Too bad, he was going to ask Win to eat at the newly opened BBQ restaurant in their dorm's area.

 

"Team, are you going home?"

 

"You guys go ahead. I'll stop by the club." 

 

He shooed his friends and decisively walked the other way from the club. Coffee wasn't Team's thing as much as alcohol. He'd always opted for Red Bull if he needed an energy drink at night. Yes, he preferred sweets more than bitter. Yet today he braved his fear.

 

"Hello, what would you like today?" A barista in a green apron smiled, making Team incoherent.

 

"Iced coffee, please."

 

"Which one would you like? Americano, espresso, cappuccino or latte? We also have cold brew and flat white now."

 

Team clutched his temple. What the hell was that all about? Coffee is coffee; why make it difficult? But among those names, he remembered one of them.

 

"Cappuccino then." Team grinned. Cappuccino was the faculty girls' favourite. He could just order this mindlessly like he ordered Pad Kaprao with fried egg."

"Yes. And what size would you like? Tall, grande, ven-" The barista stopped himself once his customer's face turned dumbstruck; he reworded. "Small, medium, or big size?"

 

Team heaved a big sigh. "Big."

"Ok. Cappuccino venti, your name, please."

 

Team was lost for a moment. Why ask a name? He was just getting coffee. "Team."

 

"Yes, Khun Team, please wait for your coffee over there..."

 

"Wait, I want one of those." Team pointed in the bakery display case. "That ham cheese sandwich."

 

"Oh, one Croque Monsieur. Would you like it heated up?" Argggg, what the hell is croc croc!? Team just nodded along to whatever was offered. He quickly paid and waited at the counter's corner, sweating as he'd just been through scary shit. He wondered how Pharm and Manow ordered this alien language thing.

 

It wasn't long before Team held a coffee and a sandwich in his hands. He tried a sip of coffee and made a face once tasting only coffee and milk.

 

"Fuck, is this good?" Being the sweet tooth himself, he walked to the seasoning shelf to put sugar in the coffee in the sure hope that it'd be much better. He froze when he caught his name on the cup. What the hell was his name doing on the cup?

 

Exasperated, he asked the barista for a marker to change his name to Win.' He noticed other customers' cups were also adorned with a drawn pattern.

 

What should I do? ... Since I started this, I should go all the way. Draw something cute, just like the café did. Then he added elaborate drawings to the cup.

 

Almost six o'clock in the afternoon, the students preparing to take the exam had their first break after two hours of tutoring. The supplies unit walked in, holding bags from convenience stores and boxes of food.

 

"Here, take what you ordered." Food was distributed to the hungry, much like zombie hordes swarming him.

 

One of the blond tutors massaged his temple. He'd die for a coffee right now, wishing he could just go back to his room and sleep as Dean ran away with Pharm.

 

"Here, this is yours."

 

Win stilled, puzzled at the brown paper bag with the mermaid logo.

 

"I didn't order this."

 

"Yup, you ordered seafood fried rice. But someone got this specially for you." The supply unit pushed the bag in front of Win.

 

"Who?" Dark eyebrows furrowed. How could he eat from someone he didn't know?

 

"No idea. It was passed along; just eat it."

 

Win ruffled his hair, messing it up. Finally, his hunger compelled him to check it out.

 

"Coffee and a sandwich." He looked at it before picking up a cup of coffee, studying the cup.

 

"Oh, you don't drink coffee with milk." One of his friends said.

 

“I could drink for you. Lucky me."

 

"What about the sandwich? Or do you want rice? I can have that sandwich instead."

Someone tried to reach for them but yelped as their hand smacked red.

 

"Eat your fried rice." Win pushed a box of fried rice towards his friend. He'd eat the ones from the mystery giver.

 

The fatigue on his face eased. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth; his slender fingers followed the strokes, stopping to trace the written text lightly.

 

Win

🙂

❤️

 

Did the little bastard think he wouldn't remember his handwriting?

 

8 p.m. at the swimming club.

 

The club members all went home. Team was the last person closing his locker before leaving. He hummed as the swimming practice got rid of his boredom., Now, he was in a good mood.

 

"What should I eat?"

Bam!!

 

A locker slammed with a body pressed close to it—a hot kiss closing in on him.

"Mhm," Team muttered, hands pushing the assaulter off. "Ai ngh! Stop, ugh."

 

The bite, the peck and repeating kisses peppering Team, making his lips swollen. Win backed off the slightest to waggle his brows, still locking Team's arms and legs, preventing a counterattack. He couldn't imagine what would happen if he got knocked the living daylights out of him. "Next time, you can bring it to me yourself."

 

"Bring what?" Team snarled, face burning up.

"Coffee and a sandwich"

 

Team pretended to look away. "I don't know what you're talking about. I've been in the club."

 

Win turned a deaf ear to that and mumbled. "Geez, the sugar didn't dissolve. I almost choked on it."

 

"Hey, I stirred it. Why didn't it dissolve? Oops, fuck." He slapped his mouth shut, but it was too late.

 

Win's glistening eyes clearly indicated he stored that information. He chuckled in a way Team found so annoying; he wanted to shake Win until his hair fell off.

 

"Thank you."

Team remained silent.

 

"I'll take you for BBQ pork."

 

This time Team turned around and asked, "How did you know?" Win shrugged, pulling away slightly and wrapping his arms around the other's shoulders, obliging Team to walk alongside him.

 

"What don't I know about you?"

 

Team made a face, almost retorting. But there was something he needed to answer.

 

"So...what kind of coffee do you like?"

 

"Iced Americano, no sugar."

 

"Oh, okay...hey, I'm not buying for you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's go, I'm really hungry."

 

"That sandwich wasn't enough?"

"It was so small, it wouldn't satisfy this gut."

 

"It was expensive."

"And how did you know how much it costs?"

 

“....."

 

"Heh, that's cute. Ouch! Why did you kick my leg?!"

 

"I'm annoyed."

 

In the quiet path, debates rang out. From now on, the Vice President of the Swimming Club was positive. He'd definitely get a cup of iced Americano.

—————

 

P.S.

Dean: Your coffee. From someone.

Win: Oh, thanks. /slurp/ spurt, cough, fuck. Is this a sweet drink?

 

Dean: Tell him off yourself.

Pharm: He added that much syrup? /acts scary/ Team: Well, drinking something sweet refreshes your brain, right? /pours lots of syrup/