X-Mas Event Entry from Prompt #89: Don’t Say No

[takomod.livejournal.com]

Author: anon_nim
Rating: PG
Other pairings involved: I’m not sure, but there’s pretty much implied relationship in there?
Length: 3k
Summary: Chanyeol is the owner of the infamous TakoStation, he gets to met interesting people everyday.
Warnings: none.
Notes: dear prompter I’m not sure if this what you had in mind but I hope you like it, still (: I tried to make this as simple as possible, but everyone needs some screen time and it just grows hands and legs~


1.
Chanyeol grits his teeth with so much force, trying to stop the chattering. It’s really cold, and he's been shivering nonstop since twenty minutes ago. Maybe they should pack and just go home. He eyes his co-worker (technically speaking, Yixing is working for him), the man seems a little dazed.

"Yixing, how about we close early? Its really cold and you must be tired." Zhang Yixing only smiles.

He starts to clean everything when a timid voice speaks, "Excuse me? Are you close already?"

Chanyeol flicks his eyes to the said man. He's short, a little above his shoulder (maybe Chanyeol just extremely tall), but he seems strong in stature. However what catches Chanyeol attention is the man's mouth, it’s pink and full and he thinks it resembles a heart shape.

"Um.. Are you close already? Sir?"

Chanyeol quickly shakes his head. That Zhang Yixing has slyly retreats and leaves him alone with this adorable man, and he acts like an idiot! He tries to smile and take a very deep breath.

"We're still open," He settles. "What can I get for you?"

"I'd like one serving, please."

Chanyeol nods and hastily prepare the batter. Technically, he's the owner of this so called TakoStation (property of Yura), with only one worker who has mysteriously disappear. But he doesn't bother with Yixing, he can make Takoyaki by himself, and it will be perfect.

While pouring the batter, Chanyeol ogles the Cute Man some more. He looks like a student – if that heavy book is any indicator – and seems young. His hair is raven black and Chanyeol doesn't realizes this earlier, but Cute Man is watching him – or maybe his soon to be snack in Chanyeol’s hand – with wide eyes, extremely wide eyes.

"I never see you around before." Chanyeol cringes, he sucks at casual conversation.

Cute Man doesn't seems disturbed. "I study at that uni." He point at the distance, but Chanyeol understand nonetheless. "But I never ventures here before."


Chanyeol let out a small 'ah' and thinks that he's really lucky when he decide to open his Takoyaki Station near that particular university. If he throws in a big amount of diced octopus there, Yixing doesn't need to know.

"Then I hope you'll come often," Chanyeol says.

Cute Man nods politely and fixes his scarf a little. Chanyeol can't decide whether Cute Man looks like a penguin or an owl. But he agrees with all his heart that this man is really cute (not that he would say that out loud).

"So.. are you a freshman?"

At this, Cute Man's eyebrow twitches, and Chanyeol thinks he might hit some nerves. "I'm a junior."

Oh, that's unexpected. Then Cute Man is only one year younger than him. He pours the sauce a little bit longer and hopes Cute Man likes tempura scarps and green onion cause he puts a lot of them. Come to think of it – and see the finished Takoyaki – he's pretty sure he has been really generous.

Anyway, "Here you go."

The man takes out his wallet and pulls the exact amount of money. He hands it with a quiet, "Thank you."

He chews his lower lip – "You know what, it’s on the house." – and smiles carefully so he won't show to many teeth and make a terrible impression.

Cute Man's eyes dilate even more, Chanyeol scared it might pop out. "No, I'll pay for it, thank you."

"It’s okay, really. You just have to make sure to come back again later."

Cute Man keeps pushing his money. "While I appreciate it, I think it will be best if I just pay for it."

Chanyeol relents and takes the money. "Alright."

"Thank you, Sir."

He's not sure if Cute Man thanking him for the Takoyaki or for not giving it for free.

"You can call me Chanyeol."

Cute Man eyes him like he's going crazy.


2.
Cute Man doesn't come the next day. Or the day after next day. Chanyeol reminds himself that Takoyaki is merely a snack, thus nobody would eat it three times a day.

He keeps waiting though.


3.
Chanyeol has been running an errand from his mother since six in the morning. So when he's back to his street-food truck and found Cute Man is waiting in the line, he quickly run and stands behind the stall.

Yixing is busy flipping the Takoyaki, so he prepares the bowl and not so subtly, gawking at Cute Man. He has a plan. With high percentage that would likely have 'success' as the result. At the end of the day, Chanyeol and Cute Man will become a very great friend.

Cute Man is wearing all black today and – bundled in his winter coat, gloves, beanie and a scarf –, looks really fluffy and squishy. Chanyeol can't resist changing Cute Man nickname, it will be Squishy Guy. Well, at least until he found out his real name.

Yixing nudges him with his elbow. "Are you gonna stare all day long?"

Chanyeol want to nudges him back, but Yixing looks at him like he is asking because he's genuinely interested and not mock him sideways. He never understands this man.


"No."

Yixing casts him his dimpled smile. "So are you gonna help me?"

"Yes?"

"Okay." Yixing seems pleased with his answer. "Oh, hey! You come back."

Squishy Guy smiles. "Yes, I would like one serving please."

Yixing moves to make the Takoyaki while Chanyeol tries to make another conversation, "So, what's your name?"

"Um.."

"Okay, do you like Takoyaki?"

"..yes."

"Can I get you number?"

"No?"

"What's your major?"

"I don't think –"

"Yeah, you're right. It doesn't matter, right?"

Chanyeol nods to himself in vigor. Okay, that doesn't work. That doesn't work! He panics, his eyes lands on Yixing and the golden brown Takoyaki inside the pan.

His time is short. Okay, take a deep breath Chanyeol. In time like this, what would Sehun says? Okay that kid would just blink and everybody falls for him, that's not fair. Jongin then? Wait, that kid is too shy to actually –

"Here's your order," Yixing's voice brought him back to the land of the living.

Wait! He must say something –

"Oh, okay." Squishy Guy once again pulls out the exact money from his wallet. "This doesn't seems as big as the another day?"

"It’s always this big, what do you mean?" Yixing answers with confused tone.

"The other day –"

"Hey! If that's make you unsatisfied, then we'll give it for free!" Chanyeol mentally pats his back.

"Huh?"

"Uh.. no, I am satisfied. Thank you very much."

"No, no! Just take it! It’s free!"

"Chanyeol? What do you mean it’s free?"

"Yeah, I'll just pay, Sir."

"No need, just take it –"

A loud song starts to play at that moment. Chanyeol partly realize his mouth is agape, Yixing is staring with curiosity while Squishy Guy turns red from embarrassment. He quickly fishes his phone from his front pocket.

"Ups, gotta go." Squishy Guy throws the money at Yixing and flees.

They watch the man disappear in the crowds.

"I think I've heard that song theme before," Yixing musses while counts the money.

Chanyeol close his mouth. He'll call the man, Pororo Dude.


4.
Its almost a month, when Pororo Dude finally shows himself again. Chanyeol nearly squeals and hugs the man before decides to hugs Yixing instead.

Yixing only pats his back in understanding before he quickly gets ready at his post. "One serving?"

Pororo Dude nods. "Yes, please."

This time Chanyeol stares. Pororo Dude's voice sound a little bit different. Is that possible? His voice sound a little bit deeper when they first met – and the second too. Or is it just the snow?

Hey! Its snowing, the first snow!

"Yes Chanyeol, we can see it, too."

He gawks at Yixing and mumbles, "Did I said that out loud?"

"You screamed them out loud." Pororo Dude giggles (he is giggling!). "Sir," He adds as an afterthought.

Chanyeol wants to answers 'Well, you are so cute, no need to call me 'Sir'. And your laughs and giggles sound adorable, it makes your eyes crinkling and I want to take a picture of it' but Yixing already finished with the Takoyaki and in conversation with Pororo Dude.

"Here you go, D.O."

Chanyeol pretty sure Yixing is side eying him, but he can't be bothered because Yixing knows Pororo Dude?! Wait what's his name again? Piyo? Dio?

"Thank you, Yixing," Pororo Dude – Dio – says, "Here's the money."

"It’s free, no need to pay!"

"Uh.. Sir –"

"Again?"

"Consider it winter wonder. We just watch the first snow together!"

"Thank you. It’s really nice of you." Dio the Pororo Dude glances at him with wary. "Anyway, here's the money, Yixing."

"But –"

"Thank you."

Chanyeol watches Dio the Pororo Dude until he disappears before turns to Yixing. "How do you know him?"

"He's a loyal costumer now."

"What?!"

“He came with some friends, once. The Chinese one, is it Lu Han? He call him D.O?”

“When did that happen?”

"He comes back at Thursday, Monday and Friday," Yixing answers while counts with his finger. "Oh, and Wednesday too, since he's here just now."

"But I never here at Monday, Thursday and Friday!"


5.
Chanyeol never leaves his TakoStation unsupervised ever again.


6.
Its a busy Friday, Yixing has been overwhelmed by a pair of kitten-like man. With a request like, 'I don't really like pickled ginger, can you remove it?' or 'can I get something beside diced octopus as the filler?' from the one that called Jongdae.

Which of course can not. Because it’s Takoyaki, you know. It basically means cooked octopus (and coincidentally shaped like a balls)! But what makes Chanyeol pissed is, in the end kitten-mans gets exactly normal serve of Takoyaki like everybody else! Nothing gets removed or added or changed, what a brat.

The younger of the two – or what Chanyeol suspects is – that Jongdae called Minseok, asking a very confusing question; 'what kind of sauce did you use?' which Yixing answers with 'Takoyaki sauce. But you can use Tonkatsu sauce as well.'

'This pan, is it always come in this size?' at this, Chanyeol answers him with, 'No. As far as I know, there's a pan with 24 moulds in it. As well, 7, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20 and 23.' Which he hopes will bore the man.

Alas it’s only intriguers him, "Yes! I saw there's round and rectangular shape."

He starts to suspects kitten-mans want to open their own Takoyaki Stand and challenge Chanyeol and Co.. And Pororo Dude doesn’t even pass by. Chanyeol nearly strangles Jongdae when he wants another kind of bowl cause apparently the one they have right now doesn’t match his taste.


7.
At Monday, a family that consist a short man with charming smile, blonde man that a little more taller than Chanyeol and another tall man with winged eyeliner comes.

"Two serving, please." Charming Smile says.

Yixing complies with eased smile while Chanyeol just stood there and hopes Dio the Pororo Dude slash Squishy Guy slash Cute Man will come.

"What about Taozi, Myeon?" The blonde man talks with a deep voice.

"Oh, that's for Tao and me," Charming Smile-Myeon seems unsure.


"Then what about me?"

"You?"

"I'm the one that suggested we eat Takoyaki on the run."

"But you never said you want one, ge," Sharp features man with winged eyeliner quips, Chanyeol thoughts he must be Tao (he's shocked to hear the man voice, is high pitched to the point of makes him sounds whiny. But who are Chanyeol to judges?).

"It was implied, TaoTao."

"Well, unlike you, we –"

"Its okay, Tao," Myeon quickly assures. "Then it will be yours and Kris's."

"But what about you?!" Kris and Tao squeals in unison.

Chanyeol shakes his head, really what's wrong with people nowadays? They can just order another –

"I'm fine, we can't order another, it will takes to long," Myeon glances at his watch. "We're already running late."

Okay, then they can –

"We can share," Tao whines again, this time complete with clinging to the shorter man.

"Yeah, we can."

"We can just share everything and divides it equally," Kris pipes in, Chanyeol can see his brain is working – trying to count how may tako’s in one serving and divide them in three.

"Mm.." Myeon hums and strokes Kris elbow in calming motion.

He can see, however, that Myeon looks a little disappointed. Kris doesn't miss it too, he looks like he wants to hug the shorter man here and now.

Kris sighs and do just that, "Just take mi –"

"Here's three serving of Takoyaki," Yixing announces.

Even Chanyeol caught off guards. "Huh?"

"Did you say three?" Myeon questions.

"Oh, did I mishear it? I thought you said three?"

Tao jumps, "No! Its three serving alright! Pay for it, ge, quickly!"

When the happy family is nowhere in sight, Chanyeol interrogates Yixing. "How did you do that?"

"All of their eyes twinkling when they come, so when I heard the first commotion, I pour another batter just in case."

"Wow."

"And I really thought he said three?"

"Wow."


8.
Its Wednesday again.

He works alone today. Yixing caught cold and after helping him opening the stand, has walking back toward his flat. And although the business is running pretty well, Chanyeol feels a little bit lonely.

After rush hour, people lessen greatly. And now after spending exactly seventeen minutes watching his breath puffs through the air, finally someone is coming toward him. Chanyeol decides to call him Puppy Boy, because his eyes are twinkling like overeager puppy – it’s not that hard to picture his imaginary tail wagging in the air.

“Hey, would you like one serving of Tako?”

The Puppy Boy smiles and seems to take interest in his Takoyaki Stand, he hopes kitten-mans incident will never be repeat ever again.

“We have a cup of tea, too.”

Puppy boy nods and raises his index fingers. He wonders if this guy is shy, or he can’t talk?

“You mean you’d like one serving of Takoyaki? Or a cup of tea?”

A wild gestures ensues. Puppy boy raise two fingers, now.

“Two serving?” A head shakes. “Oh, you want both?!”

He receives a beaming smile and vigor nods. Chanyeol nods in return and heats the molded pan. He’s assuming the Puppy Boy is mute, when a soft voice talks to him in a strange yet not so unusual language cause he’s heard them when Yixing talks to his mother in Changsa. That’s when it hits him. Puppy Boy is Chinese. He doesn’t look Chinese?

What a stroke of luck. He came just when Yixing is not here. To make it even worse, after Chanyeol starts pouring the batter, his calm demeanor completely gone – replaced by incessant chatters. Chanyeol stares at horror.

“I’m sorry I don’t speak Chinese,” He says. He makes sure to deliver it with apologetic smile and in as many different languages he can muster (in this case, its Korean and broke English).

Puppy Boy keeps talking. But now he’s using another wilder gesture and poking at everything within his arm reach. Chanyeol wants to cry.

“You mean the batter? Its dashi flavored and I think it’s consist wheat-flour – most of it.” Chanyeol visibly sweats. “No? Oh, its diced octopus. Wait, you want the tea, now? Okay. Wait. Just a moment.”

It’s even worse than kitten-mans prodding. Puppy Boy seems genuinely interested and keeps talking with weird Chinese language (Chanyeol thinks it’s his accent), and after takes a breath, he starts talking again. Chanyeol tries to guess what he’s talking about from his body language and feels more frustrated as the time goes by. He misses Yixing.

“Baekhyun!”

Chanyeol knows that voice anywhere, its Dio the Pororo Dude! Sent from heaven just to brighten his day!

“D.O-yah!” Wait, that’s not his voice? Chanyeol stares at Puppy Boy. “Do you want some Takoyaki, too?”

What?! Did he just – “You’re Korean?!”

Puppy Boy – wait, Dio just called him Baekhyun, grins at him with enthusiasm. “Yes, my name is Byun Baekhyun. And just to make it clear, I order one serving of Takoyaki and a cup of tea, thank you very much,” He says in perfect Korean.

Chanyeol feels tricked!

“What happens? Did you prank him?” Dio the Pororo Dude steps and glances at Chanyeol with wary.

“It’s just some experiment. I talk to him in Chinese to see if he would understand me with just some wild gestures. And it works! Can you believe it?! Human is so –”

“But you can’t speak Chinese?”

Baekhyun smirks. “Its just some song lyrics, no big deal. I don’t even know if my pronunciation is correct, well who cares.” If the Takoyaki are a little burned, Baekhyun can’t blame him.

“Hey, sorry about him,” Dio the Pororo Dude says after they watch Baekhyun gone with the wind.

“It’s fine, really.” Unless Chanyeol feels somewhat lost his life purpose and soul all at once.

He makes the Takoyaki without a fuss. “Here you go, Dio.”

“It’s actually D.O.” Dio the Pororo Dude chews his lower lip. “But my name is Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo.”

It’s really suits him well, and Chanyeol is lost once again. Kyungsoo eyes dilate even more today, and amidst the falling snow, his cheeks are rosy – Chanyeol wants to pinch them. His lips is red and plush and after he saw Kyungsoo chews on it he can’t help but imagine other thing he can do with it.

“You know what, I’ll take this Takoyaki for free if you agree on a date with me.” Kyungsoo adds, “Chanyeol.”

He stares. “Well, I didn’t expect that.”

“How about two dates and we can kiss under the mistletoe? How’s that’s sounds?”

“Sounds promising.”

Kyungsoo smirks. “Wait until you hear what happen after the third.”

Chanyeol gulps. “Does that involve a bed?”

“Yup. There’s us, too.”

Chanyeol thinks he never say ‘yes’ that fast in his life.

✩*⋆ ⍋*☪⋆⍋⋆*✩ Happy Chansoo Holidays ✩*⋆ ⍋*☪⋆⍋⋆*✩