「 the lucky numbers of life #4 」

LIFESAVER

zitao x min hasoo (oc)

fluff.

T; oneshot; bartender zitao au

-kairay 2014.

she isn't one for clubs and zitao hates his job.

“Why do they buy drinks if they’re just gonna leave it on the bar to go dance?” Zitao grumbled angrily to Jongdae as he mopped up another spilled drink that had been abandoned. Jongdae shrugged.

“More money for the club though, right?” damn Jongdae. Sometimes Zitao hated his friend and his rational thinking.

“Just let me complain for once, will you?” Zitao sighed heavily, throwing the soaking wet cloth under the bar. “All you ever have to do is break up fights and stop underage kids getting to the bar. Why aren’t you helping me clean this up?”

“Because it’s not my job,” Jongdae retorted cheekily. “Do you know how hard it is to break up bar fights? These people are complete savages.”

“Yeah, I’m sure they are.” Zitao rolled his eyes before his attention was pulled to a group of girls stopping by the bar. He moved to stand in front of them, trying to wipe as much of the pissed off expression off his face as he could. “What can I get you, beautiful ladies?”

Three of the four listed off different types of spirits, handing over the appropriate money to these girls who seems were so used to bar-life. Zitao made their drinks with practiced ease, sliding them over the counter-top to their respective owner before he turned to the fourth girl.

“Uhm, just a coke for me, please.” The girl looked slightly out of place, her curly-styled hair messed up from the nervous fingers running through it over and over. The striped sweater she had on was covered with holes but she had the sleeves pulled over her hands, fiddling with the loose threads. With the way she was dressed she would have fit right in, if she didn’t look so shy about everything.

“Just a coke?” Zitao asked as he accepted the girl’s money. “Not following in your friends’ footsteps?”

The girl laughed softly behind his hand. “No, no. That kinda stuff isn’t for me. I don’t like the taste nor the effect of it.”

“That’s fair.” Zitao pushed the drink over to the girl with a smile. Usually he avoided conversation with customers but he had a feeling this girl was going to end up sitting at the bar alone for most of the night. He would feel bad if he didn’t see this happen to nearly every night.

One of the girl’s friend stayed with here by the bar for a while. Zitao could hear the girl’s sweet laughter over the noise even as he served other customers and, every now and again, he would catch a glimpse of the way her eyes curved up when she smiled. She kinda looked like one of a kind girl that would come to a bar he had ever seen.

Naturally, the girl’s friend disappeared into the crowd after a while, blending into the mass of bodies on the dancefloor. There was a popular edm song pounding throughout the club, everyone either jumping to the beat or grinding on a partner. It wasn’t a new sight to Zitao at all.

On the other hand, this girl looked to be in awe. It was clearly her first time in a club and Zitao snorted under his breath at the innocence. She may have looked mature but the way she was acting clearly showed how young she might be.

“So, I take it you aren’t one for dancing either?” Zitao teased the girl once he had a free moment. The girl was nursing her coke in both hands, taking tentative sips.

“Dancing, I like,” the girl chuckled. “Just not… this kind.”

“Ah, so you aren’t one for having sweaty people pressed up against you then?” Zitao laughed at the girl’s shrug.

“I would prefer to avoid it where necessary.” She paused for a moment, hesitating. “Uh, I’m Hasoo. By the way. Yeah.”

Zitao would have cooed over how adorable the introduction was if he were a man without any dignity. Which he wasn’t, for the record. “Zitao. Huang Zitao, I’m Chinese.” He replied once since every single people he met always had trouble learning his name.

Hasoo smiled toothily, taking another sip of her coke when Zitao bustled off to tend to other customers. Truthfully, Zitao would have loved to sit and chat with Hasoo a little longer but, in order to keep his job, he had to woek. Capitalism really kills.

It turned out that Hasoo was indeed good company to have around. Whenever Zitao wasn’t serving or mixing drinks, he was standing with Hasoo, happy to listen to the girl talk about whatever. He discovered that he had been right – it was Hasoo’s first time in a club.

“It’s my Subin eonni’s 23^rd’s birthday,” Hasoo had explained. “She wanted to go to a club and honestly, I just didn’t want to be left out. Plus, I’d feel bad if I bailed on her birthday celebration, you know?”

Zitao wanted to laugh because, god, this kid was cute. Her mouth was a little lopsided whenever she talked and she had an overbite that showed through whenever she smiled. There was sweat dotting her forehead from the heat of the club and she had gotten slightly talkative as the night had gone on.

“Sounds like she’s lucky to have you as a friend,” Zitao commented casually. Hasoo flushed at the compliment and giggled quietly.

“Yeah, She totally is.” Hasoo smiled brightly at Zitao and Zitao couldn’t stop himself from smiling back. Hasoo’s happiness was just a little contagious.

When Zitao went to serve some people, he could see Hasoo place her drink down and pull her phone from her pocket. Her slender fingers tapped around the screen quickly and Zitao had to pay extra attention to the customer to ensure he didn’t get distracted.

Maybe it was a good thing he had been so drawn to Hasoo, otherwise he wouldn’t have seen the man on the barstool next to Hasoo, slipping something into the girl’s drink. He was certain he had never moved so fast when Hasoo went to raise the glass absentmindedly to her lips, ignoring the customer in front of him.

“Do not drink that!” he yelled at Hasoo, snapping his fingers to get Jongdae’s attention. Jongdae was standing upright instantly, following Zitao’s pointed finger to the man next to Hasoo. The man looked like a deer caught in headlights before he was on his feet a split second later, disappearing into the crowd with Jongdae hot on his heels.

Hasoo’s eyes were wide with confusion, the glass frozed halfway to her mouth. She blinked at Zitao questioningly and Zitao let out a sigh of relief when she began to lower the glass.

“I saw him slip something into your drink,” Zitao told Hasoo quickly, watching as the girl’s eyes widen even more. “Don’t drink it, I’ll get you another.”

“Oh.” Hasoo put the glass down cautiously, fear tinging. “Oh, god.”

“Hey, it’s alright, you’re fine.” Zitao poured Hasoo another glass, swiping the tainted one from the counter. “It’s just a good thing I saw him do it.”

“Yeah.” Hasoo nodded vigorously. “Thank you so much, holy shit.”

Zitao huffed out a tiny laugh. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t particularly want anything to happen to you.”

Hasoo’s cheeks were pink and she ducked her head. A small smile was on her face as she thanked Zitao again. Zitao opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by Hasoo’s friend leaping onto her back and yelling in her ear.

“Hasoo, we’re going back to Subin’s now! You coming?” the blonde haired girl had her arm wrapped around Hasoo’s shoulder, their cheeks smushed together.

Hasoo locked eyes with Zitao for a brief moment and Zitao could see the conflict brewing inside the girl. He nodded to Hasoo in a way he hoped came across as encouraging. Jongdae sometimes told him that he rarely came across how he wanted to.

“I… I think I’ll stay here for a little longer, eonni.” Hasoo gently bumped her head against her friend’s. “I’ll come over tomorrow though.”

Hasoo’s friend seemed a little surprised at Hasoo’s choice but decided not to question it. “Alright. Text us when you get home, okay? Be safe!”

She dashed off towards the exit after ruffling lightly Hasoo’s hair, her muttering under her breath as she tried to fix her already messy hair. Zitao smirked in amusement before leaning across the counter towards Hasoo.

“Listen, I get off work in an hour,” he started, Hasoo’s eyes snapping to his. “How would you like to hang around till then? We can go somewhere cool and get coffee.”

“Coffee at 1 a.m?” Hasoo grinned. “I’m not sure there are many places open then.”

Zitao scoffed with an eyeroll. “I know places. I promise not taking you to somewhere fishy and quiet, girl. I’m not a brat.”

“Yeah.” Hasoo tilted her head shyly with an adorable smile. “That sounds good.”

▲

this one frankly kinda hard because I was never inside a club before lol and I do not know what you guys order inside ;;; gotta make up thing a bit. I hope they serve coke there.

-kairay.