A/N: Introducing....Haruto :) Enjoy! Love y'all, and thanks for the support <3

Oliver's POV

I hated to be that guy that wears shades indoors, but I said fuck it, no one needed to see the red blotchy eyes as I tapped away at my laptop. Especially when everyone knew me in this coffee shop.

Setting my table up, I plugged in my laptop charger. I headed to the register to which Janice, one of the mediocre baristas, was manning. She gave me a puzzled look, as I cleared my throat, my voice hoarse from last night's sob fest. "I'll have a large cold brew with-"

"White mocha? Already working on it," I heard the barista, Haruto say. "Welcome back, Ollie. I got it covered. Nice shades."

Still out of it from the lack of sleep and failed exam, I handed Janice my card, but she shook her head. "On the house. He won't take no for an answer, you know that."

"Thanks, Janice," I mumbled before frowning at the smiling man behind the counter. How he could be so cheerful even after his classes was beyond me. "Thanks, Haruto."

One of these days he was going to get fired, giving away free cold brews like it was nothing. Not that I was complaining about free coffee, but I seriously didn't want to be liable.

I trudged back to the table in the back of the shop to boot up my computer, pulling out my assignments I needed to get done but would probably procrastinate again. It was a bad habit, but that was the life of a college student. Was it that bad that I just wanted to catch up on some shows I've been meaning to watch? Plus the wifi here was phenomenal, worlds better than the one in my apartment. What else could I possibly need?

"Ollie, I've got your cold brew with white mocha," Haruto's voice rang out on his way to the table. He set the coffee down gently before pulling out the seat in front of me.

Although this wasn't a restaurant, Haruto always would hand deliver my drinks while he was here, something I thought was unusual. He'd do it for some of the older gentlemen and ladies that came here in the mornings, but for some reason that hospitality extended to me as well. Even Janice didn't do that. Well, she hardly ever made my drink, and there was a good reason for that.

Was I too pretentious and picky to only like Haruto's cold brews? That for some reason only his, out of all their staff, would be perfect each and every time. Maybe it was my desire for routine and consistency, but his coffee was always, without fail, perfect.

"Shouldn't you be back behind the counter?" I said off-handedly.

"Break time."

"Your shift started only an hour ago," I reminded him. "Break time isn't for another hour."

He laughed. "Well, it's slow, so I can afford another break."

"That's not how it works."

"Janice doesn't mind."

I sighed before glancing up at him through the tinted lenses. I wasn't sure when this had started. Our banter, and his need to sit with me during his breaks and lunches. At first I assumed it was because we were close in age, possibly the same college. But Janice and two of the other baristas were his age too. I had chalked it up to it just being his personality, friendly, and overly flirty.

Or that's what it seemed like in my eyes. He was like this with everyone though. Winking, complementing, the works. Didn't matter the gender or if they were old enough to be his parents, Haruto would flirt with them like he was desperate to score a date.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't mind the attention, even if it was a bit off putting, and easily misread.

He hummed before tilting his head, analyzing the sunglasses. "What's with the shades? Had an eye appointment? Or a headache? I think we have a bottle of Advil in the back if you need it."

I rolled my eyes, even if he couldn't see them. "It's fine. Eyes are just bothering me."

He hummed. "Did you need eye cream? Or eye drops? The convenience store next door has some."

"I'm fine, Haruto. Thanks for asking."

He grinned before running his finger through the stacks of paper. "Damn, that's a lot of work. I don't even have that much work due this week."

"That's because you're a grad student." I frowned. "You just got your thesis at this point, yeah?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean some of my classes have small assignments, but yeah. Just my thesis at the moment."

"Well good luck on that."

"Thanks," he said. "Actually, your cheeks look a bit red too. Were you crying?"

"No," I said sheepishly, maybe a bit too defensively. I took a sip of my drink before adding, "It's fine."

He pouted, seeing right through me. "You were, weren't you? That much homework? Maybe I can help."

"No, I'm fine." I sighed, he didn't need to know why I had been crying till nearly 4 in the morning, or that I had most definitely failed that exam because of lack of sleep. He pursed his lips but didn't say anything.

I formatted one of the photos for my assignment onto the poster as he finally said, "hold on, I'll be right back."

He pushed the chair back before speed walking comically towards the counter. I opened up the graphic design project I've been working on, as I tried not to stare at what Janice and Haruto were saying.

As I opened up one of the files I needed, Haruto rushed back to the table with one of the pastry bags.

"Oh no, sir." I told him before scolding him in a whispered tone, "Haruto, you're going to get fired."

"Shush, let me treat you." He smirked and winked before revealing the cheesecake. "Maybe it'll make you feel better."

"Haruto," I said sternly. "You can't keep giving me free stuff. You'll get fired."

"No they won't." He scoffed. "I'm one of the best baristas here."

I shook my head. "Don't let Amber or Janice hear you."

"They already know I'm the best."

"Confident, aren't you?" I grabbed the fork and took a bit of the cheesecake.

"Oh, you know it," he returned.

"Thanks, but seriously," I scolded, waving my fork at him. "You can't keep doing this."

He grinned, before propping his elbow on the table, leaning his knuckles against his cheek. "Yeah, yeah."

When we weren't bantering like earlier, Haruto would often just sit here in silence, either watching me work or snoozing for a couple of minutes. Whether he talked a mile a minute or sat in silence, his presence was soothing. Reassuring in a way, knowing that he had been a part of my ritual, along with the excellent cold brew, of course.

"It's not the homework," I told him finally as he got bored and played with the edge of the papers. Haruto gave me a curious look as I fiddled with the keyboard. "The puffy eyes and shades. Just, something from my high school came up. May have cried a little."

As much as I tried to ignore Haruto's blatant infatuation with treating me to free drinks and foods, I did find talking to him to be therapeutic in a way. I had told things to him that I hadn't even bothered to mention to my friend, Courtney and her partner, Mahealani. Haruto had often heard me rant about practically everything, probably knew all my classes and projects I had done too. Talking to him was easy, and despite the fear, I had unknowingly opened up to him about a lot of personal things.

Most people I did open up to had used what I shared against me, or had made fun of the choices or feelings that I had about a situation. But, Haruto had been different. He was practically a stranger, an acquaintance at best. Yet, he never did judge, or question anything I did negatively. Maybe that's why it had been so easy to talk to him.

He frowned, before extending his arm out and using it as a pillow. "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. It's alright to cry it out you know."

"Yeah," I muttered. "It's just stupid, looking back on it. Crying over people who hurt you. It's dumb right?"

"Hmm, not necessarily."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Well, it feels dumb. They're not worth the tears, yet I still cried about it."

Before I could grab the coffee in my hand to drink, Haruto gripped the sleeve of my jacket. "Just think of it as crying over the hurt, not over the actual people. You're crying over the painful memories, not for those people. The tears aren't for them, it's more for yourself, in order to move on, if that makes sense. A symbol of letting go, I guess?"

He made a face like he was embarrassed and confused at what he said, but in a strange Haruto way, that made sense.

"Thanks," I told him before taking another bite of cheesecake. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Janice behind the counter pointing in Haruto's direction then at her watch. A line had formed, mostly women as they glanced at the slouched over Haruto in front of me. Nudging his arm with the cold coffee cop, he shot up in his seat. "Break time's over heartthrob. Janice is calling you back."

He groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Your fan club's arrived. Right on time it appears too. Get to work." I smirked as he checked his phone. "Wouldn't want to keep the ladies waiting."

"Alright, alright." He swatted the air before getting out of his seat. "I'll be back for lunch. Finish that assignment mister puffy eyes."

As he walked back he sent a pathetic finger gun. The girls waiting in line whispering amongst themselves. They were probably freshmen, all seemingly head over heels for him as they watched him put on his apron.

Under my breath I whispered, "what a dork," before attempting to finish my assignments.