Zoey Cho was stressed, but then again, when was she not? The local schools had just gotten out, which meant the day was about to get busier. This was routine - she now was an expert to know that 3:00 was a golden business hour. Even though she loved her job in her cafe, she sometimes wondered if life could possibly be more than hungry customers and Asian appetizers.

"Zoe! I need help over here!" someone called. Zoey pulled on an stained apron and ran into the kitchen, making sure the cashier station wasn't crowded yet.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, I swear I'm coming!" she said frantically. She moved carefully around the pots and pans. "What happened?"

"We just ran out of milk," a woman, Zoha Hama, said, pouring water into a tea kettle on the stove. She wiped her hands off and pushed back a piece of loose hair. A master of puns and chili, the Indian woman had been one of Zoey's good friends ever since she came in to interview for the cooking job at the cafe.

"Oh crap!" Zoey said, fighting the urge to punch the fridge. She wasn't very good at punching anyways. "It's only the beginning of the day, though!"

"It'll be fine, ok? Zoha can fix anything!" said Zoha. Zoey managed a small smile.

"Thanks, Z, you're the best," she sighed. "But it's not like two thirds of our drinks are based off of milk or anything..."

"Ok here's what we'll do: go back out and get some orders and I'll emergency call Mark," Zoha commanded. "I'll call Penni too because I think her lunch break is over." She went towards the backup phone in the kitchen.

"You're an actually blessing!" Zoey said before rushing back out and tugging the apron off. She saw a small group of teenagers by the register with menus and phones in their hands. "Hi! I'm Zoey! What can I get for you?"

If there was one thing she loved in life, Zoey Cho loved boba. Well, she loved her friends too, but they always teased her that she thought boba was more reliable. There was some truth to that. Ever since middle school, the Asian had been obsessed with the crafting and combination of tea and tapioca bubbles. She loved it - making it, drinking it, and eventually making a job out of it. Cafe Cho became a popular outing spot for young adults and families alike. It also was a common meeting spot for college study groups, and Zoey loved that. She got to meet many different and unique people, all while working with her best friends.

Café Cho was a small cafe in a small plaza that had a small parking lot which was filled with cars constantly, except on Mondays when Zoey took her day off. There were large windows in front with big gold lettering, reading "SWEETS, TEA, AND MORE!" On the edge of the roof, "Café Cho" was in big white letters that lit up at night. The interior was decorated by Zoey herself, plus one of her other friends, Penilia Japegi, more commonly known as Penni. Zoey always had the idea for a hip boba store that could attract people of all ages and ethnicities, while also having great tea and snacks. The perfect oasis. They made sure that the whole store looked like it: potted aloes, a bar counter with tall cushioned stools, gold wire decals twisted on the walls, and various wooden tables and fluffy pillows. Zoey adored it all.

That was Café Cho, a place Zoey loved almost as much as she loved boba.

She was just finishing the teenagers' orders when another group walked in. Zoey looked up, and her mouth dropped a bit. A lavender-haired person stood in front of her, clothed in ripped jeans and a plain t-shirt. The famous rapper Kim Namjoon was in her cafe?!

"Oh my god, I have to tell Ames," she whispered to herself. He walked up to the counter.

"Hi," he said with a small smile. Zoey felt stomach flutter.

"H-hi! I'm Zoey," she replied. "Give me one s-second. Here, take some menus. Uh I'll be right back." He nodded and started handing out menus to his friends. She recognized some of them from his videos, like Kim Seok-Jin who did occasional vocals and Min Yoongi who collaborated and produced with the rapper.

Zoey sprinted back into the kitchen, not bothering to put an apron on. Zoha looked up, hands dirty with chili powder.

"What?! What happened!? Did Mark crash his car again?!" she said. Zoey shook her head and leaned on the stove for support.

"I think I'm going to have a heart attack or something," she said, hand over her chest.

"Did Mark do something? Because that's not unusual, but still," Zoha said, very confused.

"N-no," Zoey shook her head again. "KimNamjoonishere!"

"You gotta speak up, Zoe."

"Therapper!"

"Huh?"

"KIM NAMJOON! RM!" Zoey practically shouted. She put a hand over her mouth. Zoha widened her eyes.

"We play his music here!" she exclaimed, cleaning off her hands. "Woah! Really?!" Zoey nodded her head rapidly. Before she could say anything else, they heard a loud CRASH come through the door.

"Zoey, why is Namjoon here-" Mark fell to the ground again, tripping over something. Zoha laughed and then cleared her throat when he glared at her. He stood back up, and they saw him holding a box of milk cartons.

"Oh thank god!" Zoha went over and grabbed the cartons. She ripped open the box and poured some of the liquid into the dispenser for the tea. Zoey instead grabbed Mark and shook him violently.

Mark Li and Zoey Cho had known each other since high school, where they learned about each others' boba obsessions and co-founded a boba club. Ever since, they had been best friends. Mark worked for Zoey, but mostly on the financials. He sometimes helped with making drinks as well as being on "emergency call." They were almost never seen separated.

"Namjoon is here! RM is here! The RM! Rapmon! I'm freaking out!" she almost screamed. He put hands on her shoulders.

"Just breathe, Zoe! I know! I know!" he said. "But you kinda need to calm down because they're waiting."

"O-Oh right," Zoey said, trying to take deep breaths. "Ok. I got this. It's just a celebrity. No big d-deal."

"You got this," Mark laughed. "I'll call Penni and Ames to come over for moral support. Also I'm guessing this place is gonna get busy."

"He's right," Zoha nodded. "Plus it's Friday. The youngersters love Friday."

"Don't ever say youngsters again," Zoey said. Zoha laughed.

"Mark can help me. Now go to those Korean boys' order!" She waved Zoey away.

"There's like seven of them, geez," she heard Mark say as she walked back out. Ok Zoey, she told herself. It's just RM. He's a regular person like you. Just stay calm.

By the time she got out, there were a few teenagers asking for his autograph. He just smiled and signed. His friends looked like they were laughing at his popularity.

"Hi! Sorry for the wait. I had to uh talk to my worker...person...friends," Zoey stammered. One of Namjoon's friends shook his head.

"No problem," he said. He had black hair, a jean jacket, and Zoey felt like he was familiar also. "I'm Jung Hoseok by the way. I'm the new neighbor." He held out a hand, and Zoey shook it.

"Oh you're the new restaurant owner next door?" she tilted her head. Hoseok nodded. "Welcome to the plaza! I'm Zoey Cho. I own this place." She gave a smile, and he smiled back.

"Nice to meet you!" he said. He was kind of cute too. Zoey mentally slapped herself. Not important right now, Zoe! "So uh are you guys ready to order?"

"Yeah! Food!" the man Zoey recognized as Seok-Jin cheered. She laughed a bit. Namjoon finished signing papers and walked back up to the front.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"No don't be sorry," she felt her face flush. "Y-you make good music. We play it here. Asian representation and all."

"Really? That's so cool!" he said with a smile. "Thanks!"

"No problem," Zoey blushed. They all took turns ordering, and Zoey noticed Mark was right. There were seven of them, all stylish and all seeming to be good friends.

Another black-haired man went to the front, opening a leather wallet - the musician Min Yoongi, who also went by the name Suga. Amy liked to ramble about how his music "very underrated," to which Zoey agreed.

"I'm paying!" Yoongi said.

"Fine by me," a younger man said. Yoongi rolled his eyes.

"We spend too much money on you, Jungkook," said Seok-Jin, slapping his arm. The man, Jungkook, just grinned.

"No let me pay," Hoseok pushed Yoongi away.

"Um this is in celebration for YOUR new restaurant, so no," Yoongi said. He handed Zoey money. "Don't let him pay you, Miss Boba Lady." Zoey nodded and laughed slightly at the nickname. Hoseok sighed, and Zoey mouthed a "sorry" to him.

"Got it," she replied, sliding the money into the cashier and giving him back his change. He waved it away.

"Keep it," he said. She smiled.

"Let's find a table!" Seok-Jin said. He grabbed half of the group and went to save a table.

"Your food will be out in a few minutes," Zoey said to Yoongi. He nodded. "Oh also uh we also play your stuff here too. It's really good music. My sister thinks you're too um underrated." He made a small smile.

"Thank you," he replied. "You're a nice boba lady." Zoey laughed again.

"Thanks," she said. "That's better than 'obsessive boba freak', so I'll take it." He cracked another smile. "They'll bring out your drinks soon." He nodded and dragged Hoseok to go over to their friends. Zoey leaned on the counter, heart pounding. She had famous people in her cafe!

"I told you you could survive!" Mark said, laughing. He walked over to her and rubbed her back. "Hello? Zoey in there?"

"Yeah I'm fine," she laughed. "So apparently that new cafe owner next door is why they're here. He's the one in the middle." The two glanced at the group.

"They seem cool," Mark shrugged.

"Yeah," Zoey said. "Oh, where's Penni by the way-" She was once again cut off by a loud CRASH from the door. Everyone in the cafe looked at the front door, where a Sri Lankan girl ran in. She panted and waved at them.

"Everyone, go back to whatever you were doing," she said.

"Penns!" Zoha said, coming out of the kitchen with a laugh.

"Hi," Penni said, panting from the fast walking. She pulled out an inhaler and took in a few breaths. "What's up? Zoha, you called me for an milk emergency?" She held up a box and walked towards the kitchen. Zoha took it and laughed again.

"More is better than less," she said. "C'mon I need help with all these drinks." She dragged Penni into the kitchen.

"Our staff is great," Mark commented.

"MY staff," Zoey said.

"Hey, we agreed to share the cafe!" he protested.

"I don't think so, Li," she slapped his arm.

"You're so rude!"

"Says you!" she exclaimed. Zoey noticed Penni and Zoha bringing the drinks out to the group of seven. She and Mark watched as they asked Namjoon and Yoongi for their autographs. "Do you think they'll notice us staring?"

"Probably," he replied, still gazing at the group. One of them indeed noticed, a man with a headband and a long earring, and he waved with a laugh. Zoey felt her face grow hot, and she looked back at the cashier.

"Why are we such fans?!" she groaned. Mark shrugged.

"I mean we serve good food, so they're gonna have to like us," he said. Zoey glanced at him.

"That is true."

"Oh one of them is coming over! See you, Cho." Mark left, and Zoey failed in grabbing his sleeve. She turned back to see Hoseok smiling.

"He's being uh annoying," she pushed her hair back. "Sorry."

"No problem," he said. "Does he work here or something?" Zoey made a so-so motion.

"Yeah. Does my business stuff," she waved her hand. He nodded. "Um...how's the food?" Hoseok gave a thumbs up.

"Really great! I can see why this place is popular!" he complimented. Zoey blushed again. Man, I need to control my blood vessels.

"Thanks! Did you need something...?"

"Oh yeah! Here." He offered her some money.

"Are you bribing me for more popcorn chicken?" she asked, confused. Hoseok widened his eyes.

"Oh no, no! I was wondering if you could exchange my money and Yoongi's," he explained.

"Oh," Zoey said, leaning forward on the counter. "Sorry, but I'm pretty sure he wanted to pay for you." She gave a smile, and he raised an eyebrow.

"C'mon! You're Asian! You know the money stuff!"

"I know, I know," she put her hands up. "Ok fine." She was about to take the money when Yoongi walked over, hands in his pockets.

"What's happening over here, Hobi?" he asked blatantly. Hoseok bit his lip.

"Give him the money before it's too late!" he shouted, throwing the bills at Zoey. She caught them, albeit having jumped back a bit, and stuffed it in her apron. He then proceeded to run away. Yoongi looked at him, then back at Zoey.

"So do you want to take this?" she offered the money. He sighed and took it.

"I'll chase him down," he muttered, walking away. Zoey sighed but laughed to herself.

"Dang Asians are really aggressive, huh?" Mark said, bringing out a drink for a customer.

"Again, says you," Zoey pointed at him. He laughed and walked to the table. Zoey sighed and gazed at Namjoon. Maybe he would come back again. Maybe. 

A/N

THIS CHAPTER WAS TOO FUN TO WRITE OOF

meet most of our characters!

yes mark will play a big role in this beCAUSE IM IN LOVE WITH HIM-

ahem

i made namjoon the famous one in this bc tbh, our joonie needs more appreciation

OK WELL I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED