Caffe Latte

{Jian's POV}

I stood in front of the hotel which the coffee bar was located on the top floor. I took a couple of deep breathes in and wandered inside the building. I was a popular barista at the coffee bar located on the top floor of a famous hotel in Gangnam, but a freak accident had left me off work for a month with temporally graded retrograde amnesia. I entered the lift and stood tapping my foot nervously. It was the first time I had been back to work since my accident. People probably wondered why I looked so nervous. That was because my amnesia had left me without two of my most important memories - all my friends and my barista skills. I had forgotten how to make coffee and I was on my way up the coffee bar where I worked.

The lift reached the top floor and the doors opened slowly. I took a deep breath and headed out of the lift, straight into the coffee bar. We were a high end coffee bar and our customers were often of the higher and upper class or members of the hotel. "Oh! Jian! You're back!" I heard someone shout excitedly. I looked up to find a young pretty girl holding a tray. She served a table beside where I was stood then walked back to the bar with me. "Everyone has missed you so much! How are you feeling?" She asked me. I smiled and glanced down at her name badge.
"Ah! Mina! I'm feeling better!" I said happily to her. She smiled to me and waved as she disappeared again.

I wandered around the back of the bar to the room behind where all the staff lockers stood. I found mine and put my jacket inside, pulling my apron out. I put it over my head and tied it together at the back. "Noona! Boss wants to see you in his office!" I heard someone call behind me. I turned around to find a young guy with a cheeky grin spread across his face. I quickly glanced at his name badge and smiled to him.
"Thank you Heejun-ah!" I said happily and he nodded to me. I sighed to myself loudly. I was doing good, Kim Jian. You're doing good. I walked with my head down towards my boss' office. Should I tell him? Or should I lie to him and hope my memories return soon?

My boss was the owner of the coffee bar, he was a handsome man in his 50s called Mr Kim but he didn't look his age at all. He was friendly and treated me like his daughter. Maybe I should tell him? He wouldn't be too angry... he would probably be upset more than anything. I reached the door of his office and knocked before opening the door. "Hello" I said politely as I bowed my head. I looked up and the desk chair was swung around. But it wasn't Mr Kim. I froze on the spot and was greeted by a young man with light brown hair. He stood up and I gulped as I saw his height, and he made his way over to me.
"You must be Kim Jian. My name is Kim Jihun, I am the new owner of the coffee bar. My father was your old boss." He explained to me.

That goes my plan of telling him. I bowed my head to him and he bowed his head before going back to sit back down at his desk. I followed him and sat down in the chair opposite him. "So you have been off for a month recovering from an accident?" He asked me as I nodded to him. "And are you fully recovered now?" He asked me again. 
I nodded again, "I have fully recovered so I am able to return back to work." I told him with a smile. A fake smile. Why did I lie... I couldn't tell him the truth or I probably wouldn't have my job anymore. He didn't seem as friendly as Mr Kim, he seemed colder. But that was only my first impression of him. He sighed and I frowned as I watched him look through some papers.

"My father told me about you. He said you were one of his most treasured staff. Are you definitely fully recovered? I don't want you going off sick again." He asked me again as he glanced up at me. I gulped and nodded to him quietly. 
"Ok. You can start work now." He told me. I thanked him and bowed my head before leaving his office. I grimaced as I shut his office door behind me. I hated lying. I could never keep lying, the truth soon spilled out of me. Suddenly the door opened behind me and I stumbled forward so I didn't fall back. 
"Jian?" Jihun said confused. I opened my eyes wide and cringed. I turned around and bowed my head.
"Sorry. I'll be getting to work now." I quickly said as I dashed off.

I stood behind the bar and glanced at all of the different bags of coffee beans, sauces, decorations, different sized cups and sighed to myself. "Jian!" I heard someone call me.
"Yes!" I shouted as I turned around to find an older guy approaching me, I glanced down at his name badge which was Youjin. I began to greet him politely and a smirk grew on his face.
"Jian, since when have you greeted me formally. It's strange. Don't." Youjin joked as he smirked and passed me a piece of paper.
"Ah! I was only joking. I will get these done." I laughed awkwardly. He scoffed and disappeared off into the distance again.

I placed the piece of paper on the side and looked at the coffees which had been ordered. "2 medium caffe lattes..." I said to myself as I looked at the coffee machines. I pulled out two medium mugs and put them on to the side. "Ah~ what do I remember... espresso and... steamed milk?" I said quietly to myself. I made the coffee and poured them into the mugs. I put them on a tray ready to carry them to the table. Suddenly Heejun popped around the corner which made me jump. He looked at the mugs. 
"Ah! The two flat whites!" He said happily as he took the tray.
"No no no. They are caffe lattes." I said stopping him.
"Noona... you forgot the milk foam..." he stuttered. My eyes opened wide and I quickly began remaking the coffees again.

After remaking the order and Heejun taking it for me. I stood against the counter and wiped my forehead with a tissue, and fanned myself with my hand. This was harder than I thought. I could remember some parts of making different types of coffee but I couldn't remember all of the parts. I turned back around and a customer came up to the desk. "Hello, what can I get for you?" I asked them politely as I smiled.
"Could I have a large latte macchiato please?" He said to me. I nodded to him and he went to sit down at a table. 
"Ok! Espresso and... water!" I said excitedly as I had remebered luckily. I began making the latte macchiato and poured it into a large cup. I took it over to the man's table. As I wandered back to the counter holding the tray, Jihun came out of his office.

"Excuse me! This is not a latte macchiato. This is an americano." I heard the man call loudly. I looked up and froze. Jihun frowned and looked across at me. 
"Yah! Kim Jian!" He whispered to me angrily but I had frozen. Jihun made his way over to the man's table and apologised before bringing the coffee back to the counter where I was stood.
"Jian!" He shouted at me whilst whispering. I snapped out of my phase and looked at him. "He asked for a latte macchiato not an americano. How could you mix the steamed milk up for hot water?!" Jihun complained to me. I bowed my head to apologise and quickly began making a new drink with steamed milk and espresso this time.

{Jihun's POV}

After seeing Jian's mistake, I headed into the back room behind the counter where some of the other staff members were stood. I stood in the doorframe quietly but they were so busy talking that they hadn't noticed me stood there. "Jian noona made a mistake today. She never makes mistakes." Heejun said to Youjin.
Youjin nodded, "mhm, I saw with the latte macchiato." 
"No no. With the caffe lattes, she made flat whites instead." Heejun corrected him. Youjin raised his eyebrows surprised.
"So she made two mistakes today." I said out loud which made Youjin and Heejun jump. Heejun held his heart and breathed heavily.

"Ah~ Boss! You made me jump!" Heejun cried out. I smirked and wandered inside the room. 
"So Jian has made the wrong coffee twice today?" I asked them both. They both nodded and Heejun pulled a face.
"She doesn't usually make mistakes. Usually she makes the coffees exactly right to perfection." Youjin sighed.
"Maybe it's because noona hasn't been here for a month?" Heejun suggested. I nodded quietly as I wandered back out to the front of the coffee bar. I glanced at Jian who was crouched behind the counter, reading all the bags of coffee beans and mixtures.

"Jian? What are you doing?" I asked her. She quickly shot up and cracked the top of her head on the edge of the counter which sticks out from the tops of the cupboards underneath. I grimaced at the sound as she whined and held the top of her head. I sighed, "Just. Becareful." I stuttered as I shook my head and disappeared back into my office. I sat down at my desk and sighed deepily. What is happening with Kim Jian? My father couldn't stop talking her, saying she was a master barista, every coffee she made was perfection and she never made any mistakes. In the space of one day, she has already made two mistakes and hurt herself. Kim Jian, are you sure you are ok?

Author's Note: Hello my lovelies! First off, thank you for subscribing. I love reading comments so please comment below your thoughts. The next chapter will be up in 2 days. The first chapter is just to introduce some of the characters and to get the story going, but I promise it will start getting better. :) If you haven't already, please also check out my other KNK story which is also ongoing called Lies On Paper, this involves Seungjun as the main character.