Irene’s brow furrowed as she pulled up the schedule on the store’s computer. She had been so proud of herself for feeling like she had finally gotten it right: the right people on the right shifts at the right times, each with the hours they needed. She had even been able to sneak in a few overlapping shifts with Seulgi - nothing overt, but just often enough to satisfy herself. Shift compliment at the manager level was expensive for a store, and Seulgi was the most expensive floor manager in the whole district. But now Irene wondered if her schedule was really as perfect as she thought. Her eyes fell to the last name on the list, Jo Eunae. Irene didn’t know the girl's strengths, so she had thrown her on midshifts to cover the night crew’s breaks, but now she was heavily reconsidering where to place her.   

Instead of playing to her baristas’ strengths, it now seemed she was going to have to consider their weaknesses.

With the spring half-off sale right around the corner, she couldn’t let her personal bias get in the way of the store’s success. As she read across the days of the schedule and saw just how much Eunae’s shifts were going to cross Seulgi’s, and even her own, she wondered if she hadn’t handicapped her own team. Maybe she was overthinking it - she hit the edit button and started playing with the shift sliders. After all, Joy had said once upon a time, so who knows how long ago that could have been? But then Irene remembered the way Seulgi had practically ignored Eunae at the bar the other night, and how Eunae had secretly watched her. Something was up.

“... Oh,” Seulgi said.

Irene whipped around with a hand on her chest, and Seulgi blinked at her intense reaction. This girl startled rather easily… She knew it was only a matter of time before she’d have to face Irene after Joy blurted out her dramatic backstory to the entire team, but she had been hoping not to run into her alone in the back room.

Seulgi walked up to her boss. “Irene, I can explai-”

“Will it affect your ability to do your job?” Irene cut in coldly.

Rebuked, Seulgi retreated a step. “... No.”

“That’s all I need to know,” the store manager said, turning back around to resume her work on the schedule.

It felt like that first morning they had opened together. Just when Seulgi thought she was finally starting to see through Irene’s icy exterior, she was being shut out all over again. “Irene.”

“Yes, Seulgi?” Irene’s tone was aloof. Very professional. Seulgi didn't like it one bit. But she didn’t really know what to say to change it. “I still feel like I should explain what Joy probably meant.”

Irene clicked out of the schedule and stood. If Seulgi wasn’t going to let her work, she’d go back onto the floor. She didn’t want to hear about Seulgi’s past with Eunae. She didn’t want to get caught up in whatever messy entanglements there were in this store. Or this district. She had been foolish. She should have realized she was in trouble the moment she found out it had been Seulgi’s number on her cup.

“Your business is your own,” Irene said curtly. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

Seulgi looked away. She wanted it to be Irene’s business, in a strange way. She wanted Irene to want to know. She wanted Irene to understand that there wasn’t anything between her and Eunae. Not anymore. Seulgi took a step forward, and suddenly Irene took a step back, which surprised them both. Seulgi took another step, and Irene backed up until she was against the desk. Her expression changed from cold to wary as she eyed the pensive Seulgi.

“I want to explain. If you’ll please just listen...” Irene watched her wordlessly, so Seulgi took that as her cue. She sighed. “Eunae and I broke up a long time ago…”

“How long ago?” Irene heard herself ask. One of her many fears since reading Joy’s text was that she was some kind of rebound for the ‘Legendary Barista’, and that wasn’t exactly something worth risking her job over.

Seulgi looked away and thought. “Two… almost two years ago?”

“Then why did you react that way when you found out she’d be working for us?” Irene hadn’t forgotten.

Seulgi’s brow furrowed. The whole story she had tried to explain to Wendy clogged her thoughts. She once thought she had finally put it all behind her, but seeing Eunae appear so suddenly in her life again like that? “It’s complicated.”

Wrong answer. Irene felt like an idiot. Of course this kind, hardworking, beautiful girl had to have some kind of flaw, and here it was: she was emotionally unavailable. She gave a quiet, dry laugh and made to push past Seulgi. “Of course it is.”

But Seulgi grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

“Don’t,” they both said simultaneously. They looked at each other for a quiet moment.

“Let go of me,” Irene said lowly, though she made no move to pull out of Seulgi’s grasp.

“Not until you understand,” Seulgi countered with a pleading note in her voice that softened Irene’s hard stare.  

“Understand what, Seulgi?” She knew the girl was no John Keats, but she silently prayed Seulgi would give her a reason not to walk out of that back room.

And to be fair, Seulgi did make a good attempt.

She pulled Irene close and put her hand on her cheek. Irene’s protest died against Seulgi’s lips as the barista leaned down and carefully kissed her. Seulgi released her wrist and wrapped her arm around Irene’s waist, gently pulling her even closer. Irene let herself press against Seulgi’s tall frame, hearing the intoxicating way Seulgi in a quick breath before kissing her again, a little more confidently, a little more deeply.

This isn’t right. Oh, it certainly felt right, but that didn’t negate the fact that they were being recorded by the security camera. Or that any number of baristas in the cafe could walk in on them. Irene balled her fists and pushed Seulgi a little away by her shoulders. She felt even this scant amount of space between them rather acutely, despite herself.

Seulgi blinked down at her, surprised to see Irene looking up at her with a furious expression, especially after she had been fairly certain Irene was kissing her back. And there was the fact that Irene still seemed content to stand there with Seulgi’s arm around her.

“How could you?” Irene asked quietly, though her frustration was evident. How could you do this to me? “How dare you?!” she whispered. This isn’t how adults solve their problems. Seulgi was making her feel more foolish by the second.

Seulgi’s mouth opened and closed a few times in genuine shock. She was still slowly processing everything that had just happened, even though she had been the one to precipitate the kiss. “I… I’m sorry?”

Irene stared up at her, her anger being replaced by confusion. For a girl who appeared to operate in blacks and whites, she was certainly running Irene around in circles.    

“-you can’t go back there!” Gunhee squeaked in distress as Wendy pushed past him and into the back room.

“I need more cups. What’s the matter-” she paused seeing Irene and Seulgi, “-with you…”

Seulgi retrieved her arm from around Irene’s waist in a delayed reaction.

Wendy wordlessly grabbed a sleeve of cups out of a box and scurried back into the cafe.

Seulgi closed her eyes, honestly afraid of the look Irene was probably giving her. After a moment, she peeked, and sure enough the smaller girl was glaring up at her intensely, her cheeks a bright crimson.

“Irene, I-”

“Just… Seulgi,” Irene said, pausing for a breath while she willed herself to look anywhere but at Seulgi’s lips. Yes, she could lose her job, but there was more to it than that. “I can’t just… I just shouldn’t.”

Seulgi searched her face, but Irene was dodging her gaze. “Could I… maybe change your mind?”

Irene finally looked up at her, and Seulgi swore she saw a tint of vulnerability in her eyes. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” But oh, how she dearly wished Seulgi would try.

Seulgi’s expression darkened. She knew she hadn’t exactly inspired a lot of confidence in her relationship capabilities lately, but what could she do to fix that?

"I... have a lot of work to do," Irene said as she turned away. And she had a lot to think about. "Please, Seulgi."

What more could Seulgi say? "I'll be on the floor," she replied half-heartedly as she started walking away. "If, you know... if you need me."