Minju

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! 
 

I woke up to the sound of the boisterous alarm that my mother gave me for the holidays when I was a teenager. Dubious at first, I thought it would be a useless gift-- but it turned out to be one of the most useful objects I owned to this day. I looked around to see the messy setting my plain white room accommodated, as the sight of empty soju bottles scattered around and the smell of tteokbokki ingrained in the atmosphere.  
 

“Must’ve had a good time last night,” I whispered as I picked up the junk that gave my comfortable space an unsightly look. Yuri, a close friend of mine-- who’s also happened to be the one I live with within our warm apartment, seemed to have been in sleep slumber due to yesterday’s eventful night, usually her daily routine consisted of annoying me first thing in the morning. 
 

As I finished cleaning up, I walked to the closet to pick out my uniform. It was another workday for me. Being a barista had its pros and cons, the environment was mostly friendly though from time to time, there’ll be a rude customer-- it’s inevitable anyway. However, the pay wasn’t as good as I expected it to be. After graduating from one of the top universities in Korea, Seoul National University, people would think I’d have a well-salaried job, but here I am working minimum wage for a coffee shop in the city. The top was a thick, navy-colored cotton polo t-shirt. While my bottoms were a black, slicked denim that fitted my lower half perfectly fine.  
 

A couple of minutes later, I was tidied up and was ready to go to work. I went to check Yuri’s room just to find her rummaging around, assuming that she was probably late for her work. Her hair was still disheveled, at the same time, jogging around with one heel on her.  

“Are you late?” I rhetorically asked.  
 

“What do you think Kim?!” She madly replied, stopping to glare at me. After the pause, Yuri continued to look for something. Her attire was composed of beige slacks with the same-colored suit and a white button-up.  
 

“Alright alright, I’ll stop now. I’m about to head, good luck with your tie!” I yelled, making my way out of her room to the kitchen for a quick stop for a bagel. I didn’t have much time to prepare and cook breakfast so I grabbed the instant meals and snacks we bought just in case.  

The shop wasn’t far and the path to it was bearable that one could walk without feeling exhausted. Today was a warm day, the streets weren’t clouded by tourists and citizens. Businesses were starting to open and children happily skipped their way to school. It was fall season, green leaves turned to the colors of orange and yellow. I inhaled the freshness of the air, it was a nice morning despite the subtle pain my head felt.  
 

I arrived at the shop after a few minutes, I checked to see that I still had time to lounge around before I could clock in. It wasn’t too busy, there were only a couple of customers. Some were there for their coffee, some were on their laptops-- managing their business, and the rest were simply enjoying the serenity of the wonderful morning. I was part of the rest. Days like these rarely occur anymore. Maybe it’s because of the adulthood I am transitioning to. In a way, it is less freedom as the younger ones do not have to worry about bills or relationships-- according to my mom.  

Another alarm went off, this time it was my phone, reminding me to clock in. I sighed as I went straight to the counter which had a white, modern finish with some decor on the side. I punched my code in the computer and wore my name tag. My co-worker walked out of the storage room and smiled at me. She was younger than me, a college student working to earn extra cash for whatever she needed. We weren’t friends, but she’s nice enough to be around for an entire shift.  
 

“Minju-ssi, everything has been restocked! Please mop the floor.” Our manager requested. I nodded in return and went to take the mop.  
 

“Good morning! Welcome to Angel’s Cafe, what can I get you?” I heard my co-worker greet. I made my way to the front where I was directed to.  
 

“Hello. May I please get an Iced Americano?” The lady asked. She had a dark grey suit with a sophisticated, black tie wrapped around her neck. She was slightly shorter than me with a protruding mouth and bangs that covered her forehead. Must be an office lady like Yuri.  

I carried on mopping, putting my whole focus on it. It was a method of mine to kill time. The floor wasn’t that dirty since our shop just opened, but it needed to be polished and presentable. Who would visit a cafe with mud lying around anyways? 
 

The lady sat down near the area I was cleaning, I didn’t mind as she was not stepping on the ones I’ve mopped. She gave me a small smile and went back to scrolling on her phone. More people came, the shop got busier as the line to order started to build up. The office lady patiently sat though her order was taking a bit too long.  
 

A few minutes later, “Order for Yena! Iced Americano!”  

I moved closer to the waiting area, mopping any dust or mud that I saw. Then, the cute doorbell sound rang, indicating someone had just walked in. I turned around to see a tall, black-haired woman wearing an expensive-looking grey, a striped suit that shaped her well-proportioned body, and with glasses that perfectly sat on her sharp, high-bridged nose. She was insanely attractive. My entire body froze, except for my eyes-- who followed every step she made.  
 

“Yena-unnie, what is taking you so long?” She frustratedly asked as she stared at the smaller woman in front of her.  
 

“Chill my dongsaeng, it’s here, can’t you see?” Yena nervously smiled, bringing the drink closer to the tall woman’s face. I was still starstruck. Never in my life have I seen this attractive of a person. I observed the woman’s face, her structure was unbelievable. I was so starstruck that I walked closer to them, still keeping my eye on the tall lady. Too busy staring that-- 
 

“OMG!” She yelled; I was brought back to my senses when I felt cold liquid drip onto my collarbone. I realized that I had bumped into her and the drink spilled on both of us. 

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” She screamed as her attention centered on me. Everyone was watching intently at the commotion I created as I nervously looked around the room. Yena could only gasp at the scene while the tall lady had her eyes set on me and her nose flaring with anger. I was screwed.  

“Do you know how much this outfit costs? This is 20 million won!” I gulped after hearing the price, it was not something I can pay easily.  

“I need you to pay me back! AISH! Now I’m late.” She continued. The embarrassment succumbed to me, making me look down, and afraid to face her.  

“What is going on?” My manager asked as he came into the scene. I still could not look up, fearing everyone’s eyes.  

“Your worker here is rubbish; can you see what she has done to my suit?” 

“I apologize for the inconvenience Miss Ahn. Is there any way we can recompense you?” He frantically apologized as he continuously bowed to her as if she was a very important person.  

“Fire her.” I finally looked up. “This happens to be my go-to coffee shop, I can’t have another incident occur.” She finished. The manager pitiably stared at me before nodding his head. 
 

“Sir! Please don’t! I need this job.” I pleaded as I kneeled and begged. People were starting to record, but that wasn’t important, my bills were. He carefully grabbed my hands and motioned for me to stop,  

“I’m sorry Minju, I genuinely am. But, please leave. Don’t come back,” He whispered. My legs shook like crazy, my eyes were getting teary, though that didn’t stop me from eyeing the tall lady with hatred. 
 

“You rich bastards are too entitled,” I commented before removing my name tag and throwing it on her. I exited out of the shop, running as fast as I can to the apartment, finally letting everything out. Multiple cars honked at me as I dangerously crossed the streets, disinterested in the chaotic surroundings.