The new hire has bad handwriting. Atrociously bad handwriting. The kind that deserves to be framed and shown in lectures to future generations as an example on how not to write.

"You're just not the poetic type," Yang Meng says, snickering when Luo Yin makes a face at him. "Even calligraphy annoys you."

"This," Luo Yin states, holding up the discarded cup with the ridiculous cursive scrawl under the lip, "is not calligraphy. Not even close. Thousands of artists across the country would riot if this were considered art."

"Ouch," comes the amused voice from behind and both employees jump in place. Neither had noticed the new worker leaning against the door to the supply room they’d been gossiping inside.

Luo Yin somehow manages a straight face as he says, "Gu Hai, aren't you supposed to be manning the register?"

Gu Hai raises an eyebrow, looking a little impressed at Luo Yin's nerve. "I was, but the customer asked for something I've never even heard of so I came to get my supervisor's advice."

Luo Yin and Yang Meng exchange glances.

By supervisor, he means Luo Yin, who has grudgingly been awarded the position despite having worked at the coffee shop for only a month. Yang Meng claims Luo Yin received the promotion because his calm, serious character makes him seem older than he is. Privately, Luo Yin thinks it's because their boss's only remaining choices were Yang Meng, whose tendency to make mistakes corresponds with how flustered he is by the rush hour crowd, and You Qi, who would abuse his newfound status in an instant.

"What did they want?" Luo Yin asks.

Gu Hai rattles off what he thinks the customer asked for, which makes Yang Meng cough and Luo Yin turn his face to hide a grin. They share amused looks. 

"I'll take care of it," Yang Meng says around the laugh in his throat, and Luo Yin gives him a grateful nod as he turns to leave. He still has a lot to finish checking in the supply room.

For some reason the new employee doesn't leave yet, and just looks at Luo Yin like he has something else to say.

Luo Yin raises an eyebrow this time. "Yes?"

Gu Hai crosses his arms. "You're not going to bother explaining to me what a double dirty tai chi latte is?"

Even though Luo Yin dislikes his supervisor position, he still has to squash down the immediate curl of annoyance at Gu Hai’s tone—bluntness which borders on insolence, if it doesn’t dance right into it. It doesn’t help that Gu Hai looks exactly like the type of meat-headed jock that Luo Yin despised in high school.

WIthout looking up from his clipboard, Luo Yin lists, “First, it’s called chai tea, not tai chi. Second, the term ‘dirty’ just means it has espresso in it; and third, ‘double’ refers to the number of shots. Any more questions?”

“Yeah, I have one,” Gu Hai breathes, startling him. All at once, Luo Yin realizes that Gu Hai is no longer standing by the door to the supply room, but mere centimeters away, his breath knocking into Luo Yin’s face.

TOO CLOSE, his mind blares and he instinctively leans away. He won’t be the first to step back though, and by the gleam in Gu Hai’s eye, he notes the unwillingness to yield.

“When do you get off work today?” Gu Hai asks, seemingly unbothered by the proximity. He crowds into Luo Yin’s space, using every extra centimeter of his unnatural height to loom. It makes Luo Yin raise his chin high just to maintain eye contact.

“Why do you want to know,” Luo Yin bites out, resisting the urge to hold his clipboard out in front of him like a shield. His nostrils flare a bit as he stares Gu Hai down. 

“So I can take you out for a cup of coffee. Maybe get a couple dirty tai chi lattes,” Gu Hai says, leering at the word 'dirty' so Luo Yin can't mistake his meaning. Luo Yin should have known the new hire would be a ert.  

When he leans in, Luo Yin reflexively blocks his face with the clipboard, and shoves Gu Hai away with the other hand so he knocks into one of the shelves. By the surprised ‘oof’ and the dumb look on his face, it's apparent Gu Hai wasn’t expecting that. Luo Yin's stronger than he looks, though most people assume his quiet studiousness translates to a lack of athletic ability. 

"It's called a chai tea latte" Luo Yin repeats as he neatly steps around Gu Hai's prone figure. "And I don't drink coffee, so no thanks." 

Deciding to make You Qi do the record-keeping later, Luo Yin swiftly walks out the room. He rolls his eyes as the new employee yells after him, "Then what about tea?"