a flirtatious barista

Seoul Art Institute was the most prestigious art school in South Korea, and it was every Korean artist's dream school. Irene's family couldn't afford the expensive school, but she was lucky enough to get a scholarship. She traveled from her small hometown to the bustling city of Seoul just two years ago, moving into the school dormitory.

What they didn't tell you in the brochures was how you had to slave over your works for hours on end if you wanted a half-decent grade, even longer if you wanted a good one. Irene learned that the hard way, and almosted failed her very first semester. So now, Irene pulled all-nighters and spent her weekends inside working on her art. Even two years later, she never got used to not having at least six hours of sleep.

So when her fellow classmates just wouldn't shut up about how good Red Velvet Latte was, she had to try it out herself.

Red Velvet Latte was a new coffee shop located on the edge of Seoul, only a couple blocks down from the art school. It had only been open for a few months, yet it was already getting rave reviews. Especially from college students who could barely function like Irene. The black coffee at the coffee shop on campus was beginning to taste a little odd anyway. It was perfect timing.

The store was named after its signature Red Velvet Latte, a super sweet drink that gets its name from the red food coloring mixed into it and the red sprinkles sitting on top of the whipped cream. Irene heard it was amazing, but she had no interest in trying it. Anything she drank caffeinated, she drank purely to restore energy. Taste and the like didn't matter.

So black coffee was just fine for Irene.

Bag slung around her shoulder and earphones blasting songs into her ear, she pushed open the door to the small coffee house at exactly 8:30am. It was unsurprisingly packed, and she recognized a lot of customers from her school. There were two baristas on duty, so the line moved fast enough.

"Next in line, please!" A sweet voice called out. Irene looked up and saw there was no one in front of her. She stepped up to the counter, where the barista stood behind the register. She pulled her earphones out of her ears.

Irene looked down at her apron. "WENDY", her nametag read. She flashed a teethy grin, exuding happiness. It was almost creepy to Irene.

"Hi there! You're a new face, and a really cute one too. What can I get for you?"

Did this barista really think the Irene with bags under her eyes, sickly skin that lost it's porcelain appearance, and hair tied up in the messiest bun on Earth was cute? There was no way anyone could find her cute, especially in this state.

Maybe she was just being nice, and did that with all her customers.

Or maybe she was flirting.

She decided it was the former and gave Wendy her order. "Hi, uh...just a medium black coffee, please. I'm kind of in a hurry, actually, so I would appreciate it if you could make this quick." Back in her dorm, Irene's latest painting was waiting to be finished. It was an abstract piece, and she was sure her teacher would approve.

"You sure? You know, our Red Velvet Latte is the best thing on our menu!" Wendy asked. "May I recommend it? I promise you won't be disappointed."

"No, black coffee is fine." Irene shook her head.

"It tastes way better!"

"Really, it's fine. Just black coffee."

"I insist."

"Black coffee!" Irene unintentionally raised her voice. This barista was just a tad bit irritating. She mumbled out an apology, half to the rest of the coffee house and half to Wendy, for yelling.

Wendy nodded. "Well, alright...sorry for bothering you. It just tastes really good, you know?" Her smile never left her face. Creepy. "One black coffee, coming right up! Can I get a name?" she asked as she pulled a medium coffee cup from the shelf next to her.

"Irene," she answered swiftly. "Irene."

She went over to the side counter, where everyone else was waiting. It didn't take too long for her drink to be ready. A girl with a nametag that read "JOY" called out her name, and she took the coffee and left. Her name was written in messy handwriting, but something else was written too.

please get some sleep, sweetheart. your eyes are too beautiful to have bags under them <3

Now, Irene was sure. Wendy was definitely flirting with her.

"She flirted with you?" Seulgi's jaw dropped as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Woah, this is huge, Irene. You haven't had a girlfriend since high school."

Irene nodded. "Yeah, maybe the art school thing made me a little bit busy." she replied sarcastically. "I don't need a girlfriend, Seulgi. I only need my paintbrushes and a canvas to paint on."

With a small groan, Seulgi crossed her arms. "Don't lie to me, Irene. I know you've been feeling lonely. Remember that time you got really drunk with Hyuna and you called me? You kept on talking about how much you missed your girlfriend from junior and senior year."

"Remind me to never drink with Hyuna again," Irene sighed. "or in general for that matter."

"Trust me, I will. I don't want to hear your drunken whining again."

Picking up her cup of coffee with the flirty message written on it, Irene let out a small sigh before taking a sip. She totally wasn't lonely. Not at all. She really did just need art.

Or did she?

She would never admit it, but she did miss having someone to love and to love her. It's a feeling like no other. However, there was no way Wendy would be that someone. They'd just met, and she doubted they would ever meet outside of the coffee house.

It had been only fifteen minutes since she'd gotten back to her dorm and Seulgi was already pestering her, leaving her unable to focus on her painting. She decided to drink her coffee to boost her energy, then kick her out of the dorm as soon as the cup was empty. Irene was going to finish that painting today, and she wasn't going to do it with Seulgi standing over her shoulder.

Irene slightly regretted mentioning the message and the flirting. But Seulgi was probably going to see it anyway when she turned her coffee cup the wrong way, so she was better off telling her straight up.

Seulgi grinned at Irene. "You know, I think you should go for this Wendy girl. You really need some love in your life, if you ask me."

"I didn't ask you and I'm not going to."

"You should, because I give you the best advice in the world. You probably wouldn't even be here if I didn't tell you to send in that portrait senior year," Seulgi pointed out.

The fact that Seulgi gave amazing advice was something even Irene could not deny. She was the one who pushed her to do almost everything she did, and she would probably be sitting in community college if it weren't for her. So, she did have her to thank for that. But Irene did not need advice right now. Even if she missed having a girlfriend, now was just not the time. She was really focused on improving her art and working toward an eventual career in art. She didn't have the time or patience to keep up with a girlfriend.

"Seulgi, I appreicate the concern. I really just don't think now's the time for something like this, though." Irene replied, standing up. Her cup of coffee was still partially filled, but she was tired of Seulgi now. She pushed the girl to the door. "I have to work on my painting. Thanks for the advice, but I don't need it."

With a pout, Seulgi allowed herself to be shoved. As she twisted the doorknob and opened the door, she said, "Go for Wendy. She's probably really cute, too." She didn't wait for a reply, and left quickly.

Finally. Irene was alone with her painting. She downed the rest of her coffee quickly, the bitterness not affecting her in the slightest. She almost tossed it in the trash bin next to her work area, but instead set it on the desk. She wanted to look at that message a few more times. She felt slightly pumped now - she wasn't sure if it was the coffee or the fact Seulgi was gone. Her paintbrush flew across the canvas in effortless . She wasn't going to let Ms. Song down once again. She wasn't going to accept anything less than an "A" on this assignment.

But a certain face wouldn't stop flooding her mind. Her brush began to move slower.

She called her cute. Wendy called her cute.

Wendy whatever-the-hell-her-last-name-was called Bae Irene cute. Not to mention, said her eyes were beautiful. Why was she swooning over something stupid like this?

She probably flirted with all of her customers. Maybe if she asked one of her classmates about it, they would tell her the same thing happened to them. Yet, Irene couldn't help but feel she was a special case.

Her eyes wandered over to the coffee cup sitting near the top of her desk. The message, written in Wendy's messy yet oddly cute handwriting, was being read over and over again in Irene's head. She reached for the cup and dragged it closer. She read it one last time before dumping it into the trash bin. She continued to work on her painting.

a/n

so yea this is the first chapter! hopefully you enjoyed.