L ATTE I: A SPRINKLE OF SMILE

Saturday. 07:15. The two roommate were discussing their usual morning and a certain college student.

“You smile too much.”

Nam Woohyun was in the middle of letting water soaking through his coffee ground using a century-old manual drip method when his full-time best friend and part-time roommate speak up. His voice dripping with his usual annoyances and his eyes were focused on Woohyun’s work.

“It’s weekend, Sungyeol. New day, a new spirit, no?”

Sungyeol rolled his eyes at his best friend’s remarks and take a quick sip from his Ice Americano that Woohyun has prepared beforehand. Lee Sungyeol is an avid lover of coffee, a religious one, but there’s no single talent and abilities in him to brew a perfect coffee even after Woohyun spend his precious time to teach him only to sighs in frustration. Because how hard can it be?

It’s hard, really.

So, in order to save his friend from a misery and a double bucket of frustration, Sungyeol just passed the responsibilities to him to do their coffee as well as their customer’s order while he stays still in the front of the café, working behind the counter, relinquish his pretty smile, and kiv their order before passing it to Woohyun.

And let the professional barista do his job.

“I hate morning shift. Where is Sungjong when we need him the most?”

Woohyun glances at his friend for a second before shrugging his shoulder absentmindedly. There are approximately fifteen minutes left before they need to open their coffee shop and Woohyun didn’t want to spend his time complaining about the nature of their job. Maybe Sungjong is right, he needs a new set of a friend to keep himself from drowning in the pool of annoyance that is Lee Sungyeol.

“I thought you’ve agreed to the arrangement of the shift?”

“I did. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t hate it.”

Woohyun felt like throwing his old-style ceramic coffee dripper to the cashier’s head for being impossible. They have an off day yesterday, so instinctively, he thought maybe Sungyeol would be less cranky today, and sharing his fair share of happiness with their customer. 

“Just why did Sungjong put you as a front member of his café? Stop complaining before I ask him to switch our position.”

The two roommates left their conversation at that without a proper closure and start to actually perform their task when the clock strikes eight and the sliding door automatically unlock, and like an actual actor, he is, Sungyeol threw his perfect ten thousand watt smile and start to take their order.

Paradise Café Lounge—located in Seoul’s Hongdae neighborhood, on the corner of Hongdae University Street and Art market is a local, hidden gem. Like other communities throughout the city’s North Side, Paradise Café is a diverse, hipster lounge. 

Framed two-flats and three flats line the streets. Brick storefronts selling flowers and discounted home goods are scattered along the Art market—one of the area’s main thoroughfares. Ethnic grocery stores offering homemade sausages, paczki and cabbage soup are plentiful.

And Lee Sungjong, on his twenty years old of living, recognizing a need for a coffee shop in the corner street of the said University and decided to open the café in September 2014. Since opening its doors, the café has become a fixture in the area. 

Even earning itself a spot among other beloved Hongdae coffee shops in Seoul’s list of The 25 Best Coffee Shops for Getting it All Done. Besides serving exceptional, high-quality coffee and espresso drinks, their café is also dedicated to partnering with local businesses and supporting new and established artists throughout the area.

To say that they have quite a reputation is an understatement. Its legit are sought-after, especially by the college student. Sleep deprived College student by the way.

“I think I’m going to be sick. Uh, I need to go to the toilet.” Sungyeol run from his counter and untied his brown apron that has been securely placed around his waists, before passed through the brewing counter to yelled at Woohyun, “Yah, Woohyun! Go take my place for a while.”

It was in that moment that Sungjong decided to interfere and make his appearances in front of the raven. He has dressed in a navy blue jeans and a white button up. His hair looks suspiciously shining than usual.

“What the actually happened here—hyung—stop yelling!” He says when he heard Sungyeol yelling colorful profanities about his hurting and a possibility of constipation for taking too much coffee.

“You need to stop spoiling that brat. Go take the order.”

“I’m a barista here. Why can’t you replace his place?” 

“I’m the boss here. Besides, you were dress appropriately while I’m not.”

Woohyun groaned in his place and close the lid of his ceramic’s coffee jar before removing his face mask to go the counter. He should put a whole jar of Barium in Sungyeol’s coffee instead. That guy loves to stress him out even without him being physically present.

Woohyun and Sungjong’s passion for coffee is slightly different and their community were impressed with their own unique style and expertise. From using a scale to precisely measuring their customer’s coffee beans to brewing coffee with filtered water, they had a whole lot of experiences in their pocket to make a perfect cup of coffee.

So, Woohyun can’t say no. “Fine.”

Just then, the front bell ringing indicating the presence of a new customer and—oh hello, aren’t you a beauty? Woohyun has been working here for more than three years and he definitely remembers the face of their regular and learn to remember their likes and dislikes, the dos and don’ts for their pastry, and the taboo for their coffee.

And this is definitely the first time he saw this pretty face.

“Hello! Welcome to the Paradise café! What can I get for you?” You’re pretty, he wants to add but decided not to. He can feel the intense glare from his boss at the back of his head. Oh well.

“I d-don’t know yet. Um, do you have any suggestions?” He asks Woohyun in a soft voice, and if the raven didn’t have his interest glue to his lips, his pink luscious pretty lips, he might not be able to hear.

The customer looks so out of place in their café. He looks like someone who adore the sweet stuff and diabetes-inducing substances and were forced to visit their café to get a bitter drink for the sake of his sanity if the huge eye bag under his eyes is anything to go by.

His eyes were chestnut and sparkling in childish innocent that can rival the color scheme of his hair, which is a brunette that hasn’t been specifically style. He probably just waking up from his power nap and decided that he need a bitter coffee to fight with life. Well, to everyone’s preferences then.

“We have a limited Pumpkin spice latte for today’s special menu! Might be suitable for a sweet stuff like you.”

And if Sunggyu notices the endearment (sweet stuff?), he didn’t say anything. He bits his lips and rubbed the back of his neck in discomfort. He shows a grimace at the concept of mixing a pumpkin in his daily dose of caffeine. “With an actual pumpkin? No thanks. It doesn’t sit well with my conscience.”

Preferences are important. There are some who want a pumpkin and others who don't. He has never had an impulse to go to the altar. And Woohyun going to forgive this pretty guy for indirectly insulting his special recipe this time.

“How about a Moccacino? A combination of Espresso and hot milk, but with an added chocolate. My personal favorite.” He explained the detail of the coffee without blinking like he breath the recipes, before flashing his toothy grin at the others. 

There’s nothing unusual about the brunette at first glances. He’s not too tall, but not too short either. Clad in a simple jogger pants and sweatshirt. Dress to impress can go to hell.

His faces were donning in a thick-framed glasses that cover half of his face, making he looks younger than his actual age. He can pass as a high schooler, but the lanyard of Hongdae University around his neck prove him otherwise.

His skin burn from Woohyun’s blinding smile. Who says Woohyun can’t be a front man in their café? He definitely can charm their customers and make a way into their hearts (and pants). 

“I-I will just take that. Um, a Moccacino.”

“Would you like a Milk froth or whipped cream with your Moccacino?”

“W-Whipped cream.” 

Woohyun almost smiled seeing the other in a misery. Typically, when you see a stranger, your mouth starts dancing like a convulsion. He coos at the cute stranger in front of him. “Take away?”

The other just nodded and took his card out of his wallet to pay for his order. Twelve dollars. Who pays that much for a standard coffee? He should visit McDonald and order his basic ground coffee instead. He has a weak spot for his wallet.

“A Venti Moccacino with a whipped cream is coming up! Name?”

“K-Kim Sunggyu.”

“Alright. Please take a seat while I prepared the order!” He moves away from the counter to get back to his working station when he saw Sungyeol coming out of the room labeled as ‘staff access only’ and start to retied his apron around his waist. They exchange a quick glance, and Woohyun just shrugged. Again.

In their cafe, there’s a variety of customers lining up every morning for a cup of coffee to wake their system and begin their day with a good amount of productivity and focus. Coffee is a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to someone’s older self. 

If life has taught Woohyun a lesson in his twenty-two years old he’s been alive, it was that coffee is a savage medicine ever introduced by humanity. Even bad coffee is better than no coffee at all.

He didn’t exactly imagined his older self as a barista, with his good and flying colour result, he wishes to be a pilot until he comes across the advertisement that required a full-time barista for their new café—which is Paradise café now—and without a second doubts he take the flyers and walk in for an interview. That was the first time he met Sungjong.

And that’s when he falls in love with the beauty of the caffeine and he requests Sungjong to send him for a class and competition to be a Professional barista.

And he’s glad that the younger agree with his decisions. Without coffee, life would be a mistake.

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