Kim Junmyeon was always the first one to arrive and the last to leave. Seven o’clock on the dot everyday, except on Sunday which was the only day he allowed himself a day off, he opened the coffee shop. After turning the lights on he went straight to the back where he removed his big coat and cozy scarf, hanging them on the coat hangers on the wall beside the door leading back to the front of the - now lit - coffee shop. He grabbed the apron from one of the other hooks - dark brown with the logo on it - a little coffee cup and a cookie, along with his name that was sewn onto the fabric with white thread. 

He’d done it himself, all of it. Both the logo design as well as the names written in cursive on the chest pocket. He liked making things himself. Hence it made sense that he opened his own coffee shop. He got to make things and design things as simple as the name and logo on the aprons or bigger things like where the furniture were to be placed. 

In the beginning it had just been him. It had been fun, though. He got to make everything himself; the coffee, the food, the layout. He could do whatever he wanted. He picked out and ordered all of the furniture on his own, painted the walls, created the logo and so on and so forth. It was fun. It was what he wanted to do.

It eventually got very stressful though. The coffee shop was located on a busy street with a lot of people needing their morning coffee and a snack on their lunch breaks. He was only one man and he was running back and forth all day, switching between brewing the coffee, standing behind the cash register and making whatever he was out of. 

Soon he figured he needed employees. If he continued like this he was going to get grey hair by thirty. 

He made the poster by hand, hanging it up on the door so anyone who were interested would see it as they entered. Everything on the piece of paper was written in clear, neat handwriting and he added the carefully drawn logo in the top left corner.

It took a few days before anyone asked for a job. He often checked to make sure the poster was still there, worried it had blown away or someone had taken it just to mess with him. But no, it was still there. He was on his way back to the counter after checking once more when he heard the door opening and the bell ringing.

"Are you still looking for people to work here?"

He turned around, a small smile on his face, happy someone finally asked. He didn’t have to do everything himself now. Finally he would have a chance to breathe a little, maybe take a little break once in a while. 

Junmyeon nodded. "I am. Here." He walked over to the closest table, pulling out a chair. "Take a seat. I have a form you can fill out. Just a second." He didn’t even give the guy time to answer before he disappeared into the back of the shop. 

He returned a few minutes later with a paper and a pen in hand. The guy was sitting by the table now, jacket draped over the back of his chair and his beanie on the table in front of him. "Here you go." Junmyeon handed the form to him before sitting down in the chair on the opposite side of the table. 

"Thank you." 

The guy didn’t look that old, he noted. Early twenties probably, maybe even younger. Perhaps he was a student? 

"Here." The guy pushed the paper over to him along with the pen and he picked it up. Kim Jongdae, 22 years old, university student, music major, has worked in a couple of shops before. 

Junmyeon looked up from the paper, realising he hadn’t even introduced himself to Jongdae. He had just greeted him by handing him a form. He held out his hand for the younger to shake. "I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself," he said, smiling at him as Jongdae grabbed his hand.

"I’m Junmyeon. Kim Junmyeon, the owner of this coffee shop."

"Nice to meet you, Junmyeon. I’m Jongdae." 

Jongdae might’ve not had much experience when it came to baking or brewing coffee, but he was a quick learner. He needed a lot of help in the beginning of course, like with where everything was, learning all the different recipes and all of that, but in the matter of just a few weeks, he was standing in the back, baking those cookies like he hadn’t done anything else in his life. 

He was great behind the cash register too. He had a charming smile and he was always happy and polite. The customers seemed to love him. He sometimes cracked some jokes as well, never failing to draw some laughs and smiles. Overall he was a great employee and Junmyeon had no regrets hiring him. 

It was just the two of them for a while. The poster was still hanging on the door weeks later as he entered the coffee shop an early Friday morning. It was a little wet, though. It had been raining all night. 

Looking at his watch, he saw that he still had almost ten minutes left before he had to open. He spent those ten minutes getting everything ready, making sure all the food was there and nothing was missing, checking if the tables were clean and the fridge with soda, water and juice was filled. Once everything was ready and the clock hit seven, he finally opened and went back over to the counter. 

Jongdae arrived just half an hour later. He’d only work a few hours before he’d leave for his classes that day, though, leaving Junmyeon alone during the busiest hours. He’d come back by four - or maybe it was five - though to work another hour or so, before he finally went home for the day.

It was still a little stressful, however. Obviously it was a little less now that he had Jongdae, but he was a student. He had classes, responsibilities and a social life, and could therefore only work a few hours a day.

Another employee or two would’ve been nice.

Maybe the poster flew away? Maybe that was it.