Chaeyeon adjusted her round frames as she walked into the café across her university.

The brunette couldn’t believe that she was ditched by her best friend again. Minjoo was the one who asked her out for a study date, but cancelled it because she was going to spend time with her crush, Ahn Yujin.

Chaeyeon placed her laptop on the table with a heavy sigh. Majoring in Dance, her assignment for the day was to memorise a specific dance routine and to choreograph the dance break.

“Why the sigh, miss?” Chaeyeon heard a small voice calling out.

Turning her head, she found herself to be facing a… middle schooler?

“If you are having a bad day, I recommend the ‘Kkura Bread’!” The tiny girl said. “It is famous for bringing happiness to customers!”

Nako. The tag read.

Chaeyeon gave a slight nod in reply, along with a small smile.

That girl couldn’t possibly be a worker here right? The dancer thought. She looks too young to be working.

Realising the girl was no longer in sight, Chaeyeon stood up and headed to the counter.

“Welcome!”

Chaeyeon couldn’t process for a minute. The girl behind the counter was perfectly her type. She had reddish shoulder-length hair with tips that were neatly curled inwards. A few pins were clipped onto her bangs on her right, holding it up. The look was completed with a pastel pink button-up paired with a mid-thigh black skirt, which Nako had also worn.

“How can I help you?” Her soothing voice snapped Chaeyeon out of her thoughts.

Warmth filled the brunettes cheeks as she realised she had been caught staring. The subject of her attention had a tint of redness present on her cheeks as she flashed a shy smile.

“K-Kkura…” Chaeyeon mumbled.

“Y-Yes?” The girl jumped in surprised and blushed.

“Do y-you still have the ‘Kkura Bread’?”

“Ah!” Her cheeks seemed to flush more due to embarrassment. “Of course you meant the bread! Give me a moment.”

Sakura.

Chaeyeon caught a glance of her name tag as the girl went inside to get her order.

Cherry blossoms? What a nice name. Chaeyeon thought to herself, edges of her lips curling up to form a small smile. She must be Japanese.

“Here.”

“Eh?” Chaeyeon stared at the girl in front of her.

It was Nako. Chaeyeon could barely see her over the counter due to her height.

“‘Kkura Bread’!” The tiny girl said excitedly. “You ordered it right?”

“Ah… Yes.” Disappointment filled Chaeyeon’s voice as she smiled weakly and paid. “Thank you.”

Bringing her plate back to her seat, she racked her brains for ways to get the attention of Sakura.

Plan A. Visit everyday and flirt subtly with the girl. Minju had always called Chaeyeon smooth, and a girl-crush.

Plan B. Strike a conversation with Nako and ask about her. Nako seemed extremely friendly, unlike Sakura.

Chaeyeon can’t help the adrenaline rushing throughout her whole body as she thought of the success of her plan. But she had to finish up what she came here for before she could do anything more. The brunette clicked on the shared video as she took a huge bite into the recommended menu.

Various complimenting flavours exploded in Chaeyeon’s mouth, bringing the girl into food coma for a few seconds. ‘Kkura Bread’ was just so delicious, Chaeyeon understood why it was famous. Unfortunately, the café was underrated. In fact, the only customers seemed to be regular customers. With such delicious menu and cute employees, Chaeyeon questioned the emptiness of the café. But a part of her was glad, as this was where she could take a break from the noisy world and relax.

After 15 minutes of analysing the video, Chaeyeon memorised the dance routine, and she had to do was to practice it. Just as she started brainstorming for the dance break, she felt a light tap on her shoulders.

“Nako?”

“Here.” The tiny girl place another serving of ‘Kkura Bread’ on the table before collecting the other empty plate. “It’s on the house. Kkura-chan saw you working hard on your… assignment and wanted to reward you.”

Kkura-chan? Sakura?

Nako laughed as she saw the brunette gasp in surprise. It’s not often for Sakura to offer free food, but she done it before. At least, for her close friends that is, for example when her other roommate, Hitomi, was preparing for her finals.

“T-Thank you…” Chaeyeon muttered as she took a quick glance towards the counter, hoping to catch a glimpse of the kind girl.