Jiwoo sat in her usual spot behind the counter, her book resting on the cold surface as her eyes skimmed over the text on the page. No matter how many times she read the book, she always dove deep into the script, inserting herself into the story as if she was a part of the fantasy world, reimagining the possible endings if she had strayed from the prescribed events as one of the characters. Usually, she wouldn’t have as much time to sit around and read, but business had been slow as of late. The refreshing spring air was too tempting for people to ignore, so her shop remained vacant for the most part of the day.

             She didn’t mind the solitude though, for her world had been a bit chaotic as of late. Her conversation with Young Mi from the night before was still on her mind, bubbling and brewing at the surface of her turbulent thoughts. She wanted to believe that she was ready to make all these changes and to accept that growth and experience go hand in hand with pain. But, her desire for complete control overpowered her will to take any risks.

            Am I a coward, then? She wondered, mindlessly flipping the pages of her book and losing herself in her thoughts. Her fingers continued to flip through the pages, but her eyes traced over the decorations on the opposite wall. They drifted over her vinyls and books, stopping at the plants drooping in their pots.

            Frowning, Jiwoo got up from her stool and made her way over to the plants. She couldn’t remember the last time she watered them and was horrified with the state they were in. Grabbing her watering can and spray, she made her way around the shop and watered her plants. She sighed as the water quickly soak into the soil, seeping down into the parched roots beneath the surface.

            “I’m sorry I’ve neglected all of you, my children,” she murmured as she continued to feed her plants. She took the opportunity to rotate some of the pots, taking the ones that looked more sun damaged away from the window. “Ah, look at you. I’ve failed you,” she sighed, the yellowed leaves with a frown.

            A ringing at the counter caught her attention as she rushed to grab her phone. She quickly swiped to pick up the call as she caught Young Mi’s name on the screen.

            “Hello?”

            “Hi Jiwoo, are you busy right now?” Young Mi asked, holding the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she typed into a document.

            “No, unnie. It’s pretty dead,” Jiwoo sighed, glancing around her empty shop. She sat down at one of the tables and put the call on speaker. “Is there anything I can do for you? You usually don’t call at this time.”

            “What, is there anything wrong with just calling you for fun?” Young Mi asked, laughing as she continued to fill in the forms. Jiwoo shrugged on her end and joined in with a soft laugh. “Jokes aside, you’re not wrong. I have a strange request for you.”

            Jiwoo pulled up her legs and rested her chin on her knee and hummed in response. What is it this time? Is it another catering job? I…hope it isn’t…

            “It’s not another catering job, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Young Mi said, chuckling as she heard Jiwoo relieved sigh. “It’s not another one yet, at least. No, this time it’s something different, sort of.”

            “What do you mean by sort of?” Jiwoo asked, raising her eyebrow curiously.

            “Well,” Young Mi replied, “the boss came up to me today and asked if we could source the coffee beans that you used for the conference. He wants to switch out the beans we currently use at the SM Café. See, I told you it was a success. The CEO liked your coffee enough to want the same beans here.”

            Jiwoo gasped and sat up straighter in her chair. Her face grew warm, a faint tint of pink dusting her cheeks as a small smile graced her lips. “He asked for the same coffee?” Jiwoo whispered excitedly, wiggling in her seat as she waited for Young Mi’s response.

            “Yes! He came to my desk himself to request the change,” Young Mi replied with just as much excitement in her voice. “He was wondering what manufacturer you purchased your beans from so that he can order it himself. I know you probably want to keep your sources to yourself, so I completely understand if you don’t want to share. But, the CEO was pretty adamant,” Young Mi’s voice trailed off as she nibbled on her lip.

            “Oh! Yeah, I can tell you where I got the beans. However, you’re going to have to roast them yourself as I get my beans raw,” Jiwoo replied, “If you have a pen and paper ready, I can give you the name of my manufacturer right away.”

            “Wait, what do you mean by raw beans and roasting?” Young Mi asked, her brows furrowing as she turned in her seat.

            “Um, I buy the beans in the rawest form…and roast the beans myself in house…?” Jiwoo responded, not know how else to describe the process to Young Mi.

            “So, you don’t buy them ready to be used? If we get the same beans, we can’t just throw them into a coffee grinder and use them right away?”

            Jiwoo nodded in affirmation, picking up her phone as she made her way back to her stool behind the counter. “Yeah, you would need to put them into a roaster first before you can use them.”

            Young Mi closed her eyes as she ran a hand over her forehead. A dull throbbing began to emanate from her temples as she tried to process the new information coming at her. Such a simple task was now becoming a large problem for her, and she didn’t how she was going to solve it.

            “Are you still there, unnie?” Jiwoo asked, worried by the sudden silence on the other end of the line.

            “Yeah, I’m still here. I guess I can take the name of your manufacturer, though it’s going to be some extra work and training to for our staff. They don’t know how to roast beans, nor do we have the machines and space for them,” Young Mi said, grabbing a pen and notepad to write down the information.

            “Oh, you can actually bring your beans to roasting companies. They can do it for you there,” Jiwoo suggested. She pulled out her receipts from a file below the register and leafed through it, searching for a receipt from her bean supplier.

            “That’s good to know. Can I guarantee that they’ll be able to produce the same results as you? Because the boss was very specific about wanting the exact same beans,” Young Mi inquired.

            Silence greeted Young Mi as Jiwoo sat and looked at the receipt hesitantly. Jiwoo could not confirm nor deny with confidence that the beans would come out the same if brought to another roaster. Much like an artist is with their art, roasters have the same foundational skills, but all employ their own techniques and methods when creating their perfect roast. It would be rather difficult for another person to mimic the same bean that Jiwoo has, especially since she relies more on the feel and taste rather than timing and numbers.

            “Um, I cannot guarantee that they will be able to make the exact same roast as me, unnie,” Jiwoo mumbled into her phone. Both of them sighed.

            “Okay, so then what are we going to do, Jiwoo? I’m not trying to say my job is on the line here, but it kind of is. Even if it’s such a minor thing. I can’t disappoint the CEO.”

            Jiwoo nodded in understanding and looked at the beans she had already pre-roasted next to her espresso machine. There were a few containers ready for her to use, although they sat untouched for now with the slow business. A nagging feeling tugged at her thoughts and she spoke before she could stop herself.

            “Unnie, do you want me to source the beans? I can roast and package them in house and deliver them to you?”

            Young Mi sat up in her seat, grasping for the phone as it nearly slipped out of her grip. “Jiwoo, are you saying you would be willing to roast the beans for our company?”

            “Well, yeah. If it gets you out of hot water. In this case, it gets you a hot cup of coffee,” Jiwoo laughed at her own little joke, but coughed to cover up her laughter as this was still a serious situation.

            “We’ll pay you generously. Seriously.”

            “Payment isn’t an iss—”

            “No. This is now a business transaction. We can discuss the logistics of how to order the beans and other details soon. I will draw up a contract and float this idea with the CEO. I don’t know when I’ll be able to go out there for some samples, but I will try to visit sometime this week. You’re honestly a lifesaver, Jiwoo,” Young Mi gushed as she quickly pulled up a contract template on her screen and began to type away.

            Jiwoo sat gaping at her phone, not knowing how to process exactly what just happened. It looks like I’m trying something new then, she thought. And, once again, before she could stop herself, she spoke once more.

            “I’m actually not busy at all today and it doesn’t seem like I will be for the rest of the day. Do you want me to bring some samples to you now? I can bring the roast that I used for the conference and some other ones for your boss to taste?” Jiwoo asked. She lightly tapped her forehead and mentally kicked herself for being so bold all of a sudden. Where was the burst of confidence coming from? Whatever it was, Jiwoo was seriously contemplating digging her grave and jumping into it.

            Young Mi paused her typing and tilted her head at the phone. “Uh, are you sure? I don’t want to be an inconvenience to you or anything, but if you could, that would be great,” she said.

            “It’s no big deal. Like I said, there’s no business today, and the streets are quiet. I do have to take the train, so I might take a while to get there. Hopefully that’s alright with you?”

            Young Mi was about to respond when she saw the CEO and waved him over. “Hold on a moment, Jiwoo. Don’t hang up,” she quickly whispered into the receiver before setting it down without waiting for a response from the younger woman. “Sir, I was just on the phone speaking to the caterer. She mentioned that she purchases her beans raw and roasts them herself. What do you think about sourcing beans directly from her? The cost to find a separate company to roast, or buying a roasting machine ourselves, does not guarantee the same flavor of coffee. I believe this is not only the most cost-effective way to get the coffee that you want, but it will also support a small business.”

            “Do whatever you can to get the beans. I’m willing to pay whatever. We want the best for our café,” the CEO replied with a wave as he headed back to his office without a second glance.

            Young Mi picked up her phone and whispered into it. “Hello? Jiwoo? Are you still there?”

            “Your boss is really something, huh?” Jiwoo whispered back, stifling her laughter behind her hand. Young Mi laughed along with her, glancing around the office to make sure nobody was paying attention to her.

            “Yeah. He’s straight to the point and knows what he wants. Take your time. I’ll be in the office late tonight. Just text me when you get to the building and I’ll come down to get you,” Young Mi said.

            “Okay. The address is on your card, right?”

            “Yes, but I’ll text it to you just in case. See you later?”

            “See you later, unnie.”

---

            The afternoon sun hung low in the sky as Jiwoo finally got off the bus. She made her way across the street and stood in front of the large, glass building. Although she had been in Seoul a few times, she never really got around to visiting this area of the city, though she quickly realized why.

            “Excuse you…” she mumbled as a few young people shoved past her and rushed towards the building, joining a growing crowd of people. She could make out some screams and names being called out, but couldn’t recognize who the people were fussing about. Safely assuming that they were idols, a few tall figures got out of two vans and headed into the building as a chorus of cheers and wails greeted them. Almost as if it was a choreographed dance, the staff accompanying the group circled the members and held the fans back at a safe distance. As quickly as they had formed the barricade, the group entered the establishment and the staff disassembled themselves from the crowd to join the group inside. Everything happened so quickly, so efficiently. They moved together like a well-oiled machine, each of them playing their part to get from point A to point B with no issues.

            Impressed by their teamwork and mildly horrified by the crowd that began to disperse almost immediately after the group entered the building, Jiwoo turned her attention to her phone. She sent a text to Young Mi and waited outside the building for her next instruction.

            “Hey! Jiwoo, over here!” Jiwoo heard a voice to her left and noticed Young Mi peeking around the corner. “That’s our artist entrance. Our main entrance is this way,” Young Mi said as she pointed behind her. Collecting herself, Jiwoo shuffled over to Young Mi and bowed her head in greeting.

            “Hi, unnie. I hope it’s not too late for you,” she sighed, checking her watch for the time. It was just past 4 pm, and although it was light out, people usually got off work around this time.

            “Not at all! I told you earlier, I’m working later tonight since we’ve got some big projects coming up,” Young Mi said as she flashed her id at the security. “Could I please get a visitor’s badge for her? She’s going to be working with me for this evening,” she asked. The security handed over some paperwork for Jiwoo to fill out as they prepared a visitor’s badge. Writing down all the necessary information, Jiwoo returned the clipboard before taking the badge with a bow. Turning around, she found Young Mi standing in front of what looked like a food stall inside the main doors.

            “Is this the café?” Jiwoo asked, pointing at the stall as she joined Young Mi.

            “Yeah. This is the café. The restaurant is around the corner if you want any food?” Young Mi asked.

            “No thanks, I ate earlier. Oh right, here are the beans,” Jiwoo said as she pulled out a bag from her backpack. Young Mi placed a hand on her bag and shook her head.

            “Let’s go upstairs first. I want to discuss the contract with you before we do any official exchanges.”

            Jiwoo nodded as she stuffed the bag back in and followed Young Mi to a glass door. She watched as Young Mi scanned her id and the door clicked open almost immediately. Holding open the door, Young Mi motioned for Jiwoo to enter first and they both headed to the elevator.

            “Thank you, again, for coming out to Seoul. You really didn’t have to do this,” Young Mi said as they rode up to the office floor. Jiwoo shook her head and hands with a smile on her face.

            “It’s okay. I needed some fresh air anyway. Besides, I’m my own boss, so I can leave the shop as I please,” she laughed. The elevator doors opened up to reveal an open area filled with small cubicles. Young Mi brought Jiwoo to one of the conference rooms before turning to leave.

            “Have a seat. I’ll go grab the contract and the CEO,” she said nonchalantly. Jiwoo’s head whipped around to meet Young Mi’s sly grin, jaw hanging as the older woman swiftly left the room and left Jiwoo alone.

            Usually she would be a bit more composed in any given public situation. But, Jiwoo wasn’t prepared to meet the CEO. Not when the unfortunate events of the conference were still fresh on their minds. Young Mi could try to spin the narrative all she wanted, it still wouldn’t convince Jiwoo that the conference ended on a positive note. Even though she heard the CEO himself claim to want the coffee beans, Jiwoo was still a nervous wreck.

            Gathering her backpack and jacket, Jiwoo briskly walked towards the door and reached for the handle only to pause midway, hand suspended in the air. She contemplated leaving at that very moment to escape the fear setting into her body. The sudden bravery she experienced earlier was nowhere to be found. All that was left was plain old dread, an extreme desire to flee from the premises and not look back.

            Yet, a small sliver of her wanted to stay. She was already here in the conference room, waiting for new changes for her future. Waiting for new pains and growth.

            Remember what you promised yourself, she thought as her hand dropped to her side. Embrace the change, for this change was meant to happen.

            Collecting her thoughts and her composure, Jiwoo turned back around and sat down in a seat, patiently waiting for whoever was supposed to join her in this meeting. Her mind still buzzed with the thoughts of escape, but it all ended rather quickly when the door swung open.

            Instinctively, Jiwoo stood up from her chair and turned to the door, her old habits coming back to her on reflex. She bowed 90 degrees to the older gentleman who entered the room with Young Mi, only standing up when he greeted her and asked her to sit down. She kept her head lowered, a habit she had picked up from her past.

            “So, you’re the caterer?” the CEO asked, nodding at Young Mi as she handed over a folder. He flipped it open and skimmed through the contents, his eye glancing at Jiwoo over the tops of the pages. “Young Mi says you own a café of your own, is this true?”

            “Yes, Sir. I do. It is located in Suwon,” Jiwoo responded, eyes still downturned. Young Mi frowned in her direction, curious as to why Jiwoo was suddenly acting so differently. The younger girl no longer looked afraid and aloof. Rather, she held herself in a professional and respectful manner, submissive almost.

            “Now, in agreeing to this contract, that would mean that your business might lose some customers. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?” he asked. The bold question came as a shock to both Young Mi and Jiwoo, though the latter was better at hiding her expression.

            “I don’t believe it would change my business much as we are located in different cities. You are in the central metropolis and I’m in the outskirts of small town in another district. Rather, I think this would generate more traffic for both of us equally as I’m sure the beans will be advertised as being my roast, no?” Jiwoo responded. She finally looked up from the desk to meet the CEOs gaze. She held her ground and kept her face emotionless, unwavering.

            Young Mi’s jaw dropped as her eyes flickered between Jiwoo and the CEO. She thought she knew the girl sitting across the table from her. Clearly, there was a different side to Jiwoo that Young Mi never expected to exist. This girl was bold, fearless, and a smooth talker. Young Mi hadn’t included display details in the agreement, but it did make sense to do so if they were going to be in business together. However, she wasn’t sure how the CEO was going to take this sudden transaction that wasn’t listed in the papers.

            He was looking at Jiwoo with an unreadable expression, unblinking. Young Mi could only look between the two of them, her panic slowly rising as she tried to figure out how to deescalate the tense situation. She couldn’t recall anything from her training guide that specifically focused on dealing with a potentially angry CEO. After the meeting, I’m getting the clerks to add de-escalation techniques for any future employees, she thought. All she could do was stand paralyzed in fear.

            “Fair point. Young Mi, make sure the café puts the beans on display with her store logo. Get the paperwork updated to include this new clause and have it signed on my desk by today,” he finally responded. He closed up the file and stood up. “If there’s nothing else you need me for, I’ll be on my way then,” he said, bowing his head to Jiwoo who stood up in response.

            “Actually, sir, I brought a few other roasts for you to try. That’s only if you want to,” Jiwoo said, her voice rang clear across the room. Young Mi’s jaw dropped even further.

            “Bring me a cup of each later. For now, get the paperwork done.”

---

            “Um, what the hell was that?!” Young Mi snapped as she typed away on her laptop. She threw an incredulous look at Jiwoo who was now curled up in one of the chairs, her head thrown back on the head rest. Jiwoo couldn’t respond. All she could do was stare at the ceiling and hope that her breath would calm down soon. Otherwise, she may or may not need to call for an ambulance given the rate her heartrate. Even after so many years out of the office environment and culture, it scared her how easily she was able to jump right back into the corporate façade she had worked so hard to break down.

            “I didn’t think you had that in you, but clearly I know nothing about you. Where did that all come from, Miss. I’m-going-to-make-my-own-contract?” Young Mi huffed as she continued typing. She sent the document off to the printer and slammed her laptop shut, startling Jiwoo out of her meditative state.

            “Oh, sorry. I got carried away.”

            “Carried away?! You think?! Might as well carry my job out of the building and toss it in the trash. Or, did you forget that I’m the one that is supposed to be working here?” Young Mi growled. She held up a hand, cutting Jiwoo off as she exited the conference room to grab the documents from the printer tray. She stormed past her colleagues as they glanced at her from the corners of their eyes, waiting to see what the commotion was about. None of them tried to ask her for more details though, knowing full well that if they tried, Young Mi would serve them a whole main course lecture with a side of sass.

            Jiwoo warily watched as Young Mi re-entered the room and shut the door with a thud. Flinching at her heavy hand, Jiwoo waited for Young Mi to sort the papers before she answered her.

            “So, you already know I worked in the corporate world before I opened up the café. I never really told you exactly what I was, and that was completely intentional,” Jiwoo began her story. Young Mi sat down, arms folded across her chest as she listened to Jiwoo recall her past. “I was a corporate lawyer, and was unbearably unhappy with my career.”

            “Wait, so you wrote up contracts for a living?”

            “You bet I did. And I absolutely hated it. Maybe it was because of the company that I worked for, who knows. But, I definitely didn’t find pleasure in writing up agreements and being told to manipulate the clients so that we would benefit more from the partnership and transaction,” Jiwoo explained. “I hated the shadiness of the position. It made me feel like a fraud. Every day was spent finding loopholes and fudging with the language to make sure that the company didn’t get played, but that they also cheated their clients. This is a huge part of why I don’t like working with other businesses and doing collaborations.”

            Young Mi sat back in her chair as she processed this new information. “A corporate lawyer, huh? If that was the case, what happened during our meeting the first time around? You were clearly overwhelmed, if I wasn’t mistaken.”

            Jiwoo chuckled and nodded her head, “Yeah, I definitely was. I could never get used to those types of meetings, even after writing so many contracts myself,” she bitterly laughed, spinning her chair as she spoke. “That’s why I was left to work in the offices and only wrote up contracts while the field agents did the rest of the work. I never met with the clients and I’m glad I didn’t. I wouldn’t know how to face them after writing up such unfair contracts,” she explained. A sour smile flashed across her lips as her dark memories began to surface from within the depths that she had hidden them years before.

            Young Mi looked at Jiwoo, her face unconsciously softening at the visible inner turmoil the younger woman was facing as she spun in her chair. She didn’t know how to comfort her in the moment given the new revelations of her seemingly dark past. The person whom she thought she knew was clearly hiding a lot of sides that she wasn’t sure she was prepared to discover, nor did Jiwoo seem willing to share.

            Getting up from her seat, she brought the contract over to Jiwoo and placed it on the table in front of her. “If you would like to read through the clauses, then you’re more than welcome to do so. We don’t hide anything here and have clear cut expectations for both parties. No shady business if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

            Jiwoo shook her head and smiled. “Thanks, I’ll just skim through. I trust that you and your boss aren’t the same as my old workplace,” she mumbled as she quickly glanced through the documents. With a firm nod, Jiwoo motioned for a pen to sign the paperwork before handing it back to Young Mi. “I guess we’re in business, then?”

            Young Mi could only laugh in response, nodding her head as she tucked the folder under her arm. “Grab the beans, let’s go make some coffee.”

---

            “I thought we were going to use the staff lunchroom?” Jiwoo asked, glancing around the café as she tied her borrowed apron. She was conscious of the stares from the staff working the counters and stations, but kept her discomfort hidden under a nervous smile.

            “They don’t have a grinder in the lunchroom. Everything there is instant, unfortunately,” Young Mi replied, shooting her an apologetic smile. “We’ll just have to quickly borrow the space for the time being. And don’t worry about the staff, they know to not interfere,” she said reassuringly. “Besides, I’m not leaving you here alone. Let me know if you need help with anything.”

            Jiwoo smiled and nodded as she turned to observe her temporary workspace. Much like the grand scale of the company, the café was furnished with top of the line equipment. Two espresso machines sat atop the bench with everything else positioned around it. Her eyes scanned over everything as she mentally took notes of where all the supplies she needed were set.

            “Should I use the disposable cups, or the ceramics?” Jiwoo asked Young Mi, who responded with a shrug.

            “Use whatever works for you,” she replied. “Oh, and feel free to make some extra cups. I don’t mind having a cup myself,” Young Mi said with a grin. Jiwoo playfully rolled her eyes and turned to the machine.

            “If at any point the staff need to use the machine, please let me know,” Jiwoo said before she started unpacking the beans from her bag. The second she opened the first bag of beans, Jiwoo immediately lost herself in her own little world. The aroma pulled her into a coffee ridden trance as she paid no mind to her surroundings. Her hands moved around in graceful motions, dancing among the machines and cups as she ground and prepared all the espresso samples for the CEO.

            “Do you have any labels I could use?” Jiwoo asked, glancing over her shoulder as she continued to pour the frothed milk into the cup. Young Mi nodded and went over to the other staff to ask for supplies. She was surprised to hear a familiar voice on the other side of the counter.

            “Oh, noona! What are you doing behind the counter?”

            “Nothing of your concern, Johnny. Are you boys on break?” Young Mi asks, glancing behind Johnny to find Taeyong and Jaehyun standing with him.

            “Yeah, we needed a little pick me up coffee.”

            Young Mi looked back at Jiwoo and smiled. She looked just about finished with the samples, so Young Mi held up a hand to the employee at the register.

            “Don’t charge them anything, these cups are on me. I’ll give them some of the new samples to try.”

            Johnny perked up at the word sample and looked at Young Mi confused. “Samples?” he asked, just loud enough for the other boys to hear and step forward with interest.

            “Yes. Samples. How would you like your coffees? Quickly now, I don’t have all day,” Young Mi snapped. She grabbed the pen and paper from the staff and crossed her arms with a stern look at the boys. The three of them called out iced americanos in unison before taking a cautious step back from the counter. “Great, just give us a minute to make them.”

            Young Mi joined Jiwoo at the machine and placed all the prepared cups on a tray for the CEO. Jiwoo listed each blend for Young Mi to label the cups before she handed off the tray to another employee, instructing them to give the file and coffee to the CEO right away.

            “Hey, could you also make me 3 iced americanos? Some of the boys want a drink and I figured we could give them one of your roasts?”

            Jiwoo nodded and got right to work. She picked out the darkest roast from her samples and poured it into the grinder. Young Mi observed as Jiwoo floated around the work area, smoothly moving from one task to the next in a rhythm that only she could hear. She moved as if in a choreographed dance, reaching and pulling around her, drawing on her invisible canvas like the artist that she was.

            On the other side of the counter, the three boys huddled close to observe the coffee making process. They, too, were drawn into her elegant motions as she swiftly put together their drinks.

            “Is she new?” Johnny asked Taeyong, glancing down at the leader curiously. Taeyong only shrugged in response, his eyes wide in wonder and curiosity.

            Jaehyun tilted his head and watched Jiwoo with a sense of awe. He had seen his fair share of baristas making coffee and never had he seen someone move around so gracefully. She moved like a dancer, her motions confident and agile, yet also quick and neat. Most of the time the baristas took far too long to make their drinks. Jiwoo, however, pulled their drinks in no less than a minute. Quick and clean.

            Snapping on the lids, Jiwoo set the cups aside as Young Mi stepped forward and grabbed them from the counter. She turned and handed them to the three boys before shooing them off to practice.

            “Here. Enjoy your coffee. Now go back to practice,” she ordered, watching them like a hawk as they scurried away. None of them dared to look back in case she was still watching them, which she most definitely was until they disappeared around the corner. “Okay. If you could wait for me in the seating area for a moment, I’m just going to go talk to the CEO. Hopefully he will have made his decision already,” Young Mi said, grabbing the iced americano from Jiwoo’s outstretched hand with a grateful smile.

            “Okay, I’ll just clean up the counter first.”

            “Make yourself a cup first before you go.”

            Jiwoo nodded and turned back to the machine to make her own. She didn’t forget to make some for the other employees working, quietly offering them the cups with a welcoming smile. They hesitantly took the cups from her and each took a small sip. Jiwoo pridefully beamed as they turned to her with shocked expressions and took another sip of their coffees. They offered her two thumbs up and continued to enjoy their drinks excitedly.

            Double checking that the counters and machines were all cleaned up, Jiwoo grabbed her cup and bowed to the employees before she settled down at one of the tables in the seating area to wait for Young Mi. Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out her book and flipped it open to where she left off. The excitement from the day’s events finally began to settle as she relaxed into her cup of coffee and her book of the day.

            “Oh, hello! What can we do for you, Jaehyun-sshi?”

            “I was just wondering if I could get another cup of coffee? The others took mine and won’t give it back.”

            “I’m so sorry, we don’t have any more samples of the beans that we used for your coffee,” the boy behind the counter responded, though he unconsciously glanced over at Jiwoo in the seated area.

            Jaehyun noticed the glance and instinctively looked in that direction himself. He noticed the girl from earlier sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, her nose buried deep into a book. He turned back to the employee and asked as he pointed to Jiwoo, “Was she the one who made the coffee for us?” The two employees nodded and one of them opened their mouth to respond, but was interrupted by none other than Young Mi.

            “I thought I told you to go back to the practice room asap. What are you still doing here, Jaehyun?” Young Mi snapped as she marched over to the counter. “Well?” she asked, crossing her arms as he didn’t respond immediately.

            “Uh, I just wanted another cup of coffee. Doyoung hyung took mine,” he mumbled, his eyes flickering around at everything but his manager.

            “Oh, why didn’t you just say so,” she said. She turned to the two behind the counter and asked them to get started with the coffee when Jaehyun hummed.

            “Um, I actually was hoping to get another cup of the new roast? If possible? It was really good…” he trailed off his sentence as Young Mi’s head whipped around to look at him.

            “Unfortunately, that’s not possible. Either you get the regular coffee here, or nothing. You decide.”

            Jaehyun sighed and looked over at Jiwoo’s sitting figure for a split second, contemplating whether he should point out that the person who made the coffee earlier was still here. But, he quickly tossed out that idea when Young Mi took a step closer to him. Instinctively, he bowed and said he would take the regular coffee. He stood back up to see Young Mi holding her cup out to him.

            “Here, I haven’t had any of it yet. Take it and go back to the practice room. Hopefully you haven’t wasted any more time,” she sighed, putting the cup in his hand and pushing him towards the practice rooms. “Now go before I take it back.”

            Jaehyun grinned at his manager before bowing and running off with his new cup of coffee. He stopped just before he turned the corner, took a sip of the drink with a satisfied sigh and waved at Young Mi before disappearing once more.

            Young Mi chuckled at his actions and sighed once again, a sense of sadness creeping up on her as she looked longing at her hand that once held her precious cup of coffee. Dejectedly, she walked to the seated area and joined Jiwoo at her table. She chuckled as Jiwoo jumped in her seat with a fright.

            “Oh my goodness, unnie! I didn’t even hear you!” she squeaked, clutching her chest as she tried to calm her racing heart. Once it started to settle, she took a deep breath and slowly let the air out. “So, did your boss decide on which roast he wants?” she asked as she closed her book and tucked it into her backpack. Young Mi nodded at her and drew a circle with her index finger. Jiwoo looked at her with narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow.

            “All. He wants all of them. Plus any other new roasts that you come up with.”

            “Oh.”

            “Yup.”

            “I see. That can be arranged, I think. Does he know how many bags he wants to start with?”

            “One of each. He wants to see how long it will take for us to get through a single bag. From there, he will let you know the number of bags we’ll need bi-weekly.”

            Jiwoo nodded and checked her watch. The last train back to Suwon was coming soon, so she needed to start heading out soon. “Okay. I’ll drop off some bags tomorrow.”

            “We can arrange for a pick-up service?”

            “It's okay. I was planning on taking the morning off anyway. There’s no need to call someone else in,” Jiwoo said as she started to get up from her seat. “I need to be heading out now since it’s getting late. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

            “Sure. Yeah. See you tomorrow. Do you need a ride home? It’s quite far?”

            “No thank you. I have my book and coffee to keep me company. Bye, unnie. Have a good night,” Jiwoo said with a bow. She smiled at the employees at the counter as she headed out of the building and stepped into the night. It was still a little bit light out, the skies painted a dusty blue violet as the warm, spring air danced around. Pausing at the entrance, Jiwoo let out a content sigh before she headed to her bus stop, her coffee in hand.

            Jaehyun leaned against the practice room window and stared out into the night sky, admiring the purple and blue hues as the sun glowed from below the horizon. He took a sip of his iced americano and let out a satisfied sigh. The coffee was smooth and bold, with a rich chocolatey undertone that was familiar, though he couldn't quite put a name or place to it. Putting his cup down, he looked down to the streets below, catching sight of some sasaengs huddled in front of the building with their cameras pointed in his direction. He began to turn away when he noticed a small figure leave the front entrance of the SM building. Even from a distance, he could just make out the form of the girl who made their coffee and was intrigued. She paused and let out what looked like a sigh before she started to walk past the group of glowering sasaengs and sat at the bus stop, unaffected by their glares.

            “Jaehyun, let’s get back to practice,” Taeyong called from the center of the room. Jaehyun nodded and picked up his coffee for one more sip, his eyes flickering to the street below at the figure at the bus stop.

Here's the next chapter for you! I have been in a writing mood lately and this chapter seemed to come a bit easier than the last. Thank you to the new subscribers! I didn't think anyone would stick around given how slow moving the plot is. But if you have, thank you! I appreciate you!

Feel free to leave any comments, questions, concerns, feedback, or just a quick hello! I try to reply to every single one of them either in the author notes here, or directly. AFF has changed quite a bit in my almost 10 years of being on here =S My word, how time has escaped me. Anyway, thank you, once again, to those of you who stuck around or have newly subscribed. I really really do appreciate you all!

Also, Happy Doyoung Day!

Cheers.