A/N: Hello! Chapter 2 is ready :) Thank you for subscribing and I hope this story will be worthwhile to read. Anyways, I think I will update at least once a week (when the draft of the next chapter is ready) so I don't have a definite schedule. Hope that this is alright! Rest well and stay healthy! Do the things that you love since life is rather unpredictable. Cheers!

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It is another day for Jisoo and given that she has the schedule like the back of her hand, it is currently the time where there aren't many customers. She likes how peaceful the cafe is. She can work on many things while enjoying the peace and quiet in the open space, for example working on her administrative work at the counter or deep maintenance of her espresso machine. She would much prefer the second task. It is her favourite. Call it crazy but treating a machine as if it's human helps a lot. It keeps her business running smoothly every day. She had her fair share of machines breaking down back in her part-time days but this espresso machine has never given her any trouble since the beginning of 93°C.

She soon receives an order for a drink as the screen blinks, showing 93°C. She grabs all the necessities from the cabinet and prepares the hand-drip coffee, which takes about a few minutes. After the coffee is done, she looks at the cup and recognises the name. Strangely enough, she is trying really hard not a break into a smirk.

"93°C for Jennie!" She calls out for the customer. From her periphery vision, more customers are pouring in and she quickly turns around, looking at the screen as each drink pops out. Surprisingly, they are all espresso-based, which are all easy orders and she skillfully makes all of them. Once each order is done, she sends each cup out one-by-one.

"Hi there."

Jisoo turns to the side and sees the customer who has just ordered 93°C. Jennie smiles at her brightly while waving her cup of coffee.

"Hello, 93°C again?" Jisoo asks, gesturing to the cup that she is holding. The customer looks at it and laughs saying, "it is my go-to drink."

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After a long day of work, the workers are tired but they are excited to close the store before heading home. Jaemin is cleaning the lobby, making sure that every spot is mopped and cleaned while the other staff, aunt Serene, is busy cleaning the counter. Jisoo, on the other hand, is handling the cash, accounting for today's earning and preparing the change for tomorrow's operations before locking them safely. She then makes her way to clean the kitchen.

"Boss, I am done cleaning! By the way, Jennie is still working on her assignment. I will tell her that we are closing soon," says the part-timer, who has just finished cleaning and is now ready to put everything away.

"No need. I will do it. Jaemin and aunt Serene, you two should go back. It's late. Goodbye," Jisoo replies, trying to chase them away so that they can go back and rest.

"Bye boss, bye Jennie!" says Jaemin as he holds onto the door, waiting for aunt Serene while the other also bids her goodbye, leaving the boss and customer alone.

Remembering that her customer is still at her cafe, she looks over the counter to see that the other is still working very intently on her laptop. She takes off her apron and sanitises her hands before making her way to the other. She pulls the chair out and sits next to Jennie, peering over to look at the screen, curious on what their other is working on. With the words all over the word doc, it makes her head spin. She has lost touch with studying and school for many years and she is definitely glad that she is over that phase. Soon, Jennie realises another presence next to her and stops working. She turns to face the barista and says, "I am sorry, working on a huge project. I am almost done."

Jisoo gives her an understanding nod and looks around the table, noticing just an empty cup of coffee. She asks, "you only had coffee for the entire day?" Jennie nods innocently, but all the barista can see is the apparent tiredness on her face. The droopy eyelids and puffy eyebags. That actually worries Jisoo but she tries to not show it. How can young adult neglect her health? She frowns at the thought and tells her, "take this time to finish up whatever you need. I will make dinner for you and give you a ride home."

The boss disappears to the kitchen to make some food. She doesn't know the other girl's preferences but with some leftover fried rice from her staff's dinner and some ingredients for the breakfast set, she manages to recreate kimchi fried rice and some sandwiches.

"It's rather late, you should rest," says Jisoo as she brings out dinner for the other girl.

The other saves her work before moving her laptop away and looks at her dinner. It looks really good and she is ready to dig into her long-awaited meal of the day. A bite is enough to make her eyes sparkle and compliments the barista's cooking, "it's good." Jisoo smiles slightly and a warm feeling washes her heart. It has been some time since she has heard someone else compliment her cooking. "You know what, I should make you something to drink? What do you want?"

Jennie thinks or a moment, before asking, "93°C?"

Jisoo gives her a look and replies in her flat, monotonous voice, "are you sure that you want coffee at this hour?"

"Your coffee's the best." That is what makes Jisoo smiles again and she proceeds to make the coffee.

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Rather than eating, Jennie is focused on watching Jisoo instead. Just watching Jisoo's back makes her heart fuzzy. She soon remembers the conversation she had earlier with Jaemin in the afternoon after getting caught looking at the barista/boss by the latter.

"I know that our boss is charming," said the boy, as he crept behind Jennie earlier.

"What are you talking about?"

There was shock evident on Jennie's face but soon recovered and managed to keep her composure and stopped looking at the barista and focused on the boy that was behind her.

"You were blatantly staring at my boss," said the boy and that line was enough to make her cheeks turn a shade darker.

"I was lost in thoughts and it just so happened that my head was facing that direction," she clarified but all the gesturing was fooling no one.

"Yeah right. But anyway, you can always talk to her, you know. She is not as scary as she wants to portray. She is like the soft little white pomeranian." with that, the younger chuckled and left her alone with her work.

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She wants to get close to the barista. She remembers the first time when she sees her. It was actually not at the cafe but outside. She was taking pictures at the park and the other was caught in her frame. She zoomed in and looked at the other through the camera. She was smitten by the barista's beauty but what caught her eyes was the hint of sadness in the other's eyes. Even so, she immediately took a picture and made a run for after a quick snapshot. She didn't expect to meet the other at the cafe and from then on, she decided that it is her fate to meet the barista and she would stop by the cafe whenever she can.

Truth to be told, she isn't only patronising for that reason, she is also here because of the coffee. She is an avid coffee lover and 93°C is definitely the best: crisp, clean and deep. However, there is something about the taste that made her feel that the coffee didn't taste like usual coffee. Jisoo's cup of 93°C is bitter. It is definitely not because of the beans or the lack of technique. Given how solemn the other looks and many other negative feelings that the other exudes, maybe it is how the other is feeling. She knows that the mood of the barista can affect the taste of the coffee. Not many coffee drinkers can taste it, maybe it is her gift from God. Even with the bitter taste, she wants more of it and hopes that she can maybe help, help to make it taste less bitter.

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"I didn't specify decaf on my menu but I have the beans. Here you go," says the barista as she sets the cup of hot coffee on the table before sitting on her seat. She is curious about what the other is doing in school and asks, "what are you majoring in?"

"Journalism, at Incheon University. You know, I can help you to write an article for your cafe," says Jennie, as she picks up her spoon and continues eating.

"Incheon? Isn't this place a little far from your school? I am sure that Incheon has more cafes and study spots than here." Jisoo says frankly and kindly declines the offer of having an article written for her.

"Anyways, how old are you?" Jennie is rather curious. Jisoo looks too young to be the owner of a really popular cafe.

"I don't think I have properly introduced myself. I am Jisoo, 23."

"22. And you are a boss, of this cafe?" Jennie is shocked. Given how mature the other looks, she thought that Jisoo would at least be 2 to 3 years older than her but she is glad that they are around the same age.

"I started this business after high school. With the help of my family of course," clarifies Jisoo. She didn't want to pursue a college degree and with her rich experience of working at cafes during her high school vacation, she decided to open a cafe and also it was because of a certain someone. "They know that I am capable of running this cafe on my own, so here I am, the boss of 93°C cafe."

"That's good. It's nice to hear a different life experience. Everyone from Incheon has a similar background so this is something exciting." Jennie continues to babble. She loves talking to people and she finds Jisoo rather interesting. She wants to find out more about her, "Are you attached? Usually, baristas or cafe owners are popular."

"Nope. You?"

"Not anymore."

The conversation dies down since Jisoo doesn't know how to continue it. Her mind wanders around until she speaks out as if she has solved a great mystery, but in a joking manner, "are you avoiding your ex or something by coming to this cafe to study?"

"You can say that but I am definitely here for your coffee."

"Thank you." She has heard many compliments from customers and is used to it. She owes her great skills from her previous experience and that certain someone. Before Jennie reaches out for her coffee, the barista says, "the decaf may be a little milder because part of the aroma and taste were lost from the decaf process."

Still, Jennie understands and nodded before taking a sip. Her eyebrows and cheeks raise, before saying, "I am still impressed. It's good."

Jisoo is definitely glad that even her decaf coffee is good but the next question from Jennie catches her off guard.

"What is your favourite drink?"

"I don't really like coffee." with that Jisoo reveals a shocking revelation. This amuses Jennie. A cafe owner that doesn't like coffee. This is something new.

"Funny that you don't like coffee."

"I started this business with someone else. She likes coffee."

"Where is this person right now?" Jennie is really curious about the other's background. Even though it is her second day here, she has never seen someone else that can look like a business partner.

"She left." That was all Jisoo says. It is short and nothing more. Jennie nods and continues eating her dinner, sensing that the other doesn't want to continue the conversation. After she is done, she begins to pack her bag, not wanting to keep the other back for long. Once everyone is ready to leave, Jisoo leads the other to her motorbike outside the cafe.

"You can put your bag into the case storage," says Jisoo, while putting the helmet on for Jennie, trying her best not to mess the other's hair. Next, she takes the bag and put it in the case, before helping the other up the bike. As Jisoo starts the engine, she feels a pair of arms wrapping around her waist. Not that she is uncomfortable with it. It just feels strange but in a good way. After getting the address, she drives off safely and with the light traffic, she reaches there in the shortest time possible. After dropping the younger off, she quickly zooms away after saying her goodbye.

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The ride back to the cafe is really quiet but the events that happened today has broken her usual cycle. Her daily schedule has always been the same for more than a year. She feels the wind hitting her and suddenly thoughts start to pour into her head. She reaches a cross-junction and decides to set her bike at the side of the street, before sitting on the patch of grass, looking up at the night sky. The midnight blue sky that she has come to love and the thing that has come to comfort her whenever she needs it. Stars also pepper the sky, shining brightly. To be honest, the change that happened today is actually alright. She likes it.

A particular star, the biggest and brightest, soon catches her attention and she says to it, "Chaeyoung, I hope that you are doing well too."

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A/N: Hmmm, does Jennie has a super taste or what? What is Chaeyoung doing in the picture? O.o Any guesses?