The only thing that Yoohyeon hated more than missed deadlines of sometimes confusing assignments were Mondays.

Mondays were not always that unbearable. In fact, Yoohyeon enjoyed waking up early for the part time job in the local coffee shop. In the past, she liked walking on the wet streets after unstoppable all night plum raining while heading towards the workplace with friendly stuff and polite costumers. She loved the aromatic scent of a coffee that was present in the building and all the other routines at work. 

So, speaking in a nutshell, she had enjoyed Mondays and every other day working as a barista.

Until one of the mornings when she got almost fired because of one particular notably rude woman who sticked to her afterwards like an petulant chick.

 

 

 

While fixing her appearance by tying her ashy hair in a ponytail and putting on her favourite black apron, Yoohyeon did not notice the early chime of the entrance door. She was facing the coffee machine and with arms put on her sides was contemplating if she should grind coffee beans right now or a bit later. Deciding to go along with the first option she went to prepare the coffee. 

And due to the noisiness of the machine, she did not notice a cough from behind which after several futile attempts turned into a sharp yell:

“Yah!” 

Because of the unexpected call, Yoohyeon flinched and almost dropped the expensive coffee machine due to her clumsy nature. When she made sure that there was no damage done to the machine, an impatient customer was almost on a verge:

“What kind of service is that?” Yoohyeon was about to apologise and bow but was cut by the unstoppable flow of deeply displeased words from the customer. “I called you already a millionth times and you’re still unbothered to look at me and take my order! Are you that deaf? Then, tell me, Miss Tall Deaf Tree, why the you work here?!” 

To say that Yoohyeon was bewildered by the sudden outburst was just an understatement. Literally being rooted on the spot, she was loss for words like a fish on a land.

But she remembered that being rude in response was not so ethical and it could be seen as bad service, so when she decided to make a full apology and finally take her order, she was again interrupted by a irritated groan from the short woman:

“Oh god, has the cat cut your tongue too?! What kind of ed up place is that?”

“Please, watch how you’re expressing yourself, Miss.” Finally Yoohyeon has gotten to say something back which was let out rather on impulse. “This is a decent place, if you didn’t know.”

“Then why the hell you’re not acting like it?” The woman was ready to retort which was shocking to Yoohyeon even more. Never had she seen that kind of rude costumer who was literally taking any excuse to scandal.

“You know what? You better go and f—“

“Hey, hey, hey,” Yoohyeon was not fully realising of how much she was shaking and how her whole body was tense until a warm yet firm hand lands on her shoulder, getting her out of the negative mode that she had no idea she got in. With a side of her eyes, she distinguished soft features of her senior colleague Minji who, Yoohyeon could swear, was totally impenetrable to the small furious woman’s trenchant flow of complaints and insults. While calmly addressing the costumer, with a swift of her hands she pawned off and opted her junior colleague to go and do some coffee for other costumers. “I’m so sorry for my hoobae’s behaviour, Miss! Let me gladly take your order...”

While indistinctly cursing that one small woman under her breath, Yoohyeon finally got to work with totally ruined mood for that day.

 

 

 

Worse thing happened to her that day was her boss’s warning on the unacceptable behaviour that she had shown to the customer who left a bad complaint to their address. She was almost fired for the fact that someone had had a disastrous day and decided to outburst all of it on her. 

And the moment Yoohyeon thought that she got finally rid of her literal worst enemy, the same rude woman came along again to the coffee shop.

The second time she came with the same displeased expression, and, to Yoohyeon’s dismay, there was no Minji who could replace her for the order.

gosh, why am i acting like a coward? 

So, ready to get yelled at any moment, Yoohyeon greeted her and asked for her order.

“Tea with some cupcake.” The bewildered expression that Yoohyeon had did not go without notice. “Something’s wrong?”

“What? No, of course, not.” Yoohyeon hastily shook her head. “It’s just that everyone orders coffee here. It’s a coffee shop in the end.”

“So, what you’re gonna do? Give me a coffee, even though I hate it?”

Instead of continuing the conversation and potentially getting into another trouble that could cost her a whole job, Yoohyeon quickly wrote down the initial order of tea and a cupcake into the cashier machine. She pulled the fakest smile that was hiding her irritation and said in a overly-sweet voice through gritted teeth. “Your order will be ready in a minute.” 

“That’s what I thought.” With a satisfied grin on her face, the woman got back on her seat in one of the booths.

That day while preparing the order, Yoohyeon never had a stronger urge to spit on that cup of tea. But, of course, she did not but she wished, internally cursing that woman and sending all the “best” to her.

 

 

 

But all of Yoohyeon’s wishes that this woman would stop visiting and ruining her daily moods, ended up being undoubtedly futile as she became a regular patron.

But over time she got used to this one customer. Every now and then she only needed the signals from either Minji or other colleagues telling that the rude costumer was nearing their coffee shop. Somehow she always would be the one who got her orders done and at this point she counted all of this as a mocking from the fate or karma. However, it did not seem so terrible for her as she was sure she could handle even that.

Of course, the petite yet rude woman could not possibly do her ordinary orders of a simple tea with some sweets without remarking something. One time it would be too much sugar, one time too little, and the other time she had even complained about the tea itself.

 

“This time a simple tea, please.” One of the snowy days the petite woman ordered without any greetings, as usual. At this point Yoohyeon guessed that she was becoming immune to her rude tones in the early mornings, so every time she pulled a friendly smile in the hopes that the shorter woman would get somehow cheered up and would stop bothering everyone on her way with morning moodiness on her, surprisingly, pretty face.

Wait, did Yoohyeon just perceived her appearance as pretty—

“Thanks,” After receiving the ready cup of tea and a sudden cookies that was placed in her hand by the cashier, the woman nods back with corners of her lips lifted a little. Barely a smile, but something. “...uh, for this. Good advertising method.”

“Yup, and it does light up a mood, right?”

“I guess so.” She hummed in agreement, or so Yoohyeon perceived it.

 

 

 

 

One time she met that woman outside of the coffee shop. It happened when Yoohyeon was let go earlier after a tiring day.

For the first time Yoohyeon saw her in the evening time. Someone said that people’s behaviour can vary depending on the time of a day and, well, this case was quite suiting to this saying.

 

With an opened energy drink in her hand, she was absentmindedly sipping from it focused on the passing by cars from afar. The surroundings were of a freezing temperature but she liked to consume her energy drink in a cold environment as the taste was better that way. Though there was a high risk of catching a cold like this, but she did not care at all after tiring day.

Yoohyeon missed the moment someone had stood beside her. But when she did, she was too tired to turn and look, instead realising that she was actually in a smoking area as the unpleasant smell of smoke reached her nostrils. And she thought why this particular place was giving her some kind of comfort. But, gosh, she could not stand smokers and their disturbing smoke.

“I heard they’re extremely unhealthy for young people like you.” She heard beside her a familiar voice. Yet she could not recognise it fully, so with a curiosity of a puppy she spared a glare to her side, a second later finding out that it was that rude woman.

“It’s surprising to hear this from a smoking person.” Yoohyeon calmly retorted to the woman and took another cold sip from her can. It seemed like the taste was ruined because of the smoke. “Smoking kills faster and, apparently, you’re older.”

“You really have a witty tongue, kid.” A snicker that the woman let out seemed a bit odd to Yoohyeon. “I like that. No politeness between us because why is it needed even?”

“You don’t seem that much older than me though.” Yoohyeon noted while looking at the almost breathtaking profile of a woman beside her. The hateful smoke was visibly brushing on the skin and like that accenting unique features of a woman. Yoohyeon had to admit: the woman was smoking breathtakingly. Or, was it a freezy air that was effecting her that she associated the woman’s side profile with the greek one?

A long pause settled between them. Yoohyeon was thinking about leaving already because she could not handle the overwhelming smell of the tiny cigarette when the shorter woman said:

“Sorry for your awful mornings. My ty moods are no excuse to yell or be rude to you. Would you like a coffee as an apology from me?”

After pondering about the request Yoohyeon decided to decline it hastily as she was starting to get stuffy and a bit suffocated by the smell. And she was already tired for today. “I’ve already drunk, thank you.”

 

 

 

 

“Oh, your favourite costumer is here again!” Minji noticed the small woman who had come this time with company by her side. The way both of women were dressed in the couple leather jackets and tight pants had caught her attention earlier.

“She’s not my favourite cost—unnie!” Yoohyeon hit her senior coworker on the forearm.

“What?” Minji drawled with innocent expression, ignoring the hit and acting as if she was not really teasing the younger one who was leaning on a counter beside her.

It was a lively evening in the coffee shop. Indistinct mumbles between patrons were mixing smoothly with the jazz sounds from the background. The ambiance of the place was cosy and enveloping with its aromatic scents of coffee beans and dim lighting coming from pendant decorated lightbulbs.

“Yoohyeon-ah, go clean the forth table.”

“Okay!”

The moment she was nearing the table, a loud almost contagious laugh reached her ears. And she would never guess that it was that moody costumer's laugh, if she did not land her eyes upon her. But Yoohyeon had to admit: the laugh was one of a kind and had a charm to it.

“—don’t do that! She’ll freak out and will dump you.”

As the table was neighbouring to the couple’s booth, Yoohyeon could clearly hear the heated conversation between the two women.

“But I could try my chance! Wanna bet I will get her number after our first talk?” There was an almost challenging growl full of excitement in the blonde woman’s voice.

“Nah, you don’t even match her vibe.”

“And why is it even a problem?”

“Because, Siyeon, look...”

so they are not a couple, huh.

For some reason Yoohyeon concluded it in her mind when heading back to the counter.

“Her friend is cute too.” Minji noted after giving a quick glance to the place Yoohyeon was moments ago. Her palm was placed under chin, making her look like a teenager girl watching her school crush.

“She’s just as obnoxious as her.” Yoohyeon retorted, after settling beside the cheerful coworker. “Only players bet on that kind of stuff.”

“On what were they betting?” With genuine curiosity Minji asked.

“On a girl’s number or something like that.” Yoohyeon shrugged while her eyes were glued on a game in her phone.

“Well, I’d try it too considering my charms.” Minji chuckled. Even in her voice there could be heard that level of modesty and confidence, though the two words often contradicted to each other, in Minji's case they matched and described her well.

“Unnie, you’re sometimes too full of yourself.” Yoohyeon mumbled under her breath and like that the casual chat between two coworkers ended as junior one decided to stay engrossed in the shootings. They were not friends anyway, just two people who were stuck together in one job throughout the day. So short conversations between them being cut as quickly as started were a usual thing for them.

After Yoohyeon lost in the game with frustrated groan like a five year old kid, she looked around in case if someone needed her service. But the only thing she stumbled upon were curious eyes of the shorter woman who was seated at the other end of the coffee shop.

For a brief moment they had an eye contact full of unreadable expressions and messages. Mostly it was just curiosity and... interest?

Was Yoohyeon really interested in the stranger who dared to ruin her peaceful mornings on occasion?

The woman was the first one to look away and Yoohyeon realised that it was most probably just a delusion and self deception. They possibly could not have a mutual interest in each other because, first of all, it was evident that they could not stand each other’s guts. And, second of all, the mutual dislike was enough of a reason to not have an interest. It would be rather a desire to avoid at all cost, right?

“Strange.” Yoohyeon said absentmindedly while brewing a cup of coffee for another costumer.

 

 

 

 

In a nutshell, Yoohyeon did not even have a time to process how she ended up being stuck in this noisy place of a night club. All she could catch were Minji’s words about having fun and her new cute acquaintance. Twenty minutes later she was being introduced to the people that she already knew. Indirectly knew.

“Lee Siyeon,” The blonde woman with a firm handshake introduced herself. This time she was in a jeans jacket that matched well with her green turtleneck. Up close Yoohyeon felt her strong aura even more intensified. It was intimidating yet entrancing. “Nice to meet you.”

you did get her number. lucky.

With some jokes already let out, Siyeon continued introduction. Yoohyeon’s heart got stuck in the moment she saw too familiar face getting revealed behind Siyeon’s back. “And this is my best friend and, I guess, your companion for tonight, Kim Bora.”

“Nice to finally meet you, Yoohyeon-nie,” Bora gave her a wide grin, stretching her delicate hand. When Yoohyeon accepted her handshake, she got pulled by that hand too close to Bora’s face and heard the next words right into her ear with a tickling breath. “I still hope to make it up to you. So tonight’s drinks on me.”

“N-Nice meeting you t-too.”

Her inner voice was screaming that she was blushing furiously because she was caught off guard, not because she was flustered by Bora’s confidence.

 

 

 

 

The night was not worth her morning headache.

“Hey, here.” While she was struggling to open her eyes from the strong hangover, she was handed a glass and some pills into her palm.

After she drunk all of it, Yoohyeon figured out that she had woken up not in her apartment.

“Where am I?”

“Siyeon’s apartments. Believe me, this place is apartment when not so messy. But I can’t promise you’ll get to see it clean either.” Bora snickered and, while witnessing how Yoohyeon was looking around like a lost puppy, she also drawled with an ambivalent grin on her face. “You were wild last night.”

“Wh-What? What did I do?” She froze with a panicked expression. “D-Did we...?”

“Pfft, no.” Bora tried holding her laughter which bewildered Yoohyeon. Couldn't she just answer like a normal person?

Then after receiving irritated glares from Yoohyeon, Bora pointed at her chest making her flustered even more. “Pay attention, you’re still clothed. If it actually was with me, you’d be a total mess right now.”

And like that Yoohyeon regretted asking and now receiving Bora’s signature smirk.

“Ugh, you’re disgusting and I regret knowing you now.”

“Yah, I literally saved your ,” Bora remarked with exaggerated gesture. “And that’s how you show me your gratitude?”

“From what you saved me?” Yoohyeon already forgot about the earlier rudeness she had shown because she still wanted to figure out details about yesterday’s events.

“You drunk all of my money.” Bora shook her head in dramatic played off disappointment. “Since I promised that all of your drinks were on me. I kindly let you have fun and waste my money.”

“F-F-For how much I drank?” This question was asked when Yoohyeon’s heart was literally hammering against her chest at the fear of the amount of money she would be planning to return. However, she was suspecting that even her monthly wage would not be enough for the expensive drinks of the yesterday’s luxury night club. Gripping the sheet with which she was covering herself, she waited for the triumphant answer that could decide her next savings and well being as a broke student.

“A secret,” With a playful smile Bora pressed her pointy finger to her lips. “Besides, I suppose because of it we have a truce and we will forget how we actually met, right?”

right, that was a deal.

“I guess so.” Yoohyeon confirmed with a light blush on her cheeks at the thought of them now becoming friends and getting along.

“And from now on,” Bora continued with a affirmation in her voice which made Yoohyeon look up in surprise at her. Seemingly, it was quite challenging for Bora to say the next. “I will try to stop with my bad habit to talk through insults in the mornings.”

At that Yoohyeon could not resist lightly smiling.

you don’t seem so awful after all.

 

 

 

 

Bora kept her word when she said that she would try to be brighter in the morning. Yoohyeon even could see that from the way the shorter woman stayed beside the counter to talk with her while waiting for her cup of tea and cupcakes. Usually they still bickered but now with more playfulness from both sides. And for most cases Yoohyeon ended up being flustered by bold words of the woman.

From time to time Yoohyeon was noticing how Bora would stay longer on her seat of the red booth while working on something on her laptop.

Sometimes sparing quick glances, Yoohyeon thought that the red colour of the booth was nicely matching to woman’s mature yet warm aura. Mature because at times like that Bora was focused on the screen and, consequently, looked unusually attractive.

She would perceive Bora’s long sessions on that laptop near the counter as the excuses for her to stay longer to bicker or just spend time with the barista, but as soon as she realised of what she reckoned, with haste swift of a hand she would dismiss that assumptions immediately. There would be no way Bora preferred staying just because she wanted to be near her.

what an absurd you’re thinking about, pabo...

But she could not find other reasons behind it. Behind those smiles and longer looks that the woman would give her when they chatted while she was preparing already memorised tea.

“You stopped complaining about the tea,” After she handed the tray, Yoohyeon noted with a smug grin. “Because I mastered making your ideal tea?”

“You wish, Tree.” For some reason Yoohyeon was content with the nickname that the older woman had given her. “I still practice being polite. It includes keeping shut my remarks about your bitter tea.”

“Bitter?!” Yoohyeon asked with raised brows. She let out a gasp. “Is it really that bad?”

“Well, bearable. Cupcakes make up for that.” Bora shrugged and, fetching her tray, headed to her seat, leaving behind pensive barista who was thinking the called out disadvantage of her tea.

I should work on that damn tea...

 

 

 

 

Once again she stumbled upon Bora in the smoking area where she usually drank her energy drinks in peace after daily shift.

The moon was already shining among the bright stars highly above them.

“Oh, hey.” Bora waved with her hand that was holding a tiny cigarette between her middle and pointy fingers.

Taking a deep breath of a chilly air, Yoohyeon continued her way and joined Bora by squatting down beside her. The older woman was standing all straighten up and she could hear a snicker from her which ended up in a pat on her hand. Yoohyeon did not mind that at all.

This time she was not wrong about the fact that the taste of her drink was ruined again by the smell of the cigarette. With a slight frustration she looked up at the other woman and saw her hand tapping the ash off to the ground on the side.

In front of her vision for just several seconds the delicate hand turned into the slightly bigger one doing the same thing. The hand that she was imagining had more veins and more rings on phalanges. Great, now smoke was provoking unnecessary hallucinations from the past. Yoohyeon hastily shook off her head in order to get rid of the deceiving visions. It worked: she again saw Bora’s small hand that was about to take another puff.

Looking at that, Yoohyeon wondered why the woman did not smell with those cigarettes at all like other smokers. Maybe the answer was in the sweet scent of strawberries that she felt whenever they talked.

“I’m gonna head out home now.” Sensing intoxicating dizziness in her head, Yoohyeon informed the beside standing woman. With a hand covered on her face, particularly nose, she got up and started walking towards the other side of the road. At last she waved back and continued her way leaving out the quite confused woman behind.

 

 

 

 

“She fancies you.” Minji once said while following with her eyes after Bora’s silhouette that was heading away from the coffee shop after another order taken by Yoohyeon. Before that she was closely watching from other side of place how two oblivious people were chatting as if they realised that they could be good friends. Friends, right.

“No, she doesn’t, unnie. Quit acting like some matchmaker.” Yoohyeon responded while cleaning the nearest table to the counter with washcloth clenched in her palm.

“Even Siyeon says you two would make a cute couple,” Minji did not resign so easily so instead she continued teasing her junior colleague about her possible crush. “She says how Bora herself gets flustered and shy when she mentions you.”

“Why would that idiot has to mention me in their conversations?” Yoohyeon looked up with a confused look. And when she got an ambivalent look in return, she proseeded to resume her work anyway. “I don’t see your point here, unnie.”

“Just admit you like her.”

“I don’t— her? Of all people, I have to like the most annoying, rudest person I’ve ever met?” The amount of absurdness in Yoohyeon’s tone was rather amusing the older woman.

“Well, I didn’t choose her, you did.” Minji shrugged innocently. “Specifically, your heart chose her.”

“Yeah, sure.” Yoohyeon mumbled sarcastically, finishing up cleaning surface of the table that was almost shining under the dim lights of the pendant bulbs.

 

 

 

 

The rhythmic music was echoing through the spacious studio making Yoohyeon to sway her hips on the way to the enormous TV screen. Her wet long ashy grey hair was perfectly contrasting with the thick grey towel that was wrapped around her fit body. Soaking in the large comfortable bath for almost an hour had swept away all the fatigue from the previous night shift at the restaurant that she started working just recently.

While humming along the lyrics to the currently playing song, she settled on the pleasantly soft couch, stretching and then crossing her legs in a relaxing way. Ready to watch some show, she fetched an apple from the bowl on the table before her and calls the little puppy that she was supposed to look after as Siyeon could not today. Pie apparently belonged to Siyeon’s friend who was additionally incredibly rich and now Yoohyeon was enjoying the favour that she promised to the blonde woman.

The little puppy ran on command and jumped on the couch, comfortably settling. Yoohyeon had noticed that Pie, surprisingly, listened to her simple commands pretty well. It made her adore the little creature even more and want her to perhaps to get a dog in the future too. Pity, however, it would not be Pie because Yoohyeon had already adapted a soft spot for the puppy.

While being engrossed in the plot of the series and chewing on the apple, Yoohyeon did not notice the way the front door opened and how someone passed by it. She only noticed and got startled by the sudden intrusion when she felt a cold hand tapping on her bare shoulder.

Screaming, she jumped from the couch and turned with scared eyes at the new comer, not noticing or nor caring the way her towel fell over.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” While breathing heavily, Yoohyeon asked Bora who was shocked as well as her. “, you scared me!”

“I live here!” Bora responded, trying not to look down as the situation was not the one. But she had to admit the parts of the toned body was distracting her to some extent and making her to lose focus at some point. Shaking off the intrusive thoughts, she looked up again and tried to look displeased with the situation. “What are you doing here?”

“Really? Oh...” After realising that the host of this apartment