Joohyun’s not a coffee person. Never has been, and probably never will be, if she’s being honest. She drinks it out of necessity, thanks to her gruelling and soul- nine-to-five desk job as a video editor. It’s just her luck that she’s swamped with multiple deadlines this week, and she doesn’t think she can quite survive it without caffeine—which is exactly why she’s making her way to the café close to her office building for the first time in the two years since her employment.

As she steps into the quaint café lined with various bookshelves and potted plants, the morning sun streams in from the windows, and there’s a soft chime as she pushes the door open.

It’s relatively quiet with a few people, and Joohyun makes her way to the counter, eyeing the menu. Not that it makes much sense to her, but she tries anyway, squinting as she miserably attempts to decipher each variation of coffee.

She comes to a stop in front of the counter, and her gaze flickers to the blonde barista, patiently waiting for her order, watching her with thinly veiled curiosity and a faint, friendly smile quirking her lips. She’s just a little shorter than Joohyun, with a bob of hair that ends just above her shoulders, dark brown eyes twinkling with warmth.

In other words, extremely pretty.

 

“Can I help you?” The barista suddenly pipes up, and Joohyun startles a little, eyes darting back and forth between the blonde woman and the menu board. She opens , brain racing, but nothing comes out.

She gulps.

“I, uh… I’m not very familiar with drinking coffee, do you have any recommendations?” She says weakly. She’s already convinced that she’s made it into the barista’s bad books—because really, who likes an indecisive customer? — but her request is merely met with a bright smile and sparkling eyes.

“May I suggest an americano? Those are pretty standard.”

Joohyun in a breath through her teeth. “Sorry, I’m not much of heavy-duty coffee drinker. Do you have something a little lighter?”

The barista gives a thoughtful hum, scrunching her nose.

“Or would you be interested in trying out a new drink? It’s my own creation, so it’s not exactly on the menu.” She scratches the back of her neck, grinning sheepishly. “I’m assuming you’re more of a tea person?”

“Correct.” Joohyun smiles.

“Well, that’s perfect. Interested in a dirty caramel matcha latte?”

Joohyun shrugs. “Sure, why not.” She’s not exactly sure what it means or contains, but it’s not like it makes much of a difference to her anyway—coffee is merely a means to getting the much-needed caffeine into her system—and it’s not like she knows the difference between the different variations. “How much is it?”

“Six dollars.” The blonde says automatically, and Joohyun pays with her card. “I’m charging it a little cheaper because it’s really more of an experiment than anything.” The barista adds as she busies herself with keying in the order, and Joohyun’s eyes dart down to her name tag, tilted haphazardly to the side on her apron.

Seungwan.

“Right, here you go! Go ahead and head on over there, your drink will be out in a second.” The barista—no, Seungwan— hands her the receipt and gives her another smile before turning to make Joohyun’s order.

 

Soon enough, Joohyun hears her name being called, and she’s face-to-face with Seungwan again, who hands her her cup of coffee.

“Thank you! Do come again.”

Joohyun murmurs her thanks, retrieving the cup of coffee, and their hands brush briefly before Joohyun’s pulling back and making her way out of the café.

 

Seungwan’s hands are warm amidst the chilly spring air.

 

Plopping herself down into her seat, Joohyun heaves a sigh. Her cup of coffee is still untouched, and Joohyun reaches out, clutching her drink as she waits for her computer to boot up, idly taking a sip as she watches the monitors light up one by one.

The moment the drink touches the tip of her tongue, she’s met with a strong, almost pungent taste of matcha, mixed with the dark, bitter taste of espresso that doesn’t sit well at all on her tongue. To top it all off, there’s also an almost repulsively sweet undertone of caramel, and Joohyun has force herself to swallow the monstrosity of a concoction, wincing as the liquid slides down . She swallows again, just to make sure she doesn’t gag, and takes a sip of water for good measure. Settling into her seat, she logs in her computer and gets to work, coughing, the coffee eventually partially abandoned to the corner of her desk.

 

As the day goes by and Joohyun’s energy gradually depletes, she finds herself taking multiple sips of her drink despite its horrendous taste, desperate for her caffeine rush.

“You look like your dog died.” A voice interrupts Joohyun from her thoughts, and she turns, still frowning as she swallows yet another sip, only to find her colleague and friend, Sooyoung, leaning against her desk, arms crossed over her chest.

“I don’t… have a dog?” Joohyun says, rather confusedly, and Sooyoung rolls her eyes.

“Are you okay? You look really upset.”

“I’m just…” Joohyun trails off. “Cranky.” She eventually decides, much to Sooyoung’s amusement.

“Why?”

“I’m tired and my coffee .” Joohyun sighs, reclining back into her chair before taking another sip. By now, the coffee is lukewarm, and Joohyun wrinkles her nose in distaste.

“Then stop drinking it.” Sooyoung deadpans.

“I can’t.”

It comes out a little more petulantly that Joohyun would’ve liked, but it’s almost three in the afternoon and she hasn’t had her lunch so quite frankly, Joohyun can’t exactly be arsed to care.

“Why not?”

“I need the caffeine,” Joohyun turns her attention back to her monitors, clicking away. “And the barista who made it was kind of cute.” She mumbles as an afterthought.

“You’re so weird.”

 

Pushing the door open to the café, Joohyun sighs in relief when she’s finally granted shelter from the chilly morning breeze. She straightens her coat, brushing stray strands of hair out of her face.

“Welcome!” A voice rings out, and Joohyun turns to find a familiar, blonde barista standing before her again, a bright smile on her face. Joohyun offers her a small smile, scanning the menu once more.

“So… how was the matcha latte?” Seungwan asks, and Joohyun blinks.

“Uh, it was—pretty interesting!” She says, rather haltingly, and she winces inwardly at her tone.

Sooyoung’s right—she really is a terrible liar.

“Is there any chance you’re going to be ordering that today too?” Seungwan seems to have been oblivious to Joohyun’s admittedly poor attempt at lying, because the blonde still looks as cheerful as ever. Joohyun swallows, blanching at the mere thought of having to drink the horrid combination of flavours again.

Yet, Seungwan’s looking at her so full of hope and with barely restrained excitement, Joohyun can’t quite find it in herself to reject the pretty barista.

“Sure!” She says despite her own misgivings, handing over her card, dread already settling into her stomach at the thought of the rest of her day spent sipping the wretched coffee.

 

It becomes like a routine.

Joohyun always comes into the café at eight in the morning on the dot, and Seungwan is almost always there, ready and eager. It becomes so much of a routine that Joohyun doesn’t actually have to tell Seungwan her order.

“The usual?” Is all Seungwan has to say, and Joohyun nods with a smile.

“You know, you’re the only one who actually orders this from me.” Seungwan comments offhandedly as she scribbles down Joohyun’s order. “On a regular basis, anyway.” She chuckles.

“Really?”

“Mhm. I mean, other people have tried it, but they’ve never asked for it again.” She shrugs.

Joohyun hums in acknowledgement, silently watching Seungwan bustle about behind the counter. As usual, the café is relatively empty with the morning crowd already long gone, granting Joohyun the leisure of making small talk with the barista. Not that Joohyun really likes small talk in the first place, but she’s finding Seungwan to be a strange exception—mostly because the barista seems to be genuine in her questions and answers, and in wanting to know more about Joohyun as a person.

“So, how was your day yesterday?” Seungwan’s voice is almost drowned out by the loud rumble of the coffee machine and clinking of metal.

“It was okay, this week’s going to be busy though.”

Seungwan laughs. “You always say that.”

Joohyun huffs out a laugh, averting her gaze. “I suppose so.”

“You work too hard.” Seungwan smiles gently, but Joohyun waves a hand vaguely, as if to dispel Seungwan’s words, warmth burning in her cheeks.

Then, Seungwan’s handing her the coffee, an unspoken end to their conversation, and Joohyun takes it from her.

“Good luck at work!” Seungwan calls out, and Joohyun bids her goodbye with a small, shy wave before slipping out of the café.

 

“You’re insane.”

“I think so too.”

Sooyoung’s clutching Joohyun’s cup of coffee, looking at her incredulously.

“You drink this every day?” She gapes.

“…Yes.” Joohyun shrinks lower into her chair.

“Joohyun.”

“I know, I know. I’m stupid and I should go talk to her instead of doing this.” She grumbles, placing her headphones from where it hangs around her neck and onto her desk instead.

“More like before you die of food poisoning,” Sooyoung sets the cup of coffee down on the desk, face scrunched up in distaste. “Is she really that pretty for you to risk your stomach for?”

“You’re being dramatic.” Joohyun huffs. “And yes, she is very pretty.” She pauses. “And cute… and nice.”

Joohyun avoids Sooyoung’s gaze— which she knows is most definitely trained on her— opting instead to idly click around her video editing software.

“What’s her name?”

“Seungwan.”

“Does she know yours?”

“I would assume so.”

“Have you two talked?”

Joohyun pauses. “Does small talk count?”

“No.”

Joohyun sighs. “Then no.”

There’s a noise of disapproval from Sooyoung.

“Well, at least she seems funny.” Sooyoung gestures to the cup sleeve, where a messy ‘You mocha me happy!’ lies, complete with a smiley face.

It’s pretty cute and kind of adorable, if Joohyun’s being honest.

“You know, I don’t think she’d be offended if you ordered something else.”

“But I feel bad. I’m the only one who orders it from her, and she always looks so happy whenever I get it.” Despite her best efforts, a whine still slips into her voice, and Sooyoung shakes her head, exasperated.

 

The moment Joohyun steps into the café, laptop clutched in her arms and her backpack slung over one shoulder, she’s met with the unusually loud bustling of baristas and humming of coffee machines. Slipping past the long queue of customers, she barely manages to secure a table before making her way over to the counter and joining the ever-increasing line of coffee-drinkers. Somewhere between the hurried movements of two other baristas, Joohyun spots the familiar, petite figure of Seungwan, weaving expertly between her coworkers as she juggles multiple orders, brows furrowed in concentration, working with ferocious efficiency.

It takes a while before Joohyun finds herself standing in front of the counter. Clutching her phone, Joohyun takes in a deep breath, biting her lip anxiously.

She’s determined to order a different drink today, as per Sooyoung’s advice—to strike a conversation starter, was what she’d said, but as Joohyun ruminates upon Sooyoung’s words, she finds herself increasingly doubting the credibility of such advice. Still, something is better than nothing, and Joohyun can’t quite possibly leave all the talking to Seungwan all the time.

And also because maybe then she’ll finally grant her stomach some much-needed reprieve.

 

“Hi, what can I get—”

Seungwan cuts herself off abruptly as recognition lights her eyes, and a bright smile forms. “Hey! It’s you. Are you getting your usual?” Seungwan looks just shy of frazzled, fingers already poised to tap in Joohyun’s usual order, and Joohyun swallows, her request for a new drink suddenly fizzling out on the tip of her tongue. It wouldn’t be fair to disappoint the barista, especially at such a hectic juncture of her shift, and Seungwan’s already ready and anticipating for her usual choice of coffee, and Joohyun doesn’t think it’d be very nice to change her order out of the blue when their little routine has already been well-established.

“Yeah!” She winds up saying instead, and Joohyun pays with her card with practiced ease, regret already settling in her stomach. It’s almost laughable, really, at how easily Joohyun becomes swayed by the blonde.

“Sorry I can’t chat today, we’re a little busy, but if you want a refill later just let me know.” Seungwan shoots her a genuine smile despite the chaos around her before handing Joohyun her receipt, promptly turning away to make the next few orders.

 

The crowd eventually thins out and the café settles into its usual tranquillity once more, granting Joohyun peace and quiet, tucked away at a table in the corner.

Then, there’s the faint sound of approaching footsteps through her earbuds, and Joohyun glances up to find Seungwan before her, hands tucked into her apron pockets, biting her lip nervously as she rocks on the balls of her feet.

“Hey, you want a refill?” Seungwan gestures to the nearly empty mug somewhat awkwardly, and Joohyun removes her earbuds.

“Yes, please.” With that, Seungwan’s picking up her mug wordlessly, turning and making her way back to behind the counter. The barista returns within minutes with a full mug of her strange invention, and Joohyun murmurs her thanks, trying not to think about the next few hours spent drinking yet another cup of it.

“You, uh, don’t usually come in on weekends.” Seungwan’s looking down at her feet. Lifting the mug to her lips, Joohyun takes a sip, fighting back the grimace that threatens to show. She places the mug down, and gives a smalls shrug.

“My neighbours were having loud and my earpieces aren’t exactly noise-cancelling, so.”

Seungwan blinks.

“Oh.”

There’s a few seconds of somewhat awkward silence, and as Seungwan opens , about to say more, she’s interrupted by an indignant “Seungwan, where are you?!”. The blonde shoots Joohyun an apologetic look.

“Sorry, I have to get back to work.” She jerks a thumb towards the counter. “Enjoy your drink!” She offers Joohyun a small wave before quickly turning tail and making her way back, leaving Joohyun to slowly watch her disappear into the kitchen.

 

“Here, try it!” Pushing a freshly brewed cup of her dirty matcha latte with caramel into Yerim’s hands, Seungwan’s grinning proudly as her co-worker takes a tentative sip, eyeing her warily. A part-timer who’s still in university, most of Yerim’s shift had coincided with Seungwan’s, and over the past few years, Yerim’s come to be Seungwan’s trusty right-hand man behind the counter, and overall, a good friend.

Occasionally the bane of Seungwan’s existence, but really, the pros outweigh the cons, so Seungwan isn’t exactly complaining.

Almost immediately, there’s a hurried pattering of footsteps as Yerim abruptly hauls herself to the sink, spitting out the coffee. Turning on the tap, she rinses out , sputtering.

“Wow, rude.” Seungwan mutters.

It takes the younger woman another good few seconds before she turns towards Seungwan, disgust written clear as day on her face. “What in the ever loving was in that?”

“An espresso shot in matcha latte, plus caramel.”

“Why would you ever do that?” Yerim’s voice borders on offended, and Seungwan frowns.

“It’s not that bad!” Seungwan says defensively. She pauses. “Joohyun likes it.” She mumbles, looking away.

“I… have no idea who that is.”

“You don’t remember Joohyun?” Seungwan furrows her eyebrows.

“There’s about fifty over people that come in everyday, how am I supposed to know who Joohyun is?” Yerim snorts.

“She’s the really pretty one I told you about.” Seungwan lowers her voice, her gaze drifting to the aforementioned woman sitting in the corner of the establishment, and Yerim follows the direction of her gaze, letting out a soft ‘oh’. She’s giving Seungwan a knowing look, a smug grin already forming.

“The one you’re crushing on?”

“Shut up.”

 

Slipping her book into her bag, Joohyun’s wiggling her foot into her shoe, grimacing. It’s a weekend morning, which usually means that, one, Joohyun does not venture outside of her home unless necessary, and two, said mornings would have usually been spent in the corner of her couch, reading novels in her pyjamas. Instead, Joohyun finds herself dressed in a cream cashmere sweater and jeans, tote bag slung over a shoulder as she navigates down the familiar path to the café.

It’s a shoddy excuse to frequent the café more often at this point, and Joohyun’s well aware of it. It’s pretty embarrassing, but Joohyun’s just a little too intrigued by the blonde barista to care. There’s an almost inexplicable pull that draws Joohyun to Seungwan—the whimsical sort of energy and unusually warm friendliness, despite Joohyun’s shyness and relative aloof façade that would’ve driven many away by now.

Unfortunately for her, as she pushes open the familiar doors, she immediately notices the lack of the familiar blonde behind the counters, and she deflates a little. It’s nothing new, but Joohyun always hopes to see Seungwan all the same, even if they don’t exactly talk. “Welcome, what can I get you?” A bored voice snaps her attention to the cashier, and Joohyun blinks. The barista before her is a short, younger woman who looks barely in her twenties, with her black hair tied up in a messy bun.

“Um, just a cup of green tea, please.”

The barista—Yerim, according to her name tag—watches her carefully for a few seconds, finger hovering over the touchscreen.

“You’re Joohyun, right?” She finally asks, and Joohyun hitches her bag higher up her shoulder.

“Yes,” She replies, somewhat uncertainly, confusion in her voice. Has she really been that much of a regular that even Seungwan’s co-workers knew her name?

“I can make Seungwan’s coffee for you if you’d like. She left the recipe with me just in case you came in on her off days.” Yerim offers.

It takes Joohyun a good few seconds of consideration before she eventually shakes her head, and Yerim nods, shrugging.

“Whatever floats your boat.” She types in Joohyun’s order, gesturing for the older woman to pay as she grabs a mug.

The abruptness takes Joohyun aback a little – after all, she’s become rather acquainted with Seungwan’s attempts at small talks, no matter how brief they’ve been. It feels a little weird to be left standing alone at the counter, waiting quietly for her coffee instead of Seungwan’s voice carrying over the rumble of the coffee machine as the barista holds a conversation with her while making Joohyun her coffee.

As Joohyun makes her way to her shadowy corner in the café with her mug of green tea, she’s very aware of the pang of absence of a certain blonde barista.

 

Seungwan’s flinches at a hard nudge to her ribs, and she snaps to attention, glaring at Yerim.

“Ow! What was that for?” She grumbles, rubbing the sore spot, but the younger woman merely indicates with a nod of her chin towards the direction of the doors, and almost immediately Seungwan spots the familiar figure of Joohyun.

Today, she’s dressed in a simple t-shirt and a black blazer with jeans, complete with a small shoulder bag. Within moments, Seungwan’s scrambling to the counter, and a smile tugs at her lips as Joohyun raises a hand in a small wave—something Seungwan has long recognised as the woman’s own way of greeting her.

“What can I get you?” Seungwan asks, even though it’s really more of a go-through motion of sorts, given that Joohyun hasn’t ordered anything else other than her drink. At least, not to her knowledge.

“Um… Do you have anything mild? I’m not feeling too well.”

The response catches Seungwan off guard, and the barista blinks.mShe peers a little closer, and upon closer inspection, Joohyun seems to be a little paler than usual, with her hair left swept messily to a shoulder instead of in her usual, neat ponytail.

“I can get you a ginger tea,” Seungwan suggests, and Joohyun manages a weak nod as Seungwan keys in her order, the regular promptly paying with her card.

“Are you okay? You don’t look well enough to be working.” Seungwan’s tone is gentle, concerned, but Joohyun shakes her head.

“Stomach-ache. I have an important meeting to attend today anyway, and I can’t skip it.”

She sounds more tired than usual, and a little more forlorn. Nevertheless, she gives Seungwan a small smile, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Seungwan frowns sympathetically.

“I’ll be okay.” Joohyun reassures, and Seungwan sighs.

“Still, you should take the day off tomorrow if you can.”

“I will.” Joohyun huffs out a small laugh, smiling.

This time, it reaches her eyes.

 

Not for the first time, Seungwan finds herself a little flustered around the woman—she’s not exactly good with having an actual conversation with people, and especially not with pretty women. By some miracle, Joohyun hasn’t gotten tired of her yet, and quite frankly, Seungwan has no idea why. She’s frightfully awkward, and really not the most interesting person around—when she isn’t working, she’s holed up at home either fixing puzzles or reading, both of which Yerim claims to be ‘very grandma activities’.

Grabbing a cup and a cupsleeve, Seungwan scribbles down a ‘Thank you very matcha!’ on the cup sleeve, much to Yerim’s amusement.

“Do you find these on the internet?” She raises an eyebrow, a teasing smirk already on her lips, and Seungwan huffs, slipping the cupsleeve onto the cup before placing the teabag in the cup.

“You underestimate my abilities.”

“Yeah, you definitely searched them up last night.” Yerim snorts, and Seungwan’s cheeks grow hot.

“Give me the cup,” Yerim stretches out a hand, and Seungwan shoots her a quizzical look.

“Why?”

“So that I can write your number on there, you coward.”

“No!” Almost immediately, Seungwan’s holding the cup close to her chest, horrified, and Yerim bursts out into laughter. “Get away from me, you monster.” Seungwan shoos the younger woman away, but Yerim merely snorts and walks away to serve the next customer, still barely holding back her laughter, and Seungwan shakes her head, sighing under her breath.

It takes Seungwan a few minutes more before she’s fitting the plastic lid onto the cup, placing it neatly on the counter as she calls Joohyun’s name. Right on cue, the woman looks up from her phone, and makes her way over.

“You know, she doesn’t order your drink when you’re not around.” Yerim comments as she squeezes past Seungwan in the cramped workspace, and Seungwan casts her a confused glance before turning to Joohyun.

“Here you go! Have a nice day.”

Joohyun lifts the cup, turning it until she manages to read Seungwan’s message on the cupsleeve, and there’s a small, amused smile dancing on her lips. Their eyes meet.

“Where are you getting all these puns?” Her voice is soft, curious.

“I’m just naturally punny.” Seungwan shrugs with a smile.

“She got them from the internet.” Yerim pipes up next to Seungwan, much to the other woman’s chagrin, and the blonde barista scratches the back of her neck, embarrassed.

The comment from Yerim prompts a short, tinkling laugh from Joohyun, and Seungwan swallows.

“Okay, yeah, I got them from the internet. I ran out of puns like, ten cups ago.” She admits.

“That’s still pretty impressive.” Joohyun’s biting down on her lip, a grin threatening to slip past. “Thank you for the tea.” She gestures to the cup before waving goodbye, and Seungwan waves back automatically.

Both baristas lapse into silence, quietly watching as Joohyun pushes open the doors and exits the café.

“She usually gets green tea from me or the others on your days off.” Yerim finally says, and Seungwan furrows her eyebrows. “But… why?”

“I mean, your drink does taste kind of bad, no offence.” Yerim places a freshly brewed cup of coffee onto the counter before calling for the customer.

“Then why does she keep drinking it?”

“Probably because she likes you, duh.” Yerim rolls her eyes, but Seungwan just snorts.

“No way.”

Yerim raises an eyebrow. “She looks at you the way you look at her.”

“Yeah? And what is that?”

“Frankly? Disgustingly cute.”

 

Joohyun’s morning habit of getting coffee eventually seeps into the rest of her schedule, and really, she should’ve seen this coming. It’s been almost two months now since her little crush on the blonde barista, and in the span of these two months, Joohyun’s not exactly sure if her crush can be considered as a small one anymore. It’s foolish and a little silly, but Joohyun’s always been a little bit of a hopeless romantic—not that she’d ever admit it out loud. Weekend mornings at the café are a regular occurrence now, and so are weekday nights when there’s work to be done even after her nine to five schedule. She’s just thankful that the coffee on weekday nights are free of charge with the courtesy of Seungwan.

Weekday nights are probably Joohyun’s favourite—despite the atrocious amount of work to be done, Joohyun’s granted almost absolute quiet and peace in her little corner, hunched over her laptop and clicking away. Another one of Joohyun’s favourites are the free refills from Seungwan, who never fails to offer her one when she has the chance.

The coffee is also strangely bearable now; it’s by no means good, but at least it’s easier to swallow, and Joohyun no longer feels like gagging at every sip.

Sooyoung tells her it’s the side effects of constantly drinking ty coffee, which had promptly earned herself a half-hearted smack on the shoulder.

 

It’s almost eight in the evening, and Joohyun finds herself nestled in her usual nook in the café, nursing a cup of green tea. It’s been a few days since she’s fallen sick, and thanks to her work and terrible sleep schedule, recovering is taking a little longer than she’d like.

Then, from the corner of her eye she spots Yerim approaching, hands clasped behind her back, and she looks up.

“Hey, is it okay if Seungwan sits here later? I think she wants to talk to you, but she asked me to ask you.”

Widening her eyes, Joohyun swallows.

Sure, they’ve talked plenty of times, but never quite in such a setting, nor for a foreseeable extended period of time. Not that it’s a bad thing – quite the opposite, actually—but Joohyun’s bad with people and bad at words.

In other words, a horrific combination of crippling social awkwardness and shyness, which is definitely going to drive Seungwan away.

Joohyun wilts at the thought.

“Oh! Um, sure.” She offers what she hopes is a reassuring smile, and Yerim grins.

“Great! I’ll let her know.” With that, the young barista turns on her heel and walks away, humming softly as she makes her way back to behind the counters, leaving Joohyun to ponder the implications of such an unusual request.

 

 

“Yerim! Where’s my coffee?” Seungwan calls, wiping her hands on her apron before taking it off, bundling it into a ball and dumping it into a small bucket in the kitchen. It’s almost closing time, and she’d asked Yerim to make her a decaf latte before going into the kitchen to wash the dirty cups and plates, which the younger barista had agreed to. In fact, she’d even offered to clean up the place in Seungwan’s stead, an offer that has Seungwan pinching herself, just to make sure she isn’t hallucinating the whole thing. Yerim’s uncharacteristic chivalry is a little unnerving, but Seungwan’s not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Yerim’s grinning from ear to ear as she jerks a thumb towards Joohyun’s table, where a cup of steaming coffee sits opposite of the woman, who’s bent over her laptop, deep in concentration.

 

She should’ve known it was too good to be true.

 

“You little .” Seungwan hisses, but Yerim’s grin just grows bigger.

“Now go sit there and talk to her, loser.”

 

“Hey,” Seungwan clears , and Joohyun glances up.

“Hey.” Joohyun parrots back, and Seungwan’s lips quirk up in faint amusement.

“Is it, uh, okay if I sit here?” Seungwan’s gesturing to the empty seat opposite Joohyun, who blinks.

“Sure!”

With that, Seungwan settles herself into the wooden chair, clasping her cup of coffee. Her gaze flickers to the busy streets before they return to Joohyun, and then back to her mug. She’s drumming her fingers on the ceramic rapidly, evidently deep in thought, and Joohyun watches her quietly.

It’s a little endearing how nervous Seungwan is, despite her best attempts to hide it as the barista shifts in her seat.

“You’re drinking coffee at this hour?” Joohyun finally breaks the silence, and Seungwan’s head snaps up.

“Oh! It’s decaf, don’t worry.” She lets out a little chuckle before she falls quiet again, taking a sip of her coffee.

She swallows.

“Sorry, it’s just—” Seungwan chews on her bottom lip. “I didn’t know Yerim was going to put my coffee here and she tricked me into coming here to talk to you, so I’m really sorry for this, I know I’m awkward and I get it if you’re uncomfortable.” Her words come out in a rush, and she’s hunching into herself, slumping into her seat.

“Don’t be, I’m not.” Joohyun closes her laptop shut, resting her arms on top of the device. “Is that why she’s cleaning the place today? So you could talk to me?” She teases, and Seungwan huffs out a laugh. She relaxes a little, arms crossed on the table as she nurses her coffee.

“Most probably. I knew it was too good to be true.” Seungwan sighs. Joohyun takes a sip out of her own cup of green tea, and silence settles between them once more.

It’s a little awkward, but not unbearably so.

“Hey, uh, it’s ‘Seungwan’, right?” Joohyun confirms, and Seungwan nods. “Okay, great. I didn’t want to mispronounce your name on accident.” Joohyun lets out a nervous chuckle.

Seungwan smiles. “I was worried you didn’t even know my name, so don’t worry. You’re good.”

“Why would I not know your name?” Joohyun quirks an eyebrow.

“I mean, we’ve never addressed each other by our names, and most people don’t usually pay much attention to the name tags.” Seungwan gives a small, nonchalant shrug, before sitting up a little straighter. “Are you feeling better?”

“Kind of. Still a little sick, and there was a lot of work to do these past few days.”

“Is that what you were working on just now?” Seungwan gestures to Joohyun’s laptop with a nod of her chin, and Joohyun nods. Seungwan in a sharp breath between her teeth. “Any chance that you can take a break soon?”

Joohyun frowns. “Not in the next week.”

“Damn. That .”

“It’s alright, I’m used to it.”

Joohyun pauses. “That sounded a little pathetic, didn’t it?” She mumbles, and Seungwan’s hiding her smile behind her mug as she sips on her coffee.

“Just a little.” Seungwan admits. “Although that’s hardly fair coming from someone who works eleven hour shifts five days a week.”

It prompts a huff of laughter from Joohyun, before she quickly stifles it, biting down hard on her bottom lip.

“Sorry,” She says, but Seungwan waves it away.

“Don’t be, it was meant to be a joke, anyway. It would’ve been a lot sadder if you didn’t laugh.” The barista smiles, and Joohyun dips her head, hiding a smile.

Oddly enough, Seungwan’s presence is… comfortable. Lets Joohyun feels like she can put down her walls for once, and have conversation flow naturally without having to mull over her every word before she speaks them. Seungwan feels like a friend, even though their conversations have been largely small talk before tonight. Perhaps it’s the barista’s carefree nature, or her natural disposition for friendliness despite her awkwardness.

“So, what’re you working on? Can I see?” Seungwan prompts, only to be met with a shake of Joohyun’s head.

“I’m afraid it’s confidential information.”

“Aw.” Seungwan pouts.

“I work for the big company that’s across the road, so… I can’t afford to get into trouble. Plus, I’m just a junior editor, so that’s an even bigger no-no.”

Seungwan’s eyes widen. “That company? Wow.”

“I have no idea how I got the job either.” Joohyun laughs, embarrassed.

“Bull, I’m sure you’re b with talent.”

“Oh really? How can you tell?”

Seungwan grins.

“With my Spidey-senses.” She wiggles her eyebrows, and Joohyun’s hiding her face in her hands, stifling her laughter. She’s pretty sure her ears are red—and she can only hope that Seungwan hasn’t noticed.

Before Seungwan can say more, there’s the tell-tale sound of the lights at the counters switching off, followed by Yerim exiting from the kitchen.

“I’d hate to interrupt, but it’s time to close.” She announces, and almost immediately, both women are standing up, with Seungwan retrieving Joohyun’s now-empty mug from the table. Murmuring her thanks, Joohyun slips her laptop back into her backpack, zipping it up before heading for the door, where Yerim waits, idly spinning the keys on a finger.

“How’d it go?” Yerim asks, rather out of the blue, and Joohyun startles a little.

“Oh! Uh, it was… fine?”

“Seungwan’s a nice person, she’s just a little awkward.” Yerim says, nodding to gesture at the aforementioned woman, who now busies herself with switching off the remaining lights while attempting to stick her arm through the strap of her backpack.

“I figured.” Joohyun says lightly, and Yerim snorts. “Thank you for letting me stay until you guys closed.”

“Don’t mention it, you’re welcome to stay any time.”

Then, Seungwan’s making her towards them, and Yerim bends to lock the doors as Seungwan slips out of the café with Joohyun close behind.

“Did Yerim bother you?” Seungwan asks, hiking her backpack strap as she eyes her co-worker suspiciously, and Joohyun chuckles as the youngest of them flips Seungwan off without looking.

“No, we were just talking about you.”

“Only good things, I hope.” Seungwan smiles.

“Of course.”

The streets are fairly empty by now, the air slightly humid and warm, and yet, under the dim lights, Seungwan still looks as captivating as the first time Joohyun had spotted her, even with her now slightly mussed blonde hair from work.

“I’m heading off first, bye!” Yerim’s voice jerks Joohyun out of her thoughts, and she manages a weak ‘goodbye’ just in time as Yerim turns to walk away.

“See you tomorrow!” Seungwan calls out, and Yerim merely replies with a wave of her hand. For a few seconds, they both watch Yerim round the street corner, and silence settles between them once more. This time, it’s a more comfortable one, and Joohyun glances at Seungwan, who seems to have done the exact same thing, because the barista’s averting her eyes almost immediately, before her gaze eventually flickers back to Joohyun.

“Do you live nearby? I could walk you back home, if you’d like.” Seungwan offers. “Since, you know, it’s kind of late. You can say no, please don’t be pressured to say yes, it was just a thought.” She adds, a little hurriedly.

“Sure! I live about a street down from here.”

Seungwan’s eyes widen. “You do?”

“…Yeah?”

“I live on the same street!”

“Perfect, let’s go together then.”

 

The journey back to her apartment is a little less lonely, now that Seungwan’s presence is more or less a constant in the short ten minutes of their walk. Not that Joohyun’s ever exactly lonely—the perks of having been alone for most of her life had ensured that Joohyun’s favourite company is usually her own, but with Seungwan, it’s a nice change. Refreshing, even, because what had once been a quiet trudge back home is now filled with laughter, company, and an almost infectious sense of carefree optimism that Joohyun hasn’t seen or felt in years— Seungwan feels like a breath of fresh air.

 

She learns that Seungwan is three years younger than her, and had graduated with a degree in business. She also learns that a couple of years ago, in a moment of epiphany, the younger woman had resigned from her well-paying job and had started working as a barista.

“Were your parents mad when you told them you wanted to be a barista?”

They’re walking side by side along the street, and Seungwan kicks a pebble with a scuff of her shoe, sending it skittling further down the path.

“Very. They thought I was crazy.” She lets out a short chuckle, but it’s bittersweet and tinged with sadness despite Seungwan’s attempt to sound otherwise.

“I’m sorry.” Joohyun murmurs, and Seungwan shrugs, hands jammed into her jean pockets.

“It’s how it is. Besides, I do want to own my own café someday, so I suppose it’s a compromise of sorts.”

“I believe you can do it.”

Seungwan lets out a quiet sigh. “I don’t know. I just feel like I’m not going anywhere.” She glances at Joohyun, a faint frown already forming. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all depressing.” She kicks another loose stone from the pavement.

“You’re doing good, Seungwan.” Joohyun says softly, and Seungwan’s looking at her, a small, shy smile on her lips before she’s ducking her head and hiding her smile.

 

Joohyun’s usually a stickler for routines.

Get out of bed at seven in the morning.

Brush her teeth, and take a shower.

Try not to think about the long day ahead at work, get dressed and head out, and try not to murder Sooyoung when her friend inevitably comes to pester her during her self-proclaimed afternoon breaks at work.

Get home from work, take another shower and have dinner, and maybe a glass of wine when she can afford to.

Sleep.

Rinse and repeat.

 

These days, however, her schedule seems to be altering in many different ways. First, it’s her visits to the café on weekday mornings, which have now bled into weekday nights and occasionally, weekend mornings. Over the past few weeks, Seungwan and Yerim seem to have become more than just her acquaintances. It’s rare for Joohyun to consider anyone as a friend, but somehow there’s just an easy sense of comfort and ease when she’s around them — something that Joohyun has a harder time finding than most people.

So yes, they’re her friends; ones that Joohyun sees almost every day, and who always extend kindness to her on both ty and good days in their own ways. For Seungwan, it comes in the form of free drinks or complimentary cakes, which Joohyun always appreciates, and Yerim always makes sure to save her a seat in Joohyun’s preferred corner of the café, away from the harsh rays of the sun but yet having just enough of it filtering through the windows to cast a warm glow.

Walking back home with Seungwan is also now a part of Joohyun’s routine. It’s a strange in-between of comfort and nerves, because she doesn’t think she’s ever met quite a person like Seungwan who just… gets her.

Who laughs at her admittedly poor jokes, and who always seems to know when Joohyun just needs someone to talk to, because Joohyun’s never been exactly good at sharing her thoughts and emotions with others. She pushes Joohyun with just the right amount, and lets her be when she isn’t quite willing to discuss her worries.

She makes the ten-minute walks feel like a mere second, and Joohyun always finds herself craving for just a little more time, because Seungwan just seems so, so impossibly in sync with her that Joohyun can’t help but always hope for just a little more.

Most of all, it makes Joohyun’s not-so-little crush on the barista so much more persistent, and perhaps just a little bit more real and nerve-wracking.

In a way, their crossed paths almost feels like fate; except Joohyun’s never exactly believed in fate, until she’d stumbled across Seungwan.

 

“You’re a million miles away again.” Seungwan nudges her with an elbow, and Joohyun looks up from where she’d been staring absently at the pavement. They’re walking back home together again after another long weekday spent at work.

“Did you hear what I said?”

Joohyun shakes her head, and there’s a half-hearted, exasperated huff from Seungwan.

“I asked if you wanted to have dinner together.”

As if on cue, Joohyun’s stomach growls, and her cheeks flush red.

“Sure,” She says, much to Seungwan’s amusement.

“When was the last time you ate? I don’t think I saw you eating earlier.” Seungwan raises an eyebrow.

“Uh…” She’d skipped dinner while at the café, which means that her last meal had probably been with Sooyoung. “At noon, I think?”

“Joohyun, it’s been more than nine hours.” Seungwan deadpans, and Joohyun hums, shrugging.

“I’m used to it.”

Seungwan tuts in disapproval. “This can’t do, we’re going to someplace nice.”

 

As it turns out, Seungwan’s definition of ‘someplace nice’ is a popular food truck nearby. Not that Joohyun’s complaining—she’s a frequent customer herself after all.

“Pretty neat, huh? There’s usually a whole bunch of people queueing for it, but I guess we got lucky.” Seungwan’s leading Joohyun by the hand to the largely empty seating area, and they both settle down at a table.

Joohyun tries not to think about how warm and soft Seungwan’s hands are, and how perfectly their hands seem to fit together.

“Or maybe because it’s nine in the evening?” Joohyun raises an eyebrow.

“We’re getting a little snarky today.” Seungwan laughs, and Joohyun smiles. “Craving anything in particular?”

“Not really.” She shrugs.

“Alright.”

It takes Seungwan a few minutes to order their food, and there’s a brief period of silence between them as Seungwan answers a couple of text messages, nose scrunched up in concentration, before putting her phone away.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Seungwan’s crossing her arms on the table, and Joohyun watches her, nodding cautiously.

“If you’re spending so much time at the café and at work, what do you do in your free time?”

“I read, or nap.”

Seungwan gives her a confused look.

“Just that?”

“Well, and watching movies too, but that hardly counts.” There’s an embarrassed chuckle. “I’m really not the most interesting person around.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I don’t do much either.”

“What do you do, then?” Joohyun raises an eyebrow.

Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of their dinner, and both women murmur their thanks before Seungwan’s passing Joohyun her chopsticks. It’s a while before Seungwan responds, chewing thoughtfully.

“Solving puzzles, or reading.” She eventually says, still chewing, and swallows. “Both of which Yerim claims to be ‘grandma activities’, by the way. Whatever that means.” Seungwan shrugs.

“And what does Yerim do in her free time?” Joohyun snorts.

“Oh, you know, studying like the student that she is. Or clubbing, although I have a feeling she mostly just lies around in her room watching Netflix.” Seungwan grins. There’s a brief pause as Seungwan eats.

She swallows. “Can I ask you another question?”

“Are we doing Twenty Questions now?” Joohyun teases, and Seungwan rolls her eyes, prompting a huff of laughter from the older woman.

“Go ahead.”

“What do you really think of my drink?” Seungwan’s leaning forward now, her attention fixed on Joohyun.

“Your drink?” Joohyun asks, feigning innocence, and Seungwan nods.

“The one you always get.” She clarifies anyway, and Joohyun lowers her gaze, fixing it on the bowl before her.

“Why do you ask?” Joohyun answers the question with her own instead, and Seungwan’s gaze turns towards her own bowl, and she pokes at her food.

“Just curious.” She looks up. “You’re the only one who drinks it.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“No, I’m serious! Except for you, everyone else hated it.” Seungwan sniffs. “With a passion, might I add.”

“Hm.” Joohyun says, somewhat noncommittally as she bites on her bottom lip, worrying it between her teeth.

She hadn’t exactly been prepared to be confronted with this question any time soon, and yet, lying to Seungwan now feels wrong. Granted, it’s really more of a white lie, but Joohyun’s already told it once before, and she’s not about to make a habit of it.

After all, they’re friends now, and Joohyun makes it a point to be honest with her friends.

 

And in all honesty, she’s also a little sick of drinking the wretched concoction.

 

“…Can I be honest?”

Seungwan nods.

“It’s kind of bad.” Joohyun winces.

There’s a brief pause as Seungwan processes this.

“Like, bad-bad?” She confirms, cocking her head ever so slightly, and Joohyun gives a tiny, sheepish nod. Confusion is written all over Seungwan’s face, and she opens , as if to say something, but only to close it again. It takes her a few seconds more before she speaks again.

“Why didn’t you just tell me? And why did you keep ordering it?” Amusement laces her tone, and she’s watching Joohyun with a mixture of incredulity and amazement.

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Joohyun eventually lifts her shoulder in a small shrug. “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.”

There’s the faintest dusting of pink on Seungwan’s cheeks at Joohyun’s timid confession.

“I mean, it was just coffee, you could’ve told me.” Seungwan rubs the back of her neck.

“I know, but you just looked so excited every time.” Joohyun mumbles. Her cheeks are warm—which also means they’re definitely red now, and she takes a sip of water from her cup, looking away.

“I appreciate the effort.”

Seungwan gives her a lopsided grin, and Joohyun tries not to think about how effortlessly Seungwan always seems to fluster her.

 

“You’re right, the coffee is .” Seungwan announces the moment Yerim walks into the café, still bleary-eyed as she mechanically makes her way to the back. Seungwan follows her as Yerim plucks her uniform from her bag and heads towards the bathroom, and the doors slide close with a click.

“I thought you were convinced it was good,” Yerim’s voice floats from the other side of the door, and Seungwan leans on the wall nearby, arms crossed in front of her chest.

“Well, Joohyun says that it’s tasted bad this whole time.” Seungwan replies, and the doors slide open.

“How and why did she tell you?” Yerim squeezes past Seungwan, stuffing her own shirt into her bag before picking an apron from the nearby shelf, stifling a yawn.

“I asked her over dinner last night.” Seungwan shrugs.

At this, Yerim perks up a little, gaze sliding over to Seungwan’s with a knowing smile, and Seungwan furrows her eyebrows.

“What?”

“Dinner, huh?” The younger woman wiggles her eyebrows, and Seungwan’s sputtering, clearly flustered.

“It was just dinner! Don’t make it weird.” She mumbles, trailing behind Yerim as the younger woman heads towards the counter once more.

“Yeah, but you’ve also had a crush on her for the longest time ever. When was the last time you liked anyone this much?”

“…Three years ago.” Seungwan mumbles, defeated.

“Then why don’t you ask her out?” Yerim suggests gently.

Seungwan whines. “I’m just going to get rejected! And then I’ll have to quit working here and find someplace else because I don’t think I can bear to see her every day after that.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Yerim’s staring at her now.

“Well, I’m not actually going to leave—”

“No, I mean— Joohyun likes you. I’m ninety-nine percent sure that she does, because there’s absolutely no other reason for her to be sacrificing her poor stomach like that.” Yerim sniffs. “Also, I won’t let you leave even if you wanted to. You’re my work wife now, and you’re not going anywhere without me.” She adds, a playful grin on her face.

Chewing her bottom lip, Seungwan doesn’t respond immediately.

Yerim’s words do make sense, and yet, when it comes to Joohyun, Seungwan always seems to inevitably freeze up; all of her previous gathered courage always seems to disappear into thin air the moment she spots the older woman entering through the set of familiar glass doors, and any of her usual bravado and playful flirtiness simply ceases to be and melts into a puddle before her feet, leaving her tongue-tied and nervous.

The very idea that she, a terribly awkward and average human being, has the same effect on Joohyun that Joohyun has on her is… well, a little hard to wrap her head around.

“Are you sure she likes me?” Seungwan’s voice is hesitant, soft.

“Very.”

 

Joohyun doesn’t see Seungwan for the next few days, thanks to the weekend and Seungwan having the Monday after as her day off. She does bump into Yerim at the café on Monday though, and the -eating grin that forms on her face the instant she spots Joohyun entering through the doors is enough to place Joohyun on the side of caution.

“A cup of green tea, please.” She says, and Yerim keys it into the system. “You look happy today.” She raises an eyebrow as she pays with a tap of her card.

“I’m celebrating, Joohyun.” The younger woman hums, turning away momentarily to grab a teabag, much to Joohyun’s confusion.

“Celebrate what?” Joohyun’s well and truly puzzled now, and she trails behind Yerim on the opposite end of the counter, watching the woman brew her cup of tea.

“The end of your poor stomach’s torment.”

“Seungwan told you?” Joohyun asks, embarrassment flushing her cheeks. It’s not exactly news that no one genuinely likes Seungwan’s drink, but to have it made this obvious was awkward, to say the least.

“Mhm.” Yerim turns around. “Don’t worry, she didn’t cry.” She adds upon noticing the look of faint worry etched on Joohyun’s features, and Joohyun shakes her head, sighing as she rolls her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, we both know Seungwan’s your favourite.” Yerim snorts, handing Joohyun her drink. Unlike Seungwan’s handiwork, Yerim’s messages on the cupsleeves are usually brief or sarcastic; more often not, it’s a mixture of both. Today, there’s a ‘Don’t die, grandma!’ scribbled in black marker ink, complete with an overtly large smiley face that Joohyun is sure is mocking her, and Joohyun glares at Yerim, who merely laughs.

 

 

She manages to catch Seungwan on Tuesday, and the barista greets her with a smile and a tiny wave that Joohyun returns.

“So? What can I get you?” Seungwan leans against the counter, watching Joohyun as the older woman fumbles with her wallet.

“Just the usual.” Joohyun says as she pulls out her card, only to be met with a look of confusion etched onto Seungwan’s face.

“You don’t have to keep ordering that,” Seungwan doesn’t make a move to key anything in, amusement in her voice, and Joohyun’s furrowing her eyebrows.

“Joohyun, please get something else, I won’t be upset, I promise.” Seungwan’s chuckling now, and her gaze follows Joohyun’s to the menu board, where the older woman seems to be fervently scanning through the list of unfamiliar coffees.

“I’ll, um… I’ll get the caramel macchiato, then.” Joohyun settles on the first drink that she sees, and Seungwan’s finally typing in her order, a practised hand already reaching for the plastic cup. She jots her order down after, scribbling on the plastic before looking up.

For a brief moment, their eyes meet, and Seungwan’s gaze darts away before flickering back to Joohyun’s again.

She clears .

“What did you get yesterday while I was gone?” Seungwan fills the silence between them as per usual as she bustles about, and Joohyun doesn’t miss the odd awkwardness in her voice.

Which is strange, really, because Seungwan is usually friendly and warm, with most traces of her awkwardness having dissolved with the first time they’d talked, and subsequently altogether later into their friendship.

“Green tea, and Yerim called me a grandma too.” Joohyun replies, much to Seungwan’s amusement. The barista pours espresso into the cup, and moves to grab the milk.

“Don’t worry, she calls everyone older than her that.”

“Oh, I know.” Joohyun hums, and then Seungwan’s handing her the drink. Joohyun murmurs her thanks, and Seungwan merely nods, avoiding her gaze.

“Good luck at work!” Seungwan manages a small smile, and Joohyun nods, returning her smile before making her way out of the café and out onto the busy street. It’s only then that she lifts her cup, scanning for Seungwan’s familiar scrawl on the cupsleeve.

 

Instead of her usual doodles, there’s simply a series of numbers, and an unusually neatly written one-liner underneath, tagged on with a familiar smiley-face.

 

‘Would I be in a latte trouble if I asked you out?’