☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Nayeon likes bread and different kinds of pastries. Besides going to different bakeries to try their pastries, she also enjoys tasting pastries from various coffee shops. Truth be told, Nayeon thinks most coffee shops sell mediocre pastries. Most coffee shops that Nayeon went to focus more on aesthetics than the actual taste of whatever they sell. 

There's a newly opened coffee shop, Café Minaricano, a few blocks from the university, and Nayeon's ecstatic to try out their pastries and whatever non-caffeinated drink they're offering.

As Nayeon entered the coffee shop, she couldn't help but look around. The interior is lovely, and the place has a great ambiance. Nayeon only hopes that this coffee shop is not only focused on aesthetics.

Nayeon, who forgot to bring her glasses, is squinting her eyes to read the menu. She didn't even realize she was already in front of the counter.

"Good morning.", the barista said enthusiastically. "What can I get you?"

Nayeon, who was busy reading the menu, failed to hear the barista.

The barista giggled because she found this customer squinting her eyes so much to the point that she looked like she had her eyes closed, amusing. "Here's a copy of our menu.", the barista said as she offered the printed menu to Nayeon.

"Oh.", Nayeon said. "Thank you."

Nayeon has her eyebrows furrowed as she scans the menu; she doesn't know what to get. "What pastry would you recommend?"

"I recommend banana bread; it's a house special." 

Nayeon nodded, "I'll get a slice of banana bread."

"And I would recommend the caramel macchiato or the white mocha for coffee. The matcha latte is great too if you like matcha."

"Uhh.", Nayeon wasn't paying attention to a word the barista was saying because she just realized how pretty this barista was. She feels embarrassed for staring. "I'll get whatever you recommend. I just want the drink to be iced."

The barista nodded, "Okay. Can I get your name, please?"

"Nayeon."

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Nayeon's on her way to the coffee shop, Café Minaricano because she liked the banana bread and not because she finds the barista pretty or anything. She's definitely there to try the other pastries.

This time, Nayeon wore her contact lenses to avoid looking like an idiot squinting her eyes so hard. She actually heard the barista giggle last time while trying her best to read the menu.

The barista last time is the same barista today, and Nayeon thinks that today's her lucky day. There was no line today, so she immediately went to the counter. She noticed that the barista was not wearing a nametag, so there goes her chance of finding out the name of the pretty barista. But getting the barista's name isn't her purpose for going to this coffee shop, right? 

"Hello.", the barista smiled. "May I take your order?"

"What pastry can you recommend? Besides the banana bread I had that last time, I liked it, but I want to try something different.", Nayeon answered. She hoped she didn't sound like she was babbling nonsense.

"The almond croissant is good, and the chocolate croissant too."

"I'll have the chocolate croissant this time."

The barista nodded, "For the coffee, I'd recommend the white mocha."

"Okay, I'll have that iced."

"Can I get your name?"

"Jeongyeon.", Nayeon answered. Now, she knows that THAT isn't her name, but she thought of an idea and impulsively did it. 

Nayeon doesn't know the barista's name, but she wants to find out her name. She could just ask for the name, really, but she didn't think of that. Instead, she thought about guessing the name of the barista by saying random names with the hope of the barista saying something like 'We have the same name.' 

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Contrary to the first two encounters, the pretty barista that Nayeon wanted to see wasn't on the counter. But the barista wasn't (solely) the reason why Nayeon's inside this coffee shop. She wants to try the pastries! 

"Good afternoon.", the barista, who has a name tag that says Momo, greeted her. "Can I take your order?"

Nayeon nodded, "I'll have the almond croissant and an iced white chocolate."

"Can I get your name?"

"Jihyo.", Nayeon said. Okay, that slipped. She wasn't supposed to say her friend's name because the pretty barista wasn't the one taking her order, but because before entering the coffee shop, Nayeon had already thought about saying Jihyo's name to the pretty barista.

After paying, Nayeon sat near the window and opened her laptop. She needs to study for a test tomorrow, and she chose to study inside the coffee shop because the place is calming and not because she wanted to see the pretty barista. Plus, her roommate was singing her heart out to Justin Bieber's Off My Face, which made her unable to concentrate on studying.

"One iced white chocolate for Jihyo!"

Nayeon stood up from her seat to head towards the claiming area, and she halted when she saw the pretty barista at the claiming place. She regained her composure and walked towards the claiming area. Nayeon handed the receipt to the pretty barista, who still doesn't have a name tag, for Christ's sake! 

"Thank you.", Nayeon smiled at the barista as the latter pushed the tray with Nayeon's orders towards her.

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

"I don't get it.", Jeongyeon took a sip of the coffee that Nayeon ordered. "You don't like coffee yet you buy coffee every time you go here. Why not just buy pastries?" 

"See, I originally planned on just buying these, but the cute barista asked me if I wanted coffee.", Nayeon pointed at the bread and a slice of cake on the table. "How can I say no to such a pretty face?" 

Jeongyeon laughed, "But the coffee is good. Have you given it a try?"

Nayeon nodded, "Yeah, I tried it before, but coffee is just not my thing because after drinking coffee, I get all hyped up to the point that I can't sleep at night." 

"Why not buy a chocolate beverage? They have a lot of decaffeinated drinks on the menu.", Jeongyeon pointed out while sipping the coffee that her friend ordered. 

"Because", Nayeon groaned. "Coffee is what the barista suggested. Are you not listening to me?."

Jeongyeon scrunched her nose while shaking her head, "I'm only here for the free coffee and not to listen to whatever you're blabbering."

"Their pastries are delicious.", Nayeon said as she ate the bread and the cake alternately. "Go buy your own.", she swatted Jeongyeon's hand when the latter tried to get the fork to give the pastries a taste.

"Okay. And then I'll ask for the pretty barista's number.", Jeongyeon grinned before standing up.

Nayeon immediately grabbed her friend's wrist, "You wouldn't dare."

 "Why not?", Jeongyeon asked. "She's pretty and cute."

Nayeon rolled her eyes, " off."

Jeongyeon laughs, "Okay, but quick question, why did you say a different name when you ordered?" 

"I'm trying to get the pretty barista's name by guessing her name through giving different names every time I order.", Nayeon explained. "Because I think it would be amusing if I end up saying her name when she takes my order, you know?"

"Idiosyncrasy is a noun that means an unusual way a particular person behaves or thinks. That's you, Nayeon.", Jeongyeon said. "You can just walk up to her and ask her name like a normal person."

"You described me using a noun.", Nayeon pointed out. "Usually, people would use adjectives to describe a person but using nouns works too."

Jeongyeon scoffed in disbelief, "THAT'S what you got from what I said?"

Nayeon rolled her eyes, "When did I do things normally as you peasants do? And besides, I think it's fun guessing her name."

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

"Nayeon has a crush on the barista.", Jeongyeon pointed out.

"Which one?", Chaeyoung asked. "I know the owner, so maybe I can set Nayeon up with her crush."

"The one on the counter taking orders.", Jihyo answered.

Chaeyoung looked at the counter and widened her eyes. "No way! That's–"

"Shush!", Nayeon exclaimed, which caught the attention of some of the people inside the coffee shop. She sank to her seat, embarrassed. "Don't tell me her name; I'll find that out on my own."

"Find that on your own how exactly?", Chaeyoung asked.

"How do you even know her anyway?", Nayeon countered. "Don't tell me anything else; just answer my question." 

Chaeyoung raised both hands, "She goes to our university, and she's a classmate of mine in some subjects. She's taking a business degree too–"

"Okay, okay.", Nayeon said. "I intend to find out everything about her on my own."

Jihyo laughed, "Start by getting her name first like a normal person, yeah?"

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Nayeon has a paper she needs to finish before her first class starts, which she kind of forgot. She went out to party until 12 am, and as she was about to sleep on her bed, she immediately remembered the assignment she needed to do. She looked over at her roommate, who had already passed out. With a sigh, Nayeon went to get her laptop.

Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes had passed, and the only thing Nayeon could type was the cover page containing the university name and logo, along with Nayeon's name.

This is one of the rare moments where Nayeon would drink coffee even though she personally dislikes coffee. She's not going to deny that coffee keeps her awake, and needs to stay awake and finish her goddamn paper. 

Nayeon's foot brought her to Café Minaricano. Thank God the shop is still open at this ungodly hour. There weren't many people inside, just a few students who were probably cramming a paper just like her.

Nayeon smiled as she went to the counter, seeing the pretty barista.

"Hi.", the pretty barista said. "What can I get you today?"

"Something that would keep me awake to help me write a paper due in–.", Nayeon looked at her wristwatch, "five hours. Also, can I get a buttered croissant?"

The barista nodded, "Okay. A coffee that will help you keep awake and a buttered croissant. Can I get your name?"

"Uhh..", Nayeon furrowed her eyebrows. "Chaeyoung."

Nayeon immediately sat down and opened her laptop after paying. She stared at the instructions regarding her assignment for five minutes before her brain finally registered what she needed to do. 

Nayeon was so busy typing that she didn't even notice that the pretty barista had brought her order directly to her. "Here's your order."

"Thanks.", Nayeon absent-mindedly said. She took a sip of the coffee, which was too bitter for her liking. She took a bite from the croissant and immediately smiled at the taste. This coffee shop really does serve amazing pastries.

Nayeon was finally in her zone after sipping coffee and eating the bread. She could finish her paper– she looked at her watch and widened her eyes; she worked on her paper for more than two hours. She scanned the coffee shop and noticed she was the only customer. It's probably because it's almost 3 am. 

After finalizing her paper, Nayeon closed her laptop. She spots the pretty barista on the counter. 

"Thanks for the amazing coffee.", Nayeon smiled at the barista. "It helped me finish my paper. And I really love the pastries here."

The pretty barista smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for trying out our shop."

"I'll get going now. Thank you again.", Nayeon said before leaving.

The pretty barista went to the table and was a little surprised to see that her customer had cleaned the table. That little gesture made the barista smile; there are not a lot of people who do that. There's nothing really much left to do besides getting the plate and the cup that Nayeon used. 

There's one thing that the barista didn't see, though, not that she was spying on her customer, no. She wrote a note on one of the table napkins but didn't see the customer read it. Well, her last customer was busy writing a paper, which is probably why.

Maybe if Nayeon noticed what was written on the napkin, she'd end up smiling the rest of the day. But she didn't see it. Instead, she used the napkin to wipe the table without noticing that there was something written. 

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Nayeon skipped breakfast, just like any other university student, so here she is now, enduring her hunger in her first-morning class. Thank God she has a free period after this class.

After the class was dismissed, Nayeon decided to go to her favorite café to hopefully order a non-coffee drink and a pastry that she hadn't tried yet.

As soon as Nayeon entered the coffee shop, she saw that the pretty barista wasn't at the counter. That's a good thing and a bad thing. Good because she'll be able to order a non-coffee drink, and bad because she won't be able to try and guess her name. 

As Nayeon ordered, she noticed something on the counter. Store hours. 9am - 1am. That's weird, Nayeon thought. The last time she entered the café was a little past 3 am, and they were still open.

After Nayeon said her order, she decided to ask the barista, a different barista, something. "Do you guys sometimes extend the store hours?"

The barista nodded, "Sometimes, when there are still people a little after 1 am, we stay open. Usually, if there are people after 1 am, we keep the open sign until 1:30 am and close when all the prior customers leave."

"Oh.", was the only thing Nayeon said. She feels bad for the pretty barista because she stayed until Nayeon finished her paper. "That's kind of a weird protocol."

The barista giggled, "It is, but it is voluntary. We are not required to stay open past 1 am, but if we do, we get paid overtime. Honestly, most baristas here are night owls who forget to flip the open sign to closed before 1 am. Usually, one of the owners accidentally leaves the open sign past 1."

Nayeon nodded, "Oh, I see." Nayeon still thinks that it's kind of weird. Don't people usually want to leave work and close their shop earlier? 

"University students are the ones who usually stay here past our store hours, and we just let them stay to finish whatever they're doing. One of the owners is a university student herself, and she sometimes does her assignments at night while waiting for this place to be empty of customers.", the barista added. "By the way, we do deliveries too around the vicinity.", the barista, Sana, according to her name tag, said as she handed Nayeon a flyer. "We deliver from 9 am to 5 pm only, though."

"Thanks.", Nayeon said as she looked at the flyer. This barista, Sana, is very accommodating and enthusiastic. Nayeon thinks that Sana should get a raise or something.

"By the way, can I get your name?"

"Tzuyu."

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Nayeon pouted when she entered Café Minaricano because the pretty barista was nowhere to be found. She would like to apologize for making her stay until 4 am. She feels so bad; she really does. 

"Good morning.", the barista named Dahyun greeted her at the counter. "May I take your order?"

"Can you recommend a non-coffee drink? And also a pastry?"

Dahyun nodded, "Personally, I love the oreo milkshake. The triple chocolate milkshake is great too. I would recommend the glazed doughnut or the chocolate-dipped doughnut."

That's too much sweetness for Nayeon's liking. "I'll have the oreo milkshake and a glazed doughnut."

"Excellent choice.", Dahyun smiled. "Can I get your name, please?" 

"Jieun."

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Today, Nayeon feels like complete . She couldn't even attend her classes because her head was pounding, and her body felt heavy. Plus, the cough and cold she's experiencing are adding to her headache. She took her phone to check the time, surprised that it was already 2 in the afternoon. Her roommate, Chaeyoung, prepared food for her earlier that Nayeon devoured before taking a nap. 

Now, she's hungry again. She's debating whether or not to call one of her friends and ask them to deliver food to her. But then she saw the flyer of Café Minaricano on the bedside table. Bread and tea sound good, Nayeon, though.

She dialed the number written on the flyer.

"Hello. Good afternoon, this is Café Minaricano."

"Ah, yes, hello.", Nayeon said in between coughs.

"What can I get you today?"

Nayeon stared at the flyer to look at the menu. Thank God the menu is printed on the pamphlet too. "I'd like one cheesy egg croissant and grilled cheese."

"Is there anything else?"

" this cold.", Nayeon said after she sneezed. "Can I get a tea to help me cough and cold? I don't know anything about tea, so I don't know what to get."

"Sure. Can I get your name and address?"

After placing her order and paying online for the food she ordered, Nayeon closed her eyes as she wrapped herself in a blanket. 

Nayeon was woken up by Chaeyoung, who was holding what Nayeon ordered. "My friend got a little lost delivering this to you.", Chaeyoung said as she placed the food on Nayeon's bedside table. "Thank God I saw Mina; she said you weren't answering your phone. You told her the wrong room number."

Nayeon rubbed her eyes as she slowly stood up. "Sorry."

"It's okay; you're sick anyway."

Nayeon opened the paper bag, and she saw a little note written on a post-it. 

Café Minaricano is wishing you a speedy recovery ☺

Nayeon noticed a penguin drawn on the edge of the note; she smiled.

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Today, Nayeon saw the pretty barista at the counter, and she made a mental note to apologize.

"Hello, good afternoon.", the nameless pretty barista said. "What can I get you today?"

"What would you recommend today?", Nayeon asked.

"Have you tried the Spanish latte?", the barista asked. "It's one of our best sellers."

Nayeon shook her head, "I haven't tried that, so I'll have that iced Spanish latte and a chocolate chip cookie." 

"Okay. Iced Spanish Latte and a chocolate chip cookie.", the pretty barista said. "Can I get your name?"

"Nayeon.", she doesn't know why she said her name instead of a different name, but it just came out of before she could think of another name.

After paying, Nayeon stayed in front of the counter.

"Is there anything else?", the pretty barista asked. 

"Uh, I would just like to apologize for making you stay open until 3 am that one time. I didn't know you guys close at 1."

The barista waved her hand, "No, no. It's okay, don't worry about it. Whenever I'm the last one on duty, I tend to stay open later than usual, so don't worry about it."

When Nayeon got her order, she noticed a heart and a smiley face beside her name, and it might have put a smile on her face knowing that the pretty barista was the one who wrote it. 

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

The pretty barista wasn't on the counter today, but Nayeon spotted her cleaning a table. God, she needs to remind herself that she's here for the pastries!

"Hello, can I take your order?", the barista named Sana asked.

"Yes, uh, I'll have the strawberry milkshake?", Nayeon said, unsure. "And a blueberry cheesecake, please.'

Sana nodded, "Okay, is there anything else you'd like to add?" 

Nayeon shook her head, "That'll be it."

"Can I get your name?"

"Mina", Nayeon muttered mindlessly as she read the shop's name.

"Mina?", Sana asked, confused. 

"Uhhh…yes?"

"You have the same name as the owner.", Sana absent-mindedly said.

Nayeon blinked, "Oh? That's cool?". Great, Nayeon thought, maybe one day she'll get the name of the pretty barista right. She already accidentally said the owner's name, so how hard could it be to accidentally say the pretty barista's name, right? 

Sana nodded, "Yeah. And that's the owner." Sana pointed to someone cleaning the tables.

Nayeon followed Sana's hand and widened her eyes when she realized it was the pretty barista. Mina.

Nayeon sat near the claiming area. She tapped the table as she waited for her order. She knows the name of the pretty barista; now what? What would she do with the information? Truth be told, she hasn't thought about it yet because she didn't think she'd say the pretty barista's name. Her name was called, meaning her order was ready, so she walked to the claiming area and paused when she saw that Mina, the pretty barista, was the one handing orders.

Mina furrowed her eyebrows when Nayeon gave her the receipt. Nevertheless, she handed Nayeon the latter's order.

Nayeon keeps tapping the table while thinking of something, and before she knows it, she's at the claiming area again, in front of Mina, the pretty barista. "Excuse me. You're the owner of this shop, right?", Nayeon asked Mina.

Mina nodded, "Yup. How can I help you?"

"You see this drink?", Nayeon asked, which earned a nod. "It's missing something."

"Oh.", Mina said worriedly. "Sorry to hear that. Can I know what's wrong with the drink? I'll make you a new one."

"No, no.", Nayeon shook her head. "You see what's written on the cup?", Nayeon pointed at the name on the cup.

Mina confusedly nodded. "Yes?"

"Mina's your name, right?"

Mina nodded; she didn't even know where this conversation was going.

"It's missing your number."

Mina blinked. Once. Twice. "Huh?"

Nayeon grinned, "Sorry, was that a lame way of asking for your number?"

Oh., Mina thought. There's nothing wrong with the drink, phew. "Wait. You want my number?"

Nayeon nodded, "Yes, but only if you're willing to give it. I won't force you or anything."

Mina reached for Nayeon's drink before taking the marker in her pocket. "Okay, but first, what's your real name? Because one day you're Chaeyoung, then you're Nayeon, and now you're Mina."

"Oh? You've been keeping track?", Nayeon teasingly asked.

Mina laughed, "It's hard not to. We don't always get pretty customers here."

Nayeon chuckled, "It's Nayeon Im."

"Okay.", Mina said as she wrote down her number on the cup of Nayeon's drink. "Nice to meet you, Nayeon.", she smiled.

"Nice to meet you too, Mina, who I still don't know the surname of."

"Myoi.", the pretty barista answered. "It's Mina Myoi."

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

Months later.

"I'm curious as to why you kept on saying different names whenever you used to order coffee at our cafe.", Mina said. "You don't do it anymore."

Nayeon groaned, "Promise you won't laugh at me first."

"Now I'm more curious, but I won't make any promises."

Nayeon sighed, "Well, I wanted to get your name, and the first thing I thought about was guessing it by giving out different names while hoping you'll one day say something like 'we have the same name'."

Mina chuckled, "You really are peculiar. You could've just asked me directly."

"Well, my mind works differently. As you said, I am peculiar."

"Oh!", Mina exclaimed. "And you don't like coffee! I found that out after going on several dates with you. But you always order coffee when I'm at the counter." 

"Yeah, well, how can I say no to your recommendations?" Nayeon asked. "I can't say no to a pretty girl." 

Mina rolled her eyes, "You could've said you don't like coffee, then I would've recommended one of the non-coffee drinks."

"I do things my way, babe.", Nayeon winked.

"You have a lot of odd ways and odd habits."

Nayeon laughed, "I have been told I have many idiosyncrasies."

"Like saying a different name every time at our coffee shop just to try and figure out my name.", Mina teasingly said. "And like ordering coffee even though you don't drink coffee but because you can't say no to a pretty barista. Also, I noticed that you eat pizzas by starting with the crust. Plus, you eat burgers by taking a bite all around."

"Oh?", Nayeon smiled. "Are we talking about idiosyncrasies? Like how you put ketchup on almost everything you eat. And like how you absent-mindedly twirl your hair when you're thinking hard with your eyebrows furrowed. And how do you not mix your coffee before taking your first sip? Babe, that last one is something I will never understand. All you're going to taste is the bitterness of the coffee."

Mina laughed, "Are we listing each other's idiosyncrasies? By the way, I still need you to start liking coffees."

Nayeon scrunched her nose, "I drink whatever coffee you make me. Also, me liking coffee wouldn't be impossible since my girlfriend literally owns a coffee shop." 

"Technically, my parents own the coffee shop. I'm just the one who manages it.", Mina said. "Anyway, I'll be late for my shift. So, let's go?", Mina added as she cracked her knuckles.

"Did you know that cracking knuckles was one of my pet peeves?", Nayeon asked.

"Really? I didn't know. You should've told me so I could've avoided doing it."

"Well, knuckle cracking is one of your little idiosyncrasies, and I got used to it.", Nayeon smiled. "It doesn't bother me anymore."

Mina smiled as she held her girlfriend's hand. "Maybe we should get coffees and talk about idiosyncrasies."

 

☕︎☕︎☕︎

 

 

A/N: honestly, i have no idea if this oneshot makes sense?? so i'm sorry for wasting your time reading this!!