Kang Seulgi realises a little too late that she’s an idiot for not giving her number to Irene before she left Gomdori. She got too excited that the latter had agreed to go out with her that it slipped her mind to do so. How is she supposed to discuss with her about their date now? When will the date happen? Where are they meeting? What time will they meet? What will they be doing during the date? Now, she has to wait until the following Wednesday to see Irene again… or maybe she can drop by on Monday just to see her and give her number? Will it seem desperate if she does so? She doesn’t want to give Irene the ick.

 

“You were happy just a while ago but now you look stressed,” Byulyi says, snapping Seulgi out of her thoughts when she feels her friend squeezing her arm. “What gives? Didn’t Irene agree to go on a date with you so why the long face?”

 

“I feel like the biggest idiot in the world as of this moment,” Seulgi groans dramatically. Byulyi looks at her with furrowed brows but doesn’t say anything, waiting for her to continue. “… I forgot to give her my number.”

 

“Oh, Seulgi” Byulyi utters, looking at her sympathetically. “It has only been a few months and you’ve already forgotten how to flirt back.”

 

“She probably thinks I’m not serious about her now.” Seulgi feels defeated before she even has the chance to win the preschool teacher’s heart.

 

Byulyi rolls her eyes. “You’re overthinking now, Seul. It took you two months to finally gain confidence to hold a conversation with her and now that you’ve managed to score a date with her in which she said yes. I repeat. She said yes. What makes you think she’d change her mind about going on that date with you just because you forgot to exchange numbers with her? Technically, she could’ve asked for your number first as well but she didn’t. She might have forgotten like you did.”

 

What Byulyi said makes sense and relief instantly washes through Seulgi, finding it laughable that she panicked for no reason. The effect Irene has on her. It’s her first time asking a woman out on a date. Usually, it’s the other way round because in Byulyi’s words, not hers, really, she’s an ‘instant chick magnet’.

 

“I don’t recall you being this good at talking sense to people,” she nudges her friend lightly.

 

“Having a girlfriend that needs reassurance once in a while has taught me well,” Byulyi shrugs. “Also, I’m one of your best friends aside from being a co-owner of an establishment with you. I don’t like seeing you… not being you. It’s time for you to chase your own happiness.”

 

“This is getting too sappy,” Seulgi curls her fingers, cringing at the conversation they’re having.

 

“Hey, you were the one acting all mopey,” Byulyi gasps, feigning offense. “I was being a good friend by cheering you up.”

 

“I’m going back to making coffee,” Seulgi stretches her arms, before glancing at the clock hanging above the door in the kitchen. 

 

45 minutes has passed since she entered the area.

 

“Thanks, Byul. I owe you one.”

 

“Don’t mention it,” Byulyi grins. “You can repay me by letting me take a week leave to travel with Yongsun.”

 

That’s definitely a request Seulgi can fulfill. Byulyi does deserve that break after all.

 

❆

 

Weekends are days Seulgi enjoys working on. 

 

A lot would beg to differ since they’re meant for resting before a new week starts but being in the food & beverage industry where stores are usually opened daily, she has a different mindset on it. 

 

Weekdays are usually slow for her and while that means she is able to interact longer with each customer other than just asking for their order, it doesn’t beat the rush she gets on weekends when the café is filled with more people and she has to keep every conversation short just so she can quickly take everyone’s orders and minimise waiting time for them— that’s if she’s handling the counter.

 

What Seulgi enjoys most, of course, is preparing the food and drinks for them. It’s a passion that grew along the way while working part time at a well-known brand café. Since then, it has been her dream to open a café of her own and she’s glad to meet someone like Byulyi who shares the same aspirations as her during her time in university. It wasn’t an easy feat having to start from scratch without any prior business knowledge but with the help of Yongsun—Byulyi’s then crush, now girlfriend— who just so happened to be a business major and their parents who were more than willing to chip in to make their dreams come true, Gomdori came to fruition. The whole process took three years but it was worth it seeing how their café is continuously growing with more people knowing about them since opening.

 

The crowd has died down a little and Seulgi is able to take a breather from being at the frontline of operation, asking one of the part-timers, Mark, to take over the counter instead. Looking at the orders not served yet, she decides to help Yerim who is preparing a few drinks already while Byulyi is in the kitchen cooking with Wheein. There is also Jimin who is helping to clear the tables. They’re a small team so Seulgi values each of them a lot.

 

“It seems like Jimin is slacking on her job,” Yerim snickers and Seulgi follows her line of sight, smiling slightly when she sees the part-timer obviously flirting with one of the customers. Her name is Minjeong, Seulgi remembers. She’s one of their frequent customers. Judging on how the latter’s ears are turning red, it seems like whatever Jimin is saying or doing is working. “She’s doing a better job at flirting than you.”

 

“In my defense, I haven’t been in the dating scene for quite a while and I wasn’t sure if Irene was taken or not because really, how can someone as pretty as her not have a partner?” Seulgi juts her lower out slightly when Yerim rolls her eyes at her.

 

“You’re just oblivious,” Yerim clicks her tongue. “Even Mark and I can tell she has a huge crush on you by the way she keeps stealing glances at you whenever you prepare her drinks. Don’t even get me started on the obvious tension between the two of you because honestly, it’s frustrating at times and all I want to do is lock the two of you in the kitchen and only allow exit after you two confess to each other and make out or something.”

 

Seulgi scrunches her nose. “Making out in the kitchen is unhygienic. We could lose our hygiene license if—”

 

“Really?” Yerim throws her head back in frustration. “That’s all that got into your brain?” 

 

“Boss,” Mark interrupts them with a gleam in his eyes. “I think you might want to serve our new customers that have just entered.”

 

—

 

As if seeing Sooyoung five days a week isn’t enough, Joohyun had been invited by her—she couldn’t even say no— for a self-proclaimed stress relief day that is all planned out by hers truly for the whole day, making it the sixth day in a row she’s seeing her that week. How has Joohyun not gotten tired of her, she doesn’t know.

 

(There goes her plan of not doing anything for the day.)

 

“Really, Sooyoung?” she says, baffled at the fact they’re standing outside of Gomdori on a Saturday afternoon. “Out of all the café that we could have gone to today, you still choose here?”

 

Her colleague slash best friend has a smug smile on her face that she doesn’t know if she’s doing this on purpose or she really loves the drinks at this café too much to visit a different one.

 

“Come on, I know you like the food and drinks here just as much as I do so don’t give me that look.” Sooyoung doesn’t let her have a say and holds onto her wrist, dragging her into the café.

 

Oh, she’s definitely doing this on purpose.

 

A part of Joohyun hopes that a certain monolid-eyes café owner isn’t working today so she doesn’t have to worry about making a fool out of herself and raising any suspicions to Sooyoung who still doesn’t know of ‘the Date’. However, there is a small—a tiny— part of her that hopes she is working because she already misses seeing those eyes hidden behind her smile as if happy to see her.

 

And that tiny part of her got her hope fulfilled.

 

“Looks like you’re in luck today, Ms Irene,” Sooyoung says in a teasing tone. “Your crush is working today.”

 

Even if Sooyoung didn’t mention it, Seulgi’s wide eyes—the same ones she saw yesterday when she came earlier than usual—are the first thing Joohyun’s gaze locks on the moment they step into the premises. When those eyes disappear and a huge grin forms on the latter’s face as she waves at her, her mind instantly goes blank.

 

“I’ll order this time,” Sooyoung squeezes her wrist lightly, getting Joohyun’s attention. “Go find a seat while I do so.”

 

Sooyoung? Ordering? Since when?

 

Now, Joohyun isn’t one to say no to free meals, however, she finds it weird that Sooyoung is willing to order instead of making her do so as always. Does she have a motive for doing so or is she just overthinking her kind gesture? Nevertheless, Joohyun simply nods, not wanting to become a victim of Sooyoung’s teasing for the day and goes to find a seat near where the counter is— on purpose. When Sooyoung walks over to the counter, she sees Seulgi looking at her with confusion in her eyes that she can only give a slight shrug and an apologetic smile in return.

 

—

 

“She’s not coming over.”

 

“I can see that, Yerim.” Seulgi feels her heart sinking slightly when she sees Irene walking over to one of the tables and her colleague—Joy, she remembers her name—heading to the counter instead. Grabbing Yerim by the arm, she pulls her to take over the cash register and starts busying herself with the other unprepared drinks. “Why don’t you go serve her instead. I’ll make the rest of the drinks.”

 

“But Mark—” Yerim has no time to argue when Joy stands in front of the counter and smiles at her, not allowing her to process her thoughts. “Can I get your name?”

 

The way Yerim has that innocent look on her face while Joy has her eyebrows raised, seemingly waiting for the former to realise her mistake has Seulgi pressing her lips together, trying hard not to burst into laughter.

 

She’s so going to tease Yerim for that.

 

“What my colleague meant was…” Mark slips in to save Yerim from further embarrassment, laughing awkwardly a little. “… can we get your order?”

 

“Was that not what I said?” Yerim asks, looking genuinely confused.

 

Joy clears , pulling her gaze away from Yerim and looks over at Mark with a small smile. “I’ll get one hot chocolate, one iced caramel macchiato and a carrot cake, please.”

 

“Can I get your name or initials?” Mark asks, marker and cup in hands.

 

Turning her head to look at Yerim, Seulgi can see her eyes slowly widening, the colour pink dusting her cheeks when she finally realises the Freudian slip she has made minutes ago. “I’m going to go help Jimin clean the tables,” Yerim mutters to Seulgi, quickly escaping from further embarrassment.

 

“You can just write Sooyoung.”

 

Oh, so that’s her real name.

 

Not that it matters to Seulgi but Joy—Sooyoung, being a friend of Irene’s, means that she has to get on her good side so she can gain a seal of approval from her to be Irene’s lifelong partner (hopefully).

 

Let’s not get carried away with your thoughts, Kang Seulgi, she reminds herself. You don’t even have her number yet!

 

… Right.

 

Irene’s number.

 

How is she supposed to ask her for it now that she’s here?

 

She’ll find a way somehow.

 

“I never thought Yerim would embarrass herself like that,” Mark snickers once Sooyoung leaves the counter and goes to where Irene is. “I have to admit that your crush’s friend is pretty. Yerim must have been charmed by her beauty that her brain short circuited for that moment.”

 

“Knowing Yerim, she was probably caught off guard having to serve someone suddenly,” Seulgi replies as she starts to make Irene’s hot chocolate. (Maybe she could write her number on a piece of napkin and put it under the coaster?) “Besides, she’s seeing someone at the moment so I don’t think she’d be interested in her because if she was, she would’ve tried to make a move on her the other times she has come here with Irene before.”

 

“Yerim is seeing someone and I’m not aware of that?” There’s a look of betrayal on Mark’s face that confuses Seulgi.

 

“You didn’t know?”

 

“If I knew I wouldn’t be asking!”

 

.

 

It seems like Yerim had only told her about it. She thought Mark would have known since the two have been best of friends since high school and they practically tell each other everything— Yerim said so.

 

(If not on a piece of napkin, then maybe she could just go straight to Irene and ask for her number?)

 

“Promise me you won’t ask Yerim about it.” Seulgi looks at the part-timer pleadingly. “She didn’t tell me to keep it a secret so I thought you would’ve known about it too since you two are… besties or whatever you kids call it nowadays.”

 

“Do I at least know who this person is?”

 

“I don’t know…” Seulgi answers, not wanting to continue the conversation. Once done with the hot chocolate, she moves on to making Sooyoung’s drink next. “I’m not going to give out any more information... Wait—” she looks at Mark again, serious. “You’re not… you’re not jealous, are you? You don’t happen to—”

 

“No!” Mark exclaims, earning questioning looks from people around them, including Yerim. Ignoring them, he continues in a hushed tone, “God, no. She’s like a sister to me and I’m simply being an overprotective brother!”

 

“Okay, okay,” Seulgi immediately drops the topic. It’s fun teasing her fellow co-workers sometimes. “I believe you. Don’t need to get all defensive.”

 

“So who is this person—”

 

“Do you want me to put you on dishwashing duties for a whole week?” That is quick to silence Mark who ends up huffing in response, not saying anything more. Seulgi smiles in triumph, relieved to escape from being questioned more.

 

Hot chocolate done, iced caramel macchiato done.

 

(Mark had placed the carrot cake on the tray while she was preparing the drinks.)

 

Grabbing a piece of napkin, she decides to go with her initial plan of writing her number and the words ‘i realised i forgot to give you my number yesterday :(’ on it, finishing it off with a drawing of a sad bear. She then places it on the tray right beside the hot chocolate.

 

She will pass it to Joohyun today.

 

“I’ll be back,” she tells Mark. “I have a favourite customer to serve~”

 

—

 

Sitting in the café with Sooyoung feels foreign to Joohyun who is used to getting drinks to-go for them. It feels different compared to the previous day when Seulgi was the one sitting opposite her, watching her eat the pancakes as they talked and she eventually agreed to go on a date with her.

 

A date. 

 

With Seulgi. 

 

Right.

 

That’s happening for real.

 

Somehow, Joohyun finds herself feeling giddy at the thought of it and unconsciously smiles when she recalls how cute the café owner reacted when she said okay. They may not know each other that well yet—still in the process of doing so— but something about Seulgi, the way she’s making her feel, makes her think that the latter is worth her time. 

 

But of course, she’s not relying on feelings only.

 

She’s been there, done that.

 

The relationship didn’t end well and she doesn’t want history to repeat itself.

 

“You look creepy smiling and then frowning the next moment on your own like that.”

 

“Huh?” Joohyun snaps out of her own thoughts.

 

“I said-”

 

Sooyoung doesn’t get to finish her sentence when a figure appears by their table and they both turn their heads at the same time to see Seulgi (Joohyun quickly looks down at the table when she realises who it is) serving their order. “I hope I didn’t make you ladies wait long,” says the café owner, tone warm. “I’m honestly surprised to see you two here on a weekend.”

 

“That’s because someone did not get me my morning coffee yesterday because that someone overslept and didn’t get to drop by the café.”

 

Joohyun sees Sooyoung giving her the side-eyes but ignores it. She might have lied to Sooyoung the previous day about not going to Gomdori and hopes Seulgi won’t rat her out. 

 

“Ah, I see,” Seulgi hums and somehow, Joohyun can feel her gaze on her that it makes her nervous to look up. “I was really sad when I didn’t get to see that someone yesterday.”

 

The preschool teacher feels her cheeks heating up upon hearing that and it only makes her heart beat faster (out of embarrassment) when Sooyoung gently kicks her underneath the table as if teasing her, silently telling her that it’s you she’s talking about.

 

(Joohyun has never wanted to leave so badly.)

 

Her gaze fixates on the hot chocolate Seulgi has just placed in front of her and a piece of napkin that comes after. Seeing a drawing of a bear on it, she bites back a smile, finding it adorable before noticing that there are a few words and numbers written as well.

 

Oh?

 

Oh.

 

It takes her a few seconds to process in her mind that the numbers are actually Seulgi’s phone number. Quickly taking the napkin, she slots it in the pocket of her cardigan, hoping Sooyoung did not catch sight of it.

 

“That someone is single by the way.”

 

Joohyun immediately steps on Sooyoung’s foot, warning her to stop. Well, technically, Seulgi knows of that information already but Sooyoung doesn’t know that and she has no reason to tell Seulgi that as well. When she feels Sooyoung stepping on her foot back, she glares at her.

 

“Is that so?” Seulgi’s voice stops them from their mini fight. “Whoever her next partner is sure is lucky.”

 

That effectively makes Joohyun finally look up at Seulgi and she instantly regrets her decision when she sees the barista with that same bright expression again.

 

“I’m very sure you still have work to do, Ms Kang Seulgi,” she says in a serious tone, hoping she would get the hint to leave them be. “Just because you’re the owner of this café, it doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want on shift.”

 

“Joohyun,” Sooyoung calls her out sternly. “You don’t have to be—”

 

“No, no,” Seulgi interrupts her, a reassuring smile on her face. “Ms Irene here is right. I shall no longer disturb the two of you.”

 

Joohyun reaches for the napkin in her cardigan, feeling the soft material between her fingertips when the barista turns her body, back facing towards Sooyoung and mouths to her, ‘text or call me’ with a cheeky smile before walking back to the counter.

 

She can’t hide this from Sooyoung any longer.