The brunette washes up all the cups and plates, making sure they're neatly stacked on the racks. She's in charge of closing the shop today. She went around cleaning the tables, floors, and even windows. While she was wiping the table next to the door, she spotted Yujin coming towards the shop.

Her steps were laden with heaviness, her expression pinched as if caught in the grip of distress. Minju watched the girl walk past their shop, only to backtrack a few steps later.

As Yujin stood before the door, her eyes met Minju's through the window. A small, melancholic smile played on her lips, and she gestured with a questioning hand if she could enter. Minju nodded, though it was well past closing time. Yujin's demeanour hinted at a struggle, and while Minju wasn't particularly keen on entertaining anyone's problems, there was something in the way Yujin looked that compelled her to open the door.

The jingling of the bell signaled Yujin's entrance, as she bows politely as usual. "You're doing closing today?" She asks, allowing the door to shut behind her, closing out the night.

Minju nods. "Do you want your Iced Americano?"

Yujin found it funny that she remembered but shook her head. "You're busy."

"I can just make one for you." The brunette briefly points to the counter with her thumb.

Yujin didn't want to reject her offer. "I'll be very grateful. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight anyway," she confesses.

The coffee machine hummed to life as Minju went to work, preparing the requested beverage.

"You make great coffee by the way. What's your name?"

The brunette briefly glanced at where her name tag should have been, only to remember she had removed it while cleaning. "Minju."

"Minju," Yujin repeated, the sound of the name rolling off her tongue as if tasting it. "I'm Yujin." I know.

"You look like a student. Do you study around here?" Yujin's curiosity led her to play with the plastic straws by the coffee machine, wrapped and waiting. "How old are you?"

She has a lot of questions. "Third-year med school," Minju revealed, hearing a gasp from Yujin.

"So you're one of those smart-smart people," Yujin remarked, her tone a mix of jest and genuine admiration

Minju walks to her. "I wouldn't say that." She puts the cup of coffee in front of Yujin.

"Well, you must be. Thank you." The girl voices her gratitude, taking a seat on the high chair next to her. A sip of the ice-cold coffee provided Yujin with a momentary reprieve from the weight on her shoulders. "You can handle it?"

Minju's eyebrows arched in a silent question, and Yujin clarified, "I mean, med school and working here. It must be tough."

"I do what I can," Minju said, earning a slow nod.

Yujin's eyes roamed the surroundings. "Are you not closing anytime soon?"

"I was supposed to," Minju says. "But now I can't."

"Why?"

Minju regarded Yujin, her gaze holding a mix of openness and curiosity. The question hung in the air for a moment before Yujin's realization dawned. "Oh, me. Should I leave or..."

"It's fine," Minju reassured, finding herself unexpectedly lenient. "You look like you went through heartbreak just by walking back and forth outside the shop."

She wipes the countertop, closing the ice dispenser. When silence greeted her, she knew she said something wrong.

"I did." Yujin sips on her ice-cold coffee that trails down her clamped throat. "I honestly thought you'd chase me out. I would've been devastated."

Minju's gaze remained steady, her response gentle. "What happened?" Despite herself, Minju felt a compulsion to listen, to offer a space for Yujin's emotions to be heard.

Yujin looks at her just giving all her attention. "Could you maybe do something instead of just standing there? It's a little embarrassing."

Minju went on to act as if she were arranging the cups, not knowing why she was listening to a person she barely knew. But if it helps her, she doesn't mind. After all, sometimes a stranger's ear could be more comforting than that of a familiar face.

"Am I too straightforward?" Yujin slowly stirs her drink. She looks at Minju as if she were expecting her to answer.

The brunette pauses her wiping. "I don't think so."

"She didn't like that of me. Said I was too honest. I thought things would work out this time. I can't even count how many girlfriends I've had in my life. I don't know what's wrong with me or what I did wrong." She sighed, her demeanour shifting between frustration and resignation.

"It's either I talk too much, ask too much, or do too much. Everything's always too much." Yujin pouts, dragging her finger down the exterior of the glass and wiping off the condensation.

"And when I cut down on those things, they say I don't care about them. I really don't know what to do. Can't they just be straightforward and tell me what they want?"

"If they were, everyone would be married and divorce wouldn't be a thing." Minju's response carried a touch of realism.

Yujin looks at her while reaching for a slip of receipt lying next to the coffee machine. "Do you like girls?"

"Is this what they meant by straightforward?" Minju silenced the snicker that was about to escape when the latter seemed serious. "Yes...I don't really have a preference."

"Then what do you look for in a partner?" Yujin's fingers busily creased the edges of the receipt, forming a square.

She's extremely straightforward. But something about her made me want to answer. "I date to marry. I don't like playing around so if they feel the same way..." Minju nods. "I'm not very picky."

"You deserve to be picky. You're pretty and smart. I think whatever you ask for, people will be throwing themselves at you. And you're a cafe part-timer. That's a bonus." She presses her fingertip, securing a fold on the paper.

"How's that a bonus? Tell the whole world that I'm a broke med school kid?" Minju scoffs, liking how it was getting comfortable just talking to her.

Yujin carefully folded the small paper flap. "You must have a type." She tilts her head. "Everyone has one."

"I don't. I seriously don't."

"Do they have to look good?"

"Decent."

"See, you do have a type." Yujin makes her point. "What else?"

Minju leans against the counter, about three feet away from her. "Someone who thinks about me."

"That's a given."

"Like care about how I'd feel. They'd ask instea