My alarm went off at 5am today. I quickly changed into shorts and an evergreen sweater. No time to check blogs or eat breakfast, I had to be there at 5:30am sharp. If I was thirty seconds late, my pay will be halved for that week.

At 5:18am, I stepped into my black converse and plopped a black beanie on my head of messy hair. The cafe I worked at was a few streets away so I started to walk as fast as I could with my leg in its current state. There weren't many cars out but the shops in this area were opening for the day.

Sandwiched in the middle of a clothing shop and a hardware store was my workplace, Namsan Delights. I entered the rather small but cozy shop and the hanging bells on the door jingled.

The walls were painted a creamy white color and the wooden floor matched well. Green chairs were placed neatly around white round tables. Each table had a cute little vase with an origami flower sticking out. Paintings were framed on the wall and a bookshelf added to the room's charm. Some orchestra music was being played in the background. Most of this was done by the owner's niece, Lee Sun Kyu. Everyone calls her Sunny because she's always bright, positive, and acts like a kid.  

The counter where the employees worked behind was in the back of the shop. I went behind, swiped my employee card, and put on my black apron (the shop's uniform). My name tag was pinned to my chest.

"5:26am. Not bad, Eun Mi." A short woman came out from the little kitchen area. She was wearing the same apron as me and her gray hair was tied in a neat bun.

"Good morning, Grandma Kim." I gave her a full 90 degree bow. She was the owner of this cafe and was very kind. Sure, her rules may be pretty strict but she was generous enough to keep me as an employee and pay me the same salary as everyone else.

I could smell cinnamon in the air. Grandma Kim always made her signature cinnamon rolls fresh in the morning. I had them once (the first day I worked here) and they were really good.

She went back into the kitchen to finish them and I went to the cash register. From 5:30am to 6:00am I worked behind the counter. When more customers come in, I switch to a waiter. Every few minutes, adults would come in, order some coffee, and then leave for work. I sighed. Morning shifts were slow...

Around 7am, some kids came in too. They ordered Grandma Kim's cinnamon rolls and some milk.

At 8am, more people entered the cafe and I went to each table to take their orders. I clipped the orders on a little magnet-board-thing so the employees in the kitchen knew what to make.

The customers started to pile in and Luna, one of the other workers here, came to help me. With brown layered hair and friendly eyes, Luna was very pretty. Of course, our customers liked her. She knew how to talk to people and make them feel good, unlike me.

Around 9am, the cafe started to empty out and by 10am everyone was gone. I slapped my notepad on the counter and picked up a damp washcloth to wipe the tables. I was on the fifth table when the door jingled and three figures walked in and sat in a corner table.

I hung the washcloth on my forearm, picked up my notepad, and clicked my pen. "Hello, what would you like to have today?"

"Eun Mi? You work here?"

I looked up from my notepad. Three familiar faces looked back at me. "Guys! What are you doing here?"

Sooyoung, who was wearing a simple white shirt with a black miniskirt that had a frayed hem, pointed at Chan Doo. "He said this place was popular so we came here."

Chan Doo held up a peace sign. He had his headphones over his black sweatshirt and jeans. "Glad to see you again!"