“Yoonjin! Come take the customers’ orders!” the manager yells, who is on the phone.

“Coming!” I reply. I was just ordered to mop the floors five minutes ago. I quickly push the mop and the bucket into the closet, and speed walk to the sink to wash my hands. I’m sick of the manager and his demands. He always barks orders at me, while him and the other employees get off easy. I’ve considered quitting so many times, that I’ve lost count, but until I can find another part-time job that has flexible hours and pays as well, I’m stuck here working at this over price fancy café. I desperately need the money for this month’s rent and this job is the main source of the rent, which means I can’t just quit. The worst part is that the manager knows how much I need the money and this job, and I’m also the youngest employee working at the café, which puts a huge bulls-eye on me for the manager and the other employees to take advantage of me.

“Hi, can I take your order?” I ask the customer.

“Can I get 4 iced Americanos and 2 strawberry smoothies please.” The customer says. I quickly punch in the order and tell him how much it costs. As the customer pulls out his wallet, I look at the customer and realize it’s Hanbin, from school.

Both Hanbin and I are in grade 11 and we have been in the same classes since middle school. But thankfully, Hanbin has no clue who I am, though I know very well who Hanbin is. Hanbin is one of the most popular guys at school, and it also one of the most dangerous. Him and his five friends are known as The Seoul National Six, and are well known with most high schoolers in Seoul. All six of them are from rich prestigious families, who are either economically or politically well known. As a result, they run the school, and nobody dares to get in their way, unless they want to face the consequences. What’s even more concerning is that the oldest of the six, Jinhwan, graduated from high school last year and is now in his first year university. Jinhwan is the nicest of the six, and with him gone this year, the number of kids being bullied and threatened has increased dramatically.

Luckily, I know to stay out of their way. Plus I have more things to worry about, like maintaining my grades to keep my scholarship at Seoul National High and making enough money to keep a roof over my head.

Hanbin hands me the money for the drinks, I accept the money and hand the receipt and a beeper to Hanbin.

“Thank you very much,” I says, in my talking-to-customers voice, “We’ll ring the beeper when your order is ready”

“Thanks” Hanbin flashes a half smile, and makes his way back to his table. He’s pretty good looking, I think to myself, it’s no wonder all the girls in my class fawn over him.

“Hey Yoonjin!” one of the employees calls “I’m making the smoothies now, would you mind giving me a hand with the Americanos?”

“Yeah no problem” I say, and start making the drinks. Anything is better than mopping the floor.

It hasn’t even been a minute, when the employee rings the beeper for the order. I take a quick peek, and I see that Hanbin is already walking over.

“Wait unni! I haven’t made all the iced Americanos yet!”

“What’s taking you so long!” the unni yells at me “I’ve already made the blueberry smoothies, and you can’t even make your four iced Americanos?”

“I’m sorry!” I apologize out of habit “I just have to make one more.” As I’m saying this, I see that Hanbin is already at the counter waiting. I try to hurry as much as possible. When I was done, I quickly bring the four drinks over to the counter.

“I apologize” the unni says to Hanbin, and gestures to me “She’s very incompetent with her job” What the heck, that’s so unnecessary to say. Tolerate it, I say to myself like a mantra.

Ignoring the unni, Hanbin grabs for the tray of drinks and heads back to his table, where I notice that the other five are here with him. I go to clean the coffee machines, when Hanbin comes back with the two smoothies.

“Excuse me.” he says. “I ordered two strawberry smoothies, not blueberry.”

“Oh I’m very sorry about that” I apologize, and take the two smoothies back. And that unni says I’m incompetent, I think to myself. “I’ll make new ones for you.” I quickly run over to the blenders and start to make the correct order. As I was blending everything up, the manager steps out of his office and walks to the counter. Perfect timing, just what I need right now.

“Can I help you with anything?” he asks Hanbin, who’s waiting.

“No, I’m just waiting for the smoothies, because I was given the wrong one.” He replies.

“Yah! Jung Yoonjin! Did you give our customer the wrong order?” the manager starts to yell.

“Yes, I mean no.” I try to explain, while preparing the drinks at the same time. “I mean I took the order and I swear I put in the right order, but unni was the one –“

“How is this my fault?” the unnie who overheard, argues back. You spineless little liar, I curse in my mind.

“You definitely took the wrong order” the manager accuses me, “These are coming out of your paycheck, I don’t even know why I put up with you.” I’ve about had it with this crap I have to put up, but I must tolerate it. I can’t lose this job. Just apologize for it and keep going.

“I’m sorry, manager-nim” I apologize, holding back my tears from falling, as I feel my pride shrink. And I bring the smoothes over to the counter, where Hanbin has witnessed the whole thing.

“I’m sorry about the mix up with the order” I apologize to Hanbin, as I hand him his drinks. I have a feeling he’s staring at me, so I look up, and there he was. Just standing there and staring at me, with an expressionless look on his face. He hands me back the beeper and receipt.

“You can keep your receipt” I say as I give it back to him, and I hear my voice crack a little bit. No, hold it in Yoonjin.

“Oh...thanks” he says, still staring at me. He looks at his receipt for a couple of seconds before taking his drinks and leaving. After I clean the blenders, I go up to the manager, who’s messaging someone on his phone.

“Manager-nim, I’m taking my break now.”

“I don’t think you should because of your mistakes” he says, without even looking up “but fine, come back in ten minutes.” Only ten minutes? I’m working a seven hour shift, and I only get ten minutes?! Without saying a word, I head to the staff room and grab my jacket and leave the café. I walk to the corner of the building and turn into the alley. And before I can walk any further, I slump against the wall, and tears just start falling. And within seconds, I am sobbing uncontrollably.

I’m so frustrated. There are so many things I wanted to say back, but couldn’t because of the position I’m in. The more I cry, the madder I’m getting because of my life in general. I’m working three jobs, because I have to pay for rent, as well as make enough money for my mom and I to get by. My mom got fired from her job because she turned to alcohol after my dad died, but judging from the way she’s been dressing when she comes home, I’m sure she’s found a job hostessing. But of course, she’s too drunk to notice that I can see her in those clothes. And then there’s school, where my marks have been dropping because of the extra jobs I’ve been taking up. Other students have tutors for their academics, but I don’t have the time and the money for it, so I have to count on only myself to do well. I miss my dad. Why did he have to leave us so early? More and more thoughts come into my head, and I can’t stop sobbing.

I heard a group of guys talking and laughing, and their voices are coming closer to the alley where I’m sitting. I try to calm my breathing, I can’t let anybody see me like this. Their voices are coming closer. I turn my head to look, and I see the guys from Seoul National Six walking by. I try to stay still, when Hanbin notices me. We make eye contact until he’s past the alley and out of sight. Damn, I think to myself out of embarrassment. But it’s good. Them walking by got me out of my trance. I wipe away all my tears, and I pull out my phone to check if my makeup has become a mess. One message from Sunghyun.

Sunghyun is my boyfriend, and we’ve been dating for two years. Though it doesn’t feel like we've been dating. He’s a year older than I am, and he goes to a different school. I started dating him about two months before my dad died, and he was so great to me. He helped me get back on my feet, when I was down. But as my life started piling up on me, I became so busy that I don’t see him very much. But he’s been understanding about it. And this year, he’s been very busy as well with school, because it’s his last year of high school.

What are you doing tonight? He messages me, and I type my reply.

Work until 11 :( What about you?

I check the time and my break is about over, so I put my phone back into my jacket pocket and start heading back to the café.

When I get back to the café I notice that the manager is not here. I ask the unni where he is and she tells me that he got a call from the main office and had to go see someone. I wonder what happened.

The next time I went in for work, I found out he got fired. I’m not going to lie, I felt a hint of joy when I heard the news.

~~

“Hanbin, I still don’t understand why you asked me to get the guy at the cafe fired” Yoonhyung said to me.

“I told you” I said, “He wasn’t professional at what he was doing, I’m just doing a favor to your dad’s company”

“Whatever, he’s fired now.” The guys continued to talk about something, but I couldn’t hear any of it, because all I could think about was the girl working at the café. Jung Yoonjin. 

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First chapter done!! Hope you guys liked it, even though it hasn't really gotten good hehe