“Put those in the fridge at the back,” the long-haired brunette pointed at the meat that had just arrived. “Be sure to indicate today’s date so we’ll know if they start to smell later on.”

Kikwang chuckled to himself as he fiddled with the new coffee machine, looking up from time to time to see the slightly shorter woman pacing around the area. The poor kitchen staff were scrambling to carry out her orders as quickly as possible without making a mistake.

“Come on boys, we don’t have all day!” She folded her arms with small sigh as she glanced over her checklist which was full of notations and reminders.

“Actually Noona, we do have time,” Kikwang gave her a reassuring smile. “We’re actually on schedule and there haven’t been any problems so far. You’re gonna scare all our helpers away at this rate.”

Gina turned around after lightly reprimanding one of the kitchen boys for absentmindedly leaving the fridge open and walking off. Her heels clicked smartly on the floor as she made her way back to the counter and sat herself down on a high chair.

The coffee machine started up with a beep and Kikwang patted it proudly as it made its first cup of Americano. Ensuring that nothing was wrong with it, he drained it out in the sink and made a second cup. It was still steaming hot when he placed it in front of Gina.

“Kikwang-ah, if they don’t learn how to handle basic things like this properly, there’s no way they can help to run a proper establishment.” She frowned at that statement but that was soon wiped away at the sight of the coffee. Gina might drink the occasional glass of wine and shochu from time to time but coffee always ranked first on her list of ‘Beverages I need in my life’.

She took her time to inhale the strong aroma before taking a sip. “Ahh, thanks. I needed that.”

“You shouldn’t stress yourself out, Noona,” Kikwang nodded, a serious expression on his face. “You’ll get wrinkles.”

Gina snorted into her drink and shot him a mock glare. “I’ll have you know I have a kept a record of having no pimples or blemishes since I was fifteen.”

“Yes, Noonaaa~~”

He received a light whack on the arm for that.

“Anyway, I managed to convince two of my girls to help out. Both of them have worked as waitresses before so I don’t think you’ll have to supervise them much.”

Kikwang listened intently as Gina went on to talk about their past experiences. To be honest, he was really glad that she was helping him out on this venture. He really didn’t know where he would be without her help.

Although she was not related, Gina had always been present in his life since young. She was the daughter of his father’s friend and they saw each other when their families visited each other. It was after their first meeting when she decided that she took a liking to him and started to take care of him like an elder sister, though it almost crossed the line into mothering at times. He really appreciated it, even more so after his mother died from an accident a year later.

“Hyuna is really pretty so don’t be surprised if you have guys throwing themselves at her but it’s alright cause then they’ll become regular customers. That’s good for business,” Gina’s eyes sparkled as she explained with a grin. “Oh and Sohyun is still underaged so make sure she doesn’t touch or serve any form of alcohol. If not, you’ll get it from me.”

The older woman prodded the counter top with a finger, emphasizing her last point.

“Yes, Noona,” Kikwang laughed. “I’ll be sure to watch out for that.”

She was usually a carefree spirit but when it came to certain things that she considered important, she could be very fussy about the smallest details. But that was what the café needed in a manager and Gina was all too happy to help out her little dongsaeng.

They settled down to discuss more about the opening day after Kikwang made her another cup of coffee. Suggestions were exchanged on what should be served and whether a promotional offer should be given.

The younger male nodded and took down a few notes in his book when something in his brain told him to glance up. Being Kikwang, he usually listened to his gut feeling most of the time, so he did. A rather familiar blonde haired boy had stopped outside the shop. It was his saviour from yesterday.

Kikwang had been wondering whether he would see him again. He wanted to thank him properly for saving him. The scene from before flashed across his mind again and he bit his lip to keep from smiling. Just as he was about to consider waving to him to come in, the boy glanced in once or twice before walking away and Kikwang’s heart fell just a bit.

“Kikwang-ah, are you listening to what I’m saying?” Gina was eyeing him with a questioning look.

He blinked and smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that? I got distracted.”

Kikwang’s gaze kept drifting to the window but as expected, the boy did not return.

---

The deep bass beats of the jazz song resounded through the earpiece of his iPod. Kids his age would usually be listening to pop or rock but Dongwoon liked his jazz and classical music as well, not that he didn’t keep up to date with the latest songs on the charts. It was just that he preferred something a tad more mellow when strolling through the busy streets of Seoul.

He was not quite sure what caused him to stop once more in front of the café that day. Dongwoon figured that since he was there, he should probably find that café owner and thank him for the help in finding his aunt’s place. His parents had told him to move in with her as it was much nearer to his college, which he didn’t dispute. He was on pretty good terms with her anyway.

The blonde had spotted the other boy immediately but he seemed rather busy talking to another elegantly dressed woman and he figured that he should probably come back another day.

As he entered the elevator to head up to his current residence, Dongwoon glanced at the flyer which he had taken from outside the café. It was tastefully done without being over the top. Whoever designed it should be complimented in his opinion. The last few lines caught his attention.

“Oh? It’s opening soon?” He folded the flyer and placed it into his bag.

It couldn’t hurt to pay a visit.

---

A lone orange-haired boy clutched a piece of paper in his hand and looked up at the signboard hanging over the door. There was no mistaking it. This was the place.

Hyunseung had been searching for a job for about a week to earn some cash to support his family. They weren’t poor but they weren’t doing too well off either, usually scraping by on simple meals of rice, vegetables and fish. His grades had been good enough to get into a decent university and most of his parents’ money was going towards paying for the fees.

Another thing about Hyunseung, was that he was a dancer and had been ever since he discovered music and moved his feet to its beat. It was something he loved doing and couldn’t dream of living without. Dancing on its own wasn’t going to put food on the table though and he knew that.

He had spent the previous night surfing a couple of job sites when he came across a small notice about a café looking for waiters and waitresses. Which explained why he was now pushing the door open and walking in when he normally wouldn’t have given the place a second glance.

The interior was prettier than he had expected to be. It actually felt rather welcoming and happy, if a place could have emotions that is. Hyunseung spotted a young male behind the counter scribbling something in his notebook. He looked too young to be the owner but since he couldn’t see anyone else around, he may as well ask.

“Sorry to disturb…” Hyunseung began softly, not wanting to interrupt the other, just in case it was important.

The black-haired boy raised his head in surprise, adjusting his reading glasses. “Yes, how may I help you?”

“I’m Jang Hyunseung and I would like to apply for a job here.”

His face lit up in a bright smile as he asked about Hyunseung’s previous job experiences. Hyunseung had only worked in a fast food place once but had quit because the hours were long and the pay was pretty low.

After a few more questions, the shorter male appeared to be satisfied as he extended a hand.

“Lee Kikwang. I’m the owner of this café and­­­ I would be glad to have you here.”