The clock now read 10:15 PM. Although Café Atelier’s closing time was 10:00 PM, Dan-young, the female owner, kept wiping the tables down with a dry cloth, while the part-timer, Hyun-ki, had already been mopping the floor for forty minutes straight. As he pushed the mop forward, he accidentally brushed against the foot of Yoon-hee, who was in the middle of crying.

"Oh, I am so sorry!"

As he apologized, the mother and daughter, who had been weeping for quite some time, looked up at the part-timer. Hyun-ki was a college student in his early twenties. Standing well over 180 centimeters tall with a well-proportioned, slim build and sharp, bold features, he was undeniably handsome.

"Ah, the shop is closed. I’m so sorry."

Yoon-hee helped the sobbing Yuri to her feet. After hurriedly gathering their things, they hurried out the café doors.

Once the customers had left, Dan-young smacked Hyun-ki on the back and burst into a hearty laugh. "Why on earth were you cleaning so hard? You made them feel so self-conscious!"

Hyun-ki looked utterly sheepish. "Well, I tried my best to mop around them, but then..."

"I’m just kidding, you punk. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have finished closing. Man, I never thought I’d hear the word 'bastard child' out loud in my entire life. It felt just like a drama."

"I know, right?"

In stark contrast to his striking model-like looks, the part-timer's voice carried a distinct air of awkward clumsiness.

The classroom after the CSAT was incredibly noisy. Students who had already been accepted through early admissions showed up to school wearing sunglasses over their freshly done double-eyelid surgeries. Even those still waiting for regular admission waitlists had gathered in small groups early on, chatting away or playing games on their phones.

Yuri’s seat was in the far corner. She sat there completely frozen, slouched blankly over her desk.

"Hey guys, have you been to Atelier yet?"

"The place that newly opened in Juk-dong?"

"Yeah! The part-timer there is insanely handsome."

"Really? I saw posts about him on Everytime, too."

"He’s super tall and gorgeous. But he is terrible at his job."

The conversation instantly grabbed everyone's attention at the mention of the handsome part-timer.

"Once, I ordered a tiramisu latte. But guess what? He put cinnamon powder in it!"

"Oh my god, are you serious?!"

The girls burst into a collective fit of laughter.

"Did you complain?"

"Of course I did! It was completely undrinkable. The part-timer kept apologizing profusely, and the owner made me a new one and even threw in a cookie. She said she was sorry for the wait. Honestly, it worked out great for me since I got a free cookie~"

"Liar. You only forgave him because he’s handsome, didn't you?"

"Uh, absolutely. With a face like that, I’d forgive him even if he brewed me ginseng tea."

"What are you, a grandma?"

The students cracked up once again.

"I heard they're hiring part-timers there. They pay way more than minimum wage. Should I save up some money before college starts?"

"I wouldn't recommend it~ It looks like a ton of work. It’s a brunch café, so the menu is ridiculously huge."

"And their uniform is terrible. It looks so otaku-ish."

"True. Plus, the way the owner chews out the part-timer makes her look incredibly intimidating. Working at a cram school is way better. That’s the real easy money."

From there, the girls shifted the topic to various other part-time jobs, discussing academies, tutoring, restaurants, and convenience stores.

Atelier. That was the exact café where she had met her mother earlier.

Hearing the name of the café where she had wept and thrown a hysterical fit brought the memories of that day rushing back. But her bank balance was genuinely hitting rock bottom. If she had to get a part-time job anyway, she figured that place would be her best bet. On some level, Yuri harbored a secret expectation that if the owner knew about her tragic circumstances, she wouldn't be able to turn her away easily.

The world ought to coddle someone as frail and delicate as me. That was a belief rooted deeply in Yuri’s core.

The moment school let out, Yuri resolved to head straight to the café.

* * *

"Excuse me, ma'am... I'd like to work here."

Yuri approached Dan-young, who was resting during a lull in foot traffic. Looking to be in her mid-forties, Dan-young had her long hair tied back in a messy ponytail with loose strands framing her face. Her blonde hair, which clearly needed a root touch-up, looked unusually vibrant. While she appeared to be around the same age as Yuri’s mother—who was painfully thin and lacked vitality due to a complete lack of exercise—Dan-young radiated a healthy, cheerful energy from her plumper build.

Dan-young spoke up. "Are you done with the CSAT, kiddo?"

"Yes, and I already got into college."

"Any part-time job experience?"

Yuri silently shook her head.

"Are you strapped for cash?" Dan-young asked. There was no malice or sarcasm in her voice, but Yuri lowered her head in sheer embarrassment.

"...Yes. I don't have an allowance. It’s been completely cut off..."

Tears threatened to spill. It was utterly humiliating that Ha-yuri, the daughter of the CEO of Hanmaeum Educational Corporation, had been reduced to a penniless beggar.

"Ah, your parents must believe in tough love. A lot of kids move out and become independent the second they hit college. Heck, I was the same way!"

Thanks to Dan-young’s casual, unfazed reaction, Yuri’s tears receded.

"Well, I can't have you working late nights, so come in on the weekends. From 9 to 6. Since it’s the weekend, I’ll pay you a bit more. And since the CSAT is over, your high school classes wrap up around 1 PM, right? Drop by after school. I'll show you the ropes, and we can sign the employment contract then."

Since her birthday had already passed, Yuri was legally an adult. After signing the contract, her shifts at Café Atelier officially began. She had made a habit of skipping group projects and night self-study sessions like they were nothing, but this time, she had to give it her all. There was no longer anyone else to pick up her slack.

After school, Yuri headed straight to the café. The owner and a male employee were already working in their uniforms. The owner possessed the distinct, robust healthiness of someone who worked out, while the male employee boasted the kind of striking looks her classmates always gossiped about. Standing well over 180 centimeters tall with a well-proportioned, slim build and clean, sharp features, he was undeniably handsome.

"Jung Hyun-ki! Are you trying to give our customers insomnia?! Why on earth did you pull a triple shot?!"

Though she kept her voice low enough so the customers wouldn't hear, the female owner smacked him right on his back to scold him. Hyun-ki was simply too tall for her to reach and cuff him on the back of the head.

"Ah, I’m sorry!"

"Our default is a double shot. How many times do I have to tell you?"

He apologized in a barely audible mumble. The café was packed, and it was clear Hyun-ki couldn't handle the rush on his own. Ultimately, the owner stepped in to start crafting the coffees and beverages herself, gesturing for Yuri to wait a moment.

After expertly clearing the backlog of orders, the owner waved Yuri over. Handing over a staff uniform, she told her to change in the makeshift locker room.

The uniform was as beautiful as the ones Yuri had seen in anime during her childhood. It was a black mini-dress adorned with lace. The skirt fell just above the knee, making it perfectly comfortable to move around in. Her classmates might have mocked it as looking too 'otaku-ish,' but in Yuri’s eyes, the feminine and cute design was thoroughly appealing.

Dan-young gave Yuri an approving look. "Pretty. It suits you well."

The compliment made Yuri feel happy, yet a bit bashful.

"Follow me. Since you’re a trainee, just watch how things are done for now. I’ll teach you when it's break time."

As the café grew crowded again, several female customers couldn't help but steal glances at Hyun-ki. A few even stared directly at his face while paying, boldly asking for his number.

Meanwhile, after processing a payment, Hyun-ki was in the middle of making a latte. He scooped up some powder from a container clearly labeled 'Cinnamon.'

"Excuse me..." Yuri murmured.

Hyun-ki didn't seem to hear her and kept going.

"Excuse me..."

She spoke a bit louder, but her voice was instantly drowned out by the chatter of the customers and the loud grinding of the espresso machine. Finally, Yuri reached out and tugged his sleeve.

"Huh? What’s up?"

Hyun-ki turned around, his face slightly flushed from the heat.

"Um, that’s cinnamon powder..."

Remembering her classmates' complaints about how he had mistakenly put cinnamon in their tiramisu lattes, she pointed it out.

Hyun-ki looked utterly shocked. "Oh my god! Thank you. That would've been a disaster. This is supposed to be a tiramisu latte...!"

Right at that moment, Dan-young marched over and slapped Hyun-ki on the back again. "Get your head in the game, will you?"

"I’m sorry."

"How have you been working here for six months and you’re still worse than a trainee who walked in today? There's a limit to how much I can let slide just because of your face. Snap out of it!"

The owner was genuinely furious, but Yuri felt a strange surge of euphoria. She had spent her entire life being unfavorably compared to Heo Jun-hyuk, but here, in this cramped café, she was the one receiving praise.

Soon, it was break time, and Yuri spent the rest of the afternoon learning how to operate the POS system and extract espresso beans from Dan-young.

That marked the end of her first day. From then on, two months flew by. As a college freshman, Yuri still spent most of her lectures slouched in the back corner of the classroom, sleeping through lessons. She rarely checked her group chat notifications, assuming her teammates would handle the group projects anyway. However, because she desperately needed the money to survive, she was never a single second late for her shifts at the café.

After pulling several shifts together, Yuri and Hyun-ki became well-acquainted. One day, while working their usual shift, Hyun-ki tentatively struck up a conversation.

"Yuri, there’s something I’ve been meaning to thank you for... Would you like to grab dinner sometime?"

Yuri looked up at Hyun-ki for a moment. "Sure, I’d love to."

She accepted readily, causing Hyun-ki’s face to flush slightly as he looked down at her. Standing just under 160 centimeters, Yuri had fair skin, large monolids, and light brown eyes. Overall, she gave off a cute, delicate, and fragile impression.

"Do you like sushi?"

"Yes, I love it."

"I know a really good sushi place. Let's go there."

The café was as busy as ever that day, keeping them both on their toes. Once their shift ended, they headed over to the sushi restaurant. Arriving at the entrance, Hyun-ki stood awkwardly before leading her inside. They took a seat at a corner table for four and ordered the very first option listed at the top of the menu.

An awkward silence hung over the table while they waited for the food.

"You're really good at your job," Hyun-ki said, breaking the silence.

"Oh, no, I'm not," Yuri replied shyly, taking a quiet sip of her water.

"Have you ever worked at a café before?"

"No, this is my first time."

"Really? What about other part-time jobs?"

"I’ve never had any part-time job before. This is completely my first time." Yuri tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking bashful.

"Wow, you're amazing at it for a first-timer."

The server brought out the sushi, and they ate in relative silence. Yuri remained quiet, and Hyun-ki was clearly clumsy at small talk. After he paid the bill and they stepped outside, Hyun-ki asked, "Which way are you heading?"

Yuri stared up at Hyun-ki in silence for a brief moment before speaking. "Oppa... actually... I kind of want to... grab a drink..."

Her voice trailed off as she began twirling a strand of her hair with her fingers—a long-standing habit of hers.

"Huh? Tonight...?"

Seeing Hyun-ki’s momentarily startled expression, Yuri quickly averted her gaze and gave a light shrug.

"Never mind. It's nothing. I didn't mean we should drink right this second. I'll get going first!"

Overcome with embarrassment, Yuri hurriedly darted down the narrow alleyway. Hyun-ki didn't even have a chance to stop her.

"It's not like I didn't want to..."

Hyun-ki murmured to himself, a deep sense of regret lingering in his chest. He wished he had told her that he wanted to grab a drink with her next time.