The office looked pretty normal, just a small desk with a stack of papers piled on the left, a shelf filled with files and documents on the right, and some local business flyers pinned to a corkboard. Nothing fancy, just the kind of place you'd expect from a small café or diner office.
Behind the desk sat a woman. Her nameplate read: Manager Lia Han. She looked to be in her mid-40s, with a few soft lines on her face and some white strands showing through her otherwise natural brown hair—but still, she looked beautiful and sharp.
She was on the phone.
"What do you mean, you quit, Jack?" she said, voice already losing patience.
—"Look, Lia, I found a better opportunity, okay? What do you expect me to do?"
"Oh, hoho—so we're on a first-name basis now, huh, Jace? Quitting really makes you brave." Her tone turned a little scary.
—"Ehm… Look, Ms. Han, it's just… I really need to take this chance."
"You couldn't tell us before? How can you just dump this on us now?"
—"Ugh, whatever. I don't have to explain myself."
"…Oh yeah? Well, we don't need you anymore, okay?!"
At that exact moment, the door creaked open and Sayu stepped in.
"Do you hear me? Don't bother ever coming back here again, Jack!"
Slam.
She slammed the phone down into its receiver, exhaling sharply.
Sayu paused, awkwardly. Then gave a soft knock.
~Knock-Knock~
Lia turned toward the door, "Who are you?" she narrowed her eyes at the girl standing there. "What are you doing here?"
Sayu flinched slightly. "Uhm… I came for the part-time job interview. The one that was posted outside?"
Lia blinked for a moment, like something clicked in her mind. Her expression changed quickly.
"No need for an interview."
"Wait, but…" Sayu looked startled, almost thinking she messed up.
"You're hired," Lia added casually, leaning back in her chair.
"…What?" Sayu blinked.
"Yeah, one of our staff just quit, and business has actually started to pick up again. We really need more help right now."
Sayu stood still, unsure if this was a trick or real. Maybe all that reading and the little exorcism she did this morning actually worked. It felt like her luck was turning.
"Are you a college student? Got any work experience?"
"Y-yeah! I go to Sakura University," she answered quickly. "And my mom runs a diner back in my hometown, so I've helped out a lot before."
Lia nodded, already liking the answer. "Cool. So, what's your schedule like? What time are you usually available?"
"I mostly have classes from 8 AM till around 3 in the afternoon," Sayu replied. "After that I'm free."
"Alright, perfect. Can you start now?"
Sayu blinked again. "Like... right now?"
"Yeah."
She hesitated. It was fast, too fast. But honestly, she didn't want to go through another round of job hunting today.
"I-I can," Sayu nodded.
Lia smiled. "Great. We'll finish the official paperwork, wage stuff, and your contact info tomorrow. For now, let me call someone to show you around."
Lia's voice pierced through the air.
"HEY! KIRA! VIOLET!"
Sayu flinched at the sudden volume, instinctively straightening. From the hallway behind the counter, two employees appeared in matching black SunDol uniforms, complete with aprons and caps. A boy and a girl.
The boy, tall with dark hair and tired eyes, was the first to speak. "Boss, did you get in touch with Jack?"
"Forget about that useless brat," Lia snapped, waving her hand. "He's not coming back. Took some other 'better offer.' Hmph."
"But boss... we still need more help," the girl murmured with a hint of protest.
"Shut up, Violet! You lazy thing," Lia said, without a shred of actual malice. She turned toward Sayu with a sharp clap of her hands. "Anyway, this is Sayu. She's starting officially tomorrow—but show her the ropes today, got it?"
Kira and Violet both blinked as if Sayu had materialized out of nowhere. Their eyes landed on her in sync, surprised they hadn't noticed her sooner.
Sayu stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Sayu Hayashi. I look forward to working with you."
"Oh yay, we definitely needed another girl here!" Violet chirped, springing forward with an eager grin. She shook Sayu's hand with both of hers. "I'm Violet, nice to meet you! And this guy here is Kira—he doesn't talk much and acts cold, but don't worry. Just ignore him most of the time."
"I can hear you, you know," Kira said flatly without looking at either of them.
Right then, Lia's phone buzzed in her pocket. She checked the screen and muttered something under her breath before turning toward the door.
"Got to take this. You two, show her around," she called, slipping outside and letting the door swing behind her.
"Come on," Violet said brightly, linking her arm through Sayu's and tugging her toward the employee room.
* * * * *
Inside the staff room, Sayu changed into her uniform—a black shirt with the SunDol logo stitched near the shoulder, a hat that didn't quite sit right on her head, and a slightly oversized apron. She adjusted the straps, took a breath, and stepped out to begin her training.
Kira stood by the register, expression unreadable. His tall frame leaned lazily against the counter, and the dark circles under his eyes suggested he was either constantly sleep-deprived or permanently done with life.
"Register first," he said without ceremony, his fingers gliding across the touchscreen. "Tap here. Then here. Card slot's on this side. Cash goes there."
Sayu nodded and mirrored his actions, hesitating slightly. When she pressed the drawer button, it sprang open so suddenly it nearly knocked into her stomach.
"Too hard?" Kira asked.
"Sorry," she said, awkward smile tugging at her lips.
"You'll get used to it." His voice was flat—not cold, just tired. Then he straightened and pointed toward a nearby table. "I'll take that order over there. You just greet customers for now. Here."
He handed her a small notepad, "Read from this." and left, walking off without looking back.
Sayu clutched the notepad, exhaled slowly, and turned to face the entrance just as the bell above the door chimed.
A man stepped inside.
Tall, clean-cut, dressed in a casually elegant style that screamed money. His watch glittered subtly under the soft café lights.
He walked directly toward the counter where Sayu stood, pausing briefly as he met her eyes.
Sayu bowed slightly, "Welcome to SunDol Café." subtly reading of the notepad.
The man smiled faintly, but didn't reply immediately.
Then, with a voice soft and calm, he said, "So... we meet again?"
Sayu blinked, realizing who he was upon raising her head.
"Huh...?" Her voice faltered. "Dae Woo...?"