At 9:30 AM the next day, Serin stood in front of Cafe Luna. It was her first day, so she arrived 30 minutes early to mentally prepare. In her hand was a small succulent plant that Junhyuk had given her as a gift yesterday.
"It'll make the air better and brighten the mood in the cafe."
His words from yesterday came to mind. Her heart warmed once again at his thoughtful consideration.
"Serin-ssi! You're early."
Jiyoung greeted her warmly as she opened the cafe door.
"I was nervous about my first day, so I came early."
"I figured. I also arrived two hours early and paced in front of the cafe on my first day."
Stepping inside the cafe, the atmosphere was different from yesterday. Without customers, the cafe felt even cozier and more peaceful.
"Today, let's learn the basics slowly. Grinding beans, extracting espresso, making steamed milk... We'll go step by step."
Serin diligently took notes as Jiyoung explained. There were more things to pay attention to than she expected.
"I didn't realize making a cup of coffee was so complex."
"It's like that for everyone at first. But the satisfaction you get when a customer says 'it's delicious' is truly inexpressible."
Around 11 AM, the first customer arrived. It was a middle-aged woman, a regular customer who came at the same time every morning, according to Jiyoung.
"Hello, boss. One cafe latte again today, please."
"Yes, just a moment. Oh, and this is Serin-ssi, who will be working at our cafe starting today."
Serin bowed 90 degrees, and the customer smiled and said,
"Ah, a new person. Please take good care of me."
Watching Jiyoung make coffee, Serin imprinted each step in her mind. The sound of steaming milk, the sight of espresso extracting, and the delicate touch of latte art.
"Wow, it's really beautiful!"
Serin exclaimed in admiration at the heart-shaped latte art drawn on the coffee.
"You can do this quickly with practice too. Try it this afternoon."
After the customer left, hands-on practice began. Under Jiyoung's guidance, Serin tried her hand at the espresso machine.
"The pressure when tamping the grounds is important. If you press too hard, the water won't flow well, and if you press too lightly, it won't taste good."
Her first attempt failed. The espresso extracted too quickly and tasted watery.
"It's okay. I couldn't pull a proper espresso shot for the first month either."
Second, third... She kept failing, but Serin didn't give up. Jiyoung also patiently continued to teach her.
After lunchtime, customers started to come in one by one. Serin primarily handled serving and taking payments.
"Two americanos, one cafe latte going out!"
At first, her hands trembled with nervousness, but she gradually got used to it. Conversing briefly with customers was more fun than she expected.
Then, a familiar face entered. It was Taemin, whom she had met yesterday.
"Hello, Serin-ssi. It's your first day."
"Yes, hello. Would you like an americano?"
"That's right. You have a good memory."
Taemin smiled and leaned against the counter.
"How is it? Is the work fun?"
"Yes, it's more fun than I thought. There's so much to learn."
"Of course, new things are always exciting. If you have time after work, shall I show you around the nearby cafes? As I mentioned yesterday."
Before Serin could answer, Jiyoung cut in.
"Taemin oppa, Serin-ssi's on her first day today, so she might be tired. How about another time?"
"Ah, that's right. It's okay, just let me know anytime."
After Taemin took his coffee and left, Jiyoung quietly said to Serin,
"Taemin oppa is a really good person, but... his girlfriends change often. Be careful."
"Oh, yes... but I'm not thinking about that right now."
"Is it because of Junhyuk?"
Serin's face flushed.
"Well... it's not certain yet. But Junhyuk-ssi seems like a really good person."
"That's right. Junhyuk is a really good man. Many girls liked him in college, but I've never seen him casually date. If he really likes someone, he'll treat them very sincerely."
At 4 PM, her first day of work ended. Time had passed faster than she expected.
"You did well today. You did really great for your first day."
"Thank you. I'll work hard tomorrow too."
As she left the cafe, her phone rang. It was Junhyuk.
"Did your first day of work end? How was it?"
"Yes, it just ended. It was really fun."
"That's good to hear. If you have time now, shall we meet up for a bit? I have a congratulatory gift for you."
"A congratulatory gift?"
"Yes, if you're curious, come outside. I'm in front of the cafe."
Serin went outside and indeed found Junhyuk standing there. He held a beautifully wrapped gift.
"What is this?"
"Open it."
She opened the gift to find a 'Cafe Startup Guidebook' and a small apron.
"I chose the apron myself. I thought it would suit you, Serin-ssi."
The light pink apron was truly pretty. It even had a small pocket on the front.
"Thank you so much. I'll wear this to work starting tomorrow."
"Then, shall we have dinner tonight to celebrate your first day?"
Serin nodded. On a day like this, she wanted to spend time with Junhyuk.
"How was your day?"
"It was tough, but really enjoyable. I feel like I'm doing something I really wanted to do."
Junhyuk smiled, looking at Serin's sparkling eyes.
"That expression is really lovely. You look happy."
"It's thanks to you, Junhyuk-ssi. Without you, I wouldn't have had this opportunity."
"I'm happy because of you too, Serin-ssi."
The two looked at each other and smiled. The happiness of being together outweighed the fatigue of her first day of work.