By Zephyria 
Since it was only for a few days of work, I just handed over my bankbook and a copy of my ID. They said I didn’t need to submit a separate resume, so I hadn’t prepared one.
“You’re in the same major as Hyun-gyu.”
“Ah…… right.”
I’d forgotten something so simple.
From what I’d heard initially, they were just looking for someone to work a short-term part-time job. Besides, since they said they knew Kim Hyun-gyu well, they probably already had all the basic information.
Haon muttered with an expression that said, “I see.”
“I thought you might already know me since I used to come here often before.”
At the casually spoken words, Woo Sun-woo stopped wiping the cup in his hand. The cloth seemed stuck to the damp glass surface for a moment before he resumed moving as if nothing had happened.
Under the lighting, Woo Sun-woo’s ears appeared faintly flushed. He cleared his throat once, naturally hiding his complexion.
“Was that so?”
Woo Sun-woo’s voice was light. After finishing wiping the cup, he neatly aligned the syrup containers on the shelf before turning his head back toward Haon.
“Then you must be working on a portfolio too?”
Haon stopped what he was doing and looked at him.
“Yes,”
Woo Sun-woo scanned the café before looking at Haon again.
“Does café interior design go into the portfolio?”
The meaning of his words didn’t quite register.
Haon also stopped the towel in his hand, looking up from behind the bar to gaze at him.
Woo Sun-woo’s eyes swept over the ceiling lights again, then moved along the wall shelves. It was a gaze that seemed to be inspecting the structure of his own shop.
“……Hmm.”
Haon nodded belatedly.
“Sometimes it does.”
Just as he was about to continue speaking, the bell above the entrance chimed softly.
“Hello!”
A bright voice entered first, followed by the overlapping footsteps of two or three people.
The classmates who had planned to have a group meeting today were entering the café one by one.
Even while taking off their coats, they seemed too busy chattering about something to pay attention.
“Welcome.”
Woo Sun-woo stepped forward first, smiling as he guided them to their seats.
“You can use the long table by the window.”
“Yes, thank you.”
In the meantime, Haon prepared to take their orders.
While organizing the menu and counting the number of cups in his head, he recalled Woo Sun-woo’s earlier words.
‘He asked if café interior design goes into a portfolio?’
It wasn’t a particularly strange question. For someone in interior design, it was a perfectly plausible topic.
“Haon, we’ll start with two Americanos and one latte.”
As a classmate ordered coffee, Haon, who was entering it into the POS system, looked for the group leader who hadn’t arrived yet.
“What about Senior Jeong-won?”
“He said he’d stop by somewhere first.”
“Really?”
Answering nonchalantly, he pulled a shot. While the steam sound rose, Haon’s gaze kept wandering around the café.
The long table by the window, the sofa seating inside.
One by one, things caught his eye: the dead space under the stairs filled with shelves, or the slight overlap between the order flow and customer traffic that would likely make it cramped during peak hours.
If he hadn’t mentioned it at all, I might not have noticed, but once it was brought up, I became conscious of it.
‘Maybe…… he’s thinking of redesigning the café interior.’
As soon as the thought arose, he let out a soft chuckle to himself.
He probably just mentioned it casually since we were talking about majors.
Even if it’s not café interior design right now, there’s plenty else to do.
Amid the gentle noise filling the café, the bell chimed once more.
This time, a familiar silhouette entered the café.
A tall person with straight, broad shoulders.
Cha Jeong-won still stood out and looked a bit tired.
Distracted by the joy of seeing Cha Jeong-won, Haon stopped tamping the coffee grounds in the portafilter before resuming.
“Why am I so conscious just because the group leader is here? Don’t be conscious, don’t, don’t.”
Only after repeating it to himself did his expression seem to return to normal.
“But why is his bangs wet?”
It wasn’t even raining outside.
When the group members raised their hands and called out, “Over here!” Cha Jeong-won glanced their way before walking toward Haon.
Knowing he was coming to order, Haon racked his brain.
What kind of coffee did Cha Jeong-won like?
They had met at a café before, but Cha Jeong-won hadn’t stayed to drink coffee—he’d just retrieved his wallet. He hadn’t paid close attention at other times either.
Even if it was just a week, he was technically an ex, yet how could he be this clueless?
Cha Jeong-won stood there, looking down at Haon.
“What would you like to order?”
“Did everyone else order?”
“The other group members have all ordered. We just need to order yours.”
“What about you?”
“Ah, not yet.”
Cha Jeong-won held out his card.
“The same as you.”
Haon unconsciously took the card before belatedly understanding the meaning of the words and widening his eyes.
The same as him?
He had been thinking of subtly trying to make contact today, especially since he was meeting Cha Jeong-won.
But for him to approach like this…
Is this a move?
“How would you know what I drink?”
Feeling secretly pleased, Haon quickly pressed the button for his favorite coffee.
“Order yours too.”
“You don’t have to buy mine too……”
To show interest like this, one after another.
Flustered by Cha Jeong-won’s unexpected attention, Haon diligently placed the order.
Then he handed back the card.
“I’ll enjoy it.”
Somehow, it felt like he’d be able to stick close to Cha Jeong-won today.
＊ ＊ ＊
While preparing the shots, he felt his mood floating on air.
If things continued like this, he even had a hopeful premonition that the group meeting—or whatever—would end on a very good note today.
Haon walked toward the long table with the coffees.
Amid the group members’ chatter, Cha Jeong-won slightly pulled his chair back and turned toward Haon.
“Here you go.”
He took care of Cha Jeong-won’s coffee first. As Cha Jeong-won took the cup, his fingers brushed against Haon’s for just a moment.
Even though it was truly brief, the sensation lingered distinctly.
For a moment, Cha Jeong-won stared intently at the coffee he’d received. Wondering if something was wrong, Haon kept his eyes on Cha Jeong-won the entire time he took his seat.
“Is this what you usually drink?”
He hadn’t been working here long, but he’d only been drinking this lately.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have asked for the same thing.”
Cha Jeong-won’s mutter was too soft to hear clearly.
Instead of asking again, Haon wrapped his hands around his own cup.
The warmth felt pleasant, and he smiled to himself, but when Cha Jeong-won didn’t readily reach for his drink, Haon looked at him again.
“Do you have a nut allergy, by any chance?”
Was it too late to ask?
Cha Jeong-won shook his head slightly.
“That’s not the issue.”
Only then did Haon let out a sigh of relief. So he can drink it.
What Haon had brought was an almond cream latte. Essentially a latte, it had a subtle nutty aroma, and the marshmallows floating on top had melted slightly, making it a menu item that was both cute and mature in just the right measure.
Cha Jeong-won finally gave up and took a sip of the latte. His eyebrows kept moving.
“It’s good, right?”
“Yeah……”
Taking advantage of his nod, Haon subtly shifted his hips to get closer to him.
Pulling his chair a bit closer, he adjusted the distance until their legs were almost brushing.
“Everyone’s here.”
Cha Jeong-won opened his laptop.
“You know this project is a substitute for the midterm, right?”
“Yes.”
The group members’ answers came out in a jumble.
“We have to choose an actual commercial space and create a redesign proposal. Does anyone have something in mind?”
Cha Jeong-won briefly summarized the professor’s instructions.
“There’s a thirty-year-old restaurant in my neighborhood.”
“I also know a café with really bad interior design. The coffee is good, though.”
As the group members shared their ideas, Haon nodded along before suddenly remembering the conversation he’d had with the owner.
If it’s a café, wouldn’t this place work too?
“Let’s each find a suitable place, then decide on one.”
Interior Architecture and Design major, portfolio, café interior design.
Two interpretations fought simultaneously in his mind.
“And……”
Cha Jeong-won continued speaking. Everyone focused on him.
Haon also listened to his voice while sipping his latte.
＊ ＊ ＊
As the framework took shape, the meeting began to wind down.
“I think this should be enough. Did we forget anything?”
At Cha Jeong-won’s question, one group member quickly raised their hand.
“How about an after-meeting gathering as a way to say we’ll do well going forward?”
It was the person who had been actively talking in the chat room.
Instead of meeting on the weekend to do various things, they’d ended up meeting on a weekday, Wednesday, so Haon had assumed they’d part ways quietly after the group meeting. Had they been waiting for this opportunity?
This is really……
‘Sounds good?’
It was a welcome suggestion for Haon too.
61 – NOT 61