ACTSV chapter 40

On his first day at work, Jingyeom spent time memorizing the menu and familiarizing himself with the POS system.

Because there were many companies nearby, a continuous stream of office workers in suits came in.

The buzzers quickly ran out. Since it was a drip coffee specialty shop, most customers ordered drip coffee, which took some time.

Despite being a newbie, Jingyeom handled the customers well. When he anticipated delays, he informed them in advance, and when buzzers were lacking, he wrote numbers on receipts to hand out.

There were no order mistakes, only delays finding items on the POS system due to the variety of drinks.

Also, nearly everyone paid by card, so there were no payment errors.

After a rush of customers, Jingyeom felt his lips getting dry.

“Tired? Want some coffee?”

The person who spoke to the dazed Jingyeom was Ha Sangil, the manager working from 1 p.m. until closing.

He didn’t ask for Jingyeom’s age but naturally spoke informally.

“I can’t drink coffee. I’ll just have some water.”

“A café worker who can’t drink coffee, huh?”

“Oh…”

During the interview, the owner had reassured him that it was okay to be sensitive to caffeine and not drink coffee. Yet here he was, hearing this on his first day.

As the flustered Jingyeom stammered, Ha Sangil chuckled and patted his back. It wasn’t painful but made him sway a bit.

“Just kidding. It’s fine not to drink coffee. There are plenty of other drinks. If you want anything, just let me or the staff know. We’ll make it for you.”

“Yes… thank you.”

“Do you have any experience working in a café?”

“No, this is my first time.”

“Really? Then I’ll have to teach you well. Ask if you have any questions.”

Jingyeom thought he was a very kind person and nodded.

The first day passed smoothly.

The next day, Jingyeom went to work, excited to learn how to make drinks, but found himself standing in front of the counter.

From the moment he arrived until he clocked out, his position didn’t change.

“Will they teach me tomorrow?”

But the next day and the day after that, Jingyeom’s place was still at the counter.

Although there were a few confusing menu items, he had become proficient at handling the counter. Occasionally, when customers asked about drip coffee, other employees would come over to explain.

“Jingyeom, when there are no customers, memorize this. It’s our list of beans, and it describes the flavors and aromas.”

“Yes. But aren’t I going to learn how to make drinks?”

At Jingyeom’s question, the employees exchanged glances.

After posting the part-time job ad, many resumes had come in. Some applicants had certifications or extensive café experience.

However, the reason they chose Jingyeom, who had no prior experience, was solely because of his face.

Saying that out loud might hurt his feelings, so Sangil stepped in.

“It’s because you’re only working for a month. If we teach you everything and then you quit, it’s discouraging for us. Still, the counter is the most important job. You need to manage the flow and adjust the speed of taking orders if there’s a backlog.”

Sangil’s words made sense. Taking all orders at once at the counter could lead to delays in serving drinks, causing customer complaints.

So, when orders piled up, they would explain the situation to the customers and wait for drinks to be ready before taking more orders.

Jingyeom understood Sangil’s reasoning instantly. It seemed inefficient to teach someone who might leave soon.

Still, he couldn’t hide his disappointment. When his expression showed his feelings, the employees consoled him by promising to teach him something simple.

The café, once a famous eatery, had a constant stream of customers, not just during lunchtime.

On normal days, they’d get a breather around 2 PM, but today, they were overwhelmed by the continuous influx of customers.

Thanks to his consistent counter work, Jingyeom had become adept at replacing POS paper.

Even amid the busyness, the employees managed to chat occasionally.

“It’s because of the rumor about Jingyeom, right?”

“That’s why it’s so crowded. It was the same last time when that actor-to-be worked here.”

“Oh, the one who worked briefly?”

“Yeah, it was chaotic then too. The boss definitely hired Jingyeom for that reason.”

One employee glanced around at the customers.

Despite the nearby companies, there were quite a few customers who looked like students, even with makeup.

The number of female customers had also increased recently.

Unaware of the conversation behind him, Jingyeom continued taking orders, processing payments, and handing out buzzers.

He paused when a customer made an unusual request.

“Excuse me?”

“Your phone number. Don’t you like me? I come here every day.”

“I’m sorry, I have a girlfriend.”

“Didn’t you say earlier that you didn’t?”

“Well, thinking about it, I do have a girlfriend.”

When Jingyeom said this with a smile, the customer frowned and grabbed the buzzer.

Customers asking for his number or if he had a girlfriend wasn’t new.

He had experienced this during his flyer distribution job and had learned to handle it skillfully.

Sangil, who had been watching, approached.

“Do you really have a girlfriend?”

“What?”

“A girlfriend.”

The sudden question made Jingyeom turn his head. In fact, he had learned to say he had a girlfriend from Jinwoo.

When he was distributing flyers, a simple rejection was enough, but in a café, maintaining regular customers was important, so he had to be more flexible.

Thus, he adopted the “I have a girlfriend” tactic.

As he was about to explain, a familiar voice came from the counter.

“Your girlfriend is here.”

A surprised Jingyeom turned quickly.

“Uncle?”

“I told you to call me hyung, why am I an uncle again?”

“What are you doing here…?”

Soohyuk, seeing Jingyeom’s wide-eyed, bewildered expression, moved closer to the counter with a playful smile.

However, his glance at Sangil was sharp.

“I came because my girlfriend was ignoring my calls.”

“…Calls?”

“Yes. You ignored all my calls and messages. I’m hurt.”

Jingyeom was completely unaware of this.

He hadn’t received any contact from Soohyuk and didn’t even know his number.

“Jingyeom, you need to work.”

It was Sangil who brought him back to reality. He was still on duty.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Uncle, I’ll be off soon. Do you need to leave immediately?”

“No, I’ll wait until you’re done. I’ll have a hot Americano.”

“Yes! I’ll pay for this.”

It was a modest gesture, considering Soohyuk had treated him to Korean beef before, but it was something Jingyeom could do for him now.

Soohyuk took the buzzer and stood at the bar, looking around the small but busy café where four people, including Jingyeom, were working.

The Americano was ready quickly. Sangil was at the pickup counter.

“Are you really Jingyeom’s boyfriend?”

“Do fake boyfriends exist?”

“You wouldn’t call your boyfriend ‘uncle.’”

“Good point.”

Soohyuk smiled, winking at Sangil.

He left the tray and took only the mug, finding a seat.

Sangil, his curiosity unsatisfied by Soohyuk’s evasive manner, frowned but decided not to pursue it further. Once things settled, he approached Jingyeom.

“Is he really your boyfriend?”

Jingyeom, confirming that Soohyuk was out of earshot, smiled and shook his head.

“No. He was joking.”

“I thought so….”

Relieved, Sangil went to refill the nearly empty coffee beans.

Jingyeom, standing at the counter, waved slightly when he caught Soohyuk’s eye.

Normally, he would bow deeply in greeting, but with Soohyuk, he found himself waving.

“Maybe it’s because that’s how we greeted initially?”

Or maybe he felt more comfortable with Soohyuk than with Wonbeom.

Soohyuk smiled back at Jingyeom, who was beaming at him.

“Tastes good.”

Expecting drip coffee at a specialty café, he had settled for a simpler Americano to lessen their workload.

Surprisingly, it was quite good.

Although Soohyuk preferred berry-like acidic coffee, the nutty flavor today wasn’t bad.

He chose a seat in the middle, not the best view of the counter, but decent among the remaining spots.

Soohyuk’s gaze remained fixed on Jingyeom, who was busily taking orders. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“He’s working hard.”

He had arrived an hour before Jingyeom’s shift ended, just to see him work.

“I can’t believe they had all that fun without me.”

His visit was partly because Jingyeom hadn’t responded to his calls and partly to inquire about the toothpaste incident.

He had been unaware until he visited Lee Cheongo’s office. If he hadn’t gone there today, he would have missed everything.

The day Jinwoo brought the gift from Soohyuk to the office, Soohyuk had planned to go straight home. But a sudden project issue forced him into an extended overseas business trip.

Originally, he hadn’t intended to work so hard, just to hold his position.

The reason for joining Wonbeom’s company was solely to help him.

There were so many people targeting his company that he needed to expand his own team, so he took up a position as a director in the Sales Support Team, despite it not being in line with his skills.

If it hadn’t been for Wonbeom’s request, he would probably still be a laid-back jobless person.

Of course, he wouldn’t have been just any jobless person; he would have been a wealthy one.