Hanni and Minji worked together at a quaint little cafe in the heart of the city. As usual, Minji was manning the cashier while Hanni worked behind her, sorting out the ingredients and preparing them for the upcoming rush.
"Okay, the next order is a latte with extra foam and a blueberry muffin," Minji called out. "Can you get started on that?"
"Sure thing," Hanni replied, grabbing a mug and starting to prepare the latte.
As she was adding the form, she needed to grab something from the top shelf. She stood on her tiptoes, but it was out of reach.
"Hey, Minji, can you grab the vanilla extract for me?" Hanni asked.
Minji turned around and saw Hanni struggling to reach the ingredient. She couldn't resist teasing the shorter girl.
"Aw, is Hanni too short to reach the vanilla extract?" Minji teased, grinning mischievously. Hanni rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile growing on her face. "Ha ha, very funny. Can you please just grab it for me?"
Minji chuckled, reaching up and grabbing the vanilla extract with ease. "You know, maybe you should start wearing high heels to work. That way you'll be able to reach everything on the top shelf."
Hanni puffed her cheeks out. "You know, I'm not that short. You're just really tall."
Minji laughed. "Well, maybe we should get you a step stool then. Or better yet, some stilts."
Hanni playfully punched Minji's arm. "Okay, okay, I get it. You're the tall one and I'm the short one. Can we move on now?"
Minji grinned as she handed the vanilla extract down to Hanni. "You know, I forget how short you are sometimes," she continues. "I have to look down to see you," Minji teased, smirking.
Hanni rolled her eyes, "Just say you hate vertically challenged people, and go." The taller girl affectionately placed her hand on top of Hanni's head, petting her hair. It was a small gesture, but it was something that Minji had never done before.
"What are you doing, Minji?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
Minji looked down at Hanni and grinned. "Just patting your head. You're like a cute little puppy."
Hanni felt a strange flutter in her chest at the comment. She had never thought of herself as cute before, and the way that Minji was treating her was making her feel all sorts of new emotions.
She tries to shake the feeling off. "I'm not a puppy!" she protests, but couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.
Minji just chuckled and continued to pat Hanni's head. "Sure you're not. You're my little Hanni."
Her heart skipped a beat at the words. She had never realized how much she craved this kind of affection from Minji, but now that she had it, she never wanted it to end.
As Minji was patting Hanni's head, they were interrupted by a customer who approached the cash register. Minji quickly snapped out of her daze and rushed over to take the order, her demeanor changing to one of polite professionalism.
Hanni stood behind her awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck as she watched Minji interact with the customer. She felt a little embarrassed about the situation.
As Minji finished taking the order, she glanced back at Hanni and gave her a small smile. "Sorry about that," she said, trying to sound as casual as possible.
Hanni just shrugged, still feeling a little awkward. "It's okay. I'll go back to sorting out the ingredients."
As the morning rush dies down, Hanni and Minji decide to take a much-needed break in the backroom. They sat down at the small table and let out a sigh of relief.
