Not Perfect Night, Doomed Night -[BBANGSAZ AU]

16.) Working with the Enemy?

Minji's POV:

As soon as Haerin flashed me that gentle smile and walked out the front doors of Bambina Café, I felt this weird feeling like I was being separated from my conjoined twin.

Bye, Hae," I waved back, trying to sound casual, but secretly hoping she'd turn around and say she'd stick around for my shift too. But who was I kidding? Haerin had been working here way longer than I had, and she probably wanted nothing more than to escape the caffeine-soaked chaos of this place. Meanwhile, I was buzzing with nervous energy like a kid on their first day of school—excited but also terrified I was about to royally screw something up.

Now it was just me and the two other people I was waiting for to show up. I started to fidget a bit as I walked back to the back shelves, trying to look like I knew what I was doing. The only thing keeping me from completely losing it was the AirPod I'd snuck into my ear, blasting some smooth jazz to calm my nerves. I could almost feel the anxiety melting away as I started to unload and stock the shelves, my mind getting lost in the rhythm of the music.

I was just getting into the groove, humming along to the beat like I was the star of my own little indie movie, when suddenly—tap, tap, tap—someone interrupted my flow. I turned around.

"Hi, excuse me, are you new?" a voice chirped, way too peppy for my current state of mind.

"Yeah, I'm new," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

The girl's eyes widened in recognition as we made eye contact, and she practically bounced on the balls of her feet. "I know you! You're Minji, right?"

I blinked, trying to place her face. "Uh, we've met?"

"Of course!" She said way too confidently.

"Remember me?" she pressed, her words starting to speed up like she was a human auctioneer on a caffeine high. "I was the one who... um, downloaded the campus news app on your phone! Remember? Remember? REMEMBER?!"

I stared at her, trying to recall any memory of this, but she was already on a roll. "Oh my gosh, I haven't even introduced myself—silly me! Hi, I'm Hyein Lee, a college freshman, and part-timer at Bambina Café, pleased to meet you!"

She reached out and grabbed my hand before I could even process what was happening, shaking it with the kind of aggressive enthusiasm you'd expect from someone running for class president. My arm felt like it might pop out of its socket any second.

"So, Minji, how long have you been working here?" she asked, still pumping my hand like she was trying to get water from a dry well.

"Oh, I, uh, just started today," I managed to stammer.

"Ooooh! I can help you out if you need anything!" she offered, her eyes practically sparkling. "You see, I've been working here for about six months now. Did I mention I'm a freshman and I'm majoring in journalism?"

She started rambling on about her major, her job, her life, and I could feel her enthusiasm starting to rub off on me. There was something infectious about her energy, even if it was a bit overwhelming. She reminded me a lot of Danielle before the incident—bright, happy, and so... well, cute. The kind of cute that makes you feel like you should be wearing a helmet and knee pads just to keep up.

"And when I'm not working, I collect vintage CDs!" she added, whipping out a little CD book from her pocket and flipping through pages like she was about to show me her prized collection right then and there.

"Cool," I muttered, suddenly feeling like the awkward, quiet one for a change.

"Hey, isn't there supposed to be another person working with us? Do you know when they're going to arrive?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation somewhere more neutral.

"Oh yeah—" Hyein started to say, but she was cut off by the unmistakable sound of aggressive heels clicking against the floor.

"Jen, you fucking vile bitch," a voice that sounded vaguely familiar snapped, dripping with venom. "I thought you were going to cover for me!"

My nosy instincts kicked in, and I rushed over to the locker room where the noise was coming from, ducking behind some shelves. First day and there's already drama? Shocking. Never would've guessed.

"Jen, I swear to God, this is the third time this month," the voice continued, growing angrier with every word.

I peeked out just in time to see Hyein cowering near the sink, trying to make herself as small as possible, while a girl I recognized—Hanni, the campus Queen Bee, Danielle's mortal enemy and mine—stood there, glaring daggers at a girl I assumed was named Jen.

"I'm sorry, Hanni," Jen replied smoothly with a hint of coolness."I got caught up with something —"

"Yeah, right," Hanni spat, her eyes narrowing to slits. She closed the gap between her and stuck an accusing finger into Jen's chest. "You're probably out getting high with that dumbass friend of yours, that Kim Chaewon."

Whoa, Hanni sure is a bitch.

"My daddy owns this place. Your bummy ass wouldn't have gotten a foot in here without me, bitch," Hanni sneered, her words like a whip crack. "And I got you hired, which means you work for my daddy and, in other terms, he owns you. No, I own you."

"So you should do what I ask, Jennifer Huh." Her voice was sharp. "Before my daddy, oops, I meant I fire you."

Jen stood there, staring at her with a mix of defiance and resignation, as Hanni snatched the skimpy scraps, that Bambina considered a uniform for their baristas, right out of Jen's hands.

"God, why do I have to work here? My dad owns the damn place," Hanni half complained, half muttered, stomping towards the bathroom in a huff. "Hanni, baby you have to earn your living, learn to be independent, self-sufficient," she mocked under her breath, rolling her eyes as she disappeared down the corridor.

As soon as the coast was clear, Hyein and I met up in the aftermath of the storm, both of us a little shaken.

"Be completely honest with me," I said, staring at Hyein with wide eyes. "Are we working with her?"

Hyein gave me a somber nod, her previous enthusiasm drained away in the face of reality.

Well, this was going to be one hell of a summer job.