Coffee Shop Romance (HyunChan)

21.

Hyunjin's POV

"Chan, I swear these things didn't happen. I'm never disrespectful to customers, and you know that too. I didn't spill anyone's drink, and if I did, I would've definitely apologized. And about the strawberry jam—I told Jeongin to inform the kitchen about the request. I don't know why they wrote that."

I couldn't control it anymore and let my tears flow. Without hesitation, Chan pulled me into his arms and caressed my cheeks, giving me soft kisses to try and comfort me. I felt so wronged, and only his closeness could make me feel somewhat better. I knew I wasn't rude to anyone, but I couldn't control my feelings because Chan talked to me so harshly without even listening to my side first. His temper rose so quickly, I didn't even see it coming.

"Baby, don't cry. I didn't mean to react like that. I'm just a bit stressed. Minho is going on a long vacation, and Changbin decided to resign from his supervisor position. I was thinking that perhaps you could be our new supervisor, but with everything that happened lately, I was just a bit worried. Forgive me for overreacting—I know you are the kindest server here."

"Me? A supervisor? Are you crazy? It's been barely three months since I started working here. Why would you give me so much responsibility?"

His offer came as a total shocker to me. I was so surprised that even my tears stopped coming.

"And in these three months, you've learned everything about this café. You pay attention to each and everything. You work precisely. If you see a problem, you fix it immediately. You always make sure all orders are done quickly, and you're the first to notice if something's missing. You always tell me when we've run out of something. Trust me, you would be the best supervisor out of the boys here—if you want to be one, of course."

He gave me such an adorable look that was both sweet and encouraging. How could I say no to anything this man asked me when he had such an expression? His eyes showed that he truly believed I was capable of this. With his fingertips, he removed any remaining tears from my cheeks and swept my hair out of my eyes.

"So, should I announce to the boys that, from now on, they'll have to listen to you, or...?"

"I will make you proud, I promise!"

As I said that, he gave me a kiss. I could feel him pouring all his emotions into it. It was loving and caring. He was doing it as if he no longer cared that we were in the store and anyone could see us. I didn't know if he had changed his mind about us going public or if he just felt guilty for making me cry earlier, but regardless, I was happy to have him on my lips.

My heart was beating fast, almost bursting with all the intense emotions of today. All the sadness I felt a couple of minutes ago was suddenly erased by his sweet taste, as if nothing had happened. Even though Chan hurt me, the pain he caused disappeared and was replaced by those well-known butterflies. We needed to stop before we got too excited.

"Boss, I need you to—"

I froze as I heard a familiar voice. I pulled away from Chan in less than a millisecond, but it was too late. We were caught...

"Yes, Jisung, what can I do for you?"

Chan answered, trying to keep a straight face, but I could see how he was also panicking on the inside. His face was fully flushed, and he was avoiding eye contact with Jisung.

"There's a customer who wants us to issue a VAT invoice, so I came to tell you his company details. But I can tell him we'll send it by email, if you are...well...busy..."

Jisung was looking in all directions except anywhere that would meet our eyes. I'm sure he didn't expect me and Bang Chan to be making out like that.

"No need, I'll print it. Hyunjin's break is over anyway."

I left quickly to escape the awkward situation. I bowed slightly and headed downstairs.

"Everyone, listen to me for a moment. So, as you may have heard, Minho will be away for a while, and Changbin has decided to no longer serve as supervisor. I'm happy to announce our new supervisor—Hyunjin. He will be leading the shifts and making sure all daily tasks are done correctly. His words are like mine, so please listen to him. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can let him know if I'm not available. Thank you for your attention, guys."

Some eyes widened with surprise, some were happy and congratulated me. But there was a pair of eyes just staring at the floor, his mouth showcasing a huge frown. It was none other than Jeongin.

I somehow expected him not to be happy with the news, but his disappointed expression seemed too upset. I don't understand what his problem is with me these days. I don't want my new position in the café to cause any drama.

A short while later, we all went back to our jobs. Chan went upstairs to do some accounting, Felix and Jisung made the coffees, Seungmin cleaned the tables, and I was left alone with Jeongin. I tried to just focus on work, but I could feel a slight tension building up between us.

"I didn't know fucking around with the boss now gives one such benefits."

I froze in an instant. How dare he?

"What did you just say?"

"I said, I didn't know fucking with Bang Chan can now make you a supervisor. Yeah, I've known for a while what you two have been up to. I just don't really get what he sees in you, though."

His voice raised slightly, and he let out a sarcastic laugh. He was looking at me with those damn fox eyes of his. My fists clenched as I tried to control myself from punching him. I couldn't believe he could be so rude.

"What does it matter to you? Didn't you cheat on him?"

"It was all just a misunderstanding, and he gave up on me instead of trying to fix things. Why am I even telling you this? It's none of your business. And I hope you understand that I'm not going to be listening to you. I don't care if you're a supervisor, manager, or anything. Wow, a supervisor who himself makes so many mistakes—how funny."