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Chapter 1

It was 10:30 pm, half an hour before Espresso Yourself, a popular café in Seoul, South Korea, closed. There were only the occasional customers at this hour, and because Kim Minsoo didn't go to college like most of his other colleagues, he was always taking the night shift.

Lately, though, there was always one boy who hung around until 11 o'clock exactly. He was not your typical coffee shop boy with glasses and a book. Instead, he just sat there all day in his black hoodie, staring out the window. He had black hair and icy, blue eyes, and he never seemed to talk to anyone.

Once he could recognize this boy, Minsoo had tried multiple times to hold a conversation with him, but he was always listening to music. It was as if he were saying don't you dare talk to me, so Minsoo often refrained from doing exactly that.

Every day, he ordered an Iced Americano, even if it was freezing outside, and after he finished it, he would just sit there without getting anything else. He always paid with cash and came in when there were only a few customers, so Minsoo never got his name.

The black haired boy shot him a dirty look when he caught him staring, and in response, Minsoo looked away quickly and awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other, patiently waiting for time to pass.

The little bell by the door jingled once.

"*Hyung!" a short, brown haired boy said cheerfully, skipping through the door. He was a splitting image of Minsoo, which made sense because they were siblings.

Minsoo made his way around the counter and gently ruffled his little brother's soft brown hair, "Minwoo, I told you not to come in so loudly. There are still customers."

"But it's Friday, so I get to go home with you, right?" he asked, continuing to beam up at him, "And I get to spend all weekend with you, and I don't have to go back to the daycare, right??"

Minsoo smiled at him warmly, a hint of sadness glistening in his eyes, "You're right." He picked him up and carried him to the other side of the counter where a small chair was waiting specifically for Minwoo.

Thankfully, after hearing about their current situation, the owner of this café, Erina, was kind enough to let Minwoo stay whenever he needed to. As long as he didn't cause a disruption, he could stay as long as he wanted.

Now, Minsoo was 19 years old, and Minwoo was 6 years old. The younger spent most of the week at school and then at daycare. He would be picked up at 9 o'clock in the evening— when the daycare closed— Monday through Thursday by his babysitter, Lee Eunbi, and she would stay with him at their house until Minsoo got home from work.

They lived in a small apartment near Minwoo's elementary school, and his babysitter was the one who drove him to the daycare after school. On Fridays, though, Eunbi would bring him to the café. The only time Minsoo actually saw his brother during the week was in the mornings and late at night.

Minsoo worked at the café Monday through Saturday from 9 o'clock in the morning to 11 o'clock at night. He only took off on Sundays to spend time with Minwoo, which was a big sacrifice because Minsoo was the only one supporting the two of them. Even so, he knew that spending time with the only family he had left was the best for both of them.

The bell jingled once more as Eunbi came in. She was the same age as Minsoo but also quite a bit shorter, so she often wore heels to make up for it. She had beautiful, pastel pink hair and pale gray eyes, but she liked to put on green contacts to, as she liked to say, "complete the aesthetic."

The only reason she could babysit Minwoo so often was because she was taking a gap year between high school and college. Plus, she and Minsoo had been close friends since the start of high school.

"It's so cold," she said, warming herself by rubbing her hands against her arms. She stepped up to the counter and asked, "Would it be okay if I got an Expresso? With extra cream please?"

Minsoo smiled warmly, "Of course."

Already used to the routine, he took her credit card, gave her the receipt, and made her drink. She took a seat at a nearby table, and Minwoo took a seat beside her as he attempted to finish his homework in the next twenty minutes, which wouldn't be too hard since he was only in first grade.

Minsoo stood beside their table and listened carefully for any other customers who happened to come in. His little brother never paid attention to their "adult talk," so Minsoo went ahead and said, "I'm thinking about getting another job."

Eunbi frowned, "Another one? Why? Is this one not working out?" After spending this much time with Minwoo, it was only natural that she knew about their situation too.

"No, no. This one's fine, but..." he hesitated, watching his brother with sad, sad eyes, "it's just not enough..."

She let out a small sigh, "I told you before, didn't I? You don't have to pay me. I'm just glad I can help. You should take care of yourself and Minwoo first. You know I'm not even doing this for the money."

At the mention of his name, the 6 year old boy looked up at them, his eyes glistening with curiosity. He beamed when he met his brother's gaze, and Minsoo plastered a cheerful smile on his face. It was only after Minwoo turned his attention back to his homework that he let his smile slowly fade away.

"How are you these days anyway?" Eunbi asked softly. "You know, if it gets too hard, you should take some time off. Overworking yourself isn't going to help anyone."

He sighed gently, "But I'm the only one who can help us."

She could only look up at him with a sad expression, "Just... take care of yourself, okay?"

But he was already doing as much as he could.

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*"Hyung" means older brother in Korean. However, only the guys say "hyung." Girls have to say "oppa." You also use "hyung" and "oppa" if you're referring to a male that is older than you