"One Americano, please."
"Chaeyoung, can you take the order? I'm doing something–"
"Can you please make it faster?!" a customer standing just on the other side of the counter, with her brows dodging and forming a straight line, shouted in her animatedly small but raising voice, evidently annoyed and losing patience just for single seconds wasted when no one attended to her order immediately.
Chaeyoung stood far from the shouting girl silently, stoic and unable to move, as she continued grumbling nonsense and shouting like the café staffs weren't human with feelings at all. Mean. In accord with the shocked look she was only able to give, she was literally just about to take her apron off because her shift is already done and Dahyun will now take over, her uniform somehow tainted with spilled coffee, looking nothing but indecent. The moment a woman's voice echoed in the whole café, she was bewildered and hesitating to attend looking like someone who just got ripped off a muddy blouse, of course, she won't come out petrified and dirty for anyone's displeasure and to avoid more conflict. Another shout. It brought her back to her trance, and she can only listen, "WHY THE HECK IS NO ONE COMING TO GET MY ORDER?!"
Chaeyoung cleared her throat and grabbed onto anything she can use to cover her coffee stained uniform, then instantly ran towards the front, smiling awkwardly and using her soft voice, "calm down miss, I'm very sorry," she bowed apologetically then shot her gaze up, flashing a corporate, bright and welcoming smile she has always used while dealing with a wide variety of customers daily then asked the woman politely, "can I get your order, please?"
A sharp stare. Chaeyoung took a step back, her frame almost hitting the cupboard behind and she thanked all the gods and goddesses she can name for not actually knocking down. It has appeared to her that this woman is somehow classy, of all the confidence to make a scene, she looks so high. Her orbs were terrifying, sharp and darting, the kind of look that will directly make its way into someone's bones and into their soul.
Chaeyoung never felt very little in her life.
From time to time, she takes small glances over her shoulder, back to the slightly opened restricted door to see if Dahyun is near to finishing all the self fixings to make her look very neat.
"I. SAID. ONE. AMERICANO. ARE YOU DEAF?!" a loud noise with notes rising in each word. Chaeyoung turned to clear her almost dry throat, nervous, her knees about to shake. In her two years of working in that café, it was her very first time to encounter such a scene by herself, no one to call, because their manager, Jihyo, was always there to attend into every complain.
Most attention instantly darted into the commotion, and Chaeyoung couldn't feel more embarrassed to be in that unwanted situation with a hot headed customer. "No, Ma'am, I ain't deaf. Please tone down your voice for it will bring inconvenience to other customers. I am deeply sorry. Your americano is coming, please wait for it."
"NO! I WAITED FOR TOO LONG, MAY I ASK WHERE YOUR MANAGER IS?!"
"She–"
"The manager is unattended at the moment. I'm sorry," Dahyun replied in her place, finally coming out and revealing herself and throwing an apologetic look to Chaeyoung who's still wearing a contemplating and confused expression. Dahyun pushed Chaeyoung off the counter gently, murmuring a small sorry before facing the complaining woman with a calm expression although she was also about to just shout and throw yells just how the customer did to Chaeyoung.
Chaeyoung let out a heavy sigh when the backup came fast, then let the pale girl handle the very small problem that needs a little talk for a compromise. Sensing that the heated in the moment was finally subsiding and all the other people inside the café went back to minding their own businesses after the commotion, Chaeyoung walked out of the counter then took her apron and cap off, throwing a piece of cloth she can't already tell where she got except for the fact that she used it to cover her uniform earlier. She placed her things on the designated place inside her locker, hanging most of the spare shirt neatly before carelessly throwing some more inside because she won't definitely be needing them outside the café for today.
YOU ARE READING
Autumn Leaves
Novela Juvenil[ MiChaeng AU ] An unsaid agreement was made between two strangers. Now, they literally JUST meet at that exact same street during autumn, as uncos, individuals who have no right to judge. Into the fortress of their souls bounded to tangle, entwine...
