Lackluster

Chapter I

When Win started work in the small café right beside the university, he felt utterly miserable. He was seeing all these students every day, sitting pretty, drinking some expensive coffee that you can honestly just buy off the local supermarket if you look hard enough—talking and laughing, sometimes looking as if on the verge of a breakdown, and he was downtrodden about it. 

He was supposed to be one of those students, living the campus life, drinking unhealthy amounts of coffee, cramming information in his brain, and actually going to school. He was supposed to be in university this year yet, the universe must be against him somehow.

His older brother, had fallen ill and needed the extra money for his medication. It wasn't against Win to help his brother—he loved him but, it was a little disheartening to be a few years late to studying his degree. Though miserable, Win still had hope. His brother needed him, and it was his way of repaying him after years of taking care of Win after their parents passed. College can wait, he can't lose the only family he has.

The café wasn't open yet when he arrived. The blinds were still drawn, and the "Closed" sign dangled at the front in bright yellow letters. He proceeded to turn towards the side alley, where the door to the kitchen was situated, bringing out his keys from the worn out tote bag he carries like a weapon every day, and opened the locked door. 

The smell of freshly baked bread welcomed him when he stepped inside the warmly-lit kitchen. He breathed in, and smiled to himself. Ah, the smell of delicious bread is calling me! He thought to himself, already planning his begging to ask for some left over bread later.

"I know that face, Win. That's the face of mischief. Stop it." A voice called out from behind the kitchen island. The figure stood up slowly, a batch of fresh baguette in hand, with a look of warning in their face.

"Ah, Pear. You know I'm not going to do anything to trouble you! I'm Win, the good guy!" Win is also shameless when it comes to food. It was one of the reasons why he tried so hard to be hired here. They have the best baked goods in town, although their coffee kind of sucks a little—but all is forgiven in the face of good food. As his late grandfather would say.

Pear huffed as she rounded the kitchen island, her apron swaying with her as she walked past him to the packaging area. Her brows were furrowed, lips pursed in concentration, and she looked frazzled from what Win could see.

"Yeah? How about the time when that old lady came in here because you ruined her flowers that was for sale? How about when you punched that Economics student in here and almost got arrested? What do you call those?" She was huffing and puffing, walking around busying herself. "I swear Win, if I stay around you any longer I'd die young with grey hairs." She said as she passed by him once again to go to the front.

Win couldn't help but let out a giggle. He simply couldn't help himself! Pear looked like an angry Tweety bird when she gets angry. It was the main reason why he sometimes—only sometimes, would purposefully annoy her and make her pissed.

Win shook his head fondly towards the direction of Pear one last time before going to his locker and changing to his usual work clothes. It consisted of a beige collared shirt, with the name of the café, "Bonté du Café" hand stitched on the right breast in white, and simple trousers that were annoyingly short on him, only reaching a bit past his ankle. It was irritating, but he couldn't do anything about it anyway because it was only passed down to him from a previous employee. He couldn't complain about something that helped him save money anyway.

After changing, Win walked to the front to help man the cash register alongside the other employee, Fong. He greeted Fong with a small smile and stood in front of the dessert display as he started to put on his apron.