The buzz of conversations could be heard coming from the cafè even over the noises of utensils clanking and opening and closing of ovens in the kitchen.
The two other chefs calmly worked on their stations and Luna worked on hers. It was her first day working at the cafè and the Head Chef was absent so her manager Jinwoo asked her if she knew how to make strawberry shortcake.
He was a handsome man with a kind face, probably in his early twenties.
Luna had told him that if he instructed her, she'll learn quick and thankfully she had done well.
"Luna after you put the cakes in the oven, go to the counter and help Yubi, Jun will take care of the strawberry filling." Jinwoo told her and Luna replied "Okay."
She rushed outside to the counter while brushing off the flour from her apron, the other part-timer was there brewing coffee.
"Hey newbie." She said, "I dont think we've met yet. Im Yubi."
She extended her hand and Luna took it slowly.
She always got nervous around new people, they were like clean slates and the first impression was like the title entry on the slate.
"Hi, Im Luna."
"Cool name. And dont be so nervous, this job is a breeze. I mean there are often too many customers just like now but it'll be fine once the Head Chef returns and so does Minho, one of the part-timers. And our manager is so nice he never gives us work more than we can handle." She rambled on casually leaning against the counter.
Luna listened to her intently and watched her as she glanced at the clock.
"Oh its time for Tiramisu to come."
"Tiramisu?" Luna inquired.
"Oh yeah he's our regular customer." Yubi smiled
" He is the sweetest and kindest guy you'll ever meet I swear even his words are sugar-coated but not in a bad way. Yet he always a orders venti iced americano with ice and no water with 4 extra espresso shots and thats why our manager once called him Tiramisu as a joke and it stuck ever since.."
Yubi chuckled at the end of her explanation but stopped when she saw Luna's blank face.
They have a nickname for a customer? Woah.
Luna thought.
"Because you know Tiramisu is sweet coffee cake with bitter cocoa powdered on top of it..." yubi trailed off.
"Oh yeah yeah I got it." Luna clarified.
Yubi went back to brewing coffee and Luna organized the menus.
"So, where are you -" Yubi started but got cut off when Jinwoo called Luna back in the kitchen to check if the cakes were ready to be taken out.
She hastily excused herself and went to the kitchen, grateful for the interruption because she had yet to prepare the lies she was going to tell Yubi about her past.
☾
"I'm going to meet my neice and you cant stop me." A man's loud voice came from inside the cafè.
Luna looked up from her station, and so did the other chefs.
"Im sorry sir, but you cant go inside." Luna heard Yubi say.
"Luna Im going to give you 10 seconds to come out, or else Im coming in." The man shouted and she finally recognized his voice.
Uncle Changmin
She took off her apron and ran outside as he started counting down.
She came out to the counter and looked around to see if any customers were disturbed and thankfully there was only one guy sitting at the table near the window with his back to them and his earpods in.
"Luna lets go." Her uncle told her.
"But Im working..." she reasoned nervously, worried that her manager might fire her over this.
"Hey mister if she doesnt want to go with you, you cant force her." Yubi snapped at him.
"Lee Yubi! This is not how we treat our customers." Jinwoo scolded her.
"But he isnt a cutomer." She muttered under her breath.
"However sir, you are disturbing the atmosphere of our cafè so Im going to have to ask you to leave" Jinwoo said politely.
"Im not going anywhere without my neice." Uncle Changmin gritted out sternly staring at Luna who was aware of Yubi and and Jinwoo both watching her as well.
She glared at her uncle.
You kicked me out of your house and now you suddenly care?
"Mr. Jinwoo Ill be right back." She took off her apron and stomped out of the cafè with her uncle following behind her.
☾
Luna played with the car door lock as her uncle talked to her but she didnt reply.
"Are you mad at me for not letting you stay with us?"
The lock made a clicking sound as she turned it up and down again and again.
"Its the best decision for you Luna. Please trust me." He pleaded but she continued to ignore him.
"Ok fine, come back and stay with us." He tried again.
"Can I get back to work now?" She asked monotonously.
"Luna please dont do this. Im sorry for making you leave." He pleaded.
"Then why did you?" She snapped at him, the anger in her voice surprising both of them.
"Min..." he started slowly.
Ofcourse it was because of that bitch.
" isnt the easiest person to get along with." He finished.
What?
She looked at him with slightly raised eye brows.
"She doesnt understand that you're family, she would've made it very hard for you to live there... she's not the humblest person you know." He said looking out the window and Luna patiently waited for him to continue.
"Now you must be thinking, why did you marry her?" He chuckled gravely.
"Well I cant exactly blame her for not being like your aunt Somin now can I?... no one can be like her" His voice had lowered and he almost whispered the last part.
Shame washed over her as she realized that she didnt once consider how her aunt's death must've affected him.
So, she decided that she was no longer going to be angry at her uncle. There were many others who deserved her loathing and he didnt make the cut.
She sighed, " Im sorry for being such a nuisance..." she began but her uncle waved his hands.
"No no no don't apologize sweetie. You didnt do anything wrong. Im the one who let you down."
She shook her head, " And Ill go back to the mansion you bought me."
"Are you sure? Because you can come with me. Ill talk to Min again."
She smiled, "Im sure."
"Oh and also..." she reached into her back pocket and pulled out a phone and a credit card, "Can you have this sent to Mark Kelsey?"
He took them in his hands, "Oh right hes the one who called me about your release and you needing a place to live. After all this time he still cares about." He looked impressed, "He must like you."
Luna rolled her eyes, "If he liked me, he wouldnt have shipped me off to another continent." She spat.
"Oh dont be so hard on him. It must've been because of his mother. That woman is simply a class A bitch."
Luna chuckled at his foul words.
"Where did you stay for the past couple of days?"
"There was a room available at the motel two streets down." She told him and when his face contorted into one of displeasure she told him that it wasnt at all bad.
And it was the truth, the room was better than her cell at juvie and thats all that mattered.
"I already enrolled you into university and yesterday was your Orientation Day."
She sighed, "Do I have to go?"
"Of course you have to go! Your aunt will come back to haunt me if I ever fall short in doing right by you." He exclaimed.
"But I really dont want to." She whined.
"Luna what's wrong with you? You were never this way when it came to academics and excelling at them."
She looked out the window turning away from him, annoyed at the mention of a life she was dragged out of.
He placed a hand on her shoulder, "How are you going to have a future if you dont even think about it?"
"Fine on one condition." She said "You let me work at this cafè."
"No no no." He shook his head and made a cross with his hands, "Not possible."
"Uncle please I really like it here." She pleaded but heshook his head again,
"No Luna, what would your aunt say if she knew that I let you work at a coffee shop?"
"Its actually very nice there, and there are quite a few other part-timers so its not even a burden and it keeps me distracted from what happened. And I really really need this."
He became quiet and she knew that talking about her "traumatic" past would make him rethink everything and uptil now that was the only pro of her imprisonment.
She joined her hands together, "Uncle please. And I know Aunt Somin would've understood... she always did."
He sighed exasperatedly and dragged a hand down his face, "Fine. But I also have a condition."
She nodded for him to go on.
"You keep the butlers with you 24/7"
Luna rolled her eyes but agreed nonetheless.
"Now can I go back in? Ill seriously have a mid life crisis if I get fired on the first day." She joked.
She got out of the car and waved him off.
Im glad he came.