At the corner of Molave Street was a newly opened coffee shop. One could see the interior of the coffee shop from outside through the glass walls. From the marbled floor, the French-styled furniture, and the crystal chandelier that illuminated this seemingly grand shop, everything screamed of luxury. The owner, a man who looked to be in his late twenties, was sitting by the glass wall, looking at the passing people with a sigh. 

"Today is the opening day of my shop, but no one has even bothered to take a look inside…" He muttered, shaking his head with a despondent voice. 

He opened his coffee shop three hours ago. It was already 10 in the morning and he still hadn't gotten his first customer. 

While sighing, he lifted the mug and took a small sip of the freshly brewed black coffee. 

The strong aroma of the coffee filled his nose. It tasted bitter and intense, but soon, the delicate aftertaste followed. 

The owner's eyes were shut tight as if he was enjoying the taste of the black coffee. 

He let out a relaxed sound and said. "That made me feel a bit better."

While he was quietly enjoying his coffee, raindrops began to fall. 

The pitter-patter of the rain lifted his mood. 

The calm rain was one of the few things he enjoyed in life. The sound of the raindrops as they fell on the ground was just so soothing to his ears. 

Just as he was about to take another sip of the black coffee, he realized that his mug was already empty. 

He thought about getting a refill. One of the perks of being a coffee shop owner- he could get a free refill.

When he stood up to get his refill, he suddenly heard the chiming sound of the door chime. 

Feeling surprised, he turned around and looked at the person who had entered his shop. It was a young woman, probably in her early twenties based on her facial features. She was dressed in cargo pants and a white crop top, a style that was famous in the younger generation. 

Looking at the woman whose clothes were a bit wet from the rain, he smiled faintly. This was his first customer so he wanted to give her a good impression. 

"Hello! I'm the owner of this coffee shop. You can call me Alaric." According to the various business books he had read, it was necessary to establish familiarity with the customers. This would make them feel a sense of trust and confidence in the brand. 

The woman didn't expect him to be the owner. She thought that he was just the attendant. Looking at his radiant smile, she felt her heartstrings being tugged. 

"H-Hi!" She stammered. 

'So embarrassing!' She thought as she looked away from the owner. 

Alaric didn't seem to mind this. He made an inviting gesture as he said. "Why don't you sit down? I'll prepare a hot coffee for you to help you get warm." 

"U-Uh, yes! Thank you!" She came inside his shop so she was too embarrassed to reject him. She could only agree with a nod of her head. 

"Just give me a moment. It won't take long." Alaric said before he turned to prepare her coffee. 

As soon as he left, the woman nervously observed the interior of the shop. 

The reason she came in was just to take cover from the rain. She didn't expect that she would be 'forced' to drink coffee in this expensive-looking coffee shop. 

'Can I even pay for the coffee?' She felt a bit worried that her remaining money wouldn't be enough to pay for the coffee. 

Coincidentally, her bank account was only left with the maintaining balance. She didn't want to use it since the penalty was too high. She also didn't bring any cash with her because she usually just walk to school.

While she was nervously thinking how she would apologize to the coffee shop owner in the off-chance that she couldn't pay for the coffee, the latter suddenly appeared. 

He smiled at her as he placed a saucer on her table. "Here's your coffee. Don't worry, it's free of charge." He said as he put a small white mug half-filled with black coffee on the saucer. 

When she heard that it was free, the woman was visibly relieved. "Thank you, uhm…" She tried to remember his name, but she had forgotten about it. 

"It's Alaric." Alaric chuckled. 

The woman lowered her head. "Thank you, Alaric." 

'This guy's voice is so deep and magnetic…' She thought. 

"You're welcome." 

He noticed that she was conscious around him so he tactfully walked away. 

Looking at his broad back and smelling the lingering scent of his perfume, the woman felt her heart beating faster. 

She quickly looked away, afraid that he would notice her staring at him. 

She placed her forefinger and middle finger in between the handle of the mug and brought the mug close to her nose. 

The fragrant aroma of the coffee washed away her embarrassment. 

After smelling the coffee, she brought the mug to her lips and took a light sip. 

Warmth spread all over her body as soon as she tasted the coffee. Like magic, all the coldness from the rain vanished just like that. 

'Wow!' She couldn't help but stare at the owner in surprise. The flavor of the coffee was a bit different than the ones she had tried before. 

At this moment, Alaric was reading a book about business when he sensed someone was staring at him. He lowered the book and saw that it was the woman. He smiled as he nodded politely at her. 

"Is the coffee to your liking?" He asked. 

"Yes…" The woman absentmindedly replied.