"Ugh, these windows are getting grimy..."

A true statement. The sun, while bright and cheerfully shining down upon the town, has a tendency to highlight the dirt and dust otherwise hidden by afternoon shadows. Thus is the plight of Café Crème, a small, bistro-like building with white walls, pink trim, and a window box out front filled with a variety of wildflowers and baby roses. The older twin, upon discovering the windows, pouts and throws a fit. The younger twin simply sighs and unlocks the café doors.

"Then wash them." Clean and concise. That's how Minkyu talks--like saying more than a sentence at a time will kill him.

Amelia, the older of the two and yet the lazier, shrugs. "I'll do it later," she says, which means I'll make you do it. Minkyu, knowing this, stares back for a minute.

"...Sure."

This is nothing out of the ordinary for the two siblings. The day itself is nothing more than another day at work, another day of serving customers in costumes and making tea.

Minkyu likes tea. More than he likes coffee, actually. But Amelia drinks five cups of that a day, so he doesn't bother with wasting the hot water. Pulling the doors open and securing them with a doorstop, he walks inside, inspecting the place with a critical eye while Amelia drags behind. The kitchen is in order, as are the tables and chairs, and nobody's broken in and stolen anything, so he dubs it "alright."

"Yay, Jet remembered to pick up the sugar! Now I don't have to buy it myself!" Amelia exclaims, looking through the pantries while Minkyu turns on the coffee machine.

"You bribed him with sweets, didn't you." Click. Satisfied, Minkyu turns away from the counter, only to bump into Amelia, who attempts to put a cat-ear headband on him. "Amie, stooop," he whines, pushing her away. Amelia grins, shoving the headband on herself. Giving herself a final look-over, she fluffs out her skirts and apron before turning the sign over to read Open! Come right in!, complete with a cat face and two very stylized hearts.

"Welcome to Café Crème~! How may I make your day wonderful ♥?"

"...We haven't opened yet. Cut that out."

March arrives about 20 minutes after the twins, muttering to himself in frustrated sort of manner and fiddling with the cord of his earbuds. His younger brother had emptied coffee--March's very own coffee, no less--all over the freshly laundered uniform for work.

”It costs money, you know, to wash things,” He had told his brother. But no. It was all in vain.

Thus why he is wearing a slightly old uniform rather than a nice new clean one.

At last, he arrives at the front door. He stares for a moment at the open sign that Amelia had flipped over, and then he bolts inside.

"Am I late?" He gasps in the twins general direction, yanking out his earbuds and pulling off his coat hurriedly. "I thought my watch was on time, I do apologize!"

He rubs his hair sheepishly, shoves a pair of black cat ears on his head with slight disgust, and glances about the room.

It's empty.

He turns back to the twins awkwardly. "So... I'm not late?"

While the sun was trying to find its way through the curtains, Megan was still asleep. She didn't move and was completely silent. Arriving on time wasn't her greatest talent. As usual Jet had to use his key to enter her house and later on her bedroom. "Morning", he simply said. However, Megan woke up immediately. "I overslept again?!" She yelled. She didn't wait for his answer to take her clothes and disappear in the bathroom for twenty minutes.

Jet was waiting in a calm way. Well, it looked that way for someone who didn't know him. Someone who knew him well enough would notice that he was pretty stressed about being on time at work. It was the same routine every day, but he couldn't help worrying about it. After Megan was ready in the bathroom, he went down the stairs without a word and opened the door. "Just take the food with you. You can eat it on the way." And with that the two left the house.

On their way to work, they came across a little kitten who seemed to have no home. There was a sign with it that one could take it with them for free, so Megan didn't hesitate and simply took it in her arms. "It could come with us. Our café has cats as theme, so..." She didn't finish her sentence as she knew that Jet wouldn't argue with her at all.

When they arrived - right after March - Jet opened the door for her as she couldn't use her arms while holding the cat. A soft smile appeared on Megan's face. "I picked up the sugar like you asked, Amelia." He whispered while looking for the cat headband. The moment he found his and Megan's, he took them, gave the pink one to Megan and put the green one on. "And I found a homeless kitten, why don't we use it to promote the café? Our theme is cats anyway." Megan said with the smile still on her face.

Jet didn't seem to care about the cat anymore and went towards the sweets that where made for sale. "They look so good." He said while staring at the sweets, almost drooling.

As her alarm rang Naomi drowsily turned it off, muting the annoying ringing, and pulled the soft bedsheets over her head. “It’s way too early to be getting up...” she complained from underneath the blanket. After a few minutes the whiny meowing of her cat finally made her get up from the comfort of her bed. The chunky feline followed Naomi as she started to make her way towards the kitchen; she knew exactly what her pet dragged her out of bed for. She opened one of the cupboards to fetch the carton box of cat-food. She emptied the box in a bowl, spilling some of its contents on the ground, which the cat immediately started to chew on. As she put the bowl on the ground she took another one off the floor and filled it with water. “There you go, Tama,” she smiled at the sight of her cat who appeared to be famished by the way he was gobbling down the food. Now that she was in the kitchen she figured she might as well make herself something before getting ready for work. She could actually use a coffee -- she wasn’t exactly a morning person -- but she would save that until later. “Perhaps I can ask Minkyu to make me one..." she pondered, her cheeks slightly flushed at the embarrassing thought of asking her superior.

Having finished her cereal and taken a quick shower, Naomi slipped on her work clothes and packed any things she may need for the day. After going through the house, checking that all the windows were closed, she left the empty apartment and locked the door behind her.

On her way to the café her mind wandered off to her destination: the things she would be doing today, the pretty pastries she would see but unfortunately could not get a taste of, her colleagues making the edible pieces of art... She really enjoyed working there so far, even for the short time that she had. It was a nice distraction from school and quite honestly she rather enjoyed the attention she got from the customers.

Soon enough the familiar building came into view; with its freshly-painted white walls and bright decorations the bistro stood out against the buildings surroundings it. The chiming of the small bell above the entrance sounded as Naomi entered the room where her co-workers were already gathered. “Good morning~” she called out to them in a merry tone before rushing to the back of the store to put on the rest of her uniform. With an apron neatly strapped around her waist and with the cat ears and tail in place, she was ready to start her shift.

"None of you are late," Minkyu mumbles, tone less flat and more nervous at the arrival of the various other persons, persons that are less familiar and therefore more frightening to the quiet barista. "Ami--Amelia just jumped the gun."

"Yeah, you guys are fine," Amelia says, pulling out supplies from under the cashier counter and handing them out at random to the employees present. Shoving a broom in March's hands, she scolds Jet like a child, pulling him by the ear away from the display case. "And don't touch those sweets! Megan and I worked very hard on them last night, and they're not for you!"

Looking at the kitten Megan brought in with an undefinable expression, Minkyu stares at the animal for a few seconds before reaching out to pet it. The corners of his mouth turn up--that is, the closest Minkyu ever gets to smiling.

"Animals are a health hazard," he responds, and Amelia nods in agreement.

"Yeah, the rules are REALLY tight about food being served in cat cafés, or else this place would definitely have cute lil' kittens running around. We don't have enough space for a layout that... has... all that stuff." Amelia sighs, scratching the kitten under its chin. "It's so cute, though. Are you gonna adopt it? Or we can--"

"We cannot take it," Minkyu cuts in, firmly, with a tone that suggests this has been talked about before. "We do not have the space. And you would not take care of it."

"You don't know that!" Amelia sticks her tongue out at Minkyu, who rolls his eyes. "Anyway, we could probably make a mascot or something! Like, take photos and put them on the menus and posters! It would be adorable, wouldn't it?"

"As long as it's not in the kitchen." Minkyu looks rather sadly at the kitten, then turns away. "Keep it out front on the patio. Maybe it'll attract customers." With that, he exits the conversation to focus on brewing today's coffee. And to put on some cat ears.

A far too audible sigh of relief escapes March once it is confirmed he is not late. He's never been late before, and he'd hate to ruin a perfect record. (In all honesty, he's skipped more than one breakfast in the rush to appear on time. He hopes no one has noticed. That's another perfect record he'd hate to ruin.) He takes his perfect records very seriously--too seriously, his mother says.
“March,” she says, tucking a stray piece of hair behind his ear, “Life is so much more than perfect records and perfect grades.”
“Well, yeah mom,” He replies. “I just like them is all.”

March is pulled out of his thoughts by Amelia, who is shoving a broom into his hands. He blinks rapidly, shaking himself back into reality. There is sweeping that needs his attention. Quickly, he makes a round around the room, brushing up the crumbs he missed the evening before into a small pile. He squats down and sweeps them into a small dustpan before straightening upright and pouring them into the trash can.

“Um, Minkyu, would you mind making me a latte?” Minkyu makes the best latte March had ever tasted--still, he only asks for one occasionally. It feels strangely awkward talking to Minkyu. March really ought to work on his people skills.

This is why he works in the kitchens.

Thankfully, his less-than-perfect (horror of horrors!) people skills don't apply to Naomi. Or maybe they do, and he just hasn't figured that out yet. All he really knows is that she's younger than him, and therefore he must bestow upon her the great honor of having him want to help her with literally everything she does.

(Obviously, March contains much more self restraint than to do everything for her. He tries to limit himself to just taking out the trash for her.)

By now, the café looks about ready to open--though Minkyu is the real judge of that--and March should probably make his way to the kitchens.

“Is there anything else you need me to do before I go on back?” He asks, directing the question mostly in Amelia's direction.

He then spots the kitten that Megan and Jet brought in. Cats are, strictly speaking, the best thing in the world after his mother and savory crepes.

“It's cute,” he says.

"Uwahhh!"

It was a beautiful day outside. Mari had gotten up early, put on her cutest, frilly shirt and pleated skirt with heels, and eaten a delicious breakfast. Her parents had been so stressed, lately - she was eager to finally be able to help them ease at least one worry. They weren't a poor family, but they were definitely starting to struggle a bit since her father had lost his job at the office. She vowed to make sure and do her part to keep things happy, which is why she found herself standing at the entrance of Café Crème.

"Standing" may no longer be the best term... Rather, the young woman had tripped over the door frame to fall face-first onto the cold linolium. It took her a moment laying there to realize that she was no longer upright, before she suddenly scrambled back to her feet. "I-I'm sorry!" She squealed to whomever may be nearby as she adjusted her clothes and hair. There was no real reason to apologize. That had been embarrassing so it was the first thing she could think to do. Mari was used to falling down, but she had wanted to leave a better first impression than that.

Slowly, her eyes scanned the room around her at the dumbfounded faces staring back. Of course, none of them knew who she was. Mentally smacking herself, she meekly held up her a paper with her letter of interest. "I-I'm here to interview for the waitress job... M-My name is M.. Mari..." She became very nervous, her cheeks flushed a light shade of red. Was this the right place? A thin line of blood dripped from her nose where she had hit the floor. What a bad first image...

@OliveYou@Rejoyce@DestinyStar@Amaralyn

Jet looked with a straight face at Amelia, but one could clearly see that he was disappointed. He put his left hand in his pocket while rubbing the ear with his right hand. "Alright, alright. I won't..." The first part of his sentence came out very loud, a little too loud for his usual behaviour. The last part came out as a sad whisper.

"Isn't it?" Megan said with a soft smile on her face as March complimented the kitten. The kitten looked with a sad face at Megan, which made her decide to adopt it. "Well, we can't let it die on the streets. I will adopt it and it's a good idea to use it as a mascot!" A bright smile appeared on her face as she went to put the kitten on the patio. It seemed to feel comfortable out there. The sun was shining and the wind was blowing to prevent it from getting too warm. It was perfect. Her hand grabbed some leftovers from her breakfast out of her pocket. It was wrapped in some paper, she didn't know where the paper was actually from. "I know I shouldn't feed you my food, but you look so skinny." She whispered while standing up again. After looking at the kitten for a couple of seconds, she went back to the others.

Jet watched how Naomi entered the café. He answered her with a "Morning." while Megan was more focused on the girl who walked inside the café after Naomi did and fell. "Are you alright?" She asked with a straight face, but a soft and caring voice. She put out a hand in front of her to help the girl stand up. "You have to go to Amelia and Minkyu for the interview." She said while pointing to them as she probably didn't know who they were. "Welcome..." Jet added in a silent voice.

In her eagerness to get started, the kitten had gone completely unnoticed by Naomi, that is until she heard the others mention it. Her face lit up at the sight of the small creature in Megan's hands. She drew in closer, slightly crouching to have a better look at it. “It's so cute~” she said in a soft voice, careful not to disturb the little thing. She looked up with a shocked expression when Minkyu explained they would not be able to keep the kitten in the store. A sound of relief escaped her lips when he eventually gave in and decided it could stay on the porch.

“Um, Minkyu, would you mind making me a latte?” Naomi jolted slightly at the voice coming from behind her; she was so caught up with the kitten's fate she had almost forgotten there were other people in the room. Once the meaning of the words hit her, she immediately added: “F...for m-me too please!” She blurted out the words way more forcefully than she had intended. Now they all must think I'm desperate for caffeine... she cursed herself, her face flushing bright red in embarrassment.

She looked up from her thoughts as a young girl entered the shop. Naomi brushed off her apron, getting ready to welcome the guest, but before she had the chance to the newcomer had fallen flat on her face. Luckily Megan reacted quickly, helping the girl get back to her feet. Naomi felt sorry for the poor girl, but also couldn't help but feel a little excited hearing she might be her new co-worker; finally someone who she wouldn't feel insecure around! She smiled warmly at Mari, trying to give off a positive first impression.

Being presented with not one, but two orders of coffees from his own coworkers leaves Minkyu a little flustered, so he ducks his head and nods instead of responding verbally. While content with his job as a barista, it's times like these that he gets a little jealous of Amelia and her supernatural socialization skills -- and wants to hide behind her, like he did as a kid.

But that was then! And Minkyu is an adult now, so he can definitely hold his own against the two (2) employees eagerly awaiting their lattes! Filled with new determination, the barista begins the process of steaming the milk for the lattes. The expresso machine, lovingly nicknamed "Buzz" by Amelia, is a fairly old piece of equipment, but Minkyu cleans it at the end of every work day with utmost respect, so it runs just fine. Making the lattes is easy; one shot of expresso, a layer of steamed milk, and the final touch--a small, simplified drawing of a cat, drawn right on the foam with a stirring stick. It's not the best Minkyu can do, but it's fast.

"They're done," Minkyu announces, setting the two lattes on the counter and pushing them forward. "Enjoy."

"Great! Now you can interview this new prospect!"

Minkyu almost chokes. Not only has Amelia appeared instantaneously beside him, she wants him to talk to people!? Did she not get the I-only-want-to-make-coffee memo? Adopting the expression of a wounded kitten, Minkyu gives her his best "can I not?" look, but Amelia is undeterred. She just claps him on the back and tells him telepathically to "get over it and do your part." Thanks, sis. Unfortunately for Minkyu, he doesn't want to whine in front of the whole store, so he has to oblige.

"We can talk in the back room," he tells Mari quietly, pointing towards a door at the back of the café. "If, um, that's okay with you...?"

Amelia, preoccupied with straightening the curtains, inspecting her employees' outfits, and giving a hurried thumbs-up to March in response to his question, doesn't notice Mari's appearance. That is, until she hears the tell-tale sound of somebody hitting the floor. (What does she mean by "tell-tale", you ask? It's not important right now.) Rushing over to help the girl pick herself up from off the floor, she peers both curiously and worriedly at Mari, then pulls a handkerchief out of her pocket.

"That looked pretty nasty, are you alright?" she asks, holding the handkerchief out for Mari to take. "If you're here to apply, then you can head right over to..." Scanning the room, Amelia lands on Minkyu's face, who is currently busy preparing two lattes for Naomi and March. A lightbulb comes on over Amelia's head. "...Minkyu! He's our barista, but he'll be happy to help you!" Please forgive me for my betrayal, brother, she says silently, as Minkyu turns to glare at her. I have many important things to do. Also, you need to get out more.

"Hey, everyone, listen up!" Raising her voice, Amelia addresses her employees; a glance at the clock tells her it's less than ten minutes until opening, and they have several dedicated breakfast customers. "Café Crème is going to open very soon, so get to work! Make this place look inviting as possible, okay?"

Adjusting the pink cat ears on top of her head, Amelia engages in a silent conversation with Minkyu by pointing at her own head until her brother gets the hint and pulls out his own coffee-colored pair of fake ears. He hates putting them on, but Amelia insists because it's part of the theme, Minkyu! Don't you want to get into the theme?, to which he would probably just say no. But she insists!

"Jet, put a smile on your face! Megan, you'll be working waitress for a while, alright? March, don't forget about our "special omelet special!"

And remember, everyone... Café Crème puts the "Purr" in "Purrfect!"

---

"I'd like... Breakfast Set A, with a cup of Rose Hip tea."

"Of course! That's a purrfect choice~ I'll be back soon with your order, nya!" Flouncing from table to table with confidence and cuteness, Amelia the catmaid takes orders and pours teas with a practiced hand, while also keeping an eye on her coworkers! What style! What grace! And of course, the other maids at Café Crème aren't lacking in charm themselves! How each employee acts is all part of the act, and what a delightful act it is! As maid cafés go, this is one of the best!

"Excuse me... Excuse me, can I get the butler to serve me...?"

"Yes, of course!"

Minkyu better get back from interviewing soon... Amelia thinks, stopping to lick some cream off her wrist while she retrieves a pot of coffee. Hopefully Naomi can take care of any detailed orders! Today, the work at Café Crème is going on as usual, and Amelia suspects they won't hit rush hour until after noon. It's alright; most of their customers prefer a snack after work or lunch after a lecture.

"Jet, this customer wants to see you~ Make me proud!"

@Oliveyou @DestinyStar

As soon as March hears Mari hit the floor, he spins around and digs in his pocket for his handkerchief. He keeps it for occasions just like this one, which are common occurrences in his household. (His sister is trying to learn how to backflip, but so far it hasn't gone very well.)

After a moment or two of digging, he comes up empty handed. He must have left it at home. Disappointing. Thankfully Amelia has one to spare, so Mari does not stand there bleeding. March, admittedly, already is worrying for her. It's his paternal instincts. Or something. He waves awkwardly at Mari, in hopes to be friendly. He just regrets it.

“They're done. Enjoy.”

At the sound of Minkyu's voice, March turns around to his latte. It's gorgeous, as well as tasty. Truly Minkyu is an artist.

“Thanks,” March mumbles, taking the latte. “I ‘preciate it.” He smiles and nods at Minkyu, and then takes his latte back into the kitchen.

March loves the kitchen. Admittedly, it is a bit cutesy for his taste, but all the appliances work smoothly (unlike a certain oven at home) and he can remain (mostly) undisturbed for hours, cooking away. He removes his apron--an apron with tiny cartoon cats all over it--from the hook and ties it around himself.

“Better get cooking,” He mutters. “These omelets won't make themselves.”

Mari was surprised to have been helped up so suddenly. "T-Thank you... I'm alright..." She murmured before looking towards the people Megan pointed out. Who was Minkyu and who was Amelia? She was so disoriented by her fall that it took her a moment to process why she was being handed a handkerchief. Huh? Oh, I'm bleeding! The young girl flailed for a bit in panic before she took the handkerchief and held it to her nose. The fabric was soft, and it was so cute... She felt bad ruining it. Before thinking, she blurted out, "I-I'll wash it tonight and return it to you!" The girl didn't seem to mind as she went back to work. Seeing the boy waving as her, she flushed red and looked down at the ground. Everyone was so nice, but she was still embarrassed from her fall.

Her mind was reeling by the time she was directed to Minkyu for the interview. It confused her that she called him the barista. If he was interviewing her, wouldn't that make him one of the owners? Or a manager? Mari had never had a job before, so she admittedly didn't know how these things worked. However, she wanted to redeem herself, so she put on her best smile and nodded. It was impossible to hide her nerves. "Y-Yes! That's o-okay..." Her eyes drifted up to the plastic ears on their heads. She was surprised, having thought it was just the theme. Were they cosplaying today? It made her curious. The bleeding had all but stopped, so she placed the handkerchief in her pocket as she followed him to the back room.

She sat across from Minkyu at a small table, sitting straight up with her hands balled into nervous fists on her lap. What sort of questions would he ask? She was feeling nervous and dizzy and sick from all of the excitement and activity this far, but she was determined to give this her all!

While Mari is being helped up to her feet, a warm aroma starts to fill the café. Looking around for the source of the lovely scent Naomi’s gaze rests on Minkyu, who is preparing the lattes per her and March’s request. She watches his swift movements in awe. With a determined look on her face she tries to analyze them in an attempt to learn a thing or two. Her serious expression fades however when he presents the drinks: the cat drawn in the foam is too cute not to make her smile, and somehow the contrast between the drawing and the quiet young man manages to make her smile even more. “Thank you very much!” she exclaims as she gets a hold of the latte.

She then perks up and concentrates on Amelia, who calls for the employees’ attention. “Hey, everyone, listen up! Café Crème is going to open very soon, so get to work! Make this place look as inviting as possible, okay?” Naomi listens as the co-owner gives out orders to everyone. She admires how energetic the pink-haired girl always is; it never fails to motivate Naomi to do her best. Alright! She finishes her drink as fast as possible, taking small sips that quickly follow one another; it’s a shame she needs to down the drink that Minkyu so carefully prepared in such a rush, but work is calling.

She slips into the kitchen, placing the empty glass in the sink, before going into the staff room only to stop in front of a mirror that has been mounted on one of the walls. She opens a small box containing several bows and hair clips. I’ll go with this one today, she decides, putting a white, frilly ribbon in her hair. The chime coming from the other room announces the first customers. Getting into character, Naomi skips from the back of the store to the entrance. “Welcome to Café Crème~” Recognizing the person as one of the regular visitors, she adds “It’s nice to see you again, onii-san!” with a youthful smile.

As the day advances the bistro gets more and more crowded. And it’s not even prime time yet! Naomi has trouble keeping up with all the orders, all the while staying in her role. “Sorry for the wait!” she bows, apologizing to one of the female customers. A soft hand pets her hair. “Don’t worry about it, one-chan,” the customer reassures her. Although these practices have become more common to her since she started working here, it still makes Naomi a bit flustered.

“Young lady, could I get the special omelet, please?” an elderly man sitting at the table next to her asks. “O-of course!” she responds and paces over to the kitchen with nimble steps.

“March, another omelet,” she says somewhat softly, not wanting to put even more pressure on the cook who is already occupied with arranging the plate of another customer. She clenches her arms around her waist, trying to hide the sound of her growling stomach. She looks around the kitchen. “Where is Megan..? Someone asked for her specialty..."

Megan nodded as she was told to be a waitress that day, while Jet was forcing a soft smile on his face. However, it may have looked a bit creepy even as he wasn't used to smiling. When the first customers were walking in, they were both taking a deep breath. It was time to get into character. They looked at each other for a moment before turning to the customers. Although they were both working there for quite some time, Jet still had a hard time getting into the character of a friendly cat. He got used to it though after serving some customers.

Jet went towards the table that Amelia signed at. He put on his fake smile, which he always used when he was working. It wasn't a bright one like the others had, but he guessed that it was good enough. He ignored the complaints about it and simply enjoyed the compliments about him being a bit different. "Good morning, miss! What do you meow?" A smile appeared onto the female's face, that meant that he was doing well. "Well... I would like a coffee and Breakfast Set B, please." He winked as he answered the woman: "Whatever you meow."

Megan meanwhile went from table to table with a bubbly attitude and very bright smile. Her working personality was very different from her normal personality, she had had those two personalities for so long that neither of them felt fake anymore. At first she was a bit shy, like every day, but after serving several customers, she got into her second personality. "Welcome at Café Crème, what do you prefer, mister?" She said with a soft voice, her head a bit tilted to the side and smiling at him. "A green tea and the Strawberry Shortcake. Thank you, miss." Megan nodded as she answered him: "Of course, mister. That's a meow-tastic choice!" Then she noticed that Naomi was looking for her, so she went towards her. "Were you looking for me? ... Oh, and which customer was it?" She asked while staying in her working personality. She got one of the ones the customer had asked for and brought it to them. "I'm sorry for the wait, miss. Enjoy!"

Jet went to another table with several females. They were laughing as he arrived, so he wanted to sigh deeply as those were the kind of women that he hated the most. The popular ones with a lot of make-up, laughing all the time and not smart at all. "Good morning, misses. What do you meow?" He said with a wink, but a straight face. He couldn't force himself to smile, but he simply looked like he always did. Not angry or sad, but without emotion. The women seemed to like it as they answered with a smile: "We want two Breakfast sets A, three Breakfast sets C and one Breakfast set B... Oh, and six coffees." He nodded. "Whatever you meow." He says before leaving the table and going to the kitchen. "March, two Breakfast sets A, three Breakfast sets C and one Breakfast set B... Oh, and we need six coffees." He said to March as Minkyu was doing the interview with the new girl.

Moving from the main interior to the smaller, less well-kept storeroom at the back of the café, Minkyu takes one last look outside and then closes the door behind him. Truth be told, he doesn't like the idea of leaving his coworkers to deal with coffee orders, since Naomi's less experienced and therefore, the quality of a customer's stay could be comprised!

...Okay, okay. He's just scared of people and he doesn't like to talk to strangers. He trusts Amelia enough to take care of everything, and Naomi's not that bad at making coffee. Though, when he tried to teach her how to do poured latte art, she almost dropped the cup and dribbled milk everywhere... Minkyu was never sure if he was just a bad teacher or if he was making her nervous or something.

Which brings us to the number one, most important thing (not really) about Minkyu von Grado: if somebody gets nervous, so does he.

Which is a problem, because Minkyu tends to make people nervous. And, today, he has to interview a girl. A girl. Minkyu is scared of girls! And large dogs! And she's scared of him, and it's probably his fault for looking so... angry... and "dark". (Amelia's words, not his.) What does he say? What do you ask at an interview, anyway!?

After a few excruciating seconds of complete silence in which Minkyu loses his mind, he settles on introducing himself.

"I-I-I'm Minkyu," he stammers, squeezing his interviewing pen so hard his palm hurts. "I'm the barista here, and the co-owner, along with Amelia." Putting his hand out for handshake, he tries to think of a good first question. "How... how much do you know about, um, us? The job, I mean!"

Mari blinked in surprise, watching this new character carefully. He stammered when he spoke, and overall just didn't seem to want to be interviewing her. Now she felt bad, having probably pulled him away from his customers. So he was the barista and one of the owners? That made sense. As quiet as he was, he did seem very intelligent... When he finally spoke, she flinched and sat up straighter, having been lost in her thoughts. "A-Ah, yes! I-It's nice to meet you!" She mentally smacked herself and shook his hand, her own shaking and clammy. Calm down, calm down... Her stomach was so knotted up, she really wished she could run away to the bathroom. Alas, there were questions that needed to be answered!

His first question caught her off-guard, almost as much as everything else he had said. "Oh, I-I know this is a cafe..." She clenched her hands on her lap again, seeming a bit robotic in her movements. "A-And it has a cat theme. T... That's about it, I guess..." She sunk down into her chair a bit, trying to ignore that feeling that she had failed when this was only the first question. "I-I've never had a job before... and I'm r-really not good at much..." She sunk a bit lower, seeming to get down on herself. Of course, why would they want to hire her? She had nothing to contribute... Shaking her head, she sat up once again. "B-But I am a really hard worker! I h-have good grades... Oh, and I like cats! And sweets! Though I guess that has n-nothing to do with... serving them..." She laughed a bit awkwardly, fiddling with her hands as she looked down at her lap. Her face was flushed with embarrassment. This was not going very well.

Even without being outside of the kitchen, March can easily tell that the café has become a lot more crowded. The orders flow in quicker than the usual work morning, and he rushes to cook and plate everything perfectly. It's nice to be busy, however, and he didn't mind picking up the pace.

"March, two Breakfast sets A, three Breakfast sets C and one Breakfast set B... Oh, and we need six coffees."

Match sighs. “I can't do coffee, Jet. Apparently I make it so bad it deserves to be poured out over freshly laundered uniforms, too.” He grimaces at the last part of the sentence and begins arranging more breakfast sets. “I have a couple of breakfast sets ready over there, but I need to make more breakfast sets B… give me sec.”

He hands the finished breakfast sets to Jet and waves him out the door. “Go smile at people or something."

He has the kitchen back to himself now, and he continues making special omelets. They seem to be very high in demand right now. (This, he thinks, is very good. Omelets are incredibly easy to make.)

March stops for a second to take a sip of his latte, but he is met with disappointment. The cup is empty. The aroma is still there though, so he sticks his nose in the cup and breathes in. He pouts cutely for a moment, silently mourning the empty latte cup. Then Naomi walks in.

“March, another omelet.”

Alarmed, March sucks in his lower lip. He didn't even hear her enter--no doubt the work of the empty latte cup.

“R-right …” He mutters, embarrassed. Hopefully she hadn't spotted the pout.

To his surprise, he notices Naomi hugging her stomach. It's not even lunch time yet, is she already hungry? Did she even eat breakfast? Is she overworking herself? After a small moment of minor freak out, March regains his composure.

“Do you want a little tea sandwich while you wait for your lunch break? He asks quietly, gesturing towards a plate of small sandwiches. “I have extra, and lunch break isn't until the lunch rush is over… I don't mind, really. Besides, you have extra work since Minkyu is busy...” He trails off, and scratches the back of his head. “Yeah.”

Did people use the term fashionably late, anymore? This was the type of pondering Dae-hyun was doing, staring into his own reflection within his phone. Tanned fingers ran cross the dark tendrils of his hair, ‘fixing’ it by moving it back to how it was 2 minutes prior. His preening was interrupted by the buzz of message after message on his phone, a congratulation from his sister, but overwhelming mocking from his college friends. It provoked a frustrated sigh. A café job, but it was a job none the less. Not a smile graced his lips from the fuel-fumed subway, through the chicken scented back-streets. Toying with the idea of grabbing just a quick bite…

Sense prevailed, the doors opened grandly, a neutral expression morphed so very quickly. His teeth gleamed, his eyes pulled upwards in a joyous expression, darting around the café at all and everything within, a backpack slung over his shoulder. His chest rose with a deep inhale, swollen with pride. It was a strangely juvenile expression, on suit trousers and a white button up shirt.

“Hello! Hello! Sorry I’m late erm, any of you cool cats know where I can find, erm…”

His brows furrowed gently, a hand frantically diving into his pocket to grab his phone and flick through some mail with rapid thumbing. One had to wonder if it looked worse to be pulling out a phone so quickly, or to mess up your potential employers name.

“Miss Amelia? I’m here for a job interview, for bussing?”

His mouth returned to the brightest of smiles once more, dark eyes flickering over every face. Warm, outwardly. Dae-hyun couldn’t help but notice, there were quite a few cuties, or so he thought. His phone was pocketed, a wide eye'd wander at customers and employees alike. A quick set of finger guns to a girl he (hopefully) knew was met with the heaviest roll of her eyes, prompting his cheeky smile to diminish every so slightly.

As the day wears on, Amelia can feel herself wear down as well; the café has quickly filled up to the brim with customers, and while she's thankful for the work, it's also a little more than he can handle. If Minkyu was here... she's starting to realize just how useful another waiter is (even if Minkyu doesn't technically leave his beloved counter) when the café is this packed. Jet and Naomi are working hard, but it would be nice to hire Mari as a full-time waitress.

Hm. if that girl does get hired... Maybe another waiter? It would be nice to get another specialty cook, maybe somebody to help March...

"Jet, put a smile on your face!" She scolds, passing by Jet on her way to pick up some omelets from the kitchen. "I didn't hire you to sigh and roll your eyes; the customers want a good experience, so don't let them down." Like a lot of things, Amelia can tell Jet's not a people-person--it's alright, as long as it doesn't interfere with his ability to get his work done. She does get a bit annoyed at him when he looks so sad, though!

Sighing loudly but squaring her shoulders, Amelia shakes away her thoughts and tries to concentrate on her work, something she's usually very good at. Being the co-owner has many responsibilities, however, and her mind often strays to her mental to-do list and the few ideas floating around for further investigation.

"Megan, why don't you take some time off to prepare more éclairs? Lunch time is coming up, and our morning pastries are almost out." Directing her employee to the counter where the barista would be and the display cases are, she picks up a strawberry cream crepe to give to a customer. "You ordered the strawberry cream crepe, right? Please, eat it all up~!"

Checking the clock above the entrance, Amelia's attention is directed to the introduction of another character, one who looks around, digs for his phone, and eventually addresses the shop.

“Miss Amelia? I’m here for a job interview, for bussing?”

"That's me," Amelia responds, almost automatically. She was going to greet him in normal cosplay fashion, but now she's just relived there's another potential wait staff. Goodness knows they needs them. Our income is probably enough to support another two employees...

"Actually, Minkyu's already interviewing someone, and it's kinda rush hour, so..." Amelia shrugs, but then all of sudden, a lightbulb goes off in her mind. That's it! What about some "hands-on" interviewing? She can keep an eye on him (not a hard thing to do if you're Amelia von Grado) and he can help out! it's a win-win! "You know, why don't you show your stuff right now? Grab some cat ears from the staff room in the pink cabinet labelled "Accessories" and meet me back here in five minutes. If you can hold your own during the lunch hour rush, then I'll know you're capable."