By 1 pm, the café had thinned out just enough for a breath. The hum of machines faded, replaced by the occasional clink of mugs and the murmur of a distant table. Gu Xi wiped his hands clean with a towel and turned to Gu Lin, who had been watching him work like a loyal sentinel from her seat by the corner window.
"Go home," he said flatly.
"No."
"You've been here since morning."
"So?"
"Lin-jie," he exhaled, switching tactics. "You've watched me pour fifty cups of coffee. You've given the side-eye to at least twenty customers. You've memorized every table's sugar preference. Haven't you suffered enough?"
Gu Lin's brow twitched. She wanted to say something but couldn't quite find a comeback.
Gu Xi leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "I'm not a kid. And I promise I'll text you every hour."
"…Fine." She narrowed her eyes. "But I'm picking you up at five."
"…Sure."
Victory was his.
And with that, she finally left.
He watched her go, then rubbed his neck, sighing as he walked toward the back.
The breakroom of Moondew Café was surprisingly cozy. The air-conditioning was just right, the floor was padded with thick rugs, and there were two long couches on either end of the room. A flat-screen TV sat mounted on the wall, currently playing muted reruns of some school drama. There was even a table stocked with magazines, water bottles, and an oddly large collection of plush toys lined neatly along the back shelf.
Gu Xi raised an eyebrow.
"These… yours?" he asked, glancing at Song Ai as she followed him inside.
She blinked.
Then her ears turned red.
"N-No," she said a bit too fast. "They're Daji's. I let him decorate the breakroom. Why would a grown woman like me collect cute little plushies?"
"So you do think they're cute, though," Gu Xi said with a sly smirk as he flopped down onto the couch.
"I never said—hey!" she shot him a playful glare.
Her ears were still red.
As he leaned back into the cushions, he couldn't help but glance at her again. Now that they were in a more relaxed setting, he had the leisure to actually observe her more closely.
Tall. Model-like proportions. Those long legs didn't end. Her bust—yeah, he had to admit—definitely second place among all the women he'd met so far. Chang An still held the gold medal.
He cleared his throat and sat up a little straighter.
"So… how was University A?" he asked, genuinely curious. "Did you meet new people? Foreigners? Did you… have fun with foreign men?"
Song Ai choked on her water. "Excuse me?"
"I'm just asking," Gu Xi shrugged. "Don't women from top schools usually get their pick of handsome foreign students?"
She gave him a look. "I didn't have time for that."
"No fun at all?" he teased again, grinning.
"None," she said, rolling her eyes, but her lips were tugging into a smile. "I majored in accounting and business management, and I took marketing courses as well. I was either studying or interning every day. Didn't have time to play around."
"Sounds… intense."
"It was," she agreed, brushing her hair behind her ear. "But rewarding. You'll make memories in university, for sure, but it's not like the dramas make it out to be. Most people just stick to their own circle. I only ever dated one person, and that was… a while ago."
Gu Xi's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Only once?"
"Mhm," she nodded. "Three years together. Long distance tore it apart. He left for the States. I stayed."
Gu Xi didn't press further. That wasn't his place.
Instead, he blinked and said casually, "That's a surprise. You're this attractive, and you've only dated once?"
Song Ai turned pink almost immediately.
"I'm not that attractive," she said, waving him off. "And stop teasing your boss."
"I'm serious. You're one of the most beautiful women I've ever met."
"Gu Xi!"
She looked away, cheeks glowing red.
He smiled to himself, but before he could say anything more, a familiar chime rang in his mind.
[New Quest Activated!]
[Seduce the Big Sister!]
Criteria 1: Hug her.
Criteria 2: Put on a bashful face and ask her for a kiss.
Criteria 3: Pout and say: "Big Sister, don't be naughty!"
Reward: +10 to all stats.
Time Limit: 7 Days.
Failure Penalty: -20 to all stats.
Gu Xi froze.
His soul left his body for three full seconds.
What the hell?!
What kind of indecent system was this?
"Screw you," he screamed internally. "I'm not doing this! What kind of degenerate wrote this questline?!"
But then came the cold second notification.
[Reminder: Quest is compulsory. Failure will result in stat reduction.]
He almost threw up blood.
Why couldn't he have gotten a normal system like everyone else?
Next time he saw the system's creator, he was going to stab them with a spoon.
"Gu Xi? Are you alright?" Song Ai's voice broke into his thoughts.
He looked up.
She had stepped closer, concern written across her face.
"If you're tired, you can take the rest of the day off," she offered.
Gu Xi quickly shook his head. "No, it's not that."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Just… sometimes I feel like life's unfair."
He meant the system, of course.
But Boss Ai misunderstood.
Her eyes softened. She stepped forward and took his hands gently in hers.
"I know we haven't known each other long, but if you ever feel like it's too much… you can rely on me," she said warmly, her voice low and full of that natural big-sister energy.
Their faces were close.
Too close.
Gu Xi blinked rapidly. "S-Sister Ai… this is… a little inappropriate."
She blinked in confusion, then suddenly realized their proximity—and yanked her hands back like they were on fire.
"Sorry! I didn't mean—ah, I wasn't thinking—"
"It's fine," Gu Xi said, coughing awkwardly.
He glanced at her. "My hands feel good to hold, huh?"
She turned bright red.
But internally…
So soft…
So small…
She wanted to hold them again.
Before the moment could get any more dangerous, a bell chimed in the café.
Break time was over.
Gu Xi stood, tightening his apron around his waist.
Unknowingly, the action emphasized his curves, drawing Song Ai's eyes like a magnet.
She quickly looked away when he turned back around.
"Thanks for earlier," he said softly. "I'll count on you, Big Sister Ai~"
That smile.
Those pearly teeth.
She watched him walk out the room, still frozen in place.
The ticking of the wall clock was the only sound now.
But in her chest, her heartbeat drowned out everything else.
Is… is this what they call a crush?
On a younger boy?