The scent of freshly ground espresso beans filled the morning air, rich and nostalgic — but to Soeun, it smelled like pressure.
She leaned against the counter of Roast & Reset, the in-house café of DynaTech HQ, where her parents had once collided over coffee and code. Now, a decade later, she stood in the same spot, not as a customer, but as an intern — part barista, part coding apprentice, full-time legacy kid.
Her name badge read:
Soeun K. – Software Intern / R&R Barista
She hated that slash.
"Morning, mini CEO," teased Jinwoo, the café manager, tossing her an apron with a wink.
"I'm not a CEO," Soeun mumbled, cheeks already warming. "That's... that was my mom."
"You've got her resting boss face, though."
Soeun tried to glare. It came out more like a pout.
She took her place behind the counter, fingers tapping the register nervously. The café door chimed, and people started to pour in — engineers, execs, interns like her. Some glanced at her name tag a little too long. Some whispered. She knew what they saw.
The kid of Kira Kang and Rina Seo.
Power CEO + barista sweetheart = expectations Soeun could never quite fit into.
By 10:03 AM, her hands were sticky with steamed milk, and her feet already ached. That's when she walked in.
Short, sharp bob. Flawless suit. Eyes like cold emeralds.
Yura Han. Head of AI Dev. Youngest VP in the company. Rumor had it, she was as brilliant as she was brutal.
Soeun froze.
Yura didn't order right away. She just stared at the menu like it had personally offended her. Finally, she said:
"I'll take a flat white. Extra hot. No foam. And… if it's not bitter, I'm sending it back."
Soeun blinked. "Right. Um, no foam. Extra hot. Bitter."Then added before she could stop herself:
"Kind of like your vibe."
There was a dangerous pause.
And then… Yura smirked.
"Impressive. You're not afraid to talk back. Must run in the family."
Soeun wanted to melt into the espresso machine.
She made the drink with trembling fingers and handed it over. Yura took a sip, nodded once, and started to turn — then paused.
"Tell your mom her espresso blend still burns."
Then she walked away.
Soeun exhaled hard. She didn't know whether to be proud… or terrified.
But deep in her chest, something sparked — not fear, exactly. Just curiosity. And a little heat.