radiant | jung hoseok | ✓

chapter four | caramel macchiatos

"Fin, can I talk to you for a minute?" Kasey appears at my side as I continue powdering another batch of doughnuts. A small v forms between her eyes as concerns mingle in her mind. I can see the gears turning in her mind from here.

I nod at her, setting the strainer down on the counter. "Yeah, of course."

Kasey motions me to follow her to the back of the kitchen. She leads me up a hidden set of stairs to the second floor where her office is. The small hallway leading to the door is painted cream white to brighten the area. The doorway is decorated with a few drawings and watercolor paintings her niece and nephew gifted her the last time they came to the cafe.

She opens the door and welcomes me into her small office space. Her light brown wood desk sits beside the window and is filled with various binders for budgeting. Sand-colored post-it notes sit at the edge with a white, glass pineapple sitting on top. The air is scented with fresh salt and beach vibes from the wax melter in her larger pineapple. Baby succulents line the window in uniquely decorated pots, all beach-themed with small crabs and sandcastles.

Beyond the warmly lit, summer-toned room, the rain continues to pour in heavy streams and soaks the world outside in cold spring water. The sky is darkened with thick gray clouds and has been dark ever since last night when it started to sprinkle. The forecast said it would rain all day with possible thunder.

It has been so long since I've heard thunder.

Kasey sits down at her desk and gestures for me to sit as well. I study her with a note of concern, unsure what she brought me here to talk about. There is a sense of regret floating in the air and it's making me anxious.

Did I do something wrong? What's going on?

I sit down in the soft leather seat across from her desk with only my toes touching the ground. I sit up straight, adjusting my posture to match her formal one and feel my nerves worsen with every passing second of silence.

Kasey sighs and looks down at one of her binders with a forlorn expression. "As you know... the cafe has been struggling financially for a while."

Her words act as a sharp kick to my heart. It takes physical effort to maintain a neutral expression and not betray the mounting fear in my mind.

"And according to the reports... we won't be able to stay in business for much longer. We don't have enough orders to support us."

I think back to a few weeks ago when she let Teryn and a few others go. Our staff numbers are dwindling by the week, and things haven't gotten better. Though a few regulars continue to come, very handsome regulars, but we haven't seen much growth in customers.

"How long do we have?" I ask hesitantly.

"A month. The upcoming building rent will put us over the edge. We will start losing money when that comes."

I wring my hands in my lap and start to kick lightly at the ground. "So what are we going to do? What's the plan?" I question, straining my mind to think of ways to fix this.

The Hallowed Grounds can't close! This place is special. It just can't go out of business! There must be something we can do. Something that we're missing.

Kasey smiles weakly, tilting her head to one side. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, and you have been my best employee, Fin. This has been difficult but I am grateful for all your hard work. But you know what's coming, and sometimes things aren't meant to last."

"That means..."

"We are going to close our doors in two weeks. We held on for as long as we could but this is it. Thank you so much for all your work, Finley," Kasey says with such finality that all hopes of reviving the cafe are dashed away.