7:00 AM
Sunlight filtered through the windowpane, falling across the bed.
Ugh… so tired…
She slightly opened her eyes, feeling something heavy on her chest.
Looking down, she saw Luoli, still asleep.
Last night's chaos came rushing back:
Luoli had cried for almost an hour — inconsolable, face red, reaching for something she didn't immediately understand. She'd torn apart half the room before finding the worn little bear wedged behind the dresser. By the time she finally got him back to sleep, it was past midnight.
She sat up slowly, laying him gently on the bed, then got up to get ready for her first day at work.
She dressed the sleeping Luoli.
Brewed a cup of coffee for herself.
Made his milk bottle.
Tidied up the place a bit after last night's mess.
She sighed, then scooped up the sleeping Luoli, slung her bag over her shoulder, and stepped toward the door.
She paused, locked it, and started walking to the internet café.
"I can do this," she muttered.
15 minutes later
The bell chimed softly as she pushed open the door, Luoli still drowsy against her shoulder.
The young girl from yesterday was asleep at the counter, chin resting in her palm.
Lin Qinran walked over. "Hello."
"Waah—!" The girl startled awake, nearly knocking over her cup. She blinked, disoriented, then recognition flickered across her face. "Oh— it's you! Right, right, you're starting today..." She rubbed her eyes sleepily, stifling a yawn. "Sorry, give me a second miyah."
Qinran watched her with mild amusement. "I didn't catch your name yesterday."
"Oh! It's Yun Na. But you can call me Nana." A bright smile despite barely being awake. "Miyah."
Miyah. Qinran filed that away. Interesting habit.
"Alright, Nana. What do I need to know?"
Nana straightened, suddenly businesslike — or at least attempting it.
"Okay so— the register." She pointed. "Rental, food orders, membership renewal. Three separate logs. And color coding matters, okay? Red, black, blue. Don't mix them up miyah, the boss will notice."
She hopped off her stool and waved Qinran toward the wall.
"Check-in machine's here. Since it's your first day we'll make your employee card first— I'll handle that after." She pointed toward the back. "Supply closet's behind that door. Kitchen's right next to it— fully stocked for orders. Just so you know, anything you eat from there comes out of your pay miyah." She gestured down the corridor. "Bathrooms at the other end."
She turned, clasping her hands together. "That concludes the tour! Any questions?"
Qinran glanced around the café, already mentally cataloguing everything.
"Can I use a PC if there are no customers?"
Nana grinned. "Sure— just maybe don't make it obvious in front of the boss miyah."
Qinran settled Luoli into a chair near the counter with his milk bottle and a small toy she'd brought from home.
He blinked sleepily, content for now.
Good. Stay that way.
She turned and looked at the café properly for the first time.
sighs
In the daylight it was... worse than she'd initially assessed.
Cables running in every direction with no organization. Monitors with visible dust buildup on the vents. Several machines still running the same frozen startup loop from yesterday. The router tucked in the corner was an older model — probably throttling everyone's connection without anyone realizing it.
She pulled out a small notebook.
Router — needs replacing or at minimum repositioning.
Cable management — fire hazard honestly.
Systems — full optimization needed, not just the one from yesterday.
Ventilation—
"Whatcha writing miyah?"
Qinran glanced up. Nana was peering curiously over her shoulder.
"Things that need fixing."
Nana blinked at the list. "You've been here ten minutes."
"I know."
Nana stared at her for a moment.
Then slowly, with great reverence —
"The boss is going to either love you or be terrified of you miyah."
"As long as she pays me, either is fine."