World 1: Modern Romance AU - "The Coffee Shop That Ruined My Life"
Summary: Yin Yue wakes up in an unfamiliar apartment with a hangover-like transmigration fog. System 520 activates and gives a chaotic introduction to his new life: he's now a barista, and survival means not getting fired.
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The smell hit first-burnt toast, cheap citrus cleaner, and something suspiciously like mildew. Yin Yue's eyes cracked open to a ceiling fan spinning just a little too enthusiastically above a cracked plaster ceiling. His entire body ached like he'd fought a gang of toddlers in roller skates. And lost.
"...What the hell," he croaked.
His throat was dry. His limbs felt rubbery. His brain was still buffering.
He tried to sit up and immediately hit his head on a low bookshelf mounted above the tiny couch he'd apparently been dumped on. A groan escaped him-half pain, half existential despair. The room was small, borderline tragic. Faded curtains. Dusty floor. A sad little cactus on the windowsill.
There was a name tag on the rickety coffee table.
"YUE - TRAINEE BARISTA"
"No," Yin Yue said out loud, to the room, to fate, to any gods who might be laughing. "No, no, no."
He stumbled to the bathroom. The mirror was cracked. His face stared back-same delicate features, long-lashed eyes, soft lips. Still alive.
And then it happened.
With a sharp electronic ping, a translucent screen popped up in front of his reflection.
> 💻 SYSTEM 520 ONLINE!
Welcome to your first transmigration world, Host Yin Yue!
💫 Assigned Role: Barista-In-Training!
🧋World Objective: Avoid termination (from job and life).
❤️ Target: Male Lead. Location: Café Fated.
Please maintain proper posture and workplace enthusiasm!
A tiny animated dog wearing sunglasses did a backflip in the corner of the screen.
Yin Yue stared at it. He turned on the sink. The screen was still there.
"...You have got to be kidding me."
> 🐶 SYSTEM 520: I'm not. 😇
I am your loyal romance system! Bound to your soul due to...
scans memory logs
"Excessive karmic seduction incidents across 17 timelines."
"Ex-excuse me?!"
> 🐶 SYSTEM 520: You're too hot. It broke causality. Congrats!
So now, as punishment, you must journey through multiple worlds, experience love, and repair timeline holes caused by your devastating cheekbones.
Failure results in nonexistence. 🙂 Have a great day!
Yin Yue blinked. "Am I... being punished for being sexy?"
> 🐶 SYSTEM 520: Affirmative. Also, you start work in 23 minutes.
He grabbed a towel and stumbled into the shower. The water was lukewarm and judgmental. He'd been staying in this world for ten minutes and was already being sent to work, under threat of cosmic deletion, to seduce some dude who probably didn't know how to spell "decaf."
"Fine," he muttered, scrubbing soap through his hair like it had personally wronged him. "I'll play along. Just until I get fired. Then I'm off the hook, right?"
> 🐶 SYSTEM 520: Technically yes. But also no. World rules are tricky. Try not to die! 😊
"...I hate you already."
He got dressed-ill-fitting jeans and a beige work shirt that looked like it had survived a divorce-and glanced around the apartment one last time. There was a cracked coffee mug on the sink that said "Don't Talk to Me Until I've Had My Third Breakdown." Fitting.
He opened the door.
Bright sunlight blinded him. His sneakers squeaked on the hallway tile. He made it halfway down the stairs of the apartment building before realizing he'd put his name tag on upside-down.
Twenty minutes later, after nearly being hit by a moped, stepping into dog poop, and misreading Google Maps twice, he stood in front of Café Fated.
It was... cute, actually. All warm wood paneling and flower boxes and overly inspirational chalkboard quotes like "Espresso Yourself!"
Yin Yue sighed, flipped his tag right-side up, and pushed open the door.
The bell above the café door jingled.
Yin Yue stepped inside, squinting. The place smelled like fresh espresso, and with a hint of almond. Wooden tables glowed with the morning sun, a mismatched collection of chairs made it feel lived in rather than commercial, and soft jazz played in the background.
A handwritten sign behind the counter read:
☕ "Welcome to Café Fated - Find Your Brew. Find Your Fate." 💕
He was already suspicious.
"Hey," he called, "I'm the new barista-in-training, and I'm probably already fired."
From behind a gleaming espresso machine rose a man like a cinematic reveal. Tall, pale skin, black apron and sharp jaw. Tousled black hair and eyes so cold and flat they could ruin self-esteem within seconds.
The man stared at him. Said nothing.
Yin Yue blinked. "...What, no 'good morning?'"
Still nothing.
Then: "You're late."
His voice was deep and smooth. He pulled a portafilter out of the espresso machine with one hand and glared at Yin Yue.
"Hi," Yin Yue offered, with a smile. "Yin Yue. New hire. First day. Big fan of caffeine. Do you... work here?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "I'm your supervisor."
"...Oh," said Yin Yue. "That's unfortunate."
"I'm Liang Yu."
He didn't offer a handshake. Just nodded at a stain on the counter.
"Clean that."
Yin Yue looked at the stain. Then back at him. "Do I look like I carry a rag in my pocket?"
"You look like you showed up to work still drunk."
"That's just how my face is."
Liang Yu didn't smile. He looked him up and down like he was mentally calculating how many times he could fire him in one day.
> 💻 SYSTEM 520: Target Located! ❤️
Male Lead Confirmed: Liang Yu (Modern Variant)
Danger Level: 6/10. Flirt Carefully.
Yin Yue sighed. "Do I get a tour or am I just meant to emotionally bond with the coffee machine on my own?"
Liang Yu gestured behind him. "Counter. Grinder. Syrups. Beans. Fridge. If you break anything, you buy it."
"What's your refund policy on bruised egos?"
"You'll adjust."
Yin Yue adjusted immediately-by slipping behind the counter, grabbing a rag, and knocking over a stack of paper cups in the process. They scattered like snow.
Liang Yu didn't even flinch. "We open in five minutes."
"Right," Yin Yue muttered. "Nothing screams romance like spilled milk and workplace tension."
He bent down to retrieve the cups. When he stood up, he smacked his head on the edge of the espresso machine.
Liang Yu finally blinked.
"...Did you just concuss yourself?"
"No. I'm flirting."
For a second-just a second-Liang Yu's mouth twitched.
Yin Yue saw it. A crack in the ice. Victory.
But it vanished just as fast.
"I don't date coworkers."
"Oh good," Yin Yue muttered, rubbing his head. "Neither do I. I only emotionally devastate them over time."
> 🐶 SYSTEM 520: New objective triggered:
"Make the Male Lead Smile (On Purpose)." Reward: +1 Stability Point! 🏆
He groaned aloud.
"Are you always this loud?" Liang Yu asked, already pouring steamed milk.
"I've only been here for an hour," Yin Yue snapped. "This is me at 10% capacity."
Customers began to file in. Yin Yue found himself thrust into the front line with no training and a coffee order queue. "One iced oatmilk with vanilla cold foam?" he read aloud, horrified.
Liang Yu slid it to him, already finished. "Just hand it to them."
"I'm not a tray."
"You're also not helpful."
"Okay but have you seen my face? That's, like, eighty percent of customer retention."
Liang Yu stared at him. Cold. Unreadable.
Then turned away.
But as Yin Yue passed the drink to the customer, he heard a low mutter just under the hiss of the steamer.
"...The foam was perfect."
Yin Yue turned. "What?"
Liang Yu didn't look at him.
"I said, don't spill it."
He didn't smile.
But he didn't not smile, either.