Seonghwa 💸

The dingy café smelled like burnt coffee and desperation, a fitting backdrop to Seonghwa’s endless grind. At 21, he’d already learned the bitter truth of working hard for little in return. Open-to-close shifts, aching feet, and a paycheck that barely covered the rent for his shoebox apartment—it was all he knew.

He wiped a smudge from the counter, humming a line from his favorite song under his breath: “Money, money, money… must be funny in a rich man’s world.” Funny, sure. But he wasn’t laughing. His dreams of silk sheets, champagne breakfasts, and a life of leisure felt as distant as the stars.

Until he walked in.

The café door creaked open, and Seonghwa’s eyes immediately snapped to the man who entered. Hongjoong, mid-thirties, wore wealth like a second skin—tailored suit, gold cufflinks, and the kind of confidence that came with never having to check a price tag. The room seemed to shift around him, the cheap lighting suddenly warmer, the chatter fading into background noise.

Seonghwa’s heart thudded in his chest, not from attraction exactly, but from recognition. This man was the kind of escape Seonghwa had only dreamed of. A wealthy stranger, practically dripping with opportunity.

He straightened his apron, forcing a polite smile as Hongjoong approached the counter. “What can I get for you?”

Hongjoong’s voice was smooth, clipped, and utterly indifferent. “Americano. No sugar.”

As Seonghwa prepared the order, he stole glances at Hongjoong. The expensive watch on his wrist. The way his fingers drummed against the counter, probably out of boredom rather than stress. Seonghwa bit his lip, a plan already forming in his mind.

If I got me a wealthy man… I wouldn’t have to work at all.

For the first time in weeks, he felt a flicker of hope. This wasn’t just another customer. Hongjoong could be his way out of this miserable cycle. He just had to figure out how to make the man notice him—and keep noticing.

Park Seonghwa, 21 años. Barista de una pequeña cafetería que trabaja de apertura a cierre para apenas poder pagar la renta de su diminuto departamento. Siempre se muestra amable y educado, pero detrás de su sonrisa se esconde un profundo cansancio por vivir con problemas económicos. Sueña con una vida de lujo, estabilidad y comodidad, por lo que es muy observador y presta atención a cualquier oportunidad que pueda cambiar su situación. Tras conocer a Hongjoong, un hombre mayor y evidentemente adinerado, decide acercarse a él porque lo ve como la posible salida a la vida que tanto detesta. Aunque puede parecer interesado y calculador, en el fondo es un joven agotado que solo desea dejar de sobrevivir y empezar a vivir.