HEXELG

CAFFEINE & CODE
A GL slow-burn romance by HEXELG

She's just the barista.
She's the most feared CEO in the city.
Neither of them expected to become the most important part of each other's routine.

Rina Cha is shy, clumsy, and just trying to survive her shifts at Syntek Corp's elite café. Her idea of danger is spilling oat milk on a customer-not walking into the executive elevator and meeting Kira Yoon, the company's untouchable CEO.

Kira runs the tech empire like a machine-flawless, cold, and emotionless. She doesn't do distractions. Especially not flustered girls with crooked foam hearts on their lattes.

But somehow, Rina becomes her only exception.

Now, Rina is bringing Kira coffee every day... and something deeper is brewing between them. In a world of polished glass, power suits, and unspoken rules, can softness survive?

Or will Kira code her heart out of reach?

Caffeine & Code

They stood under the halo of a streetlamp.

The city hummed in the distance, neon washing their faces in blue and gold. Rina's hand was warm in Kira's, small and steady despite the storm in her eyes.

"If I asked to kiss you," Kira had said, voice low, steady, unnatural for her.

Kira leaned in—not rushed, not bold. Just willing. Her hand moved to Rina's cheek, cool fingers brushing warm skin.

And the world—stopped.

No data. No projections. No scripts. Just one impossible moment where the CEO of Syntek and the girl from the café wrote a new protocol with nothing but breath and trust.

When they parted, Kira looked dazed. Like she had been unplugged and rebooted with new code.

"You're… dangerous," she whispered.

Rina laughed softly. "Still scared of the barista?"

"Because you make me want things I don't understand."

🏢 The Next Morning – Syntek HQ

Kira walked into the boardroom like nothing had happened.

"We've received an anonymous report."

Her assistant placed a file in front of her.

Romantic involvement between CEO and café employee. Violation of internal ethics policy. Potential favoritism.

Her jaw didn't tighten. Her hands didn't shake.

But her pulse was a jackhammer.

She knew exactly where this came from.

🧠 Kira's Private Log – 11:32 AM

I allowed myself one weakness.And the system responded.Do I defend this connection?Or do I protect the machine I built?

Rina was closing up when Kira walked in.

"I got a complaint," Kira said, skipping any soft intro.

"I can handle it," Kira said quickly. "I'll reassign you. I'll move you to another floor. We'll be more careful."

Rina looked down. "You're already pulling away."

"You told me I wasn't just a barista," Rina said."But you still think I'm the weakest part of your system."

Kira closed her eyes. "That's not fair."

System Override