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

It still smelled like espresso and cinnamon, still had that chip in the corner of the counter Rina never fixed. But today, it wasn't open for customers.

Kira came in late, dressed in a hoodie Rina once stole from her.

No calls. No meetings. Just coffee.

Rina was refilling the display case when Kira wrapped her arms around her from behind.

"You're late," Rina teased, leaning back.

"I own the place," Kira murmured, resting her chin on Rina's shoulder.

They stood there a while, watching the quiet sunlight filter in through the windows.

Their company was thriving—slow, steady, and sustainable.

They didn't have millions of users. Just thousands who loved them.

They didn't IPO. They didn't sell.

And every evening, they came home together.

Kira wasn't the romantic one. Everyone knew that.

But when Rina unlocked her locker one afternoon and found a small ring box inside—with a note that read simply:

"You made me real. Let's stay real forever?"

—Rina cried so hard she couldn't serve coffee for twenty minutes.

Kira pretended not to notice. She just waited outside with two drinks and a napkin full of cookies.

Rina grabbed her face, kissed her breathless, and whispered:

Still Here