"Hey, are you coming to the party tomorrow night?" Marie's cheerful voice came through the phone.
"Uh, I'm not sure. I'll think about it," Anna replied lazily.
"Come on! Everyone popular from campus will be there. Don't miss it… alright, see you tomorrow!" Marie said before hanging up.
Anna sighed, tossing her phone onto the bed.
"Ugh! I don't even have anything to wear to that stupid party. I'm not going… I need to work and make some money," she muttered to herself while rummaging through her closet.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"How many times have I told you to knock first?!" she shouted, glaring at the intruder.
"Knock? And how many times have I told you to stop taking my things and stay out of my room? Where's my jacket?" Hans — her brother — asked, scanning the room without even looking at her.
"What jacket?" she replied softly.
Then he spotted it. "It smells like your perfume! Wash it and bring it back to me," he said, walking out and leaving the door wide open.
"Mum! Why does he always treat me like this?" Anna yelled, slipping on the very same jacket and storming out of the house.
As she reached the gate, she nearly bumped into Hans again.
"Where do you think you're going? And why are you wearing *that* jacket? It's not mine !" he said.
"I'm going to buy some snacks and watch a movie," Anna replied, not even bothering to look back.
---
**At the shop**
Anna walked through the aisles, picking out her favorite snacks. Then she headed to the drinks section and opened the fridge to grab a juice from the top shelf. It was a bit out of reach, and just as she stretched out her arm, someone behind her took the exact bottle she was trying to grab.
"Hey! I was reaching for that," she said, turning around.
The guy didn't respond — he just glanced at her briefly, then walked away with the drink in his hand.
Anna frowned. "What's his problem? Seriously, he just made my day worse," she grumbled, grabbing another juice instead.
Meanwhile, outside the shop, the guy slowed down, a puzzled look on his face.
"Wait… that jacket… No, maybe it just looks similar. Ugh, why did I act like that? She probably feels bad now," he muttered to himself.
---
**at home**
"Where are you coming from?" her mother asked when Anna got back.
"From the shop… Mum, I want to get a job," Anna said as she flopped onto the couch.
Hans overheard her and jumped in. "You want a job? I've got a friend who owns a restaurant — he's looking for a worker. If you're serious, I can talk to him."
Anna turned to him, surprised. "Really? I want it! Since when do you have a friend with a restaurant?" she asked as she headed to her room.
Hans chuckled. "He's been my friend for a long time — more like a brother, really. I'll tell him. Once he replies, I'll text you."
Later that evening, Anna's phone buzzed. It was a message from Hans:
**"hey he agreed. You'll start tomorrow. You don't have class , right ?"**
Anna smiled as she typed back:
**"No class, I start tomorrow."**
**The Next Morning **
"Good morning. My name is Anna — I'm here to start work," she said nervously when she arrived at the restaurant.
"Oh, you're early! Welcome. I'm the manager — and also the head chef," said a man, smiling politely. "Name's Noel."
Anna froze for a second.
"Wait… that voice… that face — no way!" she thought, staring at him in disbelief.
"He's the guy who took my drink yesterday," she realized, her heart sinking. "Great. Just my luck. How am I supposed to work with *him*?"
Anna was introduced to one of the workers.
"This is Sara," Noel said. "You'll be working with her. She's a waitress — there's usually another one, but she didn't show up today. You'll help me in the kitchen."
"Nice to meet you! Come on, I'll show you a few things before we start," Sara said warmly, leading Anna through the restaurant.
The restaurant opened at 9 a.m.
**In the kitchen **
"Hey! What are you doing? I told you to get *carrots*, not *apples*!" Noel scolded, glancing at her from the counter as he chopped vegetables with quick, sharp movements.
"Alright, Chef," Anna replied quickly, embarrassed.
"Anna! That's not how I showed you!" he said again, clearly frustrated. No matter what Anna tried to do, she seemed to mess something up.
By breakfast time, she was exhausted.
---
**During break**
"So… what happened in the kitchen? How was your first day so far?" Sara asked with a smile as they sat down to eat.
"It was… good, I guess. I think I did okay. Mmh, this food is *so* good," Anna said between mouthfuls, eating like someone who hadn't had a proper meal in days.
But deep down, she was thinking, *'It wasn't a good day at all. That chef gets mad at everything!'*
Then she asked aloud, "I've never seen such a young chef before."
Sara laughed. "You're funny, Anna. He's a great cook — and honestly… kind of handsome too," she teased.
Anna rolled her eyes, pretending not to agree, but her heart skipped just a little.
---
They went back to work and finished their shift. Before heading home, Anna stopped by campus for a short while, finally returning home around 7 p.m.
"I'm home!" she called, heading straight to the kitchen, not noticing who was in the living room.
"How was your first day at work?" her mother asked.
"Mmh… terrible! I kept messing things up, and that chef — he yelled at me every single time," Anna replied loudly, opening cabinets in search of food.
"Why are you shouting, sweetheart? What are you looking for?" her mother said, trying to calm her down.
"Mum, I'm just hungry already," she said, stepping out of the kitchen — and froze.
Sitting in the living room, quietly sipping tea, was **Noel**.
He had heard *everything.*
Anna stopped mid-step, her face turning red with embarrassment. For a moment, no one said a word — the silence was heavier than the day itself.