The streetlight buzzed above him like it was tired of being alive.
Jun sat on a crate behind the convenience store, hood up, breath visible in the air.
His hands were wrapped around a takeaway cup—not coffee.
Just hot water.
Even that cost him a coin he almost didn't have.
It wasn't raining, but the pavement looked wet. The kind of damp that soaked in through shoes slowly, like the world wanted to make sure you noticed the cold in stages.
He didn't shiver anymore.
That had stopped a few nights ago.
The cold had settled into his bones, like it belonged there now.
Behind him, a delivery truck clanked and hissed, unloading boxes.
Someone cursed in the alley.
A dog barked twice, then fell silent.
A couple laughed as they passed the main road, boots splashing through puddles that didn't reflect anything clearly.
Jun didn't look.
Didn't move.
He blew on the cup and took a sip.
It did nothing.
The heat faded too fast, like everything else lately.
[No New Messages]
[Battery: 4%]
[Service Unavailable]
His phone screen went black, then cold in his pocket.
Didn't matter.
No one was texting.
No calls to miss.
The last person who messaged him had been asking for rent.
He stared across the street at the café windows glowing warm gold. Inside, people laughed.
Steam curled from real drinks.
Ceramic clinked softly against wood.
He used to stand on the other side of that counter.
Not as a barista—just a helper.
Cleanup.
Dishes.
Grind and wipe and nod.
But he watched.
Watched the way the older guy leveled the grounds.
The quiet flick of a wrist.
The pause before the pour.
He remembered thinking, there's an art to that.
Now he just thought about how long he could sit here before security noticed him again. They usually waited until midnight, then gave him the look.
No yelling.
Just a nod toward the street.
He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a scratched plastic keychain. The logo was faded—KONO COFFEE, barely legible.
One of the baristas had given it to him once, wordlessly, when he'd stayed late after close and helped clean without being asked.
He turned it over in his hand, then let it drop back.
He sipped the water.
It was already lukewarm.
And then—
The air shifted.
Not colder.
Not warmer.
Just… sharper.
Like something had cut through the stillness.
[Initializing…]System boot complete.Welcome, User.[Barista System Activated]Starter Task Available.
He blinked.
The cup slipped slightly in his hands.
He tightened his grip.
Looked around.
Nothing changed.
Just the same street, the same night, the same silence.
But something… was here.
And for the first time in weeks, Jun didn't feel completely alone.
Heat.
Hands.
Focus.
Maybe that was enough to begin.
[System Record – Storyline ID: S08-Origin]
Logged User: Stylsite08
Path: Stillness to Mastery
Unauthorized copies may trigger system disruption.
Original work by Stylsite08.
Do not repost or distribute without permission.
All rights reserved.