a big threat

Luca walked towards the counter area and watched me practice the latte art he had taught me. I was so distracted by his presence that I couldn't concentrate. "Oh, I'm sorry," he sighed, taking the cup and milk from me. Correcting my mistake, his final output on the latte art was simply amazing. I was so impressed that it took several tries before I could match his work.

Luca was patient and continued to teach me. Eventually, with his help and guidance, I was finally able to create a latte art that would make even the snobbiest of coffee lovers proud.

"You seem very sleepy, Errol," Luca said. "You seem very distracted and simply can't focus on doing your job. “

I was stunned by his sudden comment. I had never considered that I might not be cut out for this job. What if he was right?

"That latte art is absolutely terrible," Luca said dismissively, looking over the cup of coffee I had just made.

I looked down at the coffee and then back up at Luca, feeling embarrassed. I hadn't been expecting such a harsh criticism, and I didn't know what to say in response.

"Come on, it's not that bad," I protested weakly.

He scoffed and shook his head.

"This is the worst latte art I've ever seen," Luca said to me, with a scowl on his face. "It looks like a messy splotch of milk and coffee grains, not a work of art."

I felt my face flush with embarrassment as Luca continued to criticize my latte art skills. I had hoped to impress him with my skills as a barista, but it was clear that I had failed.

"Why don't you try making a latte art yourself?" I snapped back, fed up with his constant put-downs. "Let's see if you can do any better."

“alright”Luca responded and effortlessly poured a shot of espresso into a steaming pitcher, then began crafting the latte art using a series of smooth and calculated movements. He carefully controlled the pitcher, maneuvering it with confidence as he poured thin streams of milk to create a delicate pattern of designs. The process was like a ballet, and the latte art was a beautiful masterpiece when he was finished.

I watched in awe as the lines and figures took shape and the milk transformed into art. It was like watching a master painter at work, creating a masterpiece before my eyes.

I couldn't argue with the results... he really did have a talent for latte art.

I felt a little embarrassed, but I was also impressed by Luca's skill and I couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous of him

My latte art was definitely not up to his standards, and it was obvious that he wasn't impressed. Maybe I needed more practice, I thought to myself.

"It's all about technique and practice," he said, "Once you learn the basics, it becomes a lot easier."he said and put the cup down

."And you can't even brew a cup of coffee, let alone make a latte art." Luca said to me, with a look of disgust on his face

"You've made daida do all the brewing job for you and Lesley on cash register."

“Daida?...”I must have misheard radias name

I stood there, feeling myself shrink under Luca's harsh words. It was true, I was still learning the ropes and often relied on Radia and Lesley to help me with the coffee brewing and cash register.

"You're lucky that you have teammates like Radia and Lesley to pick up your slack."

Luca glanced at me, his expression stern. "If your attitude continues like this," he began, "you won't last long here. You need to show me that you're serious and willing to put in the effort to improve."

His words hit me like a slap in the face, and I felt my self-confidence crumbling. I knew he was right... my poor performance had been costing the cafe money and customer satisfaction

I swallowed hard and tried to keep calm as I nodded my head.

I understood where he was coming from. If I wanted to keep my job, I knew I had to do better. And if I wanted to learn from Luca, I had to prove to him that I was worthy of his knowledge.

"I can't let go of this job," I said to him, my voice steady and determined. "

I took a breath, trying to keep my composure. "I can't let go of this job. I've made so many new friends, and I've learned so much about coffee and being a barista."

"But I won't just be a barista," I continued. "I'm going to work hard to become a master at latte art, just like you."."

Luca smiled at my determination and said, "I'm rooting for you then."

He took a step back and walked out the door, leaving me alone in the empty cafe.

I stood there for a moment, absorbing the meaning of Luca's words. I could feel my heart beating faster, as I realized that I had made an impression on him. Maybe there was still hope for me after all.

"I can't lose this job," I thought to myself. I thought about how far I had come, how hard I had worked, and how much I had improved. It would be such a shame to lose everything now.

"I've come so far, I even went as far as deceiving everyone, by pretending to be Errol, the person they mistook me for." I had become so attached to the role of Errol that it was hard to imagine letting it go.

"Lesley, Radia and even Luca... I feel warmth and safety in this place to the point where I can't imagine leaving." I thought about the people that I had grown close to since starting this job, and the atmosphere of warmth and understanding… I felt a sense of belonging and purpose here.

"I don't want to experience the same in the convenience store where I got forced to leave because of my incompetence," I said to myself.

After all, I had worked hard at the cafe and learned so much. I couldn't just lose it all now.

As the sun was setting down and I finally finished my shift, I unchained my bike and started to ride off, I was distracted from my thoughts when I saw Carol waiting for me. I hesitated for a moment whether to stop and talk to her or keep riding my bike, but was suddenly struck with a thought. "Is she waiting for me?" I thought, and I was about to stop my bike for her.

Kenndy” Carol ran after me and tripped on her way there

Without thinking, I dropped my bike and ran towards her, immediately getting concerned if she was hurt. As I approached her, I crouched down and asked if she was okay.

I hoped that she wasn't seriously injured from her fall.

“are you okay? “I asked worriedly.

“yes I am”she replied but I couldn't shake off my worry

I sighed and lightly smiled to Carol "i guess i have no choice," I whispered to myself and parked my bike back at the outdoor parking lot, chaining it securely.

"Can you hop on my back?" I asked gently, kneeling down on the ground. Carol seemed surprised by my offer, but quickly accepted and climbed onto my back without hesitation. She held onto my shoulders as I started to move, moving easily and light

"You're so clumsy, Carol," I said, gently carrying her as we walked along the street by the riverside.

"you’re awfully heavy” I commented and giggled

The sun was turning into a dark orange, and the street was filled with the sound of the water rushing by as the sky slowly turned to night.

"You don't have to carry me, I can walk," Carol said rest her head on my back

"How long have you been waiting there?" I asked, to which Carol didn't say a word.

“You seems awful today, Kennedy”

I stopped my track and looked down, I can’t take it anymore even

I almost got fired at my job carol…I was so scared”