episode_0001
by admin# 1
“… Next news. Recently, incidents and accidents caused by villains have been occurring continuously. In particular, the rate of violent crimes such as murder is increasing. Reporter Joo Hyun-young will tell you about this. ”
“Yes. This is reporter Joo Hyun-young. I am currently in a residential area in Eunpyeong-gu that has been turned into a wasteland… ”
‘Are you going to live in fear? Really.’
Beep.
I turned off the TV with the remote control, which was broadcasting ominous news. It was almost time to go out.
‘Is it a little cold?’
It rained last night. It felt a little chilly even though it was summer, so I put on a light coat and went out.
Outside, the sun had long since set, but the streetlights and neon signs from the buildings lining the street made it feel as bright as day.
Rather dazzling.
Thud thud.
Where there is light, there is also shadow.
Likewise, not all places in this splendid city are as bright as during the day.
As you go further out, streetlights are scattered more and more, and it is not difficult to find stores that close early and have their shutters down, or old bars.
I went into an alley located a little deeper in the outskirts.
And a store I encountered inside.
[oasis]
In the corner of the sign, which has a slightly childish name, is written in small letters: Cocktail Bar.
The interior of the store, visible beyond the entrance door, was dark and only outlined by the streetlights, but it looked quite well-stocked.
[CLOSED]
The door with the sign hanging on it doesn’t budge even when pushed by hand.
‘You brought your keys, right…? Ah. Here they are.’
As I took the keys out of my pocket and inserted them into the lock on the door, a pleasant clicking sound rang out as the lock opened.
What? How do you have the key?
“Because it’s my store.”
Cocktail bar, [Oasis]. Open today. (1 week since opening, 0 cumulative guests)
***
“Even if they go out, they won’t be of any help to society. They might as well not be born at all… .”
I still remember. The words the daycare director spoke in the middle of the night, coming from the half-open office.
“People are blessed just by being born. Because we are all born in the grace of the Lord.”
I also remember what the pastor said when he gathered the children together and gave a sermon.
“I want to be a hero. Protecting people is my dream.”
I also remember the sparkling eyes of my friend who said that.
At that time, I also had aspirations to be a hero,
“Dohan-ah. What is your dream?”
“Me?”
Unlike my friend, the dreams I have are vague and colorless.
“… Well? I don’t know.”
I was just like a morning glory that hides from the sun in shame, turning my back on the light and hiding into the shadows.
*
“I’m bored.”
It’s already been a week since the store opened, but not a single person has come.
The expensive glass glasses that I spent a lot of effort to buy are now just covered in dust.
Besides, the empty table without a single guest is quite sad.
“What. Who would come to a cocktail bar in a place like this?”
The name is old-fashioned and the location is strange.
They didn’t even bother to put up any promotional materials or hand out the usual flyers.
…as if lying under an apple tree with your mouth open, hoping an apple will fall.
Although I opened a store after obtaining the qualification of a master chef, I lost all motivation after actually opening the store.
‘If someone saw me, they’d probably swear at me for talking like I’m full…’
If you say that, I have nothing to say… but they say starting is half the battle.
‘Well, it’s halfway there, so you can rest for now.’
I heard there was a murder case at the store that was in this location before, so I came to this store because the prices were a little cheaper.
So, I can be this relaxed because I have some spare cash in the funds I originally prepared.
“I’m bored. Are there any ghosts or something?”
Whew.
Just then, a strange wind noise was heard from outside.
‘…Somehow it feels creepy.’
The time now is 1:00 AM.
And come to think of it, this was the place where the murder occurred.
“… Wait a minute.”
When I realized that, I got a little scared… No, I stopped getting bored.
I saw it on YouTube last time.
Because the Earth rotates at a rapid rate, in order for an incorporeal ghost to appear, it must be fixed to a horizontal coordinate system by some means.
“What, what the hell are ghosts in this world?”
I kept mumbling to myself like that. I remembered what the director of the daycare center had said before.
They say people are scarier than ghosts.
Looking at the recent chaos caused by the villain group, it seemed like that statement was somewhat true.
Yeah. People are better than ghosts…
“Excuse me? Are you open for business here? ”
“Oh, how did you fix it to the horizontal coordinate system?!”
After all, I’m more scared of ghosts than people…!
I was startled and turned my head towards the sound.
A woman facing me with her red hood pulled down low.
I couldn’t see his face at all, as if he was wearing a separate hat under the hood.
“… What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
She tilted her head, embarrassed by the strange words I said.
… I was barely able to come to my senses after seeing such a realistic sight.
‘Oh, what is it? You’re a guest.’
… I was scared for nothing. I guess I didn’t hear the door open because of the wind.
“Are you not open for business?”
“Oh, no. We are currently open for business, so please sit wherever you like.”
“Yes. Oh, I’m an adult.”
A customer who took his ID out of his pocket and showed it to me, even though I didn’t say anything specifically.
The photo on the ID card showed a rare blonde woman.
‘…Wow, how can people be like this?’
The appearance is somewhat unrealistic. The ID card looks like it has a glow to it. Did you photoshop it or something?
But the hood is pulled down too low, so I can’t really check if it’s my right one.
“Yunseol…ah, sir. Are you Yunseol-ah? Excuse me, but could you take off your hood a little bit… I can’t see it clearly.”
Entry of minors into bars may result in suspension of business and fines.
It is clear that the fault lies with the minor, but a strange situation may arise where the owner of the store is responsible for the penalties, such as suspension of business or fines.
‘It’s funny.’
If I were a member of the National Assembly, I would have changed that law first.
“Oh, right. … Wait a minute.”
She took off the hood she was wearing and made eye contact with me.
‘… It wasn’t Photoshop.’
Her face, revealed as it was, had the exotic combination of blonde hair and blue eyes, just as her ID said.
In addition to that, with her clear skin and detailed facial features, the inside of the store suddenly seemed brighter.
The only thing that’s a little strange is that it feels somehow familiar.
‘Did you see it in passing…?’
It’s not an impression that can be easily forgotten, so we must have encountered each other on the street.
“Is that okay now? Hey, tell them you saw me somewhere.”
She spoke to me in a slightly sharp voice, as if asking if this was enough.
… … But what does that mean?
“Why am I telling someone else that I saw you?”
”… Ah.”
She rolled her eyes, seeming bewildered by my answer.
Well, seeing that she’s this pretty, I guess she’s probably a model or influencer.
“… … Okay, I understand. Just sit wherever you like, as I just told you.”
Then the girl pulled her hood back over her head and sat down at the bar table in front of me.
I wonder what menu I should choose. It was a bit of a nervous moment as it was the first customer I had since opening the store.
“… .”
She was quietly looking at the menu. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she raised her hand toward me.
“Uh… Sir? Master? Store owner? What should I call you?”
“… You can just call me boss.”
“Ah. That’s right. Boss.”
Boss. It didn’t really feel real that I had opened a store… but when I heard you say boss, I felt a little uneasy.
“Hmm. Blue Hawaii…? I’ll take that.”
“Oh, yes. Okay. ”
Blue Hawaii Cocktail.
It’s a blend of white rum, vodka, and pineapple juice. It’s not too strong and is sweet, making it a fairly popular cocktail─that’s what I learned at a cocktail academy I previously attended.
“The Blue Hawaii you ordered has arrived.”
“Oh.. Thank you.”
Finally, she takes a sip of her drink through a straw.
“… !”
A faint smile spread across her face. She seemed to like it.
‘It’s a success.’
I felt satisfied with the reaction and started wiping the dusty glasses with a dry towel in case I was caught watching.
“Hey, a mojito? Is this sweet? I’ll order this too… ”
After that, the girl ordered a few more cocktails and left the shop with a satisfied look on her face.
… Unfortunately, no more customers came after her, so I closed the store.
And three days later.
“Please give me the strongest drink in this store. Something that will make me completely drunk. So I can’t come to my senses.”
… the girl came back to my shop. Her eyes were sunken, as if she had been crying somewhere.
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