episode_0022
by admin22
A few days after the daily manager’s work was over.
“This cocktail bar. I can help you out. I can’t advertise it directly, but… a post on Institial would be nice.”
Hwayoung visited our store again, and as promised, she uploaded a photo of our store on her SNS.
[The boss is delicious and the cocktails are cool.]
With a slightly absurd phrase like this:
in result…
“Excuse me, take my order here.”
“Yes!”
.
“Hiccup. It’s the boss. Here, where is the bathroom?”
“Go into the area where the curtain is drawn.”
“Thank you… .”
“Take your bathroom key with you!”
.
“Excuse me, give me a glass of Maldives.”
“… Mojito?”
“Ah. Yes, that’s it.”
… After a long time, our store was packed with customers.
Fortunately, unlike the one time in the past when the store was as crowded as it is now… Jia is there now too.
The two of them continued to serve the customers until the last customer left the store.
“Ugh.”
I collapsed on the table, completely exhausted.
“Mister. Are you having a hard time?”
“… Aren’t you having a hard time?”
“Not really.”
In contrast, Jia still seems to have quite a bit of energy left.
Was I like that when I was that age? I don’t think so.
“Sir, shouldn’t you exercise?”
“Should I do that… .”
The physical strength that I had when I was preparing for the police exam was pretty good has now disappeared without a trace.
“Sir, I cleaned the table.”
“Oh. Thanks for your hard work.”
I finished cleaning up the store and was about to leave work.
‘hmm?’
Tiring.
I heard the store door open.
“Long time no see. Honey.”
The person who later appeared through the door was none other than Hwayoung.
‘What’s happening at this hour?’
While I was looking at her in a puzzled manner, Zia spoke in a cold voice.
“… It’s our deadline.”
It looks like, rather than being uncomfortable, coming in during off-hours…
‘… I have a feeling that he is a little displeased with Hwayoung.’
Contrary to my worries, Hwayoung seemed to find Ji-ah cute like that.
“Haha. Thanks for letting me know.”
So she smiled brightly at Gia and sat down naturally at the bar table in front of me.
“What brings you here?”
I asked Hwayoung, who had a slightly tired expression.
It’s almost 2 a.m. now. It’s a little late to be having a cocktail.
“Ah. I had to come here anyway… and I have something to tell you.”
“What do you want to say?”
In response to my question, Hwayoung briefly played with her hair with her fingertips.
And then Hwayoung takes her lips off.
“I’m here this time. I’m having dinner with Seol.”
‘… Seol? Ah. You’re talking about Yunseol.’
Finally, she continued speaking with a faint smile.
“Thank you. It’s all thanks to you.”
‘ah.’
It seems like what he wanted to say to me was a thank you.
I felt awkward at her thanks and replied.
“… Don’t mention it.”
All I did was listen to the story, and give it some lip service.
“… .”
Afterwards, while quietly wiping the shaker with a dry towel, Hwayoung got up from her seat.
Are you going to leave already?
“Okay. Now that I’ve said everything I wanted to say… I guess I should go. I have somewhere else to go.”
“What time is it now?”
“Yeah. I heard that a strange villain appeared in this area. Anyway, calling at this hour? I told you, you have no manners. ”
“Oh my god.”
A villain? That’s a little scary.
…I’ll catch you soon anyway.
“Just in case. Be careful walking at night, too. And the cute kid next to you.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Hoohoo.”
After hearing Jia’s words and laughing lightly, she was about to leave the store.
“Ah.”
He came back to me again, as if he had forgotten something.
“That’s right. Honey, do you have my phone number?”
Phone number? If it’s Hwayoung’s phone number…
“For now.”
There’s a number I saved when I was a daily manager last time. I’ve never actually contacted it though.
“… Okay, that’s fine. If you need any urgent help, just contact me. Got it?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Or you can just contact me when you’re bored. Bye.”
After saying those words, Hwayoung leisurely left the store.
“Jia. What’s wrong?”
“… No.”
*
After that, I went back home as usual.
“… .”
‘What’s going on?’
Even though they don’t usually talk much between them, Jia is unusually quiet today.
It didn’t seem like it was because I was tired. Rather, it felt like I was restless.
if…
‘Are you mad at me?’
I wonder if Jia thinks I’m a wicked boss who’s working her too hard.
Today, I finished work a little later than the closing time.
‘… What if I quit like this?’
At that moment, I was watching Jia’s expression like that.
Zia pointed with her finger to a park along the way.
“Excuse me. Wait, do you want to take a break on that bench over there?”
“Uh, uh.”
‘Do your legs hurt?’
Well, I guess so. I guess so, because I was busy today.
“… .”
After that, Jia and I sat on the bench.
She still looked as if she was fidgeting, but then she opened her lips as if she had made up her mind.
“Mister. Hold out your hand.”
“… hand?”
suddenly?
Although I couldn’t understand English, I reached out to Zia anyway.
“Okay, just a moment.”
Seeing me extend my hand, Zia takes something out of her coat pocket.
‘hmm?’
What Gia took out was a nicely wrapped gift box.
“Over there. That, usually… In return for the favor… .”
Soon, Jia gently placed a gift box on the hand I held out.
Surprised by her behavior, I involuntarily looked at Zia’s face.
“Why are you looking at me like that… .”
Jia’s face was flushed red enough to be visible even under the park’s lights.
Listening to her, it seemed like she had prepared a gift for me as a thank you for my help.
“Can I open it?”
“… Is that so?”
With her permission, I carefully unwrapped the package, revealing a stylish-looking blue tie.
‘no way.’
Did you hear me mumble last time about needing to buy a tie?
‘Then it’s touching.’
“I was originally going to give it to you at the store, but… that person came.”
“Is a famous hero that idle?” grumbles Jia.
… For some reason, Hwayoung seemed a little pouty when she stopped by our store.
“The more expensive ones… I’m sorry. If you don’t like them, you can throw them away.”
While I was being touched by the gift, Zia spoke hesitantly.
“No way.”
I said, putting the gift she gave me in my arms.
“Thank you. I will use it well.”
“… Yes. Okay, then. Let’s go home now.”
Suddenly.
Jia got up from her seat and strode briskly toward the house.
Jia was still walking quickly, as if she was still embarrassed…
“… Phew.”
In the meantime, it was quite cute how he would glance back to make sure I wasn’t falling behind.
Step step step
Eventually, Jia and I ended up walking side by side.
“… .”
At that moment, a quiet silence flowed between us.
Zia, whose face still had a red tint to it, spoke to me cautiously.
“Excuse me, sir. I have a question. Can I ask you something?”
“Any questions?”
When I asked her again, Jia bit her lips as if she was hesitating for a moment, then glanced at me.
“That… .”
Jia, who had hesitated for a moment and trailed off, finally continued speaking.
“Why don’t you ask?”
“… What?”
“How did I run away from home? Isn’t it strange? To treat a girl like this without even knowing why she ran away from home… .”
When I looked over at her after hearing her words, Zia averted her eyes for a moment and fiddled with her fingertips.
I felt like he was a bit anxious because of that look.
“What?!”
I said, patting her head lightly.
“Well, I thought there must be a reason. I thought you would tell me someday.”
“… What if I’m a bad kid?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“ It’s worth it. Please accept it.”
Jia gave me a bill as a thank you for the Jjajang Ramen I gave her without permission.
There’s no way a kid like that could be a bad kid. At least that’s what I thought.
by the way.
“Why all of a sudden?”
I wonder if I may have secretly put some kind of pressure on Jia.
Her words continued afterward.
“It just felt like a dream.”
“Dream?”
“… No. You’re an idiot.”
too bad.
***
Meanwhile, at the same time.
A private home not far from Dohan’s cocktail bar, on the outskirts of town.
“I couldn’t do it… . I couldn’t do it… .”
Inside a space that anyone can see is dirty…
“Sir, you don’t have to apologize to us. Just pay us back. Huh?”
… three tattooed men were threatening a man covered in scars while he was kneeling.
“Fuck, sir. You know? Even though we are the ones lending money to good people, there is something called patience.”
“Hi, Eek!!!”
A man screams in surprise when one of the three raises his hand in a threatening gesture and pretends to hit him.
The three men laughed for a moment, perhaps because they found the sight funny, and then grabbed the man by the hair and spoke.
“Mister. You have money to buy alcohol, but no money to pay us back? Sigh… .”
Clang.
A man breaks a soju bottle lying nearby and then points the sharp fragment at someone.
“Okay, fuck, that’s enough.”
“Hee, heeek!!!!”
“Just pay with your body. Do you know? Your body alone is worth a lot of money.”
Knock knock. A man points a broken soju bottle fragment at the wounded man’s abdomen.
Fear filled the eyes of the scarred man, who could not possibly not know what that meant.
“Ugh. This kid. He peed himself.”
“Please, save me! I’ll do anything!”
Two people giggling as they watch the scarred man begging for his life from the men in fear.
“Huh?”
In addition, the other person who was searching the house to see if there was anything of value… eventually found an unexpected item in the closet.
“What is this? Isn’t this a girl’s uniform? Sir. Your taste is unique, isn’t it?”
“Oh, I have a daughter!”
“Daughter?”
“Yes, yes, that’s right!”
A bitter smile quickly appeared on the faces of the three men who heard the wounded man’s words.
Thud. Thud.
After that, three people continued to use brutal violence to prevent the man from resisting.
“Keep, keep… .”
At that time, the man was gripped by fear that he might really die.
The man who seemed to be the leader of the group spoke.
“Mister. I’ll give you a chance to live. Bring your daughter here.”
“Yes?”
What the man who thoughtlessly asked back at the man’s words received in return was merciless violence.
puck.
“Aaah!!! My nose, my nose!!!”
“I won’t tell you twice. Do you know our contact information?”
The man could not have been unaware of the loan shark’s intention in telling him to bring his daughter if he wanted to live.
“Oh, I understand! Ko, I’ll definitely bring it!”
He said that and then smiled cowardly.
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