episode_0041
by admin#41
Leaving your cat on the table can be unsanitary.
Well, it looks pure white on the outside… but you never know.
So I left a suitable box,
“Oh my. It went in perfectly. So cute…!”
The cat seemed to have found its home and went right in, sticking its head out to look at me.
‘…Am I the type that animals follow well?’
Why do you keep looking at me?
… Well, come to think of it, the cat (10 years old, neutered) who used to be the boss at our police station also strangely followed me around well.
by the way.
“Let’s get ready to open soon.”
“Yes.”
After I changed the sign on the door to [OPEN], I started preparing to welcome guests.
Surely, just because we closed for a day, the customers won’t stop coming, right…?
.
Fortunately, those worries turned out to be unfounded.
“Here’s a Jun Buck, a sweet potato fries, and a Faust.”
“… Faust has a high alcohol content, is that okay with you?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Ah. Min-ah. Clear the table over there.”
“Yes, sir!”
Is it because I now have some regular customers?
The store isn’t exactly crowded, but it’s still fairly crowded.
The cat, who I was a little worried about, was quietly sitting with its head sticking out of the box.
‘… I don’t know why you keep looking at me.’
It was so annoying that it would run away when I tried to touch it.
One day, I will definitely pet that cat.
At that moment when I was making that promise, Mina, who had finished cleaning the table, came towards me.
“Store Manager, what would you like to order next?”
Maybe it’s because I’m a little in the mood, but it makes me a little irritated when people call me store manager… but it helps a lot.
Maybe it’s because I have experience working part-time in the hospitality industry.
“… Hmm. Go into the kitchen over there and when the oven alarm goes off, get it out. ”
“Okay. Okay.”
‘It’s definitely more comfortable when there’s one more person.’
Now that Jia is going to school, it seems like it will be difficult for her to find a part-time job.
Even if I don’t quit completely, I’ll probably have to adjust my schedule… so I think it might be a good idea to hire a new part-timer.
Of course, this assumes that the store’s finances are sound.
But it’s been running smoothly so far, so I guess I’ll start to feel more relaxed.
“Excuse me, store manager.”
While I was worrying like that, a customer who was sitting quietly at the bar table spoke to me.
“Yes?”
“That clerk over there, does she have a boyfriend?”
I spoke calmly to the guest who was speaking to me quietly while glancing at Jia.
“Yes, I have it.”
“Ah… .”
The guest who heard my answer lowered his head and sighed in disappointment.
‘… Which number is this?’
There were people asking for Jia’s phone number often, even today… but there were even more today.
The reason, of course, is that Jia is dressed up a bit more than usual.
“Excuse me, store manager.”
“Yes.”
“Does that purple haired clerk have a boyfriend?”
“Yes, I have it.”
“Ah… .”
No. What kind of cuckoo am I?
.
“Brother, are you very tired?”
As the store was nearing closing time, Mina came over to me and asked quietly.
“… Uh.”
It was 2 AM, so it was already late, but the customers kept asking if Ji-ah and Min-ah had boyfriends, so they were getting psychologically tired.
It would be better to ask them directly.
Why are you asking me?
“… Sir. But what about this cat?”
Gia said, pointing to the cat peeking out from inside the box.
Judging by the condition of its pure white fur and the way it follows people around, it is probably a house cat… Then, its owner may be looking for it.
After thinking about it for a while, I finally made up my mind.
“… Let’s take her home first. It’s getting late.”
Taking them to a shelter is also something that can only be done after daybreak.
It would be problematic to just leave it in the store, but I feel bad about releasing it on the street… so I have no choice but to take it home.
“Okay. Hayang, you heard? Let’s go to your sister’s house.”
Sigh. Did the cat understand what Min-ah was saying? The cat quickly came out of the box and slowly walked towards us.
And then…
“Huh?”
A cat passes us and leisurely heads towards the entrance.
The cat soon went out through the slightly open gap.
I hurriedly chased after it, but… I don’t know where it went, but in the meantime, the cat had completely disappeared.
“Did he go back home?”
“Well… .”
What a curious cat.
“Anyway, let’s go home now. I have to get ready for school.”
“… Yes.”
***
And the next day.
“Okay, I’ll be back.”
“Have a nice trip. Make lots of friends.”
“… Do you know anyone who is a freshman? They are graduating soon?”
After seeing Jia off to school, I looked at my household account book and started thinking about the part-time job recruitment I had been worrying about yesterday.
‘It would be nice to hire part-time workers, but…’
Recently, the store’s operations have gotten on track.
We also received some promotional effects from Hwayoung’s Instagram post, and I heard from customers that the store is rumored to have pretty clerks.
I guess I benefited from that a bit. I feel a little uneasy though.
Currently, [Oasis] is run by two people, Jia and I, excluding Minah.
Jia is in charge of serving customers and preparing simple dishes, and I am in charge of preparing the main dishes and cocktails… It’s a lot busier than I thought.
It would be nice if there was just one more person.
“What should I do…”
At that time, Mina, who saw me looking at the store register and thinking, said to me.
“How about posting on a job search site? Or, you could put up a sign in front of your store saying, “Help Wanted.””
“… I need to think about it.”
Actually, it’s not that urgent. It’s not too late to think about it slowly and decide.
“Oh, right. Oppa, I have to go out today because I have to film. Can you stay home alone?”
“Get out quickly.”
“chi.”
Squeak.
After Jia and Minah left the house, I turned on the TV.
‘They say there aren’t many interesting entertainment programs these days.’
I was absentmindedly flipping through TV channels when I finally stopped at the news.
After some talk about how the economy is these days and the increase in the number of villains, some interesting content came out.
[As the management of Korea’s leading conglomerate Three Star is undergoing a major shakeup, the fight for management rights among the children of top executives is intensifying.]
[Meanwhile, attention is being paid to whether the late Chairman Three Star, who passed away last year, has a hidden child. We will provide you with related news.]
‘… Hidden child?’
I heard that it was revealed that the chairman of Three Star Corporation, who passed away from illness last year, had a mistress.
And on top of that, he had another child with his mistress… It’s like watching a soap opera.
Sometimes reality is more dramatic than drama.
“Tsk.”
When I click my tongue and try to change the channel to another program,
Tiring
The alarm on my phone, which seemed to be ringing frequently lately, rang.
The person who sent the text was…
“… Yoonseol?”
***
A few hours later.
I arrived in front of a restaurant with a luxurious atmosphere.
‘… Is this the right place?’
The reason I came here is because of a text message from Yunseol that came this morning.
The contents are as follows.
[I’d like to treat you to lunch today as a thank you for dinner last time. Is that possible? Please reply. 🙂 ]
A somewhat stiff tone. But the 🙂 emoticon at the end makes me laugh.
What should I say, I should say it’s a little cute.
by the way…
‘… Yunseol’s lunch proposal.’
Well, it might not really mean anything.
I’ve felt this before, but Yunseol doesn’t seem to like being indebted to others.
This time, too, it is highly likely that the offer was made purely as a thank you for the dinner the day before yesterday.
But what if.
Seriously, what if… this was a date request?
As I thought about it, the corners of my heart began to flutter with anticipation.
“Even if they go out, they won’t be of any help to society. They might as well not be born at all… .”
‘ah.’
Suddenly, memories of that time came to mind, and my mood cooled down as if cold water had been poured over me.
…Why am I thinking of that time now?
“… .”
Actually, I know.
The reason those words came to mind at a moment when I had a strange expectation is because I still care about those words.
Even now, twenty years later.
… Think about it from the beginning.
Although Yunseol is somewhat of a gossip, he is clearly a popular hero.
By comparison, I am a petit bourgeois who grew up in an orphanage and barely manages to run a small cocktail bar.
Even if Yunseol had feelings for me… no. That wouldn’t be the case in the first place.
“… Phew.”
The sky had been clear just a moment ago, but now dark clouds were gathering, as if to reflect my mood.
As I was looking at my watch, thinking, “It’s almost time for our appointment…”
Thump. I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.
“Excuse me, boss. I’m here.”
I turned my head to look in that direction, and what caught my eye was Yunseol wearing a hat, sunglasses, and even a mask.
I thought for a moment that it would be hot.
‘…and.’
When I saw Yoon Seol wearing a white one-piece dress that revealed her shoulder line, my mind went blank for a moment.
“Hey, hey… .”
Did that look of mine make you feel strange?
“Does it not suit you? Sister Hwayoung recommended it to me… .”
Yunseol asked me in a slightly gloomy voice.
‘… There’s no way it wouldn’t suit you.’
Why is that?
The reason why the word ‘date’ just popped into my head is.
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