episode_0080

“Customer #319. Your Basilisk Leg Burger Set has arrived.”

“Jihyun, how many times have we been together?”

“Our 919th.”

“Ugh, we have to wait another 600 people?”

“Ah, they do give you a waiting number in order. As far as I know, the 300s and 900s are given separate numbers. They probably give you separate numbers for what you ordered at that kiosk and what you ordered at this kiosk. Do you see the number plate up there? There’s only one number 918 in front of us, so that means it’ll come out next.”

“Aha.”

I waited in a corner for about ten minutes so as not to obstruct the flow of people.

Meanwhile, Hamshik, who has a keen sense of smell, drooled at the delicious smell of food wafting from inside, and Saekmu-sae also clapped on the roof of the RC car.

“Kiya. My mouth is watering!”

The smell of pizza may be intoxicating, but the smell of oil from grilling hamburger patties or frying French fries is equally violent.

Besides, while everyone else was happily eating, the two of them might have been even more impatient waiting for our menu.

When I bought pizza for Narin at home, I opened the package and ate it right away. But now I have to wait.

And we’re in a position where we have to wait longer. We’re not going to eat the hamburgers now, we’re going to go home and eat them with Narin.

If Hamshik runs out of patience like this, we might be in big trouble. He might eat the RC car we came riding in, or he might pluck out all the feathers on the Saekmoose and eat them!

It’s a terrible thing. A swan with all its feathers gone is as pitiful as a bald person, so let’s hope our order comes out quickly.

Luckily, the number 918 in front of us appeared on the screen right away, and the next menu was ours. Then, suddenly, a worry occurred to me.

“Wait a minute, Jihyun. There’s something called a drive-thru. People who come by car have to get it there.”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Then shouldn’t we receive it from there too?”

“… … Is that so?”

The RC car we rode in was small, but it wasn’t a car anyway. Should we go to the drive-thru and get it?

No, actually, I really wanted to go out and get it. But the drive-thru window would be way up there.

Even if you were to order a packaged menu by sending a sack of hamburgers, there’s no way the sack of hamburgers could carry a 3-person hamburger set.

“Um, I’ll have to get it at the drive-thru later when I come with Na-rin. Once I get out of the car, it’ll be okay to get it here.”

“That, right?”

I was just making a joke with a lot of selfish intentions. Jihyun was so smart that she seemed to have thought about it in her head.

Thanks to that, Jihyun, who had fallen for my sophistry, looked quite relieved. And just in time, the menu we ordered came out.

“Customer #919, the family set you ordered has arrived. … … Ah, here it is.”

The burger joint employee, who was just about to place the family set in a bag on the counter, made eye contact with us and quickly placed his upper body on the counter.

Then he put his arm down outside the counter and handed us a plastic bag within reach.

We quickly drove the RC car and stopped it so that it could land on the roof of the RC car. Then the squirrel bit the handle with its beak to hold the bag so that it wouldn’t fall.

“Wow! Thank you!”

I was worried about how to get up there. I didn’t know that they would hand it to me so kindly.

So I greeted him brightly, and even though my face turned bright red from the blood rushing to my head, the employee smiled brightly and greeted me.

“Haha, don’t mention it. Enjoy your meal!”

Jihyun muttered as she left the burger place, leaving behind such a friendly staff.

“But you could have just come out to the side, so why did you have to go through all that trouble to get up to the counter… …?”

“Isn’t it like we can’t go outside the counter while working? But we can’t go inside.”

“Well, I guess that’s true.”

I guess being smart is connected to being curious.

Even though the two may be separate, it is true that they both became researchers, so I understood Jihyun’s curiosity and answered her appropriately.

Then Ji-hyeon thought about it on her own and came to an understanding. However, Ji-hyeon’s thoughts did not last long. Because Ham-shik started to twist his body.

“Oh, I guess Hamshik has endured as much as he can.”

“Hey, if it’s like this, should I give you some French fries?”

“Outside, the color changer is working hard to keep the hamburger set from falling, but it’s too dangerous to stop here.”

“Hmm, Hamshik-ah. Can’t you hold on a little longer? It won’t take long to get home.”

Although Ji-hyeon earnestly tried to dissuade him so that he could concentrate on driving, Ham-sik started to cause a commotion in the cramped driver’s seat.

It rolls up and down, and sometimes flaps its front legs toward the door as if trying to follow the delicious smell coming from outside.

Jihyun turned on the hologram and held onto Hamshik like that. It is true that jumping out of a moving car is dangerous.

It’s in movies, too. Action scenes that take place on moving trains or trucks. That’s what was happening in this cramped driver’s seat.

“Ugh, if only the car could go faster… … !”

No matter how long you hold down the remote control button, the speed doesn’t get any faster. In the first place, there are only four control buttons: forward, backward, left, and right.

An RC car that moves at a walking pace without an accelerator, booster, or gear change. Rather than hoping that it goes faster, it would be more realistic to hope that Hamshik has a little more patience.

But both of those things would require a miracle to happen. At that moment, a third miracle, one I had never imagined, happened.

“Oh, isn’t that a color? Are Na-min and Ji-hyun inside too?”

“Oh, this voice… … !”

Originally, we came out to eat together. But now, we have a strong voice that will save our Naminiz Hamjeokdan!

It was Narin. It seems like we ran into each other on our way home from work. Or maybe she was just stopping by because we were going to a hamburger place.

Thanks to that, Jihyun forgot how shy she usually was and raised her voice.

“Narin-i Unnie! Please bring me just one French fries! Hamshik-i must be really hungry!”

“, French fries? Okay, wait a minute. You’ve had a hard time too, Saekmoose. I’ll listen to you. ”

“Thank you so much for your kindness.”

Saekmoose must have had a hard time keeping his balance on the RC car and not dropping the hamburger bag. Thanks to that, Saekmoose was extremely polite to Narin.

It’s really strange for him to be so polite after always making weird exclamations. But now, thanks to Narin, Hamshik doesn’t have to starve, so it makes sense.

There was a brief rustling sound. In the meantime, the savory smell of French fries grew stronger and stronger. Hamsik couldn’t stand it any longer and immediately jumped out of the driver’s seat.

Jihyun also had a hard time stopping Hamshik, so she let him go. Then, Hamshik suddenly jumped up and climbed up Nalin’s leg.

Narin couldn’t stop that hamster either. She just picked up the fat ball of fur and put it in her arms.

It looked like he was going to put us on his chest and feed us French fries, just like he always did when he carried us.

“Oh my. Hamsik must be really hungry. Didn’t you eat lunch?”

“Hehehe, I did eat lunch, but I guess I was hungrier because the burger place smelled so delicious.”

“Well, that makes sense. Hey guys, Hamshik, I’ll go home with you while I get you some French fries. Can you come with me?”

“Of course! I know the way to my house.”

In fact, Jihyun was the one giving directions using the navigation system. But since we were just going back the way we came, I didn’t think it would be that difficult.

There was a sacrifice of one French fries, but wasn’t that worth it to satisfy Hamsik’s hunger?

Thanks to that, we returned home comfortably, and Narin asked us questions indirectly. She seemed worried that we looked like children who had been sent on errands for the first time.

“But was it okay for me to go into your store? Didn’t anyone say anything?”

“Yes, I think everyone understood because Saekmusae and Hamshik waited so quietly.”

“Thank goodness. Was the kiosk usable?”

“Jihyun knows how to use it. Of course, the staff there helped her use the gift certificate.”

“Oh, right. Jihyun must have known. You’re all amazing.”

“Yes, we are all great.”

The color bird who ate up Narin’s compliments without hesitation. However, since he didn’t take all the credit, I let the color bird brag.

Well, Narindo was praising all of us. Saekmusae was just representing us.

Now all that’s left is to go home and enjoy a delicious hamburger. That’s why I’m glad to see the streetlights shining down on me as the road gets darker and darker.

The electric poles I encountered on my way home.

“Hehe, Jihyun. That’s where I met Na-rin.”

“… … Yeah. So that’s how Namin remembers it.”

When I bragged about it, Jihyun gave a strange answer. Jihyun wasn’t there, but she was talking as if she had experienced it together with me.

But, because his face had a sad yet strangely happy expression, I decided to just stay still, thinking he was probably thinking of something else.

Unless you’re crying or venting, it’s best to just stay still. I know this because I’ve been in a hospital room with six people.