episode_0258

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※Euncheon Restaurant Staff Guide※

– This guide has been created for the purpose of ensuring employee safety and working conditions and providing better service.

0. Before starting work.

0-1. Our restaurant’s business hours are {sunset to sunrise}.

0-2. Uniforms must be clean.

– The way our ‘guests’ distinguish us is by our cleanliness.

– Do not let food, especially sauces like ketchup, get on your uniform.

1. Employee guidance

1-1. There are three waiters in our restaurant, including you.

– Talking to waiters while they are on duty is prohibited, and it is recommended that you avoid face-to-face contact if possible.

※ If you notice that there are 4 or more waiters while working.

– Please ignore it.

– Anyway, it’s a relationship where we don’t talk or even see each other face to face.

– Rather, think positively and think that it is fortunate that there are more workers, and do your work.

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1-2. If another waiter stops you or talks to you.

– You should not recognize the face of the waiter and just check the waiter’s name tag without panicking.

#. If you have a name tag.

– He’s not a bad person yet.

– “I’m working now, senior. “Respond and continue what you were doing.

#. If there is no name tag, especially if the uniform is visibly dirty.

– Slowly turn your back and close your eyes.

– Then, protect your neck by covering it with both hands.

– Beasts often go for the neck.

– It would be nice to hear the sound of ‘it’s’ footsteps leaving.

– After that, close your eyes, raise both hands high, and wait. The [Chef] will come and take appropriate action.

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“Excuse me, waitress. Are you new here?”

Eunha, who started working as a waitress at a restaurant tonight.

While carrying food, I was careful about every word and action in case something went wrong.

A waitress who was wiping down the table spoke to Eunha.

This is what happened after I gave a delicious meat dish to the pumpkin bee ‘Fly’.

… … .

[Euncheon Restaurant], where the sun had set, had an atmosphere similar to that of an ordinary family restaurant.

Chairs facing a square table seat four people per table.

When you sit at the table, there is a wooden wall blocking one side of your view, while on the other side, other guests are gathered together and sharing a meal.

Urgh. Thud! Grumble…

The sound of bones being chewed. The sound of something being grabbed and ripped. The sound of someone crying.

“Are you new? I’ve only been working here for a month.”

“… … .”

“Excuse me? Miss Wanggasum?”

and,

A woman’s voice that stands out for its liveliness.

The waitress approached Eunha with light steps and spoke to her several times.

I don’t know the face.

I immediately lowered my head and looked at the floor.

The galaxy, whose lower vision was blocked by her large chest, swallowed quietly.

On the left is a waiter serving food.

At the back, there is a waiter crawling on all fours on the floor.

In front of you, the fourth employee.

“… … Can’t you hear me?』

He tilted his head slightly.

Beyond the obstructed chest, slender ankles and a clean uniform are visible.

An ordinary employee.

But like other waiters, he would have placed the severed head on a tray.

I just closed my eyes because I didn’t know where ‘that thing’ had put its head.

If you didn’t know the ‘rules’,

Maybe he thought he was a kind monster and tried to talk to him.

“Over there? Over there? Over there? Over there?”

The voice hitting my cheek is cold.

‘That thing’ with its severed head placed on a nearby table.

Even though he doesn’t have a head, he bends down crookedly and pretends to get on eye level.

Eunha bit her lips and lowered her head even further.

Then, ‘that thing’ picked up its own head that was lying next to it and thrust it in front of Eunha.

Get on eye level.

When I came as a guest, it was okay to see the waiter’s face, but now it’s different.

Eunha closed her eyes, trying not to recognize its face.

Rule 1-2.

I recall the waitress’ uniform I checked before closing my eyes.

The black and white waitress uniform was as clean as new, and the name tag on the chest was also properly attached.

Finally, after some hesitation, Eunha opened her mouth and answered.

“… … I’m working now, senior.”

『… … … … … Oh, is that so.”

The moment you answer as written in the rules,

The voice faded away in front of my eyes.

Ugh!

The sound of a head that has been roughly torn off being forcibly fitted onto the cut surface of the neck.

Immediately afterwards, the lively voice we heard earlier patted Eunha’s shoulder.

“Haha… Sorry. I forgot.”

“… … .”

“Is it hard? But the pay is good here, so let’s work hard together.”

There was no answer.

Because conversation between waiters is prohibited.

Knock knock…

The waitress, who had patted Eunha’s chest, which was larger than her head, telling her to cheer up, went back to work.

Only then did Eunha carefully open her eyes,

I frowned at the bright lights of the restaurant and sighed in relief.

It’s a simple thing to do, but there are many things that can go wrong if you let your guard down.

When I worked at Bangul’s cafe, I had a very leisurely and happy life.

“If there’s anything you don’t know, ask this senior. He’ll help you when you’re in danger.”

“… … .”

Mental fatigue builds up faster than you think.

But it’s worth doing.

Eunha headed to the kitchen, cheered on by the energetic waitress.

– “Miss, please take table number 4.”

[The chef’s] voice is heard from the ‘earpiece’ worn on one ear.

As I glance around the kitchen, I see [the chef] with a dozen or so heads shaking around, waving at Eunha.

– “This foolish chef. Thanks to you, I’m happy to have many customers… Would you mind if I dance for you?”

“Please put it in.”

Gulp, gulp.

Chef Wangdaedoo, who has hair that sticks out like wild strawberries while dancing to the rhythm of the music.

Eunha raised the corners of her mouth at the sound of meat being cut coming from the kitchen.

Crunch.

[Chef] who rides the rhythm.

A head that falls down, swaying and being pushed by inertia.

“ouch.”

The time is still 11 o’clock.

The night was long, and the galaxy was weary.

“Thank…you…”

『North Star… Snowdrop…』

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s dazzling…”

But, I respectfully accepted the food she brought with both hands,

Those ‘things’ that shake their bodies like shadows and eat food in a hurry,

Because it looks a little sad and cute.

“… … One food per person.”

I had to swallow an inexplicable feeling of regret, bringing up the rules of [Euncheon Restaurant].

That’s it.

After finishing serving, Eunha took a look around the cold but cozy restaurant.

『… … .』

『… … .』

Something that clumps together like clumps of sewage.

What could be called stuck ‘shadows’ sit across from each other at the table, glancing at the galaxy.

Could it be because of curiosity towards the waitress I was seeing for the first time?

Or maybe it’s because of her large breasts that sway gracefully with even the slightest movement.

『Chef… rumbling…』

“Miss… come out…”

“Stop.”

An ordinary restaurant.

An ordinary restaurant for monsters.

… … Even in a real restaurant,

Here too,

I can’t fit in anywhere properly,

Taking a step back,

“… … Well, it’s good, it’s good.”

Eunha walks with an awkward gait and always smiles.

… … .

An ordinary story.

A late night affair that should have ended like that.

“Haa… Haa…… Eunha?”

“Ms. Banharin? Why are you here at this hour…”

Until Banharin came into [Euncheon Restaurant] with her coworker ‘Mouse’,

Eunha worked with a smile.

That’s what it was.

… … .

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1-3. [The chef] always gives instructions to the waiters through an ‘ear piece.’

– Instructions such as which table the food came from, how to set the table, etc.

– Please follow the chef’s instructions and provide more refined service to ‘guests’.

– And if you follow the chef’s instructions,

– You must answer, even if it’s just one word.

※ If you receive instructions from [Chef] through the earpiece and respond, but then immediately receive a new instruction to enter the kitchen.

– Ignore the first instruction and go to the kitchen.

– You must not stop walking even if ‘guests’ talk to you while you are moving.

– Afterwards, you can explain the situation to the [chef] who is waiting in the kitchen and receive action.

– He will say that you answered even though he clearly did not give instructions.

※※ If you come to the kitchen but there is no one there.

– Oh. It was the opposite.

– It’s okay to run at this time.

– You can calmly exit the kitchen and hide under the table in item 3-2.

2. Work-related matters

– What you have to do as a waiter is…

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… … .

It was bound to happen anyway.

Would it be a little more comfortable if I thought about it that way?

(I will give you the ‘kill order’ when the time comes, so if you look at the situation and handle it quietly…)

(There will be no kill order as long as the target does not leak abroad.)

A relationship that was twisted from the start.

Even if you try to fix it now, a building with an uneven foundation will eventually collapse.

The North Star seen from the roof of the building was so beautiful…

I built my heart layer by layer on top of the crooked knot.

Like wax wings flying high in the sky, yearning for warmth.

Fly high, fly high.

… … .

10pm.

Several hours have passed since Eunha entered [Euncheon Restaurant].

“How was it like being awake during the day?”

“Can’t you see that I’m dying of sleep when I try to change day and night after so many years?”

“I can’t see it.”

A member of the Hunter Association. [Rare Hunter Protection-Killing] team member.

A woman nicknamed ‘Mouse’ by those around her.

She was guarding the entrance to a family restaurant in Euncheon-gu with team leader Ban Harin.

Boohoo…

A passenger car with no special features to avoid other people’s attention.

The ‘mouse’ sitting in the driver’s seat wraps its long tail around its waist and twists the end of the tail between its fingers.

“Why would a human of class A complain about changing day and night? You should just hand over your class A hunter ID to Eunha-nim.”

“Are you crazy? Or are you in your right mind and saying crazy things?”

Haaaam…

Deep sigh.

‘Mouse’ massaged the dark circles under his eyes as his condition worsened.

Tomorrow is a cafe holiday.

And this is the day when the ‘mouse’, who was only active at night, starts working at the same time as Banharin, changing day and night.

According to Banharin, the need to monitor the galaxy at night has been greatly reduced?

[Rare Hunter Protection – Killing] Team 1 is short on manpower in many ways, so from now on, ‘Mouse’ will move together with Banharin.

From now on, the time to watch the galaxy will not be divided into night and day,

From the time Eunha left the ‘Satbyeol Apartment’ until she returned home to the apartment.

Thanks to this, ‘Mouse’ is having a very busy time, changing day and night and organizing the surroundings of the galaxy.

“Do you really not have to watch at night? Aren’t raids usually the most frequent at dawn when the ‘target’ is sleeping?”

“At least Eunha, who returned home to ‘Saetbyeol Apartment’, is safer than anyone else in the world.”

“Why?”

“There is something like that.”

That’s what they say.

Honestly, I don’t know.

He’s the team leader, what can he do?

‘The team leader has been acting strange lately…’

Banharin sitting in the passenger seat, fiddling with the hairpin on her forehead.

A woman like a cold machine who hasn’t made a single joke in the past three years.

But things have changed.

After getting closer to the galaxy.

The expressionless face remains the same, but it looks a little more human.

Playing pranks, or just talking nonsense.

And most of the pranks are about galaxies.

‘Even the cafes I went to during the day were really weird…’

The successors of [the Blue Dragon Family] and [the Changcheon Sword Family] work together amicably.

A monster rabbit whose identity is still unknown.

And even the woman in the ‘pure white dress’, whose personal information cannot be found no matter how much you investigate…

What is that cafe?

What kind of women are Eunha flirting with?

Even Kim Ha-yang, the guild leader of [Changcheon Swordsman], seemed to be interested in Eunha.

As a member of the [Rare Hunter Protection-Killing] team that prevents ‘Rare Hunters’ from escaping from the hands of the Association, he is an unstable variable.

I have feelings for Eunha.

But work must be done.

I wonder if something will happen if this continues…

This is when I started to get worried about many things.

“… What are you looking at?”

“Well.”

“Please add ‘nya’ at the end of your sentences. It makes you lose your personality.”

“Are you crazy?”

The curse word ‘mouse’ flows through the quiet Euncheon-gu.

She watched the dark [Euncheon Restaurant] while wiggling her round, flat mouse ears.

Still, rather than a team leader who just does the assigned work inflexibly like a machine,

I like the team leader who keeps making a fuss like this a little better.

I dared to think so.

‘Come to think of it… the team leader gave you something like this too?’

Rustle.

I took out a piece of coated paper that I had placed near the driver’s seat.

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1. Do not neglect the protection and surveillance of the target.

2. Don’t worry about location tracking devices, they often break down.

– Defective product due to lack of budget.

3. Do not approach ‘Saetbyeol Apartment’.

– To avoid the target’s suspicion.

– Do not cross the wall into the interior.

4. Look into each other’s eyes. Left eye.

5. If anything unusual occurs, contact the team leader without delay.

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Previously, Team Leader Banharin had muttered something that she absolutely had to know, while fiddling with the ‘inverted cross hairpin’ on her bangs that she had never seen before.

They say it’s to save everyone’s lives, but I don’t understand that either.

‘… … Oh. Was there a 4th rule?’

‘Mouse’ looked down at the coated ‘rulebook’, worried about the galaxy that had no intention of appearing even after time passed.

… … .

… … .

11pm.

[Euncheon Restaurant] with the lights off after closing for business.

A nondescript passenger car parked in front of it,

A ‘mouse’ sitting in the driver’s seat and yawning repeatedly,

Banharin ‘observes’ the restaurant with a surprisingly relaxed attitude.

“But are you really okay, Eunha? What should I do when you keep disappearing? If you keep doing this and get caught, won’t you really get the order to kill me?”

Soon, Banharin, who had been chewing on the words of the ‘mouse’, wiped away her expressionless face.

“Galaxy is okay.”

“Is there any basis for this?”

“Yes.”

The hand that had been sweeping his face went towards the black blindfold covering his left eye.

My left eye was damaged when I started seeing monsters.

After that, I took the potions that Kang Na-ri made, but unfortunately, there was no sign of my eyesight returning.

Swish…

I took off the blindfold and checked the rearview mirror.

Left eye lost sight.

The eyeball that had burst once and recovered was white.

There is no pupil or red sea, just the cornea and the white of the eye…

The full moon in the night sky,

Something reminiscent of an egg.

(Um… I’m not pretending not to know, but you didn’t see it?)

​(Lady interrupters, 2 more to come.)

“… … Just. It’s okay.”

Banharin’s answer was,

Because there was a fear and dread that could not be measured.

‘Mouse’ couldn’t say anything else.

All I can do is look up at the night sky, waiting for the galaxy I missed to reappear.

『… … .』

A round full moon.

It’s like the eyes of something,

Banharin’s left eye is like a round full moon.

Or like a mirror.

『… … Now there is only one left.』

The voice of the clumsy female employee I saw at the Hunter Association.

Looking down at the frightened ‘mouse’ through Banharin’s left eye.

… … .

… … .

“That’s how it happened.”

“… … Mr. Banharin.”

“Yes, I will.”

“Even if you just say ‘that’s how it happened’ without any explanation, I don’t know.”

So midnight.

Table number 1 at Euncheon Restaurant.

“I thought it would be okay to wander around at night with someone who didn’t know about monsters, but it wasn’t.”

“And then you ran away here.”

How do I do this?

Eunha, who was comforting the ‘mouse’ who was cowering under the gazes surrounding her, touched her forehead.

I thought positively.

[The chef] will be happy since we brought in two more customers.

“What would you like to order?”

Eunha asked Banharin with her usual smiling face.