The man who didn’t seem like he would say such things had sweet words in his mouth.
If someone else had said the same thing, my face would have already crumpled and then some, but strangely, I didn’t dislike it. Was it because of his speech that had absolutely no pretense mixed in? Rather, the words he bluntly spat out felt more sincere than insincere. However, the person who heard those words pouted.
“Tch, giving half-hearted answers again.”
Seeing them exchange words like that, they must be lovers, naturally.
In fact, besides words like that, the man revealed his relationship with the woman through several unexpected actions. Of course he pulled out her chair and took care of the woman’s meal first, but he also seemed to have thoroughly learned her behavior in advance and accommodated her accordingly as if it was ingrained in his body.
For instance, like right now.
“Stop drinking that now. Don’t complain later that you can’t sleep.”
A large hand brought the cup of green tea placed in front of the woman to his side.
His tone wasn’t affectionate, but his actions were more affectionate than anyone’s. A man who seemed blunt but said sweet words when needed. The type that anyone would find hard to refuse.
No, first of all, that face was already a foul.
“Boss-nim, we really enjoyed the meal.”
As expected, they left about half of the food they ordered. At least it was only that much because the man ate more than expected. Usually, the proper order would be to approach first and ask if they want to pack it up before handing over the bill, but I didn’t ask today. No matter how I thought about it, it didn’t seem like they would eat it again.
I went to the table at the right timing and handed over the bill. The man handed over his card without batting an eye at the amount that far exceeded $200 for a single meal. For a moment, our eyes met. His brown eyes were clearly directed at me.
“Are you staying here alone by any chance?”
Startled by the sudden question, I unknowingly widened my eyes. When I answered no a beat late to the completely unexpected question, I heard different words.
“Excluding the boss and the chef.”
The person in charge of reception went home as soon as they arrived at 11 o’clock, and the kitchen imo also took off her apron and left as soon as she brought out the fried dishes. Excluding Boss-nim and the Japanese cuisine Chef-nim, I was left alone.
“Ah…… That’s right, excluding the Japanese cuisine Chef-nim and Boss-nim.”
“Thank you. You worked hard.”
I wanted to ask why he was suddenly curious about that, but I couldn’t dare ask a customer that. So I just smiled, nodded, and turned around.
If that’s the case, it’s not just his face that’s a foul.
His low voice was attractive. The voice that pressed down on each syllable kept lingering in my ears. As I walked to the register, I stared intently at the card I had received.
「KANG SE HYEON」
Kang Sehyun.
Even his name is perfect.
And a little later, the man signed below the card receipt I handed him with an even more perfect-looking signature and left. A cool person even has a cool signature—while I was thinking that, I belatedly saw the numbers written down and my mind stopped.
___________________________
AMOUNT: $269.29
TIP: $300.00
TOTAL: $569.29
___________________________
Looking again and again, it was the same number.
“Stop that and let’s go. You can do it tomorrow.”
Boss-nim, who came out having changed clothes like a flash, pressed his forehead with his hand as if tired. The Japanese cuisine Chef-nim who followed was the same.
“Right. The boss says it’s okay, so what are you doing? I’m tired. We have to close the restaurant, so let’s hurry and go.”
“Still……”
“It’s okay. We have to wipe it again tomorrow anyway.”
After the customers left, I had roughly cleaned the table, but I didn’t like how it was still shiny from the oil not being wiped off properly. When I turned my steps to wipe it one more time, the two people who saw that from afar pushed my back forcefully, saying please let’s go home.
“Ah, right. Sungha-ya. Wait a moment.”
Boss-nim suddenly stopped at the restaurant entrance and called me. Chef-nim, who had been stamping his feet wanting to go home, left first, and I stood there blankly waiting for Boss-nim.
“You have to take this.”
Boss-nim took out one hundred-dollar bill and four fifty-dollar bills from a black wallet. Exactly $300. Since he suddenly thrust it into my hand, I received it inadvertently, but I couldn’t just take money without knowing the reason, so I asked.
“Boss-nim, shouldn’t you be giving this to me?”
“It’s yours, so why not?”
“But this is—”
“It’s payment for staying and working hard today.”
“That’s too much for that though.”
I thought I had done too little to be embarrassed to call it hard work, and a $300 tip for barely an hour of time exceeded being excessive.
“What can we do when the customer gave a lot? Tips are given as much as the customer wants.”
“Still, for me to take this much alone is a bit…… Boss-nim and Chef-nim also stayed and worked hard.”
Usually, chefs receive tips directly from customers as they eat, so the tips written on receipts when paying are divided only among the serving staff. However, in a situation like a little while ago, Boss-nim and Chef-nim who remained until the end must have worked hard too, but I thought it was unfair for me, the only serving staff member, to take this much tip alone.
But it seems I wasn’t in a position to worry about anyone after all. Boss-nim, who was listening to me, chuckled and patted my shoulder.
“We received more than you, if anything, we wouldn’t have received less.”
“……Ah.”
“They took care of our share separately while you went to ring them up. So just think of it gratefully and accept it. But don’t tell the others. It’ll cause a fight for no reason.”
Boss-nim, who said that with an indifferent expression, gave a short greeting saying see you tomorrow and walked to his car.
I sat in the stuffy car and stared intently at the money folded in crumples.
$300.
Money I could earn by working for a week. I had earned that money in just one hour.
A hollow laugh came out.
There are people who spend in just one hour what takes a week for someone else to earn.
* * *
My eyes opened even before the alarm set for 6:30 went off. Light was leaking through the blinds I had deliberately left open. It was just past 6 AM.
If I closed my eyes again now, I might not hear the alarm, so I gave up the sweet 30 minutes of sleep and got up. Although I had lain down early, the time I actually fell asleep was 2 AM, so I had only slept about 4 hours. Emotions mixed with worry and anticipation had me tossing and turning all night.
To wake myself up, I immediately took a shower and went out to the balcony. The clear air under the hazy dawn sky instantly chased away the drowsiness that had remained.
“Huuu……”
It was today.
Finally, the start of the semester. The beginning of university life was today.
‘Where are you going to go?’
From several months before high school graduation, college acceptance letters arrived one by one. Four universities near New York, and one university in Chicago. I applied to a total of five places and was accepted to all of them. Among them, the first place to send an acceptance letter was the university I was now attending. It was the lowest-ranked university among those I applied to and also the farthest from where I lived.
Naturally, my first choice was a university in New York. Since I was accepted there, there was no need to wait for other universities’ letters, but I kept hesitating in my choice. Because of one university I had sent an application to on a whim, just to try.
‘I want you to leave this place, but I also want you to stay.’
When I hesitated in my choice, Sora, who was watching from the side, spoke her honest feelings. Her words with sincerity in them were also my honest feelings.
I wanted to stay in New York, but on the other hand, I wanted to escape from there.
At first, I didn’t want to give up the familiarity—familiar school, familiar surroundings, familiar people, that kind of familiarity. Because of the confidence that I could handle anything easily, there was no reason to give up a life where a certain amount of complacency was allowed. If I went to a university near New York, someone among the friends I went through middle school and high school with would be there, and I wouldn’t have to move or quit my job.
But in New York, there was exactly one person, someone I absolutely didn’t want to see but had to see.
‘You’re Kwon Sungha?’
The person who suddenly came to where I worked in high school looked exactly like that person at a glance. Only then did I understand. How much he must have hated me, who looked exactly like his biological father.
‘You’re not having any foolish thoughts by any chance, are you? Father’s only son is me.’
The reason my stepbrother, whom I had no particular reason to see, came looking for me was because he was worried that the property he would inherit later might decrease. He talked about how much his new father cherished him even after the divorce, and told me not to have any expectations, saying he was his only son.
Even when he gave such a heated explanation, in my head there were only thoughts like ‘even when rich people are apart, they resemble each other in personality’ and ‘if so, do I also resemble my biological father?’
My stepbrother came very occasionally after that too, giving the same warning and leaving. Each time, no matter what he said, I responded indifferently, and displeased with that, he picked unnecessary fights, poured out nasty words, and left. It got worse as time passed, and later he even came to the house dead drunk.
‘Fuck, where does some beggar kid butt in.’
The person who happened to be next to me at that time was Sora. Sora, who learned everything, was the person who wanted me to stay in New York more than anyone but also wanted me to leave more than anyone.
‘If you really miss me, this noona will come visit, so Sungha, you do what you want. You’ll do well wherever you go.’
In the end, I chose to go to a new place.
To a completely new place with no one I knew, no close friends, no comfortable places.
The beginning was always hard. It was the same when I first came to America alone, separated from my mom. But that was only for a very short time; at some point, the place that was frightening became a comfortable place, and the unfamiliar surroundings had become a familiar background. That’s why I believed this life too would soon become familiar.
Ddi-ring-.
Yoon Sora: [Good morning]
Yoon Sora: [It’s today, right?]
Yoon Sora: [Drive carefully and have a good day]
Yoon Sora: [I woke up two hours early just to say this]
It felt like it was going to be a long day.
