“I make really good coffee, you know.”
At my behavior that seemed like I was at an interview, the man’s eyes gleamed slightly as if he found it a bit amusing.
He was really a frighteningly scary person.
…Ah, not a person.
“I’m in the confectionery and baking department, so I also make delicious cakes and cookies. If you try them, I think you’ll change your mind…”
I have this many talents, so please hire me? No, please just don’t fire me.
The hourly wage is too good to quit. They’re not human, but there are absolutely no problem customers either.
“What do you think I was thinking? I’m not sure.”
His voice mixed with laughter had a tiny bit of playfulness in it. But excluding that little bit, it was nothing but murderous.
If it’s about thoughts… thoughts of firing me?
I couldn’t bring myself to say it honestly, so I deployed ‘I don’t know anything’ and just laughed awkwardly, ahaha. While making a desperate smile that looks harmless for the sake of money, let’s try to persuade him using my abilities.
“You’re thinking that because I’m human, I’d make shitty coffee…?”
“That’s quite a confident answer.”
The man shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t say I was wrong or particularly right, but what I said was definitely the wrong answer.
“I’ll get ingredients tomorrow and make you cookies. If you try them, you really can’t fir—anyway.”
His smiling eyes were asking, ‘Why would I trust something you made?’
To say he dislikes me, his gaze… does he just dislike humans?
No matter how many part-time jobs I’ve worked at and dealt with problem customers, I really don’t know how to make an unfavorable otherworlder trust me. I bit my lip slightly while worrying.
“The only way is for you to trust me just once. Couldn’t you somehow?”
I’m actually famous for being good with my hands… Can’t you see that as an advantage and not fire me?
“Hmm.”
Looking at those eyes that somehow mixed in an emotion of amusement, I was convinced I was half successful. My intuition from years of surviving by reading the room kicked in, and I sparkled my eyes and showed an innocent smile.
“Do you like sweets?”
“Not really.”
An answer came without even thinking about my question.
Either he really doesn’t want to eat what I give him, or he really hates sweets. Right now the former seems more likely but…
“Then I’ll make it less sweet, so will you try it?”
It’ll be way more delicious than the snacks sold here. Really.
I thought this time too a straightforward refusal would come. But surprisingly, the man just stared at my face without answering. His languidly smiling face looked both somehow amused and cold. In a word, his eyes were pondering what to do with me.
My face feels like it’s going to cramp—could you give in soon, VIP-nim?
The man who had been slowly tilting his head took out a card from his wallet and held it out.
“Iced Americano.”
…Wow, it suits him. I feel like he’d never drink anything other than bitter coffee.
After receiving the card and processing the payment, I turned around and started making the drink. My hands trembled more than usual.
It seems I’ve gotten past the crisis of being fired for now, right? Right? …Right?
I almost lost this sweet part-time job. Though it still seems like I’m at the ‘let’s observe’ stage.
But the stare feels too piercing.
The boss was diligently talking to that man called Bihyeon from the side, but that man seemed to be staring holes through my back. He really seemed like a man who didn’t have even a shred of trust. Maybe he thinks I’ll secretly poison it or something…
After touching the corners of my mouth that had been smiling awkwardly and earnestly making the drink, I equipped my service smile again and turned my head.
“Here’s your coffee.”
I smiled brightly and held out the cup, and the man looked at my face while smiling along, then took the drink.
“Boss Ppik. Make sure nothing happens, be careful.”
“Yes! I’ll keep a good eye on things…! And Hansol absolutely isn’t the type to cause trouble. Please trust me!”
At the boss’s passionate words, that man just smirked. Then he turned around and went on his way… I almost collapsed from exhaustion. Wow, I made a fuss about protecting this sweet part-time job, but I’m not going to die for nothing, right? Even just smiling, his atmosphere is that scary.
But it’s not ‘be careful not to cause trouble,’ but ‘be careful so nothing happens’…
‘I don’t think he misspoke.’
Ah, I don’t know. Anyway, it’s certain he dislikes me.
I blinked my eyes and let out a long breath, haaa.
***
“Hel…lo?”
As soon as my convenience store shift ended, I used all the ingredients left in my refrigerator at home to pour all my skills into making cookies. With a satisfied expression, I arrived at the café shaking a large bag containing the cookies. What I saw as soon as I arrived was the boss sitting in front of the ‘Popular Human Snacks’ display with a face full of worry and concern, sighing deeply while organizing items.
It was amazing how emotions showed so well despite not having a human face.
Since I made plenty to give to other customers too, I put the very large bag in a corner of the counter, put on my apron, and came back out to the counter. Then the boss looked at my face and sighed once more.
“…I really liked you. Sigh… As expected, Bihyeon-nim must have come after hearing the rumor that a human part-timer arrived. Well, it would be stranger if it didn’t reach his ears.”
Bihyeon? Ah, are they talking about that scary man from yesterday?
I thought this before too, but the name really is pretty.
“Maybe he’ll change his mind after eating the cookies today. Don’t worry. I really made them well.”
“I hope so, but… that person really dislikes humans quite a bit.”
“Boss Ppik, cheer up! Still, if he really hated it, he should have fired you right away yesterday. Maybe he’ll really change his mind after eating the cookies!”
The fish customer who had been laughing hohoho, perhaps having come to the café timed with my arrival, gently patted the boss’s back. Each time they patted the back, there was a splat sound, but I pretended not to hear and held out the cookies I’d taken from the bag to the fish.
But can fish eat cookies? If they eat, how do they eat them?
“Fish-nim, would you like to try this? Ah, if you can’t eat it…”
“No, I can eat it, dear! Hurry and give it to me. It smells very delicious. And my name is Eoun.”
Eoun… so it’s Eoun-nim.
“Yes, Eoun-nim. Please take this. I made it with more care than usual.”
I smiled brightly and held out a cookie to the boss too, who sighed deeply but sneakily took the cookie and immediately tore open the packaging. Looking at the cookie filled with lots of chocolate with admiring eyes, they shoved it all in their mouth at once.
“Mm! Delicious. You really make these well, don’t you?”
After eating one, their eyes opened wide and the boss, who had wolfed down even the remaining ones into their mouth, held out both hands politely asking for one more.
“I made plenty to give to regular customers. Boss, next time.”
“…One would be fine!”
“No.”
At the quite firm voice, the fish laughed hoho. Soon they tore open the packaging saying let’s share theirs.
After sticking their mouth outside the fishbowl, the fish dropped one sweet-looking cookie in the air and caught it in their mouth, then nodded their head vigorously as if saying it was delicious.
The way of eating is more ordinary than I thought. I thought tentacles might come out to eat or something…
“Hmm, this cookie is a taste that must be eaten with Americano. Hurry up, dear. Three extra shots.”
“Yes, I’ll make it right away.”
As expected, it feels good when they eat deliciously.
I smiled slightly and went inside to prepare the coffee.
Ding-a-ling—
Did they come?
I stopped making the drink and turned around, sparkling my eyes, and saw the customer with a mantis face smiling kindly and waving their hand. The body was human but the arms were also mantis, so that appearance never became familiar no matter how many times I saw it. And behind them, another customer peeking their head out and bowing.
“Welco… welcome…”
I almost bit my tongue while greeting.
An, an octopus. That’s definitely an octopus. Though they were about human size, it just felt like an octopus had grown bigger and put clothes on top. Kraken? Should I call this a kraken?
Everything’s okay. But why is an octopus hanging out with a mantis? No. This is another world, so they could all be friends together. Let’s abandon common sense.
What I realized during the week was indeed to give up on thinking.
“Wow. Just as rumored, a human youth who really gives off a warm energy! Seems handsome too. Actually, I can’t really tell since all human faces look the same. Haha!”
Octopus-nim, you have quite a sociable and cheerful personality. I don’t really know the facial expression, but since the voice is bright, they must be in a good mood.
“Th-thank you…”
“Please give us both iced Americanos!”
I smiled awkwardly and nodded. After that, I served the fish customer’s first, then focused on making drinks again. There really are all kinds of species. If I had bad intentions and filmed and uploaded videos, I might become a huge star. Not that I’m thinking of doing that.
When I handed over the drinks along with the cookies I’d made, they sat down with a pleased smile. I glanced at those two, then checked the time. Will they come at a similar time to yesterday? Then by the time I clean a bit and check the beans, they should be arriving soon.
…Or so I thought but…
1 o’clock.
2 o’clock.
3:20…
Since I decided to work full-time until 6 o’clock starting today, there was more time left. But somehow I have a feeling they won’t come.
“I wonder if they’re not coming today?”
The boss left work, so I had to be alone for the remaining two hours.
After 4 o’clock, there were no customers either… Whenever I had time, I cleaned the floor, washed dishes, and worked on an oven that seemed like it hadn’t been used in a long time. Time passed quickly, but somehow that man didn’t seem to be thinking of coming.
Don’t tell me he’s going to petty-mindedly fire me without even tasting the cookies.
6 o’clock…
After moving my body diligently, time passed quickly and it was time to leave work.
After consoling the boss who was worried asking if that person had come, I left work, tore open the packaging of one remaining cookie and one cookie for the man, put it in my mouth, and walked slowly home.
Is he doing this so that if I don’t make it tomorrow, he can pick on that to make me quit? He didn’t look like he’d act that petty though. If he wanted to fire me, he seemed like the cold type who would just say “get out” without mercy.
Actually, I saw him too briefly to be certain but…
‘The cookies came out really delicious, so it’s a shame.’
