My chest felt queasy and hurt, so I patted it pat pat, then went to the hall to arrange chairs.
I felt a gaze but deliberately ignored it.
“Did you hear about the festival?”
Eek.
Because he suddenly spoke from behind, I was startled and almost fell. As if he didn’t know I’d be surprised, Bihyeon quickly grabbed my arm as I stumbled, caught on a chair.
“Festival, what, what about it?”
“Literally the festival. That you’re resting that day.”
“Yes… I heard.”
“Hmm? Are you sick somewhere?”
Bihyeon looked at me, then took one more step closer, and I urgently stepped back.
“No… Ah, right. I have something to give you.”
It feels even stranger when you suddenly approach like that.
I awkwardly changed the subject and quickly went into the counter and brought the shopping bag.
“Oh, but did you order?”
“No. Because you were scared.”
Bihyeon pointed at the boss who was sending fervent gazes while tearing up.
“…I’ll help you order. Iced Americano, right?”
“Yes. But what’s this?”
“It’s a ribbon for Mountain God-nim. What I gave came back to me. I was bothered by it.”
“He’ll like it. Go in person and tie it for him.”
In person…?
I remembered the sheep who glared at me very scarily back then and quickly shook my head.
“…Sheep-nim is too scary.”
“Ah, Malgeum returned to the forest, so he’s not home.”
I-is that so? Then I should make walnut pie for Spirit-nim too.
“I’ll give you what I have to give later and go home.”
“It’s fine. Since you’re here, eat breakfast too. Hyeonwoong nags asking why I don’t bring you.”
Hyeonwoong-nim does? He speaks roughly outwardly but really takes care of people. Haha, I smiled slightly and went into the counter to process the payment.
“Ah, right. This.”
He who received the card I held out took out something and showed it.
They were two round orbs that looked like soap bubbles.
“The kids asked me to deliver them.”
“What are these?”
By kids, he must mean Door-door, right? I smiled slightly and received them.
Huh?
…Eek!
Instantly my hand dropped down heavily, so Bihyeon supported my hand. Despite looking small, they weighed tremendously more than expected.
“Wha, what?”
“A gift the haetae are giving.”
So what is this!
When I opened my eyes wide and smacked my lips, Bihyeon laughed lowly haha.
“It’s not bad, so display it somewhere. You can put it in this cafe too.”
Since it’s not bad, I’ll receive it for now but…
When I looked at Bihyeon with suspicious eyes, he laughed haha, gripped the orbs tightly with his hand, then held them out again.
The orbs became two accessories emitting beautiful light.
“If you hang them on the door, the effect will be good. They’re imbued with power to block disaster.”
This is also something tremendous…?
Bihyeon who let out low laughter looked at my face, then tilted his head and asked.
“So, where will you put them?”
“It’s a secret.”
I’ll put one here, and take the other for now and secretly hang it in Bihyeon-nim’s palace.
I smiled slightly, tightly held the accessories, turned around, and headed to the counter. I carefully put them in the shopping bag, made a drink, and handed it to him.
“Really… I don’t know if you’re not greedy. You’re trying to give both away to others, right?”
“I said it’s a secret. And my house already has something tremendous.”
I spoke crookedly for no reason, smiled slightly, and forcibly put the drink in his hand.
“That’s true. I’ll come later.”
He who looked at me with eyes that said it was funny soon turned around as if to leave.
“See you later.”
Sigh. I let out a small sigh, smiled, bowed, and waved my hand.
The boss who had been hiding in the corner of the counter and peeked his head out approached me only after Bihyeon left.
“Phew, you really have no fear… I’m going too. See you later, Hansol. Ah! Right.”
The boss was about to leave when he fumbled in his pocket as if remembering something and took out a white envelope and held it out to me.
“This is a bonus. Thanks to you, this month’s sales tripled. Right? You lucky charm.”
Oh, a bonus.
I sparkled my eyes and received the envelope. It was quite thick.
“I’m leaving!”
“Yes, go safely.”
I greeted the boss leaving with a smile, then leaned on the counter thud and sighed.
Looking inside the envelope, they were all fifty-thousand-won bills. I didn’t know I’d receive this much, so I opened my eyes wide, went into the staff room, and put it in my bag.
‘What a surprise…’
Is this right? It looks like at least over a million won?
If this is the case, I could leisurely look for an afternoon part-time job for a while…
‘I did well baking cookies diligently to look good back then. If I’d been fired, I would have hit the ground and regretted it.’
I locked the bag door tightly, came back out to the hall, and scratched my cheek. And I took out one of the accessories I received from Bihyeon, went to the door, and hung it in the highest place.
I smiled looking at the accessory swaying while emitting pretty light.
I dusted off my hands, and just as I was about to turn around, the door burst open and a jingle sound rang.
I was going to the counter when I was startled, trembled, and turned around. It was a fish I hadn’t seen in a while. The one who came in staggering with a face worn by fatigue looked at me and smiled brightly. He looked like he’d collapse any moment. Though he is a fish.
“Hello, the weather’s nice today, right?”
“Hello, Eoun-nim. But… are you okay?”
I grabbed the fish’s hand waving splash and pulled him to the counter. Then he laughed huhu. Even while laughing, his eyes were unfocused. Though they are fish eyes…
It’s fascinating every time I see him. Even though it’s not the same human face, it was fascinating that fatigue showed in expressions like this.
Do fish have facial muscles too…? No. Let’s give up thinking about things that happen here with common sense.
“You’re busy preparing for the festival, right?”
“Yeah. So busy. Not sleeping for days is so hard but…”
The fish who gulped down the cold water I gave continued speaking.
“It’s such a good day. I want to work hard to prepare and make a fun festival.”
At those words, I smiled slightly and nodded.
“It’ll definitely be pretty and wonderful.”
“I hope so. An iced Americano and cookies, please.”
“Three extra shots, right?”
“Add four shots…”
“You look like you’ll collapse at this rate…”
“Will I…? Then just three, please. I have to go work again.”
I was about to tell him three is also a lot, but soon smiled and immediately made the drink.
“Hm? Hansol. You didn’t charge for the cookies. Should I give you the card again?”
“No, since you came after a long time, I’ll give them as a gift.”
“Oh my! Really? Thanks to Hansol today, I can gain strength for the day.”
Looking at him smiling brightly huhuhu, I felt good too and burst into small laughter.
Along with the cookies, I also packaged pudding that he usually ate well and handed them over with the drink.
“Thank you, thanks. I should give you something too.”
“Aw, you don’t have to…”
Hmm, he who pondered and opened his eyes round took something out from the shopping bag hanging on his arm.
It was cloth of a really beautiful color to look at. He took out several and held them in front of me, then soon nodded his head greatly.
“At the festival, we sell cloth. Yes! This suits you. It’s the perfect color to match your bracelet.”
It was cloth beautifully mixed with green and blue. I raised my arm, looked at my bracelet, then quickly shook my head.
Don’t these beings know the law of just receiving…? When I do something small, it comes back several times bigger, so I felt sorry. This cloth alone looked expensive, so it was even more burdensome.
“What time is your shift until? Until 5?”
“Yes, that’s right but…”
“Then I’ll make a handkerchief and come. Look forward to it. This cloth is the best one that came out this time.”
When I quickly shook my head, he added words.
“Don’t boys use handkerchiefs? Then give it as a gift to someone precious. Don’t feel burdened since it’s a reward for making my day energetic.”
As I read the mood fidgeting my fingers, the fish put a long straw into the fishbowl and sucked slurp.
“Since you came, it’s been really fun every time I come to this cafe. Like Ppik boss said, you’re a lucky charm.”
Since coming here, it felt like I was hearing all the warm praise I’d hear in a lifetime. My ears burned, so I scratched my head, smiled slightly, and nodded.
“I’ve been enjoying every day since coming here too.”
At times like this, my chest tickles and I don’t know what to do.
“…It feels like now I can recall even one happy memory…”
I muttered small, and feeling a gaze looking at me intently, I jerked my head up and made an awkward sound haha.
“…I’ll be back.”
The fish who had a slightly surprised expression flinched as if flustered. Then his phone rang loudly, so he checked the time, turned his body, and opened the door.
Even while waving and leaving, the fish kept looking back. His eyes were full of worry. I smiled to mean it’s okay and bowed my head, and only then did he completely close the door and leave.
Phew, I exhaled and leaned on the counter. Why did such words suddenly pop out? When I’ve never confided my feelings to anyone until now. Well, I couldn’t confide. After losing my parents in an accident and being entrusted to my aunt, I went through all sorts of things. To the point where I’m still amazed that I’m alive.
So…
Day by day, I realized my aunt cursed me.
A little suspicion was changing to certainty as time passed.
Back then and now, I hoped it wasn’t my aunt but…
I picked up my phone, removed the case, and took out the paper Bihyeon once wrote for me. Even that paper’s end part was slightly dyed black.
Knock knock—
I was looking at it expressionlessly when I was startled and hurriedly put the paper in my pocket.
“Welco…”
Hmm. The door didn’t open again, so I felt an ominous feeling.
I left the counter and opened the door. There was no one outside, so I tilted my head. What?
“Here! Here!”
Hm?
I looked down following the sound. A very small white mouse was waving its hand and hopping bounce bounce.
“Yes! Here. Ppik boss asked me to bring coffee beans!”
Ah, now that I think about it, only one bag of coffee beans was left.
But wondering if such a small body could carry coffee beans, I bent down as low as possible and made eye contact with the mouse.
“Hello. Where are the coffee beans?”
“Over there! Wait, I’ll bring them. You just need to sign here.”
The mouse said that and held out white paper to me. I couldn’t tell what was written, but the mouse pointed below poke poke.
“Here, here.”
“I’ll carry the coffee beans.”
I held the ballpoint pen the mouse handed over and wrote my name.
