“Hel—”
“Oh my! Are you sure it’s okay for you to come out today? You’re so pale!”
“Sol, they said you were in a big accident! Are you really okay?!”
The boss grabbed my shoulders and shook them, and the fish customer held my face and checked my complexion.
Wow, the world is spinning.
“Boss Ppik! This kid has a fever?”
“What? Humans die when they have a fever…! Oh my, Hansol, don’t die! This won’t do. Forget coming to work or whatever, rest today too. Go back home quickly!”
“Ah, but I’m fine…? I wasn’t in the accident.”
The accident just happened in front of my eyes—I was perfectly fine without any injuries. I did have bruises, but those were from being grabbed by Bihyeon, so excluding that.
At my words, the fish’s expression changed strangely. But the boss didn’t seem to notice and kept pushing my back. Like that, while I was holding the doorknob and shouting that I absolutely can’t go, the door opened with strong force and both the boss and I were dragged along.
Thud.
‘Kyaa.’
I naturally squeezed my eyes shut, and someone caught me and the boss who were falling.
Oh, an incredibly solid body. And a familiar scent.
You came early today, haha… Now I can tell who it is even with my eyes closed.
I slightly opened my eyes and smiled awkwardly while looking up at the man, who smiled with eyes asking what kind of rough joke this was, grabbed me and the boss’s bodies to stand us upright, then let go of his hands.
“Hello…? Ah, please take this.”
I first checked if my bag that I protected even while falling was intact.
After checking, I held out the shopping bag I was carrying to Bihyeon.
“I made two apple pies, so please give them to Fox-nim and Tiger-nim.”
He slowly tilted his head. Then he also smiled with his eyes. It was a look that found me amusing. And somewhat puzzled.
“Apple pie is sweet. For Bihyeon-nim, I made walnut pie really big, and there are egg tarts too.”
“So then… why did the curse get stronger again?”
“Really? That’s strange. There wasn’t anything this time that would cause that, I don’t know.”
Suddenly coming at me directly.
My words were blocked, so I moved my lips then tried to smile and shook my head as if I didn’t know.
Bihyeon, who had been looking inside the shopping bag, raised his eyes and stared at me. Then he gestured for us to go in and let us into the café first.
I glanced back then immediately went into the staff room and prepared to work. When I came out wearing an apron and headed to the counter, the boss approached me.
“Hansol. Are you really sure you don’t need to go home? Don’t humans die when their fever is high? Hm?”
“I won’t die. My fever isn’t even that high.”
To show I was fine, I nodded my head greatly and rolled my shoulders.
And there was a reason I didn’t want to go home.
I was scared to go home. After having nightmares, even staying still, it felt like someone kept watching me, and then if I closed my eyes, I’d get sleep paralysis…
“Iced Americano.”
“Ah, yes yes. I’ll make it right away.”
After washing my hands thoroughly, I received the card from Bihyeon and brewed coffee.
I can easily overcome a fever or something. There’s no shift today either, so I just need to go and rest well. Not just today. Now I’m completely free until I find the next part-time job. Today I should take out all the inventory and do a big cleaning. If my body is tired, won’t I not get sleep paralysis and sleep well?
I pressed the corners of my mouth then turned around and smiled while handing him the drink.
The fish customer and boss were looking at me with worried eyes from behind.
I nodded greatly again to mean I’m fine and raised my thumb. Those two sighed noticeably. Perhaps deciding they couldn’t win against my stubbornness, the boss who had been looking this way eventually moved to clean the hall, and the fish customer stood in line a little distance away as if to order after Bihyeon.
“Goodbye.”
Tap tap.
At my greeting, the man didn’t leave but stood there, received the drink, and tapped with his finger.
“Do you have paper?”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
I took out a memo pad from under the counter and held it out with a pen.
He wrote something on the memo pad and handed it to me. It seemed like a drawing, or like letters, but I couldn’t make it out.
“Carry this around for a while.”
I raised my head. He who had been touching his lips while thinking something took the memo pad back and wrote a number at the bottom.
“Oh, what. Is this Bihyeon-nim’s number?”
“Yes.”
Should I take this to mean to call if anything happens?
I was nodding when I went “Ah” and picked up my phone and immediately called his number.
“This is my number. What’s the point if you only receive. Ah, right. My name is…”
“I know. There’s a name tag too.”
“Huh? Ah, y-yes, that’s right.”
He who had been smiling slowly turned his body and left the café.
…What, he seemed uninterested but he did look at my name tag…
I’m touched? My ears were burning for no reason, so I scratched my cheek, bowed my head to say goodbye, then waved my hand diligently. After that, I put the paper behind my phone case.
When Bihyeon left, the fish customer who approached close to the counter laughed huhu and held out a card.
“It seems you’ve gotten quite close with Bihyeon-nim. Humans really are unknowable even when you know them. One Americano and… but you, wouldn’t it be better for you to rest today? Your complexion really doesn’t look good.”
“I’m fine. It’s better to work hard and go home and rest well.”
That way I’ll just pass out and sleep later…
“Other humans slack off moderately, but you have none of that, kid. It’s not something besides the curse, is it?”
Wow, as expected, fish customer, you’re really quick-witted.
I smiled awkwardly, shook my head, immediately brewed an Americano and handed it over.
Then I smiled as if I was really fine, and though they had suspicious eyes, I watched them go sit down, then slowly rolled up my sleeves and organized starting with the counter.
The boss who was sitting nearby muttered to themselves.
“Should I hire one more morning part-timer… there will be more customers.”
A new part-timer? I hope a good person comes in. Thinking that, I organized the entire counter and brought a broom to clean the floor.
1:20.
3:10.
4:44…
After sending off the boss, thinking time wasn’t passing today, I picked up my phone and it was exactly this time.
…This time again?
Ding-a-ling— And precisely at that time, the door opened, so I jumped up wondering if it was Bihyeon. A woman I was seeing for the first time wearing a red coat entered holding a red umbrella. She looked quite wet as if it was raining outside.
She looks very similar to a human… I thought, but no. Her teeth protruded too sharply and she had one more eye on her forehead.
As she approached closer, she shook off her wet hair, tap tap. Then the three red eyes moved and looked at me.
“Welco… me.”
“Did I scare you?”
“No, um…”
It was a grotesquely low voice. My body flinched and trembled slightly, but I put strength in my face to not show I was scared. Hasn’t this been happening at 4:44 since last time…?
Someone wearing red clothes comes in at 4:44—if there’s anyone who’s not scared, come out and say so.
But I tried to equip my service smile and smiled while pointing at the menu.
“Will you order?”
“Is there a menu you recommend among sweet things? I can’t drink sour things or coffee.”
This is a customer, this person is a customer. Not a scary ghost. Absolutely not…
I maintained a smiling face while doing mind control on myself.
“For sweet things, hot chocolate is very popular. If you don’t like chocolate…”
“Then give me that. But…”
“Y-yes?”
“Are you human?”
When you ask if I’m human while twisting your head so frighteningly…
I laughed awkwardly, haha, lowered my gaze to look at my fingertips, then nodded my head slightly.
“Yes, yes. I am human.”
“Your energy is fascinating. Ah, don’t be scared. I was just born with this kind of face.”
“…I’ll make the hot chocolate delicious.”
“But why are you cursed?”
While I was turned around making the drink, she was watching me from in front of the counter when she asked in a puzzled voice. When she spoke in that eerie voice, it was quite horrifying, but I tried to answer as nonchalantly as possible. No, I was trying to, but she who had approached even closer than before tilted her head and was staring holes through me with red eyes.
…It was really scary.
“The curse and clear energy are together. The curse is from a human, and the energy is…”
Then she went “Oh my!” and covered her mouth while sparkling her eyes.
“That’s the energy of the Central Master! Right? What brings that person here?”
Central Master? Who, who is that? I tried to ask, but there was a face that passed by.
I thought of Bihyeon who had been wearing hanbok in a beautiful and tranquil mountain. But I couldn’t be certain, so I shook my head slightly.
Ding-a-ling—
“Welcome.”
Like that, the moment I diligently made the drink and turned around, the door opened and my eyes met with Bihyeon who was entering.
She who discovered Bihyeon was startled and stepped back, bowed her head deeply, and greeted him.
Wow, that person must really be high-ranking. Looking at how startled she is while greeting…
I glanced between those two, then handed the hot chocolate to her. The dawn air was chilly, so I unconsciously rubbed my arm at the cold wind entering through the door gap. Bihyeon who leisurely came toward me stared at me intently, then smiled slowly.
Somehow those eyes seemed to be saying, “See. I was right. I said scary things would come.”
His words to me suddenly came to mind.
‘Beings that look scary to humans, beings that are actually scary to humans. And beings that hate humans.’
For a moment I felt self-conscious and spoke in a small voice.
“I’m not scared at all right now. It’s not because I’m scared…”
At my words, he burst into low laughter.
