“I make a mean cup of coffee.”
At my behavior—like I was in the middle of an interview—the man’s eyes gleamed, as if he found it mildly entertaining.
He was terrifying. The kind that made your blood run cold.
…Ah. Not a human. Right, I forgot where I was.
“I’m a baking major, so I can make cakes and cookies that actually taste good, too. If you try them, I think you might change your mind….”
I’m this talented, so please keep me? No—just don’t fire me.
The hourly wage was too good to give up. And even though they weren’t human, there weren’t any nightmare customers at all.
“What was I thinking? I’m not sure.”
His voice had a faint laugh in it, just a trace of playfulness. But aside from that tiny sliver, everything about him was vicious.
If I had to guess what he was thinking… was it about firing me?
There was no way I could say that out loud, so I pulled out my I have no idea what you mean routine and laughed awkwardly. A desperate, harmless smile for the sake of money—while I tried to persuade him with what I could do.
“Because I’m human, you thought I’d make coffee like garbage…?”
“That’s a very confident answer.”
The man shrugged. He didn’t say I was wrong, and he didn’t say I was right either, but whatever I’d said was definitely the wrong answer.
“I’ll get ingredients tomorrow and make cookies for you. If you try them, you really won’t be able to fi— I mean. Anyway.”
His smiling eyes were asking, And why would I trust something you made?
It didn’t feel like he hated me exactly. His gaze was… more like—
Does he just hate humans?
I’d bounced between part-time jobs and dealt with plenty of awful customers, but I genuinely had no idea how you were supposed to make someone from another world—someone who clearly wasn’t feeling friendly—trust you. I worried at my lip as I thought.
“There’s only one way. You just have to try trusting me once. Can’t you… do that?”
I was pretty well-known for being good with my hands. Couldn’t he just count that as a plus and not fire me?
“Hm.”
His eyes held a hint of amusement, and I felt half-convinced I’d made progress. The instincts I’d built over years of surviving on social cues kicked in. I brightened my eyes and flashed him an innocent smile.
“Do you like sweets?”
“Not really.”
He answered without hesitating.
Either he really didn’t want to eat anything I offered, or he hated sweet things that much. Right now, the first one felt more likely.
“Then I’ll make them less sweet. Will you try them?”
They’d be way better than the snacks we sold here. Seriously.
I expected a blunt refusal, but the man just stared at me in silence. His lazy smile looked amused—and cold at the same time. In other words, his eyes were weighing what to do with me.
My face was starting to cramp. Could you give in already, VIP?
The man slowly tilted his head, then reached into his wallet and pulled out a card, holding it out to me.
“Iced Americano.”
…Yeah. That fits. He looked like the type who lived on nothing but bitter caffeine.
I took the card, rang it up, then turned around and started making his drink. My hands shook worse than usual.
So… I got past the firing line for now, right? …Right?
I’d almost lost a goldmine of a job because I ran my mouth trying to save it. It still felt like I was in the we’re watching you phase, but—
His stare was burning into my back.
The owner was beside him, trying hard to make conversation with the man called Lord Bihyeon, but he looked like he was drilling holes into me instead—staring straight at my back. He was the kind of man who didn’t seem capable of trust. Was he worried I’d secretly slip poison into it…?
I made the drink with all the focus I had, then reset my service smile and turned around.
“Here you go.”
I held the cup out with a bright grin. The man watched my face with a matching smile, then accepted the drink.
“Boss Bbiik. Don’t let anything happen. Be careful.”
“Yes! I’ll keep an eye on everything…! And Hansol is absolutely not the type to cause trouble. Please, trust me!”
At the owner’s passionate insistence, the man only let out a quiet, amused snort. Then he turned and walked away.
The moment he left, my legs almost gave out.
Wow. Please tell me I’m not going to get myself killed because I got cocky trying to protect a sweet part-time gig. Even when he smiles, the atmosphere around him is that scary.
And he didn’t say, Be careful not to cause trouble.
He said, Don’t let anything happen.
I don’t think I said anything wrong, though.
Ah, whatever. Either way, it was obvious he didn’t like me.
I blinked a few times, then let out a long breath.
*****
“Hel— hello…?”
The second my convenience-store shift ended, I used the ingredients left in my fridge and poured every ounce of my skill into making cookies. With a satisfied expression, I shook a big bag full of them and headed to the café.
When I arrived, the first thing I saw was the owner sitting in front of the “popular snacks among humans” display, organizing items while sighing heavily—his face packed with worry and stress.
He didn’t even have a human face, so how were his emotions that readable? It was almost impressive.
I’d made plenty so I could give them out to other customers, so the bag was huge. I set it at the corner of the counter, tied on my apron, and stepped back out.
The owner saw me and sighed again.
“…I really liked you. Honestly. But… it looks like Lord Bihyeon heard the rumor that a human part-timer showed up and came by. I mean, it’d be stranger if it didn’t reach his ears.”
Bihyeon? Ah—yesterday’s terrifying man.
I’d thought it then, too. It really was a pretty name.
“Maybe he’ll change his mind after he tries the cookies today. Don’t worry. I made them really well.”
“I hope so… but he really hates humans.”
“Boss Bbiik, cheer up! If he hated it that much, he would’ve fired me yesterday. He might actually change his mind once he tries the cookies!”
Right on cue—like they’d timed their visit to my arrival—the fish customer arrived, laughing softly, and patted the owner’s back.
Squelch.
Every time they patted him, that sound came out, but I pretended I didn’t hear it and pulled out cookies from the bag.
Wait. Can the fish customer even eat cookies? And if they can… how?
“Excuse me—would you like to try one? If you can’t, then—”
“No, I can eat it, kid! Give it here. It smells delicious. And my name is Eoun.”
Eoun… so that’s Eoun.
“Yes, Mr. Eoun. Here you go. I put extra care into these.”
I smiled brightly and offered one to the owner as well. Even while sighing, they took it, tore the wrapper open, stared at the cookie packed with chocolate chips with awed eyes—then stuffed it into their mouth in one bite.
“Mmm! Delicious. You really are good.”
After one cookie, the owner’s eyes went wide. They shoveled the rest in quickly, then held out both hands politely, asking for another.
“I made plenty for the regulars. You can have more next time.”
“…Just one!”
“No.”
At my firm tone, the fish customer laughed softly. Then they opened their own wrapper, saying they’d share theirs.
They pushed their mouth out of the fishbowl-like dome and dropped a cookie into the air—then caught it and ate it.
“Mmm,” they hummed, nodding hard like it was genuinely good.
That’s… more normal than I expected. I thought maybe tentacles would come out or something.
“Mmm. This is the kind of cookie you have to drink an Americano with. Hurry up. Add three extra shots.”
“Yes. I’ll have it right out.”
When someone eats what you made like that, it really does make you happy.
I smiled a little and went inside to prepare coffee.
Ding-a-ling—
Someone came in?
I paused mid-prep and turned—
—and saw the praying mantis-faced customer waving with a kindly smile. Their body was human, but their arms were mantis all the way up, so it still wasn’t something I’d ever get used to.
And behind them, another customer peeked in and bowed, lowering their head.
“W-welcome….”
I nearly choked on my greeting.
An… octopus. That was definitely an octopus. It was about human-sized, but it felt like an octopus had simply gotten bigger and put clothes on.
A kraken? Does that make it a kraken?
Whatever. Everything’s fine. But why is an octopus hanging out with a praying mantis? Then again… this is another world. They could all be friends.
Drop common sense. Toss it straight in the trash.
The thing I’d learned in a week was that life got easier the moment you stopped trying to figure things out.
“Wow. Just like the rumors—he really is a human young man who gives off warm energy! And he’s handsome, too. Though honestly, all human faces look the same, so I can’t really tell. Ha-ha!”
Mr. Octopus was friendly and upbeat. I couldn’t read his expression, but his voice was bright, so… he must’ve been in a good mood.
“Th-thank you….”
“We’ll both have Iced Americanos!”
I nodded with an awkward smile. I served the fish customer first, then focused on making the next drinks.
So there really are all kinds of species.
If someone wanted to be cruel and film this, they could probably become a huge star overnight. Not that I would.
I handed over their drinks and the cookies I’d brought. They sat down with cheerful smiles. I glanced at them, then checked the time.
If he came around the same time as yesterday… then after I cleaned a bit and checked the beans…
…he should show up soon.
That’s what I thought, but—
1:00 a.m.
2:00 a.m.
3:20 a.m….
Starting today, I’d agreed to work full-time until 6:00 a.m., so I still had time left, but… it felt like he wasn’t coming at all.
“Is he not coming today…?”
The owner had already left, which meant I’d be alone for the last two hours.
After 4:00 a.m., there were no customers. Whenever I had time, I mopped the floor, dried dishes, and even checked the oven—one that looked like it hadn’t been used in ages. The time went by fast, but that man still didn’t show.
He’s not going to be petty and fire me without even trying the cookies, is he?
6:00 a.m….
I’d been moving nonstop, so the end of my shift arrived before I knew it.
I soothed the owner—who worriedly asked if Lord Bihyeon had come by—and headed out. As I walked home, I tore open one cookie for myself and ate it slowly.
Is he trying to nitpick tomorrow if I don’t bring cookies again, so he can use that as an excuse to make me quit?
He didn’t look like the type to play petty games. If he wanted to fire me, he seemed more like the type to say, cold and clean, Get out, without hesitation.
I’d barely seen him, so I couldn’t be sure…
Still.
The cookies came out so good. What a waste.