So is it because of my cookies after all?
If that’s the reason, I can’t lie—kind of proud. Even though the more “realistic” explanation is that he’s coming to keep an eye on me because I’m human.
Either way, if the café’s doing well because of it, that’s a good thing.
I work the night shift, so I can’t really feel whether business has picked up or not.
DING-A-LING—
Like it was waiting for my sentence to end, the door opened and familiar faces came in. The praying mantis-faced customer and the fish customer—regulars who’d been coming ever since I started working here.
“Welcome!”
And behind them, I saw a familiar man.
Lord Bihyeon.
I lifted my head with an Oh— and the two who were greeting me followed my gaze and turned around.
Then they froze—held their breath—and scrambled out of the way.
Lord Bihyeon walked in slowly, took in the situation, and smiled. Then he made a gesture like, Go ahead first.
“N-no, you go first! We’re going to drink slowly, so… haha….”
The praying mantis-faced customer stammered the words out.
They couldn’t even make eye contact, flustered to the point of helplessness—and it made me feel awkward too.
It wasn’t like Lord Bihyeon was glaring at them or pressuring them.
But I got it. I really did.
Maybe it was the air he gave off, but even when he did nothing, you ended up lowering your head and trembling anyway.
“First come, first served. Isn’t it?”
He tilted his head languidly as he spoke, then came to the counter anyway—like he was trying to order fast and get out of their way.
Phewww.
I smiled at the customers who were secretly exhaling in relief behind me and headed to the register.
I guess it’s good that I’m a little less terrified than before.
At this point, the image I had of Lord Bihyeon was: a high-ranking being who—when he felt like it—would at least eat something tasty I made.
Still scary, though.
…Ah. Wait.
I assumed he’d come late today, so I hadn’t baked cookies yet.
“Welcome. Um—today I don’t have cookies, though….”
When I lifted my hand to tell him, he lowered his posture a little, like he was making it easier for me to talk, and gave a small laugh.
“Iced Americano.”
Huh.
So I try to whisper and he actually accommodates me.
Maybe he isn’t as ice-cold as I thought.
I nodded with a smile and turned around.
It felt like I could feel everyone’s eyes drilling into my back, but I pretended I didn’t notice and made the drink.
After pulling the coffee, I held it out to him.
“Here you go.”
He just stared at me and didn’t take it.
I lifted my head—our eyes met.
With that odd look, that signature cold smile, he finally took the drink.
“Now you’ll have to be even more careful.”
“…Pardon?”
When you say it like that, it’s seriously ominous and terrifying.
I blinked, then glanced toward the owner.
“Be careful” doesn’t mean “I’m going to bury you,” right?
I watched him turn away to leave, then dipped my head slightly.
“Um… have a good one.”
I leaned against the counter, blinking, then let out a small breath.
The regulars who’d been hiding at a distance came back over, watching the door like guards, then looked at me like I was some kind of curiosity.
“You’ve really got guts. Aren’t you scared?”
“Huh? Of what?”
“Lord Bihyeon.”
“Uh… I don’t think I’m that scared anymore. His expression’s just kind of cold….”
And he seems kind of considerate, honestly….
Even just now—wasn’t he leaving quickly because the other customers were uncomfortable?
Thinking about how his pace had been faster than usual, it didn’t feel impossible.
I tilted my head, mulling it over.
I’m usually good at reading people—ah. Right. Not a person.
He just looks like one, so my brain keeps treating him that way.
“You’re something else… An Iced Americano, please.”
“Yes. Three extra shots, right?”
“I forgot to say it. You really do get it the moment I say it.”
The fish customer nodded, smiling as if pleased.
DING-A-LING—
“Welcome.”
I rang something in on the POS, lifted my head—
and immediately lowered my gaze. Slowly.
What is that. What is that.
Someone with long, loose hair shuffled in with their head bowed low, their whole body slack like it was melting.
No legs. Instead, a long tail covered in scales—like a snake.
No, seriously… is that actually a snake?
“Oh my goodness, Silk!”
“Uh, um… h-hello….”
“This is our snake-family neighbor from next door. They look like that, but they’re very kind.”
The fish customer beamed and patted the snake’s back—SQUELCH. SQUELCH.—then nodded emphatically.
It was probably to keep me from freaking out.
But even if you say they’re kind—
if they come in with their hair fully down like a ghost and never lift their head, isn’t it still scary?
Especially to a fragile human like me.
“Um… I… th-that… tomato juice… please….”
“Yes. That’ll be 6,000 won.”
I touched the POS and looked up to take their card.
The snake customer fidgeted, then startled when our eyes met, digging frantically through their pocket.
Their hands shook so badly that the card they pulled out slipped and fell to the floor.
They bent down with a little gasp—then BANG—smacked into the POS shelf.
…That must’ve hurt.
“Are you okay…?”
My eyes went wide and I reached out without thinking.
Still trembling, the snake nodded quickly, picked up the card, and stood back up.
Through their hair, I caught a glimpse of their eyes—wet, tears trembling at the corners.
They were embarrassed, but I pretended I hadn’t noticed and took the card.
I processed the payment and turned around to make the drink—
“Ah, um… uh….”
“Yes?”
“C-cookies… I—no. Never mind. I’m sorry!”
“Ah, cookies are—”
Oh. They came here for cookies?
Of course it’s on the day I didn’t make any.
I was about to apologize, but the snake customer had already hurried off to a table, and I missed the timing.
I scratched my head, then made the drink.
…I should make coffee for myself today too.
I wasn’t a coffee person, but if I wanted to survive my afternoon shift, I didn’t have a choice.
I gave drinks to the snake customer and the fish customer, then pulled my own coffee.
That was when the owner spoke to me.
“Hansol. Carry my card and buy ingredients with it. Got it? I’ve been giving you cash, but I figured you can’t really buy whatever you want with that. And sending me every single receipt would be annoying too.”
I mean… the cash had been more than enough, and I’ve been buying everything just fine.
Also, Boss Bbiik—aren’t you trusting me a little too much?
What if I use this card for something weird?
What if I just run off with it?
I watched as the owner grabbed my hand and pressed the card into my palm, then I just smiled and nodded.
“Yes… is there anything you want to eat?”
“Walnut pie!”
“Yes. I’ll make that for you tomorrow.”
The owner’s damp hand squeezed mine tight.
The way they looked at me—eyes glittering like they couldn’t wait—made me burst out laughing.
“I’ll make it insanely good.”
“You’re the best! How did a lucky charm like you wander in here? Starting tomorrow, I might have to go do volunteer work or something.”
That’s… a lot.
I scratched my head, feeling good, and decided I should make even more than usual.
“By the way, Hansol.”
The owner, who’d been grinning ear to ear, looked at me like they’d just remembered something.
“Yes?”
“You really need to be careful tomorrow. Ah—past midnight, so I guess it’s today.”
“What? Why are you saying that too? You’re making me anxious….”
“No… today is a night when the moonlight is weak. So you need to be extra careful. This place is safe, but once you’re outside, it isn’t.”
They were so serious that my expression stiffened too.
Hmmmm.
Wasn’t the owner just looking at me with a serious face?
Maybe I imagined it.
No… I don’t think I did….
Muttering under my breath, I started getting ready to clock out.
I sent the owner off with that unsettled feeling still clinging to me, then cleaned up the hall alone.
Since no one was around, I aired the place out, organized inventory, all that.
4:44 a.m.
I finished tidying up, started making cookies, and happened to catch the clock.
Of course it had to be an ominous number like that.
DING-A-LING— THUD.
“Welcome.”
I was scrubbing the floor hard with the mop and greeted the door out of habit.
But the door only opened a crack—then shut again.
DING-A-LING— THUD.
Again.
It opened a little, then shut.
Curious, I walked closer.
This time the door opened all the way—
but no one came in.
Outside was dyed such an unsettling red that I frowned.
What…?
I couldn’t even see the scenery—everything was nothing but red.
On guard, I stepped forward slowly.
SLIDE—
“Huh?”
The red shifted to the side, and a vertically slit pupil appeared.
A beat later, the pupil angled downward, and I saw white above it.
The moment I caught the thin red threads of blood vessels, goosebumps crawled over my whole body.
That… was an eye?
Swallowing hard, I backed up as I’d been stepping forward, holding my breath.
Slide. Slide.
The eye moved back and forth, then turned toward me.
Like it couldn’t focus, the pupil wobbled.
My hand trembled as I pulled out my phone from my pocket anyway.
“E-excuse me….”
…Huh?
I was finding the owner’s name and about to hit call when I heard a tiny voice.
I looked around, then turned toward where it came from.
“E-excuse me… c-can you hear me…?”
Was it my imagination that the timid voice was coming from that red eye?
“I… I came to order coffee… and cookies too… my son keeps begging for them… so I….”
SLITHER.
The slit pupil locked onto me exactly.
Then it slid back—like it was retreating—and I heard something muttered in a voice too small to understand.
“Speak up, Silk.”
Huh?
That voice was familiar.
Lazily spoken, and stepping into the café—
was none other than Lord Bihyeon.
The instant I recognized him, my legs went loose and I collapsed with a long, shaky exhale.
He smiled like, Hmm? then pointed outside with his finger.
“You need to take the customer’s order, don’t you? Silk is too big to come in.”
“Y-yes. Right….”
Seriously… I don’t think I’ve ever been this shocked in my life, and I’ve been working here for a while now.
I covered my face, took deep breaths, then grabbed my trembling legs and forced myself upright.
Moving like a zombie, I went to the door and cautiously peeked my head outside.
“Um… h-hello…?”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…! My son wanted cookies so badly, and….”
Big.
It was… unbelievably big.
A snake so huge I had to tilt my head up to see it.
About as big as this three-story building…?
I smiled awkwardly, bowed my head, and lifted my hand in greeting.