“Hello—”
“Oh my god! Are you even supposed to be here today? You look pale!”
“Hansol, I heard you had a huge accident! Are you really okay?!”
Boss Bbiik grabbed my shoulders and shook me, and the fish customer grabbed my face to check my complexion.
Wow. The world is spinning.
“Boss Bbiik! He’s running a fever.”
“What? Humans die if they get a fever…! Oh no, Hansol, don’t die! This won’t do. Forget work—rest again today. Go back home, now!”
“Ah, I’m fine…? It’s not like I was the one who got into an accident.”
The accident happened right in front of me. I was perfectly fine without a single injury. I did have a bruise, but that didn’t count, because that was from Lord Bihyeon grabbing me.
At my words, the fish customer’s expression shifted in a strange way. But Boss Bbiik, maybe not noticing, kept pushing me along by the back. I grabbed the doorknob and yelled that I absolutely couldn’t go, and then—
The door flew open with a powerful force, dragging Boss Bbiik and me along with it.
Thud.
‘Aaaah.’
Like it was the most natural thing in the world, I squeezed my eyes shut as I toppled—along with Boss Bbiik—and someone caught us.
A… really solid body.
And a familiar scent.
You came early today, haha… I don’t even need to open my eyes anymore to know who it is.
I cracked my eyes open and forced an awkward smile as I looked up at the man. He smiled back with a look that said, What kind of rough joke is this? Then he grabbed me and Boss Bbiik, set us upright like nothing happened, and let go.
“Hello…? Ah—here. Take this.”
Even while falling, I’d protected my bag. I checked it first to make sure it was still okay.
After I looked it over, I held out the shopping bag I’d brought to Lord Bihyeon.
“I made two apple pies, so please give them to Haru and the tiger.”
He slowly tilted his head.
Then he smiled with his eyes. Like he found me entertaining.
And a little… puzzled.
“Apple pie is sweet. For you, Lord Bihyeon… I made the walnut pie really big, and I brought egg tarts too.”
“So… why did the curse get stronger again?”
“Huh? It did? That’s weird. This time, there wasn’t anything that should’ve done that, so… I don’t know.”
Wow. He just comes at you like that out of nowhere.
My mouth opened and closed, and I forced a smile as I shook my head like I really didn’t know.
Lord Bihyeon glanced into the shopping bag, then lifted his eyes and stared at me. After a moment, he motioned for us to go in, letting us enter the café first.
I glanced back once, then headed straight into the staff room to get ready for work. I tied on my apron and came out, and as I walked toward the counter, Boss Bbiik came up to me.
“Hansol. Are you sure you don’t need to go home? Humans die if their fever gets high, don’t they? Huh?”
“I’m not going to die. And it’s not even that high.”
To make it obvious I was fine, I nodded hard and rolled my shoulders.
And there was another reason I didn’t want to go home.
Because I was scared.
Ever since the nightmares, even if I stayed still, it felt like someone was watching me. And if I closed my eyes, I’d get sleep paralysis…
“Iced Americano.”
“Ah, yes, yes. I’ll have it right out.”
I washed my hands carefully, then took the card Lord Bihyeon handed me and pulled the coffee.
A little body ache like this? I can beat that easily. And today I don’t even have another part-time job, so I can go home and crash. Not just today, either. Until I find my next job, I’m free. I should take out all the stock and do a deep clean. If I wear myself out, maybe I won’t get sleep paralysis, and I’ll actually sleep okay.
I pressed at the corners of my mouth, then turned around, smiled, and handed him the drink.
Behind me, the fish customer and Boss Bbiik were watching with worried eyes.
I nodded big again and gave a thumbs-up to show I was fine.
Both of them sighed so loudly it was obvious.
Maybe deciding they couldn’t beat my stubbornness, Boss Bbiik finally moved off to clean the seating area, and the fish customer lined up a little ways back, like they were going to order after Lord Bihyeon.
“Have a good day.”
Tap, tap.
The man didn’t leave. He stayed right there, took the drink, and tapped the cup lightly with his finger.
“Do you have paper?”
“Huh? Ah—yes.”
I pulled out a memo pad from under the counter and handed it over with a pen.
He wrote something and passed it to me. It looked like a drawing, or maybe letters, but I couldn’t make it out.
“Carry it with you for now.”
I lifted my head. Lord Bihyeon, touching his lips as if thinking, took the memo back and wrote a number underneath.
“Wait—what. Is this your number, Lord Bihyeon?”
“Yes.”
Does this mean I can call if something happens?
I nodded—and then, oh. I pulled out my phone and immediately called his number.
“This is my number. It’s pointless if I just take yours. Ah, right. My name is—”
“I know.”
“Huh?”
“You have a name tag.”
“…Ah. Right. Y-yeah.”
Lord Bihyeon smiled slowly, turned, and walked out of the café.
…What the heck. He acts like he doesn’t care, but he did look at my name tag….
I’m touched?
My ears felt weirdly hot, so I scratched my cheek, bowed my head to tell him to go safely, and waved like crazy.
After that, I slipped the paper into the back of my phone case.
As soon as Lord Bihyeon left, the fish customer stepped closer to the counter. With a soft hoo-hoo laugh, they held out their card.
“Looks like you’ve gotten a lot closer with Lord Bihyeon. Really—humans are impossible to figure out. One Americano, and… but you, shouldn’t you rest today? Your face looks really bad.”
“I’m fine. Working hard, then going home and resting is better.”
So I can just pass out later…
“Other humans slack off in moderation, but you—why are you so completely incapable of that? It’s not just the curse, is it? Nothing else going on?”
Wow. The fish customer is seriously sharp.
I smiled awkwardly, shook my head, and pulled the Americano right away, handing it over.
Then I smiled like I really was fine. Even with a suspicious look, they went to their seat.
I watched them for a second, then slowly rolled up my sleeves and started by organizing the counter.
Nearby, Boss Bbiik muttered to themself.
“Maybe it’s about time to hire one more morning part-timer… We’re going to get more customers.”
A new part-timer? I hope a good person comes in.
Thinking that, I finished straightening the entire counter, grabbed the broom, and started cleaning the floor.
1:20 a.m.
3:10 a.m.
4:44 a.m….
After sending Boss Bbiik off, I thought time was crawling today. I pulled out my phone, and it was exactly that time.
…Again?
Ding-a-ling—
And right on time, the door opened.
I sprang up, thinking it might be Lord Bihyeon, but it wasn’t.
A woman I’d never seen before walked in, wearing a red coat and holding a red umbrella. If it was raining outside, she’d gotten soaked—she looked drenched.
She looks a lot like a human… was my first thought.
But she wasn’t.
Her teeth jutted out far too sharply, and she had an extra eye on her forehead.
As she came closer, she shook out her wet hair with a couple of quick motions.
Tap, tap.
Then her three red eyes moved—and fixed on me.
“W-welcome…”
“Did I scare you?”
“No, it’s just…”
Her voice was grotesquely low.
My body gave a tiny shudder, but I tightened my face so I wouldn’t show I was scared.
Why does this keep happening at 4:44 a.m.?
Someone tell me there’s a person alive who wouldn’t be scared when someone in red walks in at 4:44 a.m.
But I forced on my service smile anyway, and pointed at the menu.
“Would you like to order?”
“Is there something you recommend among the sweet drinks? I can’t drink sour things, or coffee.”
She’s a customer. This person is a customer.
Not a scary ghost.
Absolutely not…
I kept up the smile while desperately mind-controlling myself.
“If you want something sweet, chocolate latte is popular. If you don’t like chocolate—”
“Then I’ll take that. But…”
“Yes? Y-yes?”
“Are you human?”
If you’re going to ask if I’m human, maybe don’t tilt your head like that while you do it….
“Haha…” I laughed awkwardly, let my gaze slide down to my fingertips, then nodded slightly.
“Y-yes. I mean… I am human.”
“Your energy is interesting. Ah, don’t be scared. This is just what my face looks like.”
“…I’ll make your chocolate latte taste great.”
“But why do you have a curse on you?”
I’d turned around to make the drink, and she asked in an oddly curious voice as she watched me from the counter.
Hearing that question in that gloomy voice was honestly terrifying, but I tried to answer like it was no big deal.
No—I tried to.
But she’d moved even closer than before, tilting her head as she stared straight through me with those red eyes.
…It was really scary.
“You’ve got a curse and clear energy together. The curse is human, but the energy is…”
Then she suddenly went, “Oh my!” and covered her mouth, eyes sparkling.
“It’s the energy of the master of the Central District! Right? What is he doing here?”
The master of the Central District?
Who… who is that?
I wanted to ask, but a face flashed through my mind.
Lord Bihyeon, in hanbok, in a beautiful, quiet mountain.
Still, I couldn’t be sure, so I gave a small shake of my head.
Ding-a-ling—
“Welcome.”
The moment I finished making the drink and turned around, the door opened—and my eyes met Lord Bihyeon as he walked in.
The woman spotted him and flinched so hard she practically jumped, stepping back and bowing deeply as she greeted him.
Wow. He really must be that high up.
If she’s reacting like that just to greet him…
I glanced between the two of them, then handed the woman her chocolate latte.
The dawn air felt chilly. Cold wind slipped in through the crack of the door, and without thinking, I rubbed my arms.
Lord Bihyeon strolled over toward me, looked at me quietly for a moment, then smiled slowly.
Somehow his eyes looked like they were saying, See? I told you. Something scary would show up.
And suddenly, what he’d told me popped into my head.
‘Beings that look scary to humans, beings that are truly scary to humans. And beings that hate humans.’
I lowered my voice, feeling weirdly self-conscious, and said,
“I’m not scared at all right now. It’s not like I’m doing this because I’m scared, I just—”
At my words, he let out a low laugh.