“Did I say anything?”
Behind us, she watched with eyes that looked almost intrigued, then snapped her fingers like she’d remembered something. Unlike the other customers, she didn’t seem afraid of Lord Bihyeon.
She pulled a talisman drawn in red from her pocket and held it out to me.
I didn’t know much about talismans, but this one gave me a bad feeling too.
“It’s a talisman that curses the human who cast the curse. I actually made it today, so this is perfect. Hmm… with this much, the other side will be torn apart and die brutally.”
Cursing the person who cursed me… and they die?
What kind of terrifying item is that?
When I didn’t take it, she shoved it closer toward me.
“Take it. That doesn’t look like it’ll end before you die.”
“Uh… um… thank you, but I’m okay.”
“What do you mean, you’re okay? Then you’re saying you’re fine with dying?”
“I mean, no, but…”
Am I?
Honestly, I don’t know.
I worked my lips and shook my head a little, and she immediately fired another question.
“Then why won’t you take it?”
She tilted her neck at an unnatural angle. Her eyes said she couldn’t understand me.
“Because… killing someone is kind of…”
Sure, if I did that, the curse on me would disappear, and I’d escape death.
But that couldn’t possibly be a good way.
If anything, wasn’t that the worst choice?
And because I had a guess who the person was, I wanted it even less.
I hate you.
And when I was little, I really did wish you would die, sometimes…
“There’s no other way. You don’t want to die, do you?”
I didn’t answer that.
After watching me for a moment, she shrugged and sighed like she’d lost all energy.
“Do whatever you want. Anyway, do you have cookies? They’re so famous I came to try them, but I don’t see any.”
“Ah—everything from the morning batch is gone… but I have fresh cookies I made. I’ll give you some.”
Boss Bbiik had said I could sell the snacks I made even at dawn, and since I made them, if I wanted to just give them to customers, I could.
I went into the kitchen in back and plated a few baked cookies. I took out a wrapper at the counter, wrapped them carefully, and held them out to her.
“Here you go.”
“Heehee. I’ll come again. If you change your mind, tell me anytime. I’ll keep this talisman. I won’t sell it.”
So they buy and sell talismans in this world too.
I gave a small smile and bowed my head slightly.
“I’m fine. Have a good day.”
Ding-a-ling—
She shrugged, waved, and left.
I let out a small sigh, drained.
Then I looked at Lord Bihyeon.
But he’d just been here earlier—why did he come again?
“Should I get you an Americano?”
“Ah. I just came to pass this along.”
Lord Bihyeon stared at me quietly, then glanced toward the doorway, smiling as he handed me a shopping bag.
Inside, something was wrapped in a cloth.
I read the room, then carefully loosened it.
It was yakgwa that looked insanely good.
My eyes lit up as I picked one up and looked at him.
Can I eat this? This is mine, right?
“Haru and the tiger told me to give it to you. They said it’s in return.”
“Can I eat one right now?”
He shrugged like it was up to me.
I took a huge bite.
“Wow. Whoa.”
What is this?
Why is it so good?
I demolished the whole thing right there, then stared down at the rest with deadly seriousness.
“This is all mine, right?”
“And if it is?”
“I’m going to ration it. If I eat one a day… would it go bad? Ah! Do you want one?”
“No. I’ve already eaten plenty.”
He let out a low chuckle, like he was done here, and turned as if to leave the café.
“Tell them thank you. Seriously!”
Lord Bihyeon only turned his head, gave a lazy wave, and walked out.
What a waste. If it lined up with the time I got off, we could’ve left together….
Still… has Lord Bihyeon gotten more comfortable with me now?
Smiling a little, I peeked into the shopping bag again.
If he came all the way here just to deliver this, then I guess he doesn’t hate me that much anymore.
‘Just one more bite…?’
I pressed my lips tight, then finally pulled out another and took a bite before putting it back.
Wow. Seriously…
It’s so good.
Chewing, I started drifting into other thoughts.
Yeah. When you’re alone at night, you think too much.
You get lonely, empty, and you only think about painful things.
‘I should look for another part-time job again this afternoon.’
I wanted to rest for just a few days.
I wanted it so bad it almost hurt.
And my condition kept getting worse.
But I didn’t have time to rest.
Even if working at the café gave me a tiny bit of breathing room, that was only when I had two part-time jobs. This alone couldn’t cover living expenses and my debt.
My appetite vanished all at once, and I smacked my lips, then shot to my feet.
I’ll clean.
If you keep yourself busy, the pointless thoughts go away.
6 a.m.
I greeted Boss Bbiik, who’d come in a hurry, and it was time for me to clock out.
I finished getting ready to leave, picked up my bag, and stepped out of the café slowly.
The sun was just starting to rise.
I was sleepy, but I didn’t want to go home.
Ha…
Walking, I let out a small sigh, then reached my place and put my hand on the doorknob.
I flinched.
Again—someone’s gaze landed on my back.
Lately, outside and inside, it kept feeling like this. Like there was always a presence.
It made me hate my place.
Rattle—THUD.
But if I didn’t go in, I couldn’t sleep, and I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.
I didn’t have any friends I could ask to let me crash. I could think of one person, but… I wasn’t used to the whole “friends” thing, and I’d avoided them and turned them down so much that…
I stood in the entryway and looked around.
I took off my shoes and went inside, opening every door and checking.
It didn’t seem like anyone was there, but that feeling—like someone was watching me—was still there.
‘What is wrong with me…?’
Just getting through each day is already hard enough.
“Haa…”
I checked the time.
I washed up quickly, sat down in front of my bed, pulled out one of the yakgwa Lord Bihyeon had given me, and put it in my mouth.
Chew, chew.
I chugged water, using that as breakfast and lunch.
At this point, didn’t that count as a meal?
I didn’t have the strength to take care of food anymore.
After I finished, I brushed my teeth, crawled into bed, and lay down.
I was so tired I felt like I’d fall asleep right away, but…
Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was that persistent, uncomfortable feeling of being watched.
Either way, sleep wouldn’t come.
I tossed and turned and grabbed my phone.
Bzz—
Aunt
Are you really not coming back home?
Aunt
Are you still not grown up? If you don’t want to die, come in right now
I stared at the phone, then tossed it next to the blanket.
‘I can’t breathe.’
I pulled the blanket all the way over my head and set the phone on top of it.
It vibrated one more time, but I didn’t check.
I just wanted to sleep.
*****
“Hansol, you’re here? But… you look way too tired lately.”
“Do I? I actually slept more before coming.”
In the end, I couldn’t find a daytime part-time job and failed, leaving me sulking all day. I’d lazed around at home, then come to the café.
The moment I arrived, Boss Bbiik grabbed my hand and spoke.
Squelch.
Their slick hand made me shiver a little.
“Ah—and I interviewed morning part-timers earlier. You remember that kid who came before? The snake.”
That snake Human?
That’s unexpected. They didn’t seem like the type who could do customer service.
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Half the applicants said they fell in love with your cookies and want to learn! Hahah! You’re a lucky charm, a lucky charm!”
Oh. Because they want to learn cookies?
Then they must be kind, upright entities.
“So did you hire someone?”
“I’m still not sure. It’s nice they like your cookies, but you might be uncomfortable. Or you might not want to teach. I’m trying to hire someone as normal as possible, but…”
“I’m fine. Teaching sounds like it could be fun.”
“Let’s watch a bit longer. If I ask you for that too, I’ll feel too guilty. Of course, I’ll pay you for it!”
Really okay… pay me?
That’s… amazing.
I get practice while teaching, if we can make more, it’s good for the café too, and on top of that, I get paid?
Perfect.
I wanted to say Yes, absolutely, but Boss Bbiik looked so serious I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud.
Boss Bbiik… your face has presence.
It was honestly scary, the way they said that with a lizard-like face, so I just went, “Ahaha…” and smiled awkwardly.
Ding-a-ling—
The second the bell rang, I snapped my head up.
These days, Lord Bihyeon had started coming a little earlier, so I thought it might be him.
But it was just the regulars who always came.
I smiled, welcomed them, and headed to the counter.
I was happy to see the fish customer and the octopus customer, but somehow I also felt disappointed.
Scratching my cheek, I rang them up and made their drinks.
“By the way, Hansol.”
“Yes?”
Boss Bbiik called me like it was nothing, then lifted their head and met my eyes.
“You really have no guess about the curse?”
“…No.”
I do, actually, but….
Did the curse get worse?
“If it weren’t for what you have on you right now, you’d have been dead already.”
In that moment, I remembered what the woman with three eyes had said—how it wouldn’t end before I died.
My fingers twitched, and I touched the phone in my pocket.
What I have on me right now…
If Boss Bbiik was saying that, then it really did seem like the paper Lord Bihyeon gave me was blocking the curse.
When he came later, I should tell him thank you.
And I should make something before then.
But if I die because of the curse… does it mean another huge accident happens, like a car crashing into a building like before?
A car accident…
I didn’t want to remember it, and I frowned.
‘I want to die without it hurting….’
Dying itself didn’t scare me.
It’d be unfair, sure, but whatever.
But if I had to pick, I wanted it to be peaceful, and not painful.
Because life had already hurt too much.
At least death—I wanted that to be gentle.
…Yeah.
Even dying being something where someone else decides I have to hurt—what a joke.
I sat there blank-faced, thinking, and Boss Bbiik stepped close and grabbed my hand again.
“Don’t worry. While you’re here, I’ll protect you! When you’re working at the café, don’t wander outside unless you really have to! Ask me for all the ingredients too.”
I met their eyes and let out a tiny snort of a laugh.
“Yes.”
How many chances does a life like mine get—to work under someone like Boss Bbiik?
So I told myself to enjoy it, answered with a smile, and kept moving, busy and diligent.