Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: First Customer
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"...And now, the next news. Incidents caused by villains just won't stop lately. In particular, the rate of serious crimes like murders is on the rise, and Reporter Joo Hyun-young will bring us the related story."
"Yes, this is Reporter Joo Hyun-young. I'm currently at a residential neighborhood in the Eunpyeong-gu district that's been turned into a total mess..."
'Scary enough to die from. Yeah, right.'
Beep.
I turned off the TV with the remote control, as the ominous news blared out. It was about time for me to head out.
'Wonder if it's a bit chilly?'
It had rained last night. Even though it was summer, it might feel a little cool, so I grabbed a light jacket and stepped outside.
The sun had long set, but thanks to the streetlights lining the roads and the neon signs glowing from the packed buildings, it was as bright as daytime.
If anything, it was dazzling.
Step, step.
Where there's light, there's shadow.
Likewise, not every spot in this flashy city was lit up like broad daylight.
The further out you went toward the outskirts, the more spaced-out the streetlights became, and it wasn't hard to spot shops that had closed early with their shutters down or dingy old bars.
I turned into an alley even deeper in those outskirts.
And there, I came face-to-face with a certain shop.
[Oasis]
In the corner of the sign with its slightly corny name was a small note reading cocktail bar.
The shop interior visible through the entrance door was dark, illuminated only by the streetlight outlining its shape, but it seemed pretty well-equipped.
[CLOSED]
The door with the sign hanging on it didn't budge even when I pushed.
'Brought the key, right...? Ah, here it is.'
I fumbled in my pocket, pulled out the key, and slotted it into the lock above the door. With a cheerful clank, the lock sprang open.
What, you ask how I have the key?
"It's my shop."
Cocktail bar, [Oasis]. Open for business today too. (One week since opening, cumulative customers: 0)
"Those kids wouldn't be any help to society anyway. They should've never been born..."
I still remember it. Late at night, those words from the orphanage director leaking out from the half-open office door.
"Being born is a blessing in itself. Everyone is born under the grace of the Lord."
I also remember the pastor's words, preached to us kids one day.
"I want to be a hero. Protecting people—that's my dream."
And the sparkling eyes of my friend who said that.
Back then, I too admired heroes,
"Do-han. What's your dream?"
"Me?"
Unlike my friend, my own dream was a hazy shade of monochrome,
"...Dunno. Not sure."
I was like a morning glory hiding from the sun that blushed in shame, turning my back on the light and slipping into the shadows.
"Bored."
It had already been a week since I opened the shop, but not a single person had come by.
The expensive glasses I'd splurged on were just collecting dust.
And the empty tables without a single customer looked downright lonely.
"Well, who would come to a cocktail bar way out here anyway."
The name was tacky, the location weird.
I hadn't put up any promo materials or even passed out flyers.
...Like lying under an apple tree with my mouth open, hoping an apple would just fall in.
I'd gotten my bartending certification with gusto and opened the place, but once it was open, my motivation tanked.
'Anyone hearing this would call it a first-world problem...'
They'd be right, I'd have nothing to say back... but isn't it said that a good start is half the battle?
'So half's done. Guess I can take it easy now.'
There'd been a murder at the previous shop on this spot, so I'd gotten it dirt cheap.
That left me with extra cushion in my startup funds, letting me slack off like this.
"Bored. No ghosts gonna show up or anything?"
Whoooosh.
Right then, a strange wind noise came from outside.
'...Kinda creepy for some reason.'
It was 1 a.m. now.
And come to think of it, this was a murder site.
"...Hold up."
Realizing that made me jump a little—not bored anymore.
I'd seen it on YouTube once before.
Because the Earth spins so fast, formless ghosts have to be fixed to the horizon coordinate system somehow to appear.
Wh-what, ghosts in this modern age.
I muttered that to myself. I suddenly remembered what the orphanage director had said back then.
Scarier than ghosts are people.
Seeing the villains rampaging lately, it rang pretty true.
Yeah. People more than ghosts...
"Excuse me? You open here...?"
"H-how did you fix yourself to the horizon coordinate system?!"
People are still scarier than ghosts...!
I jolted in shock and whipped my head toward the voice.
A woman in a deep red hood pulled low, facing my way.
She even had another hat on under the hood, so her face was completely hidden.
"...What was that all about?"
She tilted her head, confused by my weird outburst.
...Only after seeing that very real reaction did I finally snap out of it.
'Oh, duh. It's a customer.'
...Got spooked for nothing. The wind must've covered the door opening.
"Not open?"
"Ah, no. We are open. Please, have a seat wherever."
"Okay. Oh, and yeah, I'm an adult."
I hadn't even asked, but she pulled her ID from her pocket and showed it to me.
The photo on the ID showed a rare beauty with golden blonde hair.
'...Wow, how can a person look like that?'
Her appearance was almost unreal. The ID photo practically glowed. Photoshop or what?
But with the hood pulled so low, hard to confirm if it was really her.
"Yoon Seol-ah? Sorry, could you pull back the hood a bit...? Can't see clearly."
Minors in a bar means suspension and fines.
The fault's on the minor, but the penalties like shutdowns and fines hit the owner. Bizarre setup.
'What a joke of a law.'
If I were a congressman, I'd fix that first.
"Oh, right. ...One sec."
She promptly took off her hood and met my eyes.
'...Not Photoshop.'
Her revealed face matched the ID perfectly: an exotic combo of golden blonde hair and striking eyes.
Plus translucent skin and delicate features—the whole shop suddenly felt brighter.
The only odd thing was how familiar she seemed.
'Passed her on the street or something...?'
Not the kind of face you forget easily, so probably bumped into her somewhere.
"Good now? P-please don't tell anyone you saw me."
She spoke sharply, like that enough?
......But what was that about?
"Why would I go telling people I saw a customer...?"
"...Ah."
She blinked in realization at my response.
Well, with looks like that, she must be a model or influencer or something.
"......Got it. Like I said, please sit wherever."
She pulled her hood back on and took a seat at the bar counter in front of me.
Wonder what she'll order. My first customer since opening—kinda tense moment.
"..."
She stared quietly at the menu. Finally deciding, she raised a hand my way.
"Um... mister? Master? Shop owner? What do I call you?"
"...Boss is fine."
"Ah, right. Boss."
Boss, huh. Hadn't really felt like the shop was open till now... but hearing "Boss" made it all feel kinda surreal.
"Hmm. Blue Hawaii...? I'll have this."
"Ah, yes. Got it."
Blue Hawaii cocktail.
A blend of white rum, vodka, pineapple juice, and such—not too strong, sweet and popular. That's what I'd learned at the cocktail academy before.
"Here's your Blue Hawaii."
"Ooh... thank youuu."
She took a sip through the straw.
"...!"
A soft smile spread across her face. She liked it.
'Nailed it.'
Satisfied with her reaction, I started wiping the dusty glasses with a dry cloth to avoid looking like I was staring.
"Um, Mojito? This one's sweet, right? I'll have one of these too..."
After that, she ordered a few more cocktails, then left with a satisfied look.
...Unfortunately, no more customers after her, so I closed up as is.
And three days later.
"The strongest stuff you've got in this shop. Something that'll get me totally wasted. Make me black out."
...That girl came back to my shop. Eyes hollow, like she'd been crying somewhere.