The Cafe (1)
I was rushing around tidying up when—
Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~
The doorbell rang.
"A-yeong~. I'm home."
Hiding my fluster, I answered quickly as I headed for the front door.
"Why bother ringing? Just come in."
My voice climbed a full tone higher for no good reason.
"Dad's hands are full of bags. Open up and take some of them for me."
I opened the door and took the bags from him. The moment I drew close, my shoulders locked tight.
Had any pheromones from earlier still been lingering? Had they all faded away? Unconsciously I scanned my own body and the direction of my room.
I cleaned everything up, so…
"I don't know why there was so much to buy, A-yeong."
Dad walked past me and the doorway to my room as if he knew nothing, heading straight for the kitchen. He busied himself putting the groceries away, showing not the slightest special interest in me.
His gaze, his tone, his every movement—all of it was exactly the same as always. Only then did the tension in my shoulders ease a fraction.
"…He didn't notice, right?"
Once my heart settled, the earlier incident began circling through my mind again. That moment when I had been racing toward the peak of pleasure yet could never quite reach it.
"Ah… no. Don't think about that."
I shook my head hard, banishing the useless thoughts.
That was when it happened.
"Ah, right. A-yeong."
Dad spoke casually from the kitchen while he put things away.
"You said you wanted to do a little part-time work before starting university."
Words I had no memory of. Probably something the previous me had said.
"Uh… yeah. But why?"
"Well, if you're going to work, go work at Dad's cafe."
My vision swayed for a subtle moment. I would end up working at the cafe near the house, and there…
Hesitation rose and I was about to refuse when the resolution I had made earlier surfaced.
I'll handle it.
I'll dominate it.
To do that, I couldn't keep running forever. Checking things out this time wouldn't be a bad idea either.
…Nothing changes if I just keep running away.
Maybe… who knows. He might just be a creepy old guy.
It could simply be me jumping to conclusions that he was a character from the game. And I needed to confirm it for myself.
Whether I truly was in a state where I couldn't resist.
I lightly bit the inside of my lip, then let go. Then I steeled myself and decided.
"…Okay. I'll work."
"Good. Dad will tell Deok-hun. You can start tomorrow."
Dad's words drifted faintly to my ears.
It would still be all right for now.
At least, I wanted to believe that.
…I had to.
A day later I left the house with a stiff face. Yesterday I had been easily swallowed, but because I had been alone it hadn't escalated into anything larger.
"…Get a grip. Today you're not alone."
The distance was short, yet countless thoughts whipped through me the entire way.
What if he really is a character?
He's Dad's acquaintance—can I even avoid him?
…What if my body reacts on its own like last time?
When I snapped out of the spiral I was already standing in front of the cafe. I drew a deep breath and stepped inside.
Ding~
"A-yeong's here."
At the familiar voice my gaze turned toward the inside of the counter.
The cafe uncle I had seen yesterday. From what Dad had said, his name was Choi Deok-hun.
Yesterday I had come with Lim Se-yeong and never had a proper chance to look. I stole glances at Choi Deok-hun while carefully reading his mood.
A stout build, a thick unkempt beard, a slightly balding head. And above all, that particular area… stood out with conspicuous prominence.
This…. Appearance-wise, he matches the character.
The moment the thought formed while I looked at him—
Grin.
He was smiling a good-natured smile right at me.
Facing that smile up close, I felt my nape slowly tighten.
Why is it so… hard to breathe.
"Go on inside and put on the cafe uniform."
"…Okay."
"Not as prickly today? Must be in a good mood."
Had I already felt that aversion before? If only I had stayed prickly…
"Hurry and change. Then you can start learning the work."
"Ah…. Yes."
I changed into the uniform and stood in front of the machine. I knew cafe work. Before the possession I had done part-time shifts at a cafe.
With no new customers coming in, I stood blankly at the counter until Choi Deok-hun drifted over beside me.
"First day, so you're nervous, right?"
"…A little."
"Aww~, you'll get used to it soon. If it gets hard, tell me right away."
His manner and speech were completely unreserved. He casually slipped inside my personal space. Because I was the daughter of a close older brother, maybe…?
But…
For some reason I felt his gaze lingering longer than it should. I deliberately turned my eyes toward the menu board.
"A-yeong, our cafe is…"
He began explaining various things about the place. He could have told me from a distance, yet he stayed unusually close.
"Here, in this bottom drawer…"
Then he took hold of my wrist and started leading me around the inside of the cafe.
Why grab my wrist even… He could just tell me.
But this much still wasn't enough for certainty.
It's still… too early to decide.
A short while passed like that.
"A-yeong, it's about to get busy."
"Yes?"
"Kids from the nearby high schools will start coming. Why they make them go to school even during vacation these days…"
The instant his words ended, a flock of high-school girls poured in. The empty cafe filled to capacity in a heartbeat, overflowing with their chattering voices.
"I'll have a strawberry frappe with just a little whipped cream on top and a few chocolate chips sprinkled…"
"Black-sugar bubble tea with extra tapioca pearls…"
"Caramel macchiato, lots of whipped cream, caramel drizzle moderately, and on top cinnamon powder and cocoa powder…"
The counter front turned into a marketplace. Before the possession I had been someone who only ever ordered iced americano…
Even saying the name looks exhausting.
The length of every single order stretched on forever. And in an era without kiosks, taking those orders made my mind go completely blank.
While I stood flustered, Choi Deok-hun wrapped an arm around my shoulder and whispered right against my ear. His breath touched me.
"Don't panic. Relax your face."
For a moment a sense of solid reliability came from his tone…
Flinch.
"…No. I can do it."
"Good. First set the trays beside you and get the packaged desserts ready…"
He handled the customers at the counter with practiced ease while simultaneously telling me exactly what to do next.
I fumbled through each task he assigned. After a while I finally had a moment to catch my breath.
"How is it—crazy, right?"
He lightly tapped my arm as he spoke.
"Your dad, you know, said he was going to run a proper coffee shop here with espresso and all that…"
"I told him. Hyung-nim, how many high schools are around here? You've got to sell sweet stuff and desserts~ I said."
His self-praise poured out. Yet more than pride, it felt like—
"Your hyung-nim, you know. Has a stubborn streak. Look at this. This cafe doing well is all thanks to~."
Why does he have to keep bringing Dad into it…
Feeling uneasy, I answered him vaguely while straightening the messy display.
Then this time he laid a hand on my back as he spoke.
Contact again…
"A-yeong, get ready again. Once these kids leave, another bunch will come in."
"…Again?"
Even this much already left me short of breath.
"How many schools are around here. Plus this whole commercial strip is packed with academies and reading rooms."
At his words I didn't even register the hand still resting on my back. Only a heavy sigh escaped. Right now the work itself was more overwhelming than any advances.
"We don't have many cups left, so do the dishes quickly. I'll handle the drinks."
Choi Deok-hun said it, tapped my shoulder, and moved past.
Strangely frequent contact. He never quite crossed the line, yet the number of touches kept climbing.
Was I just being oversensitive…?
"I can't tell from this alone… but."
Standing together inside the counter made it even clearer. That thick bulk of his.
Every time he drew near it brushed my thigh. This… was hard to call coincidence.
"Ah…"
Why am I even gauging that…
"A-yeong, please do the dishes."
"…Ah! Okay."
This wasn't the time for those thoughts. I started washing the mountain of dishes and cups.
While I was scrubbing in a frenzy, my shoulders tensed ever so slightly. A presence brushed past behind me.
Again.
"A-yeong, there are more dishes here."
He came close enough that I could feel his breath. Choi Deok-hun dumped the plates and cups piled high on the tray into the sink.
"Please hurry a bit. We're out of cups…"
Deok-hun's voice from behind me stayed as casual as ever. I deliberately put strength into my hands and nodded.
"…Yes."
Because he's busy. That was how I tried to let it pass—
Then, behind me, a dull yet unmistakable presence brushed past. It swept across the small of my back. Just for a moment—
Even through the thick winter sweatpants, a pressure that was hard to ignore.
My hands paused. Could it be…
I didn't turn my head. Instead I deliberately picked up an already clean plate and began scrubbing it squeakily.
…It has to be a coincidence.
I repeated it inwardly, gripping the plate with trembling fingers. Yet the sensation behind me refused to fade. My heart pounded far harder than necessary.
Even if… that's the case, as long as I hold onto my mind. Body or not, my mind is mine.
A firm resolution—or was it—
Ding~
"A-yeong~"
Flinch!
I jumped at the voice calling me. At that soft tone my head turned toward the entrance.
"…Se-yeong?"
"I heard from the uncle that you're starting part-time today."
"Ah…. Yeah. Just briefly before university."
At that exact moment—
"…It's Se-yeong."
Choi Deok-hun greeted from right behind me in a lowered voice. His breath tickled the nape of my neck.