Chapter 39
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: FILE 2.5. Halloween
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It already felt strangely novel that October was drawing to a close.
Flipping through the newspaper tucked in one corner of the shop, Ibi only realized how much time had passed when she glanced at the date printed there. These days, you could get all the news you wanted with just a smartphone, but the boss had a stubborn preference for analog.
But the articles in the paper weren't exactly uplifting. There was news of another violent crime in Seonghwa New City, neighboring Woncheon City.
That place is supposed to be pretty dangerous and rough. Ibi pulled her eyes from the paper and lifted her head.
The shop happened to be quiet, and it hadn't been long since lunch, so with her slightly drowsy eyes, Ibi had a chance to drift off into idle thoughts.
The changes in Ibi's life over the past two months had been so dramatic they were beyond words. Actually, "dramatic" didn't even cut it—something closer to "catastrophic" might barely scratch the surface.
So what to call it? Gazing out the window at the autumn ripening well past late summer, the hectic days until now suddenly blurred, stirring up a romantic feeling reminiscent of her younger years.
"Unnie, let's hit karaoke after work!"
That sentimental mood didn't last long. Mina, whom she hadn't even heard enter, was suddenly tugging at her skirt hem with sparkling eyes.
"We went the day before yesterday."
"We can go again."
Ibi sighed discreetly where it wouldn't show. Why is this girl so obsessed with karaoke?
Ibi suspected it might partly be her own fault. The first time she gave in to Mina's whining and went along, karaoke had been a rare treat for Ibi too. She'd gotten way too carried away.
To Mina, that side of Ibi must have been a shocking revelation. Ever since, she'd been pestering to go whenever she had the chance, and Ibi realized her mistake too late.
"Alright, alright. We're working now, so later."
Just then, a customer pushed open the door, giving her a breather. Ibi scurried to greet them at the entrance, while Mina tilted her head in that spot for a moment before toddling off to a corner.
"Ah, Mina noona! Check this out, I'm doing tea service now too!"
"What a mess."
"What kinda talk is that?"
"Total fail."
Ibi ignored Mina and Haewon bickering in the corner as best she could and focused on serving the customer. Luckily, a string of customers poured in after a lull, making it easier to tune them out.
Even though he was only one year old now, accepting that Haewon—who'd been older than her—was suddenly a toddler overnight wasn't easy. Especially since his personality made him a handful.
It hadn't even been a week since Haewon returned, and the word "trouble pup" wouldn't leave Ibi's mind.
Hyperactive as a baseline, he'd trash the kitchen she'd just cleaned, smash teacups while "helping," and once even flipped up her skirt when she let her guard down.
After all that, she didn't want to acknowledge this infuriating kid as Haewon, but the brat really did have every single one of Haewon's memories.
He saw the original Haewon as his father figure yet acted on those memories, making it all confusing.
But before she could consciously decide how to treat this new Haewon, his nonstop mischief left no room for thought. At some point, she stopped pondering his identity altogether. He was just a genius at driving people insane.
She idly wondered if the original Haewon had been like this as a kid, but she'd never know.
Anyway, her new routine was starting to find some balance. She could now distinguish the teas that once all tasted the same, and she handled the counter without mistakes.
Checking inventory in the basement still felt iffy, but Mina usually went down with her, so it was manageable.
Suddenly, the wave of customers ebbed. Catching her breath, Ibi noticed the kids' squabbling had stopped.
Glancing at their corner table, she saw the two had tired themselves out arguing and were dozing off, slumped against the chair backs.
Ibi couldn't help but smile softly at the sight. They looked like a cat and dog she'd raised together since they were kittens and pups.
Mina hadn't been particularly shocked when she first saw toddler Haewon, though she did ask for the full story. As she'd mentioned wild dogs before, yokai and human mindsets must differ after all.
Haewon, now distant from ordinary humanity himself, meshed well with Mina.
It was a perfectly bizarre autumn afternoon.
And after closing, she ended up taking Mina to karaoke after all. Haewon tagged along. Who knew when babysitting the kids became part of the job? Aerin had even given her a sympathetic smile and words of encouragement on the way out.
"Karaoke, karaoke."
Mina skipped ahead, buzzing with excitement. Still, this was far more peaceful than dodging man-eating boxes or obsessive virgin ghosts. Maybe she should hope for more days like this.
Inside the karaoke room, Mina eagerly shoved the mic to her mouth with a thrilled face.
"Tensai-teki na Idol-sama!!!!!!!"
The next day. October 30.
True Halloween was tomorrow, but that didn't matter to people. It was just a foreign holiday anyway—a day for folks on this side of the ocean to have a bit more fun than usual.
And today was Saturday. For most, today was the real Halloween, even more exciting than Sunday the 31st.
Sure enough, all through her shift at the tea house, people in every imaginable costume paraded by—from bold everyday outfits to Thanos.
At that point, it was enough to get anyone hyped, but Ibi stayed focused on work. She already had plans.
It was a little past 8 p.m. Three college-aged women burst into Flower Mugwort Tea House at once.
"Whoa, Ibi, it's been forever!"
"Hanbok? That's so cool!"
"How'd you get even prettier? Eek!"
The three crowded the counter, grabbing Ibi's hands and making a huge fuss in greeting. Ibi matched their energy with her own over-the-top reactions.
Her friends had reached out five days ago. It'd been ages since they'd seen each other, so why not celebrate Halloween together?
When Ibi said her part-time job left no time, they insisted on coming to her. They'd wait till closing and grab beers after.
Of course, she was all for it. No reason to say no.
"Ibi, why's your face so slim? You've lost weight."
"Really? You think so?"
"Yeah. Your boobs look smaller too..."
"No they don't, you bitch?"
After a mock collar-grab tussle, the friends settled in to wait for Ibi.
About ten minutes later, Aerin approached after glancing their way a few times.
"Ibi, want to head out early today?"
"Huh? Is that okay?"
"Yeah. Your friends are waiting. If you leave too late, you won't have time to hang out."
"For real? Awesome, thanks!"
Ibi dashed to the bathroom to change, buzzing with excitement. Her friends cheered when she emerged.
"Unnie, where you going?"
Mina crept up with a curious look. But Ibi, already in high spirits, waved her off.
"Hey now. This is grown-up world. Kids, scat."
The four women giggled among themselves and headed out. Mina stared after them in disbelief.
"What posers."
"Let her be. She's earned it lately."
Aerin's expression suggested agreement, though she didn't say it aloud.
Closing time approached, and customers trickled out one by one.
Mina left too. Inside the shop remained Aerin, prepping to close, and one last customer.
The customer sat with a stoic face, chin propped on her hand, staring out the window. Flower Mugwort Tea House was in a relatively secluded spot, so revelers had moved elsewhere for the night, leaving the street deserted.
She was a petite, youthful-looking woman. Her height was slightly below average, but her small frame made her seem even tinier.
She was dressed head to toe in black. The top was a baggy hoodie pulled all the way over her head, paired with pleated cargo pants below. Tight black stockings hugged her healthy-looking legs. Her shoes were the one splash of color—white sneakers with red stripes.
She seemed lost in thought at first, but soon realized she was alone in the shop. Picking up her empty tray, she headed to the counter.
"Thanks, that was great."
"Thank you."
Aerin took the tray as usual, but with a subtle air of caution. Whether the customer noticed was unclear.
In the end, Aerin spoke first.
"Why'd you come here?"
"To drink tea."
Her tone was baffled, like why ask something so obvious?
"You probably don't know much about tea flavors."
"How can you tell just from my face?"
"You can tell a lot from a face."
For some reason, the top of her hood twitched upright.
"I can tell you're quite the big shot in these parts."
The customer looked up irritably, hands jammed in her hoodie pockets. Unlike her first impression, her face showed emotions clearly.
"I'm really just here for fun. Yeah, this place looked kinda spooky, so I came in, but it's actually well-run."
Obsidian eyes glinted faintly from within the hood.
"So don't treat me like some stray ghost. If anything, I'm more like an apostle of justice. Y'know, Batman."
Aerin let out a small laugh.
"That wasn't what I meant... Sorry if it offended you."
"It's fine."
The customer turned and left without lingering. Aerin called after her with a final goodbye.
"Have a happy Halloween."