Chapter 24: Pink, But Not a Slut (10)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 24: Pink, But Not a Slut (10)
Payday had arrived. I hadn’t even been working for a full month yet, but it seemed the cafe didn’t calculate individual start dates for paychecks; instead, they paid all employees at once on a fixed settlement date.
It wasn’t a massive sum, but the news of money entering my pocket was inherently uplifting. My weekend part-time shift felt more enjoyable than usual.
“Is getting paid really that great?”
Of course, there was someone even more excited than me, making my own joy look non-existent. To be honest, even though I was happy, I didn’t really show it outwardly. Yura, on the other hand, spent the entire shift humming to herself, making her good mood crystal clear.
“Obviously. Who hates getting money?”
Yura was a hundred percent right. I just wasn’t expressing it, but I’d been thinking all day about what to do with my wages. My salary from Spacetro was quite generous and more than enough to live on, but wasn’t this cafe pay essentially extra money I earned while on a surveillance mission?
“Right. Go home and order something delicious.”
We chatted as we left the cafe at clock-out time. The humid air immediately made me knit my brows.
“It’s muggy. Is it going to rain a lot tomorrow?”
“They said it wouldn’t be much.”
Yura, who was also thinking about the rain, was checking the weather on her smartphone. I stepped beside her to look at the screen.
“You’re right. It’s not a downpour, but it’s all day… and it gets heavier in the evening.”
I don’t particularly hate rainy days. In fact, a moderate amount of rain was more than welcome since it cooled down the sweltering summer heat.
“I guess there won’t be many customers if it rains, right?”
When I mentioned my hope for a quiet cafe, Yura looked at me and shook her head.
“No. It’s busier when it rains.”
“Why?!”
I had simply assumed people wouldn’t come outside if it rained, but it was the opposite. People who were already out would look for an indoor space and flock to cafes.
On top of that, the floors get filthy from the rainwater, meaning more cleaning, and when new supplies arrive, you have to move them while getting soaked.
Just when I thought I was getting used to the job, a new variable appeared thanks to the weather. I was already sighing at the thought of tomorrow’s shift. Cafe work really doesn’t suit me.
“I thought it’d be relaxing if it rained. This sucks.”
“Want to grab a drink after work tomorrow?”
“Just the two of us?”
“Why not? We drank together last week, too.”
Though that had been a coincidental encounter.
It seemed Yura wanted to have a drink with a coworker since it was payday. Usually, drinking sessions are supposed to be fun, but the atmosphere when we drank last time was so grim that it was impossible to enjoy myself.
“Drink in moderation. Don’t pass out like last time.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I took off work on Monday because of a meeting, but the meeting got pushed back, so it’s my first day off in a while. The alcohol would be offended if I didn’t drink.”
I’d felt this last time, but she was definitely a better drinker than me. I didn’t know exactly how much she could handle, but if we went head-to-head, I’d definitely be the first to go down. I’d have to keep my wits about me tomorrow.
“Then it’s a date for drinks after work tomorrow!”
“Sure, sure.”
I waved goodbye and headed toward the station. Just in case, I looked back, and Yura was still standing there waving. Was she planning to keep going until I was out of sight?
“Go home!”
I shouted since the distance had grown. Hearing me, Yura gave one last wave and started walking toward her house. After confirming she was on her way, I resumed my trek home.
Even though she was a surveillance target, our relationship had shifted into a friendship before I knew it. There was no problem with being friends, and it didn’t change the fact that I was monitoring her, so I accepted the situation as it was and treated her casually.
Becoming friends with her hadn’t negatively impacted the surveillance. While it was useless information strategically, I could often hear about the internal atmosphere of Hunter Killer through her. Since Yubin reconciled with her, Yubin also talked a lot about the team’s vibe—pretending it was just another part-time job—and it seemed things were gradually improving.
However, while Yubin talked about Yura often, Yura tended to talk about Hunter Killer as a whole, so I wasn’t entirely sure how Yura actually felt about Yubin. I’d have to ask her tomorrow over drinks.
*
The Sunday shift was just as chaotic as Yura had predicted. By the time I clocked in for the afternoon, the cafe was already packed, and the constant stream of customers meant the dishes never ended.
The counter was even more frantic. I even had to go out and clean the floor on behalf of Yura, who rarely left the kitchen, creating a scene of literal bedlam.
Working so mindlessly made time fly, and it was only right before clock-out that I finally found a moment of peace.
“There are so fucking many of them.”
I glanced at Yura, who was sitting to one side venting with profanity, while I finished up the dishes. Thanks to the air conditioner blasting, I wasn’t dripping with sweat, but I couldn't help the feeling of all the energy being drained from my body.
“Well, it’s almost time to go.”
“Is it that late already?”
Yura hadn’t been paying attention to the time either; she looked at the clock in surprise after hearing me.
“I want to go drink already. I’m going to drink until my nose turns crooked.”
Seeing her declare her intent to drink heavily, my only thought was that I had to control her somehow if I wanted to survive.
When it was time to leave, I changed my clothes and waited for Yura, who was taking a bit longer.
“Oh? Mr. A. You’re not leaving right away today?”
“I’m waiting for Yura.”
The person working the evening shift, who was already prepared to start, spoke to me. I answered honestly without hiding anything.
“And here you said you weren’t dating before.”
“I told you, we’re not dating.”
Seeing her speak with a smirk, I flatly denied the misunderstanding. Since I had to keep things hidden from Yura, the official story at the cafe was that I didn’t have a girlfriend. Because of that, people often mistook our friendly rapport for a relationship. I denied it every time, but it felt like these people just said it for fun even though they knew the truth.
“Where are you two going?”
“Yura asked to grab a drink.”
“Ahhh~”
I watched her nod with a meaningful expression, then raised my voice toward the storage room since Yura still hadn't come out.
“Hey! Kwon Yura! Are you coming or what?!”
“I’m coming!!!”
Answering with a voice even louder than mine, she hurriedly opened the door and stepped out.
“What’s this? Did you dress up for your date?”
Yura was wearing a white see-through T-shirt that showed the silhouette of her underwear, paired with short denim shorts. Seeing her outfit, the evening part-timer let out an impressed exclamation and teased her.
“I didn’t wear this for him. I wore it because I like it.”
I could understand why the coworker was impressed. The slightly oversized see-through shirt and the denim shorts revealing her legs emphasized her voluptuous figure.
Of course, I had put a little thought into my clothes today, too. Black slacks, a simple white T-shirt, and a mint-colored shirt over it. It wasn't anything special, but it wasn't an outfit that looked lacking anywhere.
It’s not like I dressed up specifically because I was drinking with Yura. But! Since I was going out for drinks, I didn’t want to look like a loser and hear that my clothes were terrible, like Yubin had told me before.
“Got everything?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I got it.”
Women are fascinating creatures. Is it really necessary to fix your hair just to go drink with a friend? She must have fixed it in the storage room; the hair that had been loosely tied before was now neatly braided into a half-updo.
Once Yura was ready, we stepped outside. Since it was still raining, we shared an umbrella and headed toward the station. I didn’t know any bars near the cafe, so I followed Yura’s lead. The place she chose was…
“Chicken feet?”
“Chicken feet and soju!”
We arrived at a chicken feet place that was already packed, suggesting it was a famous spot. Since it was just the beginning of the evening, it was crowded, but there were still empty seats. I didn’t care about the menu and let Yura lead the way. We went inside and were seated by a staff member.
Following Yura’s rule that the first glass must be downed immediately, I poured the first drink into my empty stomach, and the food we ordered arrived.
“Do you come here often?”
“No. I’ve had my eye on it for when I had friends to come with. Usually, I just drink alone at home.”
I wondered if she hadn't had many chances to drink even before the trouble with her friends last week. Then I remembered her saying that last week’s meeting had been the first in a long time. But did she really have no other friends?
“You don’t drink with anyone else?”
“I went out into society and advertised that I’m a superhuman. Do you think there’s anyone who’d want to drink with me?”
Given what I’d heard last week about the men around her, it made sense why she had no one to drink with. But a question suddenly occurred to me.
“What about your boyfriends?”
Had she never had a drink with any of the twenty boyfriends she’d cycled through?
“Huh?! No, I did! Yeah. I drank with them!”
Judging by how she shouted while failing to hide her flustered state, it seemed she hadn't really drank with her boyfriends either. It was a mystery how someone who loved drinking this much and was so good at it had only ever drank alone.
“You said you didn't have chances to drink with others, so how did you end up liking alcohol so much?”
It wasn’t something I couldn’t ask, so I just came out with it. Yura sighed, held out her glass for a toast, and we downed another shot of soju. I could feel the sharp sting of the alcohol rising to the tip of my nose.
“I didn’t go to college and started working part-time as soon as I became an adult. But every person I met was such trash that I started drinking alone out of anger, and I just got a taste for it.”
The puzzle pieces were finally starting to fit together. Just as she said, the people she met when she first entered society—especially the men—only approached her for her looks and turned their backs the moment they heard she was a superhuman.
To cope with the stress, she relied on alcohol, and before she knew it, she had become a heavy drinker.
“So I went to bars. But then, the bars were a mess too, you know?”
Once she started talking, Yura began her usual rapid-fire chatter, just like when she was working.
When she went to bars to drink, the men who came to hit on her were all the same kind of trash. Eventually, since she had no proper place to drink, she chose to stay home.
“My friends were busy with college or jobs. Our schedules never lined up, so we never had time to meet. So whenever I saw a nice bar, I’d just think, ‘I should come here with friends later.’”
It seemed that’s why she asked to go drinking now that we were friends. The reason she put effort into her appearance really wasn’t because of me; she was just genuinely prepared because she was finally going to a bar she’d only ever dreamed of visiting.
“I see. I guess you wouldn’t have many chances to go drinking with the cafe people either.”
Drinking with the cafe staff who worked different shifts? The only way to go as a group would be if the cafe closed for the day.
“The cafe atmosphere is still good, but how is Hunter Killer? Are you and Red on good terms?”
I finally brought up the question I’d been curious about—whether she thought as highly of Yubin as Yubin did of her. Yura nodded as if it were obvious.
“Yeah. We’re good. To the point where I wonder why we weren’t on good terms before.”
From my perspective as a third party, it wasn’t that Team Hunter Killer had a bad relationship, but rather that they just hadn’t become close. However, the person involved seemed to have perceived that atmosphere as being "on bad terms." Of course, perception varies from person to person, and if Yura felt that way, then that was her truth. Regardless, to me, it looked like they just weren't close rather than actually hating each other.
“That’s a relief.”
“…You were taking Red’s side before, too. Are you interested in Red by any chance?”
I almost showed my fluster while trying to take a sip of water, but I managed to hide it, drank the water, and set the glass down.
“How could I be interested when I don’t even know her?”
“That’s true, but even though Red is our leader, she’s the youngest. Now that I’ve gotten to know her, she has a lot of cute sides.”
I know. I definitely know that better than you, who’s known her for three years.
Especially in bed… no, never mind.
As we shared glass after glass, the empty bottles piled up, and the intoxication gradually rose.
I did my best to stop Yura, who was trying to keep drinking recklessly, by steering the conversation and making her pace herself. Three hours had already passed since we started.
“Let’s either move to another place or head home.”
“Okay!”
Thanks to drinking moderately, I wasn’t drunk yet, and Yura was just at the point of feeling good. I didn’t mind going for a second round, but since there wasn't anywhere specific to go, I thought it was best to head home and stood up.
“Split the bill?”
“No! I’m buying.”
When I tried to take out my wallet, Yura, who had a crossbody bag over her shoulder, started rummaging through it to find her own wallet.
“Just split it. we drank together.”
“No way. I can’t let that happen.”
She seemed to want to take responsibility for the outing she initiated. She kept digging through her bag, stopping me from paying.
“Huh?”
Her voice, which had been high from the alcohol, suddenly dropped, and Yura’s face went cold.
“What is it?”
“My wallet is gone.”
To have no wallet after drinking so well. I didn’t mind paying. Paying for one round of drinks wouldn’t break my budget, and I’d enjoyed myself enough. The problem was where her wallet could be.
“Ah!”
Yura, thinking hard, suddenly widened her eyes and looked at me.
“I left it in the storage room.”
I could only press my hand to my forehead and sigh.
“Didn’t I ask you earlier if you had everything?”
“I thought I did! And it’s because you were rushing me.”
She actually got indignant and playfully punched my arm. It didn’t hurt; it was clearly a joke, and she was just laughing at the absurdity of the situation.
“I’ll pay, so just go home and get your wallet later.”
“I have cash in my wallet. I’ll give it to you right away, so let’s go together.”
“It’s fine. Give it to me next week.”
“Let’s go together!~”
Yura grabbed my arm and started whining. I couldn’t think of a way to win against her persistence, so I decided to walk back to the cafe with her. Once Kwon Yura set her mind on something, she wasn't going to back down.
The rain was falling harder than when we arrived. We shared the umbrella and kept talking amidst the sound of the rain. Of course, Yura led the conversation, repeating several times how happy she was to finally drink at a bar with a friend.
It didn't seem like she was repeating herself because she was drunk, but rather because she was genuinely happy and the thought kept coming back to her. Though I wasn't drunk, the alcohol had left me feeling a bit buoyant, and I smiled as I watched her talk so excitedly.
“Let’s go through the back door.”
Even with an umbrella, we were a bit wet. Going through the front door would just make the floor dirty, and since her wallet was in the storage room, the back door was closer.
But the moment we stood in front of the back door to enter the cafe, we both froze at the sound of voices coming from inside.
“I guess you really hate her too, unnie?”
“I fucking hate her. Even if our shifts are different, I have to see her every time we swap out.”
It was the voices of the two people working the evening shift. The one being called "unnie" was the woman who had been teasing me earlier about whether I was dating Yura.
The moment their voices reached us, the thought that we shouldn't be listening to this conversation filled my mind, but my startled body wouldn't move.
“How could I like her? A retarded superhuman acting all friendly and smiling—it’s disgusting.”
“True. Did you see her when she left earlier?”
“I saw. Didn’t she just break up with her boyfriend? And she’s already acting like that?”
“I heard from the afternoon counter girl that she flirts like crazy in the kitchen.”
“So gross. That crazy bitch must be possessed by a ghost because she can’t get a man.”
“The afternoon crew hates that bitch too. They say that slut flirts with every guy who enters the kitchen until they quit.”
The buoyant feeling vanished in an instant. As the alcohol seemed to evaporate from my body, my reason returned to its place.
Not knowing what to say, I turned my head to look at Yura. She was staring into space with unfocused eyes. The moment I saw her lower lip trembling, she dropped her umbrella. My only thought was that I had to stop her from hearing any more of this.
Who could have known it would be like this?
Who could have known it would end like this?
I grabbed her hand as she stood there frozen and immediately led her away from the spot.
Her hollow gaze remained fixed on the air, and I couldn't bring myself to look into her eyes any longer.