The Chair

Maybe it was all the time I'd been living on runs and the treadmill. Getting home and back again barely took any time at all, and I wasn't even sweating. The moment I reached the cafe, though, I saw Ju Hayeong already in for her shift, up on her toes as she unlocked the door, murmuring apologies to the customers waiting outside.

"You're here. Just a second."

"Sorry I'm late. Hello, everyone."

"Late? Not even a little."

"Hello, Shinwoo."

"I saw what you wrote yesterday."

"Oh, did you?"

It felt nothing like usual. These were women who used to tense up in front of me, stumbling over their words, and today they were wearing easy smiles and speaking to me with a warmth that was almost familiar. And once I actually listened—

"So everyone here signed up too?"

I asked it as I stepped through the opening door, and the women behind me nodded, smiling. I wanted to ask since when, but that hardly mattered.

"Just a moment, please."

"Of course."

I watched them drift off to their seats, then started opening the cafe with Hayeong. As we headed into the office, I spoke to her.

"Sleep well?"

"Mm. Actually... no."

"Did something happen?"

"...It's a day I get to see you..."

"You should've called."

"I thought you might be busy..."

Inside the office, the chair I'd pushed in that day was still sitting right where I'd left it. I knew, because—

"This one's done for."

"...U-un. I keep wiping it, but the smell is a little..."

The seat was fouled in the exact shape of Ju Hayeong's hips, as if someone had stamped a mark into it. It was almost uncanny how perfectly the impression held, like the life had gone out of the cushion and left only her outline. And that faint sour tang—there was no mistaking what it was. Embarrassed, Hayeong flushed and turned her face from me, looping an apron over her neck.

"I'll do it."

"...Mm..."

"You're still shy about this?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the chair..."

"You could've just thrown it out."

But the murmur that answered me, from the woman who'd been blushing a moment ago, was enough to make me the embarrassed one.

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"...How could I throw that away? It felt so good..."

"...It's just a chair. Talk like that and I'm the one who doesn't know where to look."

I was tying the apron strings at her waist when I slowly wrapped my arms around her. Her soft body filled my embrace. I buried my face in the nape of her neck and drew in a breath that was instantly full of her scent, and Hayeong, caught in my hands, inhaled and went still.

"You smell good."

"...You do too, darling..."

She leaned her back quietly against my chest and turned her head. I didn't need her to say what she wanted. I looked into her eyes, pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, and spoke.

"Then let's give it our best today too."

"Mm. I'm already starting to perk up."

"Me too."

I stepped away from her for a moment to tie my own apron, and she took the strings as if it were the most natural thing in the world and knotted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠them at my waist. With that, the morning service began.

"...It's unusually busy today."

"...It is. All thanks to you."

In the end we had to pull shot after shot until lunch was over and break time finally arrived. Hayeong couldn't even leave the oven. I sat beside her, took the wrist she'd been rubbing, and quietly worked it myself.

"Hnn..."

"What, you like it that much?"

"N-no... I didn't mean to..."

Of course it was me. A tiny Ailment Shadow had knotted in her wrist. She'd been fine that morning, but sometime past eleven the strain had started to show. At my touch she barely managed to swallow a moan, and looked quietly up at my face.

"...It was hard, wasn't it?"

"No. I think I'm getting used to it, little by little. Sales must be sweet these days."

"I'll have to pull the numbers later, but they've really gone up several times over."

"That's what you get for keeping a good man around."

"...That's right."

Then, with a careful, hesitating hand, she tidied my bangs. I enjoyed the softness of her touch while I kept massaging her wrist, and we were resting like that when she spoke.

"...Should we really hire a part-timer?"

We'd talked about it before, but asking a second time meant she was serious. That look said that if I agreed, she'd post a hiring notice for real. I lifted my head, met her eyes, and answered.

"Is it that hard on you?"

"I'm used to the work. I just hate watching you struggle..."

"I'm really not. Do I look that weak to you?"

"You're sweating like this..."

"My body would be more comfortable, sure. But we'd lose all this time alone together."

"...Ah, th-that's true, but..."

"I'm not even taking pay. Hoping for a little time like this is allowed, isn't it?"

I was thinking of her more than myself, obviously. I liked being with her, but outside these hours she barely had any time for me at all—she was tied to the cafe all day. She seemed to understand the words were meant for her; her eyes reddened.

"...Thank you."

"For what? You've been looking better lately, and that puts me at ease. You're not getting mixed up these days, are you?"

I didn't have to say everyday and not everyday. She understood at once and quietly nodded. The cafe belonged to both at once, which made me a little careful, but there simply wasn't enough of me to go around. All I could do was be the more considerate one.

"...Mm. I'm sorry for making you worry about it."

"We haven't been together that long. Let's just go a little carefully. We've got plenty of time ahead of us."

"...Mm. Thank you..."

As the Ailment Shadow in her wrist faded, her face grew redder and redder. I felt the warmth of her breath rise, stroked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her cheek, and gently drew her face in.

"Ah... mm—"

She followed my hand and met my lips. I tasted how soft and damp they were, then slowly drew back and whispered. Already her eyes were starting to go hazy.

"Want to play for a bit?"

"...A-are you sure that's okay...?"

"Only until the food gets here."

"...M-mm..."

She started to rise with a face full of anticipation, and I found myself wondering what she'd prepared today—looking forward to it myself. Then a ringtone shattered the mood at once.

"Ah..."

She let out a disappointed sigh. I pulled my phone from the apron and pointed her toward the office: go get ready. She understood, nodded, swallowed, and slowly stood to head that way.

What's this about?

I tilted my head at the name on the screen and pressed the call button.

"Hey, Jihyun. What's with a call at this hour?"

I looked up at the cafe window. A shadow wavered beyond the lowered blinds. If Hayeong had heard, it would have sounded like the sky falling—but I'd told Jihyun she could drop by, and now that she was here I couldn't turn her away at the door.

"Give me a second."

I covered the receiver and called toward the office so Hayeong would hear.

"Boss. An acquaintance just stopped by."

"Ah, got it! I'll be doing inventory!"

"Okay."

Once I had her answer, I put the phone back to my ear and stood.

"Just a second. I'll get the door."

"I'm a little thrown myself, so it's fine. You came because you had something to say, right?"

The only things Bae Jihyun ever had to tell me were broadcast schedules or talk about I Want to Date. We had to do both anyway. I felt bad for Hayeong, but the timing worked.

"Ah..."

The moment I opened the door, Bae Jihyun—standing right outside—met my eyes and let out a little gasp. I ended the call with my gaze fixed on her.

"You look pretty today."

"Thank you... Y-you too, Shinwoo..."

She was staring at me blankly. I wondered if she'd noticed something different, but at times like this, not flustering and just pushing through shamelessly might actually help.

"I'm always fine."

"...Really. Today you look so much... h-handsomer."

"Thanks. You look pretty today too. You dressed up to come?"

"...Yes..."

Against whatever was in fashion, she had on a tight white blouse and a black miniskirt that clung without ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mercy, showing off her figure with nothing held back, plus a black choker. She seemed to like this style. It was similar to what she'd worn on broadcast day, though I could tell the clothes themselves were different. My eyes caught on the garter belt holding up her stockings. The tension of the band, pushing just slightly into the flesh of her thigh, made it look almost unnecessary—but she clearly hadn't forgotten I'd said I wanted to see it.

"Got plans tonight?"

At that she shot me a glare, then dropped her eyes the moment they met mine and grumbled.

"Last time you said you w-wanted to see it. I'm embarrassed wearing this in the daytime too..."

"No plans, then?"

"No... I have to stream."

"Oh, is tonight a late-night stream?"

"It is, but I'll have to take this off then... Guys really hate this stuff. Women don't love the look either."

"Still, it bothers me a little."

I stepped aside from the doorway and waved her in. She followed behind me and asked,

"What does? You don't like the design?"

"No. Thinking about you dressed this pretty, going around talking to other men—it gets me a little heated."

"...Ah, th-that..."

She clearly hadn't expected that. Her face went scarlet; she didn't know where to put her eyes, her gaze darting everywhere. If she liked even sweet talk this childish, she really had no immunity at all.

"Your makeup's sitting well today too. Ah—so that's why you came."

"...Y-you really notice everything."

"What, it's true?"

"Of course... I wanted to look pretty too..."

"Sit. What do you want to drink?"

"...An iced Americano, please."

"I'm buying, so you can get something else."

"N-no, it's fine."

"You dressed up to come see me. I should treat you. And I didn't know that much would actually come in."

"...Ah, the payout?"

"Yeah. A little over five million won landed."

She'd been staring at me blankly; she snapped back and answered. Was she still pleased I'd called her pretty? I stepped behind the counter, pulled a coffee, and kept talking.

"That day was the first time, that's why. The next broadcast will probably bring in even more."

"Not less? If we keep showing up, the novelty wears off, doesn't it?"

At that she just stared at me, blank, and I looked back at her like I didn't see the problem.

"...You don't know you're in the middle of a storm right now?"

"Why? I know the reaction was good. We streamed together that day."

The sheer disbelief in her look annoyed me a little, but when I just held her gaze she sighed and answered.

"...My video passed five million. The one you were on that day went over three million too. And from the way you're talking, you haven't even checked your channel, have you?"

"Nope. Two videos went up, I think. That's all I know."

"...I could lose my mind. That was the first day. Are you really this uninterested?"

"No—Soo-jung said she'd handle it. We haven't filmed anything since, either. And registering the partnership takes a year anyway, doesn't it? I looked it up. Until then, the only tip out there is to keep uploading."

She let out a hollow laugh, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Then her expression shifted. Something seemed to occur to her; she nodded, and answered.