The Cafe, Day Two
Under Rahi's quiet gaze I dressed with deliberate slowness, almost as if I were putting on a show, and the sight flustered her until her face went red. When I let a small smile slip at how cute she looked, she spoke in a voice that caught in her throat.
"You're going to the cafe, aren't you? You said you were."
"Yeah. I didn't think I'd end up working like this out of nowhere. I didn't have anything to do this morning, though. I was right on the verge of getting lazy, so it worked out."
"......It suits you."
"Then I'm glad. Don't get up. You can't, can you?"
"......No. Ah, inside, I still......"
Rahi stroked her stomach, slow and careful. While the two of us talked I'd been tempted to check lower down, but I'd held back, knowing that if I did I would end up taking her one more time. I asked again just in case. She might have been too embarrassed to say so, or too proud, and suffering through it alone.
"Does it hurt?"
"Ah...... it isn't that...... Ah, it still echoes inside...... I can't put any strength into it......"
"I'll take that as you saying it felt good."
"Yes...... I think that's what it is."
"From now on, if it hurts, tell me right away. We did this together."
"......Yes. Even just hearing you say that is...... thank you. So much."
I got up slowly and went on dressing. Rahi stayed on the bed with only her upper body raised, lying as if she were leaning toward me while she spoke, and she was beautiful enough that a magazine photographer would have called the frame on sight. Today of all days, she made it hard to take even a single step away.
"You ought to eat something before you go......"
"I'm fine. Stay lying down. And one of these days, let's pick a time and all have a meal together."
"......Okay."
"You're not actually upset, or anything like that?"
"N-no, absolutely not...... If anything, you, Shinwoo......"
Rahi hesitated, then quietly dropped her gaze and ran her right hand along the left arm that was holding her up. The motion gathered her breasts until they stood out even more, and over them a black Calvin Klein bra strained to keep its little triangle. I swallowed before I knew I was doing it. She never even saw. She only murmured, barely above a whisper.
"......I think I've come to like you even more."
There was nothing calculated in her, not even in the way she avoided my eyes out of shyness. If she had meant to do it, she would have been the vixen of all vixens, but Rahi was closer to a bear, or a retriever. Not a fox. I slipped on my coat, went to her slowly, tipped up her lowered chin with a light touch, bent at the waist, and whispered.
"Me too."
I kissed her lightly and drew back. Joy and happiness filled her face, still loose and dazed, and I was no different.
"Then I'll see you later. Let's take it easy today. I mean it."
"......I don't want to. I...... Shinwoo."
I was picking up my bag when she called after me, and I answered while watching myself in the mirror.
"What?"
"......Would it be all right if I came by the cafe later?"
"Come whenever you like. The coffee shop on the main street. You know it?"
"Yes. I've been there before."
"Good. Rest up, and I'll see you this afternoon."
"......Okay."
"Don't look so disappointed. I can't get my feet to leave as it is."
She smiled softly at that and gave a small wave. I took the pretty sight in one more time, then stepped out through the entryway.
"Hoo......"
The cold air drawing deep into my chest seemed to blow off what was left of last night's pleasure, and my head cleared a little. From the stir of people in the alleys around me, commute hour really was commute hour. The moment I left the alley, a message arrived.
Right—the boss would be heading in around now, too. I sent back a reply asking whether getting there by nine would do, and the moment an answer flew back I pocketed the phone and headed home.
Hmm.
Once I was home I stood before the shower mirror and turned this way and that, head tilted. I'd half expected something else to have changed, and I'd even felt a little anticipation, but the reflection didn't look all that different. What I did feel, angling my body one way and another, was that I was comfortable in it.
Come to think of it, nothing hurts?
I'd worked my chest, my arms, and my abs to the bone, and even with Rahi things had ached enough to sting, yet no matter how I twisted I couldn't find so much as a trace of muscle soreness. Then I pictured Rahi's face from the night before, and my boy sprang up as if he had been waiting for exactly that moment. He had been a different creature ever since my first night with Hyunji, and I liked that he had only grown more dependable. His reaction time, now that I looked, was excellent too. I reached for the body wash, closed my fingers around him, and startled.
......What's gotten into you?
For a second I thought I'd grabbed a heated iron bar. He was hot enough in my fist to shock even me, and hard—no. Rigid. As if every drop of blood had been driven into him to the limit. I pressed gently along the shaft, and it didn't give in the slightest. I was honestly a little worried the head might burst.
I-is this even all right?
Whatever else he was, he was still only a lump of flesh swollen with blood. It came back to me then: yesterday, the instant I had entered her, Rahi hadn't been able to hear a word I said, her whole body locking tight with effort. Thank God I had gone in gently, and that she had been ready. Drive something like this into someone without mercy and I could see it doing real damage. Rahi's body rose in my mind, and Hyunji's with it, and strength surged into him all at once. He kicked upward, and a dull ache spread through my lower abdomen.
......I ought to be careful.
No wonder Rahi hadn't been able to get up this morning. It might not have been only that she couldn't put any strength into her belly. She might actually have been a little hurt. If she looked like she was struggling when I saw her today, I decided, I would drag her to a hospital whether she liked it or not.
"Ah...... Sh-Shinwoo."
At the mouth of the alley that led from home out to the main road, a figure who had been standing quietly broke into a bright smile the moment she saw me and offered a greeting.
"Were you waiting? You should have called."
"Ah, no. I just...... wanted to wait."
It was the boss. The same calm coat as always, the same casual clothes, and the whole of her brought a smooth cafe mocha to mind. Her milk-white cheeks were a little flushed; she had been waiting a while, by the look of it. As I came closer, Toto, who had been doing his business behind her, panted and latched onto my leg.
"Aigoo, does that feel good? There, there."
I bent and scratched Toto's cheeks. The boss laughed, crouched, and pulled wet wipes and a bag from her purse to clean up after him. Past the knit of her sweater, the pendant of her necklace had caught between her breasts and swayed back and forth, just barely in view. To think I would be jealous of a necklace.
"We're not late to open, are we?"
"No. As long as we're open by nine, it's...... fine."
Only then did she seem to notice how close we were standing, and she faltered mid-sentence as she tucked the bag into her shoulder bag. I looked at her as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Under my gaze she lowered her eyes and went on.
"......Customers don't complain if we get ready after we open."
"But it's only the two of us. You're still calling me Shinwoo?"
"Ah......"
She swallowed hard at that, though I hadn't really meant to rile her first thing in the morning. I only wanted to know whether her nerves, shaken the day before, were all right. Her eyes looked the same as ever. This much, it seemed, was fine. Adults were adults. Not that I had any intention of dragging age into it out loud and hurting her for no reason. I smiled gently, took her hand, and stood.
"Ah, Sh-Shinwoo...... no......"
"Be comfortable. You still seem awkward. Let's get going. We'll be late."
"Yeah......"
I helped her up and let go, and her fingers slipped from mine slowly, as if she hated to. The moment we were on our feet Toto hauled on the leash, urging us forward. I smiled to myself and started down the alley.
"Did you make an Instagram?"
"Yeah. But...... no matter how I think about it, I feel a little sorry. Toward you...... honey."
"Sorry for what? You were going to use me for the publicity from the start. And I agreed."
"......That's true, but didn't you hate social media?"
"It was just a hassle. I agreed with Sir Ferguson, too."
"Ah, I know that one."
"Oh, you like soccer?"
"I-it's just such a famous line. If anything, I'm surprised you seem to like soccer."
"It's not like I love it or anything."
"Still, a man who does is a surprise. You're the first I've seen."
"Anyway, I might as well try social media while I'm at it. It's nothing special. Just taking pictures and posting them."
"Thank you."
"You find the strangest things to thank me for. Then we'll do it when we have a minute today. After we clean should be fine."
"Yeah."
But the moment we turned the corner onto the main street, both our faces hardened at once, and we swallowed a helpless little laugh.
"......Let's redo the contract."
"......I-I'll give you forty thousand won......"
A dozen or more people were already gathered in front of the shop—women, to be precise—and the bus stop beyond was packed with others stealing glances their way. Open a cafe and you'd have a hit on your hands, or so it seemed. A shame, then, that I happened to have no talent for pulling coffee.
"Forget the money. From now on, mind your underwear when you come in to work."
"......Ah......"
"I'm not joking. I'll check. Out of nowhere."
She flushed and ducked her head.
"......This isn't the opening I imagined."
She muttered it, but I barely heard, busy counting the crowd.
"What?"
"Ah, it's nothing......"
"Let's go. Do the drinks come right out?"
"Ah, no. The machine needs five minutes......"
"Got it. So it's just the coffee that's five minutes out?"
"Yeah."
I picked up my pace, and she soon came scurrying up behind me and pressed on ahead. It was a little embarrassing, but the moment I reached the cafe door every waiting woman's eyes poured onto me at once. The boss hurried a key out and set to unlocking the door. The customers, dead-eyed a second ago, lit up the moment they saw me. This early in the morning, honestly. Every one of them in rude health.
"Hello. We're opening now, but the drinks will take about five minutes. Please wait just a moment."
"Ah, hello......"
"I can wait!"
"We can wait inside, right?"
"It's cold!"
The others immediately started glaring at the woman who had answered me first. When someone asked to wait inside, I smiled and answered.
"Of course. We haven't cleaned yet, though......"
"That's fine!"
"It looks clean, though?"
"Sorry. Please bear with us."
Just then the boss got the door open, flipped on the lights, and with practiced hands started the coffee machine and the rest of opening. I stepped inside as well and headed straight for the utility room beside the counter.
"A number-ticket machine. Think we need one?"
"This much is fine. If the orders pile up too badly, we'll think about it."
"All right. I'll take the orders for now, then."
"Yeah. Please."
In a blink we had our aprons on and were stepping out onto the floor. There had clearly been only about fifteen of them, and already the cafe was packed. Close to twenty—no, close to thirty. All those eyes landing on me at once was a little much. With a crowd like this, commute hour alone should have sent a few of them packing, but nobody was leaving. People were waiting outside the shop just to get in.
"If you came in toward the back, your drink may be quite late. Please understand."
The answer came back like a roomful of kindergarteners chorusing after their teacher. I nearly clapped my hands over my ears before I caught myself, smoothed my expression, and started taking orders.
"Welcome. You're back. First in line today?"
"Ah, h-hellooo......"
She flinched, startled, then shyly lowered her eyes and gave a little nod. An office worker, by the look of her—the same woman who had shown me her Instagram yesterday. Behind her, the eyes of the women still waiting sparkled. I had meant to act as if I knew her, but the reaction was more than I had expected. I would have to be careful.
"......A vanilla cream frappuccino, please."
The drink she named was nothing like yesterday's, and the name was so long I had to wonder what on earth it even was. It was morning, though, so the menu was limited. With the crowd stacked up behind her, there was nothing else for it.
"Right now we can only do americanos. I'm sorry. Would you like to wait?"
"Ah, no. Th-then an americano, please."
"Hot?"
"Yes......"
I took the orders one by one. While the boss moved back and forth behind me pulling coffee, I enjoyed the soft give of her backside whenever she brushed past, and I worked the line down until, before I knew it, the orders were done and no one stood in front of the counter. I planted a hand on the register and let out a quiet breath. Just long enough to catch it, and then I had to help her with the drinks. At least there was no food to deal with. We had found our rhythm yesterday; an order load like this ought to be nothing for her. I glanced back, and she was humming, making the drinks with a look of pure enjoyment.
"Oppa!"
A welcome voice cut in out of nowhere, and I lifted my head. The moment I saw who it belonged to, I smiled just as brightly and answered. It was Hyunji.