Why Haven't You Called!
"Why haven't you called!"
I stared at Dahyun in shock, my eyes wide as saucers. Flames were practically roaring in her big round eyes.
"Answer me!"
Too stunned to respond, I just gawked at her, and Dahyun slammed the counter again, demanding an answer.
I blurted out a reply like a cuckoo popping out of a clock. "Y-Yes?"
"Why haven't you called!"
"What call?"
"I gave you my business card yesterday! Don't you dare say you didn't know this time!"
"Uh, Dahyun... about that..."
"About what!"
Thank goodness there were no other customers right now. I shot a glance at Mansu to signal Dahyun. Her gaze slid over to him following my eyes.
Mansu stood there with his mouth hanging open, staring blankly at her.
...Not to be rude, but he really looked like a total potato brain.
"Oh, hi there."
Dahyun finally noticed him and bowed with flushed cheeks. She'd missed him behind the POS machine, it seemed. She must've been pretty flustered—her pale cheeks were beet red.
"Uh, u-uh, h-hello."
What was wrong with this guy now? Broken Mansu just blinked wide-eyed and mumbled incoherently.
I gave his shoulder a tap, and the machine whirred back to life.
"Hello!"
Dahyun glanced at me questioningly as Mansu bowed deeply, so I explained.
"This is my friend Mansu. I'm quitting the convenience store soon, so I brought him in as a temp."
"Oh, a friend of yours. Nice to meet you. I'm... Hura's... uh..."
Dahyun hesitated on how to introduce herself to me, then continued. "Friend...? Yeah, Dahyun."
She sneaked a peek at me as she finished, gauging my reaction. Her office experience shone through as she smoothly extended a hand to Mansu for a proper greeting.
"Uh-buh."
Broken Mansu grabbed her hand and mumbled back.
"...Pardon?"
As Dahyun exchanged greetings with him, I chimed in. "Depending on how fast this guy picks up the job, that'll decide when I start coming in."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. I was gonna call after seeing how he does today... Was it urgent?"
"Oh, no, not at all."
"Then can I call after work?"
"Y-Yes, sure!"
"He'll probably get it by end of day. If he does well, that is."
I glanced at Mansu, who was still staring vacantly at Dahyun, and added that.
"Got it. Then... call me today, okay?"
"Not buying anything today?"
"Oh, yeah. Kinda busy. Talk later!"
Dahyun bolted out of the store. She hadn't bought anything lately. Must be swamped.
I tilted my head, puzzled, when the potato-brained Mansu next to me suddenly turned with a screech and stared at me.
"...? What?"
He was looking at me like he'd never seen me before—like a fan gawking at a celebrity he admired. Admiration and awe mixed in his eyes, making me frown.
"What're you staring at?"
"Bro!"
He grabbed my arm tightly.
"What's this? You called me a sweet potato earlier."
"Sweet potatoes are delicious, aren't they?"
"Explain yourself right now."
Mansu dazedly stared at the convenience store door where Dahyun had left.
"Is she an angel? A ray of light shone, and the door opened on its own."
"...It's an automatic door."
"What's her name?"
"...Lee Dahyun."
"Ahh. Even her name is beautiful."
"......"
He gazed reverently at the ceiling, lost in admiration.
"How'd you meet an angel like that?"
"In the game."
I brushed it off vaguely—not wanting to bother explaining or share her info carelessly.
"Game? Which one?"
"Why do you wanna know?"
"Just curious."
"Fantasy World."
"Whoa! I play that too!"
"Shocking."
He eyed me cautiously. "Wait... you and her... y'know? Like that?"
"Like what?"
"Y'know. No way, right...?"
"What."
After hemming and hawing, he blurted it out. "You dating?"
"Huh?"
"You are?"
"No."
"Not dating?"
"Obviously."
Don't climb trees you can't reach, they say. If I'd even looked her way, we wouldn't be friends now—our connection would've snapped ages ago.
"So you're not crushing on Dahyun or anything? No flirting?"
"Told you."
"Then introduce me."
"...?"
I stared at him like some alien lifeform.
"Why? You said you have no feelings."
"You shouldn't either."
"Why not?"
"How's a talking potato gonna have feelings for a human?"
"Idiot. Bold guys win the beauties."
"You're a potato."
Mansu clutched my arm desperately. "C'mon, just once."
"What."
"Set up a meet. Just once. I won't ask more. Please?"
"Hmm..."
Of course, the odds of this potato and Dahyun working out were zero. But I could use this somehow.
"Hmmm..."
I furrowed my brow, pretending to mull it over.
"Please! I'll do anything!"
One eyebrow arched. "Anything?"
"Yeah! Anything!"
"Fine then... First trial."
"Trial?"
"Yeah. Overcome three trials, and I'll set something up with Dahyun."
"Three?!"
"Pass."
He grabbed my turning shoulder. "What's the first trial?"
"Master convenience store work perfectly by today. Good enough to jump in tomorrow no problem."
"Deal! Not that hard. Second one?"
I tsked and turned away. "Tch. You won't even reach the second—why bother hearing it?"
"What? Don't underestimate me."
"Talking potato."
"I'm Kim Mansu! The guy who got top of the school on the first semester high school freshman science midterm!"
"......"
I gave him a pitiful look. It was true, sure. But bragging about it just proved he never ranked first again—in any subject, any test.
Probably his first and last number one in school life.
"Then prove it."
"You'll regret this. I'll master the job today and hear that second trial."
Felt like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey. Anyway, this fired Mansu up—now it was on him.
Mansu's convenience store training wrapped up successfully that day. Meanwhile, in Fantasy World, the star-studded 'real' culinary adventure was in full swing.
Geum Taeyang and Tteoksoon-i, dressed neatly in Baekjeongjang uniforms with crisp white cloths draped over one arm like proper waiters, stood motionless behind Hura. He sat at the table with his two guests.
"How's the taste?"
Currently, Baek Bal Baek Jung and Beda were munching on the
Hura had served.
"It's delicious. Melts in your mouth like cotton candy. Hura's food never gets old."
"Same here. Nom nom."
Beda and Baek Bal Baek Jung, respectively.
The sharp tension between the two—who used to glare daggers—had softened since devouring Hura's previous Wild Boar Barbecue. Sure, Beda still shot occasional glares at Baek Bal Baek Jung, who pretended not to notice and looked away, but compared to their old brawls that wrecked everything around them, it was tame.
"So how do you two know each other?"
"Impossible not to. He's the only one who tried assassinating me and got away."
Beda answered coldly, glaring across the table at Baek Bal Baek Jung.
The latter cleared his throat awkwardly and averted his eyes.
"Ahem. Even without that dramatic reason, anyone in the top 10 knows everyone else—can't avoid it."
Hura's eyes widened at the unexpected info.
"Top 10?"
"What, didn't I mention? I'm Rank 10, and this old guy's Rank 6."
Baek Bal Baek Jung brushed his hair back casually, but Hura felt like a hammer had smacked the back of his head.
Clang—
A spoon slipped from Hura's hand.
"H-Haha, good one. Don't tease a newbie like that."
"Huh? It's true..."
"Ants see giants or mountains the same—huge. Stop messing around."
"Not messing..."
Baek Bal Baek Jung muttered softly.
Beda swallowed his bite, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and bowed slightly to Hura. "Come to think of it, I never told you either. Wasn't hiding it—just sorry for not mentioning sooner."
With Beda saying that much, Hura had no choice but to believe.
"H-High rankers? Like, Rank 10 and Rank 6 high rankers?"
Hura gawked at them alternately, eyes bulging.
"This guy's the Mad Archer Baek Bal Baek Jung, Rank 10. I'm Beda, Rank 6."
"Hey, why trash my nickname but skip yours, Monster Swordsman Beda?"
Baek Bal Baek Jung teased.
"Ahem. Just a bad nickname from jealous folks. Don't mind it, Hura."
"Jealous? Nine out of ten call you that—"
"Ahem!"
Beda's loud cough shut Baek Bal Baek Jung up with a 'fine, this once' look.
Then he sidled up to Hura and whispered. "He's only nice to you like this. Normally he'd just—"
"Ahem! Same for you, Baek Bal Baek Jung."
Beda rarely flustered, snapping back at the mad archer.
"What about me?"
"The guy who hid out of sight after hitting Rank 10 suddenly shows up in public?"
"My business."
They growled and glared, then noticed Hura staring like a stunned rabbit. Sheepish, they dropped their sharp gazes.
"Ahem."
"Hmm."
Hura was too busy calming his pounding heart. The friendly neighborhood uncle and drooling stalker were actually top 10 high rankers?
Contemplating that, an even bigger shock hit: 'Four high rankers in my top 10 friends!'
Hura wondered if he had honey smeared on him attracting them, glancing around.
"Master. Drop something?"
"Nah, nothing."
The shock lump crashed into his heart, but curiosity balls started rolling down from above.
"Uh, so top 10 high rankers all know each other well?"
"Yes. Nobody doesn't."
Beda confirmed, Baek Bal Baek Jung nodding.
"Then do you know Rank 5 Red Witch Molrangkau?"
"Molrangkau?"
Both grimaced without prompting—expressions like Sera's.
Hura was used to it by now.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Heard the rumors? She's infamous."
"I only trust what I've seen."
Hura dismissed Baek Bal Baek Jung's reply curtly—facts only, no gossip.
Baek Bal Baek Jung swept back his hair, sharing his tale. "Back when I was hot-blooded, sniped her from afar."
"Molrangkau?"
"Yeah. My arrow burst into flames mid-flight."
"Oho."
"She somehow spotted my hiding spot, stared right at me, and charged, torching everything in her path. Few mountains burned down."
"...Isn't that your fault for shooting first?"
"I was thinking of Manager Kim."
"Did she catch you?"
"Nah. Barely escaped. Lost all my hair though. Shudder thinking about it."
"......"
Hura silently eyed Baek Bal Baek Jung's long hair, then turned to Beda. "You?"
"...Not great memories. Don't wanna meet again."
Beda scratched his cheek reluctantly.
"Hmm... Got it."
Hura nodded. Wasn't expecting compliments anyway.
"Then Rank 3, Geogi Seora?"
At Hura's follow-up, the two froze solid.