Chapter 36
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: I'm Going.
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Today might be the first time in my life I've done something productive.
By the time I got home, I was a little regretful that I'd worked until closing time.
Once I finished the closing cleanup, my body was completely drained, and my arms and legs ached.
I was already starting to dread going to work.
There wasn't much besides cleaning, so it could be considered an easy gig, but like my seniors said, it might just be the off-season lull when there are hardly any customers.
Once classes start, not only will I have this job, but the place will be swamped.
I'd actually seen with my own eyes how packed that cafe got during the semester.
Still, at least now I wouldn't have to wonder what to do with my day, so that was something.
Tomorrow, I'd have to work the whole day again, just like today.
Even after turning off the lights, sleep wouldn't come.
Maybe it was because I'd been so active earlier.
Not feeling sleepy at all, I picked up my smartphone.
'I should run some simulations to get used to it quick.'
I searched for vlogs from the franchise where I worked.
The branches were different, but the procedures were the same, and there were tons of things to reference.
...Tomorrow, I'm working too.
For some reason, it made me feel proud.
I'd have to work hard tomorrow too.
As those thoughts ran through my head while watching the vlogs, I drifted off to sleep.
My second day on the job.
If it had been opening shift, I would've been late.
I'd gone to bed late last night, and maybe because I was tired, by the time I woke up, it was already lunchtime.
Still, the daytime shift passed without any issues.
Around the same time as last time, Areum finished getting ready to leave.
"I'm heading out~"
"G-good work...!"
This time, I managed to properly tell Areum "good work."
The moment Areum left, the staff room door burst open.
"What? Areum already left?"
"Yeah..."
"She didn't even fully hand off the shift."
Do-ha looked a bit annoyed.
Should I have stopped her?
"Sh-should I have told her not to go...?"
"No, it's not that. But she should at least fully hand off before leaving, right?"
Is that so?
It did sound reasonable.
Not long after the handoff, a customer came in.
"I'll take the order. You go ahead and make it."
I moved to the drink prep area, a little tense.
I focused on listening closely to the order.
I had to finish it right after hearing the order too.
"...An iced Americano."
I heard the customer's order clearly.
I immediately recalled the scenes from the vlogs.
'No way I'm messing this up.'
I pressed the pump, and roasted coffee beans poured out with a clatter.
Muttering under my breath so no one could hear, I went over the steps.
"Grind the beans here..."
I put the beans in the grinder and pressed the button. It made a loud noise as they ground finely.
"Then this into the espresso machine... fit it... in."
It didn't fit easily, and I fumbled a bit, but I got it.
"While it's extracting, get the ice ready..."
There wasn't much ice in the machine, so I had to reach in deep.
'Someone refill the ice...!'
The ice made a crisp clinking sound.
"Ugh..."
I had to stand on my tiptoes and scrape the bottom to finally get some out.
Do-ha was watching me from the side.
Before the extraction finished, I transferred the ice to a cup and filled it with water.
"D-did I mess anything up...?"
"No, you're doing fine."
Then why are you staring like that?
Being watched made me tense up.
The moment extraction finished, I poured the espresso straight into the prepared iced cup.
"Done...! Here, Do-ha."
"Got it."
Do-ha took the coffee I'd made and handed it to the customer.
"From now on, hand it over yourself. Just set it there and tell the customer it's ready."
"Oh, yeah..."
Right.
I hadn't thought that far.
"Noona."
Next time, remember to make it, set it down, and call the customer.
"Eun-hae noona."
"Huh? Yeah."
"Was it hard getting the ice?"
"There wasn't much inside, so it was tough... Looks like we need to refill it? How do you do that...?"
"It fills up on its own if you wait. And the prep area looks kinda high for you, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
Do-ha pointed toward the storage room.
"...There's a step stool in the storage room. Want me to get it?"
"There's a step stool...?"
"The last short coworker used it. Like you, noona."
"...Could you?"
I couldn't keep asking him to get it every time, so after that, Do-ha showed me where the step stool was.
It got slow again, so I ended up sitting in the chair chatting with Do-ha.
This time was way harder than actually working.
I spent most of it staring at the floor while talking.
"What do you do on your days off?"
Lately, I'd lost interest in games.
Playing alone just wasn't fun.
"W-watch... anime..."
"Oh, I watch anime too."
I looked up skeptically.
What? He watches anime despite how he looks?
Probably just some mainstream stuff everyone knows.
Still, it felt like we might get a little closer.
"I've seen that too. Magic something. The guy with the black eyepatch covering his eye. He takes it off and..."
He actually seemed to know it.
'Magic Revolution'? Is that mainstream...?
It's pretty famous, but I wouldn't think someone like him would watch it.
Do-ha pressed his temple with one hand.
"Ah, what was it called?"
I hadn't really watched that anime properly myself, but I knew the famous scene.
Was it "Muryang Gongcheo" or something?
Do-ha seemed to remember and mimed taking off an eyepatch.
"Ah, got it. He takes off the eyepatch and goes, 'Thunderclap Flash' or whatever."
Crunch.
...Fake.
Wrong. Completely, utterly wrong.
He was totally faking knowing anime.
Picked up bits here and there.
That scene was definitely from some illegal short clip.
The kind that pops up in your algorithm, thumbing through shorts, catching a glimpse and pretending to know it.
But getting mad here would be weird.
...I'd just look like an otaku.
"Uh, yeah. Something like that, I guess."
Do-ha kept trying small talk.
That's when my smartphone saved me.
Suddenly, the alarm rang from my pocket.
"L-let me check this real quick..."
"Sure."
The texts I get are limited.
Please be something real I have to reply to, not just spam.
With a bit of hope, I turned on the screen.
And my hope was spot on.
[Seong Si-woo: Whatcha up to?]
"Whoa...!"
What's he doing messaging at this hour? Can he log into Death Code today?
At the same time, I frantically brainstormed an escape route from this situation.
"C-can I take a call? It's important..."
"Yeah, go ahead. Even if it's slow, don't take too long."
"Okay...!"
I jumped up and hurried somewhere without Do-ha, then immediately called Si-woo.
It was a bit chilly outside. Not enough for visible breath, but staying long might make me catch a cold.
After a few rings, Si-woo picked up pretty quick.
[You could've just texted. What's with the sudden call? Something up again?]
"Perfect timing."
[What's that mean all of a sudden? Doesn't seem like work trouble. Looked like you had fun with Sia?]
Had fun with Sia? We just shopped normally, hit a cafe, and split right after.
"Well, I went along with it."
Truth be told, Sia dragged me most of the time, but I didn't want to tell Si-woo that.
I didn't want to admit being led around by someone younger.
[Sure, if you say so. But you went to a cafe, took pics, looked like you had fun?]
Come to think of it, this guy saw those pics and even commented.
"That was me going along too..."
The moment he heard that, I caught a small laugh from Si-woo.
More like a snicker. He clearly didn't believe me.
[Alright. Anyway, thanks for hanging with Sia. I've been swamped lately.]
"Why swamped...?"
[Got the job. Just finished moving. Only commuting left now.]
Si-woo was a real working adult now...
...?
He moved? When?
Why didn't he tell me?
"You moved? When?"
[Not long ago. I told you I couldn't get into Death Code much anymore. Commuting back and forth every day from far away sucks, so I moved near the company.]
How did I not know about the move at all?
Wait, thinking back, he might've mentioned it in passing.
...Maybe I forgot.
Still, wouldn't you tell a friend before moving?
Even if, he's still a friend...
It felt like one of my few friends was drifting away.
Now a working stiff, he'd have even less time to hang out for real.
"I see..."
An awkward silence fell. Si-woo broke it first.
Suddenly, an unexpected invitation.
[...Wanna come over?]
"H-huh? C-can I come to your place?"
[Yeah. How about next Thursday? Sia's coming that day too.]
Conveniently, that was my day off from work.
First time visiting after the move—would it count as a housewarming?
"Yeah...! I'll go. Where is it?"
I got Si-woo's new address. Never heard of the neighborhood.
I know more places I don't know than ones I do, so that's normal.
"Where's that...?"
The explanation made it sound far.
...As far as the hospital I go to weekly.
Even by car, that took forever.
Thinking of public transit killed my motivation.
"Um... Can I think about coming over...?"
[If it's too much trouble, no need.]
"......"
If it's too much, no need.
Saying it like that...
"...I'll go."
My voice was small—maybe he didn't hear, or was pretending not to.
[What?]
A little louder, I said it again.
"I'm going..."