Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Solo Diners Are Mostly Outsiders
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Han Si-a, who spotted me working at the sandwich shop, froze right in front of the counter.
She seemed pretty shocked to see a classmate she recognized slinging sandwiches.
At school, she lets her hair grow down to her waist and wears it draped over her back, but right now, she'd tied it up with a hair tie, pulling it neatly over her shoulder.
Her outfit wasn't the school uniform either—just a comfy-looking hoodie topped with a jacket.
...Maybe it's the contrast with her usual look, but seeing her like this, she comes off as a total study bug.
Ah, right, she's the top student in the whole school, so yeah, she is a study bug. At school, though, her image as a super Insider overshadows her rep as a brainiac, so maybe my perception's a bit skewed.
...
Han Si-a was still standing there.
It's not quite the rush hour when all the academy kids swarm out yet, so the shop's pretty empty, but she can't just keep hovering at the counter...
In the end, for smooth store operations, I had to speak up first and nudge her along.
Of course, no acting like I know her.
I didn't let on that I was curious why her eyes were a bit puffy or whether she was heading to an academy around here.
Right now, I'm not a student—I'm a pro pulling in over 100 million an hour (2017 rates).
If I slipped up and acted familiar here, and the boss overheard,
'So that kid turns out to be just some greenhorn who giggles with friends on the job. If he whines for a raise later, I can use this as leverage to deny him.'
That could happen. Then my grand challenge of securing a 1,000-won raise per hour (*about 2 BTC in 2011 terms*) would go up in smoke.
"Ma'am, have you decided on your order? Here's the menu—take your time picking, and just let me know when you're ready~"
Only after I spoke did she snap out of it, flashing a bright smile as she placed her order.
Yep. Still that perfect salesman's grin. Pretty, sure, but...
Back before my regression, if I'd run into someone with a face like that at my company job, I'd have bolted to the nearest exit.
Too risky she'd latch on and make things annoying...
Our sandwich shop runs on high volume, low margins, so her order was ready in under a minute.
Grab a prepped sandwich, add the sauces and salad that can't be pre-assembled, wrap it up—done.
As I handed her the bagged sandwich, I couldn't help thinking,
'Just a basic sandwich and a drink? Is she eating alone?'
'Nah, that's outsider thinking like mine. Han Si-a's a famous Insider—she's gotta have a group to eat with.'
But then,
After paying and getting her food, just when I figured she'd head out, Han Si-a turned back from the door.
She made a complicated face for a second, then said flatly,
"Don't tell anyone at school I'm going to an academy around here... or I won't come back."
...?
While I was buffering, trying to process what she meant, she plopped down at a two-top table in the shop and started unpacking her sandwich.
To eat it.
Alone.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Insiders treat eating with others as a given.
Especially when eating out—they practically see solo dining as a sin. If unavoidable circumstances force it, they'll eat in paranoia, terrified someone might spot them alone.
For me, an outsider through decades including pre-regression, eating alone is the default.
But thinking back, there was a time when even I felt awkward eating out solo, just like them.
When did it start? When did other people at meals start feeling bothersome enough that I'd avoid them?
That Insider over there, munching her sandwich at the sandwich shop with a sullen expression, had just said,
Don't tell school she's attending an academy nearby.
Meaning she doesn't want to run into school acquaintances around here.
She was shocked to see me working here probably because I'm a classmate.
So, has she just grown sick of school friends for some reason?
...Nah, that doesn't feel right.
If she'd flashed her signature sales smile, she'd have made tons of academy friends even without school ones.
Insiders who deem solo meals sinful would starve before deliberately eating alone at a restaurant.
And besides...
'Don't tell anyone at school I'm going to an academy around here... or I won't come back.'
That means, as long as her academy attendance stays secret, she wants to keep solving her dinners here alone.
This girl... is she actually a solo dining addict?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Outsiders minimize chit-chat with others, so they tend to overanalyze limited interactions, reading deep meanings into them.
That's why Insiders complain that outsiders 'take casual words and blow them out of proportion, getting offended.'
As a proud outsider, I wanna declare:
'If it's meaningless, don't say it out loud.'
People who hate overinterpretation praise it as 'insightful~' or 'thanks for the consideration~' when the result flatters them.
But that's just the line between 'care' and 'meddling'—outsiders aren't the weird ones.
Insiders aren't close to outsiders anyway, so any care feels like nosiness to them!!!
So I unilaterally labeled the Han Si-a eating dinner alone at the sandwich shop a 'solo dining addict' and launched 'outsider-style consideration.'
Rule one for considering solo diners: Don't gawk at them like they're a spectacle. The server's gaze stays only on job essentials.
Rule two: No special treatment. Even if they look like they need minor help, don't jump in unless they call you over.
Rule three: Keep talk mechanical. Answer questions with minimal politeness—concise info only. Zero emotion.
-The restroom is to the right out the door.
-Water's in the fridge, help yourself.
-Drink refills once max.
-Leave trays here after eating.
Dragging it out with extra 'kindness' just burdens the listener. To solo diners, servers are background NPCs.
And most crucially: Even if they become regulars, never let on you recognize them.
Act familiar with a solo diner, and they'll never return.
Han Si-a finished her peaceful meal and passed the counter with an odd expression, heading out.
"Have a good night~"
There. Polite, but like greeting a wall—perfect distant courtesy.
How's that? Nice, right? Comfortable? You're locked into this spot as your solo dining haven now.
A place where you're undeniably, verifiably, sustainably ignored, even eating alone.
In this era where solo diners are rare, this comfort's unreproducible without booking a private room.
But then Han Si-a, who'd left, came right back to the counter.
"Your consideration style's kinda creepy. It bugs me."
What.
Didn't expect her to clock it...
What face did I make then?
She caught my flicker of expression and left with a smug little bounce.
Well, at least she didn't call it meddling.
About five minutes after she left, peak dinner rush hit the academy district.
Waves of students pouring from nearby mega-academies seemed endless,
and the minor incident of the class beauty dropping by faded from memory amid the frenzy.
And as expected.
Han Si-a became a sandwich shop regular.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 🌙 Side Story: Han Si-a's Walk Home Late at night, a high school girl walks while on the phone. Her giggling suggests it's a close friend. -Mom. So, did you figure out which academy the second-ranked student attends? -Really? No info on academies, tutors, or study halls? Haha, after all that big talk, turns out you're the careless one... -(Noise... static...) -Aigoo... keep yelling like that and you'll get more wrinkles~ What if Dad changes his mind? Come on, Mom, smile! Hee hee~ -(Noise... static...) -You gonna say that in front of our dad? -Right? -Well, rare good mood tonight, so I'll let it slide special. -Let's tough it out together these next three years. After that, we won't cross paths again. 22:42 Call ended. The smile vanished from her face, replaced by a blank expression. "Hee hee... now I can finally breathe easy during dinner hours." But why does she look happier now than when she was smiling?