Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Before the Cafe Opens, A Short Holiday (1)
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They say you never know what life will throw at you.
But I never dreamed something like this would happen to me.
"Really... They say you can't predict anything in this world."
Even in a world where harems are legal.
Even in a world where men hold all the power, there are lines you just don't cross.
What happened between Seo-yeon and me was basically an affair, and Yu-ra noona caught us in the act.
I figured it would cause a huge problem, but surprisingly, instead of bringing up that issue, she mentioned something else I'd been worried about before and let it slide.
[Jun-hyuk... If that's what you want... it's okay to take Seo-yeon as your second...]
Was it a trap?
Her expression was so terrifying, like she was about to crush either me or Seo-yeon on the spot.
But in the end, I accepted noona's offer, and Seo-yeon became my second.
[Th-thank you! I'll never forget this kindness!]
During our pillow talk, the confident Seo-yeon had dogeza'd once again.
And I, who had dreamed of a pure love story with Yu-ra noona, ended up with two lovers.
"Urgh."
Even after all that, the sun rises as it always does, and another day begins.
Yu-ra noona wanted to stick by my side all day, but the lectures she'd abruptly canceled in America became an issue, so she decided to handle them remotely and was holed up in the guild.
'The time difference with America means she has to do the lectures at night, so she's staying and eating at the guild?'
She finally came back from her business trip, but she's handling work so frantically that her feet are glued in place?
At this rate, it'll be hard to meet up again.
'Seo-yeon is quietly busy too.'
She'd used up a whole week of vacation, so she had a mountain of backlog.
Both of them were swamped, but it wasn't a big problem.
I wasn't exactly free either, so we wouldn't have had time to meet anyway.
"Where should we move this?"
"Over here, please."
The items I'd ordered last time had arrived, so I went to the cafe and directed their placement.
Well, I didn't move them myself—I just instructed the delivery guys.
"Now it finally looks like a cafe."
With the place stocked up, it looked ready to open for business on the surface.
But having the stuff didn't mean I could open right away; there were still a few issues to handle, so it was impossible for now.
'I already filed for business registration, and applied for water and electricity, so all that's left is hiring part-timers.'
Run a two-story cafe all by myself?
That would be the same as asking for my third reincarnation.
'I have no intention of dying from overwork.'
Should I hire about ten part-timers?
It's not a 24-hour cafe, so that should be enough.
"I hope some diligent people apply."
I signed up as the owner on a part-time job site and posted a listing.
The location was great, and I had the hidden ace up my sleeve—me—so I expected crowds and offered 1.5 times the average hourly wage.
'I have plenty of cash from that villain organization anyway.'
For now, this setup works. If business sucks after opening, I can fire them then.
After posting, I had a meal, rested a few hours, and came back to find a ton of resumes online.
"Whoa... that's a lot."
The number at the top said 83 applicants already.
As expected, above-average pay is the best carrot for part-timers.
'No need to check them right now.'
Even if I reviewed them eagerly and picked someone good now, more would come in, and someone even better might show up, so I'll wait a day.
"Now, time to relax."
I had no plans to just laze around at home, so I went to say goodbye to the cafe owner where I'd been working.
"You're a boss now too, Jun-hyuk?"
"It just kinda happened that way."
The owner, whom I hadn't seen in a while, still had that pretty smile.
"Sales dipped a bit without you. But plenty of regulars stuck around because our coffee's so good, so we survived."
"The owner's coffee is the best in Korea, if I do say so myself!"
A little flattery never hurts.
"What matters in a cafe is how you handle the crazies. You know how no matter how nice you are, they still show up?"
"Yeah, I've seen a few."
"Oh yeah, there was that customer who secretly sketched your face. Japanese guy, I think? That's pretty crazy too."
"Better than sneaky photos. I can live with that."
"Sigh, Jun-hyuk, you're too nice for your own good."
We chatted happily about old times.
"Anyway, owner, I gotta go! Come visit when the cafe opens!"
"Yeah! I will!"
After our fun gossip, on the way home, Seo-yeon called.
-Jun-hyuk, what're you up to?
"Thinking about you, Seo-yeon."
-Eek, don't say stuff like that out of nowhere...
We'd decided to date.
And that day, we'd agreed to drop the formalities, but somehow we were back to polite speech.
It wasn't awkwardness on my end; she wanted it that way.
[Jun-hyuk, I like couples using polite speech, so let's go back to it.]
No, didn't Seo-yeon suggest banmal first?
Why the sudden change of heart?
'They say a woman's heart is like a reed, and even in this reversed era, that hasn't changed?'
Anyway, we were having a sweet phone chat when she asked about the part-timers.
-So, what kind of part-timer are you looking for, Jun-hyuk?
"Hmm, diligent ones, for starters. Cafe experience is a plus, but even without it, someone quick on the uptake who can learn fast is fine."
The problem is, I don't have an eye for spotting them.
You need experience as an owner for that.
-Anything else?
"Nothing specific. As long as they work hard... Oh! It'd be great if they're sociable enough not to fight with other part-timers."
-Hmm, got it.
"Why? Wanna help with interviews?"
-Oh, no! Just curious, hehe. Oh! But you'll be busy for a while after the cafe opens, right? If you're free, wanna watch a movie tomorrow? It's the weekend, so I have time.
A movie.
We skipped straight to dating without proper steps, so we hadn't had a real date yet.
Watching a movie counts as one, so I agreed readily.
-I'll pick the movie! Look forward to it!
"Sure thing! Leave it to you, Seo-yeon!"
-Then have a good day, Jun-hyuk! And... I love you!
I keep grinning like an idiot.
Ah, can't do that. I'm outside right now.
"Huh?"
After hanging up with Seo-yeon, I got home, showered, and checked the resumes again.
I expected more, but there were way fewer than before.
"Only 43 now?"
Did people bail because it's a new cafe and they expect crowds?
Or did the high pay scare them off, thinking the work's intense?
No idea, but with fewer coming in, maybe I should hire before it drops more.
"Life really doesn't go your way."
＊＊＊
"Phew, this should do it."
Lee Seo-yeon let out a sigh of relief as she stared at her monitor.
Yoo Jun-hyuk's cafe part-time job resumes were lined up in files.
"I based diligence on their past part-time stints and sociability on their SNS, so it should be fine."
She took a sip of wine to soothe herself and recalled what Choi Yu-ra had said recently.
[Help him where I can't. You have the skills for that, right?]
Choi Yu-ra wanted to protect Jun-hyuk.
Seo-yeon knew that feeling well, so she'd agreed.
This resume purge was part of that.
If some weirdo got hired, Jun-hyuk would suffer.
She'd hacked the site to delete all unfit ones, even weeding out those with bad academics or criminal records.
"Did I delete too many?"
Sure, few were left, but they'd be S-rank part-timers that exceeded his wishes, so no big deal.
"I cherry-picked the best ones. Now, what movie to pick?"
She'd checked Jun-hyuk's history, but he wasn't big on movies, so no clear tastes.
"Guys like romance movies, right?"
Seo-yeon shook her head.
Too predictable, no impact. Won't leave a mark on Jun-hyuk.
"Need something more unique."
She knew she fell short of Choi Yu-ra in many ways.
Education, wealth, power, looks.
She couldn't beat her in any, so she aimed for specialness in her approach.
"I even switched back to polite speech on purpose. Gotta see it through."
She hadn't backed off the banmal idea for nothing.
If Yu-ra used polite speech with him, fine—but otherwise, polite speech would make her stand out.
In that vein, the movie she picked was "very" special.
『Ushimusuko! Fight, Boys! -The Struggles of Little Men to Become the Best!-
Not just any movie.
It was an anime packed with her tastes.
"Hehe, I hope Jun-hyuk gets hooked on little guys too."
Little humanoid boys striving to be the best in a little guy sumo tournament.
A youthful tale of sweat and blood—Jun-hyuk will grip his seat watching it!
"Only 1% of male gamers play Little Guys... but maybe Jun-hyuk's in that 1%?"
It's an anime based on a game he probably hasn't played.
Was it because she's an otaku? Or because she's a friendless loser?
"Oh yeah, should I tell Yu-ra first?"
After booking tickets, she felt she should report to the first wife.
And as second wife, she had a duty to bond with her.
"Sharing a man means I can't stay scared forever."
They say harem guys stress out if their wives don't get along.
She figured closing the gap with Yu-ra now, like friends, was best for Jun-hyuk.
"Hmm, like friends..."
From what she'd seen online, close friends trash-talk and roast each other.
Too scary for that yet, so start with playful teasing.
"That works."
Seo-yeon screenshotted the ticket receipt and drafted a message for Choi Yu-ra.
『Woo-hyoo~★ Got a date with Jun-hyuk this time~♥ Planning to dye him my color hard~☆ While we're having fun, EX Hunter lady can date monsters in a gate lol~♡』
"Perfect. Not bad."
Lee Seo-yeon.
Age 20.
A girl whose age equals her friendless years.
She didn't know the lines you don't cross with friends.
"Send."
And she forgot Choi Yu-ra knows zero community memes.
＊＊＊
"...Yu-ra unnie seems extra weird today."
"Yeah. On her period? Did she forget her quarterly pills?"
Choi Yu-ra's team members whispered behind her.
They were waiting at the guild to smash an A-rank gate when she joined, but the others did nothing.
"Scared to get close."
"Ahem, first gate in a while—probably hyped up."
No, they couldn't.
Choi Yu-ra was solo-dismembering monsters.
Her overwhelming killing intent left them spectators.
"What do we do?"
"Nothing we can. Grab popcorn, Ye-seul!"
From afar, they couldn't see.
The smartphone in her hand.
...
And they couldn't hear.
"You fucking bitch..."
Her first-ever heartfelt curse.
"I graciously accepted you, and you dare challenge me?"
Her eyes radiated murder.
"I'm never letting go of Jun-hyuk."