The Proposal
Somehow, the uproarious chaos had finally come to a temporary close.
This time, Sihyun simply could not choose the option of running away.
These people clearly aren't from ordinary families…
He had been too busy working day after day to ever properly watch a single episode of anything, but looking at Yuri and Seonye—and even Yoona, who had already left the scene—it was only natural to think of them as people from another world, the kind who only appeared in movies.
And for good reason.
They didn't just send the police packing. What the hell are these people…?
Even though it was already the dead of night, a group of people in black uniforms had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and begun cleaning up the café, which looked more like a ruin than anything else. Before long—before he could even blink—they were restoring it to its original state.
Mobilizing well over a dozen people at this hour and ferrying in brand-new replacement furniture as if it were nothing…
Are they the daughters of some big conglomerate CEOs or something?
Without realizing it, Sihyun had landed remarkably close to the truth.
Meanwhile, watching the café get restored in the blink of an eye, the manager could only stand there in a daze, murmuring, “Ah… ah…” in pure joy.
Seeing him like that, Sihyun at least felt a little relieved… but still.
He could no longer choose the option of fleeing.
Shaking the two of them off and slipping away would not have been all that difficult. But given how Yuri had suddenly shown up at the café where he worked today…
They've already dug up everything about me. Seonye noona probably knows too…
Sihyun had more or less resigned himself to the fact that he could not escape them.
He pulled out his phone and checked the time. Midnight had already come and gone. Thinking of his mother waiting up and worrying about him even at this hour…
It would be a real problem if these people just showed up at my house.
He had finally managed to persuade his ailing mother to stop working. If people like this suddenly appeared on their doorstep, he was terrified of how she might react.
Mom's the type who could do anything, after all…
Having sorted his thoughts, Sihyun spoke first, letting out a long sigh as he asked Yuri,
“Haa… So what exactly did you come looking for me for?”
Yuri tilted her head.
“Business? I don't really have any. Do I need a reason?”
“Excuse me…?”
Her attitude left Sihyun so flabbergasted that he was at a complete loss for words.
Watching Sihyun make a face that was half incredulous, half angry at her words, Yuri let out a quiet snort of laughter.
No, I really don't have any particular business…
From the very first day she met him, an almost uncanny interest had welled up inside her and refused to leave her mind. She had simply chased after him.
After Sihyun had sprinted away at full speed and left her alone that night, she had gone straight back to the club. She had immediately badgered the club manager until she got Sihyun's basic personal information—name, contact number, home address.
When she was told that because he had been introduced by a VIP, there was no more detailed information available, she had been so furious she had thrown a fit…
And that VIP turned out to be Min Seonye.
The fact that Seonye had known Sihyun before her was irritating enough to make her want to grind her teeth, but since it was also thanks to Seonye that she had met him at all, she decided to let it slide for now.
Anyway.
She had briefly considered calling him first, but given how Sihyun had kept running without even looking back despite her shouting, she figured he would just block her number immediately. So the moment the sun rose, she had used his home address as a clue and scoured the entire neighborhood.
That was when she had happened to spot Sihyun inside the café, and after that… well, everyone already knew what kind of mess had unfolded.
As those thoughts ran through her head, Sihyun asked in pure disbelief,
“So… you're saying you caused that entire uproar even though you had no business with me whatsoever?”
“Ah…”
For a second Yuri froze.
Prideful as she was, she simply could not bring herself to honestly say something like, I came because I wanted to see you. She also had zero confidence in acting cute or clinging the way that cow over there—Seonye—was currently eavesdropping on their conversation with a scheming look on her face.
She briefly considered chewing him out and holding him responsible for running away that day, but the moment she remembered Yoona's manic, high-handed behavior that had already put Sihyun in such a tight spot…
No. If I do that I'll be no different from that psycho!
She shook her head hard inside. If she wasn't careful, she might end up getting called “ajumma” too.
Yuri hastily changed tack.
“No! That was a joke. Of course I have business with you!”
“And what would that be?”
Sihyun narrowed his eyes at her, clearly suspicious.
“……That is…”
When she failed to answer properly, his gaze only grew sharper.
So Yuri stopped overthinking and just spat out the first thing that came to mind.
“I came to make a proposal!”
“A proposal?”
Sihyun still looked unconvinced.
Yuri forced an awkward, strained smile and nodded.
“Y-yeah! A proposal!”
“What kind of proposal?”
“That is…”
A brief hesitation flickered across her face before the words finally left her mouth…
“……Right.”
“Huh?”
Sihyun was completely baffled. Why had she suddenly stopped mid-sentence and just nodded to herself?
Is this person actually messing with me…?
Just as he was about to say something, utterly fed up with Yuri—
“You!”
Yuri jabbed a finger at him as if she had finally made up her mind and shouted,
“How about becoming my personal bodyguard!?”
“What?”
Faced with a proposal he had never even dreamed of, Sihyun's expression went completely blank.
“You said you were quitting this café job anyway, right?”
It had been a rather impulsive suggestion, but she seemed quite satisfied with her own stroke of genius. Looking thoroughly pleased with herself, she pressed on with renewed vigor.
“It'd be a waste to keep doing nothing but part-time jobs with skills like yours, wouldn't it? So how about we draw up a contract right now for you to become my exclusive—”
Just as she was about to drive the final nail in—
Thud!
“Ack!”
Seonye, who had been listening from the side, could no longer hold back. She shoved Yuri's shoulder hard and cut in.
“What do you mean quitting, you little witch!”
Then she immediately latched onto Sihyun's arm and yanked him toward her.
“Sihyun-ah, I'm saying it again—let's just pretend the whole quitting thing never happened, okay? And if you really want to be a bodyguard, then you can be my bodyguard…”
Seonye slyly pulled his arm even deeper between her breasts, trying to work her charms.
Yuri was never going to just stand there and watch that happen.
“Pfft. Yeah, someone as vulgar as a cow like you might actually need a bodyguard.”
“What did you just say!?”
Seonye's face flushed crimson at the provocation. She released Sihyun's arm and yelled.
“What? Did I say something wrong? You mad? Want to finish what we started earlier?”
“Ha! Who do you think is going to back down? Fine, today one of us is actually dying, you clingy little pest!”
“What!? I told you I'm above average!”
The two of them, now fully enraged, looked ready to start another free-for-all.
But before they could—
Grab.
Sihyun seized both of them by the scruffs of their necks in one smooth motion and held them in place.
“Hey, let go!”
“Sihyun-ah! Don't stop us!”
The two of them thrashed and screeched while he had them by the collars, but he didn't ease his grip in the slightest.
“Look, both of you, just stop it already.”
His voice was low and heavy, thick with exhaustion.
“Those people worked so hard cleaning this place up. Are you seriously planning to trash it all over again right away?”
At his words, the workers who had nearly finished restoring the café all nodded in firm agreement.
Faced with that,
“Ugh…”
“I-I would never do that, Sihyun-ah~”
Yuri and Seonye both faltered, the fight draining out of them at once.
Only after confirming that did Sihyun finally release them.
Then, intending to draw a clear line and tell them to leave him alone, he opened his mouth.
“Listen. I…”
But then—
“Sihyun-ah—!!!”
The manager suddenly burst in, eyes welling up as he latched onto him.
“Please don't quit!”
“Eeh!?”
The unexpected ambush left Sihyun flustered.
“All the other kids already quit! Won't you please reconsider just one more time!?”
“What? What do you mean everyone already quit?”
“Well…”
Instead of answering, the manager carefully slid his gaze toward Yuri and Seonye.
Sihyun roughly grasped the situation, let out a huge sigh, and nodded as if he had no other choice.
“Fine. But only until we can find other people, okay? Got it?”
“Y-yess! Of course! Of course!!!”
The manager seized both of Sihyun's hands in pure emotion and shook them vigorously, overjoyed.
At that,
“Tch!”
Yuri clicked her tongue, looking thoroughly displeased,
while
“Heh!”
Seonye shot Yuri a triumphant, mocking look, clearly gloating.
Yuri desperately wanted to punch that face, but
“Grrr…!”
with Sihyun watching, she had no choice but to grind her teeth and hold it in.
Humming softly under her breath, Seonye—who had ultimately come out on top—looked at the manager and thought to herself that she would make sure to reward him handsomely later, whether through a glowing performance review or a fat bonus.