There Was No Need for That

Thanks to the helpful woman, I managed to arrive just in time for my interview.

Cafe Dalteulak was a cozy little neighborhood shop tucked away in a quiet back alley. Turning back to the woman who had guided me through the maze of streets, I gave her a polite nod.

“Thank you so much. Thanks to you, I didn't end up late.”

“Oh, not at all! I had a great time walking with you.”

“Pardon? Ah, right. I should give you something for your trouble.”

Even if she had helped me out of pure goodwill, I couldn't simply walk away without offering a token of appreciation. I unzipped the crossbody bag slung over my shoulder and began rummaging inside.

“Well, in that case, your number...”

“Here you go. It's my favorite treat, so please take it.”

I pulled a packet of gummy candy from my bag. Even in my previous lives, I had always possessed a soft spot for sweets. In an existence largely devoid of simple pleasures, small snacks like these were like a desperately needed rain shower during a long drought.

“Huh? Ah. Thank you once again.”

When I looked up from my bag, the woman was holding out her smartphone with both hands. I gently set the packet of gummies on top of her phone screen, bowed respectfully, and took a step back.

“Ah... y-yeah.”

She lingered, fidgeting as though she had something more to say, but I didn't have the luxury of lingering to indulge her. I may have arrived on time, but I didn't have minutes to waste. Turning toward the cafe's large display window, I quickly checked my reflection. My clothes were modest, tidy, and unobtrusive. My hair was styled just as the salon hairdresser had shown me yesterday.

Just as I finished checking my appearance, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Another place I had applied to was asking if I could come in for an interview today. There was still plenty of time before I needed to make a final choice, so replying could wait until later. I sent a quick message to Yeo-eun letting her know I had arrived safely, took a steady breath, and pushed open the front door.

Chime.

The gentle ring of a door chime echoed across the quiet interior. Six tables were arranged throughout the dining area with generous breathing room between them. It was an intimate, independent boutique cafe, and currently, there wasn't a single customer in sight.

“Welcome,” called a woman who was sweeping the floor near the counter. Her voice carried a remarkably languid, almost sleepy drawl.

“Hello. I'm Noh Jungseo. I'm here for the job interview.”

The woman leaned against her mop handle, planting her feet and staring straight at me. A faint, suggestive smile tugged at the corner of her lips—a stark contrast to her drowsy tone.

“You're hired.”

Just like that, I got the job.

The woman holding the mop was the proprietor of the cafe, Jin Seohui. The first feature that caught my attention was a distinct teardrop beauty mark perched just beneath the corner of her eye. That single mark lent her soft, gentle features an unexpectedly alluring, sultry charm.

“Since there are no other staff members, punctuality is absolute top priority,” she explained softly.

“Yes, ma'am. I'll make sure to be on time.”

“And if anything ever comes up, you must let me know in advance.”

Boss Jin had previously been a regular corporate office worker. Due to certain personal circumstances, she had resigned and taken a leap of faith by opening this cafe. She had left her corporate desk at thirty and spent the last seven months running this business on her own. Now thirty-one, she confessed she was wrestling with whether she should even continue keeping the doors open. It wasn't bleeding money to the point of bankruptcy, but she felt as though the business had lost all its forward momentum. Since I knew virtually nothing about running a cafe, I simply listened attentively to her worries.

“Working entirely by myself, it feels like so many details slip through the cracks.”

“I understand. But I don't really know anything about making coffee or managing a cafe.”

“Oh, don't worry about that at all! Just lending a hand during the rush hours will be more than enough.”

The more we talked, the more obvious her desperation to hire me became. Beneath her slow, measured cadence, an undercurrent of nervous urgency hummed through every word.

“I'll pay you far better than typical part-time gigs. And you'll never have to worry about your wages being delayed—ever.”

“Understood.”

“Even if daily sales seem slow, don't let it stress you out. Covering Jungseo's pay will be no trouble at all... Ah, is it alright if I call you Jungseo?”

“Yes, that's completely fine.”

Everything she said made sense in the context of this world. Here, a man held immense societal and aesthetic value simply by existing. Paying wages on time should have been standard practice regardless of gender anyway.

“Would you happen to have some time to spare until this evening? I'd really love to teach you the basics of the workflow before you head out.”

“I'm afraid I have another engagement this evening.”

Boss Jin was subtly attempting to lock me into the position on the spot. But I wanted to give myself room to consider all my options. The hours she had originally listed in her recruitment post were strictly morning shifts. Even if I intended to accept her offer, there was no reason I had to surrender my entire afternoon today. It felt wiser to check out the interview at the other establishment that had just messaged me before making a final commitment.

“Is it an important engagement? Something you can't postpone?”

“Yes. It's quite important.”

“Ah... I see. Would it be rude of me to ask what it is? Ah, please don't misunderstand!”

A flurry of rambling excuses tumbled from her mouth. Her previously sluggish pace grew noticeably hurried with every passing second. She insisted that if we were going to work together, coordinating our mutual schedules was essential. She hurriedly added that she had no intention of prying into my personal life. Her frantic hedging ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠directly contradicted her earlier emphasis on rigid, strictly professional adherence to agreed-upon hours. Still, given that it was a two-person operation, I could understand where her anxiety stemmed from.

“Could it be... that you applied for a job somewhere else too?”

How did she guess?

“Yes. I have to head over for another interview shortly.”

I answered honestly. It seemed like she had merely taken an educated guess, but lying was neither necessary nor polite.

“It's my first time hiring someone, so... sigh. I must sound like a rambling mess, don't I? It's just because I'm so nervous.”

“Not at all.”

“I really want my first time to be with you, Jungseo. Isn't there any way we can make it work?”

Flatly rejecting someone in this kind of situation was rarely wise. I adopted a troubled, apologetic expression and weighed my words with care.

“I'd really love to work alongside you as well, Boss, but I have my own circumstances to consider...”

“Twenty percent... I'll give you twenty percent more!”

“Still, since they took the time to contact me, I can't just fail to show up...”

“Fifty percent! I'll pay you fifty percent more than what I originally offered!”

Is this woman secretly wealthy? Not a single patron had walked through the front door throughout our entire interview. What was more, her opening wage offer had already sat comfortably above the legal minimum wage. But in the end, her profit margins weren't my concern.

“I look forward to working with you, Boss!”

Flashing her a bright, cheerful smile, I rose from my chair and offered a crisp ninety-degree bow.

Park Hyeji, twenty-three years of age.

Honorably discharged army sergeant. Currently on academic leave from university to scrape together tuition money.

Dedicated to the pursuit of true romance, yet still utterly devoid of romantic prospects.

To put it bluntly: a virgin who had been single since the day she was born.

That was me.

“Excuse me, but could I ask for directions?”

It was supposed to be an ordinary day, meeting up with my childhood buddy outside the local PC cafe. As if seeking payback for the time I had shown up late, that crazy bastard had only just rolled out of bed. Annoyance flaring, I had just popped a cigarette between my lips when a petite young guy approached me. The second I caught sight of him up close, the world ground to an absolute halt.

Today, I had finally crossed paths with the destined soulmate I had spent my entire life waiting for.

“I need to get to this place. Which way should I go?”

A melodious, sweet voice tickled my eardrums. His beauty pierced right through his face mask with such force that I momentarily forgot how to draw breath. Just judging by his captivating eyes and refined jawline, he was handsome enough to smack top-tier celebrities back and forth across the face.

Holy shit... Fucking hell. Looks like that could bless a bloodline for three whole generations.

If I had a baby with this man, just how gorgeous would our child be? Suddenly, acute self-consciousness about my current state washed over me. Sure, I was dressed like a complete bum in sweatpants and a cap right now, but whenever I actually put in effort to doll myself up, I was pretty damn decent. That meant if I married this man and bore his children, our kid would undoubtedly be a masterpiece.

Would a daughter be better, or a son?

A completely pointless dilemma. I could simply pop out both!

“Thank you so much.”

“Don't mention it. Take care on your way.”

Once my explanation was finished, he turned on his heel without a shred of lingering attachment. It may have been brief, but I had loved him with all my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heart.

Farewell, my love. Live happily.

I watched his retreating figure as he walked away. Frankly speaking, his slender silhouette was leagues away from the legendary Ejaculation Optimization ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Physique. That was an objective fact, mind you, and had nothing whatsoever to do with sour grapes.

“Wait... why is he walking right past it?”

He marched straight through the intersection where he was supposed to make a turn. I definitely wasn't standing there gawking out of lingering obsession. I had simply remained stationary to finish my cigarette, and his back just so happened to fall into my field of vision. That was all.

Aw, screw it!

I broke into a dead sprint. He really was my destined partner after all. How else could something so fortuitous happen? Steel yourself, Hyeji—I was ready to wait years if that's what it took to win him over. Pounding the pavement, I quickly caught up to his side.

“Excuse me! Did you actually understand what I told you?”

“Yes... Well, no. To be honest, I got a little confused.”

“Doesn't look like it was just a little, does it?”

This guy... had zero sense of direction. I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from bursting into giddy laughter. The slightest lapse in concentration and my cheekbones threatened to shoot through the roof. He hadn't even done anything special, yet a ridiculous grin plastered itself across my face. Naturally, I happily volunteered to guide him the rest of the way. Finding out that he was on his way to a job interview brought a wave of relief—at least he wasn't an underage kid.

“I'm Park Hyeji, by the way. Twenty-three years old.”

“Ah, hello.”

“And what's your name?”

“Noh Jungseo.”

Even his name was pretty. It suited him to absolute perfection. When he mentioned he was twenty, my heart fluttered—a three-year age gap was practically divine matchmaking.

“Working at a cafe is great! I did about three months of cafe work myself once, and let me tell you, that shop practically ran on my back...”

Jungseo struck me as the shy, reserved type. Because of that, I took the initiative, keeping my tone bubbly and animated as I led the way. Online dating guides always said it was vital to create a warm, non-threatening atmosphere so the guy wouldn't feel intimidated. Clearly, all those forum posts I had obsessively devoured had been preparation for this very moment. Jungseo didn't seem to mind my presence either; he listened attentively and offered polite, punctual replies to every comment. Riding the high of his attention, I even casually bragged about my competitive gaming rank.

“Here you go. It's my favorite treat, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so please take it.”

Before I knew it, we had arrived at his destination far too quickly. I stared down in disbelief at the gift he handed me with a gentle smile. A present, gifted directly to me by a boy! This was going straight into the family vault as an heirloom to be passed down through generations.

With that parting gift, he slipped inside for his interview. Ignoring the persistent buzz of incoming calls from my friend, I posted up on the opposite sidewalk and peered through the cafe's large window.

I didn't get his phone number, but...

I had probably been too hasty, or maybe Jungseo had been too preoccupied with his upcoming interview to think about exchanging contacts. Whichever it was, it didn't matter in the slightest. From now on, I could just drop by regularly, see his handsome face, and gradually build our rapport step by step. I resolved not to be impatient.

We're fated to be together. Jungseo definitely liked me too.

The memory of his smile flashed in my mind. A guy wouldn't give a woman a radiant smile like that unless he felt a spark!

Oh? Did he get it?

Through the glass, I saw him bow deeply to the owner. Perfect. Looks like he landed the gig. The cafe was quite a trek from my neighborhood, but that distance meant nothing to me. Not if it meant I could see Jungseo whenever I wanted.

“Let's see a lot of each other from now on, Jungseo.”

I decided right then and there to mark today as an official anniversary. The historic day my destined soulmate finally walked into my life.