Chapter 79: I'm Lonely. I'm Worried. As I Expected, I'm Lonely! (3) |
TL: looloo
Schedule: 4/Week Mon-Thu
Illustrations: Here
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Brushing off the memories of yesterday, I left the house, heading towards the café which might become my first formal part-time job.
Although I often helped out at Yoonsung's house, that felt more like helping a friend than a typical part-time job. I did get paid well and the work was tough, but Yoonsung was always there with me, and minor mistakes were overlooked since I was there more in a supportive role.
This time, it felt different. It was a formal job where I had an interview and would sign a contract.
I wondered if I'd fail the interview if it was just a formality. Could they reject me if they didn't like me? A bit of nervousness started to set in.
About 25 minutes after leaving home, I arrived at the station near the café, later than expected due to the subway's schedule.
Since it was just after lunch, the subway station was quiet. I looked around briefly and then made a call.
"Hello?"
─Are you here? Where are you?
"Just got off the subway. Should I come upstairs?"
─Yeah, come up. It's Exit 2...
Heeseong hyung's voice sounded tired. Maybe he didn't sleep well last night? Anyway, I hung up and hurried. I was moving quite leisurely, but I always thought it was better to be early than late or just on time.
As I ascended the stairs from the station, I saw Heeseong hyung nearby. But he wasn't alone. Beside him, Heena was looking at him with an expressionless face.
I stopped in my tracks, intimidated by her unfamiliar expression, but Heena spotted me first. Her face instantly brightened.
"Yeonho~"
She rushed into my arms, burying her face in my chest as if the closeness from yesterday wasn't enough. I gently hugged her back and looked at Heeseong hyung.
"Heena came too? Hyung, why do you look so tired?"
"Ha... Just trying to introduce you to a part-time job and this is what I get..."
"Ah..."
"I'm not calling you for anything from now on..."
It seemed Heena had given him a hard time over yesterday's incident. His face, full of dark circles, said it all. I mentally sympathized with hyung and then asked Heena.
"So, you're coming with me?"
"I'll wait nearby. It shouldn't take long, so let's go on a date when you're done!"
"Okay. Shall we go now? It's better to be early."
"Yeah... follow me."
Heeseong hyung sighed heavily and ran his hand through his hair, looking as if he was nursing a heavy hangover. I was a bit worried, but considering Heena's mood when I arrived, it seemed they had been arguing until then. I felt sorry for hyung, but Heena's mood was my priority.
And indeed, the timing of yesterday's call was crazy. It was almost as if he had been watching us, it was so impeccably timed.
Following Heeseong hyung, we walked for about 5 minutes from the station and soon arrived at our destination. The café wasn't one of the common franchise cafes I had seen around.
Its name was [Cafe MELA].
Being a non-franchise café, it wasn't common in the area, and even if it had been, it seemed like it would have been a bit expensive for me to visit. The overall design was modern and clean, with delicate interior decorations that seemed appealing to women. Indeed, most of the customers I could see inside were women.
Or couples.
Thinking about it, I might have visited here with Heena if it was close by. We often frequented a café near her place, but we also liked to explore different cafes.
Standing in front of the café, I swallowed hard with nervous anticipation.
"I'll take a look around the neighborhood for a bit. Call me when you're done."
Heena gave me a kiss on the cheek, encouraging me, and walked away. I thought she might come in with me, but it would have been a bit odd for a girlfriend to accompany me to a job interview. And then, with a seemingly relieved Heeseong hyung, we entered the café.
-Ding Dong
"Welcome~ Oh? Heeseong oppa!"
As soon as we entered, we were greeted by an employee. She was a woman with long, wavy brown hair tied into a ponytail and wearing a cap, smiling broadly and recognizing Heeseong hyung.
"Yeah, is noona inside?"
"Manager unnie? She's in the office! But who is this behind you? Our café's new face?"
"Hello, I'm Han Yeonho."
I bowed slightly in greeting. But instead of just acknowledging it, the female employee suddenly stood at attention, placed her hands at her waist, and...
"Hello."
She greeted me with a 90-degree bow. Taken aback, I instinctively...
"Hello."
...returned a 90-degree bow. What's this all about? Heeseong hyung's voice, tinged with exasperation, came from beside me.
"Don't do that every time we get a new part-timer. What is that, seriously?"
"Why not~? You can tell a lot about a person the first time. He responded right away, seems like a good sign! I think he'll do well!"
"Enough. Let's go in."
"Ah! We haven't properly talked yet!"
"Talk later."
He left those words behind and strode forward. I followed somewhat awkwardly. The conversation, which felt like a comedic skit, had drawn the attention of several café patrons, making me a bit embarrassed.
As we passed by another woman at the counter, we simply nodded at each other without speaking.
-Click
Opening a door next to the counter, we entered a surprisingly spacious area. At a computer near the wall, a woman with striking gold bob hair, dressed in a white shirt and apron, caught my eye. She looked quite intelligent. She must be the manager.
"Oh, you're early?"
"Since it's just past peak time, I came right away. Hey, greet her. This is our manager."
"Hello! I'm Han Yeonho!"
"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Cha Rin."
She turned around in her chair, greeting me with a bright smile. I was a bit surprised internally; she was much younger than I had anticipated. I had imagined the manager to be in her late 30s or 40s.
"Shall we start the interview then? Please, have a seat here. Heeseong, wait outside for a bit."
"Can I have an Americano?"
"Sure, that's 3,000 won."
"Wow, so stingy."
"Jia is doing the midday closing. Help her, and it's on the house!"
"I'll pass..."
After that exchange, Heeseong hyung closed the door and left, leaving me alone with the manager. I sat in the chair she had pointed to and took out my resume from my bag.
The manager silently took the paper, looked it over, and began the conversation.
"Let's see. I heard a bit from Heeseong about you. You're twenty this year, right? And you're re-studying while working?"
"Yes. The part-time hours you're offering are exactly what I was looking for."
"That's good to hear. Normally, I'd ask more serious questions, but since Heeseong introduced you, and honestly, with part-time jobs like this, it's hit or miss~
Asking too many questions doesn't make much of a difference."
I understood what she meant. Even at Yoonsung's snack bar, people who seemed perfect at the interview would often disappear just days after starting.
"I also heard why you're re-studying, so I think I have a good grasp of your character."
"Ha ha..."
It wasn't something to be embarrassed about, but her tone, which seemed to praise me, made me feel a bit shy.
"So, I'll trust you and hire you right away. Have you heard about our working hours?"
"Thank you! I heard it's from 5 PM to 10 PM on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, but it can change."
"Right. That's the current schedule, but depending on shifts, you might occasionally work during lunchtime. Is that okay?"
"What time exactly is lunchtime?"
"It's our peak time, very busy. If you work then, it would be from 11 AM to 4:30 PM. Of course, we'll call you for that shift once you're a bit more familiar with the job."
"So, the working time is 5 and a half hours?"
"Oh, Heeseong didn't tell you? Closing time is also 5 to 10:30 PM. There's a 30-minute meal break included."
"Aha~ Yes, that's fine!"
"Great to hear you're so spirited. You have a good impression as I've heard. You must be popular, huh?"
Fortunately, the interview wasn't as stiff and formal as I had quietly worried it might be. Almost a formality, as Heeseong hyung had said, and thanks to the manager leading the conversation in a casual, chatty manner, it was quite comfortable. And her flattering remarks were a nice touch.
"I attended an all-boys school, so popularity wasn't really a thing..."
"Ah, I don't think so~ Anyway, the exact starting date and wage are as written in this employment contract... Do you have any other questions?"
I skimmed through the employment contract the manager handed me. Most of it was already discussed with Heeseong hyung, so it felt more like a reconfirmation.
"My health certificate has expired, is it okay if I submit it by the start date?"
"Yes, that's fine. You probably know this already, but it takes about a week to get the health certificate after the examination, so keep that in mind."
"That's all for now... I'll do my best."
"Okay~ Then, I'll explain everything again as we fill this out. Let's start from here─"
I went over the contents of the employment contract with the manager, listened to the basic explanations, filled out my name, address, and other details, and finally completed my signature. We wrote on two copies, the manager kept one, and I kept the other. We also exchanged phone numbers.
"I'll contact you again at the end of February. Don't forget~"
"I won't."
"How about a drink to celebrate?"
With that, the manager headed out of the office with a light step. The interview was over surprisingly quickly, in less than 20 minutes. It felt more like she had called me in just to see my face, and we happened to complete the employment contract while at it.
As soon as I stepped out of the office, I saw Heeseong hyung chatting with other employees at the counter.
"Wow, you're done already?"
"Yes. Yeonho, what would you like to drink?"
"Ice Americano, please."
I actually prefer sweet or fruity drinks, but it felt inappropriate to request something like that when it's free. I'll get it to share with Heena.
"Jia, one Americano please~ Oh, have you guys met? He's helping out today, but from March, Yeonho will be joining us for the closing shifts. Our closing ace!"
We had exchanged nods earlier, but now I bowed deeply and introduced myself.
"Hello, I'm Han Yeonho."
"I'm Lee Jia. Nice to meet you."
"Me? I'm Lee Chaea! Hi! Please take good care of me! Nice to meet you! I'm 23! Same age as Jia!"
"Ah, you don't need to remember her. You'll probably see her once a month, if that."
"That's mean~"
Lee Chaea was the one I had exchanged a 90-degree bow with earlier, and Lee Jia would be working with me. Jia seemed very calm and composed. Not as overly friendly as Chaea, but she had a gentle smile while speaking, which made her seem kind.
I felt a bit relieved inside. It seemed the people I'd be working with were not difficult to get along with.
Having now greeted everyone present, and since my start date was still quite a ways off, I was ready to leave after getting my coffee. But just as I was about to move, Heeseong hyung ordered another drink.
"Oh, sister, can I take one more?"
"You're going to drink two?"
"No, my sister is nearby. It's for her."
"Ah, the younger sister who used to come by occasionally? Oh! Now that I think about it, she's dating Yeonho, right?"
The manager, seemingly reminded by Heeseong hyung's comment, brought up the topic. Chaea's reaction to this revelation was dramatic.
"What?! You're dating Heeseong's sister?! Wow... She's really pretty!"
Yes, Heena is pretty. I responded with a smile to her astonishment and held back Heeseong hyung as he approached Jia.
"Hyung, I can share this with Heena."
"Huh? Alright, then."
"You can't just throw out such an interesting topic and leave! I want to know more!"
"Listen to his stories when he starts working. We’re leaving now."
"I don't overlap with his shifts!"
"See you in March, Yeonho!"
"Yes, see you then."
"Goodbye."
"Sister! Let's have a dinner party in March! I definitely need to hear this story!"
Leaving behind Chaea, who reminded me of Yoonjung with her ability to create a buzz all by herself, I bowed to the manager and Jia and left the café.
Relieved that the interview had gone smoothly, I looked around to see if Heena had returned. It hadn't been long, but still, about 30 minutes had passed, so she could have come back.
And there she was, waiting at the end of the café building, smiling at us.
The tension I had felt all day, up until the interview, completely dissipated, making me even happier to see her. I quickly approached her.
But then.
"Welcome back. How was the interview? The people you saw last time were still there, right? They're all pretty, aren’t they? You seemed to enjoy talking to them. How was it?"
"......"
She was smiling, but there was a prickly edge to Heena's words, setting my heart racing in a different way than before.
The real challenge was just beginning.
Author's Note:
Heena Punch! The punch of jealousy!
