After the exams ended, full-fledged summer vacation arrived at Hankuk University. Along with it came a wave of heat that began to rage in earnest. Even the news was forecasting the worst heatwave of the summer, and in the middle of it, Han-gyeom sat in a café, sipping on a cold drink.
He was intently staring at something on his phone when a shadow fell over him.
“Sunbae!”
“Sorry I’m late.”
By now, it had become natural for Won-hyeok to reach out and stroke Han-gyeom’s hair. The soft texture fit snugly into his hand, and it made him feel strangely at ease.
As if he’d gotten somewhat used to Won-hyeok’s touch, Han-gyeom stayed still despite his embarrassment. The gazes of passersby naturally drifted toward the two of them.
The two had planned to meet today and watch a movie together. But before the appointed time, Won-hyeok had sent a message saying he’d be late. Since Han-gyeom had already left the house, he came into a café to pass the time.
“There’s still plenty of time before the movie starts.”
Watching Han-gyeom grin as if to say it was no problem, Won-hyeok let out a quiet sigh without realizing it.
“Han-gyeom, you can get mad.”
“Huh?”
Won-hyeok sat down across from him. They were originally supposed to watch a 3 o’clock movie, but because something came up and he was late, they had to push the time back. And since he’d only told him right before the meeting time, he’d ended up wasting Han-gyeom’s time for nothing.
Even between friends, if you didn’t keep your promise and made someone wait, they’d get upset. Let alone when you were dating.
But Han-gyeom only tilted his head as if asking why he would be mad. As always, it wasn’t that he was hiding his feelings out of consideration—it was more like he genuinely didn’t understand why he should be upset in the first place.
“I was late. And we had to delay the movie.”
“But we didn’t end up not watching it, right? And I like the time I spend waiting for you, sunbae.”
If it had been someone like Woo-jin or Han-ul, he might’ve felt a little upset, just like Won-hyeok said. But because it was Won-hyeok, he understood everything. Wondering when he’d walk through that door, what kind of outfit he’d be wearing today and how handsome he’d look—it made time pass quickly and only made his heart race.
When Han-gyeom smiled brightly, Won-hyeok bit down hard on his lip. Feeling a gaze, he turned his head slightly and saw someone at the next table sneaking glances at Han-gyeom, their face slightly flushed.
Won-hyeok shot the person a murderous glare, and they immediately looked away.
“I can’t exactly lock you up somewhere…”
Muttering under his breath like a sigh, Won-hyeok’s eyes suddenly landed on Han-gyeom’s phone. Seeing the part-time job app open on the screen made his insides twist again.
“How’s the job search going?”
“Hmm, I’ve applied to a few places, but I haven’t heard back yet. I guess since it’s vacation, even though there are more openings, the competition is really high.”
Well, it wasn’t like only Hankuk University had vacation—every university did. Which meant all those students were probably out there right now, eyes gleaming like zombies as they searched for part-time jobs.
“Nowadays, they mostly prioritize people with experience for part-time jobs too.”
“I figured…”
Each time Han-gyeom sighed, Won-hyeok secretly rejoiced inside. If things kept going like this and he failed to find a job and lost motivation, that would actually be a good thing. Then he could comfort the sulking Han-gyeom and suggest going on a trip somewhere, and he’d probably follow along eagerly like a puppy chasing snacks.
These days, it was true that stores preferred experienced workers who didn’t need much training—to the point people joked about where newcomers were even supposed to gain experience. Since Han-gyeom said he had none, it probably wouldn’t be easy.
“Huh?”
While Won-hyeok was happily running that scenario through his head alone, Han-gyeom suddenly grabbed his phone and shouted.
“I—I got a message.”
“…What?”
“They want me to come in for an interview.”
When Han-gyeom showed him the screen, there really was a message asking if he could come in for an interview. Once again, Won-hyeok’s plans crumbled into a useless scrap of paper.
***
Han-gyeom stood in front of the mirror, checking his appearance. Today was the day of his part-time job interview. Han-ul had advised him that even though it was just a part-time job interview, first impressions mattered more than you’d think, so he should dress cleanly—nothing flashy, just neat. So he’d carefully picked out his outfit.
Just as he was about to leave the house, he got a call from Won-hyeok.
“Yes, sunbae.”
—Are you on your way to the interview?
“I was just about to head out.”
As he opened the door and stepped into the hallway, his voice echoed faintly.
—You said it was a café, right?
“Yes, it’s a private café.”
—Then… if it’s an interview, you’ll be meeting the owner?
“Probably, right?”
—Since they’re the owner, they won’t be that young, right?
Hmm. Han-gyeom fell into thought. He had only exchanged a short message asking him to come in for the job, so he didn’t know anything about the café owner yet.
—Anyway, whatever. Call me when you’re done with the interview, okay?
“Okay!”
At Han-gyeom’s loud reply, a small chuckle came through the line. After hanging up, Han-gyeom made his way toward the café.
Fortunately, it was close enough to reach by bus from his house, so the distance wasn’t bad either.
As he walked while checking the map, he soon spotted a sign ahead that looked both neat and cozy. After confirming the café’s name, Han-gyeom nodded. It seemed he’d arrived at the right place. Taking a small breath to steady himself, he carefully stepped inside.
The bell on the door rang with a bright chime. Since it was a privately run place, it wasn’t very large. The interior had a warm, aesthetic feel, and the objects placed here and there looked carefully selected and arranged.
There were only one or two people in the seating area. As Han-gyeom stepped in awkwardly, someone came walking out slowly from the back just then. It was a man wearing a dark brown apron.
The man didn’t look very old. At most, he seemed to be in his late twenties. He had a neat, handsome appearance—like that one senior you always had in school who was good-looking and athletic.
“Would you like to order?”
Startled by the gentle voice that contrasted with his sharp eyes, Han-gyeom snapped back to his senses.
“Ah, I’m here for a part-time job interview. Is the owner…?”
Han-gyeom glanced around, but aside from a few customers, there was only this man who looked like a staff member. Then a soft chuckle came from in front of him.
“Thanks for coming. I’m the owner—shall we talk inside?”
Gasp—Han-gyeom quickly covered his mouth without realizing it. To think this person was the owner. He’d assumed he was a part-timer because he looked so young.
“I’m sorry. You just looked too young to be the owner…”
As he followed him into a space in the back, Han-gyeom confessed like he was admitting a sin.
“That’s actually a great compliment. If you said it to score points, then it worked perfectly.”
“Huh? No, I really didn’t know.”
As Han-gyeom flustered, the man smiled softly as if he already knew and guided him to a seat. The space seemed to be both a storage room for belongings and a sort of break area. Apologizing for not having a proper place, the man set a cup of tea in front of Han-gyeom.
“This is citron tea we sell at the café. Feel free to try it.”
“Thank you.”
Han-gyeom took a sip. The sweet and refreshing flavor that spread through his mouth made his eyes widen instantly. It wasn’t heavy at all, and the depth of flavor made it the best tea he’d had in a while.
As he happily sipped the tea, the man watched him quietly, holding the résumé Han-gyeom had submitted through the app.
“You’re a university student… and you go to Hankuk University?”
“Yes.”
“I went there too.”
“Really?”
The man nodded. Though he’d graduated quite some time ago, he said he’d majored in Business Administration there, and that alone eased Han-gyeom’s tension just a little.
“Hmm, no prior part-time experience…”
But as soon as those words followed, the tension that had eased quickly rose again. Won-hyeok’s words about places preferring experienced workers came back to mind. Still, despite knowing he had no experience, this person had contacted him for an interview. So maybe there was still some hope. Thinking that, Han-gyeom steadied himself.
“Your type is beta, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
At that, the man’s gaze lingered on Han-gyeom’s face. Sensing what that look meant, Han-gyeom set down the glass he was holding.
“I don’t look like it, right? People often mistake me for an omega, but I’m a beta.”
“Ah, that’s not why I was looking… I just thought you resembled me.”
Resembled? In what way? On the surface, they didn’t look alike at all. There was no way he had anything in common with such a handsome young owner. Han-gyeom tilted his head in confusion.
“Han-gyeom, what type do you think I am?”
“Huh?”
“Just say it comfortably.”
“Um… I think you’re either an alpha or a beta.”
Han-gyeom muttered timidly. Ever since discrimination laws regarding types had been established, it was considered rude to casually ask or comment on someone’s type, so he felt a bit cautious.
As if he’d expected that answer, the man nodded.
“I’m an omega.”
“…What?”
Han-gyeom’s eyes widened. Then, realizing it might be rude, he quickly lowered his head and apologized.
“You don’t need to apologize. I know better than anyone that I don’t look like an omega. That’s what I meant when I said you resembled me.”
I see. It seemed he was overlapping himself—an omega who looked like an alpha or beta—with Han-gyeom, who looked like an omega but was actually a beta. The man spoke about being an omega with complete ease, as if he’d done it many times before.
From that, Han-gyeom got the sense that he too must have faced countless misunderstandings and had grown used to explaining himself. Thinking that, a faint sense of familiarity began to bloom.
After that, their conversation continued. But rather than being about the interview, it was mostly trivial chatter. The owner shared a story about being mistaken for an alpha, and Han-gyeom responded with a similar story about being mistaken for an omega.
And just as the conversation was winding down, Han-gyeom realized they had barely talked about anything related to the job. What if the owner didn’t like him and was just making small talk before sending him off? As that thought crept in, his mood quickly sank.
“Then, let’s wrap up the interview here… Could you start coming in from next week?”
