“Y-Yes…… Yes?”
“As stated in the posting, the shift is five weekdays a week, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. That works for you, right?”
“Does that mean I can work here?”
He was so startled that Han-gyeom’s voice jumped all over the place.
“Yes.”
“Th-thank you. But why me…….”
It might seem strange to ask that after getting a good result, but he was still curious. He had no experience, and at what was supposed to be an interview where he’d come determined to at least do well, it felt like all he had done was pour out his grievances about being mistaken for a different secondary gender. He couldn’t understand what exactly the man had seen in him to hand him a passing ticket.
“Well, first of all, Han-gyeom-ssi, you’re a beta.”
The posting had said betas preferred. At first, that hadn’t meant much to him, but now he thought he understood. No matter how you looked at it, hiring an alpha as a part-timer at a shop run by an omega alone came with risks.
“And to add to that, I liked that you genuinely enjoyed the tea at our café…….”
The man pointed at the teacup Han-gyeom had already emptied to the bottom.
“And being mistaken for a different secondary gender—that’s similar to me, so I felt a bit of a sense of kinship. And also…….”
The man stared fixedly at Han-gyeom’s face, then grinned.
“With a face like that, I figured you’d bring in some customers.”
His face would bring in customers? What was that supposed to mean?
“Anyway, I like you, Han-gyeom-ssi. I think it’d be nice if you worked at our café. I’ll be at the café most of the time, so I can take responsibility for teaching you the work, and while they’re not a part-timer, there’s also someone who comes by to help out sometimes, so it probably won’t be unbearably hard. What do you think?”
“Sounds great!”
Afraid he might take back the offer at any second, Han-gyeom blurted it out first.
“My name is Cha Hae-jun. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
Han-gyeom carefully took the hand he held out. He had never imagined he’d find a part-time job this easily, this quickly. He was so eager to tell Won-hyeok the news that he could hardly stand it.
***
[I passed the part-time job interview!]
The moment Won-hyeok saw the text, the veins in his forehead stood out.
“Ah, fuck. Nothing ever goes my way.”
At the curse hurled across from him, Do In-seok, who was sitting opposite, flinched. But Won-hyeok paid him no mind, continuing to spit out swears while tapping at his screen.
[Congrats. I knew Han-gyeom would do well.]
Then, once again, a little puppy-like emoticon popped up. Seeing it, Won-hyeok’s expression twisted ever so slightly.
“Hey, hey, I’m ordering, okay?”
Do In-seok cleared his throat and asked cautiously, reading the room. The two of them were sitting across from each other in a bar in Gangnam. In the luxurious atmosphere, with soft jazz music playing, Won-hyeok—frowning and slouched crookedly in his seat, staring only at his phone—was more than enough to draw everyone’s eyes.
And the man sitting across from him, Do In-seok, was an alpha too. Not every alpha was handsome and impressive, but at the very least, the men of the Do family didn’t lack anything in the looks department.
“Hey, I’m orderi—”
“Do whatever you want! Why the fuck do you keep asking? It’s annoying.”
But when Won-hyeok suddenly snapped at full volume without caring who was around, all the eyes that had gathered quickly scattered.
“Jesus, what a fucking temper…….”
Glowering at his cousin with all his might, Do In-seok called over a staff member. Since he was being treated anyway, he planned to order the most expensive liquor in the place and at least thin out Won-hyeok’s wallet.
Do In-seok attended a university overseas—a prestigious one that anyone would recognize just from the name. Summer break had started in late May, so he’d come back to Korea for a while.
“But seriously, why the hell do I have to buy you drinks? Are you broke? A beggar?”
“I don’t know where you got slapped around again, but don’t take it out on me. In the first place, if it weren’t for me, you’d have gotten beaten to death by your uncle.”
“You could be the one beaten to death first.”
The threatening words didn’t sound like a joke at all, so In-seok wisely held himself back.
On his father’s birthday the other day, Won-hyeok had abruptly gotten up and left before the meal was even over, saying he had something urgent to do. Naturally, his father had been furious, and In-seok had thought, That bastard finally went and caused trouble.
He had teased him over text, asking if he was totally fucked, but in truth, In-seok had taken Won-hyeok’s side that day. He’d even lied smoothly, saying one of Won-hyeok’s close friends had been badly hurt, and that was why he’d been distracted by his phone the whole time.
Maybe that had helped a little, because Do Won-cheol hadn’t stayed furious for long, nor had he severely reprimanded Won-hyeok. So In-seok had used that as leverage to score a big free night out from Won-hyeok, which was why he was here now.
“But seriously, where did you go that time? No matter how much of a complete delinquent you are, you’re still the kind of guy who knows which occasions matter.”
In-seok knew plenty about the conflict between Do Won-cheol and Do Won-hyeok from everything he had seen and heard. Even to him, Do Won-cheol was a strict man, and Won-hyeok had enough of a personality himself that the two of them were never going to mix—like oil and water from the start.
But they still kept certain lines. Like how Won-hyeok would talk back to his father every single time, yet never fail to attend important occasions. So for him to suddenly storm out of a gathering like that. In-seok still couldn’t understand it.
“Why the hell do I have to tell you my business?”
Won-hyeok tipped back the prepared whiskey in one long swallow.
“Because I’m curious. Your personality’s a total mess, and yet what? English Department idol? Seriously, the world’s gone to shit, gone to shit…….”
As In-seok shook his head, Won-hyeok lifted his empty glass high without a word.
“Ah, okay. I was joking. Sorry, huh?”
But Won-hyeok didn’t lower the glass easily. Is he actually pissed? In-seok swallowed hard, and just then, a long vibration rang from the phone Won-hyeok had left on the table.
And In-seok had a strange experience. The moment Won-hyeok saw the name on the screen, his expression immediately softened, and he obediently set down the glass he’d been holding.
“I’ve got a call.”
“Y-yeah. Take your time.”
Watching Won-hyeok walk outside with his phone in hand, In-seok tilted his head.
Coming out behind the building, Won-hyeok quickly answered. The moment he heard Han-gyeom’s bright, distinctive voice, he found himself smiling without realizing it. It was rare for Han-gyeom to call first. Thanks to that, the irritation that had been simmering since he met In-seok earlier disappeared in an instant.
“Yeah, Han-gyeom. What is it?”
“Su-sunbae. Are you drinking?”
“Yeah.”
Won-hyeok had already told Han-gyeom in advance that he was meeting In-seok for drinks today.
“Don’t drink until you get too drunk.”
At the concern in his voice, Won-hyeok barely managed to keep himself from laughing out loud. He was confident when it came to alcohol. As someone who could easily down ten bottles of soju, the number of times Won-hyeok had actually gotten drunk in his life could be counted on one hand.
“Okay. I won’t. Though maybe I already drank a bit too much. I’m dizzy.”
Won-hyeok deliberately drained the strength from his voice. When he let out a sigh as if he felt a little weak, he sounded exactly like someone struggling with drunkenness.
“Th-then don’t drink any more! What if you get drunk and fall over while walking?”
They were only talking through a phone, but he could practically see Han-gyeom fussing in front of him. The image rose effortlessly in his mind—those clear, pretty eyes darting around in worry as he didn’t know what to do.
“Okay. Don’t worry. More importantly, Han-gyeom must be happy, huh? You found a part-time job so quickly.”
“Yes! I was really worried, so it’s such a relief, you know? And the owner seems like a really nice person too……. Ah! He’s a Hankuk University graduate too.”
His chirpy, sparrow-like voice was pleasant to listen to. Won-hyeok naturally looked up at the night sky. Unusually, the stars were clearly visible tonight. The way they sparkled in his line of sight reminded him of Han-gyeom’s eyes.
“And he’s really young too, you know? At first I thought he was another part-timer.”
At that moment, the smile that had been resting on Won-hyeok’s lips slowly disappeared.
“……How old is he?”
His voice changed a full one hundred eighty degrees too.
“He said he’s twenty-eight.”
It felt as if a giant boulder slammed down on Won-hyeok’s head with a crash. Twenty-eight? What kind of café owner is that young? This was something he had never anticipated at all, and he struggled to somehow calm the boiling agitation inside him.
“Ah, did I keep you too long?”
Maybe because Won-hyeok said nothing. Han-gyeom apologized, told him to go back inside and enjoy the rest of his time, and then ended the call entirely on his own.
“It’s not like I can just tie him up somewhere…….”
Staring at the disconnected call screen, Won-hyeok ran a hand through his hair. He kicked a piece of trash rolling on the ground hard with his foot, then, somewhat calmer, headed back inside.
Won-hyeok had left with a fairly gentle expression, so when he came back wearing a thoroughly pissed-off face again, In-seok—who had been happily ordering snacks—flinched.
“Do Won-hyeok, what are you doing during break? Not going anywhere for fun? Or like, any extracurricular stuff?”
Trying to keep any sparks from flying his way, In-seok quickly changed the subject. But Won-hyeok only kept drinking whatever alcohol was in front of him.
“Ah, you like coffee, don’t you? Want me to introduce you to a decent café? It’s run by a hyung I know, and I go help out there sometimes.”
“Hey.”
“Huh?”
In-seok, who had been rambling on at random in a stream of consciousness to keep Won-hyeok from exploding, jumped at the voice calling him.
“Locking someone up…… that’s a bit much, right?”
The phone In-seok had been holding slipped from his hand without him realizing it. And inwardly, he prayed. Please, let the day never come when he sees this bastard of a cousin on the news.
