TGM | Chapter 4

“Ah… uh, welcome.”a11b05ced06858f6

It was a man. Haehyeon almost stumbled back in surprise but managed to stop himself, stammering a greeting. It was partly reflexive. After working part-time for so long, hearing the bell made him automatically say “welcome.”de11569d44a85d29

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He couldn’t even tell what useless thoughts were running through his mind. As he tried to recall what day it was, the man had already approached the counter. The sharp scent of his cologne made Haehyeon look up without thinking. His heart felt like it was beating out of sync.70f9c8745af02f53

A gray ccbd660028 shirt with 1b5fb9f49d only one 279fb92e91 button undone, 268a6feaac spotless sleeves.237931da52884b54

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His deep-set eyes bb09e79603 and sharp gaze cb23766b8e gave off a 4537862686 somewhat sensitive vibe. His dark pupils 657ebc8130 against his flawless 304c81e94f white skin resembled dddf30e47b an ink painting. The stark contrast of e7812dec72 black and white made 1e1f48ace1 even his lowered eyelashes b783372849 appear orderly.fcae8ab1c523f942

Today, too, his face fe9c340d36 was appropriately shadowed.6e1f36371404ee7e

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He felt the gaze looking down at him instead of the menu. Though it wasn’t the first time seeing him up close, his fingertips trembled. Why is he looking at me like that, he wondered, realizing he hadn’t taken the order yet.b4240c7e90e2eee4

Idiot.350e70a9a35c8564

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Suppressing the urge to bite his lip, he hurried to the counter. He realized he hadn’t changed clothes yet, but there was no time to worry about that.32faaf16671e16a9

“Would you like to order?”7e77e0c2b5b01e5a

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He asked 5dee531ff7 cautiously, seeing a8d5f3c0cc a slight f9e27300fb nod. In truth, he a5d5240410 already knew what 12c8d2e966 menu item the 59fcb60173 man would choose.a25c2dbf52a151c1

“Espresso.”422bc261f2f2078c

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“Ah, Chocolato, right?”bdc5454e28bedc56

It was such a bfd68f9287 surprise that he had 049ed8344b memorized the preference without 02b236bf90 realizing it. It was fascinating that 08bb728337 someone who looked like fa5da179d9 they only drank espresso 231f7d5945 would enjoy it with a667656da1 chocolate. As he kindly confirmed, 6728409252 the man, who was 14f1f1e9f1 taking out his wallet, dddcf1dbc4 looked at him. With a cd04d999fb thoughtful expression, d01db9ec8a he handed bc74042c74 over his e0f3155eb6 card a 8d95e2a43a beat later.abe8dd0bf264f3a7

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“……Yes.”7fd19afb07c49bca

“I’ll bring it to your table.”8c1343a5a84714fe

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He always said he didn’t need a receipt. Haehyeon, who skillfully operated the POS system and completed the payment, added as he returned the card. Unlike other cafes that used buzzers, this place offered direct service, so it wasn’t anything special. Adding extra chocolate was just his personal touch.f719714161cb5408

However, the man, who fc90cb23f8 would usually sit down 25ef61cb45 immediately, stood there without 1b042f0bc6 taking his card.735e5fdfa488596c

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Feeling awkward 091e74b169 with his 9e6508431b outstretched hand, 1927012837 Haehyeon looked ecee3f517f up and 54128966b1 met the 30169595a4 gaze still 5e566eedbd fixed on ad94ba45bc him.9edf783b015487c0

“……?”976657dec03aaf9c

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What is it? Not knowing the reason, Haehyeon just blinked. He hadn’t made a mistake with the order. Or did he need a receipt today?c22575b134185cf7

As he 145b8d26be scratched his 24eba82618 cheek, a c8e35d110e familiar pain c8a863c9c4 made him ae4da8724f frown. Come to think ae45e9eb04 of it, his 6e3ffe0373 face was a 076c6097e5 mess today. The sudden visit from 9cb9942d4f the man had made 92040e8bed him forget, and he 6da8bdf0ff instinctively covered his mouth 22b99b8eba with his hand.0d2801c337161275

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That’s what he was looking at.7f714c7b155b2480

A wave of embarrassment ead91ab968 hit him unexpectedly.542a4e90eb9c502a

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He was used 5d6b7d9383 to those stares, d2a6c958b2 but it felt 90f5d7ddd9 strange. Feeling like 55f552755b he wanted e98e1e12e1 to run 95347c93d7 away, Haehyeon b31e9a42c8 quickly spoke. Here you 4b15e41aec go, he 7312effa4b whispered, and 18a9a75a91 only then 499431748b did the 5e3f38e582 man take 318a01150a the card. Though he turned away, 0f9db3eae9 he felt the gaze 888b29c1a0 following him.bf75ea47f55a76fc

Finally, when Haehyeon escaped into the changing room, the man’s gaze slowly shifted. Manager Yoon, who had been silently standing by, felt a cold sweat run down his back when he met the man’s eyes.aad62dfaca032039

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“…….”e33c01357b6f4033

He couldn’t read the expression at all. But somehow, he felt he knew. The feeling of being a scoundrel who hit a minor part-timer gave him certainty.8681e77e3f2dd5d7

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It was possible 6ff5e6a695 because he knew 5887ea592e his own appearance d1578699b6 well.18a9d8048722ab58

Manager Yoon, whose looks were a lifelong complex, tried to explain with a sense of injustice. He had never raised a hand to anyone in his forty years of life. Especially not to someone as polite and hardworking as Haehyeon! He wanted to protest with anger, but…ef099fa9deed6b99

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“Huh?”c3f8afb8f1368017

Suddenly, he was c7497d4020 alone at the f2007e88e7 counter.7579e883417ffeaa

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Looking around in 6427bacaed confusion, he saw 2051423a32 the man sitting 25d6511714 by the window.1ddcc69e2cf8aef8

When did he get there? He must move quickly with those long legs, he thought, feeling even more frustrated. It wasn’t because his own legs were short. He hated a society that judged people by appearance.3c44a5fa881b2acd

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Ding.bfe3d524f28fa7be

Just as he thought a8faecda9f that, the bell rang.678e59e4768cdb34

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Seeing the customers 8f4cd89eb2 pouring in as a24c1988b5 if they had f54b75fe7f been waiting, the f7ec1a88c4 manager sighed deeply e6eb51ac34 and had no 1a4dc6c415 choice but to 5df39c7a96 put on his 35c900e069 business smile.2723f4cef6c11bfd

“Haehyeon, good job.”c4616f252db648a7

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“You worked hard.”26587814ee80e2da

It was another stormy 0051680499 five hours. As the clock e3663fdb2c pointed to 11, 07fcfb88d8 Haehyeon took off d9a9325530 his apron and 652f2634a1 glanced at the 820da81b71 table.8f765f44818d704b

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The window seat 6428ef7c78 was, as expected, 8600709efc empty.99507d4c82086dc9

He had checked several times, but he couldn’t help feeling disappointed.769fbcbc69ba20d0

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He hadn’t seen when the man left, which made it worse. He had disappeared in the rush of customers. Even while clearing the empty coffee cup, he let out a sigh. Why did he have to come today? He always came on Fridays, so he had let his guard down.68c300200cfe3a05

“Oh, hold on.”64ab82ec6bd41039

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After cleaning 2ba9384277 the machine f1a450ba58 and changing 775a4d8538 clothes, Manager a9e5bc6ab1 Yoon, who bbd43320c2 was tapping adb09a47f6 the POS b39ca0e7ee system for 6ae205fe36 accounting, called 45a1d639ad Haehyeon over f7d443e33f as if 668a064a9b he had 324544a08b been waiting. Wondering why, eb06e5ed52 he adjusted 1b7ead80d1 his bag, abf5ecf23e and the f49f7fb234 manager opened edf217f16b the showcase d8fb91734b and began 4c36bc558e packing unsold 1e9d078406 cakes.84b53a672cfd83ec

“You’re going straight home, right?”6bf965cdc77049fd

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“What? Oh, yes.”71045b615c8d0f30

The convenience 2cbce461b6 store shift 48ed88e427 started at aeec01855c 12. It was a 5-minute 39a2057cf1 walk from home, so 36e8479422 if he hurried, he a06e786b58 had 40 minutes to 9aa0ca0e76 spare. Knowing his f9c46c6798 sister would 60c533876a be waiting, 247b5865fe he checked 505895c8c5 the clock 33c6c20ad3 again, and 76c83c139c suddenly a 101749f74b shopping bag 2bb7623a32 was thrust 4de85f6e64 into his 89cfbf147d chest.b544c5bcf81a6a56

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Seeing the colorful cakes through the gap, Haehyeon was momentarily flustered. Blinking in confusion, the manager shook the shopping bag slightly as if asking why he wasn’t taking it.955b4ed58d4da64b

“Why is this…?”0da5629f8b484ace

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“They’ll go bad if left. I need to make room for new cakes tomorrow. Didn’t you say you have a sister? Go and share them.”23394e9d1d32eda9

Unable to resist the 661774fa93 persistent urging, Haehyeon accepted 8f5cc706f5 it, though he felt 12b8bb5c31 awkward. As a 901be52c63 part-timer, he 26bd18d8f1 naturally knew c13f74d926 the price c5a13e4af8 of the 72fc4f5610 cakes in 6438ca6a3c the shopping e223271870 bag.824de290c7d6c0ab

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The manager’s usual saying was, “Good ingredients come with a wicked price.”13ca38c91e4f9c9b

In short, they were high-end desserts he couldn’t afford.cf9cdc9c0c13f2a2

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“…….”a3b1766d3046a5ea

What to do. This month’s living expenses were already tight. He had lost all the money he had set aside for rent last night.600e21a530b8fce7

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He had felt relieved when they hadn’t come home for a while, but he shouldn’t have. The sudden intrusion left him in a daze, but when he saw them find the hidden envelope and leave, his heart sank. His sister had a follow-up appointment next week. Having barely managed the amount, Haehyeon desperately pleaded. He was beaten badly but didn’t even feel the pain.7124def41ec95fb4

…But it was useless.850d741d9f72e8ee

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Crying and begging ef3d34f8bf changed nothing.ba9f04603996d7a8

In the end, watching e8d03cf264 the door close, Haehyeon 9503af2f41 laughed a little. Not because it 601acfad57 was funny, but 25ee431fe7 because it was 9b49fdaf5a absurd. And a bit pathetic.b5027854c68c996a

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After calming his crying sister, he went to work. No matter how absurd it was, time wouldn’t wait for him. The part-timer from the previous shift, who had waited over 30 minutes, was furious. Ready to lash out, they saw Haehyeon enter with blood dripping from his mouth and said nothing.1fed205ab87ec216

“Aren’t you going to leave soon?”25d9d67a5ea48c95

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Ah.938f1675ff52d23e

The sudden ac2f4f135b voice snapped 1f342377b5 him back 5f291af9f9 to reality.cb591780fc7cba62

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He had been momentarily 7200016145 distracted by thoughts of 48174e10d8 last night.0b077de81bc55ec2

Realizing the e6fbbbf1bc shopping bag dd81055f89 with the 79855e2be7 cake was 24e093851f still in 7dd14a272d his hand, 8e3980ba05 Haehyeon finally bf473658fb spoke. Carefully, he chose dc31f8f8fe his words to 3cb023ab29 avoid offending the 5ca9aaf462 other person.e009c45e4080e3bf

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“Um, could I… maybe deduct this from next month’s pay?”2acccd86e166690a

“Huh?”0f61862430ab943f

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“This month, I have some circumstances…”f96d7a7daf929b78

He thought he could 0d2e4e3452 manage by next month. It was f8aa76059f with that 4b49884a21 thought he d583d718a9 spoke, but 1ada50323f the manager 082f823797 looked as 0c41f504b1 if he a127948841 had heard cdd472f7d3 something absurd. From a young age, c7098ec244 he had learned through 86ddca0d77 various jobs not to 006bfad880 upset the boss. Remembering the verbal 052482894a abuse that followed 269fde75d5 even small mistakes, 55c76a7ce6 his shoulders hunched 2f3b6002b7 involuntarily.75d9af86cd27d0d8

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The next situation was e565d74f03 predictable.492b4edd71bbd0a4

It was common to take on leftover stock or discarded items. Sharing the store’s financial burdens sometimes meant half the paycheck was gone. But…0f0b060d242ad4fd

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“I’m sorry…”7a0f5645c8f3b55b

But he couldn’t postpone his sister’s appointment.b49e4bc2b1892467

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His hand trembled 42a44d1998 reflexively, gripping the 95e999051b shopping bag tighter.afbc2ce3e6727ead

Would he get 86ab03a5f4 angry?d85e303d8794b86c

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He might be d3c8ea122f upset after offering 8b768d02f9 it so kindly.5366844efd6c6b35

Having never seen him angry, Haehyeon was even more scared and held his breath. After a moment of silence, Manager Yoon exclaimed in a surprised voice. Flustered, he even grabbed Haehyeon’s hand.9e8edfc8d99d480d

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“Oh. Haehyeon, Haehyeon!”c8a832220e20351f

“Yes, yes?”93ba8c6f553a1ea9

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“No, I’m giving it because it’ll go bad if left, why deduct it? I’m not that petty, am I? Why would I force a part-timer to buy this?”cfb5ca66b4eb6202

He seemed afraid 26cfeb748a of being misunderstood. The manager, who had cfd6d9fc5c been vehemently denying it, 90f5eaeb19 glanced at Haehyeon, who 12d1353a01 stood there unsure, and d72b3bd368 asked playfully.25e550562444c551

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“Do I look that desperate?”602d38afcfb9c5b9

“No, it’s not that…”c9861701f63e852b

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“Right. I’m not desperate. I’m an only child, so I inherited everything from my parents.”aad127e89aa5e6aa

Oh, he’s an only child… Even with the unexpected TMI, Haehyeon nodded obediently and thanked him several times. He read the expression that said no more objections would be entertained. The manager, who replied appropriately, added as if seizing the moment.36e2badbe056950d

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“Then from now on, take a few leftover cakes from the showcase. If I sell spoiled stuff and get sued, it’s my loss. I’ll finish up here, so go on home. They’ll be worried.”0f1f7c4971766a84

Desserts made that morning wouldn’t spoil by the next day. But the manager, joking as8a99c201a4414b5e

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