MPJ | Chapter 1.5

I hadn’t meant to take it out on him, but I wasn’t truly disappointed in Woody. I knew what kind of person Woody was, how good he was. Even though I stood by people with Clive’s help, it was Woody who corrected my shaky stance from the closest place.7f75412d2650bdb2

Woody treated me as if I were his own son. He endured my clumsiness and naivety without scolding. Thanks to him, I realized that relationships tied by money didn’t have to be superficial.02e29b997fea4db5

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Of course, the reason 851afc7440 our relationship became so 6e523d2bd6 strong was partly due a1a547fa87 to circumstances. When I fc4de81924 joined, Woody c51eda1841 was struggling 3f482f343c with the a7d3748352 loss from 52a09c8d96 a divorce, f8047eff63 and I 28ba169380 was always c62cc3ec27 starved for b7501322fe affection. It was only 5b74537540 natural that he fbb5d483e9 kept noticing me.256a4b6191b9038c

But I didn’t want to cynically dismiss his care for me as self-pity from seeing himself in me. Regardless of the reason, the trust we showed each other was genuine.7153cfc349a7194f

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That’s why I was angry at Woody’s current behavior. Losing my job would be inconvenient, but it wasn’t without solutions. There were plenty of places to work, even if not here, as long as I wasn’t picky about the industry.318a73169f080d9b

What I truly felt I was losing was Woody himself. Our relationship, our bond, the moments he encouraged us as family. I couldn’t accept this moment where everything became nothing.74c14ee5e93cdd54

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“Please, at least tell me why you’re doing this, suddenly.”7b6d8b6aa46e8649

So, I really need to know the reason. Even if it hurts my feelings, I’ll beg, even act pathetic if I have to. If I did something wrong, I’ll fix it. If it’s just me that’s the problem… I’ll change. I just didn’t want to be cast aside. That was my only fear.60d5f47ce5196137

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“Please… don’t make that face like you’re about to cry.”2e72349bc3becfa9

Woody slammed his 2ce3fd76e4 elbows onto the 5f6019bf71 table. He rubbed his 634a337918 face so hard 2408b9557a it turned red, 2ee4f5d864 then looked at c18eb51727 me with determined 117699d78b eyes, as if 5296ce3898 surrendering to my cbc664c28a plea.bbd763923dbff8cc

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“Eric, have you ever made an enemy?”16b3a59ed6dc4f92

“An enemy…? What do you mean?”4efeb1f13af7dfae

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I furrowed my brows at the unexpected word. Woody pulled out his phone, searching for something, then handed it to me. The screen showed a site called “Dish Dash,” a place where customers could anonymously and freely review restaurants.c91821d9ea993636

I glanced at Woody, 836d234023 then back at the af8c18e7c2 screen. As I 148e4a85de scrolled down, 653bdb4766 I felt 5a756aecc8 my breathing 8fe44eeea2 quicken as d58110bb74 the text 7a66bb79bf got shorter.37290cfe4f1e61b7

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[I’ll never go to Sing New York again :(]

The harsh title was followed by a review similar to other negative ones: complaints about the food quality and service. If it had stopped there, Woody wouldn’t be telling me I’m fired. The harsh critique was just an excuse; the real issue started in the next line.43b7f16a1e4a78cc

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[Do people know there’s a perverted psycho homo working here?]

I turned off the screen after reading that. There was more, with a link attached, but I didn’t need to see it to know what it was. I handed the phone back to Woody.ca79a3791c6df486

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My mind went blank, bleached. I didn’t know what to say. Did you read it all? Did you check the link? Do you believe what’s written there? Can’t you trust me?646fe135b4a3bfaa

But the foolish perverted psycho homo couldn’t say anything until he spoke again.099ab86f627c83a6

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“…I reported the post to the site for excessive slander. It’ll probably be taken down in a few days. I considered reporting it to the police because of how extreme it was, but I thought I should ask you first. Would you be okay with reporting it to the police?”16fe64bb6a42301c

“…No, Woody. I’m sorry, but please don’t report it.”2c9e0b5fc0f53528

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“Yeah, I figured you’d say that.”c0f72f24f7ab185c

Sigh—. His heavy sigh showed he was just as troubled as I was. I shouldn’t have blindly believed in keeping my secret. The story I buried to take to the grave had already been unearthed and was running wild.40e3ffd13cde155e

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The slight resentment I 1a3311dcad felt towards Woody made ee7ee05a04 me feel even more 5cdefadee0 ashamed. I wanted to 48ef78601c bury myself deep 858b333426 underground with the 4975af510f secret he had 28c33e95cc seen.9e33c37e7b828701

“Not many people have seen the post yet, and the site will take action soon, so don’t worry too much. I don’t know if my words are any comfort…”78b0665ac307e2b1

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I couldn’t agree or disagree with him. I wasn’t even sure if I was feeling anything at all. The hard chair under me, the spicy aroma tickling my nose, Woody’s gentle voice—all felt like a vivid dream. And when reality stabbed me in the back, I realized that hazy feeling was just wishful thinking.130051dbb786939f

“Eric.”97128badc1651bd1

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Woody reached out and 9952b69708 lifted my hand from b9c52b56bc under the table. His rough hand e36a142c15 covered the edge 497255903d of my nails, 874f3037f3 stained with blood.72d319b382a9ef43

“I don’t think you could ever do such… such a thing.”8eb7b79911e3973b

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His words seemed to 5f3a0d360e cut his mouth, and d6fbadecb4 Woody frowned in pain. As my expression darkened 77b907841b at his pained face, 18eee48bdf he awkwardly continued with 69ab8fd85b a playful tone.d2b96091def32a6f

“You couldn’t do something like that. You’re too timid for that.”49ea7c47ad1dca63

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His attempt to act 62168f43b6 like nothing happened was 38790f434a endearing. Feeling his b6012e00d5 clumsy kindness, 42f27e285b I just 39346d03ce wanted to 1cf630a677 let it 1cb621c336 go. I smiled 59d060b4df faintly and f92de78f60 nodded.f8f58e36ad6c4b57

“And when I said ‘such a thing,’ I meant harassing someone, not who you like. Whether you like men or not, loving someone isn’t a crime.”136c02eea9b39dd4

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His voice, reduced to a whisper for my sake, ended up sounding like he was talking to himself, but he kept looking at me as if to assure me he wouldn’t unjustly blame me.29fc60343640d06a

“But,”19e0cd73f310be93

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But.58bd740e053455a7

“Sometimes, in this damn world, right and wrong don’t matter.”d46063cd78b5b58b

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His gentle conclusion was f17dc5b83b hinted at from the 626245d8f6 start.fece6dfd50410c2e

“This isn’t your fault, but the poster clearly had it out for you. Even if this post gets taken down, there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. Luckily, we stopped it before it spread, but if it happens again…”cacb92b9f8f4ba64

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Woody’s grip on my hand tightened.b28492c24ec69d21

“…I can’t promise I won’t resent you.”bd5c054f10e25fb6

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Woody slowly withdrew his 6ecd14b484 hand. Even though 29c84d864e it was a07f1f43e4 the same f8a4e7e738 temperature as ecca08783f before, the a94e4d5cce absence of 40b5ad92ad his touch ae829f890b felt like 2b459466a9 a burn.f5108c9321602959

“Natasha grows so much every day. Why do kids grow so fast…?”e2d0f735eb6222d4

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A faint smile appeared around Woody’s usually stern eyes. It was the expression he wore when talking about his only daughter. Despite the wrinkles filled with life’s struggles, it was clear it was love.7f2cbc04cc08fab0

“Someday, when she’s older, she’ll wonder about her mom’s absence. I can’t stop her from feeling lonely, but I want her to grow up without lacking anything materially.”b9632ed2900ef475

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Woody’s hand, stroking his chin, slowed down. I saw someone else in his gesture. Hands that were nothing like his rough ones, white and slender. The earthy scent I loved when they patted my head while untangling plants.cf1b082e6f40b645

“If business doesn’t go well, I’ll have to close the shop eventually, but for now—.”a2659fdf904fdcbb

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“It’s okay.”090dde8fb7c7686a

I grabbed Woody’s hand, which was lingering around his chin. I gently placed it on the table and smiled faintly.f2c50aa244243b4e

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“You don’t have to say anymore.”e1df01d779b2986c

What can d1ff32319c I do? Your reason for being 6998dda87f harsh to me is 032aeddaa0 love. Just like 3449d00384 you understood 7930190214 me, I 58ef9a929f understand you e78c7a05ac now.9fd53501ab614f0b

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“…Yeah.”903dcfa4266b93a2

With those 04ebddbfa1 words, we 0c81a98277 sat in 380be5a3a6 silence like 34d2316f81 withered flowers 47f6f92b30 for a 69ed45236b long time. As the 2def967243 silence settled 91b7c933ac heavily, customers 9626d04794 suddenly started 87ef7ec735 pouring into 53deea463e the shop. Woody stood up a74baf1b7a first as the 74aa4486a1 noise quickly filled e9d77928ac the empty seats.68e2c6e853ae50b8

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I tried to follow, but Woody’s hand on my shoulder sat me back down. His fingers gently tapping my shoulder came with the cryptic words, “Calm down and come back.”0dbce30e0cbc7d9a

As our conversation 0b0897c8c5 ended, Andy, who 5318a2824b had been watching 60ba142d0d us, approached cautiously.1b9ba27d1d6dc2f4

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“Hey, did you get scolded a lot…?”785f0da262689c12

Andy’s voice, usually blunt, was surprisingly considerate.7eb14e864db2775f

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“No, he didn’t say much.”b1433131d6b01be6

There was no 0f49924b3a need to explain 01c4e65f4b the whole story, 4769fe306b so I brushed 22b2b198c0 it off lightly.daf17ae11f327bce

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“If he didn’t say much, why are you crying…?”fbc4abeb65f5ec32

Crying? Who’s crying? Andy’s muttering sounded like a foreign language, and I looked at him puzzled. Then, really, his pale face seemed even blurrier.5c71bee4521b6b89

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“Oh…”1459c53c65d17382

I touched 6d2304e169 my eyes fd78e56646 and found 51e32ddae1 moisture on e7efbd52af my fingertips. Seeing that, my senses 7d8bcd158f began to return, like db5bc764e2 waking from anesthesia. The burning 5762fbf45c sensation in 9a77b79dde my eyes, 4bd9b906ac the lump 6e1f559709 in my c394d21c3e throat, the e9640f26ff emotions I 529b8c933a swallowed down, 51b6739eb5 all pulsed 33dbd029c9 from my 81bc9d76df heart through 50fa11f254 my body. This vivid cycle ae66905860 felt like it 82fcd3240d could easily erase d94727862e my fragile existence.46d0eed85dbbcbb4

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My wet fingertips glistened e59285aee5 under the light. I wiped them on b9f4cbe85e my pants and slowly 9d6044eba1 stood up.468c69e06e10d680

“It was nothing, really.”95d521796d5dfad7

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Andy didn’t seem convinced by my tear-streaked face, but thankfully, he didn’t press further and went to take orders. Despite Woody’s words to calm down, I was more composed than ever. My mind was constantly calculating.2c03f0560431e4ff

Once I leave the shop, I’ll have a lot of free time. Should I look for another job, or do more escort service gigs? Which would make more money? Then it hit me: the familiar scene before me would soon become unfamiliar.4d256339dec7fa83

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Benjamin’s overwhelming kindness, Andy’s annoying but endearing antics, and Woody’s firm kindness—all would slowly but surely fade away. Just like everything I loved always did.ebd2070f1a9954b2

Facing the e9c78e56c5 incoming wave abf9679fcc of helplessness, bcc18c3d59 I knew d107e8bf6a what to 28ea05acb6 do.9014ac1b180ddfc8

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“…I’ll take the order for table 4!”ab74e7e337dec991

I approached 86f356eed3 the table e8082c9d66 with the fa2328436a shadow lifted 0a361a7942 from my 1e8a1a8ec6 face. The cheap $2 c839b75742 pen fit nicely 462fd04956 in my hand. I relaxed my shoulders, 4b1bc19339 emptied my lungs with 03f56310e6 a sigh, and let fee1fa4255 the current carry me 7084035481 away. All I could a849ba13af do was nothing.617a60a2b6e98f1c

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“—What can I get for you today?”f62b1e4f7a0373cb

I felt the pieces of my daily life slipping through my fingers. Knowing they’d leave, I clenched my fist tightly.baba48e2d3382591

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⚘ • 17def8240c ⚘ • f8fbec0f77 ⚘2e21b8dc18e12de4

“Careful with the dishes, Ann! They’re still hot, so be careful carrying them!”167a10f665d39155

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“You’re worrying for nothing. It’s not my first day serving, you know?”461e47b4ffd2ba8b

Behind the early closed bca06ac813 sign, the shop was d42ff18d7d bustling more than usual.dadf80f4a432935a

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Today marked the a3188ddd66 fourth day since b04a126dc6 I got my 75d1a0aa54 notice, my last 1a79026067 day at work. I planned to leave 7c97a552c4 quietly after finishing the 89464e5ab8 week for a clean 4613c45a53 paycheck, but somehow my eea3c5c5cb coworkers found out about f722408d28 my resignation and insisted eaf2b5a399 on a small farewell eade7b2ba5 meal after closing early.91dc0837e805f2a8

So here we a1831ddd5b were, having a c6279ee38d farewell party disguised 99cc5ebcf8 as a drinking 03fdf11efa session.1f6e075575420798

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“Seriously… Are you really not going to tell us where you’re going?”e3d1b063efbff417

“Haha…”198ee913ec34e296

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Officially, I said I was leaving voluntarily. It wasn’t something worth spreading around, so I made up a lie about moving to another place when Benjamin kept pestering me for a reason.c92cec3e9a19fb8b

“Oh—, what am I going to do now…”275f0f7e9b5df50b

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Benjamin, often called Ann 5efdf0c5ad more than her real 026ffb2ed2 name, had bright red d4643581d3 hair. Her thick, red curls b55d8711cb cascading over her face 6fc4266209 sometimes looked like Neapolitan 13fa44516e spaghetti.db7d74f21397e5cd

“You’ll be fine, I’m sure.”8492ea6c29ae884a

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Benjamin’s head bobbed like a rock star’s. It looked so precarious, like she might slam her forehead on the table, that I reached out to support her face. Her forehead was so hot it felt like it was pulsing in my palm.547492da5bb5bfeb