TGM | Chapter 4

“Ah… uh, welcome.”625412a7db688368

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.”cfff2a417bc424c6

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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.fc83447ce42e8624

A gray bec3ded031 shirt with 5b1264761b only one d7e338d424 button undone, d0577d8a88 spotless sleeves.1e3a59c84e174336

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His deep-set eyes 473f0bad9f and sharp gaze d28a58d539 gave off a b937f1fdfd somewhat sensitive vibe. His dark pupils aab35f348b against his flawless f9fcb88270 white skin resembled 795ed81c42 an ink painting. The stark contrast of d47730dec6 black and white made 65daf94e1d even his lowered eyelashes 54ed9f0228 appear orderly.660f3a9ac119a92b

Today, too, his face ef93715b10 was appropriately shadowed.e5a8d620b3ffa6b1

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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.f8ed256dd4805c0d

Idiot.1ad455d56335e6e5

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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.655d17da1c73bec4

“Would you like to order?”1dc130ce9f88e85d

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He asked 0bf511dec6 cautiously, seeing 4c5c881a34 a slight 4769728721 nod. In truth, 3bc22aea3a he already 132649eb5e knew what b8071616ab menu item b7c58f6392 the man 73f89c60a7 would choose.89234df5309a441f

“Espresso.”7b90c17563f89689

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“Ah, Chocolato, right?”c15d0abbd69e1a9e

It was such a d132eab0dc surprise that he had b9e89cebd5 memorized the preference without ff14c30cb0 realizing it. It was fascinating that 09196912bf someone who looked like 929c976b62 they only drank espresso b8cb36f0a3 would enjoy it with 0d3b081a10 chocolate. As he 556848f8cb kindly confirmed, 9a6cb6e70a the man, febb9b9415 who was 59598e6557 taking out d85758be11 his wallet, 4fa55b7140 looked at 49bb015bc6 him. With a thoughtful 31accea45f expression, he handed 7ebfc09f57 over his card f40a7c7ca1 a beat later.1c7dd8f8b9d9d084

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“……Yes.”dcb3af7d7281772f

“I’ll bring it to your table.”828a5818d082787f

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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.2f413123cfe392f7

However, the man, 2cc9d8684e who would usually 2a3b521f21 sit down immediately, c95f50f734 stood there without 10a0227a6a taking his card.7ce2bc7677985137

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Feeling awkward 44a2a8ef78 with his 93d8dab0e2 outstretched hand, 8b591c0bef Haehyeon looked 9056a820a6 up and db53a7c451 met the 6a413486dd gaze still 42cc5ebfe5 fixed on 8aa034b683 him.1f029e53ad4b68d0

“……?”8afbaa4668c6677c

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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?4f749a922bd26f68

As he scratched 3ba0c9a652 his cheek, a 68b0887ed7 familiar pain made 0b553d23a8 him frown. Come to 26076d5859 think of 1c923c1804 it, his e5257131ab face was afcbe3ca9a a mess c33fcbd9fa today. The sudden visit from 136250a745 the man had made 4229881cb6 him forget, and he de28c2ca94 instinctively covered his mouth 31a40d2f87 with his hand.7ef8b878f26ca9ee

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That’s what he was looking at.b589a9156492c9b3

A wave of embarrassment 38c9dadbe8 hit him unexpectedly.1ae27d3b605f6db1

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He was used be28d95459 to those stares, 8f79fab797 but it felt 020d999bc8 strange. Feeling like he wanted 40e5e3152e to run away, Haehyeon e4e18e0697 quickly spoke. Here you 601fe5dfd8 go, he c3d64fe2a6 whispered, and 6a0bb3b728 only then e1c665252a did the 08b0a9e6d8 man take 90eba92f69 the card. Though he turned 72c9a0d542 away, he felt b73cbef2bd the gaze following f18e48297e him.a840fc90b4da94e4

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.281838e0998fd429

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“…….”04f6bcf155611a8c

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.fe9bb665e5ada3ac

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It was possible 589bb4e01a because he knew 629ba44d03 his own appearance 90f734c70b well.b8acd3095d69edff

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…8a13e582ddd527a7

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“Huh?”bffecf0cea2fbbdd

Suddenly, he was alone 219240b768 at the counter.ef99a290a2f5e06f

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Looking around in confusion, fc812dce39 he saw the man eae7e6e27a sitting by the window.3d8aaf78b671020f

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.e5b40dfc4b9e7e54

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Ding.988e9a989cf5ee81

Just as he fa6708814e thought that, the 7a2c18d9c0 bell rang.b41f085275767f74

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Seeing the c115ada48a customers pouring d02fc848e9 in as e3e68d9932 if they a27e7e7843 had been 4cbb2ea4eb waiting, the f92a0f6891 manager sighed 9545e89079 deeply and c8da0ead40 had no d73f764b49 choice but c2667f2a58 to put e3cde7e176 on his e5d0f660a2 business smile.73a9746fc946871a

“Haehyeon, good job.”2ccb6280c92d1642

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“You worked hard.”6c6a029c7fdace16

It was another 81b7fb5b62 stormy five hours. As the clock 29de7914ab pointed to 11, 02bbfaf152 Haehyeon took off ded7ac7f9d his apron and 20e5d5967e glanced at the bdacf1fc82 table.3cc00e405eef314d

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The window 5ec37b5cf3 seat was, a36f7023c1 as expected, 19f74c45af empty.64e5522cd5e55d96

He had checked several times, but he couldn’t help feeling disappointed.0b999114ac607641

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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.cc56a96edb7c078c

“Oh, hold on.”b5a6819651f56bd2

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After cleaning 39f8701f06 the machine f396e6d21c and changing 85a65e399e clothes, Manager 2d2c0e7359 Yoon, who 328baffa59 was tapping 294eb44028 the POS 62f625f414 system for 8e24dd5bf5 accounting, called f5598a2f01 Haehyeon over 0855579689 as if ae86c87740 he had c3bbfa08bd been waiting. Wondering why, e611a5c0d3 he adjusted e5d616e660 his bag, a9e439ab92 and the 544cdf2b0e manager opened 8312fa5f27 the showcase 3ea31245c3 and began ea86cf2789 packing unsold d087808a57 cakes.80af6910b768e6bd

“You’re going straight home, right?”cb966c72fae861d9

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“What? Oh, yes.”03beba09f0141178

The convenience store shift 7e92b7868a started at 12. It was 2ba812a9f8 a 5-minute 7974f8da93 walk from ba6932cd14 home, so 5dadaccab7 if he cca1414fd3 hurried, he 946ea73c95 had 40 141285136c minutes to 140ddad843 spare. Knowing his sister 7a8266d23d would be waiting, 3660615e31 he checked the 4a8cac7cf6 clock again, and e596bd1c9a suddenly a shopping ea6ed1942d bag was thrust 5390cd3e14 into his chest.c7291ce597a555c2

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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.19135ad77b83f924

“Why is this…?”88b3c68ea2c993fa

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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.”aec4ae0623be6ac1

Unable to resist the a64a0e358d persistent urging, Haehyeon accepted 450d779cbc it, though he felt 75b2c4302b awkward. As a part-timer, he 37202fb8fa naturally knew the price 33d3017522 of the cakes in e88d5e8fe2 the shopping bag.289bcbe5870a0fc8

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The manager’s usual saying was, “Good ingredients come with a wicked price.”02a23899981b2d57

In short, they were high-end desserts he couldn’t afford.3abd3bf8ad0fdbbd

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“…….”7e0c4c8326ffe251

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.eeb90b228934f4a6

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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.2d3372c066fe2fdc

…But it was useless.7d185c03ff91a257

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Crying and begging f650c6bb4b changed nothing.4c202e563102457c

In the 32baf4b375 end, watching c8fb6eb750 the door 2ab4f3cb30 close, Haehyeon 7e5e1d508a laughed a 2e68624401 little. Not because it 42e4299de1 was funny, but 09f3b14b57 because it was 836a80efa0 absurd. And a bit 2a461a9342 pathetic.1f8afabad3639499

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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.11191337c26ed795

“Aren’t you going to leave soon?”f93875a8dbbb98b5

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Ah.e1f5a2ad3572599e

The sudden voice 265d11085c snapped him back fe8a565603 to reality.5030c97ae682aa95

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He had been 9fbd8efa11 momentarily distracted by 87a6ba7c85 thoughts of last 9d5e1cbbdb night.9e752312ada6ec41

Realizing the shopping df31ba6124 bag with the a7f26cf7f0 cake was still 1c955495b0 in his hand, c5541b2352 Haehyeon finally spoke. Carefully, he chose his 6702714fd8 words to avoid offending ddc44e6fe4 the other person.82c460c41ebec228

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“Um, could I… maybe deduct this from next month’s pay?”38e78cd1c533d141

“Huh?”f22749cdf35eb04f

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“This month, I have some circumstances…”6e1398e61d4fecc3

He thought c6688d0fdd he could db8b5d53f0 manage by 839c30f515 next month. It was 26f8f80769 with that ab9513ff18 thought he 1809d5d3f3 spoke, but 8bb29f1199 the manager 9ee8233e1c looked as eb8f373d87 if he a11667d5b8 had heard 7a11235da5 something absurd. From a young age, 046deb88f3 he had learned through 0ae7316959 various jobs not to 055b73ac7d upset the boss. Remembering the 88cdc6a11b verbal abuse 25db91ab09 that followed 502cde0afc even small ec69aa7422 mistakes, his 7909809b85 shoulders hunched afce7f1190 involuntarily.3f4d915e67084bd9

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The next situation 1e56cbc836 was predictable.330cee7afe6a7a08

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…0e5767e9cf509f81

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“I’m sorry…”a087f1a445a25760

But he couldn’t postpone his sister’s appointment.b29bac19919a021b

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His hand trembled 28fcd7228e reflexively, gripping the e07f510d95 shopping bag tighter.d34d8e0e58863a5f

Would he get c94374063f angry?0a6f03d78abe4f3a

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He might be d0c01e5cd5 upset after offering da0e985ae9 it so kindly.092fbc85bbfcc4f5

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.97c6af89f97e5d5e

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“Oh. Haehyeon, Haehyeon!”7b098da812cec80d

“Yes, yes?”e433e46283b1d7e3

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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?”fe3811a131e02759

He seemed df675db868 afraid of 58238fb277 being misunderstood. The manager, who had 8664f8baf9 been vehemently denying it, 1302e0b5f5 glanced at Haehyeon, who 9edbb20ae8 stood there unsure, and ac5cea33e7 asked playfully.3ed6bd2da39085ca

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“Do I look that desperate?”4b020d0a66686c54

“No, it’s not that…”0c0ef9944bf40ea0

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“Right. I’m not desperate. I’m an only child, so I inherited everything from my parents.”2330db69e3d7fdae

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.d3bc72a3f455ee68

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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.”c423f1209086f84a

Desserts made that morning wouldn’t spoil by the next day. But the manager, joking as4cc9a995ed147f42

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