TGM | Chapter 4

“Ah… uh, welcome.”c7add5255a3c5481

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.”20f429659cc2d545

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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.dbbeeb81545fcaaa

A gray shirt 3a71739bc6 with only one e1498fd9a0 button undone, spotless 34b5b36a80 sleeves.fe0819eed6663a55

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His deep-set d859b8d9c5 eyes and a83045602c sharp gaze d7165e6283 gave off bbd795b802 a somewhat b8f3b408ef sensitive vibe. His dark pupils 260c92a6f8 against his flawless c0520181f9 white skin resembled 5d5e096cab an ink painting. The stark contrast 15e25a4734 of black and 98396a8633 white made even 7e2fd0068f his lowered eyelashes 8798ad01db appear orderly.a607c193f71319ce

Today, too, his face 9fa5ec3b8c was appropriately shadowed.065141c3f8789a2c

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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.f1f42f04f1fc3a48

Idiot.0ec7758b612dff02

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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.2a9b055e2a95555e

“Would you like to order?”9cd0b8cd38aecf4a

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He asked 804d14c010 cautiously, seeing 690ca6f303 a slight 319b92f148 nod. In truth, 68148493f1 he already 7301ef4f62 knew what d31de0c125 menu item f6b0bce412 the man 9f1678c9f1 would choose.52d51b17dbf8e81f

“Espresso.”d22332da4830d881

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“Ah, Chocolato, right?”698eeec6b5323da5

It was such 8285113aa7 a surprise that 7bf4e93e22 he had memorized c0df597869 the preference without d33dc87c37 realizing it. It was fascinating ca053e701c that someone who a4f1b28098 looked like they 803a29a5cd only drank espresso c843c9a66a would enjoy it 0aeac0a007 with chocolate. As he cc3022e03a kindly confirmed, e68a86c2af the man, 7e05b291a5 who was a4e2f69190 taking out 53d115c10e his wallet, 323b079d16 looked at 225aa0a5b7 him. With a 47ce93719d thoughtful expression, 345901882d he handed fd57ec4c8b over his 54adabe0c0 card a 3543dfb554 beat later.c3d5a78b1e1c56af

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“……Yes.”5991553b1f049bb8

“I’ll bring it to your table.”54c7e1aee1a92605

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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.a8e498f0629a5cd1

However, the man, 914dc08efb who would usually 44aaf1420d sit down immediately, aecb09f2d0 stood there without a7b1bb42f2 taking his card.0430672a864a10e3

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Feeling awkward b8bd199ccb with his de9f166601 outstretched hand, e09ffdd447 Haehyeon looked 279b135c56 up and 71d03ea60e met the 32df220281 gaze still d5b5e2c622 fixed on 455720c65a him.fe183823d063d09b

“……?”a88583ca3c6bead1

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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?4fa94c16ecba4ffe

As he 71bae8110b scratched his 77f6878703 cheek, a 8c3c4f1bc9 familiar pain fe976c9cf0 made him b1774b9e78 frown. Come to think 4ec120220b of it, his fd317f2174 face was a b2cb2f2d71 mess today. The sudden 6927c7d2c8 visit from 1b8d11ba65 the man 46dce315d6 had made 45e613f943 him forget, 5a7189a062 and he a36d2f8e2f instinctively covered 2e77895e64 his mouth 7324e107e8 with his bb81f5cbaa hand.ebe30c94a020cc17

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That’s what he was looking at.ffd25cb860cd6cee

A wave of embarrassment 456e107420 hit him unexpectedly.f531a61c4436200f

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He was used cba551c422 to those stares, aeb80723ba but it felt cd24c0c7bf strange. Feeling like he 920abb1835 wanted to run a4152c913b away, Haehyeon quickly 9505aeedff spoke. Here you go, d214cec12a he whispered, and 405d7ef3ca only then did 2ef64194d6 the man take dd5c7ede01 the card. Though he turned away, ba35bbef46 he felt the gaze a6e55dc0f1 following him.c57a084e0b76db17

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.35898cff97c47425

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“…….”790183bbf439ff0e

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.bc9acdbe8bf31bf2

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It was possible because 6a14434dc7 he knew his own 7480fe17c7 appearance well.6d9b0a7fc5dce08f

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…e849a369384525dc

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“Huh?”5102173945ccee50

Suddenly, he 1355c5a40e was alone 82318bb26c at the 7b539fb951 counter.447bcb8371914cd4

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Looking around 08f9f71de2 in confusion, 6279016435 he saw fffed6929a the man ef31afd9aa sitting by 37c1400c6c the window.15d13975d4d83b89

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.1c231a578fe7c5cf

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Ding.07475e94e46210c4

Just as he f16508ff28 thought that, the a2b65345f2 bell rang.c8cfb6668d80eed1

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Seeing the 77802f511d customers pouring fd8608ba6c in as 5e0b89e03e if they f37ce952a0 had been 18a1a109fd waiting, the bf56132a36 manager sighed 1c7da47fbd deeply and f0402d9a8a had no f6bff2ebd5 choice but f86ac6eab1 to put 3bee69fffb on his 8d81f45e2a business smile.56b98a13dfc63d36

“Haehyeon, good job.”f4379282679db8d7

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“You worked hard.”3d1d2567d555dd8c

It was ac20b7e5ea another stormy 174b831073 five hours. As the clock pointed a1cf063693 to 11, Haehyeon took f991565aee off his apron and 0deee32e90 glanced at the table.f6b8e47dcc51a855

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The window seat was, 0cf85be235 as expected, empty.949bfc486502b6e9

He had checked several times, but he couldn’t help feeling disappointed.87d95005b8827498

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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.ee1b980879ed11a3

“Oh, hold on.”7c8a1a414f4a22df

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After cleaning the 4ce179ad4a machine and changing a8d3daeadc clothes, Manager Yoon, 6ce064e508 who was tapping 983ef8627b the POS system 8a205da63a for accounting, called 1065f1c6fb Haehyeon over as fd191a464f if he had 0da0cf6a44 been waiting. Wondering why, he b2b6c2bf50 adjusted his bag, 256449f525 and the manager 7be22aa558 opened the showcase 242f91ed6f and began packing 56df1dcfdf unsold cakes.37ea628733865638

“You’re going straight home, right?”90560dbc6f490504

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“What? Oh, yes.”38d762323fb8d480

The convenience 6a9854ccf4 store shift c52e72b921 started at 2fea75d46d 12. It was a 5-minute 3f543d3651 walk from home, so 9f9d9ec41b if he hurried, he 03820f5aec had 40 minutes to 6d09a54926 spare. Knowing his sister c2654b5556 would be waiting, 4748317919 he checked the 1c5cd5d6e0 clock again, and dcfbb74a60 suddenly a shopping 23e032e8c7 bag was thrust 951972da1d into his chest.3e3e2f3f66ec8ac3

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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.53d082499e65436d

“Why is this…?”b83d987e71660a5d

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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.”dc5c31a14d9a01d5

Unable to resist 4b051c6274 the persistent urging, 64c18b4de5 Haehyeon accepted it, f7a9cc5634 though he felt 7b7d24b643 awkward. As a part-timer, c1730d9352 he naturally knew fe055a2077 the price of f0c459a16d the cakes in 7a3c9e6ff8 the shopping bag.67d06629981c2601

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The manager’s usual saying was, “Good ingredients come with a wicked price.”ee0686e1c8d8867d

In short, they were high-end desserts he couldn’t afford.b2e227876c0bb9a2

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“…….”1d1764cc499e0a38

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.e87b483bb60c68dc

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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.a0ce8954aa2fe3bf

…But it was useless.d62533982e9e197d

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Crying and a90ccba429 begging changed 6d4db5ae35 nothing.674d6e00aaabd496

In the 12663943af end, watching 0a3db116b5 the door 2a599f9cd6 close, Haehyeon d18981fbb6 laughed a 01b19e9588 little. Not because it was 308bcaf252 funny, but because it 1963e81ea9 was absurd. And a bit cb2be6539f pathetic.cebd8de4159aecab

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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.9b105a0d8c2feb76

“Aren’t you going to leave soon?”9e5ffc4f7185f2ca

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Ah.8857d738a89f5ae6

The sudden 7cd4cc9574 voice snapped 4f0f29d0bb him back 5d696760ae to reality.71019c63c78c8ace

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He had been cd0315bc6b momentarily distracted by f437ee95b1 thoughts of last 4149f58a2c night.5ba596098a136f51

Realizing the shopping 77214522d1 bag with the 1b679b5a08 cake was still efe968bb72 in his hand, 1eb8877057 Haehyeon finally spoke. Carefully, he chose becb2a1e2c his words to e9ddf56660 avoid offending the 43b46fb8a2 other person.62c157baa82d7672

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“Um, could I… maybe deduct this from next month’s pay?”38503d7e9d1869fa

“Huh?”be8f1efc66765f5b

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“This month, I have some circumstances…”2d02733260602f37

He thought he 202c58628c could manage by 2fc664440f next month. It was with that 26092545ab thought he spoke, but 2a4266c4b5 the manager looked as 2c2f94a07f if he had heard 14ff0683d8 something absurd. From a young age, 11c79dae83 he had learned through b7833720c3 various jobs not to b11423b594 upset the boss. Remembering the verbal c7c876dfd0 abuse that followed 0ffa70d5b6 even small mistakes, 382e79acae his shoulders hunched cc5a732c4a involuntarily.3ff79f67be7604a0

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The next situation was 9c346da0ab predictable.ce128f1ef4b8948e

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…9ad78959afef7ff8

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“I’m sorry…”67538cfc231d7087

But he couldn’t postpone his sister’s appointment.b7fb180dad66d940

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His hand af1a5d75e3 trembled reflexively, 54d47d31ff gripping the d21c4ad07f shopping bag ce5dbbe2ad tighter.11ececeee210ac8b

Would he get 4d89cd9640 angry?cb089f341d9535ba

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He might be upset 1b6b17f262 after offering it so e9fd8fbbdb kindly.41104ba576132928

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.f506f82b052c1afb

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“Oh. Haehyeon, Haehyeon!”3ff2e625a502e05f

“Yes, yes?”1ebfc2495c70ff0c

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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?”60c31e9d2143b8a8

He seemed afraid of 57165909f5 being misunderstood. The manager, a507ddfc59 who had 485ef0c53a been vehemently 5f83b82d94 denying it, a38c92b7e3 glanced at 01dc7a148e Haehyeon, who ed563e2413 stood there 495a24e10f unsure, and 6f40874ed5 asked playfully.9b6fcd532ff7f436

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“Do I look that desperate?”f3792292d42a4e4c

“No, it’s not that…”f1eccf9eb01aa2f4

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“Right. I’m not desperate. I’m an only child, so I inherited everything from my parents.”7eb9eeac3b593ff9

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.fe226718e01a0b82

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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.”4c1a99022a1685f2

Desserts made that morning wouldn’t spoil by the next day. But the manager, joking as92725a2e2f5a9d10

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