After two hours, Chang Seol is standing in front of the pub where she was supposed to go a day ago.
"They still have the notice on." Chang Seol looks at the notice for a part-timer on the door. "What do I have to do to get a job there?"
She needs a new phone. Her last phone died a horrible death. All of her songs are gone.
That Lim Dabin!!! Chang Seol's face turns sour. People like Lim Dabin are always blaming others for their misfortune.
"If it doesn't work out…" Chang Seol exhales. She will leave this city and go back home. It's not like her parents need to force her to get married again. Chang Seol closes her eyes. She hasn't spoken to her parents yet. "It's going to be a disaster."
"You look like you need a drink." The person sounds amused. "Come inside. But you must show your ID to me, Miss."
Chang Seol looks at the man in front of her. The tall and slender man is wearing a black jacket and dark jeans. He has warm brown eyes and wavy hair. There's a friendly smile on his face. She replies with a straightforward voice, "I am not here for a drink."
Certainly, she's not here to hook up with strangers. What is this man? He shouldn't try to pick her up in broad daylight.
"Then, what are you here for?" He scrutinizes her face. "You seem like a student. Are you here for a part-time job?"
Does he work at this place? Chang Seol nods. "I saw the ad online. Are you also a part-timer?"
"Well, I…" The man laughs. "How old are you? We don't hire middle-schoolers."
"I am an adult." She wrinkles her nose as she takes her ID out of her pocket. "Do you know the owner? What kind of people does he hire? Must I know foreign languages? Does he have cats?"
The man takes her ID and glances at it for a moment. "Must he have cats to hire you?"
"No, No." She shakes her head. "Cats don't like me much. I don't think that I can get a cat's approval."
He shakes his head and guffaws. "You are hired."
"What?" She blinks her eyes. "Why are you hiring me? I need to be…" Is he the owner?
"You can start tomorrow." His eyes twinkle when he smiles. "I don't have cats. And I am the one who decides whether someone is right to work at my pub or not. Knowing foreign languages is a plus but it's not a necessary requirement since most of our customers know Korean. You seem fluent enough in Korean."
Chang Seol is tongue-tied. Did she get hired for real? This person doesn't care if she looks like a middle-schooler.
He returns her ID card. "Come in. We can discuss your hours and pay."
"Thank you!!!" Chang Seol's eyes shine with gratitude. This is her first job.
With a smile on his lips, the man turns around and walks into the pub. After taking a deep breath, Chang Seol trails after him.
Inside the pub, she looks around with a wide smile on her face. The pub might look mediocre from the outside but the interior is completely different. Each wall has a funky mosaic of popular celebrities with their famous quotes. She bites her lower lip in excitement.
Her first part-time job!!!
"Chang Seol."
She turns toward the man who is standing near the bar. The bartender, a man in his early thirties, dressed in black clothing, gives her a curious look.
"She's our new part-timer." She hears him say to the bartender. "Isn't she a cute one?"
"Don't tell me that you hired her because she's cute, Yoon In Jae?" The man frowns at him.
"I hired because she's the only one who showed up," Yoon In Jae replies. "Besides, she seems like she really wants it."
Because of her high hearing, she could hear them clearly. When she gets closer to them, they stop talking. Yoon In Jae raises his hand and gestures at the bartender. "Ki Young Ho. Since it's only three of us, you will be doing more than just the work of a waitress. Is that okay, Chang Seol?"
"Yes, it's okay." Is she supposed to say that it's not okay? Beggars can't be choosers. She looks around. It's only three of them in the entire pub.
"It's because we are… sort of new." Yoon In Jae lets out an awkward laugh. "For now, it's only four of us."
Four, but she only sees three?
"Jin-Yu isn't here today." Ki Young-Gi tells her, "He's the cook. "
"Oh." Cook isn't here today. There's no sign of customers. She wonders how long it will take them to go bankrupt. Will they be able to pay her?
"Chang Seol, Young Ho will tell you the rest." Yoon In Jae looks at someone behind her. "My friends are here. I will see you later."
Chang Seol says nothing. She gives a polite nod. Her earlier excitement has waned away. She still wants to see the positive side. After a crappy, she was able to get one good thing. She steps closer to the table and looks up at Ki Young Ho. "Ahjussi, I can only work after my university hours."
"Are you okay working a little late?" Ki Young Ho asks her calmly. He's not surprised to hear that she's a university student. Knowing there's only one university near Z City, she must be a student of the D University.
"I am fine with it," She says to him as she takes the seat in front of him. "I don't live far from here."
"Do you drink?" Ki Young Ho questions her with a grave voice.
What should she answer? She does drink but she's been prohibited to drink by Mister. "Occasionally."
"Don't drink when a customer offers you," Ki Young Ho warns her, "It's common sense but you look like you lack one."
She pinches her lips together. Why do people keep assuming things about her?