As the online heat continued to rise, Noah showed no signs of worry. In fact, the corner of his lips even curled into a smile.
However, the worried phone calls were relentless.
"Just as I thought, something went wrong, right? I knew you wouldn't call me out of nowhere."
Noah turned up the volume on his phone, glancing at the various pieces of personal information being dug up by netizens.
Back in school, he wasn't particularly good at socializing and had nothing about him that stood out.
If there was anything noteworthy, it was probably his inferior omega status.
Strangely, no one seemed to be focusing on that. Had society become so accepting of it?
Therefore, the so-called "exposés" being circulated were clearly the work of certain individuals. Some had probably hired trolls, while others were simply trying to ride the wave of attention.
"Don't worry, I've already figured out how to handle it."
These weren't just comforting words. The impact of this situation on him was immense, and Noah was determined to resolve it.
On the other end of the line, Shawn heard the familiar sounds of street vendors calling out, and his tone became more agitated.
"Are you still at the store?!"
"No, not yet."
Noah smiled, amused. The internet age was really something. If they kept digging like this, they might even unearth his biological parents.
"If you don't head back soon, are you waiting for the 'righteous netizens' to show up in person?"
Noah gently reassured him, "I know, I know. I'm locking up and heading home now."
While chatting with Shawn, Noah continued wrapping up his tasks. He packed the leftover coffee into a large bag.
During the process, a call notification popped up on his phone, so he quickly apologized to Shawn.
"Noah—finally! Don't pay attention to all that stuff online. How about you come stay at my place for a while?"
Emma, of course, was just worried about him, but this situation wasn't serious enough to warrant that. "It's fine, Emma. I know you care about me."
Even if Noah hadn't said anything, Emma understood. She didn't continue pressing the point.
"Then you better make me a little cake every day. I'll come pick it up after work until you reopen your shop!"
Noah chuckled, replying, "Of course, I'll mix it up for you every day, so you can stay nice and plump."
Emma added playfully, "Just make sure it's low-calorie. I'm not married yet—got to keep my beauty intact."
Noah could practically picture Emma on the other end of the line, pouting, looking all smug and pretty.
"Okay, okay. I'll make it just the way you like."
Honestly, wasn't their marriage just a matter of time?
After hanging up, Noah made sure to check all the facilities in the store one last time before locking the door.
As he stepped outside, he tightened the scarf around his neck to protect himself from the cold wind that was seeping in.
"Here you go, your cheesecake and soy milk box," a man said, still wearing his apron. He looked apologetic. "I was washing vegetables earlier, sorry for keeping you waiting."
"This is smoked fish and cured meats my mom made back home. If you don't mind, you can take some with you to eat."
Noah glanced at the full bag of smoked fish and meat. "This won't do. Two boxes of cakes don't need this much."
Noah quickly dug through the bag and pulled out a few boxes of high-quality cakes. "Take these as well. Don't try to refuse," he said, handing them over.
The man smiled, cradling the cakes in his arms. "Then I won't be polite."
Just as Noah was about to turn and leave, the man added, "Your cakes are really delicious, honestly. I'll always support you."
Noah turned back, offering a sincere bow. "Thank you for your support."
By the time Noah returned home, the bag in his hand was empty, only to be filled again with something else.
The cakes Noah gave away were for both new and regular customers in the community, and in return, he received their care and affection.
As he looked at the 99+ unread messages in his chat group, Noah felt warmth spread through him.
He didn't ignore the online comments; it's just that he felt there was no need to get caught up in petty arguments with strangers he'd never meet in person.
Because, apart from the internet, those people would probably never cross paths with him in his life.
Life was his own.
He turned off his phone, and as the sun rose as usual, life continued.
"You saw the video too?" Noah asked, holding the heavy bag and locking eyes with Ethan inside the house.
"Yeah, I was worried about you. But now, it seems like your mindset is much better than mine."
Ethan stepped forward, taking the bag from Noah.
"When you're in business, a good mindset is crucial. But responding is a must, just not today."
Noah wasn't going to let Jake continue fabricating stories and skewing public opinion.
He certainly wasn't going to allow the hard-earned reputation of his store to be slowly destroyed by the power of online discourse.
"Those who understand me—those who care about me—that's enough."
Yes, enough—only a part of them.
It was impossible for one person to gain the approval of the entire world. Even the sun, moon, and stars had their detractors, so how could a complicated person like him be any different?
The two of them then began sorting the items and placing them in the fridge.
Noah leaned against Ethan's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat—alive, rhythmic, soothing.
They simply held each other in silence, wrapped in each other's embrace.
The next time Noah opened his eyes, it was the following morning. He didn't remember when exactly he had fallen asleep.
Maybe it was because Ethan's embrace was so warm and comforting.
Outside, the wind was still howling, but the weather was beautiful—clear blue skies and the sun shining high above.
Noah made himself breakfast, eating while he worked on editing his video on the computer.
He had self-taught some video editing skills back in college and even earned a little extra money with it.
It had been a while since he last used the skills, so he felt a bit rusty at first.
But as time went on, his efficiency improved, and his editing actions became smoother.
Once everything was ready, Noah uploaded the video to his short video account.
He also spent a small amount of money to boost the video's exposure.
After all, if no one watched it, all the editing would have been for nothing.
Noah smiled as he read the title he chose for the video: A Day in the Life of a Barista Earning 20k a Month.
Now, all he had to do was wait.
The rankings on the internet can change so drastically that the content from one minute to the next can be completely different.
Soon enough, the content Noah had posted sparked a massive wave of shares and discussions.
At first, people laughed, calling the coffee shop owner a fool. "Spending 20k just to hire a worker? This business is bound to go under, and soon he'll be selling his underwear to make ends meet."
However, as time went on, a sharp-eyed netizen pointed out that this was the same coffee shop where there had been a food poisoning incident—the coffee-cake combo store!
This comment quickly became a highly upvoted reply, triggering a new wave of discussions.
Noah's video was essentially a daily vlog, not particularly short in length.
Eager netizens, like detectives, quickly isolated the segment that showed the food poisoning incident and compared it to Jake's receipt.
They confirmed that the vlog's timestamp matched the day when Jake's employees suffered food poisoning.
Noah silently thanked his past self for not skimping on a high-resolution camera. Otherwise, even if the internet detectives were the best, they wouldn't have been able to spot Caleb's deliberate mistakes in a blurry video.
As the video spread, the audience naturally included professional baristas.
Someone even posted a video to educate the public on how coffee beans should be properly stored.
The vlogger also fiercely criticized the unnamed barista in Noah's video.
Before long, Noah had achieved his goal.
Some keen-eyed users noticed that Caleb was notably slower when handling large orders compared to before.
This sparked another round of conspiracy theories.
Some speculated that the barista was doing it on purpose—either seeking revenge on society or perhaps against his boss.
The internet was remarkably efficient. Within no time, they posted a comparison showing that Caleb wasn't the same barista from before. He had only started working the previous day. A photo of him was quickly leaked.
["I know it's wrong to take photos secretly, but who understands?—Two handsome guys together, it's so eye-catching!!!"]
The photo showed Noah standing at the cash register, head slightly lowered, sunlight streaming through the glass and casting cutting lines of light on his smooth profile.
Meanwhile, Shawn stood with one hand resting on the glass counter, leaning in an easy pose, gazing towards Noah.
Their faces were deliberately cropped, so Shawn's expression was hidden.
Noah realized, recalling the moment, that at that time, his focus was only on the incoming payment.
As a result, the public opinion started to take a strange turn.
Some people even began shipping Noah and Shawn as a couple. There were comments writing out elaborate stories about their love and conflict.
The narrative went:
The boss and employee—working together, helping each other grow. One treats the other as a good friend, the other as someone they have feelings for.
The boss was the one in charge, and the employee, the one who secretly harbored feelings.
The employee couldn't hold it in anymore and confessed, only to be rejected. Heartbroken, the employee left to clear their mind.
To everyone's surprise, the boss hired a new barista the same day, realizing that no one is irreplaceable.
Looking at the new barista, the boss couldn't help but think of the employee and suddenly had an epiphany.
The boss realized they had been in love all along, even if they didn't know it. They went to find the employee, and after much drama and some fireworks, they lived happily ever after.
Noah was completely stunned. What is this?
Modern internet users: Anything can be shipped to achieve a balanced diet.
Soon, they tracked down Caleb's background, discovering that he used to work at a different coffee shop and was even a shareholder.
It turned out that this was all part of malicious competition. The boss who only knew how to make coffee was a complete fool.
And as quickly as the conspiracy theory emerged, so did more fanfiction, updated in parallel with the investigation.
At first, the storyline had the new barista thinking about the employee. Later, it shifted to the employee being concerned about the boss, secretly watching the shop's situation.
The two of them eventually uncovered the business conspiracy together, and of course, after some twists and turns, ended up happily living together.
The public opinion had flipped completely, but now the wind seemed to be blowing even stranger.
Noah checked another video on his phone, realizing that it probably wasn't needed anymore.
...
Noah even received a message: "Wow, Shawn's gaze at you is so full of longing!"
Noah had never told anyone that he and Ethan were together.
But he also wasn't going to hide it.
Because doing so wouldn't be fair to Ethan.
[I'm already in a relationship with Ethan, and Shawn and I are just good friends.]
A voice message popped up immediately: "Such a big deal! And you didn't even show it off on your social media?"
If Emma were in Noah's shoes, she would probably want to announce it to the entire world that she had landed that rare flower.
"You know I'm not the type to show off. Besides, it's enough for two people to just be happy together," Noah replied.
"True, you never even post on social media," Emma said, sounding excited again. "Come on, tell me, how did you two get together?"
"Mr. Harrison didn't use some big show of wealth, like with projectors, drones, or jets, did he? Wasn't it extra grand and impressive?"
Noah chuckled at Emma's words, as he had never experienced anything like that.
Even their first confession happened in his house, with Ethan sitting on the sofa beside him.
Noah pictured it in his mind. If Ethan had actually done something like Emma suggested, he probably would've rejected him right then.
"I was the one who brought it up first, although Ethan confessed his feelings first."
This sentence caused Emma to gasp in surprise. "Noah! You're still the Noah I know? I had no idea you were that bold!"
"At the time, I didn't overthink it. Once I realized I liked Ethan, I started preparing for the confession," Noah explained.
When he had made up his mind, there were no complicated thoughts—he simply felt that if they both liked each other, they should give it a try.
Since Ethan had already taken 99 steps toward him, what was the harm in taking one step forward himself?
"I always thought you would be the passive one in relationships. I never imagined you would be the one to initiate it," Emma said, still stunned.
Noah himself hadn't expected it either.
Even when he took the initiative, after realizing Ethan liked him, he was rejected twice.
If Emma knew about this, she would probably be over the moon.
"There's no such thing as absolute initiative or passivity in love," Noah concluded with a smile.