There are days when, from the moment you open your eyes in the morning, everything feels unusually off. For Cha Eui-jae, today was exactly one of those days.
Doesn't everyone have such a day? The kind of day where you wake up thinking, "It can't be this refreshing," as you are greeted by the chirping of sparrows and warm sunlight. A day where you fall out of bed as soon as you wake up, barely get ready, and find yourself on the verge of being late. On top of that, a day where you realize you haven't laced up your new shoes and end up crying as you lace them at the front door. A day where everything seems to go wrong.
Cha Eui-jae hadn't felt this ominous premonition in a long time. He took out his phone and called his AI assistant.
"Nexby, search for today's fortune."
—Searching for today's fortune.
His AI assistant began to read out today's fortune in a monotone voice.
—It's a day where you could get hurt even by falling leaves, so be very careful and cautious in everything. Danger lurks around you. Don't overlook anything and be meticulous.
"Is this today's fortune or a murder warning…?"
Contrary to Cha Eui-jae's hope for some reassurance, Nexby continued with the unsettling fortune.
—It's best to spend today quietly and cautiously. In the afternoon, there might be a pleasant encounter, so consider going out for a bit.
To sum it up, it was essentially saying, "Your fortune is trash today." Cha Eui-jae's sharp intuition, which was usually spot-on, matched the fortune perfectly. Today seemed like it was going to be rough. He has to be careful… Cha Eui-jae stretched and resolved to be cautious.
However, there was one thing Cha Eui-jae overlooked; no matter how careful you are, fate will find its way to you eventually.
Just like how Lee Sa-young barged into this restaurant today!
***
"Hello, Hyung."
The low, leisurely voice was familiar. Was it because the brief encounter had left a strong impression? Or because their first meeting was so intense?
Cha Eui-jae froze with the hot pot in hand. He didn't want to believe his ears, but his sharp hearing wouldn't mistake the person's identity. Moreover, the sight before him perfectly matched the appearance of that guy in his mind.
A gas mask-wearing person, taller than most, stood with hands in pockets, looking this way.
"I got your letter, Hyung."
"…"
"Ah, you're wearing a different apron today."
"…"
"It suits you."
The eyes behind the gas mask's lenses gleamed like a cat playing with a toy.
Cha Eui-jae wasn't the only one shocked by Lee Sa-young's appearance. The moment the man with the gas mask entered, everyone in the restaurant turned their heads towards the door as if cursed with slowness.
And just like someone pressed a pause button, everyone's faces hardened. These hunters, known for their assertiveness, were united in this moment.
'Why are you here…?'
Eventually, someone muttered a sigh.
"Shit…"
'Why is this high-profile guy in such a humble place?'
'Is he someone who eats out? Doesn't he usually avoid crowded places?'
'Sure, maybe he does eat out sometimes, but why here of all places?'
'Is he bored with life? Why come to such a rundown restaurant when there are better places?'
If you could measure the heat of the hunters' glares with a digital thermometer, it would easily exceed 100 degrees. The air would have boiled water and melted the pot.
And at the center of it all stood Cha Eui-jae, managing his expression despite being shocked.
[Trait: Poker Face (B) activated.]
Fortunately, he had a trait that helped him manage his expression. He was never more grateful for it than today. Cha Eui-jae let the trait handle his expression while he quickly scanned the area to find the culprit. He spotted one.
"Let's sit at that table. Haha…"
It was Bae Won-woo, who entered the restaurant looking like someone who spilled spicy soup on a white carpet, nervously glancing around. As soon as Bae Won-woo appeared, the hunters' piercing gazes shifted to him.
From the hunters' perspective, it was as if a meteor emitting toxic gas had fallen into their dining area!
Lee Sa-young, ignoring the hunters' stares and Bae Won-woo's bitter expression, walked straight to the center of the restaurant. A hunter, who had just finished eating three bowls of hangover soup, gasped and stepped back, allowing Lee Sa-young to sit as if he had reserved the seat.
Cha Eui-jae, who was massaging his temples, spoke up.
"Excuse me, we haven't cleared the table yet. Could you sit somewhere else…?"
"No."
Lee Sa-young crossed his long legs and clasped his hands over his knees, answering casually.
"Take your time clearing it. I like this spot. I can see the TV well."
"Oh, okay…"
What are you going to do with that small TV?
Cha Eui-jae tried to calm himself with the phrase "The customer is king." He needed to handle this situation without escalating it. This wasn't his restaurant, after all. A fight could result in the restaurant and the whole street being obliterated.
Showing discomfort would be like digging his own grave. And who would believe that the guy working in the hangover soup restaurant knew Lee Sa-young?
Cha Eui-jae cleaned the table Lee Sa-young sat at and took out a pen and order pad from his apron pocket. Watching him, Lee Sa-young asked innocently.
"What's on the menu here?"
Bae Won-woo looked at Lee Sa-young with accusing eyes. We talked about this before coming in, you idiot. There's only hangover soup…
Cha Eui-jae replied shortly.
"Hangover soup."
"Is that all?"
"Yes, just hangover soup."
"Hey, I told you they only serve hangover soup."
Bae Won-woo tried to intervene, but Lee Sa-young continued to look around the shop deliberately.
"Can you run a business with just hangover soup?"
"Customer."
"Oh right, you also sell rice and soju. But those aren't main dishes."
"If you're going to complain, please leave."
"Ah, hahaha, we'll just have two hangover soups."
Bae Won-woo raised his voice a bit to mediate. Cha Eui-jae sighed and scribbled '2' on the order pad. He stared at Bae Won-woo for three seconds without saying anything.
Bae Won-woo, a regular who even had his autograph hanging in the shop, visited every day for lunch and dinner, often polishing off at least three bowls each time. Cha Eui-jae didn't want to blame anyone, but he felt like aiming his irritation at Bae Won-woo for a moment.
Perhaps sensing Cha Eui-jae's icy gaze, Bae Won-woo averted his eyes and stared at the table, gulping down water.
'Consider yourself lucky you're a regular.'
Cha Eui-jae headed to the kitchen with the order, thinking it wouldn't change anything to blame someone, but feeling the irritation build up.
'Oh well, the water's already spilled.'
Ever since falling eight years into the future from the rift, Cha Eui-jae had learned to accept things. Blaming Bae Won-woo wouldn't make Lee Sa-young disappear. He tried to calm himself, reminding that despite the circumstances, Lee Sa-young was a paying customer.
Alright, mind control complete. Cha Eui-jae placed two bowls of hangover soup on the stove, hoping Lee Sa-young would behave, at least until the soup was ready.
A short while later, the hangover soup restaurant welcomed a somewhat bleak scene.
Precisely, the tables around Lee Sa-young were empty. On the tables were crumpled bills left behind by the fleeing customers, and a few stood near the counter, waiting to pay. Among this chaos, Lee Sa-young sat calmly.
'Damn, does he think he's the eye of the storm?'
Cha Eui-jae peeked outside. Far away, he saw the backs of the hunters who had been eating, running off in a hurry.
"Excuse me!"
"Thanks for the meal—!!!"
Leaving the hangover soup on the tray, Cha Eui-jae quickly followed them out, but the hunters responded loudly and disappeared swiftly. They moved so fast it was reminiscent of fleeing monsters in a dungeon.
Staring blankly at the empty alley, Cha Eui-jae turned his gaze back to the restaurant. Near the door, hunters waiting for seats were clinging to the wall like barnacles.
Cha Eui-jae pointed to the empty seats inside.
"There are empty seats. Come in. I'll clean up quickly."
But they all shook their heads and waved their hands.
"It's okay! We're not that hungry."
Growl.
Your stomach doesn't seem to agree. But the number one in line was resolute, clenching his fists and declaring with determination.
"We can wait a bit longer!"
If you insist… Cha Eui-jae looked at the second in line, who quickly pulled out his phone and put it to his ear. After a brief hesitation, he started speaking awkwardly, like reading a textbook.
"Oh, right! Boss, that thing was due today! I completely forgot! Yes, I'm coming!"
What even is that? And you started staccato1 but finished like a rap.
The second hunter covered the speaker and whispered to Cha Eui-jae.
"Oh, I lined up, but I need to run an errand for my boss. I've been so forgetful lately… Please let someone else go in first."
But the phone screen, visible from the reactivation of the proximity sensor, showed no dialed number, just the background wallpaper. If you're going to lie, at least make an effort…
Cha Eui-jae looked at the third in line with a cold gaze.
The third hunter in line stood expressionless, seemingly calm despite the situation. Thinking that this customer would be manageable, Cha Eui-jae turned to look at him, and the hunter opened his mouth.
"Can you call me when that guy leaves? I'll give you my number. 010…"
Forget it. He wasn't calm at all.
As the unprecedented refusal-to-enter situation unfolded, the suspicion that had been brewing in Cha Eui-jae's mind turned into certainty. That gas mask had definitely found him after seeing him with a ladle and apron that night and was here to cause trouble. Failing to refill customers for the first time since he started working at the hangover soup restaurant, Cha Eui-jae returned inside, grabbed two boiling hot stone bowls of soup, and headed to Lee Sa-young's table.
Can I report him for obstructing business to the police? But what if the troublemaker is a hunter? Should I call the Awakened Management Bureau instead?
"Sir."
Cha Eui-jae placed the boiling stone bowls on the table with a thud.
"Here are your two orders of hangover soup."
Even after serving the food, he remained standing there. No matter how deeply immersed in his persona he was, surely he wouldn't eat with a gas mask on. Let's see that shameless face of his, Cha Eui-jae thought as he glared suspiciously at Lee Sa-young.
A black-gloved hand moved towards his face, and Lee Sa-young slowly removed the gas mask, setting it down on the table. Beneath slightly tousled bangs, his violet eyes gleamed sharply. Their gazes met, as if Lee Sa-young had been watching him all along.
"You're going to bore a hole in my face."
For some reason, Cha Eui-jae couldn't look away from him, just like that night he first encountered Lee Sa-young in the alley.