Closed Door

Damn, this guy came again.

I clicked my tongue, looking askance at Sa Gongwoo, who quietly opened the store door and entered.

For several days in a row, he had been coming at the time when the lunch and dinner shifts were ending, skillfully choosing a moment when there were almost no visitors left, just one or two tables.

At first, I grumbled that this person didn’t work at all, but then nodded to myself, realizing that this was his job. I don’t know whether to admire his efforts to eat seolleongtang every day for lunch and dinner for a week, or consider it stupidity. The more he did this, the stronger my suspicions became that he really was a scammer.

“Hey. You said you weren’t a scammer.”

“Hm, well, yes?”

When I approached and spoke, his face brightened for a moment, but then confusion was reflected on it.

“Then are you incredibly rich? An unemployed person with a lot of money? A chaebol’s son? Or maybe you received an inheritance?”

“No. I’m a poor orphan who used to come here and eat at grandmother’s.”

Ah, so you decided to stick to the concept of past connections to the end?

It seems this tactic statistically showed a fairly high level of success. That’s why everyone talked about past connections and didn’t let go of this idea to the end.

Indeed, when I saw Lee Dongjae, who was crying, spouting such nonsense, my vigilance greatly decreased. Fortunately, it seems I wasn’t the only one who fell for such nonsense. Although it wasn’t much consolation, as it was proof that I was stupid enough to fall for such a trick.

“You look like that, that’s why I’m asking. I wonder why such a person doesn’t work, but comes to have lunch and dinner with seolleongtang every day. It seems that contrary to your words about not being a scammer, you have no desire to earn money through honest work at all.”

“I’m a very hardworking and diligent person. I’m someone who works hard for the country, giving all my strength. Even now, I’ve just finished clearing a gate and I’m resting for just a few days. This is just healing.”

“You talk about healing, sitting… here. And you even claim that you’re a hunter? And you wear all these accessories as proof of your claim?”

This is really a sight, just like an oil painting.

While I was clicking my tongue, someone approached and quietly sat down next to Sa Gongwoo. A man with a huge back and a stern face, without taking his eyes off the table, quietly asked Sa Gongwoo:

“…Ordered?”

“Ah, I was just about to. Two seolleongtang, please?”

“Wow? Today you even came with a friend. What, couldn’t manage alone? Do you think I’ll be scared if you come with such a big guy?”

Actually, I was a little scared.

What are his dimensions? He looked at least twice my size, and his face was also not one that evoked warmth or closeness. How can you not be scared when he sat with such an emotionless face?

“Do you feel more confident when you brought a big guy with you? First you came with a friendly smile, and when it didn’t work, you decided to try intimidation? A scammer and a thug, what can you two do?”

“We will eat.”

…Right. Even scammers, thugs, and crooks have to eat.

The fighting spirit that burst out from tension collapsed in an instant.

Left speechless, I snorted and went to the kitchen, returning with two portions of seolleongtang.

“Roy, calculate.”

“Yes, just a moment.”

During this time, the last visitor, who should have been the last before my break, finished eating and stood at the cash register. I put the seolleongtang and rice in front of Sa Gongwoo and the big guy, then approached the visitor.

“These guys, are they normal?”

The visitor quietly asked me, furtively looking at the table where Sa Gongwoo was sitting.

Although he probably couldn’t do anything, he seemed ready to call the police if problems arose.

“And if they’re not? Are they going to rob in broad daylight or stab with a knife? They’ll just eat and leave.”

Although I didn’t put much meaning into my words, the visitor coughed, apparently remembering grandmother.

“Okay, if something happens, don’t try to be a hero. Just run outside immediately. Understood?”

The visitor, who whispered advice, glancing at Sa Gongwoo from time to time, fearing he might be heard, left the store.

At this time, people who knew it was break time didn’t look in, but occasionally one or two random visitors came in for a late lunch. I couldn’t chase away people who came to eat, but if I accepted them, others would definitely come, one after another.

Grandmother often couldn’t rest properly, letting hungry people into the store, saying she couldn’t chase them away, but I’m not like that.

I quickly hung the sign and wanted to lock the door, but caught myself and left it wide open. So that I could run out immediately if something happened, as the visitor who just left said.

Sa Gongwoo, who had been coming for more than a week, hadn’t caused any disturbances or harm, but today I was confused. How can I be sure that nothing will happen when he came with this big guy? Usually, accidents happened when you let your guard down.

I was cleaning the tables, furtively glancing at Sa Gongwoo’s table, who was chewing seolleongtang. Leaving a pile of dirty dishes, I quickly went out to the hall and stood near the store door.

“Roy. Have you had lunch?”

Sa Gongwoo spoke to me, ignoring his companion who seemed to be filling his stomach with kimchi, eating several plates with one portion of seolleongtang.

“I’ll eat when I close.”

“You must be hungry. Maybe you should have eaten together? Eating alone isn’t as tasty.”

“Instead of such concerns, don’t you think it would be more helpful to come at least ten minutes earlier? Because of you, I’ve been delaying my break time for several days now.”

Sa Gongwoo made a gloomy face in response to my reproach.

“Grandmother said that you shouldn’t be cruel to hungry people. Our Roy, you’re too cold.”

“I’m warning you.”

I stomped on the leg of a nearby table with a crash, hearing the words from Sa Gongwoo’s mouth.

“Don’t you dare even mention grandmother! Grandmother didn’t live to be used, giving everything away like a fool, to people like you. For you, we probably look like convenient targets that can be used, but grandmother… grandmother really…”

She gave without expecting anything in return, with a pure heart. Although she said she didn’t do it hoping for recognition, did that mean that only demons trying to use her should stick to her?

“I’m sorry. …I was wrong, forgive me. You can be angry, just don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying!”

I raised my lowered head and shouted. On Sa Gongwoo’s face, which was smiling jokingly, an expression of regret and sympathy flashed for a moment, but immediately disappeared.

Maybe I was mistaken? Perhaps it was just my imagination.

If it had been regret like “Ah, I made a mistake. I stepped on a mine,” I would have understood, but Sa Gongwoo had no reason to feel guilt or sympathy.

“If you’re really sorry, quickly finish eating and leave. Why do you always come at such an inconvenient time? I can’t even close.”

“When there are other visitors here, it’s difficult to talk to you, Roy.”

“This is a restaurant, not a place for conversations, a restaurant! Quickly finish eating and leave.”

“Roy, are you going through puberty? Before, when you were very little, you were so kind and obedient. This period is really scary. You’ve become so prickly.”

“I’m not going through puberty!”

“Yes, yes.”

“I’m telling you, I’m not!”

“I understand, I understand.”

Ah, damn.

I didn’t know, but he’s a master at teasing. I never considered myself an aggressive person, but at this moment I realized – I am an aggressive person. If I had the chance, I would beat this person half to death.

“I told you that your stories about past connections won’t work. You agreed not to do this, so why do you still mention it?”

How do you know so much about me, all for pretense?

Kind and obedient, it seems that among people of this profession, a rumor really spread that it’s easy to find suckers here.

Before I returned ten years ago, I really was kind and obedient at this time. However, having lived another ten years, receiving a strong blow to the back and experiencing all sorts of disappointments in people, only anger remained in me. Since that time didn’t exist for other people, it’s not surprising that they’re surprised by my sudden prickliness.

He probably came here, happily thinking he had found an easy prey, but it seems he’s quite uncomfortable, as reality didn’t match his expectations, and he couldn’t even move a finger.

“And I’m sorry I’m so prickly. I became like this after grandmother’s death because too many people like you stuck to me. And right now you’re making me even more prickly.”

“…”

“Close your mouth and eat. I’d like you to quickly finish eating and quickly leave.”

I don’t know how long he was planning to sit here, having ordered just one portion of seolleongtang. When they leave, I need to eat myself, clean the store, wash the dishes, and prepare for the evening work.

Why were there such tactless people in the world? I’m already angry when he just comes and talks to me, and here he’s taken up my rest time, shouldn’t he quickly finish eating and leave. Why was he dawdling and trying to start unnecessary conversations?

“Rice… more…”

The big guy, who was silently destroying kimchi despite our conversation with Sa Gongwoo, raised his hand and said quietly.

“You two really…”

Are doing bullshit, such bullshit you’re doing.

Swallowing the curse that almost burst out, I headed to the kitchen.