I Wished for Non-Face-to-Face Lectures

As if the counting compulsion was a signal flare announcing the beginning of trials, the ordeals continued afterward.

Getting startled by a carving knife and falling down with a crash.

Calling over an already busy person to help because a hole appeared in the rubber gloves while washing dishes.

Above all, the most grueling task was taking orders from customers who had just come from the nearby barbecue restaurant.

They must have eaten so much raw garlic that the smell emanating from their mouths every time they opened them made me dizzy.

“One Martini, and the other person ordered a Jack and Co… Urgh…”

“…Are you okay?”

“I’m fi… Koff koff, urgh…”

“…”

Dry heaving in someone else’s face is, of course, extremely rude.

Especially a service worker dry heaving toward a customer would be an issue, and it wouldn’t be strange at all if it became news.

But perhaps my teary-eyed, suffering appearance looked quite pitiful?

After explaining that my species was vampire and revealing that I was extremely vulnerable to garlic while asking for forgiveness.

“T-that can happen. Are you really okay? You looked like you were really struggling.”

They looked at me with very sympathetic eyes and let it slide.

I was truly grateful that the customers understood my weakness, but I didn’t feel very comfortable.

Not only did I feel guilty, but thinking that I was struggling with even the simple task of taking orders made me feel terrible self-loathing.

“Should I really leave Korea?”

If I just stopped insisting on living in Korea, my quality of life might improve tremendously.

Anyway, after working through all sorts of trials, closing time arrived in the blink of an eye.

As I was gulping down cool water, pulling myself together from physical and mental exhaustion, the boss approached me with a very tired face.

It seems he was exhausted due to the higher than usual number of customers.

The boss offered me a beautiful cocktail blending white and black, and cautiously asked a question.

“Jiwoo? How was your first day at work? Is it very different from what you expected?”

“Haha, it’s fine since I came in with some expectations. Originally, even at a barbecue restaurant, you don’t grill meat right from the start, right?”

“Oh, that’s a good example! And your mindset is excellent! We need more employees like you…”

“You’re too kind. Ah, and you can speak comfortably with me. It feels awkward when you use formal speech only with me.”

“Well, you have an aura that makes it hard to speak casually… but I understand. I’ll try to speak more comfortably from now on.”

The boss, who slowly drank an unnamed cocktail with a light brown hue, soon sighed and continued speaking.

“Huh, anyway, there were a lot of customers today. It’s the first time it’s been this busy since opening.”

“…Really? So that time wasn’t considered few.”

“A cocktail bar in a remote location is unlikely to do well. Hmm, it would be troublesome if it continues like this.”

“Isn’t it good if the business does well?”

“Not at all. I’m just doing this as a hobby, so I prefer tranquility over hustle and bustle.”

“…”

A statement I couldn’t possibly understand.

Thinking he must be an eccentric person, I was sipping the cocktail the boss had given me when Jaehyuk, who had already finished preparing to leave, walked briskly toward the table where I was sitting.

“What are you two talking about so enjoyably? Let me join in, boss.”

“Just asking about his impressions after working his first day. Jaehyuk, honestly, he’s much better than when you first started.”

“Come on, you should make fair comparisons. How can you compare an experienced newcomer with a complete novice?”

“I think his personality is better than yours too. Is it time to replace you? Well, I have been using you for a while.”

“…Don’t say such things even as a joke, please.”

Jaehyuk reprimanded with a sulky expression, but the boss snorted and didn’t stop teasing him.

Since he’s someone with good impact, it seems quite fun to poke at him like that.

As I was busy watching the two who seemed to have unexpectedly good chemistry, my glass had emptied, and seeing this, the boss stopped teasing and immediately issued an eviction order.

“Oh my, I’ve been keeping you too long without realizing it? This shouldn’t happen on your first day. Alright, you both worked hard… see you in the evening. Have a good morning, okay?”

“”You too, boss, have a good morning.””

So, ending my first day at work and on the way back to the apartment.

As I was releasing my suppressed counting compulsion by counting each and every strand of fox tail fur in my pocket, Jaehyuk, who had been quiet for a while, spoke to me.

“Was the work manageable? It seemed like you had quite a struggle.”

“Fifty-one… fifty-two… oh, huh? What did you say?”

“I asked if the work was difficult.”

“…Just a moment, let me finish counting this. Seventy-six, seventy-seven…”

After counting everything, there were 189 in total. Finally freed from my counting compulsion, I was able to answer his question.

“It was manageable in its own way. There were difficult aspects, but I have to accept that much.”

Would there be no difficulties in other jobs?

Honestly, this level could be considered very favorable.

If we exclude the unfair incidents like counting the fox fur left by the fox beastman customer and the troublesome situation when the rubber gloves got a hole in them.

The only difficult things were at most getting startled by carving knives and dealing with people who smelled of garlic, right?

Moreover, the two weaknesses mentioned above are unavoidable in any job in Korea.

Since taking another job would only make things worse, not better, I felt that being a bartender was manageable.

“Still, I was a bit tired. Why are there so many people who flirt, sheesh.”

If you’re going to ask for my number, at least get rid of the garlic smell, or who would give their number to someone who emits a disgusting smell?

As I complained of fatigue and staggered, Jaehyuk, who had been giving me sympathetic looks for a moment, quietly said something.

“Are you very tired?”

“Yeah, maybe it’s because I also drank some alcohol… my eyes are a bit hazy.”

“…Then transform into a bat, I’ll let you ride on my head.”

“Are you serious?”

Did he eat something bad for dinner?

The guy who made such a fuss about his scalp getting scratched is now offering to carry me?

As I stared with round eyes, he said if I didn’t want to, I didn’t have to, and walked briskly forward.

To this, I changed into bat form and, closely following behind him, began to chatter.

“Ah, I thought you were just saying it out of courtesy! Honestly, how could I take it seriously when my first experience was so roughly violated?”

“Don’t say things that could be misunderstood, jerk. People are watching.”

“I’m just telling the truth. And there’s only you and me here right now.”

“Haah…”

Was he flustered by the remark that there were no people? Jaehyuk sighed and then silently took out a hat from his bag and put it on.

Then, as if telling me to ride on top, he tapped the hat with his finger.

Flap flap.

Thwack!

A perfect landing with a crisp sound.

After taking a proper position and curling up my body, what I felt was comfort beyond imagination.

“…This is actually cozier and better than I thought?”

Perhaps thanks to the softness provided by the hair, the ride was not uncomfortable at all.

I could understand why the pets appearing in novels were so obsessed with being on top of the protagonist’s head.

“There was a reason for everything!”

Friend, I’m really glad you’re not bald.

I don’t really prefer stone beds.

Expressing my satisfaction, I howled energetically forward.

“Screech!”

I should ask him to carry me next time too.

The first time is difficult.

But from the second time onward, it becomes easier.

It took longer than expected to graduate from menial tasks and start working as a bartender.

The short practice time given before work and after returning.

This shoddy body that gives out after just drinking 1000cc of beer.

And the hopeless manual dexterity that seemed to be cursed by God were the reasons.

“You’ll never be able to do carving, I think there would be no ice left after trying to carve it round.”

“I can’t even hold a knife properly, you idiot, I’m from a garbage species that foams at the mouth just seeing pointed things.”

“Ah, right.”

But as they say, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again?

With determination and endless repetition, the number of cocktails I could make increased one by one.

And so, on a day a little over two weeks from my first day at work, the boss finally gave me permission to work as a bartender.

“This level… yes, I think it’s good enough to sell. Whew, that was really tough.”

“You’ve worked hard, boss.”

“…It was beyond just ‘hard work.’ When you make your signature menu, feed it to Jaehyuk first and then bring it to me. If you feed it to me first, know that you’ll be fired that day.”

“Hey, what did I do wrong, boss?”

“You’re friends, dude. Can’t you even do that much for a friend?”

“Friendship is friendship, and this is this! Is there any chance of crossing the river of death after eating it?”

It seems they both had quite a struggle during that time.

Leaving the two arguing loudly behind, I approached the door and changed the store sign to ‘Open.’

“I’m looking forward to today.”

I wonder what kind of person my first customer will be?

And what kind of story will that person tell me?

The image of a bartender I saw while doing miscellaneous tasks was that of a listener to someone’s story.

If I’m lucky, I might hear interesting stories too.

I waited for the first customer with anticipation, and the first customer I met was.

“Oh, it’s someone I haven’t seen before. But why do you seem familiar?”

“…I’m also wondering why you seem so familiar, customer.”

A tiny pixie who somehow gave me a very familiar feeling.