“Have you made a reservation?”
This was already the third time today.
Even conceding a hundred times over, perhaps viewing a car or a house requires prior contact.
But why a restaurant?
‘Is it a trend nowadays to always call ahead?’
After all, I’ve heard there are cafes where you have to book via DM.
Clearing her slightly muddled mind, she faced the employee staring intently at her, trying to appear as confident as possible.
“Uh… oh, no.”
She tried to answer.
She, too, wanted to answer confidently, but the feeling of other staff and customers staring intently from the side made her lose her voice.
Her confidence, completely gone.
The confidence, seemingly blown away by the wind, showed no signs of returning.
“Hmm… we do prioritize reserved guests, but… ah, Manager.”
The female employee hesitated for a moment.
As an employee wearing a gleaming golden name tag emerged from behind, she urgently called out to him, stopping him in his tracks.
Judging by the title ‘Manager,’ he seemed to be a person of some authority.
‘A golden name tag is pretty cool.’
Suddenly, her mind drifted to the nameplate she used at her company.
Her nameplate was merely a piece of paper, printed with her title and name using Hancom Word, slipped into a plastic holder.
What was it they said?
‘It’s your nameplate, so look at your colleagues’ and print your own,’ or something like that.
Well, it wasn’t just her; the assistant manager and deputy manager also used such nameplates, so she didn’t really have any complaints.
It just made her realize what a truly crappy small company it was.
At the very least, they could have used a template.
What on earth was [Employee/Choi Min-hoo] on a plain white background?
Lost in thought, she zoned out until her eyes met the manager’s.
He was a decent-looking man with his hair slicked back with pomade.
She wasn’t sure if he was handsome.
He certainly had an active vibe about him.
Anyway, don’t people usually avoid eye contact when it gets awkward?
He was earnestly staring at her.
“Manager?”
“Uh… yes? Did you call me?”
The female employee tilted her head, looking at the manager.
After a brief glance at the manager, she began to scrutinize the protagonist as if realizing something.
It felt as if she was trying to gauge her.
The feeling was a bit strange.
‘I have absolutely no interest in your manager.’
Unable to say it outright, she simply averted her gaze slowly.
“This person came without a reservation, but can they dine now?”
Was it just her imagination, or did the tone imply, ‘They came without a reservation, so let’s send them away?’
The manager paused, considering her question.
By principle, it seemed it shouldn’t be allowed.
If they said no, she’d have no choice but to go to the donburi restaurant next door.
As she was formulating her next plan, he suddenly and awkwardly rolled up his sleeve, beginning to check the time.
The soft orange lighting subtly illuminated the steakhouse.
His wristwatch, catching the light, sparkled with even greater elegance.
‘This is intentional.’
She could bet this wasn’t just her imagination.
She knew it well; her friends often used this trick.
It was a good trick, but it wouldn’t work on her.
The first reason.
She knew absolutely nothing about watches.
Aside from the G-something wristwatch she used in the military, she knew no other brands.
Oh, wait, she knew one more: Rolex.
Anyway, that’s why it wouldn’t work on her.
And the second reason.
‘My insides are male.’
That’s it.
He, who had been observing her gaze while employing a trick that wouldn’t work on her.
When she looked at him with an expression of complete disinterest, he awkwardly cleared his throat and slowly began to speak.
“Ahem, did you ask how many people?”
“No.
How many are in your party, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Immediately upon hearing the manager, she promptly asked the protagonist.
Why was she asking like a carrier pigeon?
Because she asked with a slightly colder demeanor than before, the protagonist felt a little pressured and found herself answering in a small voice.
‘I should have just gone for donburi.’
“Just me…”
“Please show them to a table.”
At the mention of ‘alone,’ the manager gestured towards the restaurant’s interior.
The female employee nodded, forcing a smile that made her face appear somewhat uncomfortable.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
“Understood.
Please follow me this way~”
Guided uncomfortably by the female employee, she slowly walked and settled into the most secluded corner of the restaurant.
She actually preferred it, but wasn’t the intention behind it a bit too obvious?
“We would appreciate it if you could place your order using this tablet.”
Finishing her brief explanation, she disappeared.
Only then did her chest begin to calm down a little.
Being the object of such jealousy was an experience she’d never had before, and it gave her a headache.
If she were used to it, she might have been able to convey some reassurance.
Her stomach rumbled.
Her stomach told her to stop with the useless thoughts and just eat.
‘Right, let’s just eat.’
She sighed softly and turned on the tablet resting in the corner of the table.
She had only ever frequented places where she’d loudly call out ‘Auntie!’ (TL Note: A common term of address for older female restaurant staff in Korea) or press a bell to summon staff, so a place like this was a first.
She awkwardly stared at the steaks displayed on the tablet.
Descriptions of ribeye cap, ‘Chopstick’ (TL Note: Likely a specific or unique cut of beef, as ‘chopstick’ itself is not a steak cut name), and ribeye filled the screen.
She had no idea.
Wouldn’t it be fine to just order the most expensive one?
Since everything looked delicious, any choice would probably be fine.
‘Because it’s beef.’
****
Her stomach was full.
After eating one steak, she found the portion quite insufficient, so she ordered another.
She had unexpectedly become a woman who ate two steaks in a single meal.
And the price, it was incredibly steep.
It felt like the first time she had truly indulged in luxury.
“I’d like to pay.”
With a satisfied stomach, she arrived at the cashier to pay.
The female employee who had been eyeing her earlier took the bill and, with a slightly surprised look, stated the price.
“It’s 1… 152,000 won.”
Was she looking at her with eyes that said, ‘You spent 150,000 won on one meal?’ or ‘You ate two steaks in one meal?’
She wasn’t sure, but perhaps it was both.
“I’ll pay by bank transfer.”
Anyway, now she needed to go downstairs to buy the necessary items.
“Uh… I apologize, but as we are a direct branch, bank transfers are not possible.”
“Huh?”
“Bank transfers aren’t possible?”
The female employee nodded at her question.
A faint smile flickered across her face.
What should she do now?
Did she have to bother withdrawing cash and coming back?
Nowadays, banking apps were so good that you could apply for a withdrawal and immediately get cash from an ATM.
So, she was about to say she’d go withdraw cash and leave, when the manager approached from behind.
“What’s happening?”
Upon hearing the manager’s voice, the female employee suddenly seemed flustered and began waving her hands.
“Oh… it’s nothing much…”
“Ah, she said bank transfers aren’t possible.
Can I go withdraw some money from the ATM?”
The manager tilted his head at her words.
Meanwhile, a shadow crossed the female employee’s face.
“…Pardon? Who said such a thing?”
Hmm.
She must have definitely been disliked.
She was willing to overlook a reasonable amount of jealousy, but she couldn’t tolerate being bothered by such an easily exposed lie.
Pondering what to do, she suddenly thought of a method.
A method that might be a bit childish, but was certainly effective.
“Uh… the employee in front of me.”
“…Ms. Jung Yi-joo.
Is this true?”
“It seems I confused her with another part-timer.
I apologize…”
“You call that an excuse now…”
The female employee began to be scolded.
Ah, this wasn’t the method she had in mind.
The method she thought of was…
“Excuse me, I’m sorry, but… could I get your number?”
“…Pardon?”
“Since you said bank transfers aren’t possible… I was wondering if I could just transfer the money directly to you, Manager…”
Creating an unnecessary opening.
Sure enough, the manager froze at her words, and the female employee froze in a different sense.
The flustered manager hastily took her phone and began inputting his number.
And Ms. Jung Yi-joo watched the scene with a crestfallen expression.
So, don’t be malicious and live a good life.
“This is my number…. But you don’t necessarily have to transfer the money to me…”
“No, since you’re the manager, there’s no need to worry, is there?”
“Pardon…?”
His ears began to turn red.
‘No, that’s not what I meant.’
Regardless, the manager’s contact appeared on her phone.
His profile picture was a soccer player.
He did look like someone who enjoyed sports.
She immediately transferred 152,000 won to him.
Hearing the ‘ding’ sound, he pulled out his own phone.
“Uh… yes.
Payment confirmed.”
He nodded, a wide grin spreading across his face.
Ms. Jung Yi-joo still wore a complicated expression.
‘Rest assured, I have no intention of dating you.’
She had no intention of contacting him or meeting him separately in the first place.
It was merely an exchange of contact information for show.
She was happy to pay by bank transfer.
The manager was happy to get her contact information.
It was a win-win situation for everyone.
“Well then, I’ll be going.
The meal was delicious.”
With that, she calmly exited the steakhouse, leaving the two people standing there blankly.
****
“Did I buy too much?”
She let out a small sigh, looking at the overflowing cart.
Loading all this into the car, taking it home, unloading it, and organizing it… she had no idea how long it would take to move everything.
“…What about the belongings in the studio apartment?”
Suddenly, Choi Min-hoo’s belongings, filling the studio apartment, came to mind.
They were things that could simply be thrown away, but the biggest problem was that *she* was the one who had to throw them away.
“This is driving me crazy.”
Her tasks were endless.
First, she had to start by moving these groceries into the car.
“Ugh… this is seriously heavy…”
