By Zephyria 
After filling the hall tables with napkins and cutlery, Haon folded the laundered dishcloths and swallowed a sigh. He wasn’t in a very good mood.
“I’m telling you, it’s true. Ah, I saw it with my own eyes!”
“Hey, do you have any idea how much that car costs? Why on earth would he be riding in something like that?”
Unable to read Haon’s mood, the hall part-timer beat his chest in frustration at the boss, who refused to believe him. The kitchen staff and other part-timers, including the boss, were letting his words go in one ear and out the other.
“Haon! Why don’t you tell them yourself!”
Tae-hwi, a part-timer in his mid-twenties, was a college student with a personality as bright as his platinum-blonde hair. Haon had heard he was into music. He had been friendly toward Haon ever since Haon started as a short-term part-timer.
“What do you want me to…”
“Explain the car you arrived in! Whose car is it? Huh?!”
Of all people, the loudest person in the shop had witnessed Haon getting out of the man’s car. Having been crossing the street nearby, he had rushed over in disbelief, just to confirm if it really was Haon.
“Stop talking nonsense and just sweep the floor.”
The boss firmly believed there was no way Haon would be arriving in an expensive foreign car. The other part-timers reacted similarly. Haon was becoming increasingly upset by their attitude. It was because he had no words to refute them.
“Haon, I’m just asking on the off chance… what’s your car?”
Tae-hwi’s eyes sparkled, refusing to let the matter drop. His dark eyes, which didn’t quite match his platinum hair, happened to be similar to the man’s, which only made Haon feel more distressed. He hated that thinking of Tae-hwi, who enjoyed playing mischievous jokes, reminded him of the man.
“Tae-hwi, that kid doesn’t even have a bicycle. You think he’d have a car?”
As Haon turned his back, pretending to organize the dishcloths, the boss chimed in from behind. It wasn’t technically wrong, but it only made Haon’s shoulders slump further.
“He could! Haon actually looks like he comes from money.”
“Who? Him?”
When the boss suddenly poked his head in, a startled Haon fled with the neatly folded dishcloths in hand. Watching him go, Tae-hwi scratched the back of his head and muttered, “I knew it,” making everyone burst into laughter.
Fortunately, once Haon left the area, the topic of conversation changed. Everyone’s attention shifted as another part-timer started talking about a newly purchased motorcycle.
While organizing the dishes coming out of the dishwasher, Haon looked at his reflection in a small hand mirror. One of the hall staff had taped a small mirror to the wall to check their appearance from time to time. He had never once glanced at the mirror before, but now, he found himself drawn to it.
Do I really look that poor?
“Jeong Haon, were you offended by any chance?”
Just as he wanted to be alone for a moment, Tae-hwi, his bright platinum hair tied back, approached and helped him organize the dishes.
“I’m sorry if you were. I just said it because I thought it was amazing that you came in a car like that.”
“It’s okay. I wasn’t offended.”
Haon shook his head slightly, his heart softening at the brief apology. If it had ended there, it would have been fine. But the persistent Tae-hwi brought up the car again.
“But seriously, whose car is it? A family member’s? No way, a friend? A lover?”
It wasn’t family, it wasn’t a friend, and it certainly wasn’t a lover. After pondering an answer, Haon gave a light, casual shrug.
“Just someone I know.”
“Someone you know?”
As Haon tried to move away with a stack of dishes, Tae-hwi blocked his path. His narrow eyes, devoid of double eyelids, squinted, making his expression look quite sharp.
“How do you know this person?”
Lowering his voice, he suddenly snatched the dishes away and led Haon to the corner of the kitchen. Haon could only be dragged along with a bewildered expression. Since Tae-hwi was as lean as Haon and a fellow Omega, he wasn’t particularly threatening.
“Are you meeting someone through an app or something?”
“What app?”
“You know, for meeting people. To find someone to date, or someone to sleep with.”
Seeing that Haon seemed clueless, Tae-hwi stopped and tilted his head, asking again.
“Then how did you meet? What does he do?”
It was an ambiguous and very private matter, so the words wouldn’t come easily. Overwhelmed by Tae-hwi’s energy, Haon’s lips parted, and he managed to squeeze out a question.
“Why are you asking?”
Even a question like this required courage for Haon.
“Why do you think? Because I think you’re meeting someone strange.”
“He’s not a strange person!”
Haon’s eyes widened, and he raised his voice abruptly. He hadn’t intended to shout, but his voice rose instinctively.
“Are you two fighting?”
As the boss approached from a distance, Tae-hwi waved his arm and said they were just talking about a man. Although they were all men, since Haon and Tae-hwi were Omegas, the term referred to an Alpha. The boss clicked his tongue, telling them not to fight, and returned to his fixed spot at the counter. It was almost time for the customers to arrive.
“You slept with him.”
“Hyung, why are you asking things like that…”
Haon’s mouth fell open, and he glanced back to see if anyone had heard. Everyone was too busy with their own work to notice the two of them.
“You did. Right?”
Taking Haon’s silence as a positive, Tae-hwi let out a deep sigh. He patted Haon’s shoulder with an expression like an old man who had seen it all. Despite being in his mid-twenties himself.
“Haon, listen to me. I’m speaking to you seriously as a comrade who shares the same trait and must endure a similarly treacherous life.”
Having spat out a long string of words in rapid succession, he looked more serious than Haon had ever seen him. Thinking that Tae-hwi was misunderstanding the man and forming strange ideas, Haon prepared to explain.
“Hold on tight.”
“…What?”
However, the response required no explanation. Tae-hwi gripped Haon’s shoulder and gave him a stern warning.
“Keep this in mind. There aren’t many Alphas who are rich and will even give you a ride. Even if there are, they don’t have cars like that. Unless he’s a serious pervert, hold onto him for dear life.”
It seemed he had made another misunderstanding, but because customers arrived, Haon missed the chance to explain. He had wanted to say that he was nothing to that person.
Sip. On his way back from a quick trip to the restroom, Haon took out the soy milk he had received from the man and drank it. Sucking on the straw, he checked the phone in his pocket.
It seemed they would start preparing for closing in about an hour. Since there weren’t many customers for a Saturday, it felt like it would end early.
Should I contact him?
Drinking the soy milk slowly, he deliberately shortened his stride. Although the man had told him to text first, he didn’t feel entirely comfortable, as it felt like he was demanding, “Please come pick me up now.”
[Are you doing well at work?]
Just then, a text arrived from the man.
“Wow.”
Haon’s mouth hung open at the impeccable timing of the text, and he replied immediately. He felt relieved that the man had contacted him first. Given Haon’s personality, he likely would have agonized over it until the end, failed to send a message, and gone home alone.
[Then I should come at one, right?]
When Haon replied that he was doing well and that work would likely end early today, the man replied quickly. He didn’t seem to carry his phone around at home, so the quick response was unexpected.
Pursing his lips, Haon replied “Yes,” but emphasized that he didn’t have to come if he was tired. However, the man replied that he would see him later. It seemed he really intended to come.
Haon returned to the shop, reading the messages exchanged with the man. A faint smile appeared on Haon’s face, reflected in the glass door at the entrance.
It was uncomfortable, yet he was grateful; he felt sorry, yet he was also happy. There was no reason to dislike someone being kind to him. Especially if the person being kind was a good person.
* * *
“Haon, stop.”
Just as the closing cleaning was finished, Tae-hwi called Haon and dragged him by the wrist to a corner again. For some reason, his cheekbones were flushed, yet he seemed to be trying his best not to make too much of a fuss.
“That car is outside.”
“Already?”
It wasn’t one o’clock yet. Haon looked toward the door, wondering if the man had already arrived. From the angle where Haon stood, the man’s car wasn’t visible.
“Are you going out just like that?”
“No, I’m going to take out the recycling first.”
As Haon spoke as if telling him not to worry, Tae-hwi let out a deep sigh and suddenly rummaged through his bag. Since there were no customers, the boss had left the shop in the hands of the kitchen staff and clocked out early. Thanks to that, everyone was cleaning up for closing at a leisurely pace.
Pshhh— Suddenly, Tae-hwi sprayed something like mosquito repellent on the crown of Haon’s head. Startled, Haon stepped back, covering his face, but there was a wall behind him.
“Stay still. What are you going to do if you smell like sweat? You have to at least wear perfume.”
It wasn’t mosquito repellent, but perfume. Smelling the sharp scent again, it smelled sweet. Following the perfume, Tae-hwi applied a tinted lip gloss and finally combed his hair.
“You really are pretty. I guess you have to look like you to ride in a car like that.”
He looked very excited. He had asked about the man throughout the shift, but since Haon didn’t know much, he couldn’t give Tae-hwi any proper answers. All Haon knew about the man was that he was a rich man with a good personality. And that he was very handsome.
“If he turns out to be a weirdo, report him to the police immediately. Got it?”
“Uh, the recycling…”
“I’ll do it today, so you do it all tomorrow. In exchange, dig up some info. I’m dying to know what he does for a living to drive a car worth hundreds of millions.”
Tae-hwi slapped his back, saying he should at least find out his name and job, and then went as far as opening the door to see Haon off.
“Bye, Haon—! You really worked hard today!”
The unfamiliar voice and the way Tae-hwi smiled with his eyes were flustering, but Haon first looked for the man’s car. Just as Tae-hwi said, the man was already there.
Rolling down the driver’s side window, he reached out a long arm and waved. Haon ran toward the car as quickly as he could.
“Why did you come so early?”
“I just got here. You finished quickly?”
“There weren’t many customers today.”
Haon replied that today was the quietest day while buckling his seatbelt. As he looked at the man and thanked him for picking him up, the man suddenly blinked a few times and silently turned his head away. I wonder why.
Before starting, he said, “It’s a bit hot since you just finished work,” and lowered the window slightly. However, he didn’t turn on the air conditioner.
“Did you drink the soy milk?”
“Yes, I enjoyed it.”
“Me too.”
Continuing the conversation while looking straight ahead instead of at Haon, the man said he had drunk two today and made a V-sign with his long fingers. The man’s fingers were very long and slender. Moreover, they were so pale that he could have been a hand model. No, his looks were too good to be just a hand model.
“Haon-ssi.”
Haon, who had been lost in useless thoughts, looked up at the man’s call. The man’s pale, long fingers tapped on the phone.
“Can I ask you something?”