By Zephyria 
Checking the wall clock, Haon swallowed a sigh. Time felt exceptionally slow today. Haon usually didn’t look at the clock while working, but today was an exception.
“Haon, do you have a date after this?”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing, it’s just that you keep checking the clock.”
Another server asked playfully, noticing Haon glancing at the wall clock every few minutes. Haon was checking the time roughly every ten minutes, just as he did with his alarm clock at home.
“I’m sorry. I’ll focus.”
He hurriedly finished tidying the tablecloths and moved even more diligently. The server who had spoken to him winked, suggesting it was fine as long as the manager didn’t see, but Haon snapped back to attention and didn’t spare another glance at the clock. Perhaps because of that, time passed quite quickly.
When the long-awaited time to clock out arrived, he finished the recycling and headed to the locker room. By the time Haon began changing, the other servers were already gone. He had intentionally left a bit later to change in peace.
“Good work today.”
As Haon arrived at the locker room, the youngest kitchen staff member, who had been waiting for him, waved from the doorway. He was already dressed in his civilian clothes.
Haon tilted his head in confusion for a moment before his eyes widened in realization. He hurriedly grabbed a power bank and stepped out.
“Um, I’m sorry. I think I broke it.”
Despite the kindness of the loan, the device had broken immediately—perhaps because Haon’s phone was outdated. Haon asked for the price of the device, offering to pay for it. However, the kitchen staff member looked flustered and waved his hand dismissively.
“No, it’s fine! It’s just because the battery was worn out.”
Scratching his head, he wondered aloud what Haon would do without a charge and asked if he should buy him a new one from the convenience store. Naturally, Haon declined.
“Thank you for your concern. Please head on home.”
When Haon declined with a habitual bow, the younger man eventually left with an awkward expression. He glanced back as he walked down the dark hallway, but Haon had already disappeared back into the locker room.
Haon’s attention remained entirely focused on the man’s number inside his phone.
* * *
After leaving the restaurant, Haon decided to stop by the pub on his way home to see the weekend owner. Since he had been absent without notice and unreachable until now, the owner was likely furious.
The more he thought of the foul-mouthed owner, the heavier his legs felt, but he forced himself to walk quickly. He needed to get home, charge his phone, and text the man. If it got too late, he wouldn’t be able to contact him, so he had to hurry. He told himself he must send the text before 10 PM.
However, his plans fell apart upon arriving at the pub, which was packed with people today. With two company dinners scheduled starting Thursday night, the owner himself was busy carrying beers.
“Hey, you brat! Jeong Haon!”
The owner, who would normally be on his phone at his fixed spot behind the counter, shouted the moment he saw Haon. Thinking Haon was just passing through, he set a beer glass on a table and rushed over.
“You’re just in time, you little shit!”
He reached out as if to grab Haon by the collar. As a startled Haon recoiled, the owner grabbed Haon’s wrist, dragged him into the kitchen, and abruptly shoved an apron onto him.
“You’re staying until closing! Otherwise, I’m not settling your pay!”
After barking the order, he immediately went back to frying chicken. Despite his bewildered expression, Haon tied the apron strings.
“Did you come here to work?”
“You’re a part-timer, right?”
Because the two weekday part-timers were sending him pleading looks for help, Haon eventually rolled up his sleeves. I’ll just do this for one hour and then leave, he thought.
“Boss—when is the whelk salad coming out?”
“This isn’t ours.”
However, even after an hour had passed, Haon couldn’t take off the apron. The weekday part-timers were all novices, making it impossible for him to leave his post. They were making basic order mistakes and couldn’t even pour draft beer properly.
“I’m sorry! It’ll be out shortly!”
Left alone to clean up the mess made by the two novices, Haon ran around even more frantically. He apologized individually to customers who were annoyed by the slow food and delivered dishes quickly.
“Please wait just a little longer! It’s almost ready!”
Though his feet were slow and he couldn’t carry many dishes on a tray at once, he never lost his smile for a single moment.
“Sorry for the delay! Please enjoy your meal!”
The more physically exhausted Haon became, the more he smiled. Brightly, as if by habit.
* * *
Eventually, it was past two in the morning before he finally took off the apron. The owner, stopping Haon as he unconsciously began the closing cleaning, told him to keep coming in every weekend from now on.
“If you ghost me again, I’m really firing you.”
He didn’t even ask why Haon had been absent without notice. Seeing Haon work so diligently with a smile despite the sudden demand, the owner’s heart seemed to have softened. He even added that he would calculate today’s hourly wage at a higher rate.
“Thank you!”
Thanks to that, Haon left work in a good mood. He was very happy that he hadn’t lost his weekend job.
Phew, thank goodness…
However, his body was severely exhausted. It was only natural, having worked without a break from 9 AM until 2 AM. His stamina was weak to begin with, and he had worked far too hard. I can’t afford to get sick.
Dragging his exhausted body to the goshiwon, Haon swallowed a sigh as he looked up the long flight of stairs. He felt as though sighing now would trigger a gag reflex. Sometimes, when he was too exhausted, he felt nauseous.
He must have pushed himself too far. Out of guilt for the trouble caused by his absence, he had worked even harder. Still, since he had kept all his jobs, it wasn’t a wasted effort.
Touching his hot forehead, he climbed the stairs one step at a time. He felt that if he didn’t keep his body warm while sleeping, it would turn into a cold. He decided he should at least use an electric heating mat.
His eyelids, already heavy, were half-closed. He felt as though he could fall asleep the moment he closed his eyes.
“Phone… need to charge…”
He felt his pants pocket to make sure he had his phone. He had definitely plugged it into the charger at the shop while working, but unfortunately, he had used a broken cable, so it was still dead.
Finally arriving on the fourth floor, Haon rested his hands on his knees and leaned forward. After climbing the stairs with zero remaining energy, his head spun. Since this happened often, he waited familiarly for the dizziness to subside.
Creeak.
Just then, the sound of a door opening echoed from somewhere. Slowly catching his breath, Haon pricked up his ears and looked up. Had he misheard? He was the only person out in the hallway.
“…”
It must have been from another floor.
Looking around, he passed through the empty hallway and entered his room. His body felt like a ton of lead; he wanted to lie down immediately. As he took off his shoes and headed toward the bathroom, he suddenly tilted his head.
He felt like there was something he absolutely had to do after coming home… what was it?
“Ah.”
After squeezing toothpaste and putting the toothbrush in his mouth, he stepped out of the bathroom and reached deep under the wardrobe. Grunting, he pulled out the handle of an electric heating mat.
He spread the mat on the bed, plugged it in, and returned to the bathroom. He had almost forgotten and gone to sleep without it.
Tapping his forehead, he finished brushing his teeth and washed his face thoroughly with soap. He wanted to shower, but he gave up due to sleepiness.
“You worked hard.”
He stripped off his clothes, changed into pajamas, and was just about to lie down on the warmed mat when his gaze suddenly shifted toward the entrance.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, the sound of knocking echoed.
Glancing at the alarm clock, it was past three in the morning. Therefore, he must have misheard. Since the walls were thin, someone might have been knocking on the neighbor’s door.
Keeping his eyes fixed on the front door, he gripped the blanket and slowly sat up on the bed. The moment the old bed frame let out a creak, the knocking returned—knock, knock. It was definitely the sound of someone knocking on his door.
Ah, could it be?
The man, whom he had completely forgotten in his fatigue, finally came to mind. Thinking of the man, Haon searched for his phone, only to click his tongue inwardly upon remembering he had forgotten to charge it.
Knock, knock.
As he stood up from the bed to charge his phone, the knocking continued. Hearing the calm rhythm of the knocks, the possibility that it was him grew stronger.
“Who is it…?”
Had that man come to find him? At this hour.
“Could it be—”
He hesitated, his lips parting as he tried to recall the man’s name, but then Haon frowned and began to step back slowly. If it were the man, he would have answered.
“…”
However, there was no response. The knocking stopped.
Leaning against the wall where the phone charger was plugged in, he strained his hearing. Since he couldn’t hear any footsteps, it seemed the person was still standing right in front of the door. In the thin-walled hallways of a goshiwon, one could tell exactly how many people were walking around.
Biting his lower lip, Haon opened the dialer the moment his phone powered on. His fingertips trembled slightly as he pressed ‘112’.
Should I report this first? Maybe they just have the wrong house. Is it okay to call the police for this?
His fingertips hovered over the call button, filled with hesitation. His mind went blank when faced with the unfamiliar situation. Perhaps the person who knocked had already left and he just hadn’t heard them. His ears felt muffled from the thumping of his heart.
Click.
At that moment, as if kicking away Haon’s hopes, the doorknob turned. Unlike a man who might twist the handle violently as if to rip the door off, the sound of the knob being turned was very, very slow.