CH 20

Working at night was rather draining. You must continually transport items, but the routes are long and the boxes are heavy in most cases.



Sometimes I want to tell the boss. I applied for office work, but the manager put me in the shift work at his disposal. I’m a recessive Omega, so it’s better not to work hard. However, because the boss rarely leaves the office, making an appeal to him was difficult.



This week was a steamy Christmas with Choi Sung-hoon, which made it even harder because my whole body was in a mess. There were days when I went to work exhausted, went to bed without eating, and returned to work exhausted.



For several days, I’ve been surviving on one line of gimbap on my way home from work, but I didn’t feel particularly hungry, probably because I was so exhausted. As a result, I was concerned because I was taking birth control pills on an empty stomach. I should get an IV and a checkup this weekend.



It was when I spent a few days looking like wilted water parsley and went to work lifeless.



“Hey, Seo-yu ssi… Seo-yu ssi!”



Someone called my name. When I turned around, I noticed the cafe owner was rushing in.



“Cafe owner?”



“Haa, haa… It’s good to see you today… It had to be your night shift.”



He was still dressed as a barista, so I checked the first floor and the light was still on.



“Oh, you’re not closed yet? It’s already late.”



“Yes, I’m going to keep it open late for a while.”



When I got home from work in the morning, I noticed it was already open… He is a genuine person.



The boss, who caught me when I was about to enter the building rubbed his hands on the apron and asked.



“Would you like a cup of citron tea? If you have time…”



“Of course, If I don’t have time, I’ll have to make it. Thank you.” 



If the closing time was delayed, I might be able to drink citron tea or coffee on my way to work next week. At the very least, it would be enjoyable. The cafe’s interior was still warm and comforting. The light bulbs seemed to have been removed after Christmas, but the little angel statues remained. I sat down and read the sayings written on the wooden frame.







The saying change month to month, but there seems to be a lot of love-related saying lately.



Two glasses of citron tea were brewed and brought in by the owner. I tried to pay, but he refused and sat across from me. I calculated my spare time for work.  I should be able to stay for around 10 minutes.



“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you. You’ve lost a lot of weight.”



“Oh, is that so?”



“Did you have a good Christmas?”



“Of course, haha. What about you, owner?”



“I was watching a movie by myself… Seo-yu ssi, you spent it with your family, right?”



I spent 2 days and 1 night passionately with my crush.



“Yes, well… “



I drank the citron tea. There are two types of drugs permitted by the country: Americano and citron tea in this cafe.



“You really like citron tea. Actually, it isn’t selling well. I’ll give you some citron syrup later.”



“Oh, it’s fine. It doesn’t taste like this when I prepare it. It takes an expert’s touch to make it taste delicious.”



The boss smiled shyly when I waved my hands.



“I’m not like that… It’s Seo-yu ssi, who drinks deliciously, is an expert…”



“Haha..”



“Shall we go to the expert training program together? Let us go together and become experts in drinking citron tea.”



“Yes?”



“You drank it so deliciously that you might be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. If you win the prize money, I’ll make a lot for you. With the remaining money, we can go to a good place and have a meal together…”



“…”



The owner now seems to be saying anything without making sense. 



Even though it was late at night, he was a little excited and cute. Did something good happen?



I nodded and laughed at the owner when he said that if he won the Korean beef set instead of prize money, he would grill it himself. I don’t think there will ever be a competition like that.



“Ah… By the way, did you put on pain reliever patches, Seo-yu ssi? Is there something wrong with you?”



“You can smell it? I put on a few because I was feeling uncomfortable.”



There were only 10 sheets were attached, including the back neck, shoulders, wrists, and waist.



“Oh no… Are you in a lot of pain? It’s hard to work at night.”



“I had a hard time, but drinking your citron tea gives me strength.”



“Drink a lot. Do you want some more?”



“No, I have to go up now.”



I thought it was just the right time, so I took out my phone and stood up to check the time. The owner also got up and accompanied me to the door.



“Please take it easy on yourself. Your complexion doesn’t look good



“Yes, the owner as well, go home safely.”



“Ah, that.”



When I opened the door, the owner called and stopped me.



“That… Seo-yu ssi.”



“Yes?”



“So…”



I glanced at the owner. With his head down, the young man, who had light brown hair and was two fingers smaller than me, was hesitating.



He seemed to have something to say the last time we met… and he couldn’t say it today either, I felt like he was simply going around in circles…



I think it’s because he’s too nice.



“If you have something you want to say, feel free to say it, owner.”



I smiled so that the friendly owner could say it without hesitation.



You can feel free to tell me that you don’t want a recessive Omega like me to come to your cafe.



Despite the fact that we were both omegas, he can be uncomfortable being around me as a dominant omega.



It’s something you don’t have to be so careful about.



It’s a pity to lose his Americano and citron tea here, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I should drink instant coffee until I find another cafe.



As if he’d made up his mind, the owner raised his head.



“Seo-yu ssi is an omega, and I am also an omega.”



“Yes.”



“I don’t have Omega around me…” 



After a while, the voice became smaller again. 



“My… F-fr…” 



F-fr?



I tilted my head because I had no idea what he was talking about, and then the owner’s face turned bright red. I could see the twinkling light eyes. I blinked and waited.



After a brief moment of hesitation, the owner bit his tongue and asked, almost shouting.



“C-can you be my friend?!”



***



As a result, Omega was added to my contact list for the first time.



Park Ho-in [ I did it]



I’m not sure what he did, but seeing his message with a heart emoticon made me happy.



The owner had a suitable name, ‘Park Ho-in’, and we were the same age. I expected it to be close, but I was startled since I didn’t expect it to be the same, and the owner seemed to know us as being the same age.



He wrapped Americano and tiramisu cake with a really cheerful face when I stopped by the cafe on my way to work after what happened yesterday.



Because we are friends, there was no declared war for now.



I’m so thankful, but…



Omega friend…



I didn’t know that I would have an Omega friend, as my only friends were Won-jo. Because he was a dominant Omega, I naturally thought he would hate me… however, he’s a really sweet and kind person, unlike someone who’s jealous of his friend hooking up with an extremely dominant Alpha.



Even though I was in excruciating pain, I boasted to Won-jo about my phone case and fur gloves last Monday.



[Huh? Isn’t it cheaper than you think?]



[Don’t play with an extremely dominant Alpha and get a hold of yourself]



He launched a jealous fact attack on me.



Would the owner, an omega who was gentle and friendly, react differently?



I hope to become close friends with him soon.



Few people have experience making friends in this way.



So… I guess I’ll have to tell someone about this strange occurrence.



To my crush!



I’ll talk about it little by little.



Because I’m a person with a crush, I set a cake and coffee on my desk and photographed it for lunch. For me, it’s lunch, but for others, it’s a 3 a.m. late-night snack. I quickly snapped a photo and repacked everything.



[Hehe, I got something like this]



I sent the pictures and message to Choi Sung-hoon without hesitation. The conversation window where we talked throughout this week has been getting longer. I usually send him a message first, but sometimes Choi Sung-hoon sends it first.



Sung-hoon ssi [Have you eaten?] 



Sung-hoon ssi [How about a meal?] 



Sung-hoon ssi [Dinner?]



It was mainly of this kind of message. I brought up trivial stories such as not being able to sit on the bus or missing the green light at the crosswalk, but Choi Sung-hoon seemed to be more interested in my three meals a day.



I was excited to that point.



He seemed to be concerned about my health.



It’s convenient because it’s something you can interpret for yourself as, “I’m worried about you.”



After sending a message, I waited for a while and got a reply. 



Sung-hoon ssi [Who gave it to you?]



[That’s a long story]



[Are you curious?]



After 1 disappeared, a call came shortly after.



There were few people who could reply quickly and make phone calls late at night, but Choi Sung-hoon is a night owl who can talk on the phone every day.



– Who gave it to you?



“Are you curious enough to call right away?”



– It can’t be an ordinary person if he sees you heading to work.



“The cafe owner who closing late often made it for me. It isn’t listed on the cafe’s menu. He made it especially for me.”



– Is it a man?



I burst out laughing out loud at the low and cold voice.



“This person is Omega. We greeted each other a while ago.”



– Oh… Okay, I see.



“I was taken aback because I thought he was beta because he had a girlfriend as well. He has a lovely and gentle demeanor. He’s a kind person. He’s also a great coffee maker.”



– I’ll have to go sometimes.



“Come here. I’ll treat you.”



I really want to treat Choi Sung-hoon with fragrant Americano and citron tea.



The only lover I brought to the cafe was Park Jin-cheol. Park Jin-cheol disliked it when I accepted coupons, but he insisted that I pay. I thought it was a waste of money at the time, but I think I can buy a hundred cups for Choi Sung-hoon now.



– So, because you’re both Omega, is that why he gives you cake?



“Listen, Ho-in. The owner’s name is Park Ho-in. He has a shy personality. But he suddenly grabbed me yesterday and asked me to be friends after he hesitated to say something. He said that he did not have any omega friends. In my life, I’ve never had an omega friend. It’s the first time Omega approached me to make friends.”



– That’s great



Choi Sung-hoon’s voice was so low that I thought he was saying, “That’s too bad.”



– Is that why you decided to be friends?



“Yes, isn’t it amazing? It’s amazing to have a friend at this age, and Ho-in mustered up the courage to-…”



– You said that you had only become friends yesterday, but you’re already calling him by his first name.



“Well… we’re the same age.”



– Until ‘we’re the same age’. You’re doing a great job.



“Choi Sung-hoon ssi, I know it’s definitely a compliment, but why do I feel like I’m being scolded?”



– It’s not a compliment.



Choi Sung-hoon answered briefly and added.



– Still, that friend is better than Jang Won-jo.



Choi Sung-hoon hates Won-jo. I guess the first impression wasn’t good. In fact, among my ex-lovers, there were very few people who liked Won-jo.



– Don’t get too close. Even after you get to know each other better.



The content was like giving advice to a child, but his voice was heavy, deep, and cool, so I laughed at the gap.



As I got to know Choi Sung-hoon, I realized he was different from my first impression.



He has the delicacy of remembering every word I say and taking care of everything I ignore. His appearance suggests that he would tenderly remove bones and flesh, but it is true that one should not judge a person just on the basis of their appearance.



– Will you be home at 9:00 a.m. today?



“Yes, it’s a little before 9 o’clock.”



– You must be tired all the time.



“It’s fine~ I’ve become accustomed to it. Choi Sung-hoon ssi, aren’t you tired if you work late at night? It’s every two weeks for me, but Choi Sung-hoon works at night all the time.”



– Who said-…



Choi Sung-hoon pauses for a moment and then continued.



– I go to work at 9 am and leave at 5 pm. 



“What? You start work at 9 p.m. and leave at 5 a.m.?”



Choi Sung-hoon had a slight chuckle in response to my question. I was perplexed.



– I’m not sure why you assumed I was working late at night.



That’s… 



“We’re talking on the phone right now. This week, continuously… Early in the morning.”



– Have you ever had the thought that I’m awake especially to speak with you?



“…”



Ah… 



I was taken aback and clutched my chest. My heart suddenly began to race. In this very quiet pantry room, the sound of my beating heart seems to be very loud.



– You just found out. As expected, you’re really dense.



The sound of his laughter made my heart race. It was sweet… charming… and it felt so unfamiliar. I felt as if I could hear my own heart beating in my ear.



It was the first time I felt this way.



I shook my head, attempting to dismiss the unusual heartbeat.



“I didn’t know. You should’ve told me… Thank you, for telling me. I didn’t even know that.”



– No, it’s okay. As long as I can hear your voice, it’s worth getting up in the morning. I’ll even stay up for a week.



I muted my phone for a moment because of the unbearable ticklish emotion.



I slammed my hands against the table and silently screamed. I’m having a strange feeling… I want to smash the table as well as my phone.



“Hey, drink coffee…”



“I don’t want to work, I’m dying-.”



I made eye contact with the crowd entering the pantry room at that point. When the logistics room personnel noticed my strange conduct and stopped their conversation, I hurriedly turned around, but they continued to stare at me with bewildered expressions. Their stare followed me till I quietly placed the cake in the refrigerator and walked out of the pantry room.



– Seo-yu ssi? 



– Why are you so quiet? Are you dozing off?



“No, no… I was so embarrassed just now.”



– What did you do this time?



I made a slight change and confessed what just happened. I didn’t say that I was slamming the table because of him, but I was sitting in a strange position and ran into them.



Maybe because I did a lot of shameful things, now Choi Seong-hoon had no regrets anymore. Rather, he comforted me by saying that it was not that bad.



We talked on the phone through lunchtime.



I sighed deeply after hanging up the phone and holding my heated cell phone in my hand.



I don’t know how to describe this feeling, my heart swells and beats quickly. I can’t control my expression, and I can’t help but feel a wide range of emotions.



[Seo-yu, don’t call me late at night, even if you are my lover… also, let’s maintain the morality…]



[Don’t text me early in the morning, are you crazy?]



[Another night shift..? Haa 2 weeks later… we will see this pretty hole…]



None of the people I’ve met have said something like Sunghoon Choi.



‘Have you ever thought that I’m awake especially to speak with you?… As long as I can hear your voice, it’s worth getting up in the morning; I’ll even stay up for a week.’



How could he say this?



Choi Sung-hoon… How could he say this?



I put my finger against the side of my mouth that was going to smile once more.



Everything that’s going on in my life. I must have saved the Earth in my previous life to have a fling with someone like this.



I know I have to hold to my fluttering heart in order to return to where I was when everything is over.



But for now, I want to enjoy the feeling I have now.



How did I spend the past month without having a crush? I’m amazed by myself.



As expected, a person must have a lover or a crush.



I don’t know how solos live in this tough world.