PSS Ch 4
by soapa“I don’t. It’s okay.”
“Your salary will be deposited in advance. If you need anything else, just tell me. That’s what friends are for. Helping each other out in times like these.”
“Okay. I will.”
Nam Gichul ended the call and stared at his phone screen. He seemed to have an appointment and hurriedly left his seat as if he was late.
“Well then, I’ll get going. Don’t forget to contact me after work.”
He waved his hand as he headed for the exit. I watched him without a word, then abruptly lowered my head. Unfortunately, I was now in a position where I had to keep in touch with him because he had introduced me to this part-time job. I have to respond to his daily greetings with insincere words. I already had a headache. Having to stay in constant contact with someone was agonizing for me.
“Mr. Lim Jaegyeong?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll be right there.”
The manager, noticing me lost in thought, looked at me quizzically from afar. I cut off my long train of thought and walked towards him.
Working at Epicure was better than I expected. In the busyness of the workplace, I regained my vitality for the first time in a while. While carrying food, clearing empty tables, and working frantically, I could forget about my situation. My father’s debt, my family who had left, and even what had happened with Executive Director Jang Taejin. Those events that had tormented me were completely erased from my mind while I was working here.
After work, when I came home and checked my bank account balance, a much larger amount than I had expected had been deposited. There was no way this was the salary of an ordinary part-time worker. It was clear that Nam Gichul’s personal interest was added.
Bzz.
The vibration of my phone sounded particularly loud in the empty house. I picked up the phone from the desk and checked the caller. It was Nam Gichul. He had told me to contact him after work, and he called me like clockwork as soon as I got home.
“Hello.”
—What! Why didn’t you contact me! They said you left work at Epicure a while ago.
“I just got home.”
—Oh. Is that so?
I rubbed my tired eyes with the back of my hand. Pressing down on my dry, stiff eyes, I headed to bed with the phone in my hand.
—How was work today? Manageable?
“Yes.”
—Did the manager treat you well?
“Yes. He was nice.”
—There weren’t any strange customers, were there? It’s a place where some rich bastards go, so there must have been a lot of alphas.
“No.”
Nam Gichul’s unusually friendly behavior felt a little tiring. It was probably due to his sense of responsibility for connecting me with the job, but it was bothersome nonetheless.
—Oh, by the way, the money was deposited properly, right?
“Yes. It was more than I expected.”
—Really? My father must have taken special care of it.
“Please tell him thank you.”
—Of course.
Then the conversation moved on to the gathering he had attended today. He, who had already been accepted to university through early admission, said he had met friends who were planning to enter the same department through an online community. It seemed they were having occasional gatherings to build rapport before entering school.
—Ah, I want to go to school quickly. How am I supposed to wait until March?
His tone was filled with anticipation and excitement about becoming a college student. What would it be like to be a college student? I was a little envious of him. I, too, had a vague fantasy about university. I often imagined the things I could enjoy as a college student. Staying up all night in the library working on assignments, or drinking tons of beer with my classmates at a pub, those kinds of fantasies.
—Ah… Sorry. I talked too much about myself, didn’t I?
Nam Gichul belatedly remembered my situation and quickly shut his mouth.
“No. It’s okay.”
—It’s late. You must be tired from working today, so get some rest.
“Yes.”
—I’ll stop by the store sometime when I have time.
“Okay.”
—I’m hanging up. Sleep well.
“Yes.”
The call with him ended. Darkness heavily enveloped the room. I quickly got up from the bed and turned on the light. I saw the red seals plastered all over the room. I crawled into bed, curled up, and pulled the blanket over my head. Even though I blocked my vision, it felt like I could still see the red seals that filled the room. It felt like they were bloodshot eyes watching me. Countless eyes, despising and criticizing the insignificant and useless omega, Lim Jaegyeong, seemed to be staring at me.
I was scared. It felt like I could hear their reproachful voices.
That everything was ruined because of me. That I caused all of this. They were shouting at me like that. Trembling with fear, I fumbled for my phone. I called my father, even though I knew he wouldn’t answer. If he answered, what should I say? Where are you? Take me with you, wherever it is. It’s so scary here. This empty house is too much for me…
Beep—.
But all I could hear was the cold sound of the call being disconnected. Of all the words that came to mind, there was not a single one I could say to my father. I couldn’t say anything to the heartless father who blocked his child’s call.
Once again realizing my situation, I dropped the phone I was holding. I hid quietly under the covers until dawn broke. I couldn’t sleep a wink for a long time. Only when dawn began to break was I finally able to drift off to sleep.
⋆.˚🦋₊ ⊹
“Hello.”
The next day. Hall manager Park Seongeon greeted me brightly when I arrived at Epicure.
“Welcome, Jaegyeong. You’re early?”
“Yes. Should I start by cleaning the hall?”
“You can take it slow. Have a cup of coffee and catch your breath.”
“Okay.”
I answered that I understood, but I didn’t want to rest at all. I had come here as if running away as soon as I opened my eyes this morning. I didn’t want to be at home. It was easier to keep my mind occupied by working frantically.
“Oh, Jaegyeong, your name tag came out today. I’ve attached it to your uniform, so take a look.”
I slowly nodded and headed to the locker room. I took out the neatly hung uniform from my assigned locker. A white name tag was attached to the left side of the top. Lim Jaegyeong. Below the three letters written in Korean, my name was also written in small English letters.
After changing into the uniform with the name tag, I came out to the hall. Since the other part-time workers hadn’t arrived yet, I swept and mopped the hall alone. The manager kept telling me to take a break, but I just gave him an awkward smile and kept moving my hands. I cleared my mind of distracting thoughts as I cleaned the hall.
Epicure’s business was divided into two parts. I finished setting up the hall before the first part started and greeted the customers who poured in. Perhaps I had a knack for it, as serving was easier than I had thought. As I had been taught yesterday, I explained the dishes to the customers every time I served them. Customers always looked at me with impressed faces and sometimes gave me compliments like “Delicious” or greetings. I was quite satisfied. It was the first time I had ever worked, and I felt a sense of accomplishment from it.
After the lunch rush, we had a break. Before the second part of the business started in the evening, all the staff gathered for a meal. Since this was a place that sold food, the staff’s mealtime was a bit earlier. Having skipped both breakfast and lunch, I concentrated on eating without saying a word. I didn’t even have time to judge whether it was tasty or not. I was just busy filling my empty stomach.
“Eat slowly. You’ll get indigestion.”
The manager, who was sitting across from me, seemed surprised by how quickly I was eating and offered me a glass of water.
“Ah… Thank you.”
I took the glass he handed me and took a sip of water.
“That’s surprising. I thought you were a picky eater because you’re so thin, Jaegyeong. You’re unexpectedly a good eater.”
Anyone who could only eat one meal a day would eat like me.
“I was a little hungry…”
“I see. Eat a lot. It’s good to see you eating well.”
Thanks to the manager, who packaged my ravenous eating as a good thing, I could shamelessly pick up my spoon again. Although I moved slower than before, I still continued to eat quickly. My hands holding the cutlery trembled from extreme hunger. As if being chased by something, I shoved the food on the table into my mouth.
“You’re an omega, aren’t you, Jaegyeong? You look like one.”
“Yes. I am.”
“Yeah, I thought so. You might have noticed, but I’m a beta.”
I didn’t sense any pheromones from him. Even if it wasn’t as strong as a dominant alpha, you could usually sense some pheromones from an alpha.
“Our restaurant is mainly visited by alphas and omegas. Betas are quite rare.”
“Is that so?”
“Especially a lot of alphas come… Are you going to be okay?”
“What do you…”
“You know. The kind of alphas who are a bit arrogant.”
I didn’t understand why both Nam Gichul and the hall manager were so sensitive to alphas. The idea that alphas and omegas should be wary of each other was an outdated notion. In the past, omegas had to be careful because of alphas who would recklessly release their pheromones and make advances. But that rarely happened anymore. Just because there were a lot of alphas coming and going here, there was no need for me to be particularly careful.
“Is that a problem?”
“No, it’s not that… How should I put it? The customers who come here are a bit unusual.”
I couldn’t understand the nuance of what he was saying. Just how unusual were they…?
“Never mind. Well, what could go wrong? But just in case, tell me right away if anything happens.”
“Yes.”
I mostly ignored his words. I had never heard of problems arising from an omega working in a place with many alphas. This wasn’t some shady bar; I doubted anyone would cause trouble in such a refined atmosphere.
“Anyway, if you have any difficulties at work, don’t hesitate to tell me. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Yes.”
Leaving behind cryptic remarks, the manager left the table first. I finished my meal, using up all my allotted time, and got up from my seat last.
As soon as the second part of the service began, customers flocked in again. This restaurant, which operated solely on reservations, was doing so well that there were no empty seats. I busily carried food to the hall and the private rooms. Since there was a separate sommelier, I didn’t have to answer questions about wine or anything like that. Customers draped in expensive designer brands elegantly used their forks on the served dishes and savored the wine poured by the sommelier.
Because it was a place frequented by the wealthy, the tips were also generous. At this rate, I started to have hope that I could save up enough for a deposit on a goshiwon (small, affordable room) before my house was auctioned off.
“Jaegyeong, could you take care of the VIP room?”
The manager instructed me a while after the second shift had begun.
“Yes.”
“It’s the second room.”
Epicure had a total of three VIP rooms. The VIP rooms were much larger and more luxuriously decorated than not only the hall but also the regular rooms. I heard that not just anyone could make a reservation. It was probably because the room charge was expensive, but also because they only accepted reservations from known celebrities.
“Excuse me.”
I knocked and entered the room. As I had learned, I bowed at the door and approached the table, placing the menus in front of the guests. There were two guests in total, a male alpha and an omega. They seemed to be a couple, creating a loving atmosphere, and I placed the wine list only in front of the alpha.
“Please take your time looking at the menu and let me know your order.”
I bowed again and left the room. After some time, I knocked on the door of the room. I carefully took their order and collected the menus.
Nothing special happened while I served the eight courses. Like other guests, they simply sat quietly and tasted the dishes I presented. When only the final dessert course was left, I went to the room with the chocolate soufflé, which was served as a pre-dessert.
The omega was nowhere to be seen, perhaps having left the room briefly for the restroom or some other reason. I carefully placed the dessert dish down and stood next to the alpha. As I had learned, I pointed to the dish and briefly explained it.
“This is a soufflé made with Epicure’s homemade chocolate. Inside, there is an Alsatian-style cookie.”
After the short explanation, I added, “Enjoy,” and turned around. I was about to head to the door to wait outside until the next order, when…
“Wait a minute.”
The alpha, who was sitting at the table, suddenly grabbed my wrist. Since this was the first time something like this had happened, and it was such an inappropriate action, I looked back at him without managing my expression.
“What is it?”
“You’re an omega, right?”
He abruptly spoke to me informally. Unable to hide my discomfort, I said to him,
“Let go of my hand.”
“No, I’m asking you. Are you an omega?”
“Please let go of my hand and then speak.”
I coldly pulled my hand away from his grip. The man, unconcerned by my attitude, looked at me with an intrigued gaze.
“You are an omega.”
He smiled impudently and even rested his chin on his hand in front of me. His openly scrutinizing gaze was very sticky. I thought of the omega who had been sitting across from him just a moment ago. I thought they were a couple…I didn’t know why he was suddenly flirting with me like this. It was unpleasant and disgusting.
“How old are you?”
“……”
“You look quite young. You’re not underage, are you?”
I didn’t want to participate in this unpleasant conversation any longer.
“Excuse me.”
Instead of answering his question, I coldly turned my head. As I hurriedly moved to leave the room…
“Hey.”
The man stood up. He quickly chased after me and grabbed my hand again. Because he grabbed and turned me around so forcefully, I was facing him again against my will.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Playing hard to get is only cute to a certain extent. Just leaving like this is rude.”
“Let go of my hand.”
“Give me your number. Then I’ll let you go.”
I was speechless. Were all rich and successful alphas this rude and self-centered? Was it an alpha’s virtue to hit on employees even in a regular restaurant? I was disgusted. The alpha who had been acting all important and presenting an expensive necklace to the omega sitting across from him was now asking for my number. And secretly, while the omega was away. I was just a server at the restaurant he had chosen. Our only interactions had been when I brought the food and explained it.
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
Did I seem too easy? Did I seem so easy that he thought I would give him my number if he grabbed my hand and asked like this?
“Wow. You’re acting very expensive. For someone who just works as a part-timer here.”
The man moved closer to me. My face immediately crumpled at the subtly leaking, pungent pheromones.
“Why are you working so hard here? Someone like you could easily find plenty of ways to make money.”
He whispered in my ear as if sharing a secret. His dirty lips, pressed so close, were incredibly repulsive.
“If you need money, should I help you out a little? It would only take once.”
His hot breath brushed against my ear. Shuddering at the creepy feeling, I recoiled from him. I stepped back, my disgust evident. He watched me with a mocking look, as if ridiculing my situation. I quickly left the room to escape him.
“Hey! Where are you going!”
He shouted, his voice echoing down the hallway. Afraid of being caught by him again, I hurried down the hall. But in the end, an alpha was an alpha, and an omega was an omega. He approached me faster and caught me. My body turned towards him, and at the same time, I heard a sickening slapping sound. His large hand had struck my cheek.
“What’s the big deal about being pretty? Who are you trying to show off to?!”
The man’s voice grew louder. Pheromones filled with anger rushed towards me. My omega body, infinitely insignificant in front of an alpha, trembled uncontrollably. Even though he was just angry at me, my whole body stiffened and wouldn’t move properly.
“Do you know who I am? Do you think you’re someone who can treat an omega like me this way? Huh?”
The man grabbed me by the collar. The moment he raised his large hand towards the ceiling, ready to hit me again…
“Uh, uh…?”
Someone caught the man’s hand in mid-air. The thick hand that I thought would fall on me was caught by someone else and frozen in the air.
Suddenly, a familiar scent filled my lungs. Unconsciously, I straightened my body, which had been cowering, and raised my eyes at the familiar scent.
He was standing there.
The one who had driven me to this point… he was standing in front of me.
“Jang Taejin… W-why are you here…?”
The alpha who had been harassing me looked at Executive Director Jang Taejin with an even more bewildered expression than mine. It seemed they knew each other.
“It’s been a while. To think we’d meet here of all places. But let go of my hand. What kind of greeting is this…”
Despite speaking informally, the man was whimpering like a puppy with its tail between its legs in front of Executive Director Jang Taejin. Executive Director Jang Taejin twisted the corner of his lips and then let go of the man’s hand. As soon as he regained his freedom, the man grimaced and rubbed his wrist as if it hurt.
“Jang Taejin. You haven’t changed a bit. How can you have not changed at all even after meeting after so long?”
Executive Director Jang Taejin looked down at the man, who was acting almost pathetically friendly, with an indifferent expression.
“You too.”
“Huh?”
“Haven’t changed a bit. Going around hitting on anyone like a dog in heat, regardless of the place.”
At Executive Director Jang Taejin’s words, the man’s face flushed red. His flustered appearance was completely different from when he had been roughly grabbing my hand.
“Hey. What are you saying? To a friend you’re meeting after so long.”
“Friend…?”
One of Executive Director Jang Taejin’s eyebrows twitched.
“Ah, no. Classmate. Yes, college classmate.”
The man quickly backed down and corrected himself. He looked so restless that he almost seemed pitiful. The man, who had been so arrogant towards me, suddenly felt pathetic as he groveled before Executive Director Jang Taejin.
“Taejin, what’s going on?”
Just then, a woman who seemed to be with Executive Director Jang Taejin approached and asked. My gaze involuntarily turned towards her. She was a beautiful woman with a naturally high nose, large eyes, and full lips, all in perfect harmony. She walked gracefully and stood demurely next to Executive Director Jang Taejin. I stared blankly at her before realizing belatedly that I had been staring too intently and quickly turned my head away.
“It’s nothing.”
Executive Director Jang Taejin spoke to the woman politely and then started walking. He passed by me as if he didn’t know me at all, glancing at my face once without saying a word, just like that.
The woman was standing next to Executive Director Jang Taejin. I stared blankly at the backs of the two as they occasionally looked at each other and talked. They were a beautiful couple, anyone could see that. The phrase “a handsome man and a beautiful woman” seemed to have been made for them, a truly lovely pair.
“You, you… You’re lucky. Hey, hey, hey, Jang Taejin! Wait a minute!”
The alpha who had been harassing me hurriedly followed Executive Director Jang Taejin. Only after he disappeared did the manager finally appear.
“Jaegyeong, are you alright? What happened? I heard there was a commotion.”
The manager, startled by my red, swollen cheek, made a fuss. I answered him with an indifferent face.
“It’s nothing.”
“Did that customer hit you, Jaegyeong? Did he?”
“I’m fine. It was really nothing.”
The manager looked at me with a worried face and then let out a long sigh. Tired of repeatedly saying I was fine, I headed back to the room. In the empty room, I mechanically cleared the table. The omega guest, who returned to the room later, looked at me with a bewildered expression.
“The person you were with has left.”
At my words, the guest’s face flushed with surprise. I watched his back as he silently gathered his belongings and left, then turned my gaze back to the table.
My heart was still pounding hard. Ignoring my thumping chest, I barely managed to finish clearing the table.
⋆.˚🦋₊ ⊹
The day after the small incident at Epicure, Nam Gichul came to the store and caused a scene. Somehow he had found out about what happened and pestered the manager for a long time, demanding to know which alpha had harassed me.
“So, who was that bastard? You must know, hyung. Bring that bastard here right now and make him apologize!”
I wished he wouldn’t do this. It was really just a small commotion, and even that had been resolved without any major problems thanks to Executive Director Jang Taejin’s appearance. I didn’t want an apology from the alpha who had hit me. I just wanted this matter to be settled quickly and quietly.
“It’s not that simple. He’s the only son of Chairman Kim Sangjin of Jaewon Group. He’s not someone we can just bring here and demand an apology from.”
“So what if he’s the chairman’s only son? Does being a third-generation chaebol mean he can harass and hit any omega?”
Agitated, Nam Gichul fumed for a while before taking out his phone.
“Hello, Dad. Do you know Chairman Kim Sangjin of Jaewon Group?”
I watched him leave while on the phone and then awkwardly addressed the manager.
“I’m sorry. Because of me.”
“Ah… No. It’s Jaegyeong who was wronged, why are you apologizing?”
The manager apologized to me instead. Seeing his sincere face, it didn’t seem like empty words.
“I’m the one who should be sorry. For making you go through something like this when you’ve only been working here for a short time.”
“It’s okay.”
He awkwardly scratched his head, then glanced nervously at Nam Gichul, who was talking on the phone in the distance.
“If the owner finds out, he’ll take care of it…”
Even I, someone unaware of the ways of the world, knew how big the Jaewon Group was. If he was a third-generation heir of that owner family, he would definitely be someone you couldn’t treat carelessly. I didn’t know if Nam Gichul’s father was influential enough to reprimand such a person. However, seeing how confidently Nam Gichul was making the request to his father, I guessed it might be possible.
“Uh, uh. Okay, Dad. We can’t just let that bastard go, can we? Okay? Tell him to come here right now and apologize to Jaegyeong on his knees. Yeah, yeah. Uh, I told you, okay? Jaegyeong will greet you soon. Uh. Uh. Okay. Bye. See you at home later.”
Nam Gichul finished the call and returned, looking triumphant. The manager, his face dripping with anxiety, quickly asked,
“What did he say? The owner?”
“It seems like he knows Chairman Kim Sangjin.”
“Then…”
“He told him to come here right now and apologize.”
The manager’s expression brightened, even more so than mine. Seeing him breathe a long sigh of relief, I got the impression that he was a very humane person.
“The owner wasn’t angry?”
“Angry? My dad was furious. You know how much my dad adores Jaegyeong.”
Nam Gichul suddenly turned his gaze towards me as I watched their conversation with an impassive face, as if listening to someone else’s story.
“That bastard will be here on his knees soon. That bad bastard. How dare he lay a hand on Jaegyeong?”
What Nam Gichul did wasn’t comforting to me at all, it was completely useless, but since he did step up and show concern, I offered a small thank you.
“Thanks.”
“It’s nothing.”
At my formal, insincere thank you, Nam Gichul puffed up his chest more than necessary. The more favors I received from him, the more tired I felt. I didn’t want to be indebted to him any further.
“Oh, right. My dad asked when I’m bringing you over.”
“……”
“When are you free? Or do you want to take a day off from work tomorrow? I’ll make it paid leave.”
“Gichul.”
A slightly irritated, sharp voice escaped my lips.
“Uh, uh…?”
“I haven’t been working here long. I don’t want to skip work so easily.”
As the atmosphere became a bit awkward, the manager tactfully excused himself. I glanced at him sideways and bit my lip slightly. At this rate, the manager might misunderstand my relationship with Nam Gichul. We were just friends, but we were still an alpha and an omega.
“Ah. Sorry… I wasn’t thinking.”
Nam Gichul immediately backed down obediently. Then, with a friendly smile, he patted my shoulder. I couldn’t easily smile back at him as he joked, telling me he was sorry and to stop being angry. There was so much I wanted to say. That I appreciated his kindness, but I wished he would stop meddling. That his excessive kindness made me very uncomfortable.
“Didn’t you say you had an appointment today?”
But instead of speaking my mind, I packaged my desire for him to leave into quite kind and gentle words.
“Oh, right. What time is it?”
As if he had just remembered, Nam Gichul checked the time on his phone.
“I still have some time…”
“It’ll be rush hour soon.”
“That’s true.”
Indeed, this neighborhood was particularly congested during lunchtime.
“I should get going.”
He said goodbye as if he had decided to leave on his own, not because I had pushed him.
“Work hard.”
“Yeah. Drive safely.”
“I’m going.”
I didn’t see him off. I just waved my hand vaguely and turned around.
After he left, I immediately started cleaning the hall. Although the other part-timers hadn’t arrived yet, it was a bit later than the time I usually started work. I mopped the floor with a clean mop. Starting in the hall, my mopping eventually led to the hallway where the VIP rooms were located. As I mopped along the hallway, still bearing traces of yesterday, I suddenly thought of him.
His image appeared in the empty hallway. As always, he stood before me, his appearance impeccable. Even his neatly tailored suit couldn’t hide his muscular physique. His hair was slicked back neatly, but an untamed wildness lingered around his features. His languid gaze, which overpowered others with its aloofness, was also unchanged. He was just as he was that night, when he had kissed me.
He had been here yesterday. It wasn’t strange for him to be here, since this was a place frequented by high-society figures, but it was incredibly frustrating that we had met at such a time. He probably laughed at me. He probably sneered with that handsome face of his, watching the foolish omega who had rejected him and run out of his mansion now being toyed with by another alpha.
I was more upset that he had seen me like that than by the fact that I had been harassed by an unknown alpha. He already looked down on me and belittled me, so how much more insignificant must he think of me after seeing me like that yesterday? It must have been laughable to him that I was serving in a restaurant like this, after all my talk about starting work under my father. I could only hope he didn’t think I had made up that lie just to catch his eye again, to get back into his bed.
He, too, must have seen omegas as mere playthings. Like most alphas. Alphas usually treated having multiple omegas like collecting trophies in a glass cabinet. Come to think of it, hadn’t he been with a female omega yesterday? They were clearly dating, yet he still kissed me. He pounced on me as if he were about to devour me.
“Ah…”
Sadness welled up inside me. It was foolish of me. To have my first kiss stolen by someone like him, and to have foolishly shown myself in such a state yesterday, all of it…
A sigh escaped my lips in despair. Yet, there was nothing I could do to change the current situation. I was a foolish and easy omega, and that was all he saw.
An unbearable misery washed over me. I scrubbed the floor roughly as if to erase it. No matter how much I scrubbed, the misery wouldn’t disappear. Instead, it felt like his scent, the one that had enveloped me, was only growing stronger.
Even though he was no longer here…
⋆.˚🦋₊ ⊹
Quite a few days had passed since I started working at Epicure. It felt like just yesterday that we had welcomed the new year, but somehow the season was already nearing the end of winter.
I arrived at Epicure and started cleaning the hall, just like any other day. The manager no longer tried to stop me from coming in much earlier than the other part-timers to clean and prepare for work. Once I finished cleaning, the other part-timers started arriving one by one. They chatted and leisurely began their work day.
The first shift had ended without incident, and I was taking a short break just before the second shift was about to begin. The manager called me over for some reason. He took me to the locker room, as if he had something important to tell me, and lowered his voice.
“Jaegyeong, I’d like you to be solely in charge of VIP Room 1 during tonight’s shift. You don’t have to worry about any other tables, just take good care of that one.”
Since he had never made such a request before, I was quite puzzled. But I didn’t ask why. I just assumed it was because a very important guest was coming.
“Yes, I understand.”
“And about the incident last time…”
The incident last time…? I racked my brain for a while before recalling the alpha who had harassed and even hit me. Contrary to Nam Gichul’s claim that he would come and apologize on his knees, he hadn’t visited the restaurant again. Since I didn’t particularly want an apology from him, I considered it a blessing and forgot about it. It had been a while ago, and it wasn’t a big deal. It was something that had disappeared from my mind within a few days.
“That kind of thing doesn’t happen often at our restaurant. The guest who reserved the VIP room today is definitely not like that, so don’t be scared.”
“Okay, I understand.”
The manager seemed a bit concerned about me taking charge of the VIP room. Even though I really didn’t mind.
“Then, please take good care of it. It’s a really important guest.”
“Yes, Manager.”
The manager looked at me with a worried expression and then left with a resigned look. After he left, I returned to where I was supposed to be. I waited for the VIP Room 1 guest in a proper posture, watching the guests sit at the tables in the hall. Guests who had reserved other VIP rooms had already entered, but the guest I was waiting for hadn’t arrived yet.
“Welcome.”
The manager’s voice, greeting a guest, suddenly reached my ears. At the same time, a familiar scent drifted through the air and reached me. I reflexively turned my gaze towards the source of the scent. A man was entering the entrance, escorted by the manager. With a very aloof demeanor and dry, emotionless eyes.
“Ah…”
I let out a sigh that was close to a groan, cursing this coincidence. While working here, I had thought I might run into him again someday, but not like this. Of all things, I was the server in charge of the table he had reserved today. I wouldn’t just pass by him; I would have to stay near him.
“Jaegyeong, please escort him to the room.”
The manager, unaware of the situation, entrusted me with Executive Director Jang Taejin’s escort. His indifferent and cynical gaze slowly landed on me. I instinctively turned my head away, avoiding his eyes. The manager seemed slightly surprised by my uncharacteristic behavior. I tried my best to maintain my composure and managed to open my lips.
“…This way, please.”
Just like the last time we met, he treated me as if he didn’t know me. He followed me with a relaxed and arrogant attitude, as if treating a mere restaurant employee. My heart pounded fiercely as I took his coat and hung it on the hanger, and pulled out a chair for him to sit. Even though I knew it was impossible, I worried that he might even hear the sound of my heart beating.
“I’ll prepare the course you reserved. Would you like to see the wine list separately?”
Instead of answering, Executive Director Jang Taejin simply nodded. I placed the wine list in front of him and bowed my head. The sommelier was in charge of wine orders, so I just had to serve the food from now on. Thinking this, I hurriedly tried to leave the room, when…
“Let’s talk for a moment.”
He suddenly spoke. Even though I knew there was no one else in the room besides me, I looked back at him with a puzzled expression, wondering if he was really talking to me.
“Why don’t you sit down? We can talk while we eat.”
Although he was clearly talking to me, he didn’t look at me at all. I hesitated, unsure of what to do. This was my workplace, and I was currently working. Even if we knew each other privately, it wouldn’t be right for a customer and an employee to sit down and eat together.
“I’ve spoken to the manager separately.”
Only then did the manager’s troubled face flash in my mind, the one he wore when he asked me to serve the VIP room. The thought that all of this was a situation he had orchestrated made my hair stand on end.
“I don’t want to create a difficult situation.”
His words sounded like a veiled threat, implying that if I refused his request, things would become difficult. I felt a strange defiance towards him as he delivered his low-key threat in a monotone voice without even looking at me.
Clenching my fists, I gritted my teeth and moved.
“I’ll sit for a moment.”
Why did he make me sit here, what did he want to say? It wasn’t curiosity, but rather disgust at his arrogance that made me sit down. Whatever he said, whatever he rambled about, I would face him head-on and scoff. Whether he mocked my situation or pitied me, I decided to remain composed. Just a few days ago, I had despaired over letting him see me in such a disheveled state, but now I wanted to be confident.
“Good choice.”
He said to me with an impassive expression as I sat across from him.
“Excuse me.”
As if he had been waiting for me to sit down, a server knocked on the door. The server, who entered the room carrying a plate of amuse-bouche, was startled to see me sitting across from the guest. I feigned ignorance of his questioning gaze. His expression remained unchanged until he placed the plates in front of both Executive Director Jang Taejin and me.
“Please, eat.”
Executive Director Jang Taejin offered me the food in a gentle manner. I wasn’t hungry, having eaten the staff meal not long ago, and I didn’t have the confidence to chew and swallow in front of him, so I just stared at the plate.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
“I ate not too long ago.”
“That’s a shame. I reserved a course for two.”
Even if a single serving of food went untouched and wasted, it had nothing to do with me. He was the one who ordered the food without my consent.
“Since when have you been working here?”
Executive Director Jang Taejin, after elegantly cutting a piece of food about two finger-widths long with a knife and putting it in his mouth, casually asked how I was doing.
“It’s been about two weeks.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought Mr. Lim Jaegyeong would be working under his father.”
Anger welled up inside me. I wanted to shout at him, asking if he was pretending not to know that our company had completely collapsed because of him.
“Circumstances arose.”
“That’s a shame. I wanted to see Mr. Lim Jaegyeong take the lead in resolving the situation.”
He said so and put another piece of food in his mouth. Chewing on the oyster juice jelly, he looked at me very seriously. His gaze was intense. His lips, chewing the sticky food, caught my eye. At the somewhat obscene sound and movement, I recalled the time I slept with him. The moment we kissed in the dark room, when everyone was asleep, I…
I abruptly turned my head away, my face flushed. I swallowed hard.
Executive Director Jang Taejin didn’t say anything more. He just silently ate his food. All sorts of questions popped into my head. Judging from the fact that he had pre-ordered a meal for two and that he hadn’t come with anyone else, I knew he had come here to see me, but I couldn’t fathom why.
Why did he seek me out again? Wasn’t he the one who told me to leave his house if I wanted to give up what I desired? Perhaps… because the state he saw me in by chance was so pathetic? So pitiful that he felt some sympathy? Did he feel a little remorseful after ruining my father’s company with his own hands?
“I was curious about Mr. Lim Jaegyeong’s situation.”
It was when the meal was almost over and the dessert dishes were being set. He suddenly spoke to me as if in passing.
“Although I thought I would know even without asking. You seem to be doing better than I expected.”
I stared at him with a slightly dazed look, not understanding what he was talking about. He calmly cut the chocolate soufflé with the fork that had been set with the dessert dish.
“When we met here, that is.”
“……”
“Being an omega seems like a good tool. You can get what you want by just spreading your legs in front of an alpha.”
“What are you…”
“You caught quite a big fish, didn’t you? The only son of the Jaewon Group chairman.”
“Director.”
“That kind of family, that kind of wealth. And an alpha on top of that. He must have given you anything you wanted, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong.”
I knew he looked down on me, but I didn’t know it was to this extent. I wasn’t so cheap as to spread my legs for an alpha in exchange for something. Hadn’t I even been slapped for refusing the touch of a harassing alpha? He must have known that, and yet he caught the alpha’s hand, and now he was degrading me and insulting me as he pleased.
“You should have sold yourself to me instead. I would have offered a better price.”
“Director!”
I shouted like a scream, my chest heaving. I had managed to endure so far, but I couldn’t bear this insult. Unable to suppress the anger that had reached its peak, I blurted out everything that had been on the tip of my tongue.
“What… What are you talking about? I… I never did that. I never acted easy like you’re saying. That man was the one who pressured me unilaterally, and I just yielded to the pressure. It’s just that I couldn’t properly resist because I can’t be rude to a customer at my workplace.”
He met my sincerity, my desperation, with a light sneer. That attitude made me feel even more miserable. No matter what I said, to him, I was just a cheap omega who would spread her legs for an alpha.
While watching me struggle pathetically, he completely emptied the dessert dish in front of him. I held back the tears that were welling up in my eyes. I didn’t want to cry in front of this alpha. I didn’t want to show him that I was hurt.
“Mr. Lim Jaegyeong.”
The fork, which had been clinking on Executive Director Jang Taejin’s plate, was placed on the table. He leaned back leisurely and leaned deeply against the back of the chair.
“There’s still a chance for you, Mr. Lim Jaegyeong. A chance to save your father’s company.”
I glared at him with bloodshot eyes, my eyebrows furrowed in an unsightly frown.
“That’s why I came to see you. Because you don’t have much time left.”
His words probably referred to the time remaining until my house, my father’s company, was auctioned off.
I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to accept his arrogant offer, his outstretched hand telling me that I had suffered enough and that it was time to come back, after he had trampled on me so cruelly. Executive Director Jang Taejin, who had been quietly watching me with my head down and my lips tightly shut, stood up. He took his coat and draped it over his arm, then took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table.
“It was a pleasant meal.”
He glanced at me, still silent, and left the room.
“Ah…”
As his scent gradually faded, I finally came to my senses. Clutching my mangled chest, I barely managed to get up from my seat. I saw what he had left on the table. It was a check. A white check with seven zeros printed on it.
Ten million won… He had left ten million won as a tip for just one meal together. He casually left that money, which I couldn’t earn even if I worked for several months, and left.
Click.
Even though it had been almost two weeks, it was still scary and daunting to enter the empty house, plastered with red seals, all alone. I entered the house where no one greeted me, turned on the lights, and dragged my tired body to the second floor.
The motion-sensor lights in the second-floor living room brightly illuminated the dark surroundings. I was about to head to my room when I saw a long shadow cast under the living room sofa and flinched in surprise.
“D-Dad…”
It was none other than my father who was waiting for me there. He was hiding in the darkness, looking much more haggard than I remembered.