Even though I was working hard today, my eyes kept glancing at the clock. I wish it was time for a break. It was the only chance I could talk to Shin, so I kept checking the time like an elementary school student waiting for dispersal. Today was Friday, so there were a lot of customers, but strangely the kitchen was quiet. I glanced around the hall to see why and found that not even half of the tables were full. There were days when business was not good. Thanks to this, my body was at ease, but my mind was not. Since there was no work, time passed more slowly.
“There was a rumor that an Alpha in a rut was causing trouble.”
The assistant Hyung spoke as if it were obvious.
“People won’t be able to come for a while since they are worried. Alphas are a regular here, you know? The lawyer was also a regular customer, and he came as a habit, but he ended up making such a fuss.”
“Don’t lawyers get any punishment?”
“Punishment isn’t even in their dictionary. The boss can’t even get compensation for the damage that he caused to the restaurant.”
“Why?”
The assistant looked at me strangely at my question.
“He is an Alpha who was in his rut.”
“There is an Omega service who takes care of those things so that they don’t make a fuss.”
“The lawyer was drunk. Even Betas take extenuating circumstances when they are drunk, but Alphas? Rut and alcohol combined make them invincible.”
I had no intention of criticizing Assistant Hyung’s opinion of a rut and drinking as an all-purpose cheat key. Still, it was frustrating. It was the Alphas who made them invincible, but everyone was now taking it for granted. I grinned at him.
“They may be invincible, but still a piece of shit.”
Assistant Hyung was dumbfounded, but then he saw me smiling and he laughed along with me. His face turned a little red and he cleared his throat.
“Hey, you laughing is so…”
“Yeonwoo!”
I couldn’t hear what Hyung said after hearing the boss’s sudden call. He looked around the kitchen with a very bright face for someone who had no experience in business, and when our eyes met, he waved his hand and signaled me to come.
“Yeonwoo, you said you can drive a truck, right?”
With his nod of yes, he led me out of the kitchen.
“The wine I was waiting for has finally arrived.”
Since the owner liked wine, I knew that there was a wine that he had been waiting for for some time. However, the excited face that called me quickly changed to a gloomy expression.
“But they said delivery was not possible due to the company’s circumstances. I want to make a reservation for group guests at the hall on Sunday evening right away. The customer had been waiting for the wine for a long time and was very happy when it arrived. So Yeonwoo, since the store has a truck, can you drive it? By the way, can you drive a pickup truck?”
It was probably possible. Although I hadn’t tried it before I nodded.
“But when?”
“Now.”
Oh, now? I looked at the clock. It was 7:15.
“Why? Are you scared to go alone?”
The reason I couldn’t answer wasn’t because I was scared, but because I was dumbfounded. I was not a child and it couldn’t be scary.
“It’s not scary…”
“You two, go together.”
Huh? Before I could ask again this time, the boss suddenly waved his hand frantically at someone. To whom…I turned around and made eye contact with Shin, who was coming out of the kitchen. But his gaze passed me and went to the boss. I also turned my head, but my attention was focused on Shin coming up next to me and stopping, so the hair on my whole body stood up like a radar.
“Shin, do you have time now?”
What’s going on? A low, retorting voice continued to buzz in his head. So I couldn’t hear the boss explaining what was going on. Some things were even more difficult to hear because the boss babbled as if he memorized his lines. But it was all just an excuse. The whole reason was that I was conscious of him standing next to me and nothing came into my eyes or ears. Belatedly, when the boss asked me a question, I came to my senses and looked at him.
“Great. How can there be a car that fits you two perfectly? Yeonwoo, so? You go with him. You’re going, right?”
Shin… together? I strained my face to keep my mouth from opening wide.
“Yes, well.”
“Okay, then quickly get dressed and come out to the parking lot.”
“Yes,” I answered kindly and turned around without being able to see Shin. But Shin grabbed my arm from behind and stopped me.
“Sunbae, let me know if you feel uncomfortable going with me.”
It was uncomfortable. How long have I waited for the two of us to be together? I shook my head first, afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would laugh and spill everything honestly, like an idiot.
“No, it’s the boss’ order, so I have to go.”
It was more of a request than an order, but I quickly added it out of fear that Shin might say he was not satisfied.
“If you come with me, um, I’ll buy you food.”
As I waited anxiously for an answer, he quietly looked down at me and smiled.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I smiled at him too, but I was a little worried. Oh, should I buy you an expensive meal? However, I went to the parking lot worrying about the dinner menu and forgot everything when I saw the car Shin was in. It wasn’t the restaurant’s truck. I couldn’t believe this was the car I was supposed to be in until he got out of the driver’s seat and opened the passenger door. What, what is this expensive and huge car?
“Why, the car…What about the restaurant’s truck?”
I was so shocked that I couldn’t ask in a proper sentence, so he looked down at me in confusion.
“The boss said it earlier. The back door of the truck won’t open, so please I can bring it in my pickup truck.”
Whose car? For a moment, I blinked, wondering if I had heard wrong. He misunderstood and asked for something else.
“If you’re anxious, would you like to drive?”
“Me, me?”
As he looked down at me, his lips curled wide without a sound. Once again, his smile was so beautiful that it was so mesmerizing that my dazed head stiffened even more. It was only when I heard his words belatedly that I could barely move my body.
“Aren’t you cold?”
It was cold. Before I knew it, I moved my trembling body and got into the car. The car had a heater, but it wasn’t warm inside yet. Still, it was worth staying because the door was closed and the wind was blocked. Nevertheless, Shin apologized as soon as he got into the driver’s seat.
“Sorry, isn’t it cold?”
“No, it’s okay. The heater is warm and my butt is warm too. I mean, the chair, the chair is warm.”
I didn’t know why I kept talking like a fool in front of Shin. Fortunately, he chuckled and started the car. As I saw him driving a car with such familiarity, his words came to mind again.
‘My pickup truck.’
Isn’t this an expensive car? I was cautious about sitting down for no reason, so I just rolled my eyes and belatedly remembered my purpose.
“By the way, did you hear where we were going?”
“Yeah. We are going to get some wine.”
Okay, to get some wine. I hoped the company was located in Seoul. So, we could stay together a little longer…
“It will take about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Incheon.”
Oh, is it Incheon? I was happy because it was farther than I thought, but I was also anxious. White snowflakes began to fall on the windshield of the departing car.
As Shin expected, it took about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach the destination, but because the customer did not properly send a delivery order to the warehouse company, it only took about an hour there. So, by the time we left for Seoul again, it was well past 10 p.m.
But the problem was the snow. Before I knew it, the snow had piled up past my ankles, making me wonder if there had been a forecast for heavy snowfall. The road was muddy with the snow removal agent, but what actually hindered driving was the snowstorm that impeded visibility. As the wind increased, the snow hitting the car window was no longer a symbol of romance. Everyone had the same difficulty driving, as cars on the road also slowed down.
All I could see was the snow falling so hard that the wipers were working hard and the red tail lights of stopped cars. After watching this for about 20 minutes, I started to get worried. Could we get there by midnight? No, it was a simple question rather than a worry. Although it was embarrassing, I didn’t hate the delay in returning home because of the snow. It was nice to be with Shin for longer. Of course, I also had a conscience, so I felt sorry for Shin driving alone.
“It will take a while.”
“If you’re sleepy, sleep.”
As someone else was driving, I couldn’t sleep. I shook my head and turned on the radio. When I tuned in, the announcer gave traffic information in quick words. Please drive safely as there are traffic jams and accidents everywhere. I listened to the friendly advice and looked at the snow that was constantly falling.
“If this continues, we will only arrive at the restaurant at dawn.”
“Wine will be used on Sundays, so you can go slow.”
“I don’t mind taking it slow, and you’ll be tired from driving.”
He looked like he didn’t understand what I was saying and then suddenly turned his eyes to the side.
“If you’re tired, can you help me?”
Help… I could give it to you, but I was nervous and looked inside the car.
“Will the car insurance cover me?”
Haha, he laughed briefly and shook his head.
“Not with driving.”
While I was wondering what I could do to help the tired driver other than driving, he came up with an unexpected answer.
“Sing a song.”
I looked at him dumbfounded and then flatly refused.
“No singing. I’m tone deaf.”
“You’re not.”
No? Did you hear me sing? I was surprised, but since Shin was a kind person, I thought he was just comforting me, so I added an explanation.
“I was once forced to sing during a college freshman welcome party. Since then, no one has asked me to sing.”
So I was able to just eat the snacks and it was nice.
“All you have to do is let me do it.”
I thought he was teasing me, but he smiled happily. So I gave up on my plan to sing and reveal my identity.
“I’ll help you with something other than singing. Is there anything you want?”
“…There are a lot.”
He muttered and the car moved. But again it moved a tantalizing few meters and then stopped again. We would arrive tomorrow, but when I was a little worried, I heard his specific wish.
“I want to sleep.”
Ah. I looked at him and responded seriously.
“If you’re sleepy, you should sleep.”
He looked at me blankly for a moment, then smiled and ran his hand through his bangs.
“Can we go to sleep?”
“Yeah.”
His hand that was running through his hair stopped. He just looked back at me. I was worried that he might be worried, so like his Sunbae, I spoke first.
“I’ll pay for the accommodation.”
He stared at my face for a moment, then smiled slightly and looked ahead.
“Don’t pay for accommodation, buy me food. You said you would buy it for me.”
Oh, I did. Now that I think about it, they said I would buy it for him before I leave.
“Do you want to eat now?”
Since it’s getting late, let’s eat next time. I was anxious that I might get a rejection like this, but his answer was clear.
“Yes, buy it for me.”
It was snowing outside, but flower petals were flying inside me. It felt good to be asking something of me and to be able to be with him more, so I held back the corner of my mouth that was about to curve and focused on my phone. Let’s find a good restaurant. I searched hard because I wanted to buy something delicious, but all the good restaurants were far away.
Even though I was working hard today, my eyes kept glancing at the clock. I wish it was time for a break. It was the only chance I could talk to Shin, so I kept checking the time like an elementary school student waiting for dispersal. Today was Friday, so there were a lot of customers, but strangely the kitchen was quiet. I glanced around the hall to see why and found that not even half of the tables were full. There were days when business was not good. Thanks to this, my body was at ease, but my mind was not. Since there was no work, time passed more slowly.
“There was a rumor that an Alpha in a rut was causing trouble.”
The assistant Hyung spoke as if it were obvious.
“People won’t be able to come for a while since they are worried. Alphas are a regular here, you know? The lawyer was also a regular customer, and he came as a habit, but he ended up making such a fuss.”
“Don’t lawyers get any punishment?”
“Punishment isn’t even in their dictionary. The boss can’t even get compensation for the damage that he caused to the restaurant.”
“Why?”
The assistant looked at me strangely at my question.
“He is an Alpha who was in his rut.”
“There is an Omega service who takes care of those things so that they don’t make a fuss.”
“The lawyer was drunk. Even Betas take extenuating circumstances when they are drunk, but Alphas? Rut and alcohol combined make them invincible.”
I had no intention of criticizing Assistant Hyung’s opinion of a rut and drinking as an all-purpose cheat key. Still, it was frustrating. It was the Alphas who made them invincible, but everyone was now taking it for granted. I grinned at him.
“They may be invincible, but still a piece of shit.”
Assistant Hyung was dumbfounded, but then he saw me smiling and he laughed along with me. His face turned a little red and he cleared his throat.
“Hey, you laughing is so…”
“Yeonwoo!”
I couldn’t hear what Hyung said after hearing the boss’s sudden call. He looked around the kitchen with a very bright face for someone who had no experience in business, and when our eyes met, he waved his hand and signaled me to come.
“Yeonwoo, you said you can drive a truck, right?”
With his nod of yes, he led me out of the kitchen.
“The wine I was waiting for has finally arrived.”
Since the owner liked wine, I knew that there was a wine that he had been waiting for for some time. However, the excited face that called me quickly changed to a gloomy expression.
“But they said delivery was not possible due to the company’s circumstances. I want to make a reservation for group guests at the hall on Sunday evening right away. The customer had been waiting for the wine for a long time and was very happy when it arrived. So Yeonwoo, since the store has a truck, can you drive it? By the way, can you drive a pickup truck?”
It was probably possible. Although I hadn’t tried it before I nodded.
“But when?”
“Now.”
Oh, now? I looked at the clock. It was 7:15.
“Why? Are you scared to go alone?”
The reason I couldn’t answer wasn’t because I was scared, but because I was dumbfounded. I was not a child and it couldn’t be scary.
“It’s not scary…”
“You two, go together.”
Huh? Before I could ask again this time, the boss suddenly waved his hand frantically at someone. To whom…I turned around and made eye contact with Shin, who was coming out of the kitchen. But his gaze passed me and went to the boss. I also turned my head, but my attention was focused on Shin coming up next to me and stopping, so the hair on my whole body stood up like a radar.
“Shin, do you have time now?”
What’s going on? A low, retorting voice continued to buzz in his head. So I couldn’t hear the boss explaining what was going on. Some things were even more difficult to hear because the boss babbled as if he memorized his lines. But it was all just an excuse. The whole reason was that I was conscious of him standing next to me and nothing came into my eyes or ears. Belatedly, when the boss asked me a question, I came to my senses and looked at him.
“Great. How can there be a car that fits you two perfectly? Yeonwoo, so? You go with him. You’re going, right?”
Shin… together? I strained my face to keep my mouth from opening wide.
“Yes, well.”
“Okay, then quickly get dressed and come out to the parking lot.”
“Yes,” I answered kindly and turned around without being able to see Shin. But Shin grabbed my arm from behind and stopped me.
“Sunbae, let me know if you feel uncomfortable going with me.”
It was uncomfortable. How long have I waited for the two of us to be together? I shook my head first, afraid that if I opened my mouth, I would laugh and spill everything honestly, like an idiot.
“No, it’s the boss’ order, so I have to go.”
It was more of a request than an order, but I quickly added it out of fear that Shin might say he was not satisfied.
“If you come with me, um, I’ll buy you food.”
As I waited anxiously for an answer, he quietly looked down at me and smiled.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I smiled at him too, but I was a little worried. Oh, should I buy you an expensive meal? However, I went to the parking lot worrying about the dinner menu and forgot everything when I saw the car Shin was in. It wasn’t the restaurant’s truck. I couldn’t believe this was the car I was supposed to be in until he got out of the driver’s seat and opened the passenger door. What, what is this expensive and huge car?
“Why, the car…What about the restaurant’s truck?”
I was so shocked that I couldn’t ask in a proper sentence, so he looked down at me in confusion.
“The boss said it earlier. The back door of the truck won’t open, so please I can bring it in my pickup truck.”
Whose car? For a moment, I blinked, wondering if I had heard wrong. He misunderstood and asked for something else.
“If you’re anxious, would you like to drive?”
“Me, me?”
As he looked down at me, his lips curled wide without a sound. Once again, his smile was so beautiful that it was so mesmerizing that my dazed head stiffened even more. It was only when I heard his words belatedly that I could barely move my body.
“Aren’t you cold?”
It was cold. Before I knew it, I moved my trembling body and got into the car. The car had a heater, but it wasn’t warm inside yet. Still, it was worth staying because the door was closed and the wind was blocked. Nevertheless, Shin apologized as soon as he got into the driver’s seat.
“Sorry, isn’t it cold?”
“No, it’s okay. The heater is warm and my butt is warm too. I mean, the chair, the chair is warm.”
I didn’t know why I kept talking like a fool in front of Shin. Fortunately, he chuckled and started the car. As I saw him driving a car with such familiarity, his words came to mind again.
‘My pickup truck.’
Isn’t this an expensive car? I was cautious about sitting down for no reason, so I just rolled my eyes and belatedly remembered my purpose.
“By the way, did you hear where we were going?”
“Yeah. We are going to get some wine.”
Okay, to get some wine. I hoped the company was located in Seoul. So, we could stay together a little longer…
“It will take about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach Incheon.”
Oh, is it Incheon? I was happy because it was farther than I thought, but I was also anxious. White snowflakes began to fall on the windshield of the departing car.
As Shin expected, it took about 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach the destination, but because the customer did not properly send a delivery order to the warehouse company, it only took about an hour there. So, by the time we left for Seoul again, it was well past 10 p.m.
But the problem was the snow. Before I knew it, the snow had piled up past my ankles, making me wonder if there had been a forecast for heavy snowfall. The road was muddy with the snow removal agent, but what actually hindered driving was the snowstorm that impeded visibility. As the wind increased, the snow hitting the car window was no longer a symbol of romance. Everyone had the same difficulty driving, as cars on the road also slowed down.
All I could see was the snow falling so hard that the wipers were working hard and the red tail lights of stopped cars. After watching this for about 20 minutes, I started to get worried. Could we get there by midnight? No, it was a simple question rather than a worry. Although it was embarrassing, I didn’t hate the delay in returning home because of the snow. It was nice to be with Shin for longer. Of course, I also had a conscience, so I felt sorry for Shin driving alone.
“It will take a while.”
“If you’re sleepy, sleep.”
As someone else was driving, I couldn’t sleep. I shook my head and turned on the radio. When I tuned in, the announcer gave traffic information in quick words. Please drive safely as there are traffic jams and accidents everywhere. I listened to the friendly advice and looked at the snow that was constantly falling.
“If this continues, we will only arrive at the restaurant at dawn.”
“Wine will be used on Sundays, so you can go slow.”
“I don’t mind taking it slow, and you’ll be tired from driving.”
He looked like he didn’t understand what I was saying and then suddenly turned his eyes to the side.
“If you’re tired, can you help me?”
Help… I could give it to you, but I was nervous and looked inside the car.
“Will the car insurance cover me?”
Haha, he laughed briefly and shook his head.
“Not with driving.”
While I was wondering what I could do to help the tired driver other than driving, he came up with an unexpected answer.
“Sing a song.”
I looked at him dumbfounded and then flatly refused.
“No singing. I’m tone deaf.”
“You’re not.”
No? Did you hear me sing? I was surprised, but since Shin was a kind person, I thought he was just comforting me, so I added an explanation.
“I was once forced to sing during a college freshman welcome party. Since then, no one has asked me to sing.”
So I was able to just eat the snacks and it was nice.
“All you have to do is let me do it.”
I thought he was teasing me, but he smiled happily. So I gave up on my plan to sing and reveal my identity.
“I’ll help you with something other than singing. Is there anything you want?”
“…There are a lot.”
He muttered and the car moved. But again it moved a tantalizing few meters and then stopped again. We would arrive tomorrow, but when I was a little worried, I heard his specific wish.
“I want to sleep.”
Ah. I looked at him and responded seriously.
“If you’re sleepy, you should sleep.”
He looked at me blankly for a moment, then smiled and ran his hand through his bangs.
“Can we go to sleep?”
“Yeah.”
His hand that was running through his hair stopped. He just looked back at me. I was worried that he might be worried, so like his Sunbae, I spoke first.
“I’ll pay for the accommodation.”
He stared at my face for a moment, then smiled slightly and looked ahead.
“Don’t pay for accommodation, buy me food. You said you would buy it for me.”
Oh, I did. Now that I think about it, they said I would buy it for him before I leave.
“Do you want to eat now?”
Since it’s getting late, let’s eat next time. I was anxious that I might get a rejection like this, but his answer was clear.
“Yes, buy it for me.”
It was snowing outside, but flower petals were flying inside me. It felt good to be asking something of me and to be able to be with him more, so I held back the corner of my mouth that was about to curve and focused on my phone. Let’s find a good restaurant. I searched hard because I wanted to buy something delicious, but all the good restaurants were far away.
