Chapter 47

“Hyung?”

“Look who’s actually here.”

It was a visitor who was familiar, but whom Gyu-yeon didn’t particularly want to see. The man who had shown up dressed in a sharp, pristine suit was none other than Gyu-yeon’s older brother, Yu Gyu-seong. Gyu-yeon’s mouth fell open in disbelief at Gyu-seong’s unannounced visit.

Gyu-seong had simply stopped by to buy some dessert on his way somewhere. They were intended as sugar-boosting treats for his employees who were going to be working late into the night.

Glancing slowly around the shop, Gyu-seong nodded in approval. Though brief, his meticulous and refined gaze swiftly swept across the display cases and the staff. He was checking to see if Gyu-yeon was actually doing his job properly.

“You’ve been showing up to work diligently lately.”

“Of course I have. It’s my shop.”

“Pack me a decent selection of desserts. They’re for gifts.”

Seoyeon, who had been staring blankly at Gyu-seong’s order, quickly snapped into action. Seeing someone in person whom she had only occasionally spotted in news articles was so fascinating that she couldn’t tear her eyes away. On top of that, he was handsome in a completely different way than Gyu-yeon, making it even harder to look away.

“Why don’t you expand the shop a bit?”

“I told you, I don’t want to do that right now.”

“You aren’t still running around partying all night these days, are you?”

“Hyung, I’m not a kid.”

Gyu-seong nagged Gyu-yeon every single time he saw him. Always worried that his youngest brother was living like a rogue after moving out of the family home, Gyu-seong managed Gyu-yeon strictly like this every time.

Ever since he became independent, Gyu-yeon rarely visited his parents’ house. Even though his parents had raised him with so much love, he ungratefully rarely kept in touch. It wasn’t out of malice; it was purely due to Gyu-yeon’s personality. Because of that, his older brother, Gyu-seong, couldn’t help but worry.

Brushing off Gyu-yeon’s words, Gyu-seong turned his gaze toward the seating area this time. Habitually checking how many customers were in the lounge, his eyes locked with Naru’s, who was sitting at a corner table.

I guess it’s popular with men in their twenties too.

Naru, who had been sipping his drink, was watching Gyu-seong closely. The sharply tailored suit and the glasses that maximized his intellectual image both looked incredibly cool. More than anything, Gyu-seong’s face bore a striking resemblance to Gyu-yeon’s. He also seemed close with Gyu-yeon as they conversed.

Is he just a frequent customer?

Turning his head away, Naru finished the rest of his drink like it was no big deal. Right now, figuring out how to find a job was a bigger priority than that man.

“Here. Next time you come, let me know in advance.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re the one who barges into my place without a single word of notice.”

Gyu-yeon grumbled as he handed over several shopping bags. Mind you, Gyu-yeon wasn’t really one to talk. Rebuffing the comment effortlessly, Gyu-seong thoroughly checked the well-packed shopping bags and gave Seo-yeon a polite nod.

Having finished his business, Gyu-seong turned around without a hint of lingering regret. He hated wasting time unnecessarily more than anything. Unlike Gyu-yeon, his personality was sharp as a knife.

“I’m going to visit your house next time, so don’t you dare go wandering off.”

“Treating me like a kid till the very end, typical Hyung.”

“I’m off.”

Leaving a brief farewell, Gyu-seong opened the door and walked out. Seoyeon, who had been standing at the counter eavesdropping on their conversation, made a huge fuss while openly admiring Gyu-seong’s perfect retreating figure.

His flawless suit fit and intellectual aura matched Seo-yeon’s ideal type perfectly. She had thought he was handsome even when looking at his photos in news articles, but seeing him now, it felt like the camera hadn’t been able to capture his true looks at all.

“Boss, I’m so jealous of your family genes. It’s my first time seeing him in person, and he is so handsome…”

“There she goes again. Stop swooning and get back to work.”

“How could I not swoon? Wow, he is seriously handsome. He’s totally my ideal type.”

Gyu-yeon clucked his tongue at Seo-yeon, treating her like a crazy person. Entirely unfazed by his curt attitude, Seoyeon poured out a continuous stream of praise for Gyu-seong.

Even in a moment like this, Gyu-yeon’s attention was entirely focused on Naru. Hunched over in his seat and staring intently at his phone, his unusually concentrated face looked adorable. Gyu-yeon approached Naru’s side with a subtle smile.

“What are you doing?”

“Searching. By the way, who was that person just now?”

“Who? Oh, that’s my brother.”

Naru, who had been focusing on his phone pretending not to care, threw the question out the moment he saw Gyu-yeon. As expected, that clinginess wasn’t going anywhere. Gyu-yeon casually introduced Gyu-seong, kindly stating he was his brother. Having lost all his own biological siblings, Naru showed immense interest at the word “brother.”

My brother was really kind too. I wonder what Gyu-yeon’s brother is like. I miss my brother. And my younger siblings, and Mom.

Gyu-yeon, who had been talking about his brother without thinking, suddenly realized something and quickly shut his mouth. Because he knew Naru’s family history all too well, he felt embarrassed that he had thoughtlessly ended up bragging. However, Naru’s eyes were actually sparkling with interest.

“Gyu-yeon, are you the youngest?”

“Uh, well. Yeah.”

“You’re the youngest. How cute.”

Smiling warmly at the fact that he was the youngest, Naru gently stroked Gyu-yeon’s hair. Reminded of his own youngest sibling who used to be just the size of his palm, he had unconsciously treated Gyu-yeon like a baby.

Gyu-yeon, who was being stroked with a completely dazed expression, snapped out of it and grabbed Naru’s hand. Even without looking back, he could feel Seoyeon’s intense glare burning into them from afar.

“Even you are treating me like a kid now?”

“Huh?”

“Just tell me what you were doing.”

When Gyu-yeon deliberately changed the subject, Naru thrust the screen he was looking at right in front of Gyu-yeon’s face. The search bar contained a record of what Naru had been eagerly looking up.

[How to get a job]

[I want to work at a café]

[Becoming a café employee]

The search terms were entirely related to work. Though he had occasionally thrown comments at Gyu-yeon saying things like “I want to try working too,” it hadn’t sounded serious at all, making this quite unexpected.

“You want to work? Why would you search for stuff like this?”

“…I’m the only one doing nothing. Everyone else is working.”

“Most people hate working, so you’re pretty unique.”

Normally, people who go to an office or work part-time jobs frequently think about quitting and resting at home. In contrast, Naru, who spent all day doing nothing at home or just tagging along by Gyu-yeon’s side, desperately wanted to work.

First of all, to survive in this world, money was absolutely essential, and he also wanted to be able to stand proud in front of Gyu-yeon. It would be so wonderful if he could work here together, just like Seo-yeon and Do-min.

“Can’t I work here too?”

“Hmm, let me think about that.”

“Why?”

“Because I can’t just hire staff recklessly.”

Naru despaired at the realistic answer. Gyu-yeon kept a strict boundary between business and personal matters. Though he liked Naru, accepting him as an employee carried a bit of a risk. Naru still didn’t know much about desserts and didn’t hold any special certifications, so Gyu-yeon couldn’t just take him in.

However, if he started with a simple part-time gig, it might be worth considering. Even without certifications, it felt like Naru would do well if he was taught a little bit of counter work.

Looking up at Gyu-yeon with his signature sparkling eyes, Naru put on a pitiful expression as if begging him to think about it just one more time. Pulling out his secret weapon at times like this showed he was no ordinary sly fox. He was doing this on purpose, knowing it would make Gyu-yeon’s heart soften.

“I want to be an employee too…”

“An employee position is a no. Instead, you can do a part-time job helping out little by little. If it’s just once in a while.”

“Ah-ri-ba-ee-ta?”

“Arbeit. A part-time job. We call it an Alba (Korean).”

“Ah, ah. That thing.”

Tilting his head at the unfamiliar word, Naru clapped his hands as he recalled the term he had seen on the internet. Even as Gyu-yeon answered, he questioned himself several times if this was the right thing to do. He was worried that Naru, who was clumsy with social life, might run into difficulties at work.

Still, he should try doing what everyone else does. He’s a fully grown adult, after all.

As Gyu-yeon gestured toward the counter, Seo-yeon, who had been organizing desserts, came running over. It was painfully obvious she had rushed over after sensing that something entertaining was about to happen.

“He’s going to help out a bit today, so teach him the tasks we usually give to the part-timers.”

“Really? Oh my goodness.”

“Avoid giving him heavy or difficult tasks if you can.”

“Hehe, yes sir.”

What kind of boss in the world would show this much blatant favoritism toward a part-timer? There was definitely something going on between the two. Wearing a mischievous, knowing smirk, Seo-yeon pulled Naru away. Knowing absolutely nothing, Naru simply smiled brightly and trotted along right behind Seo-yeon.

Gyu-yeon awkwardly turned his gaze elsewhere out of sheer embarrassment. ‘Avoid giving him difficult tasks if you can.’ Even though the words had come out of his own mouth, he felt like a total fool in love.

Do-min, who was making a vanilla latte behind the counter, witnessed Naru walking in and pouted his lips. Ever since the incident at the table last time, Naru had been getting on his nerves, and Domin seemed thoroughly displeased that Naru had managed to worm his way right inside the counter.

Seo-yeon was pondering over what kind of task to teach him. Even if Gyu-yeon hadn’t explicitly said so, she hadn’t the slightest intention of making Naru do grueling work. Wracking her brain to find the easiest task, Seoyeon’s eyes landed on a trash bag, and she smiled brightly.

“The job Mr. Naru can help with is throwing this away. There’s a trash collection spot at the back of the café. If you open that door and go out, you’ll see it right away, so it won’t be difficult.”

The task Seo-yeon assigned was throwing away the trash. It was the simplest job. Naru nodded vigorously and lifted the trash bag—which came all the way up to his legs—with all his might.

I’m finally working like normal people now!

Waddling along, Naru opened the door leading to the back of the café. In the space that looked like a small empty lot, trash bags put out by other shops were neatly piled up on one side. Naru set down the trash bag he brought at the edge of the pile and turned around with a deep sense of pride.

“Oh…”

Just as he was about to rush back to brag to Seo-yeon, Do-min, who had followed him out at some point, blocked Naru’s path. Instantly furrowing his brows at the unwelcome face, Naru jerked his head as if telling him to move aside. However, Domin looked like he had no intention of stepping away.

Why was he acting like this since last time? Naru and Do-min engaged in a psychological war of nerves, just like when they first met. Exactly like a cat and a dog.

“Move.”

“Why don’t you talk to me for a second?”

“Why are you speaking casually to me?”

Naru, who was actually the one to use informal language first, turned the tables and pointed out Do-min’s attitude instead. Letting out a hollow laugh at the absurd remark, Do-min slowly backed Naru up against the wall, causing the atmosphere to turn frosty.

Naru didn’t back down against Do-min at all. Instead, he glared right back at him, attempting to seize the upper hand. Finally, after an extended, silent standoff, Domin spat out an ominous remark.