<Episode 68>
“Quit all of a sudden?”
When I reacted in surprise, Seah gave an awkward smile and shrugged.
“You know, right? I didn’t apply to work at this store with pure intentions.”
“But… everything worked out well, didn’t it? Isn’t that enough?”
Seah playfully winked and nudged my arm.
“How are you going to survive in this world being that nice? If I were the owner, I would’ve fired a suspicious employee like me ages ago.”
Actually, there was also a secret I hadn’t told Seah. I had never used the Employee Recruitment Ticket on her.
‘I was just about to officially hire her as a real employee….’
The moment I came to work today, I had planned to use the recruitment ticket on Seah. But who would’ve thought she’d announce she was quitting first?
As I stood there at a loss, she shook her head as if to say it was fine.
“You don’t have to make that face. I’m not quitting for no reason. There’s actually something I want to challenge myself with.”
“…What is it?”
“Acting. I used to be an actress, remember? After my fiancé died… I lived consumed only by revenge, but now I think I can dream again.”
Come to think of it, Seah had said she used to be an actress. She looked around the store and let out a relieved sigh.
“I think I’m going to miss this place. Really… so much happened here, didn’t it?”
I nodded. The day Seah showed up, even though we never posted a hiring notice. The day she acted like Hyunwoo Hunter should recognize her. And the day she asked me for help. Every moment surfaced one by one in my mind.
“It was short, but I was truly happy. And thank you so much. I never could’ve done all this alone.”
“No. I’m the grateful one. If it weren’t for you… I never would’ve learned how my parents really died.”
Even if Seah’s reason for coming to our store hadn’t been pure, I couldn’t hate her. If not for her, I never would’ve used the Truth Potion and witnessed my parents’ final moments.
“Unni… are you really leaving?”
Ari, who had been listening to our conversation beside us, sniffled and wiped away tears.
“Ari, why are you crying? It’s not like this is the last day we’ll ever see each other. I’ll come visit again.”
“…You really have to come visit, okay? Even if you become a famous actress, don’t forget about us.”
“Ahahaha! Of course not!”
Bursting into loud laughter, Seah pulled Ari and me into her arms.
“Thank you so much. For letting me dream again.”
Seah’s soft voice wrapped warmly around us. We stayed like that for a long, long time, quietly embracing one another.
After Seah left, promising she’d contact us first if she ever had good news, we prepared to reopen the store.
“The store feels strangely empty now.”
“Yeah, seriously. It feels kind of awkward.”
Without Seah bustling between the first and second floors, welcoming customers, the shop truly felt vacant.
While checking the fully packed reservation list, I carefully spoke.
“…Should we take our time hiring a new employee?”
“I was thinking the same thing. I still want to miss Seah unni for a little longer.”
Smiling, I nodded. And just like that, only Ari and I remained at the main branch again.
“Alright. Feeling confident today?”
“Of course. Just trust me!”
We lightly bumped fists and opened the store. A busy and cheerful day, no different from usual, began.
And then another unexpected piece of news arrived. Hanyang said he would be leaving for a while.
“You have to make an interim report?”
“That’s right, nya. It’s about time for me to go up there for a bit.”
Hanyang said while grooming his front paw. Apparently, the full moon would be rising soon, so he had to leave around then.
“…If you leave now, when will you come back?”
“It won’t take too long, nya. In human terms… about a week?”
A week. Not long enough to be unbearable, but I already knew I’d feel lonely without Hanyang constantly beside me.
I crouched down and hugged Hanyang into my arms. He melted obediently against my chest, making him unbearably adorable.
“You have to come back as quickly as possible. Got it?”
“Don’t worry, nya.”
I didn’t know where Hanyang was going, or what exactly this “interim report” was, but I decided not to ask and simply wait for him. Hanyang gently tapped my cheek with his soft paw before springing out of my arms.
“Then I’ll be off, nya.”
“Be careful! Don’t get hurt!”
After nodding, Hanyang stretched lazily and leapt out the window. Startled, I rushed to look outside, but there was already nothing there.
“…He really left.”
I stood there staring outside for a long time. It felt like indescribable emotions were swirling inside me.
How long had I been standing by the window like that? A voice called up to me from below.
“Haneul Hunter-nim!”
Turning my head, I saw Hunter Lee Hyunwoo looking up at me. When our eyes met, he smiled.
“What a coincidence, meeting like this.”
“Um… I don’t think that’s something you should say while standing in front of my dormitory.”
He lowered his head awkwardly. Apparently, he’d been lingering around the area on purpose. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly spoke.
“The weather is quite nice. If you have time, would you like to take a walk?”
“You’re not suggesting I jump down again, are you?”
“…I’ll catch you safely.”
Watching him seriously spread his arms, I burst into quiet laughter. You really couldn’t joke around with this man.
“I’m kidding. I’ll come down right away!”
After grabbing a light jacket and heading downstairs, I could feel the pleasant spring breeze he’d mentioned. We walked slowly together in silence, looking around as cherry blossom petals drifted through the air whenever the wind blew.
“Thank you for suggesting a walk. Honestly… I was feeling a little depressed.”
With Seah leaving the store and Hanyang gone too, I must’ve felt lonelier than I realized. Still, once I stepped outside, the spring breeze seemed to melt away my gloomy mood.
“Was I of help?”
Lee Hyunwoo asked while looking at me. Without hesitation, I nodded.
“Of course! I feel reassured whenever you’re around, Hunter-nim.”
“That’s a relief. I’m glad I can be useful to you, Haneul Hunter-nim.”
At that moment, a stronger gust of wind blew past. When I opened my eyes again, countless cherry blossom petals swirled beneath the streetlights.
“…Wow. It’s so beautiful.”
Against the already darkened sky, the cherry blossoms had lost their original color and looked almost like giant snowflakes. I reached out my hand toward the fluttering petals.
“Did you know? They say if you catch a falling cherry blossom petal, your wish will come true.”
He stared at me with widened eyes, as if wondering whether it was true. Smiling, I shook my head.
“Of course, it’s just a superstition. But it’d still be nice to catch one.”
“Is there a wish you want granted?”
“Of course!”
The moment I nodded, he reached out and caught a drifting cherry blossom petal. Carefully opening his palm to show it to me, he smiled.
“I caught one. Make your wish.”
“What about you, Hunter-nim?”
“I’m alright. You already promised to help me recover my memories.”
I nodded. Then I placed the cherry blossom petal Hyunwoo Hunter had given me between my palms and quietly closed my eyes.
‘Please let Hanyang return safely without getting hurt.’
“What wish did you make?”
“Mmm, it’s a secret. They say wishes won’t come true if you tell people!”
Lee Hyunwoo looked at me curiously, but didn’t press further. The more I saw him, the more pure-hearted he seemed.
After that, we continued strolling around the dormitory area while chatting about trivial things. Even though the walk lasted longer than expected, Lee Hyunwoo never suggested we head back.
“…For some reason, I don’t want to go back into the dorm today.”
At my murmur, Lee Hyunwoo turned to look at me. I awkwardly nudged a pebble on the ground with the tip of my shoe.
“Did something happen?”
He asked with concern. After hesitating, I shook my head.
“Nothing happened. I guess seeing my parents again after such a long time made me emotional.”
Maybe it was because Hanyang wasn’t there waiting for me by the front door anymore. A terrible loneliness washed over me, enough to make even the fact that tomorrow was the weekend feel meaningless.
‘I don’t want to be alone.’
The thought suddenly crossed my mind. If I stayed in silence with no voices around me, I felt like I’d start thinking about my deceased parents again. Like worries over all the reckless things I’d done would come crashing over me like waves.
Then…
“Since I yielded my wish to you, would you grant me one request this time?”
Lee Hyunwoo’s low voice interrupted my thoughts. When I looked up, my gaze tangled with his as he quietly watched me.
“People say there are only a few days each year with a spring day this warm and gentle.”
“That’s true. Spring is especially short.”
“I would like to spend this precious time meaningfully, but I’m ignorant about such things and don’t know what I should do. It also feels like it would be boring alone.”
With a faint, slightly shy smile, Lee Hyunwoo made his request.
“If it’s alright with you… would you share some of your time with me so I can enjoy spring?”
I wondered what kind of favor he was about to ask for with such hesitation.
‘So the favor is just an excuse. He’s trying to comfort me because I’m depressed.’
His clumsy but sincere kindness instantly lifted my spirits from rock bottom into something warm and fluffy. Pretending to think it over, I strode a few steps ahead before spinning around to face him.
“Hmm… then should we go on a picnic?”
“A picnic?”
“Yeah! I think it’d be really fun if we all packed lunchboxes and went somewhere together.”
After considering it briefly, Lee Hyunwoo nodded, saying it sounded like a good idea. Since the topic had already come up, we immediately arranged to meet tomorrow around lunchtime in front of the Hunter Management Bureau.
‘Should I ask Ari to come too? It’d be nice if the whole Team 1 came along!’
I searched tomorrow’s weather on my phone. Thankfully, there was no rain forecast.
“We’ll need a picnic mat…. Ah! And kimbap too. Kimbap is essential for picnics. Wait, do I even have ingredients in the fridge?”
Suddenly, I became anxious. Even if I started preparing ingredients and rolling kimbap right now, it would probably be tight on time.
“This won’t do. I should hurry back inside! I need to prepare the ingredients first!”
I hurriedly waved goodbye to Lee Hyunwoo and began running toward a nearby market. My head had become filled with thoughts of tomorrow’s picnic, and I failed to notice that the depression weighing me down moments ago had vanished without a trace.
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