The Outsider Omega Wants to Be Alone! Chapter 18

The introverted Lee Yuseong going back to a shop he had quit? That was an impossible occurrence.

If he quit Momento, Lee Yuseong would absolutely never set foot within a 50m radius of Momento ever again. He would also need to be careful not to run into Choi Jigu, but let’s push that headache aside for later.

Yuseong clenched his fist tightly.

‘Think carefully. Lee Yuseong. What do you want to do?’

One, work at Momento, be physically comfortable, eat well, and earn money. But be mentally stressed.

Two, quit Momento and gain mental peace. But be guaranteed physical hardship, starve, and have no money.

At last, Lee Yuseong made up his mind.

“Thank you. Goodbye.”

Lee Yuseong, seated at the counter, bowed expressionlessly. Jingle. Once the customers left, he checked the number, opened the door, and called out.

“Customer number 63.”

The number 63 customers raised their hands briskly and entered the entrance, chatting in excited voices. As soon as they stepped into the shop, their eyes were busy searching for the ‘Harley Guy’. Lee Yuseong was practically invisible. Lee Yuseong liked that.

With a peace of mind beyond imagination, Lee Yuseong dialed waiting customer number 68.

Lee Yuseong had surrendered to capital.

It was, ultimately, a ‘tactical’ retreat. Out of conscience, he extended the original two-week deadline he had resolved upon and decided to hold out at Momento for up to three weeks. His foot would heal in two weeks, he would work one week in return, and right during that one week, he would find a new job and bolt.

‘Perfect.’

Infinitely satisfied with his own plan, Lee Yuseong moved like a machine.

He rang up orders, called customers, and made phone calls according to the set manual.

Nothing could be more comfortable and easy than this. Unlike serving, which required moving his body busily and frantically and sometimes even explaining the menu, the cashier and waiting customer management tasks were far easier, as he could just sit still and repeat set phrases.

The one-pyeong space where he handled the cashier duties almost felt like a second room. The human ability to adapt to a space was this astonishing.

“Formaggio cheese salad, manzo carbonara, truffle gambas, one glass of Orange Only For You, and one glass of See You Again Tomorrow, correct?”

As he mainly handled the counter, even the difficult menu names became easy to learn.

Even the immodest cocktail names that had been embarrassing to say due to his face heating up, he could now recite in a businesslike manner. Indeed, there is no better immunity than steady, repeated exposure.

“Wow, our Yuseong is doing great.”

Kim Wooju came over and praised him. He leaned over, placing a hand on Yuseong’s shoulder, and peered at the POS screen.

“How much were today’s sales?”

The hand on his shoulder bothered him somewhat, but Yuseong didn’t avoid his hand. If it had been Choi Jigu, he might have thrown a fit, but Kim Wooju was different. Kim Wooju’s touch, soft and affectionate in every movement, had a quality that coiled around one like a gentle wave.

“Wow, that’s incredible.”

For instance, when he stroked his hair like this.

If it had been Choi Jigu, he would have snarled ready to bite the hand without restraint. But Kim Wooju stroking his hair was different. The feeling of being praised and acknowledged as he was didn’t feel bad.

“Shall we ask the owner to buy us beef?”

Lee Yuseong’s eyes widened.

“Beef?”

“Haha. Let’s ask for 1++ sirloin. Our Yuseongie really loves eating, doesn’t he. How cute.”

Reading Lee Yuseong’s joy in a single word, Kim Wooju patted his head. Regardless, Lee Yuseong’s mind was filled with the magnificent marbling of 1++ beef. Thinking of beef, Yuseong’s face flushed red with happiness.

There were eyes watching the two of them.

“Wooju hyung, please take the order for table 10.”

“Wooju! Food’s up!”

It was Harley Guy Choi Jigu and the owner of this shop, Kim Woojin. Plus everyone else in the shop.

The implication of the combination of an alpha stroking hair and an omega with flushed cheeks was obvious. Of course, in Lee Yuseong’s mind, a flower garden—that is, the snowflake-like marbling of beef—was spreading out, but still.

Kim Wooju tapped Lee Yuseong’s cheek lightly and withdrew his hand.

“Hyung will talk it over well with the owner.”

Huh?

“Hang in there until closing, Yuseong.”

Yuseong’s eyes blinked open and shut.

Kim Wooju, his eyes curving in a gentle smile, walked over toward table 10.

‘Just now, something…’

When Kim Wooju had touched his cheek, it had felt like the area around his chest had tickled.

But there was no time to think deeply about it. A customer approached the counter to pay. Lee Yuseong stood up from his seat, asked if they had enjoyed their meal as prescribed, accepted the card, and completed the transaction.

He let the next table into the shop and called the waiting customer. They didn’t answer. Momento, which had been riding its highest stock price recently, easily had a waiting time of two hours. Because of that, quite a few customers gave up on waiting.

After calling once more and sending a text message alert, Lee Yuseong called the next customer.

‘Uh. What was I thinking about?’

When he had a moment’s leisure again, there was no thought left in Lee Yuseong’s mind.

∞ ∞ ∞

And just like that, a week flew by. When he came to his senses, the weekend had returned.

Lying flat on his bed, Lee Yuseong thought.

‘It was a really long week.’

The past week flashed through Lee Yuseong’s mind like a revolving lantern.

The company dinner on Monday. Tuesday, when he opened his eyes on someone else’s bed. Wednesday, his first day of part-time work, when he even injured his foot. The four days he had to commute with Choi Jigu on that Harley or whatever bike.

In between, the owner who had fed him loads of delicious food, and Kim Wooju who always took good care of him and treated him affectionately…

Had there ever been a time in Lee Yuseong’s life when so many things happened all at once? Moreover, it was the first time he was so crowded by this many people around him, all of them eye-catching alphas at that. It was worlds apart from his middle and high school days, when he had just steadily repeated the commute to and from school.

It felt as if he had experienced five years’ worth of stimulation at once. His body was trembling and haggard. Lee Yuseong closed his eyes gently.

“I shouldn’t leave the house today…”

In the darkness, with blackout curtains drawn and not a single ray of light entering, he reaffirmed his resolve.

“I absolutely, won’t take a single step out.”

The blanket wrapped around his feet was moderately cool, soft, and cozy. It was worth carefully choosing it after going around five different discount stores.

The bed that came with the studio apartment was hardly what one could call great, but it was better than nothing. Since the bed was where Lee Yuseong would spend the longest time at home, the very fact that the studio apartment had a bed was what mattered most for now.

“Outside the blanket is dangerous.”

Murmuring quietly, Lee Yuseong smiled weakly. What could be sweeter than a weekend morning lying in the dark? Hugging the blanket and rolling slowly from side to side, Yuseong savored the happy feeling.

Soon, lying flat on his back again, Yuseong slowly wiggled his foot. The pain, which had lessened day by day, remained only to a fairly faint degree today. It seemed the doctor’s words that youth was a blessing and new skin was forming day by day were not a lie.

Grrrowl. The stomach of Yuseong, who was at the peak of his appetite, churned. Though in truth, there had never been a time in Lee Yuseong’s life when he hadn’t eaten well.

‘This is bad. I’m hungry.’

Yuseong became serious in an instant.

Hunger was a very important issue for Lee Yuseong. From a young age, his father had told him stories of how he would think of his mother and cry whenever he was hungry during his time in the military, and perhaps because that had become a sort of trauma, Lee Yuseong was overcome with sadness whenever he was hungry.