“Wow… So this is what the inside looks like.”

“It’s modern and has a nice atmosphere.”

“Yeah, I feel like the drinks would go down really smoothly here.”

“Still, you know you shouldn’t overdo it today, right?”

“Of course.”

Unexpected customers were looking around as they entered the place.

“Aren’t you the director?”

“Ah, Seo-jun.”

It was none other than the director and teachers of Narae Daycare.

“What brings you all here?”

Instead of the director, a teacher in a one-piece dress nudged Lee Ra-hee in the side.

“What do you think?”

The teacher smiled meaningfully, and the director made a helpless expression.

“We came for a staff dinner.”

“A staff dinner?”

“Yes. We have one once a month. Somehow we ended up coming here today.”

“Ah.”

“By the way... Is Seo-woo at the shop, by any chance?”

“No. Today he’s playing at Hye-jin’s house. He should be over there.”

The director let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s a relief. I was wondering if we’d have to go somewhere else if Seo-woo was here…”

“What’s the problem with Seo-woo being at the shop… Ah.”

Seo-jun quickly understood the director’s intention. It wasn’t so much an intention as it was a considerate gesture to protect a child’s innocence.

For children, daycare teachers were people they spent more time with than even their parents.

If such teachers were seen drinking something they were taught was bad for the body and becoming tipsy and loose, it could be quite a shock for the children.

While he was thinking that, the director cautiously asked:

“Would it be a burden for you or Seo-woo’s father if we have our dinner here?”

After all, the relationship between a parent and a teacher was inherently ambiguous, being connected through the child.

From a parent’s perspective, making even a small mistake with a teacher might cause anxiety that the teacher would pay less attention to their child. That could naturally create a sense of burden.

The director’s question came from a similar concern. If they held their dinner here, Seo-jun might feel uncomfortable.

But of course, Seo-jun didn’t mind.

“It’s not a burden at all. It’s fine.”

“That’s a relief. But… where’s Seo-woo’s father? I don’t see him?”

“He’s coming now.”

When Seo-jun pointed behind him, all the teachers turned their heads at once.

There stood Yeon-jun with a blank expression, blinking in confusion.

At One Drink, in exchange for food and lodging, Park Yeon’s tasks were cleaning the restroom and washing dishes.

Park Yeon hated doing anything not assigned by Seo-jun.

It made him feel like a hero being enslaved by a demon lord.

However, at present—

Even while being “enslaved,” he never lost his smile.

‘A hundred thousand won… Hehehe.’

At first, Park Yeon’s monthly allowance was 600,000 won. Now it had increased to 800,000 won.

He carefully saved up the money. Occasionally he bought a cola, but most of it went into buying dish soap or rubber gloves.

All with the determination that, once he returned, he would liberate the maids of the continent from their suffering.

And now he had received a full 100,000 won—an eighth of his monthly allowance.

One hundred thousand won!

That could buy ten pairs of rubber gloves. And ten pairs meant ten maids could be freed from pain.

The job he did for the money was also extremely easy—just taking over Yeon-jun’s serving duties.

The only downside was—

“Your side dishes are here.”

“...Yes.”

—he kept running into Lee Ra-hee.

Of course, his feelings for Lee Ra-hee had long since cooled, hardened even. But facing her was still awkward.

‘Still, for a hundred thousand won…’

This kind of awkwardness—

He could endure it a hundred times over.

Yes, absolutely.

Just as Park Yeon was reaffirming his resolve—

Yeon-jun was loitering around the kitchen.

“You’re making me anxious.”

“Why did you accept them?”

“What?”

“The director and the teachers!”

“They came as customers. Should I have kicked them out?”

“Not kicked out, but… the dynamic is kind of weird.”

“What’s weird about it? It only seems weird because you think it is. Aren’t the teachers people too? They can have a drink like anyone else.”

“That’s not what I mean…”

Yeon-jun sighed in frustration.

“Of all days, why are there no other customers today… Ha…”

As the saying goes, the worst timing—today, there was only one group of customers.

The teachers.

If there were more customers, it wouldn’t feel so awkward…

Seo-jun glanced sideways at Yeon-jun, who was sighing. Truthfully, the lack of customers was intentional.

He had wrapped the shop in evil energy on purpose.

Humans are vulnerable to evil energy. They instinctively avoid it. So even if someone was planning to come, they’d change their minds and walk away.

The reason he had wrapped the place in evil energy was simple.

Seo-jun looked at Yeon-jun, who was drinking cold water.

“What’s the problem?”

“Huh?”

“You’ve heard that saying, right? Even to a hundred-year-old grandmother, her eighty-year-old son still feels like a child left by the river.”

“That’s how all parents feel.”

“You might think you’ve survived all sorts of hardships during the ten years your brother was gone, but to him, you’re still like a kid by the river.”

“Well… back then, he practically raised me.”

“That’s why I’m asking—what’s the problem?”

“What do you mean, problem?”

“Don’t play dumb.”

“…”

“Why do you keep acting so frustrating? Even I, a third party, can clearly see you both have feelings for each other. Even the clueless Doo-shik noticed.”

“Doo-shik did?”

“Yeah. He was like, why aren’t those two mating—”

“...?”

“I mean, why aren’t they dating? Why do you keep dodging it?”

“Ra-hee is young.”

“So are you.”

“But I have a kid.”

“So what?”

“What do you mean, so what…”

“No one said you have to get married. Just date, live like a proper human being.”

Seo-jun genuinely wanted Yeon-jun to be happy. And the time when people feel the greatest happiness in life—is when they’re in love.

Life cannot be discussed without love. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that life begins and ends with love.

The love between parents and children.

The love between lovers.

The love from children to their parents.

You are born and raised with love from your parents, grow old receiving love from a partner, and eventually receive love from your children.

Yeon-jun glanced past the kitchen. Just then, his eyes met Lee Ra-hee's. Yeon-jun quickly looked away.

Watching Yeon-jun and Lee Ra-hee, Seo-jun let out a sigh. It was clear that both had feelings for each other.

But neither of them was making a move.

It seemed like Lee Ra-hee was naturally passive, and Yeon-jun’s self-esteem appeared to be very low.

Self-esteem, huh…

It looked like a drastic measure was needed.

“What do you think, Miss Lee Ra-hee?”

“……”

“Miss Lee Ra-hee!”

“Huh? Oh… Yes, yes.”

“Where’s your mind at? Don’t tell me…”

The director gave a brief laugh.

“Ah, no. It’s not like that…”

“I didn’t say anything yet, and you’re denying it?”

“……”

“I just asked how the samgyeopsal tastes.”

She felt like a fool.

“It’s good.”

“Strangely enough, the smell doesn’t even cling to our clothes. Maybe because they grilled it in advance?”

“Seems like it.”

“I’d been wanting to come here since I heard it was a hotspot on social media. Thanks to you, I finally made it. Thank you.”

“Th-thank me? I didn’t…”

The director chuckled lightly and left it at that. Lee Ra-hee was much younger than her. The director was forty-five, so she was old enough to be her aunt, if not her mother.

Perhaps that was why everything she did seemed cute. And she stood out more than the other teachers.

“Here, take it.”

The director filled Lee Ra-hee’s glass with soju.

Then poured some into her own glass.

“Cheers?”

As the director raised her glass, Lee Ra-hee clinked hers against it.

Downing the drink in one go, the director picked up a piece of samgyeopsal and spoke with a disinterested expression.

“It’s bothering you, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

“I mean Seo-woo’s father.”

“You… knew?”

“Of course. If all the other teachers know, how could I not?”

She had just been pretending not to know all this time. Lee Ra-hee gave a small bow.

“I’m sorry and thank you.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry or thankful for.”

“It’s just… since Seo-woo’s father is a parent…”

The director nodded. Unlike other daycares, Narae Daycare wasn’t known for pushy moms.

But that didn’t mean there weren’t any. Some obsessive parents even criticized a teacher’s profile photo with her husband on KakaoTalk.

“You must have had a hard time emotionally.”

The director mixed soju and beer in a 1:1 ratio in her glass. Then drank it all in one go.

“You’re twenty-seven this year, right?”

“Yes.”

“Seo-woo’s father is twenty-nine… You’re both at a good age. Ah! That sounded so old-fashioned, didn’t it?”

“No, not at all.”

“What a relief.”

The director mixed another somaek and downed it again.

“Time really flies.”

“……”

“It’s already been four years since you joined our daycare. Right?”

“Yeah. I can’t believe it’s already been four years.”

“I think I asked you back then, why do you want to be a daycare teacher? Do you remember what you said?”

“No, I was so nervous I barely remember. What did I say?”

“You said you wanted to live cherishing the innocence of childhood with the kids.”

“Did I?”

“Yeah. So how about now?”

“Huh?”

“Do you feel like you’re still living cherishing that innocence?”

Lee Ra-hee looked confused at the unexpected question, but she nodded without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“Doesn’t look that way to me. Kids don’t care about what others think.”

“About… what others think?”

“They might glance around a bit, but they always express what they like or hate. Without caring about others. But right now, you seem too caught up in what others think.”

“……”

Lee Ra-hee gave a bitter smile. Now that she thought about it, the director had a point. She thought she was maintaining that childlike innocence, but she had just trapped herself in her own thoughts.

“Worrying about the parents… the whispers… Forget it. Be like the kids and don’t care.”

“But…”

“Our daycare’s image? Don’t worry about that either. That’s adult nonsense from people who’ve already lost their innocence.”

“Hand it over now.”

At Park Yeon’s gruff expression and tone, Seo-jun suddenly felt like being petty.

“Hand what over?”

“Did you eat crow in the meantime or something? I’m talking about the 100,000 won.”

“Why are you asking me for 100,000 won? Did you leave it with me or something?”

For a moment, Park Yeon’s pupils quivered.

Did he really get scammed?

Damn it…!

“You said you’d pay me if I helped serve!”

“Did I? I don’t remember.”

“Hurry up and give it!”

If he pushed it any further, Park Yeon might actually do something to him.

“Just messing with you.”

Seo-jun handed over two 50,000 won bills. Park Yeon instantly lit up as if he hadn’t just been fuming a second ago.

This was the power of capitalism.

At that moment, the wind chime sounded as Yeon-jun walked in.

“Did you walk her home safely?”

Lee Ra-hee and the other teachers had ended their drinks exactly at 9 p.m.

It ended early for a drinking gathering, but District 12 was still not a place to let your guard down.

In the past, you’d call a designated driver after drinking. These days, they call a security contractor. It’s a kind of safe escort service.

The other teachers had gone home with the escorts the director arranged, and only Lee Ra-hee had been walked home by Yeon-jun.

“Lee Yeon-jun!”

“……”

“Hey!”

Startled, Yeon-jun snapped out of it and looked up.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. You called me?”

“I asked if you walked the teacher home safely. What were you spacing out about?”

Yeon-jun hesitated, as if he had something to say, then scratched his brow and finally spoke.

“She said she’ll contact me after she gets home.”