Chapter 25

Sizzle—

The grilled pork belly was now perfectly cooked, turning into a delicious color. The boss picked up the pork belly with tongs and started cutting it into small pieces. I told the boss I’d take the tongs and grill the meat, but he told me to take care of Ha-yeon instead. It was as if he was saying not to even think about grilling the pork belly myself.

After hearing the boss’s words, I decided to take care of Ha-yeon. The boss had a cool personality, so working at the café wasn’t too difficult. Even though I often messed up orders, he knew about my mistakes and switched me to making coffee or preparing food instead.

Making coffee or food had a much lower chance of mistakes compared to taking orders. Of course, when the café got crowded, I’d still mess up sometimes. But since the boss said it was fine, and I tried my best not to make mistakes, it worked out.

“It’s done! Let’s eat!”

“Yay! I’ll dig in, Boss!”

“Boss, you’re the best!”

So-yeong and A-rin, having experienced many company dinners like this, were already ready to eat. They seemed to know very well that the boss would end up grilling the meat. Of course, it was unlikely the boss would grill until the very end.

“Thank you for the meal, Boss!”

I also thanked the boss and picked up some pork belly with my chopsticks. I handed it to Ha-yeon first. Since Ha-yeon was sitting at a spot without a grill, I had to take care of her separately. The restaurant table was for four people, so Ha-yeon’s table only had the vegetables and other food I had set up earlier.

The room was meant for eight people, but there were only five of us.

“Here, Ha-yeon! Eat up!”

“Thank you!”

Ha-yeon happily started eating the pork belly the boss had grilled. Everyone was eating heartily after working hard at the café today. Food always tasted better after hard work. It was simple, like how you could never forget cup noodles after a long march in the military.

“The café was really busy today…”

“But we didn’t make much…”

The boss and the sisters were deep in conversation. I chimed in occasionally, but I talked more with Ha-yeon, who was sitting quietly. Even though Ha-yeon was close with the boss and the sisters, there wasn’t much she could talk about with them. They didn’t share the same experiences.

If I hadn’t been working at the café, I wouldn’t have been able to join in their conversations either. But since we worked together, there were things to talk about. Ha-yeon brought up kindergarten stories, but the boss and the sisters had graduated from kindergarten over 20 years ago. Still, since I was talking with Ha-yeon, she didn’t seem to mind much.

“Mom, try this wrap! It’s delicious!”

Ha-yeon wrapped a small piece of food and handed it to me. I couldn’t help but be touched by her thoughtfulness. I ate the wrap she made, and it was delicious.

Inside, the pork belly and various vegetables were perfectly mixed. Ha-yeon really could do anything. She was good at everything. I was the one cooking now because of physical limitations, but if Ha-yeon learned to cook later, she’d probably be much better than me. She was the kind of kid who could learn one thing and master ten.

Life is give and take. Since Ha-yeon gave me a wrap, it was my turn to return the favor. I carefully wrapped another piece and gave it to Ha-yeon. She smiled brightly and ate the wrap I gave her.

“Yum!”

“Is it good, Ha-yeon?”

“Yeah! It’s even better because you made it, Mom!”

“Really?”

“It looks great!”

The boss and the sisters were watching us. I felt a little embarrassed. Showing others how close I was with Ha-yeon always felt a bit awkward. But Ha-yeon didn’t seem to care at all!

“Seeing Ha-yeon makes me want a baby too!”

“Me too!”

Seeing the bond between us, So-yeong and A-rin seemed envious. Raising Ha-yeon was a rewarding and wonderful experience. Some people might find parenting difficult, but I didn’t feel that way.

Ha-yeon whined less than other kids and didn’t throw tantrums. She was so well-behaved that at first, I thought she might be mute. She hardly cried for days. Of course, when she was hungry, she’d eagerly drink her formula.

“Ha-yul! Have a drink!”

The boss poured me a glass of soju. I couldn’t refuse the boss’s offer. And it had been a while since I drank, so I was craving it. It had been years since I last drank. I wasn’t an alcoholic, but after abstaining for so long, I sometimes missed the taste of alcohol.

“Thank you!”

I downed the soju the boss poured for me. So-yeong and A-rin also poured me drinks. It’s not like I’d pass out after one bottle of soju. Of course, Ha-yeon was nervously saying beside me.

“Mom! Don’t drink too much.”

“Okay, okay.”

I patted Ha-yeon’s head as I spoke. But as I ate the pork belly, I felt my consciousness fading. My body didn’t seem suited for drinking. The only saving grace was that the dinner was almost over.

—

Ha-yeon was looking at her mom with worried eyes. Her mom’s flushed face and unfocused eyes were unfamiliar. It was an expression Ha-yeon had never seen before.

“Hee…”

Ha-yeon realized something was wrong with her mom. And it wasn’t just her. The boss and the sisters also noticed something was off.

“Ha-yul seems drunk.”

“Really? It’s just the beginning!”

The table was filled with bottles of beer and soju. It wasn’t that her mom was weak to alcohol, but the sisters and the boss were just too strong. Her fragile mom couldn’t possibly keep up with these tough women. Luckily, the boss seemed to notice Ha-yeon’s worried look and slammed the table.

“Let’s call it a night! Ha-yul seems pretty drunk!”

“Yeah, yeah…”

The boss stood up, and the sisters followed. Her mom also got up, not too drunk. Ha-yeon sighed in relief and followed her mom.

“Good work today! So-yeong, A-rin, don’t forget to come in tomorrow.”

“Thank you for the meal, Boss!”

Her mom also bowed and took Ha-yeon’s hand. Her body temperature was much higher than usual.

“Ha-yeon~”

“Yeah?”

“I love you, Ha-yeon~”

A drunk mom wasn’t so bad. She lifted Ha-yeon high and rubbed cheeks with her. Passersby smiled warmly at the sight. Seeing a harmonious mother-daughter relationship naturally brought smiles. Ha-yeon didn’t want to show this side of her mom to others. This unguarded version of her mom was something only Ha-yeon could have.

“Mom, let’s go home!”

“Mmm~”

Ha-yeon held her mom’s hand and started heading home. Luckily, it wasn’t too late, so there were no issues on the way. Ha-yul skillfully opened the door to the house. Ha-yeon held her mom’s hand and said.

“Moooom…!”

Her mom needed to wash up and go to bed, but she wasn’t showing any signs of doing so. Ha-yul hugged Ha-yeon and said.

“Who did Ha-yeon take after to be so pretty?”

“Mooom…”

Ha-yeon felt embarrassed but happy at her mom’s blatant praise. A drunk mom wasn’t so bad. In fact, she became more honest, which made Ha-yeon feel good. Ha-yul usually complimented Ha-yeon, but not this openly.

Ha-yeon lay down on the bed with her mom, being petted. She needed to undress her mom and put her to bed, but her small body made it nearly impossible. She was already being restrained by her mom and couldn’t move on the bed. Of course, Ha-yeon didn’t mind staying like this.

“Mom?”

Ha-yeon checked her mom’s condition. Her mom had already closed her eyes and fallen asleep. Ha-yeon decided to sleep in her mom’s arms. Washing up and going to bed was too much trouble. And since she didn’t have to go to kindergarten tomorrow, there was no need to wake up early.

In her mom’s arms, smelling of alcohol, Ha-yeon closed her eyes and fell asleep. Today’s company dinner wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was quite nice.