Limits of Paradise

Tae-eun nodded her head and rolled her eyes. The question she had been holding back kept popping up. Unknowingly, her lips twitched nervously.

So, she lifted her gaze slightly and looked at the man again. He was looking down at her with playful eyes. Emboldened by his affectionate gaze, she opened her mouth to speak.

“Well, you know…”

“Yeah, Noona?”

“Why didn’t you open the café?”

Ji Hyun-ho’s eyes widened. The warm brown of his irises seemed to briefly sparkle. When he didn’t respond, the flustered woman added an explanation.

“Oh,” Tae-eun added when no response came from him, “It’s just that I pass by every day while walking Dodam, and the door was always closed…”

It was an excuse because she felt flustered.

Her face gradually turned red as she watched his lips form a subtle curve, drawing an exquisite arc.

“There was a problem with the underground lighting, so we had to close for a few days to conduct a comprehensive inspection.”

Listening to his calm explanation for the closure reason, Tae-eun quickly regretted asking the question. Her question sounded like a complaint.

“Did I make you worry?”

“No, not really.”

At her response, the smile faded from his face. When she heard a faint murmur of disappointment, she quickly averted her gaze.

“What’s your phone number?”

A black phone entered Tae-eun’s field of vision. She looked bewildered, staring at it, and he extended the phone again, urging her.

“Give me your number. So, next time something like this happens, I can contact you in advance.”

“I wasn’t worried.”

“If you don’t want to, then give me your phone instead, Noona.”

With a bewildered expression, she looked around, but he reached for the phone that was lying on the coffee table. Then, he tapped the screen promptly. Soon, his phone vibrated, displaying her phone number on the screen.

“Sorry for making you worry. I’ll call you in advance next time.”

Unable to find words to respond to his audacious actions, she just took the phone he handed back to her. He looked down at her, giving a slight smile, finally stepping aside with his large frame.

“Don’t overdo it and rest well. I’ll bring Dodam tomorrow.”

“Are you leaving now?”

“Do you want to hang out more?”

Ji Hyun-ho immediately leaned in with his striking features, grinning playfully. She quickly backed away.

“No.”

“You’re firm when it comes to this.”

He muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes, then headed out of the room toward the foyer.

“I’m leaving, Noona. Bye, Dodam.”

The dog nuzzled his palm as he spoke. Tae-eun watched him, wearing his sneakers, then bid him farewell.

“Thanks for coming.”

“See you tomorrow.”

He waved as he opened the front door, then swiftly shut it before the cold wind could enter. She listened until she heard the door close, then turned around.

A cup of cold lemon ginger tea remained on the table. She drank it all at once, savoring its sweet, tangy, and bitter taste that filled her mouth. Soon, she felt better.

***

Ji Hyun-ho hummed a tune as he entered the café. “Hello,” greeted a pale, serious-looking man quietly. He was a newly hired part-timer.

“Are you managing well?” Hyun-ho asked.

As he approached the counter, Oh Min-woo rubbed his neck nervously. A tattoo resembling a black necklace was visible on his white skin.

“I’m still having trouble catching my breath.”

The man’s short sentences came out in ragged breaths.

“Adapt quickly. Don’t talk to Noona when you see her.”

“Understood.”

There was no hint of emotion in Hyun-ho’s eyes. He had closed the café for a few days to search Jeju Island to find a part-timer.

Two days ago, he found a man jumping into the sea from a port as the fierce winter waves crashed. He stared at the raging sea for a while, unable to think of anything.

It would be troublesome if his head cracked. It was better if the body was not too damaged.

Before long, he could feel the light of life extinguished in the fierce waves. He reached out and lifted the man’s limp body.

“Do you regret it?”

He asked. The dangling body nodded its head.

“I’ll revive your body. The price is to cooperate in my play.”

The closed eyelids of the body slowly opened. He spoke, staring into the empty pupils.

“Don’t forget you’re a ghost wearing a human mask.”

The terms of their agreement were etched along the man’s neck. The expressionless corpse frowned painfully and scratched at its neck, but Hyun-ho mercilessly completed the binding process.

It took a whole day to teach the awakened man how to breathe naturally, speak, and even make coffee. Oh Min-woo bowed his head in gratitude to his owner who gave him back his half-life.

Hyun-ho opened the locked door beside the supply closet, revealing a pristine wooden staircase without a speck of dust. His steps were light as he ascended.

He expected Tae-eun to find it strange that the café was closed, but he hadn’t anticipated her looking so disappointed.

He prided himself on managing his expression, but it was evident in his eyes. He felt possessive to the point where he wanted to gulp her down like a shark.

That’s why he had to hurry and leave. If he stayed any longer, he was bound to make a mistake in his haste. He had no intention of ruining this carefully planned performance.

At least, he would do his best to make this play seem convincing, especially to her.

***

Ji Hyun-ho appeared in her dream after a long time. Perhaps it was because she had seen him earlier that day. Tae-eun almost greeted him instinctively, feeling unexpectedly glad to see him.

But realizing it was just a dream, she lowered her hand. She found herself seated inside Hajung Café 61. Sneaking a peek inside the counter, she watched him brewing coffee.

Surely, nothing strange would happen here, right?

The café in her dream felt unusually open. If he were to do anything odd here alone with her, she wouldn’t be able to show her face at the café anymore.

But the dream ended there. She watched him work the entire time and then woke up. There was a lingering sense of regret, but she didn’t quite grasp it.

Her steps felt light, like a dog’s trot during a walk. If Dodam lingered too long sniffing around, she subtly urged him on, shaking the leash.

“Dodam, the café’s open today.”

Fortunately, Dodam dashed towards the café without stopping at the recycling bin. Just as he opened the glass door and stepped out, he bumped into Ji Hyun-ho.

“Hello.”

As she greeted him first, the man froze. She too froze, realizing she had wanted to greet him the way she had in her dream.

The vividly detailed dreams were confusing her, making it hard to separate the real Ji Hyun-ho from the one in her dreams, as if they were a continuous sequence of events.

“Hello, Noona,” he said, smiling with crinkled eyes. A tingling sensation spread through her body. She absentmindedly stroked the dog rolling on the grass, and the man crouched down next to her.

“Do you like sweets?”

“Yeah.”

“Then how about trying a chocolate latte?”

“I’ll pay.”

Tae-eun took out her phone to get ready for payment. He scratched his eyebrows, looking uncomfortable.

“I shouldn’t be charging you for this.”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s kind of like bribing you.”

‘Why would he even think of bribing me?’ She thought. She couldn’t quite catch his train of thought and watched his thick Adam’s apple bob up and down.

“In fact, I have a favor to ask.”

At the word ‘favor’, her eyes widened, meeting his gaze. He straightened his bent knees and stood up, walking into the café. She tied Dodam to a rock and followed him inside.

Hyun-ho went behind the counter and took out the ingredients to make a chocolate latte. As soon as he opened the lid of the container containing the chocolate powder, a sweet scent wafted through.

“Would you like to work here?”

Surprised by the sudden offer, she tilted her head.

“What kind of work?”

“I need someone to work with me in the morning, just to help out at the counter and with some light cleaning. How about it?”

Hyun-ho’s eyes widened expectantly. Despite his charming smile, she felt unsure. How could she handle customer service when she found it hard to even make eye contact with strangers?

“Is it too difficult to work alone?”

Tae-eun asked cautiously. She couldn’t help but feel concerned about the image of him working alone in her dream.

“It’s a bit overwhelming to take orders and make drinks alone. It’d be nice to have someone, and it’d be even better if it’s someone I know.”

The expression ‘someone I know’ made her feel like they had become close. She pondered while wiping her warm cheek with the back of her hand.

It wasn’t like she could keep relying on her parents forever. Taking a break now didn’t mean she was giving up. Practicing for her return to the workforce wouldn’t hurt, and she needed to keep her severance pay as a last resort.

And slowly, she would need to start earning money…

“The hourly wage is 40,000 won.”

As she calmly reached a conclusion in her mind, her mouth fell open. Before she could even ask how an hourly wage of 40,000 won for a part-timer made any profit for the owner, Hyun-ho asked expectantly, as if he naturally anticipated a positive response.

“Will you do it?”

His eyes narrowed into crescents.

 

 

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