Limits of Paradise

Ji Hyun-ho listened carefully to the faint sound of footsteps outside. The hurried steps slowed down as they approached the wall, gently grazing the grass beneath.

Eventually, there was a hesitant pause in front of the glass door. He could hear the sound of someone taking a deep breath.

As the automatic doors opened on either side, he emerged from the storage room. Song Tae-eun, her long hair tied up high, entered the café with a tense expression.

“Hello.”

She greeted him with a slight bow as their eyes met. Her composed demeanor elicited a soft chuckle from him.

“Treating me like the boss?”

As she nodded, his smile deepened.

“I prefer treating you like a close sister. Hello, Noona.”

“Yeah, hi.”

“There’s a lounge next to the supplies closet. You can change there.”

Hyun-ho handed her a white shirt and a brown apron. He scrutinized her as she walked into the lounge, his gaze sharp.

Tae-eun was covered in spirits that had attached themselves beyond his jurisdiction. Their presence felt stronger than when he first saw them.

If they were island spirits, he could easily liberate her with a mere gesture. But seeing that their identity remained unclear, they seemed to be beyond his control.

There was also a way to eliminate them by directly touching her ears. He had deliberately held her hand before to test it out. However, the conscious spirits avoided his touch, hiding deeper inside her. It seemed impossible to deal with them through such limited contact.

“Ugh…”

His calm face contorted as an uncomfortable sigh escaped him. What had happened in Seoul to make her attract such detestable creatures?

He recalled the scene when he first explored her subconscious. The meeting room surrounded by spirits, a certain man, and Tae-eun desperately fleeing in her dream. What hidden story lay within?

As he pondered the fundamental solution, a soft sound of fabric brushing against skin came from behind the closed door. The rustling, the sound of clothes falling and buttons being fastened, and the tightening of strings tickled his eardrums.

His chest swelled as he followed Tae-eun’s scent, now filling the café as sunlight gradually streamed in, causing his black pupils to contract. His spine straightened.

It felt similar to back then. The sensation he felt when he woke up in the body of a six-year-old, meeting the girl crying at his feet, their eyes locking. But this time, there was a subtle mix of impure desires.

The fact that the woman was within his reach brought satisfaction but also aroused a sense of urgency in him.

He heard footsteps approaching again, signaling her return. He tore his gaze away from the lounge and strolled leisurely into the counter area.

“What should we start with?”

“Let’s start with a cup of coffee. What would you like to drink?”

Hyun-ho turned to her as he filled the grinder with beans. With her white shirt and apron, she looked like a convincing café employee, and he was satisfied.

From the beginning, he opened the café with the sole purpose of playfully interacting and bantering with her. But her appearance was even cuter than he had imagined, and laughter involuntarily bubbled up inside him.

“I’ll have a warm Americano.”

“You can have something more expensive if you want.”

He teasingly raised an eyebrow. She, who had been hesitating outside the counter, looked up and met his gaze.

Their eye contact lasted quite a while.

Since their recent reunion, this was the first time they had stared at each other for so long. Her vivid red-brown irises gazed at him.

Even amidst many changes, Tae-eun’s eyes remained the same as they did in her childhood.

The sharp, mischievous glint in her eyes, which adults used to describe as ‘sassy’, remained unchanged as she grew into an adult. Even the mysterious spirits that bound to her couldn’t hide those sparkling irises.

If only her eyes had a bit of blind devotion in them. But as he entertained greedy thoughts, her gaze shifted away from him.

“I’ve always liked Americano.”

Her plump lips revealed her preferences. He alternated between her lowered eyelashes and her moving lips before turning away.

“It’s part of the employee benefits. Feel free to order what you like.”

The sound of extracting shots momentarily filled the quiet café. Tae-eun, who had come behind the counter, gently placed a mug beside him. As she mustered the courage to do so, his lips curled up slightly as he filled her cup with warm water.

As he handed her the mug with two shots poured in, their fingertips lightly brushed against each other. Tae-eun squeezed her fingertips with force. At the same time, he could sense the discomfort emanating from her.

It was unclear whether she disliked it or if the clinging spirits were pushing her away.

“What did aunt and uncle say about you working here?”

“They prefer that I work rather than just staying at home.”

Hyun-ho nodded as he poured shots into his own mug. Her harbored spirits kept irritating his nerves. Since he was the owner here, their compatibility was naturally off.

“My parents said you worked for a really good company in Seoul. What company was it?”

He deliberately brought up an uncomfortable question. He wanted to know about her during her time in Seoul.

“It wasn’t such a great company.”

Although her face was partially obscured by the large mug, her slightly tense expression was not concealed. And she didn’t say anything more.

He needed to break down her defenses a bit more. If he couldn’t remove the spirits clinging to her with just a one-time contact, he needed to start by keeping her safe within his territory.

Hyun-ho suppressed his growing impatience. The time she spent away in Seoul was only nine years. And even that was just his perspective. She had no memories of seeing him since she was ten years old. All memories before that had faded away.

However, he was determined to devote all efforts for her, who had lost her memories. He was even willing to sacrifice his own body to be with her in the physical world.

She was the only one who witnessed six-year-old Ji Hyun-ho’s death and resurrection. Therefore, she was the one who captivated him in an instant.

Tae-eun diligently wiped and re-wiped the spotless table. The piercing gaze from behind was too sharp, and she needed to appear productive even when there was nothing to wipe to earn her 40,000 won hourly wage.

Now Hyun-ho was watching her as she moved around with a mop. His intense gaze was more akin to surveillance than observation.

There were no employers in this world who just handed out money. Even if their parents were wealthy, even if they were close friends when they were young, inside this café, she was just a part-time worker who had to obediently follow the owner’s orders.

“Noona.”

At the sound of him calling her, her shoulders jerked. She approached the counter, having just come out of the restroom after cleaning the mop.

“I’ll teach you how to use the POS¹POS: Point of Sale System. this is commonly used in coffee shops, restaurants, and cafes to record sales, do inventory, and manage operations.. Come inside.”

Tae-eun wiped her damp hands on her apron and walked over to his side. Even though she had felt it when they drank coffee earlier, standing side by side made his tall stature even more noticeable. Her forehead didn’t even reach his shoulder.

“Press and hold the power button here.”

Hyun-ho naturally guided her finger to the machine. She suppressed the urge to flinch and pressed the button on the right as he instructed.

He held her finger with the POS and explained how to use it step by step. His other hand wrapped around her waist from the opposite side, coming over to rest on the counter. It was as if she was halfway embraced by him.

All of Tae-eun’s senses focused on his hand holding hers and his firm body against her back. It felt like warmth spread only where they touched.

Was it really necessary to explain the steps like this?

Although she wanted to ask him to step back a little, since he was being so considerate, she couldn’t find the words.

Her normally focused mind, which even kept up with cash receipts, started to become a mess. Being in the same space as Hyun-ho made her lose focus, and being so much closer than in her dreams made her head spin.

“Once you keep doing it, you’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed, so don’t worry.”

With a smile, Hyun-ho seemed to regard her hesitant voice as nothing more than the timid response of a beginner. But she made an effort to keep her scattered thoughts at bay, looking up at him with a determined gaze.

At first, she was eager to avoid him due to the fear of this place instilled in her and the man who unexpectedly appeared lewdly in her dreams.

But perhaps because she encountered him more often, she gradually became accustomed to him. She even found herself noticing his delicate fingertips, broad shoulders, and well-maintained hair, even though it was dyed.

Just seeing him a few times like this made her wonder what it would be like if they worked in the same space every day. It might become even more serious.

It would be better if there were more tasks to distract her. Having learned how to use the POS, Tae-eun stood awkwardly in front of the counter, checking the owner’s reaction.

It had been three hours since they opened, and not a single customer had come in. But the man paid no attention and diligently made sandwiches.

“Noona, it’s time to start getting ready to leave.”

“Oh, okay.”

Just like that, she earned 160,000 won today. She felt like she had just robbed a bank, and her conscience gnawed at her.

“Have this as a snack.”

Hyun-ho put two sandwiches in a paper bag and handed it to her. On top of the 160,000 won, she had sandwiches too. Her conscience turned into ashes and was blown away by the winter wind.

“Thank you.”

“Hello.”

As she turned around, she saw the part-time worker for the afternoon shift coming in. The man who greeted her quietly headed straight for the break room. Under his collar, there was a black tattoo with symbols she could not recognize.

A chilling sensation passed through her spine.

 

 

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