Chapter 93
“Oh, so it’s become a desert now?”
“There’s someone like an investor. They helped relocate it.”
“That’s a bold move.”
“Right? At first, I hated how barren it felt, but… well, it’s grown on me. Here’s what’s happened since then…”
I briefly shared what had happened. Making cocktails with makgeolli in the retired gods’ dimension, tracking down and shaking down a customer who ran away without paying, clearing up a misunderstanding with a witch who was mistaken for a villain, and so on.
“You’ve had quite the adventures.”
“I know, right?”
After unpacking all these stories, the atmosphere became much lighter.
‘Chris’ red eyes were always on guard for something.’
Was it just my imagination? Or was it because he got enough sleep? Chris seemed more relaxed than usual.
“By the way, are pistachios supposed to be this salty?”
“Of course I added salt. If nuts were naturally this salty, squirrels would all die from high blood pressure.”
When I responded playfully, Chris snickered.
“You added way too much salt though? So it’s okay if humans die from high blood pressure?”
“It’s fine as long as you don’t eat salted pistachios three meals a day, right? For squirrels, nuts are their main food.”
The conversation flowed naturally, like old friends catching up.
Meanwhile, the pistachios were soon gone. As Chris casually popped the last one into his mouth, he spoke up.
“Don’t you find it strange?”
“What’s strange?”
“Me. I mean, I was threatening to other customers at first, and I always show up looking like I’m on the verge of death.”
Ah, so that’s what this was about.
Looking back, Chris had once asked me if I found him suspicious.
Back then, I brushed it off saying I wasn’t interested, but…
Now I was slightly, just slightly, curious.
So I answered honestly.
“It is strange.”
At my immediate response, Chris’s eyes flickered subtly. If I hadn’t been watching closely, I wouldn’t have noticed the difference.
“Right. Anyone would find it strange. Obviously…”
“But so what if it’s strange? The Milky Way Lounge has plenty of strange customers anyway.”
My voice came out nonchalantly. That was genuinely how I felt. Even with my growing curiosity, Chris’s level of strangeness wasn’t really a big deal.
“….”
Chris silently looked at me. His gaze seemed to be asking for an explanation.
“Chris. Do you know what kind of customer visited a few days ago?”
“No.”
“A customer who turns people to stone when they make eye contact.”
“What? You’re joking.”
“I’m serious.”
When I emphasized it again, Chris’s eyes widened. It would seem strange no matter how you think about it. Maybe even more than himself.
“She was cursed like that. Terrible, isn’t it? She couldn’t even meet people properly.”
“That really is one nasty curse.”
“Fortunately, they found a solution before leaving. Sunglasses—if you wear those dark glasses, they hide your eyes. When wearing them, people wouldn’t turn to stone anymore even with eye contact.”
As I explained calmly, Chris nodded to show he was listening.
“That’s good. You happened to have such glasses?”
“I told you I always have a plan, didn’t I?”
I shrugged my shoulders and continued speaking.
“Come to think of it, I’m strange too.”
“You sure are.”
“I thought you’d deny it…”
“Why would I deny what’s true?”
Chris swirled the empty glass in his hand, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
“But honestly, you’re stranger than me.”
“I don’t think so. Where else can you find a bartender who crosses dimensions?”
Is that so? Hearing that, I somehow had to agree.
“Well, anyway, more than being strange or not, a part-timer who does good work is as precious as gold.”
“A part-timer…”
Chris rose from his seat with a thoughtful expression and gathered the glass and bowl.
“Right. That’s the role I can have here.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“To do the dishes.”
“You’re still a patient!”
“Washing dishes won’t kill me.”
He was efficient even without being asked. After wiping the bar counter, Chris emerged from the kitchen, finished with the dishes.
That’s when it happened.
Jingle.
“Ah!”
Did I chat with Chris for too long? It’s opening time already!
‘Oh no! I’m in my pajamas!’
And not just any pajamas—ones with adorable bears printed on them!
I couldn’t greet customers looking like this.
“It’s fine, but I have one more favor. I’m going to change clothes, please serve some snacks first. One handful of pistachios per person!”
“What?”
“Please!”
I just gave a quick nod to the customers and rushed upstairs.
“Hey!”
Chris watched me with a dumbfounded expression, but there was no time to dawdle.
🫧
“Oh my, a new face? Hey there, handsome part-timer! Could we get some water? With ice floating in it!”
Chris stared at the customers who had just entered. Three middle-aged women seated at a table.
“……”
Though they looked ordinary at first glance, they had well-trained bodies. Chris was certain they were trained knights.
‘I need to strike first before they get me…’
Chris hid his hand holding a fork behind his back. He almost instinctively searched for the best route to attack the three people. Just as thick veins began to bulge ominously on the back of his hand…
“Let me be clear, this place is safe, okay?”
This was Sena’s peaceful Milky Way Lounge.
“Please!”
Chris threw the fork to the floor. The clattering sound drew the customers’ attention to him.
“Haahh.”
Chris took a deep breath to calm his excitement and poured water. With ice floating in it, as the customer requested.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you. Is it because we’re in a desert? It’s so hot and I’m so thirsty.”
The customers eagerly gulped down the ice water as soon as it was served. Their chattering about finally feeling alive showed no trace of killing intent.
Chris felt oddly conflicted while measuring out handfuls of pistachios.
‘This is too much.’
There was a big difference between Sena’s handful and Chris’s handful. Chris removed some from his handful before serving it to the customers.
“Put the shells in the empty compartment.”
“Ah, so that’s why it’s a two-compartment bowl? Oh!”
The customers exchanged glances while cracking and eating pistachios. They giggled while nudging each other, clearly up to something.
‘They must be playing around among themselves.’
Chris leaned against the display cabinet, waiting for Sena to come down. Then one of the customers raised her hand high.
“Part-timer!”
“What.”
When Chris twisted his mouth into a crooked expression, the woman clapped and burst out laughing.
“Hey, did you see that? The bartender really hired a good part-timer. Such a rare handsome man. How lovely!”
“…What do you want?”
“Give us more pistachios!”
So that’s what they were whispering about.
‘Since they had to wait, I guess I can give them more.’
Chris measured out another handful of pistachios and handed them over. The customers squealed with delight.
‘When is she coming back?’
With a grumpy expression, Chris folded his arms and stared up at the staircase.
The jinggle sound broke the silence.
This time, it was a lone customer—a blond man with curly hair who walked lightly to the bar counter.
Resting his chin on both hands, the man stared at Chris with rosy pink eyes, scanning him thoroughly.
“What are you staring at?”
“I came to see if you’re doing a good job. Since Chris is our Sena’s part-timer.”
Chris smirked at the testing tone.
“How do you know my name? I’ve never seen you before.”
“Oh, I have my ways.”
The blonde man responded glibly. Chris thought perhaps Sena had mentioned him.
“But when a customer comes, aren’t you supposed to greet them?”
Since Sena had entrusted the Milky Way Lounge to him, serving the customers was part of his job.
“Welcome.”
Chris served pistachios with what he thought was his friendliest smile. Though his lips curved upward, his eyes remained cold.
Then came a cold assessment that contrasted with the lovely face.
“The part-timer is so prickly, it’s killing my appetite.”
Despite that, he munched away on the pistachios, even flicking the empty shells onto the floor without a care.
“Part-timer! The shells keep getting stepped on and it’s annoying. Aren’t you going to clean it?”
“You’re the one throwing them there.”
“What kind of way is that to talk to a customer?”
The blond nitpicked every little thing, leaving Chris to swallow his mounting irritation.
‘Does Sena deal with people like this on a regular basis?’
While sweeping the shells from beneath the blond’s feet, Chris felt him casually nudge him with his shoe again and again.
What a piece of work. Chris muttered under his breath as he swatted the blond’s foot with the broom, sending a clear message to stop.
He was ready to mark him as a troublemaker if he made one more snide comment.
“Part-timer.”
“What.”
“Make me a cocktail. Anything. You can at least manage that, right?”
When the blonde ordered, the customers at the table chimed in excitedly.
“Today, we get cocktails made by the part-timer?”
“How exciting! Right?”
“Let’s order too!”
With each passing comment, Chris’s expression grew more sour, but they didn’t care at all.
‘Make cocktails?’
Sena hadn’t taught Chris how to make cocktails.
‘It shouldn’t be too difficult though.’
Chris was good at quickly learning things by watching over others’ shoulders.
Every little skill could affect survival after all.
The habit of carefully observing everything to survive was deeply ingrained in him.
But was it okay to just mess with things without permission?
“Ah, hurry up! Hurry! The part-timer is so slow. I’m busy, you know!”
“Come on, do it quickly!”
As Chris hesitated, the customers, including the blonde, urged him on. Finally, he sighed and stepped behind the bar.
Chris rubbed his chin while recalling how Sena made cocktails.
‘First, fill this shaking tool with ice.’
Pour gin up to the top and add it to this tool.
Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and fill to the top with carbonated water, then close the shaker lid.
“Just shake it and it’s done.”
He proudly gripped the shaker with one hand and shook it vigorously but…
POP!
With a loud noise, the shaker lid flew off!
🥂
Thank you for reading! ♡
