Omega Complex Novel (Completed) - Chapter 79

I held the plate with one hand and approached the plastic curtain. Kim Dohyun was roughly tidying up the trash and washing his hands. Although pheromones still lingered, I had to go out because work had come up. As I pulled back the curtain and stepped outside, I saw Choi Taegyeom, who was drawing even more attention than before.

“……”

I told you I get jealous. What’s he doing walking around smiling like that? Even the customers at table 3, who ordered the rolled omelet, were glancing at Choi Taegyeom.

“Here’s your rolled omelet.”

“Oh, thank you!”

The young-faced customers greeted me cheerfully. Then they exchanged glances and looked at each other, sensing something. They seemed to have something they wanted to say, but I had something more important to do first.

“Excuse me, but……”

I approached the club member wearing the ‘Sold Out’ cap and subtly spoke to him. The club member, who had been chatting with Park Sungjae, looked at me with surprised eyes. He even pointed at his own face with his finger, seeming quite flustered.

“……Me?”

“Yeah, it’s nothing big.”

“What’s wrong, hyung?”

I awkwardly ran a hand through the back of my head. I didn’t think I’d be doing this again. Even Park Sungjae looked at me with curious eyes, perhaps finding it strange that I was initiating a conversation. I swallowed my embarrassment and first asked what I needed to confirm.

“Do you have a lover?”

“Huh?”

The club member’s eyes widened. His wavering gaze shifted between me and Park Sungjae. For once, Park Sungjae quickly answered for him.

“No, no. He just wrote ‘Sold Out’ because he’s pretending to be expensive.”

“……Hey.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t the situation I had worried about. If he didn’t have a partner, then the phrase on the cap didn’t necessarily need to be ‘Sold Out,’ did it?

“That.”

I pointed at the club member’s cap with my finger. It was embarrassing to do something like this, but I wanted to create some kind of defense mechanism. I was willing to be laughed at as childish.

“Lend it to me for a bit.”

I thought deeply. Why had I never felt jealous before? Choi Taegyeom had always been popular, occasionally received confessions, and was mostly the object of attention, so why was everything suddenly bothering me now?

It wasn’t simply a matter of mindset. Even now, loving him and having our hearts connected, I wasn’t bothered by others liking Choi Taegyeom. If someone confessed, I knew he would firmly reject them, so it was fine.

Yes, ultimately, this is the important part. The certainty that Choi Taegyeom wouldn’t give anyone false hope. The arrogance that the kindness he showed would only be directed at me. The judgment that the other person wouldn’t even harbor a sliver of hope.

I can tolerate people showing interest in Choi Taegyeom. Hearts aren’t always reciprocal, and having one-sided feelings is something you can just let go of. But it angered me that they saw even a slight possibility with Choi Taegyeom.

“……The cap?”

“Yes, please.”

“Where are you going to wear it?”

The club member asked back with a flustered face but took off his cap and handed it to me. At that, Park Sungjae’s eyes widened in shock.

“You’re going to take his cap again!”

Again? When did I ever take his cap? That wasn’t me, it was Choi Taegyeom. Of course, saying that while wearing the ‘Boss’ cap wouldn’t be very convincing.

“What do you mean ‘take’? I said I’m borrowing it.”

“Hyung, that’s exactly what kids who steal money say. You’ll get caught these days if you do that.”

“You’re not even the owner of the cap, why are you like this?”

Park Sungjae slumped his shoulders and shut his mouth. Perhaps because of his large build, his sulking expression was particularly noticeable. He folded his large frame in half and cast his eyes down sadly.

“It feels too much like my own business……”

His shiny eyes were moist. Indeed, after being promoted as the ‘Business God’ and wearing the ‘God’ cap himself, I could roughly guess what he had gone through. I didn’t know for sure, but he must have had a few awkward incidents.

“……Just enjoy it.”

I softened my voice and put my arm around Park Sungjae’s shoulder. He pretended to sob and bowed his head towards me. Yes, yes. As I patted him, Choi Taegyeom returned after taking an order.

“Aren’t you working?”

His curt voice cut through Park Sungjae and me. Choi Taegyeom gathered disposable chopsticks and plates, then hesitated briefly in front of me. His gaze was directed at my hand wrapped around Park Sungjae.

“……Sungjae, take two beers to the table near the entrance.”

His clear gaze was sharp and pointed. As I subtly removed my hand, Park Sungjae quickly straightened up.

“The table with three men?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Park Sungjae quickly went into the kitchen where the icebox was. The club member next to him also tried to go into the kitchen, but Choi Taegyeom was faster. He stared intently at the cap I was holding, then smiled lazily and asked the club member,

“Do you want to be the boss, or the handsome one?”

As a result, I was the one who ended up wearing the ‘Sold Out’ cap. I protested with a displeased expression, but Choi Taegyeom didn’t listen to a word I said. This time, he just gently adjusted the back of the cap and rubbed my cheek as if I were cute. The club member who chose ‘Boss’ had already run far away, so I couldn’t blame anyone and had no choice but to go serve.

“When do we break even, hyung?”

Kim Dohyun, who was busy working, asked Park Sungjae. The answer came from Minjeong, who happened to come out of the kitchen at that moment.

“Break even?”

Minjeong asked back, pulling at the corners of her mouth. With a cool smile, she gave a thumbs-up and clicked her tongue.

“We passed it a long time ago.”

Cheers erupted from all directions. The club members, who had been doing their respective tasks, perked up their ears. The customers filling the pub applauded along, not knowing what was happening.

“They’re really happy.”

Minjeong shrugged at my muttered words. Then she added, as if it were the most obvious thing,

“Of course they’d be happy. All the leftover alcohol and food are ours now.”

I recalled the various types of alcohol left in the kitchen. At a glance, there was quite a lot, and it seemed that if any were left, the club members would drink it. Indeed, they almost ran the club for the sake of alcohol, so there was no way they would throw it away.

“Oh, right. Maknae.”

Minjeong briefly started, then turned to Kim Dohyun. At the nickname ‘maknae,’ Kim Dohyun glared sharply.

“……What?”

“Relax your eyes, kid. You go in. Didn’t you say you have a part-time job?”

As if he hadn’t been scowling at all, Kim Dohyun quickly took off his cap. No wonder, I thought he hadn’t been concentrating on the pub earlier, it seemed he had a part-time job.

“What kind of part-time job?”

“I tutor. A 9th grader, trying to get into a foreign language high school.”

When I asked casually, he answered indifferently. His movements, pulling out his phone and sending messages, were extremely hurried.

“That must be tough. Middle schoolers don’t listen well.”

“They listen well, but it’s a bit……”

His gaze shifted back and forth. As if searching for the right words, he trailed off, then sighed and opened his mouth.

“I’m worried about them in many ways.”