It is Easiest to be Obsessed by Everyone

“Is that really true?”

“Yeah. After subtracting the cost of ingredients, wages, and an estimate for utilities and rent based on hourly averages, it should be pretty accurate. But how did you know? Were you calculating based on sales too?”

“Oh, I was talking about something else. I just came into 15 million won of unexpected money.”

“Really? Did you win the lottery?”

“It sounds crazy, but a few girls I know pooled it together to make sure I wouldn’t go hungry. Turns out it’s 15 million won.”

The boss looked me up and down, as if to size me up. He was maybe a little shocked. But I guess he believed me, surprisingly.

“Why would that sound crazy? For you, it makes perfect sense.”

“You believe me?”

“Sure. You’ve got that charm factor that explains it all.”

Chang-woo, just how many more surprises do you have in store for me?

I couldn’t keep up with this whirlwind of an existence you lived.

Getting 15 million won in donations in just nine days?

That’s… incredible.

“Let me transfer it to your account, just give me the number.”

“Alright. I’ll jot it down.”

A few moments later, my banking app pinged.

[Sender: Gong Ji-cheol]

[Amount: 15,000,000 won]

[Balance: 32,604,350 won]

“Boss? This seems like too much! It’s usually 40%, right?”

“I told you, I want to keep you here by letting you enjoy a little extra.”

The boss chuckled, patting me on the shoulder.

“Yesterday’s profits were a special bonus, just for you. I only kept 300,000 won as my share and sent the rest.”

“But… I can’t believe…”

“Look, if I take home 300,000 won in a day, that’s already great for me. I’m investing in us having a long run together, so just think of it as doing me a favor and accept it.”

“If I were a girl, I think I’d be in love with you by now.”

“If you were a girl with that face, I’d probably be giving you my entire savings and proposing on the spot.”

It felt like he practically had angel wings glowing behind him. If only my old mentor had had even a fraction of his generosity, I wouldn’t have struggled so much.

“Are you still taking orders?”

Oops! I quickly stepped behind the counter, offering the friendliest smile I could.

“Sorry, but we’re full at the moment, so it’s takeout only. Would that be okay?”

“Sure. I’ll order!”

“Alright. I’ll take your order.”

More women lined up to order, and a few faces even looked familiar.

With the boss grinning widely, it lifted my spirits too.

But now, what should I do with this 15 million won?

Originally, I’d thought about giving it to Hyena, but I knew she’d never accept such a large sum.

I’d have to find a meaningful gift for her instead.

——

‘I’m exhausted…’

It wasn’t too hard on me since I was mostly handling orders, but the boss and the other staff were run off their feet. And, well, I kind of made things busier than they needed to be.

What did I do?

I started offering table service.

“Can I clear your empty cups for you?”

“Should I clear that for you?”

“Oh no, it’s okay! I’ll take it myself!”

“No worries. I’d be happy to take it for you.”

I felt like I needed to do something, so I politely cleared away empty cups and plates whenever I saw them.

As a result, the customers seemed to start finishing their drinks and food faster.

They were emptying their cups and plates quickly, so I went around picking them up, which, in turn, sped up the order turnover rate.

By just visiting tables, saying a few friendly words, and clearing empty cups, I unintentionally set off a kind of order circulation.

Hearing this from the boss later, I realized that the customers were drinking faster to make me come back more often.

We were absolutely swamped.

To be honest, I was mostly just taking orders and picking up empty dishes, so it wasn’t too bad for me.

It was the boss and the other part-timers who really had to hustle.

By around 1 p.m., the boss had called for backup, and reinforcements arrived—his girlfriend and his sister came to help out.

I still can’t forget the look on their faces the first time they saw me.

“Oh my gosh, he’s so handsome… I understand now why my boyfriend was so happy hiring him.”

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

The first was the boss’s girlfriend, and the second was his sister.

“Chang-woo, you’re staying on, right?”

“It’s all in the contract. Initial term of one year, with annual renewal. If I leave unilaterally within the first year, I have to return half of the latest month’s incentive.”

Technically, labor law would mean I didn’t need to return anything, but this contract was more like an executive contract than a regular employment one, so labor laws didn’t really apply here.

The boss explained that, I understood it, and besides, why would I quit such a great job?

“Then I’ll count on you staying at least a year, and I’ll hire more staff.”

“Sounds good. It’s so busy here today; I think that’s a good idea.”

My shift usually ended at 6 p.m., but since Hyena was staying late, I decided to work a bit longer too.

With the place so packed, it didn’t feel right to leave when there were customers who’d come just to see me.

“If you’re hiring more staff, then just hire me. I’ll work for 4 million won a month.”

“With that, I could hire two more weekend staff.”

“Fine. Then 3 million.”

“Get lost.”

The boss’s sister, Ji-hyun, eventually agreed to work under the same conditions as the other part-timers.

“Don’t go flirting with Chang-woo. If he quits because of you, I’ll take you off the family registry.”

“Don’t worry. I know my limits.”

We even had to settle for takeout sushi for dinner because it was so busy.

The part-timers were thrilled about the sushi party, though.

Finally, 11 p.m. It was closing time.

“Wow, boss. Is it like this every day?”

“Of course.”

“The part-timers can have opening and closing shifts, but how can anyone work 14 hours straight every day?”

“That’s just how business is. I have to work like this to keep up with the rent.”

The boss smiled and patted me on the shoulder.

“Before you joined, I couldn’t even pay the rent properly. A lot of our regulars had left, but now I can finally breathe a little.”

He suggested we have a little closing party, but before answering, I checked in with Hyena one more time.

[Me] When are you finishing?

[Hyena] Working all night today…!! [crying emojis]

[Me] Hang in there.

[Hyena] How about you?

[Me] I ended up staying till closing since I was waiting for you anyway. The boss wants to go out for a staff dinner.

[Hyena] Go ahead! We’ve been handling everything with delivery for lunch, dinner, and late-night snacks.

[Me] Let me know when you’re done. I can come pick you up.

[Hyena] No, really! You should rest at home. I don’t think I’ll be home until tomorrow afternoon.

It’s surprising how much of a difference just one missing employee can make.

They should really look into hiring someone soon.

“You’re coming, right? Everyone’s looking forward to it. Even the opening shift crew is coming back to join us.”

“Oh… Okay. Let’s go then.”

“I’m treating everyone to Jeju Korean beef tonight.”

The evening shift part-timers were thrilled.

“Oh my gosh, boss! What’s the occasion? You usually treat us to chicken or pork belly.”

“Well, thanks to Chang-woo, we had an amazing day. So I’m pulling out my wallet! Get ready to eat till you burst!”

“Yay! Thank you so much!”

I told them to go on ahead since I had something to pick up. I was already thinking about what gift to get for Hyena.

——-

At the Jeju Korean beef restaurant, the boss, Gong Ji-chul, his girlfriend Song Yeon-joo, his sister Gong Ji-hyun, and eight part-timers, making 11 people in total, were seated around the table.

They had left the center spot open, clearly saving it for the star of the evening—Lee Chang-woo.

Naturally, Gong Ji-chul sat across from the empty seat, and his sister Ji-hyun took the seat to the left, a perk of being the boss’s sister.

The remaining part-timers had to compete for the other seats, eventually settling it with a game of rock-paper-scissors at the boss’s suggestion.

“Chang-woo oppa is just so good-looking. How is it possible for someone to look like that?”

“What’s more surprising to me is that someone so good-looking isn’t a celebrity. What’s up with the scouts? Are they asleep on the job?”

“The sales must be through the roof today. Boss, how much did we make?”

Ji-chul just smiled. His girlfriend, Yeon-joo, nudged him, eager for details.

“Come on, tell us! How much?”

“It’s a secret. All I can say is it was a huge success.”

“Aw, that’s mean. Did anyone catch a glimpse of the sales on the POS system?”

“Chang-woo oppa was handling the register, so we have no idea.”

“But why are you calling him oppa? You’re older than him, aren’t you?”

“When someone’s that handsome, they’re automatically ‘oppa.’”

Just then, the door opened, and the evening’s main attraction, Lee Chang-woo, walked in.

His mere entrance felt like a cinematic moment, leaving a thrilling impression on everyone.

“Oh, Chang-woo, come sit here.”

“Thanks.”

“Did you get what you needed?”

“Yes. Just a little piggy bank.”

“We held off ordering anything till you got here. If there’s anything you want, feel free to order.”

“Well, then…”

Chang-woo looked around the table before pointing to the youngest, 20-year-old Jo Seo-young.

“Seo-young, what do you feel like eating the most?”

“Ooooh! Woo woo woo!”

“Don’t give special treatment to just the youngest! Woo woo woo!”

“Well, in these gatherings, the youngest should get first pick. That’s how it’s done.”

“Chang-woo oppa is so thoughtful.”

“Not only is he handsome, but he’s also considerate. Whoever he ends up dating is so lucky.”

“Not you, though.”

“Wanna die?”

They playfully teased each other before urging Seo-young to pick whatever she wanted.

“Well, then… I’d like to try the special tenderloin, special sirloin, and special ribeye.”

“So, we’re twelve people, right? Shall we get six servings of each for a total of eighteen servings?”

“It’s nice to have Chang-woo oppa organize things. If we tried, we’d feel awkward with the boss watching.”

“Why is Chang-woo your ‘oppa’ when you’re actually older than him?”

———

Doesn’t anyone here have work tomorrow?

I get that the mid-shift and closing crew didn’t have to be in until the afternoon, but shouldn’t the opening crew be getting up soon?

This drinking session showed no sign of ending.

“Should we order five more bottles of soju? Are we doing this? Really ordering more?”

“Order it, order it! I’m covering it all tonight!”

“You’re the best, boss!”

‘I mean, I’ll be fine since I can recover after just two hours of sleep, but is everyone else going to be okay…?’

“Yes! Chang-woo got caught!”

“Chang-woo oppa, it’s your turn to answer!”

It was a penalty game, and somehow I kept getting caught.

Gong Ji-hyun, who had gotten comfortable enough to drop formal speech during the night, looked at me with a tipsy smile.

“Lee Chang-woo! Be honest! Do you have a girlfriend or not?”