The restaurant breathed with quiet elegance.
A figure stepped through the staff entrance.
One of the waitresses, who had been arranging dessert plates, looked up in surprise.
"...Zoya?"
Several heads instinctively turned.
She had left nearly two hours ago.
Yet here she was again.
Still dressed in the same black uniform beneath her long beige coat, her scarf neatly framing her face.
Before anyone could ask another question...
A tall Chinese waiter approached her with an amused smile.
His name badge read—Li Wei.
He stopped a few feet away.
"I thought you were off for the night."
"You left after taking emergency leave."
Zoya offered the same polite smile she always wore at work.
"My friends went out for dinner."
She shrugged lightly.
"I realized there wasn't much point in sitting alone."
"So..."
"I came back."
Li Wei smiled.
"You could've enjoyed the evening."
"You rarely ask for leave."
"I know."
Her smile softened.
"But they're busy."
"And honestly..."
"I'd rather be working."
She took a step forward.
Only for Li Wei's eyes to suddenly stop on her hand.
His smile faded.
"...What happened?"
Zoya followed his gaze.
The thick white bandage disappeared beneath the sleeve of her uniform.
Only the tips of her fingers remained visible.
Because the bandage extended deep beneath the fabric...
It was impossible to tell how serious the injury actually was.
Li Wei frowned.
"Were you hurt badly?"
Almost instinctively...
Zoya slipped the injured hand behind her back.
"Oh..."
"It isn't anything serious."
"A small accident."
"The doctor wrapped it more dramatically than necessary."
She laughed softly.
"The injury looks worse than it actually is."
Li Wei didn't seem convinced.
"You should've rested."
"I'm fine."
She answered almost too quickly.
Then, before he could continue...
She changed the subject.
"Have all the guests arrived?"
"Anything left to do?"
Li Wei immediately understood she didn't wish to discuss the injury.
He didn't press further.
Instead...
He looked toward the far end of the restaurant.
"They're almost done with dinner."
He lifted a hand.
"There."
Zoya followed the direction of his finger.
At the far end of the restaurant...
Separated from the rest of the dining hall by elegant floor-to-ceiling glass walls...
Was the private dining suite.
Warm lights glowed inside.
Through the transparent glass...
Every face was clearly visible.
Kim Joon was saying something that made Hosu laugh.
Taehun was waving his chopsticks dramatically as if defending himself in court.
Yomin had finally woken up and was lazily eating again.
Ruhi and Sophia sat beside Hana, laughing over something on one of their phones.
And then...
Her eyes found Minji.
A quiet smile appeared on Zoya's face.
Minji looked comfortable.
Happy.
Safe.
Her gaze drifted slightly...
Until it stopped beside her.
Jeon J.
He was listening to Kim Joon while absentmindedly swirling the clear liquid inside his glass.
The warm lights reflected against the rim of the crystal.
Zoya stared for only a heartbeat.
Then lowered her eyes.
A faint smile curved across her lips.
"...See?"
She whispered to herself.
"I told you."
Her own reflection looked back at her through the glass.
"You don't belong there."
She folded her fingers together behind her back.
"They can worry about you..."
"They can care about you..."
"They can even stand beside you."
Her eyes slowly returned to Minji.
"They can become your friends."
A quiet pause.
Then...
Her gaze shifted to Jeon J.
"But..."
"They can't leave their world..."
"...for yours."
The smile remained.
Yet somehow...
It hurt even more.
"You were foolish to hope otherwise."
She let out a slow breath.
"No more expectations."
"No more impossible prayers."
Her eyes lingered inside the room one last time.
Then...
She looked away.
At that exact moment...
One of the waitresses hurried past carrying a polished silver service tray.
Several unopened bottles of premium soju rested neatly beside chilled Korean beer.
Fresh crystal glasses reflected beneath the warm lights.
The waitress headed toward the private room.
Almost without thinking...
Zoya stepped forward.
"Wait."
The waitress stopped.
"Hm?"
"I'll take it."
The girl looked confused.
"But your hand..."
"I'm okay."
Zoya smiled reassuringly.
"I can manage."
She carefully placed her handbag on an empty chair near the service station.
Her fingers instinctively reached for the scarf wrapped around her head.
She adjusted one corner.
Then another.
Not because it had slipped...
But because she needed a few extra seconds.
A deep breath escaped her lips.
She reached for the tray.
The cold metal settled against her palms.
Its weight wasn't much.
Yet somehow...
It felt unbearably heavy.
Her eyes slowly lowered.
The green glass bottles caught the light.
Soju.
Beer.
For a long moment...
She simply looked at them.
Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth.
She forced herself to breathe.
This wasn't about the bottles.
It wasn't even about tonight.
It was about accepting something she had spent months trying to avoid.
Running away wouldn't change reality.
She worked here now.
There would be guests who ordered alcohol.
There would be bottles she would have to carry.
Tables she would have to serve.
She couldn't refuse every time.
She had to learn.
She had to endure.
Slowly...
She tightened her grip on the tray.
"I can do this..."
she whispered so quietly that even she barely heard it.
Straightening her shoulders...
She walked toward the private room.
Each step echoed softly across the polished wooden floor.
Inside...
No one noticed.
The conversation continued.
Hana was laughing.
Ruhi was teasing Taehun.
Minji had finally put her phone away.
Kim Joon poured another drink for Hosu.
Jeon J. rested lazily against the back of the sofa.
To everyone inside...
She was simply another waitress.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
Zoya stopped before the glass door.
Her reflection stared back at her once again.
For a brief second...
She closed her eyes.
Then gently pushed the door open.
The room welcomed her with the aroma of dishes.
The scent of grilled meat.
Fresh soup.
Laughter.
No one looked toward the entrance.
She stepped inside silently.
The tray remained perfectly balanced despite the dull ache shooting through her injured hand.
She walked toward the narrow gap between Jeon J. and Taehun—the small space intentionally left for the staff to serve dishes without disturbing the guests.
Still...
No one noticed.
Hana...
Ruhi...
Sophia...
Minji...
Jinhun...
Minjo...
Kim Joon...
Hosu...
Yomin...
Teahun...
Jeon.J...
All remained absorbed in their conversation.
Jeon J. reached for his chopsticks without even glancing up.
Zoya carefully bent forward.
The silver tray came to rest softly on the edge of the table.
Without making a sound...
She reached for the first bottle.
Her fingers...
Trembled.
Almost imperceptibly.
The bottle remained untouched for a heartbeat longer than it should have.
The room carried on exactly as before.
Taehun was halfway through another exaggerated story.
"...and then the manager looked at me as if I'd committed a crime!"
"Oh, please."
Hosu laughed.
"You almost did."
Another burst of laughter followed.
No one noticed the waitress standing beside the table.
No one...
Except fate.
Zoya slowly reached for the neck of the soju bottle.
The cold glass met her trembling fingers.
She had prepared herself for this.
She truly had.
But preparation...
And reality...
Were never the same.
For months...
Every prayer she had whispered beneath the silence of the night had carried the same ending.
Keep him away from this.
She had never imagined...
That one day...
Those same hands raised in prayer...
Would become the hands placing those bottles before him.
A strange ache settled inside her chest.
Almost instinctively...
Her eyes lifted.
Jeon J.
He had finally noticed movement beside him.
At first...
His gaze landed on the bottle.
Then...
On the slender fingers holding it.
Only then...
Did his eyes travel upward.
Stopping on the white bandage wrapped around her hand.
His brows drew together almost automatically.
His eyes continued upward.
Meeting hers.
For a moment...
The entire room disappeared.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them moved.
Only their eyes remained locked.
Zoya looked at him...
As though trying to convince herself that this moment wasn't real.
Then...
Unable to bear it any longer...
Her gaze slowly drifted downward.
It stopped at the crystal glass resting in his hand.
The clear liquid inside reflected the warm golden lights hanging from the ceiling.
The familiar scent reached her before she even realised it.
Soju.
The corners of her eyes burned.
No...
Not here.
Please...
Not here.
She swallowed hard.
But tears never listened to reason.
One escaped.
Silently.
Rolling down her cheek before slipping from her jaw...
Landing upon the polished silver tray.
Jeon J. saw it.
Every single second of it.
His eyes remained fixed upon the tiny drop resting against the silver surface.
Something inside him...
Snapped.
The bottle was still in Zoya's hand.
She had only just begun lowering it toward the table.
Without warning—
Jeon J.'s hand shot forward.
Bang!
The sharp crack exploded through the private dining room.
The tray flew sideways.
Glass bottles crashed onto the wooden floor.
Crystal shattered in every direction.
Beer spilt across the polished surface.
Soju spread beneath the table like a silver river beneath the lights.
The conversation died instantly.
Silence.
Complete...
Absolute silence.
Hana flinched violently.
Ruhi instinctively covered her ears.
Sophia froze.
Even Yomin, who had been reaching for another piece of chicken, stopped mid-motion.
The only sound left...
Was the slow rolling of a bottle across the floor...
Until...
It finally stopped.
Minji's eyes darted toward Jeon J.
Then...
Toward the waitress standing beside him.
The scarf.
The trembling shoulders.
The familiar eyes.
Her own widened.
"...Zoya?"
Her voice came out as little more than a whisper.
Then louder.
"Zoya!"
Every head turned at once.
Zoya slowly removed her hands from beside her body.
She hadn't even realised she'd instinctively covered her ears when the bottles shattered.
At the sound of her name...
She lowered them.
Her eyes met Minji's.
Forcing a small smile that never reached her eyes.
Then...
Without saying a single word...
She looked toward Jeon J.
He had already picked up his chopsticks again.
Head lowered.
As if nothing had happened.
As if the shattered glass covering half the floor had appeared on its own.
As if she...
Had never existed.
For a fraction of a second...
Something flickered behind Zoya's eyes.
Then it disappeared.
Professional.
Calm.
She looked away.
Before anyone could stop her...
She quietly walked around the table.
Crossing to the opposite side where the broken glass had landed.
Ignoring every pair of eyes fixed upon her.
She knelt carefully.
One knee against the wooden floor.
Reaching toward the larger pieces of shattered glass.
Her injured hand moved slowly.
Deliberately.
As though she had all the time in the world.
"Zoya."
Minji's voice was sharper this time.
"What are you doing here?"
No answer.
Zoya continued gathering the broken pieces one by one.
The silver tray lay upside down nearby.
She picked it up.
Placed it flat on the floor.
Then carefully began arranging the larger shards upon it.
"Zoya."
Minji stood.
Walking around the table until she stood beside her.
"I'm talking to you."
Still...
Nothing.
Across the room...
Jeon J. leaned back against the sofa.
One hand disappeared into his hair.
His fingers pushed it back roughly before he rested his head against the cushion.
His expression remained unreadable.
Only his eyes betrayed him.
They hadn't left the white bandage on Zoya's hand since the moment he'd seen it.
Jinhun watched him quietly.
He had been watching him all evening.
Watching every glance.
Every silence.
Every reaction.
A slow sigh escaped him.
Then he leaned sideways, just enough for only Jeon J. to hear.
"I told you before..."
he murmured.
"You're unlucky for her."
Jeon J.'s jaw tightened.
Jinhun continued.
"Look at her."
"The day she was supposed to meet you..."
"She ended up with an injured hand."
A muscle twitched in Jeon J.'s cheek.
Slowly...
He turned his head.
His eyes met Jinhun's.
The warning in them was unmistakable.
Enough.
Jinhun understood.
He simply raised both hands in surrender.
"Fine."
"I'll stop."
Meanwhile...
Minji crouched beside Zoya and reached for the tray.
"Leave it."
"I'll do it."
The moment her fingers touched the tray...
Zoya held it firmly.
"One minute."
Her voice remained unbelievably calm.
"So I can answer your questions..."
"Let me finish this first."
The calmness in her tone only made Minji angrier.
"Zoya!"
Her voice echoed across the silent room.
For the first time...
Zoya looked directly at her.
There was no anger in her eyes.
No frustration.
Only exhaustion.
She quietly lifted the tray.
Walked past Minji without another word.
And left the private dining room.
Everyone watched her through the glass walls.
Not a single person spoke.
Almost two minutes passed.
Then...
She appeared again.
This time...
She wasn't alone.
A male staff member followed behind her, pushing a cleaning cart.
Rubber gloves covered his hands as he immediately knelt to sweep away the broken glass.
Zoya stood beside him, gently drying her damp hands with a folded tissue.
She didn't look at anyone.
Didn't explain anything.
Didn't defend herself.
She simply waited until every last shard had disappeared from the floor.
Only then...
She picked up another polished serving tray.
Turned.
And once again...
Walked toward the private dining room.
Jeon J. saw her approaching through the glass.
He suddenly stood.
His chair scraped loudly against the wooden floor.
Everyone looked up.
Before he could take a single step...
Jinhun caught his wrist.
"Sit."
Jeon J. didn't move.
Jinhun tightened his grip.
"You've already done enough."
For several long seconds...
Neither of them spoke.
Finally...
Jeon J. exhaled heavily.
Then sat back down.
The glass door slid open once more.
Zoya stepped inside.
The new tray rested steadily in her hands.
This time...
She stopped before anyone could speak.
Looking directly at Minji, she said quietly,
"Minji..."
"I work here."
"And while I'm here..."
"I can't stand with you and answer your questions."
A faint smile appeared.
"So I brought the tray back."
"At least now..."
"It'll look like I'm doing my job while answering you."
She gently placed the tray upon the table.
"The rest..."
"We'll talk about when we get home."
Silence answered her.
The words had barely left her lips...
When Minji shook her head firmly.
"No."
"Absolutely not."
Her voice was no longer calm.
"It can wait."
"This..."
She pointed toward the serving tray.
"...can't."
"You told me you were working as Chef's assistant."
"So why are you carrying drinks?"
"Why are you serving tables?"
Her questions came one after another.
Sharp.
Restless.
Protective.
"I thought you worked in the kitchen."
"So what is this?"
Ruhi and Hana exchanged worried glances.
Sophia quietly looked between the two girls, sensing the tension rising with every passing second.
Zoya lowered her eyes toward the tray.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around its edge.
Before she could answer...
A familiar voice cut through the silence.
"So..."
Everyone's attention shifted.
Jeon J.
He was still leaning comfortably against the sofa, one elbow resting on the armrest.
One corner of his lips lifted into a smile.
It wasn't warm.
It wasn't amused.
It was the kind of smile people wore when they were hiding something far more dangerous beneath it.
His eyes never left Zoya.
Jeon J.'s eyes briefly flicked toward the bottles of soju and beer she was serving before returning to her, he said.
"So... you got this job through Ji-Ho's recommendation."
The words were light.
Almost playful.
But everyone in the room heard the edge hidden beneath them.
Hosu slowly looked toward Kim Joon.
Kim Joon quietly lowered his chopsticks.
Jinhun rubbed the bridge of his nose.
He knew that tone.
Too well.
Zoya finally looked at him.
Their eyes met once again.
There wasn't anger in hers.
Only quiet disbelief.
She understood exactly what he meant.
It wasn't about the job.
She answered calmly.
"No."
"My actual job is in the kitchen—the one Minji told you about."
Jeon J. let out a dry chuckle.
"Really?"
"I thought he was quite... influential."
"I figured he had quite a few connections. I mean... just look at the job he managed to find for you."
"Jeon J. continued speaking without paying any attention to what Zoya had just said. It was as though no one else in the room existed."
Neither of them answered.
The room grew even quieter.
Before another word could be spoken...
The glass door slid open.
Manager Choi stepped inside with his usual professional smile.
The moment his eyes landed on Zoya standing beside the table...
His smile froze.
"...Miss Zoya?"
"What are you doing in here?"
He immediately looked around the room.
Then at the untouched tray.
Then at the broken silence hanging over everyone.
Something clearly wasn't right.
Before he could ask another question...
Jeon J. suddenly spoke.
"Manager Choi."
The manager immediately turned toward him.
Everyone's eyes immediately shifted to Jeon J.
Zoya's heart skipped a beat.
A flicker of panic crossed her face as one thought flashed through her mind.
Please don't tell the manager...
"Yes, sir?"
Jeon J. rested his forearms on the table, his expression returning to its usual calm.
"I've just realised something."
Manager Choi waited respectfully.
"I haven't seen a single member of your staff ask for a photo."
"Not one autograph."
He smiled faintly.
"That's rare."
Manager Choi laughed politely.
"Our staff have been instructed not to disturb your dinner."
"We wanted you to enjoy your evening peacefully."
Jeon J. nodded slowly.
"And you succeeded."
A brief pause followed.
"Now..."
"I'd like you to tell everyone to gather."
Manager Choi looked confused.
"Sir?"
"We'll take photos."
"We'll sign autographs."
His eyes briefly swept across the restaurant beyond the glass wall.
"They've been professional all evening."
"They deserve something in return."
Relief instantly spread across Manager Choi's face.
"Oh..."
"Thank you, sir."
"Everyone will be thrilled."
"And..."
Jeon J. added.
"You and Chef Kang should join us as well."
"We'll take one picture together."
"You can keep it here."
"A small gift from TBS."
Manager Choi bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
"That truly means a lot."
He turned toward Zoya.
"Miss Zoya..."
"Please come with me."
The moment Zoya's name left the manager's lips, the calm expression on Jeon J.'s face vanished.
In an instant, his expression turned cold.
His eyes slowly shifted to Manager Choi, their gaze sharp and unreadable.
Oblivious to the sudden change in the atmosphere, the manager remained focused on speaking, completely unaware that Jeon J.'s attention was now fixed on him.
Before Zoya could even move...
Jeon J. spoke again.
"No."
Manager Choi stopped.
His brows knitted together.
Jeon J.'s voice remained calm.
"Let her stay."
Manager Choi looked uncertain.
"But..."
"We don't mind."
He smiled politely.
"In fact..."
He glanced toward Zoya for only a brief second.
"She's probably the first employee I've ever met who seems completely uninterested in meeting us."
A few awkward smiles appeared around the room.
Only Zoya remained expressionless.
She simply looked at him.
Trying to understand what was going on inside his mind.
Manager Choi laughed nervously.
"Sir..."
"Please don't misunderstand."
"She's still new."
"And she's—"
Jeon J. raised a hand gently.
"No misunderstanding."
"We're not offended."
"If anything..."
"We're impressed."
He looked back at Manager Choi.
"You should prepare everyone."
"We'll be out shortly."
Manager Choi hesitated.
His eyes shifted toward Zoya.
She gave him the smallest reassuring smile.
"I'll be alright."
The words were quiet.
Almost inaudible.
Manager Choi studied her face for a moment before finally nodding.
"If you're sure..."
"I'll gather everyone."
With one final respectful bow...
He quietly left the room.
The glass door slid shut behind him.
Silence returned.
This time...
Even heavier than before.
Jeon J. slowly leaned back against the sofa.
His eyes settled on the thick white bandage wrapped around Zoya's hand.
For the first time since she'd entered...
He spoke directly to her.
"So..."
His voice was calm.
Almost frighteningly calm.
"What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time..."
"...that your hand had to disappear beneath all those bandages?"
The question hung heavily in the air.
Everyone looked toward Zoya.
Before she could answer...
Minji stepped closer.
"Let me see."
She gently reached for Zoya's injured hand.
The instant her fingers closed around the bandage—
A sharp breath escaped Zoya's lips.
"...Ah..."
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't dramatic.
Just a small, involuntary gasp of pain.
Across the table...
Jeon J.'s jaw tightened.
His eyes shut for the briefest second.
The muscles in his face visibly tensed.
And for the first time that night...
The calm mask he had worn so effortlessly... shattered just as completely as the glass beneath her feet.
To be continued...
Regard,
ZK💌