[Chapter 36]
Min-Ji knew something was wrong.
Not serious wrong.
Not emergency wrong.
Just—
No-Ah wrong.
Which was still concerning.
Because No-Ah wasn't usually the type to stare into space.
She was usually the type to stare directly at problems and threaten them.
Yet here she was.
Holding a cleaning cloth.
Looking at absolutely nothing.
The same table.
The same spot.
For the third time.
"Kim No-Ah."
No response.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Kim No-Ah."
Nothing.
"…Okay, no. This is not normal."
He reached over and plucked the cloth from her hands.
That finally snapped her back.
"What?!"
"There you are."
No-Ah blinked at him like she had just remembered earth existed.
"What are you doing?"
"I should be asking you that."
"I'm working."
"You're spiritually elsewhere."
"I'm right here."
Min-Ji pointed at the table.
"This table is cleaner than my future."
"…That doesn't make sense."
"It does emotionally."
No-Ah sighed and grabbed the cloth back.
Min-Ji watched her closely.
Because she was wiping a perfectly clean table again.
Again.
And again.
"You're thinking about him."
"No."
Too fast.
Way too fast.
Min-Ji's eyes lit up immediately.
"Aha."
"No."
"Aha."
"No."
"Kei."
"No."
"KEI."
"No."
"KEI."
"Stop raising your voice."
"I'm excited."
"You're annoying."
"I'm observant."
"You're wrong."
"I'm correct."
The café bell chimed.
Both of them paused.
Min-Ji glanced up.
"Customer."
No-Ah didn't even look.
Min-Ji looked again.
Then went still.
Completely still.
Because the person walking in—
Was not a normal customer.
Not even slightly.
A woman stepped inside with calm precision.
Tailored coat.
Sharp posture.
Quiet authority that made the entire café feel smaller.
Min-Ji instinctively stood straighter.
"…Oh no."
No-Ah finally looked up.
"…Who is that?"
Min-Ji swallowed.
"I think I just got promoted to 'unemployed' by eye contact."
The woman's gaze swept the café once.
Then landed on the counter.
On No-Ah.
She walked over.
Slowly.
Unhurried.
The kind of pace that said she had never been rushed in her life.
She stopped in front of the counter.
And studied No-Ah.
For a long moment.
No-Ah felt it immediately.
Not judgment.
Not curiosity.
Something sharper.
Assessment.
"You're her."
No-Ah blinked.
"…Her?"
The woman tilted her head slightly.
"I expected… different."
Min-Ji stepped forward slightly.
"Uh—hi, welcome to—"
She didn't even look at him.
Just raised a hand slightly.
He stopped talking immediately.
No-Ah noticed that.
Very carefully.
The woman turned back to her.
"I'm Mrs Yoon."
Silence.
"Yoon Hae-Rin. "
That name landed wrong.
Heavy.
Like a stone dropped into water.
Min-Ji froze.
"…NOCTIS?"
The woman didn't respond to him.
Still looking at No-Ah.
"So you're No-Ah."
No-Ah's grip tightened slightly on the cloth.
"Yes."
A pause.
Then Mrs Yoon smiled.
Small.
Measuring.
"You're pretty."
That made No-Ah blink.
Min-Ji nearly choked.
Mrs Yoon continued calmly.
"No wonder he likes you."
The café went completely still.
Even the coffee machine seemed to hesitate.
No-Ah's voice came out flat.
"…Excuse me?"
Mrs Yoon studied her reaction carefully.
Like she was collecting data.
"I've never met you before," she said simply. "But I've known of you for a while."
Min-Ji whispered, horrified.
"Why does she talk like she owns weather?"
No-Ah didn't look at him.
Didn't move.
Mrs Yoon leaned slightly on the counter.
"Kei has been… difficult recently."
That name again.
No-Ah's expression didn't change.
But something in her posture did.
Just slightly.
Mrs Yoon noticed.
Of course she did.
"He doesn't listen to management," she continued. "He doesn't listen to staff. He barely listens to himself."
A pause.
Then, quieter:
"But he listens more than he should to certain people."
Her eyes lifted slightly.
To No-Ah.
Min-Ji looked between them.
Slowly panicking.
"I feel like I walked into a meeting I wasn't invited to."
"You weren't," Mrs Yoon said without looking at him.
He shut up immediately.
No-Ah finally spoke.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Mrs Yoon hummed softly.
"That's what I expected you to say."
She straightened.
Then added casually—
almost too casually:
"He hasn't been sleeping."
No-Ah's fingers tightened.
Mrs Yoon continued.
"He skips meals. Overworks himself. Takes supplements instead of rest."
Her gaze sharpened.
"And before you misunderstand—this isn't me blaming you."
A pause.
"It's me trying to understand what changed."
No-Ah swallowed.
Min-Ji looked increasingly stressed.
"…Why are you telling her this?"
Mrs Yoon finally glanced at him.
For the first time.
"You're the café worker."
"…Yes."
"Then make coffee."
"…Fair."
He immediately turned around like his life depended on espresso extraction.
Mrs Yoon looked back at No-Ah.
"You haven't met him recently, have you?"
No-Ah didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Mrs Yoon sighed lightly.
Almost tired.
"I told him to stay away from distractions."
That word hit differently.
No-Ah's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Distractions?"
Mrs Yoon didn't deny it.
Didn't soften it.
Just continued:
"He disagreed."
Silence.
Then Mrs Yoon added, more quietly:
"He usually does."
Another pause.
Then, almost like an afterthought—
"You're handling this better than I expected."
No-Ah frowned.
"Handling what?"
Mrs Yoon studied her again.
Longer this time.
Then said:
"The fact that he doesn't know how to stop."
The words landed heavy.
Not dramatic.
Just true.
Mrs Yoon reached into her bag.
Took out a business card.
Placed it on the counter.
"If you see him," she said, voice steady, "tell him I said to sleep."
A faint pause.
Then she added, almost reluctantly:
"He won't listen to me."
She turned slightly.
Then stopped.
Looked back at No-Ah again.
And for the first time—
her expression shifted.
Something almost softer.
"You're pretty," she repeated quietly. "No wonder he likes you."
Then she left.
Just like that.
The bell chimed.
The café stayed silent for a full three seconds.
Min-Ji slowly peeked over the counter.
"…Did we just get emotionally audited?"
No-Ah didn't answer.
She was staring at the business card.
Like it had weight.
Like it meant something she didn't want it to mean.
Thank God Run-Seo was on leave.
Min-Ji leaned closer.
"…So."
No-Ah finally spoke.
Quietly.
"…Go back to work."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
Min-Ji hesitated.
Then carefully:
"…He's really in trouble, isn't he?"
No-Ah didn't respond.
But her hand tightened slightly on the card.
And that was answer enough.
☆ ☆ ☆